What is Justice?

by Goofy ahh writer

The last Great Quest was a fiasco. Zeus and Hera were ruined and exiled from the dungeon city of Orario, also know as the labyrinth city. Luke Adria, an elf outcast; shunned by his own race, lost everything that fateful day. Now he must decide his path forward, while living amongst the only family he had left.

9. The Sound of Despair - Act Two

A/N: Here's part of chapter 8. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it —especially the fight with the Dis Sisters.

I do recommend you listen to the soundtracks I put in there. It flows away better as you imagine the scene playing out after you've read.

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Clank

Swish

"Urgh!…"

Another swipe of her sword.

Another attack that struck true.

Another cultist fell to her blade.

One less for her to worry about as her friends battled the rest of the Evilus party in the narrow street.

A silver haired werewolf jumped from wall to wall as she came from her target's blind spot, hitting the back of his head with a devastating kick, making it hit the pavement below.

A kimono flowed with the gracious movements of a far easterner as she danced around her foe. The cultist tried to stroke her with his sword as she got closer, yet, she nimbly evaded every single one of his attacks. Her hand rested upon her sheathed sword. Once she was upon him, the fanatical tried to tighten his guard in a haste.

Catchink

In a heartbeat, the kimono girl drew her sword. The momentum of her draw cleaved right through the cultist's blade, catching him completely off guard as he was defenseless against the katana that descended upon his chest in the same move.

The blond elfess scanned their surroundings. No more enemies were in the vicinity.

'...Only misery instead.'

Her blue-sky irises eyed the dreadful scenery around them.

Buildings were being consumed by the blazes, mangled corpses layed around the damaged cobblestone paths. Bodies of deceased innocent bystanders, adventurers and Evilus alike could be seen wherever she gazed… not even the younger ones were spared.

Thankfully, their intervention provided the window of opportunity for the remaining civilians to vacate the area.

"Is everyone alright? Ryuu? Kaguya?"

Neze's words broke the elfess's stupor, making her masked face turn towards her companion.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I appreciate the concern, however, these small-fries weren't a real threat." The far easterner, Kaguya, answered as she glanced towards the fallen cultists they've disposed of.

Indeed, these were but disposable pawns. Being easily taken care of by their level 2 party. These were the ones that Evilus didn't hesitate to sacrifice for reaching their depraved objectives.

Kaguya's slit, amethyst gaze switched towards Ryuu.

"Instead, you should worry about a certain someone that tends to get carried away in combat."

The golden haired elf blinked as she registered those words.

Indignation became clear on her features despite her mask covering the lower half of her face, once she understood the jab sent her way.

'Really!? At a time like this!?'

"W-What are you on about, Kaguya? I've performed my roles with utmost excellency!"

Her onyx-haired rival scoffed at Ryuu's response.

"Oh, so overextending yourself and forcing us to come to your aid is your prime example of

excelling?"

The runaway elf could feel the condescendence dripping from her tongue.

"I did no such thing! These vile monsters were trying to get to the people fleeing from the fight!—I had to stop them!" Ryuu stood her ground, facing Kaguya's berating head on.

Astraea Familia's vice-captain gave her an unimpressed look.

"Moron! Think for a second–Why were the three of us patrolling the streets together?"

"This is obvious! To protect the citizens and uphold order in the streets!

"Wrong!—You really are a clueless elf… It's so we work as one to reach that goal, you idiot! Not to rush alone into danger."

Ryuu's mouth moved beneath the mask, yet no words came out as she struggled to find fault in Kaguya's point.

" Sigh… Everyone makes mistakes, but you can't afford to abuse that rule, you stubborn elf."

She resigned herself to simply hear the harsh words, ashamed that she didn't think before she acted on impulse.

"Now, now– This is not the time for this, you two. We still have to find the rest of our familia. I'm sure everyone's already here or on their way as we speak!"

Neze squashed any chance of another argument popping up as she stood between the two.

Kaguya nodded at the point the werewolf brought up.

"Yes, you are right. We should–"

"Wait! Something's coming this way."

Neze exclaimed suddenly, as her wolf ears perked up. She whipped her head towards the crossroads a few meters behind them.

Ryuu tightened the grip on her sword.

'More of them?'

The three adventurers were on high alert, guards up and attention doubled as they awaited the unknown.

clack… clack… clack… clack…

Ryuu's pointed ears caught a rapidly approaching clacking noise.

Clack… Clack… Clack… Clack…

'They are closing in!'

CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK

The elfess tensed her body in anticipation as the footsteps were almost rounding the corner.

Her eyes were glued to the edge of the street, seeing the first, small form emerging from it.

"Come on Maryuu! We need to find the others–"

The figure's boots scraped along the ground once she came face to face with the trio, ready for battle.

The surprised expression on the pink-haired prum's face lasted for a brief moment, quickly giving place to a sly smile.

