The elf woman, Yumeria, just waited for me to respond to her question. Despite her claims, she didn't seem scared at all that I might have been there to kill her. I squeezed my eyes shut at the memory of indiscriminately killing all those elves outside just because they looked like monsters.

"I'm not here to harm you or the other elves." I said through gritted teeth. I tried to ignore the shaking of my hands as I continued. "We're just here to try to figure out what happened to the island and the other elves."

"Your heart seems wounded, Inheritor." Yumeria suddenly changed the subject. "Do you require comfort?"

I was about to ask what she was talking about when she reached for her dress and tried to take it off.

"Whoa! Whoa! None of that!" I yelled out, surging forward and grabbing her hands. Unfortunately, her dress was a lot more flimsy than I expected and it all pooled at her feet. I was immediately made aware that she was not wearing any underwear. My eyes widened, not because of her sudden nudity, but because of what else I was seeing.

There were burns, scars, and discoloration all over her body. A rather large surgical scar went from the middle of her sternum all the way down to her pubic area. It was like someone literally cut her torso open. Her breasts had pockmark scars and burns, I didn't even want to know what caused those. There were also signs of bruising on various parts of her body. It was like she came from a warzone.

"What the hell happened to you?" Was all I could ask in the face of such a thing.

"This is my penance and proof of my ascension into becoming the Dragon God's priestess." Yumeria answered as she moved her hands over her breasts. I hated that my eyes instinctively followed the action. "Please do not mind my deformities, Inheritor. Everything is still fully functional and can be used for your pleasure. Please take me however you wish."

My face twisted in revulsion at what she was implying. Was she used that way by other people, by the ones who did this to her? I shook my head and crouched down to pull her dress back up over her body.

"You don't have to offer your body like this anymore." I softly said while securing the clothing on her as best I could.

The elven woman tilted her head to the side and regarded me with what might have been confusion. "Do you find my appearance grotesque perhaps?"

"No, you're very beautiful, Yumeria." I told her with a sad smile. She really was, even with all the scarring. She accepted my words with a nod as I took a step away from her.

"I really do want to know what happened to the island though. Can you tell me what you know?" I asked, rounding back to the original topic I wanted to talk about.

"I cannot speak for the surface elves. I have not seen the light of the sun in many years." What? She had been stuck down here for years? Had she been experimented on that entire time? "As for what happened to our grand temple, it was exhumed along with the Dragon God's remains."

Yeah, that pretty much tracked with what everything looked like. I didn't know what the Dragon God was supposed to be though, was it the Getter Robo from the murals? I probably needed to consult Control before I jumped to any conclusions.

"By who?" I asked instead, that should have been something I could get answers with.

"Humans." She said, making me blink.

"Did they look like anyone specific? Like the army or nobles? Adventurers?" I slowly asked, trying to make it easy for her.

"I do not know. I was asleep when it happened. I was only informed about what happened by the Broken Kin after I was woken up by them." The broken kin were probably the elves that had more severe modifications. "By then, the temple was gone and I've been seeking guidance from the Dragon God's Serpent since. You arrived sometime after, answering my prayers."

So she only found out after the fact as well. It looked like the other elves were the only eye witnesses.

"Well, can you come with me? I'm sure that the army would like to ask some questions. That, and this place doesn't look very habitable anymore." I suggested. Yumeria just stared at me for a moment before finally nodding.

"Very well, I need assistance in helping the others ascend to the Dragon God's realm anyway." I desperately tried not to think about the implications of that statement and guided her back the way we came. The other modified elves outside the room accompanied us along the way.

"Leon! You're okay!" Livia called out to me as we came back out to the bottom of the main crater. I noticed that a few soldiers were also down here now and were warily keeping an eye on the elves. My best friend then finally noticed Yumeria and pointed at her. "Who is this?"

"I apologize, I was unaware that the Inheritor was traveling with a Divine Maiden. This humble priestess greets you, divine one." Yumeria suddenly greeted Livia with a deep bow. The other modified elves also started bowing to the best of their abilities, much to the confusion of the rest of us.

"What do you mea–" Livia started asking when Control's probe suddenly appeared in front of us with the light in its camera lens going red.

[Enemy of Humanity Identified]

"Control, wait!" I yelled out and put myself between Control and Yumeria when the AI looked like they were about to shoot her dead.

Please step away from that elf, Leon. She has successfully undergone Hundred Demon conversion surgery and is now functionally an Oni. She is a threat to all humans.

To my surprise, Yumeria actually frowned and looked offended by the insinuation. "I am not a threat to humanity. It is humanity's greed and hubris that is a greater threat to themselves. The state of our grand temple perfectly highlights that."

"Yumeria, can you please stay quiet for a bit?!" I hissed at her, she was not helping! I ignored how she seemed to pout at me in favor of talking to the increasingly hostile drone. "Control, please. We need her alive to figure out what happened and what this place is about."

Control stayed silent for a few tense moments. I saw Livia slowly reaching for her handgun while her other hand started glowing. The two of us locked eyes and I shook my head a bit. She frowned but nodded. The last thing we needed was her and Control having a shootout in the middle of all this.

