It wasn't too long after the attack against the fortress that the attack team gathered in the forest to recover.
"So...what happens now?" Flux asked. "It's obvious our original plan isn't gonna work anymore."
"Yeah. With the elves back fully, we can't stage an all out attack." Jexi said. "We're gonna have to split."
"You mean...split up?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah. You thieves can hurry to the capital and protect everyone." Jexi said.
"But what about you?" Lan asked.
"We'll make our way down the other path and reunite with the stone guardian team." Jexi said. "And of course try and stop any elf in our way. After we reunite, we'll head to the capital together."
"Smart move. If this magic has affected anything related to elves, it'll likely have affected those two half elves." Arthur said.
"Right. I forgot Raine and Genis were…" Ladybug said before the Dimensional Heroes imagined the two taking down the teams at the hideout.
"We need to get back right away!" they all said.
"Wait, maybe we're overthinking this. I mean, there's no way those two would...and they're already gone." Lucy said seeing them all gone. "Still...I wonder what is going on."
Meanwhile at the hideout…
"Okay...I'll just say it. This is weird." Genis said looking at his pointed ears.
"What's going on with Genis and Miss Sage?" Tamiya asked.
"Seems the reincarnation magic affected anything related to elves, including us half elves." Raine said.
"Wait, so you really are half-elves?" Milly asked.
"Yeah, sorry you guys had to find out the hard way. But… I don't feel any voices in my head like the others do." Genis said.
"Yes. Gauche underwent the effect and tried to kill everyone before going off. Or rather whoever took over his body." Raine said.
"But how come the two of you are the only ones not going crazy?" Milly asked.
"It's likely cause we're from a different world. The elves will likely only bond with those from this world." Raine said.
"I'm still wrapping my head over this whole alternate timeline thing, but… I think I kind of get it." Milly said. "But wouldn't that be a bad thing if those demons got a hold of you?"
"True. Yet Moloch went and sent us off, even knowing of this effect. Or did he? There's something about this entire situation that still doesn't make sense." Raine said.
"Yeah. I know what you mean." Ivy said.
"Uh...I don't. Can someone fill us in?" Jim asked.
"Mammon is the Demon Lord of Greed. Normally when he pulls something like this off...he would have to have something physical to gain like money or land. But in this scenario, he wouldn't gain anything." Ivy said.
"I agree. It wouldn't fit with his Modus Operandi." David said. "Could it be that there's someone else pulling the strings from behind the scenes?"
"Someone behind the scenes...yes. That has to be it. And I don't think they're just using Mammon...what if the elves are pawns too?" Ivy asked. "It's not too impossible that we're all trapped inside someone else's scheme."
"But right now we have no clue who that someone is or why they're doing this." Cobalt said.
"Okay...so...what is our next move?" Sero asked.
"Odds are the elves are going to start making their way to the capital. The attack teams likely figured this out and headed there as well." Raine said. "Asta would know where this hideout is so he'll probably be leading a group to us."
"So...we should just sit and wait for them? No getting into any fights at all? Sounds good." Sissi said.
"I think you may have spoken too soon. Someone's coming." Cheetah said.
"Guys...look." Shuichi said pointing to a nearby town as sparks of lightning surged across it.
"What the heck? Okay, something tells me that is not normal." David said.
"I've seen those lightning attacks before. They're that boy's attacks. The one they called Luck." Leopardmon said.
"Wasn't he the guy that single-handedly cost you the win back in the Ultra Hero Battle?" David asked.
"Unfortunately, yes." Leopardmon said.
"Uh...Luck was selected to be with the Royal Knights. He wasn't here when you guys came." Grey said.
"So that means they're working their way to the capital. We could ignore it but if we do, everyone in that village will suffer massive casualties." Magnamon said.
"We can't exactly have that, can we?" David asked. "I say we go for it."
Meanwhile in another distant village…
"Wow...I can't believe...I actually saved one of them." Asta said holding a new sword after having exorcised an elf soul from someone.
"Yeah...that was awesome! It's like the sword broke their connection to the reincarnation stuff." Rainbow said.
"It's like an exorcist sword." Gray said. "Though going from how things have gone...we should call it a Demon Destroyer Sword."
"Pretty good name." Asta said before they saw lightning striking in a distant village. "Wait...those attacks...Luck?"
"He was taken over by the elves. Arthur confirmed it." Jexi said.
"Then with this new power...we gotta free him." Asta said. "Let's go!"