"My, my… Long time no see, you three. Those faces of yours are scary right now, you know?"

A second and third figure emerged from the same path Lyra did. They almost crashed on the prum's back. The confusion at her sudden stop was immediately overwhelmed by surprise, followed by joy at the scene before them.

As one, Ryuu and her friends relaxed their postures.

"We almost had our weapons at your neck, sassy queen." Kaguya said, sheathing her katana.

"Don't blame me for your nervousness, miss sympathy."

Despite the sharp rebuttals, the two shared a smile.

"Nevertheless, you three are a sight to our sore eyes." The prum eyed the three girls in front of her, as Noin and Maryuu, who accompanied her, stepped up.

"It sure is. Did you get any word about everyone's whereabouts?"

Noin questioned.

Kaguya shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no. You are the first ones we met since we entered the district."

"Do you think the others are already here?"

This was Maryuu's turn to question.

"Most likely. Alise and Luke's patrol route was closer to here than anyone else, and if we've made it here already, then I'm certain at least they must have ."

The vice-captain answer gave the healer a clear worried expression on her face.

"This conversation has been good so far but we should get a move on, people. We can't find anyone or stop Evilus if we stay here all day!" Lyra's blunt remark served as a reminder of their most urgent goals.

Ryuu stepped forwards. A newfound determination burned in her heart as her mind was fully committed to the objectives ahead of them.

"Lyra is right. We should move at once, find the others and thwart Evilus' plans!"

She said, much to everyone's agreement.

"That's the spirit, you naive elf."

Strangely, the vice-captain's words carried no bite behind them as they usually did, something Ryuu faintly caught as she glanced questioningly at her.

"Is everyone ready to go?"

Kaguya said, naturally taking command of the party, cutting off any chance of the elfess responding to her.

A series of affirmatives and nods signaled their readiness.

"Good, then let's go." Kaguya took the front as the group began to move as one throughout the barren streets.

'Four level 2s, and a pair of level 1s…this will have to suffice.'

Ryuu pondered to herself as she scanned the party and their surroundings.

Kaguya, Noin, Neze and herself would need to take the brunt of the fight, forming the vanguard of the group. As the familia's main healer, Maryuu stayed in the center alongside Lyra, whose keen eyes and cunning would be indispensable in combat. Despite lacking in physical abilities, her analytical skills and strategic thinking were impressive to say the least.

She could help find and explore any weaknesses the enemy displayed, that much Ryuu was certain.

And so they strolled through the bloody scenery created by the nefarious cultists. Passing by and witnessing the carnage these monsters left at every corner.

The streets were eerie silent despite the ongoing bloodbath.

'They have already finished whatever despicable acts of cruelty they sought around this area.'

Ryuu's intuition seemed correct as not a living soul was seen at every pathway and alley their gazes fell upon. Only the vestiges of Evilus' victims and the destruction they brought.

The elfess's sky-blue eyes were torn in a mixture of sadness and indignation. A quick glance at her companions showed her that they felt the same.

After a couple of minutes of tense quietness, Ryuu started to wonder where Evilus, the adventurers and even the civilians went as they've yet to meet a single one of them.

In fact, the number of fallen Evilus' members was steadily rising the deeper they delved into the district. In contrast, the number of dead innocents and adventurers dwindled.

'... Perhaps they didn't finish what they wanted, but were finished instead?'

Did their allies clear this area then?

Could they be heading straight at them?

Ryuu decided to voice the conclusion she reached.

"Kaguya, I believe we are heading in–"

BOOM

A huge fireball rose in the air a few blocks further ahead. The aftershock of the explosion made the ground tremble below their feet.

The surprise in their faces lasted for a brief moment before they headed towards the direction the explosion came from without hesitation.

At each street they crossed, getting closer and closer towards the ground zero of the fireball, Ryuu began to hear the sounds of swords clashing. The terrified screams and distinctive sound of Luke's repulsive spell being cast also caught her sharp ears.

They doubled their pace at the sign of their comrade partaking in the battle.

Reaching the 8th block of buildings, they arrived in the rear end of the ongoing conflict.

Kaguya's party had to step aside to evade the fleeing citizens.

To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, about a dozen or so civilians ran in the exact direction Ryuu and the others just came from, almost too coordinated to be spontaneous amidst all this chaos.

The dozens of adventurers at the front engaged the white-veiled cultists in a fierce open battle. The fight seemed to tip over slightly in their allies favor, given the number of Evilus that were being struck down.

Ryuu's eyes saw the glimpse of a fiery, red figure dash through a pair of cultists as they were about to finish off an adventurer.

She could recognize that brilliant hair anywhere.

Wasting no more time, they joined the fray. The group kept their close formation as they pierced through the chaotic conflict, maintaining their efficiency as a unit to the maximum.