So be it. But the elf will be under constant surveillance.

Everyone, save for Yumeria and the modified elves, gave a sigh of relief. I walked up to the soldiers and asked which one of them was in charge. Gabriel reluctantly stepped up and said that he was the ranking soldier responsible for the ruins.

"I have to admit, Sir Bartfort, I have no idea what we're supposed to do with these elves. They're obviously not hostile and look like they've been through all sorts of hell, but we don't really have anywhere to safely put them." The soldier stated in frustration over the situation, rather than the elves themselves. I grimaced in understanding, there definitely weren't any easy solutions to this problem. At least, none that I could see right then.

"What about the task force leadership?" I asked, hoping that the Captain from earlier would have a better solution.

"No luck there either, I'm afraid. They're focused on finding out where the surface elves were taken. There are a lot of slave contracts that are suddenly voided or on hold because all the merchandise suddely vanished." He explained. Of course that's what people were more worried about. I couldn't even blame them, there was probably a lot of money in jeopardy because of all this.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. I was going to have to take in this circus, wasn't I? I thanked Gabriel and went back to the others. Yumeria was speaking with the girls, with Control's drone hovering ominously close by. The other modified elves were more or less just standing around patiently, though some were looking at Livia with interest.

"Leon! We have a problem!" Livia exclaimed when she noticed me approaching. "Yumeria said that the other elves are going to die!"

My stomach dropped at the news and I looked at the woman in alarm. "Please explain."

"The instruments used to maintain the Broken Kin's existence were among the things that were taken." She began and my eyes widened. "They will all slowly wither and perish by the end of the week at most."

"Can we do anything for them?" I asked, but Yumeria just shook her head. I let out a frustrated growl and turned to Control instead. "Control, you're familiar with the tech used on them. Is there anything we can do to save their lives?"

The information we have about Hundred Demon Empire technology revolves around how to kill them. Even then, the technology used on the elves is incomplete and flawed. Neither the Nagare nor the Labs have the specific facilities that they may need to maintain functionality.

"Then what can we do?" Clara asked in dawning horror.

The humane thing that can be done would be to have them undergo painless euthanasia.

Fuck, I was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

"What does that mean, Control? I don't like how that word sounds." Deirdre asked, her expression grim.

The act of euthanasia is to intentionally end life to prevent or relieve pain and suffering.

There was complete silence following Control's explanation. Well, that was until Livia started screaming.

"There has to be a way! There HAS TO BE!" She frantically said as she took hold of Control's drone. "I can heal them! I can make them better!"

I understand your distress, Olivia. However, the issue seems to be the mechanical part of their bodies, not the biological part.

"I don't understand! They're hurting, so I should be able to just heal them! That's what I'm best at! If that isn't enough, then I can learn the magic that can!" Livia cried out and started shaking Control's drone. Clara and I had to pull her off, the hysterical girl proving stronger than either of us expected.

"We apologize for causing you distress, divine one." Yumeria suddenly spoke up, bowing to Livia. "Please do not shed tears for our wretched selves. The Broken Kin may have failed to reach divinity in life, but they will be able to reach the Dragon God's realm in death."

"It's not fair!" Livia cried out, as she clung to me desperately. "Leon! You always found a way to save everyone! Please!"

I looked at Livia's tear stained face as she put all of her hopes on me. It tore me up to see her shock when I just looked away in shame. All I could do was hold her as she wailed in despair.

In the end, it was decided that the modified elves would be brought aboard the Nagare. Control assured us that they would be able to do what was necessary without causing any pain or distress. The girls understandably retreated to their rooms once we got back on my ship, not wanting to be a part of any of it. I spoke to the Captain about the whole thing and I was sure that he started drinking on the spot.

"Fuck, no luck on our end either. Whoever did all this didn't leave any trace at all. The Crown won't be happy with the report I'm going to write. Thank you for the help, Sir Bartfort. A damn horrible thing you have to do. We'll help in burying the elves at least." I felt about the same as what he sounded like and we both said our goodbyes, knowing that things weren't about to get better.

The modified elves were moved to various public areas on the ship as they awaited what was going to happen to them. Control was going to end their lives one after another in the largest of the four medical facilities on the Nagare. They said that the entire process should take no longer than half a day. We would be giving the remains to the army for proper burial on Elven Island. It was the least we could do. We would depart from the island the moment that was done and head back to the Capital.

Before Control started the process, we tried to ask the modified elves what happened and who attacked them with Yumeria assisting us. They were less than helpful as all they were able to confirm was that the attackers were human and they used unknown means to carve out the ruins. They all seemed the most upset when they spoke of how their Dragon God was taken.

I was on the bridge to be alone. I didn't feel like doing anything else but wait for everything to be over with. Yumeria was with the modified elves as she insisted on giving them their last rites to ensure that they would ascend to their Dragon God's realm. I didn't believe in their god, but I silently prayed that their souls would make it there all the same.

The process has begun. I assume that you would rather not know the details?

"Fuck no." I spat out with a frown. I then remembered something else that was notable from the ruins. "Did you know that they had murals down there depicting what looked like Getter Robos?"

I was not able to investigate the ruins myself. Can you please describe these murals to me?

I told Control about the red, blue, and yellow armored figures and the battles that were depicted on the walls of the ruins. I didn't really have a frame of reference since the only Getter Robo I really knew was Black Getter, but it felt right to consider them as such when I saw them.

Those sound like depictions of Getter Dragon, Liger, and Poseidon respectively. The foes they were facing were the machines of the Hundred Demon Empire. Strange that such information would have made it through all this time.

"Wait." I began with a growing sense of unease. "If the red one is Getter Dragon, and the elves keep talking about the remains of a Dragon God…"

The elves may have been worshiping a non-functional Getter Dragon model.

"And you didn't detect any Getter Rays?" I asked, Livia never said anything about seeing the green light she sees off of me either.

It would have been unlikely to detect any. After so much time, any Getter Ray energy still in the reactor would have dissipated thousands of years ago.

"And someone still took it." I said, putting my face in my hands. "Someone out there has a Getter Robo, Control."

A non-functional Getter Dragon is not a threat, not to us. No one in this world save for me has the means to provide the needed Getter Rays to power it. Even then, after so long, the machine itself would have already deteriorated to a point that it would not even be usable.

"I guess." That was a pretty good point. I suddenly chuckled when I had an idle thought based on something from a long while back. "You know, Professor Jin is probably spinning in his grave now that we know that elves have been literally worshiping Getter as a god."

He would not have been happy about it, no.

"So if the elves were worshiping Getter Dragon, why were they using Hundred Demon technology to modify themselves? You even said that Yumeria is a finished product." I asked since it was very weird that they would be worshiping the thing that the origin of their technology fought against.

Correct. While there may be more, Yumeria seems to be the only successful case of Oni conversion. We likely won't find out why until we find the parts of the ruin that were taken, but it is not impossible that the ones who first discovered that place misinterpreted the relationship between the Getter Robos and the Hundred Demon Empire.

I stayed on the bridge with my thoughts until Control finally informed me that the process was finally completed. The remains of the elves were cremated and were each placed in small metal boxes.

The boxes are made of Getter Alloy. I thought it fitting that they would be placed in the same metal as the god they worshiped.

Yumeria thanked Control profusely for giving the modified elves such an honor, in her words. Control may not like or trust her much, but I guessed that they were still just a big softie at heart.

Yumeria, Livia, Deirdre, and Clara went down to Elven Island one more time to witness the elves be put to their final resting place. The soldiers guarding the ruins also turned up for the impromptu funeral. The green haired elf led the ceremony and sang a haunting tune in an incredibly beautiful voice as her fellows were buried near the ruins.

"I would like to accompany the Inheritor and the Divine Maiden. It must have been the Dragon God's will that I meet them." Yumeria said when we asked if she was going to stay on the island. We all looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Well, Livia looked like she knew what she was doing when she reached out and enveloped the elf in an embrace.

"I don't know why you keep calling me that, but we'd be happy to have you!" She said before looking at me with a desperate looking expression. "Right, Leon?"

What the hell else was I supposed to tell her?

…

I was once again lying in bed in the Captain's quarters. The Nagare was headed back to the Capital but none of the girls complained that we were going to cut our adventuring trip short. Deirdre even whined that she never got to see Black Getter in action at all. Our new addition, Yumeria, was currently rooming with Livia as the girl refused to leave the elf alone. I was about to go to sleep when I heard a knock at the door.

Who was visiting at this hour?

"Livia?" She was wearing her pajamas and smiling at me. "I thought you and Yumeria were already asleep?"

"Yumeria is asleep. It seems that she was more tired than she made herself look." Livia answered before entering the room and embracing me. "Are you okay, Leon?"

"No, I'm not." I told her honestly. I wanted to go on this trip to get my mind off of my problems back at the Capital, only to stumble onto a bigger problem instead. "Problems just keep piling up and I don't know how to deal with everything. They just don't stop."

"But there are good things too, right?" She asked, squeezing me in her arms. Man, when did she get so strong?

"Yeah, there are. I just wish that I could have done better with a lot of things." I answered. Angie and Clarice, befriending the boys, finding my sister as Marie, Mylene. There were definitely good things that happened along the way too.

"You will. You're my best friend after all." My face twitched at the little reminder that the girl with her arms around me was also a problem I didn't have a solution to either. Livia didn't seem to notice my distress when she finally let go of me. "This is a pretty fancy room."

"Yeah well, it's supposed to be where the Captain sleeps after all." I explained as she started looking around the room. She then stopped and took a good long look at a particular painting on the wall.

"Leon, why is this painting talking to me?" Excuse me? Wait, wasn't that the painting that had the safe with the Saint's Necklace inside of it? Livia turned to me with a puzzled expression. "Who is Lea?"