The elfess's sword cleaved through the flesh of yet another enemy of justice, a fact that she inevitably grew to accept as part of the war against the evil forces.

Despite wanting to go where Alise currently was, she still had to focus on helping her comrades beside her.

She couldn't lose focus, not right now.

Ryuu and her party were doing quick work of the marauders they came upon, the vanguard holding the line exceptionally well. Maryuu began helping those with more serious wounds at the rear, away from the danger.

Lyra stood right behind the squad, calling out enemies they didn't perceive at first and pointing out any gaps that surged in their formation.

Things were going in their favor by the minute. The rather large Evilus force numbers were diminishing at a rapid pace against their combined effort.

Ryuu was fully into the flow of the battle, emerged into it as she gave the cultists the end they deserved.

Her gaze was drawn away from the fight before her for the first time, when suddenly, she heard a pained cry behind them.

Sweeping her head towards it, her eyes widened.

An entire eight man squad surrounded their healer and the injured. One cultist layed on the ground, his forehead caved in and caking his mask with his blood.

The blood on Maryuu's mace left clear what happened.

'How did they get past us!?—The line stands firm and there's no alleyways they could come from!'

As if to kill her confusion as it arose, an Evilus squad fell from each end of the wide cobblestone path.

'Above us!?'

A quick glance upwards confirmed her fears. Multiple Evilus followers stood at the rooftops on each side of the street, like a predator ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

Ryuu's feet moved on their own, carrying her straight towards her cornered friend.

She barely registered the confused call outs from her friends as she broke the formation, her entire attention being on the ones in need in front of her.

Her boots kicked off along the rubbles of the damaged street, each step carrying her with all the force and speed she could muster as a level 2.

The cultists pounced on Maryuu, their weapons coming at her from all directions.

The elf grit her teeth as she gave it her all to stop them.

Desperation gripped Ryuu's entire being as she realized she wouldn't make it in time.

"Maryuu!—"

The frantic scream that tore through her throat died down as soon it was let out.

A Lightning bolt danced around the evil followers in the blink of an eye.

At one moment, eight enemies surrounded her friend. In the next, only the healer and the ones under her care were still breathing inside the lines of light that circled them.

As all threats were swiftly eliminated, a form veiled in that same lightning stood next to Maryuu.

'Luke!'

Ryuu couldn't see his face from this angle, his back being turned towards her. What she could do was hear what he said next, using her sharp senses.

"... Good work."

That's all that he said, before he shot up into the air.

She had to do her best to try and follow his path, but the difference in speed was simply too wide for her to keep up.

Always a step behind, once her gaze fell on the rooftops, the only thing she saw was the aftermath of her companion's death trail.

Mangled corpses were sent crashing into the streets below. Blood and body parts flew in the air, washing whoever was unlucky enough to stand at the bottom of the buildings.

In mere instants, one side of the roofs was completely clean of Evilus presence.

Ryuu almost missed when Luke crossed the street right above her, repeating the same clearing process from before on the opposite side.

In less than twenty seconds, the cultists ambush was completely wiped out.

Her eyes kept trailing her friend, as he now dived head first into the ongoing struggle at the main line their allies had formed in the street.

Luke disappeared from her sight once he landed right in the middle of Evilus' ranks.

The ensuing panic as he swept through them without opposition hinted that they would spell no trouble for him.

The cultists' line broke as the lone adventurer tore through it.

She finally managed to catch a glimpse of him.

Each blade on his hands sliced through them effortlessly. His overwhelming speed and the strength behind each blow left the fanatics without a measly chance against his assault.

The other adventurers took the window of opportunity and attacked the confused enemy with all their might.

Ryuu would be no exception to that.

One after another.

Blow after blow.

Kill after kill.

Victory was getting closer to their grasps.

With just a clear display of the gap that separated the first-class adventurer from the rest, the tense encounter turned into a mere walk in the park against the Evilus foot soldiers.

Even as a fresh level 4, her friend's rare magic bestowed him the prowess of a level 5. A whole level above, taking him into the league of the strongest adventurers in the city.

All but guaranteeing their success.

Woosh

"Aaaaah!"

Ryuu's foe fell after her blade crossed his chest, painting his white garment red.

She quickly looked at her surroundings with a slight accelerated intake of air after taking out her last enemy… one of many she did so since she chose to uphold Lady Astraea's vision.

The battlefield was completely clear of Evilus presence.

Some adventurers cheered at their triumph, while others were too preoccupied with their wounds or treating their companions themselves.

The girls were at her flanks, looking as fine as they could after a fierce combat. They all shared varied levels of satisfaction at the battle's outcome.

Swerving her head at the familia's healer in a worried manner, her concern proved itself to be for naught. Maryuu was safely and diligently taking care of her patients in the same place her friend had saved her.

A pleasant feeling bloomed inside her heart at the hopeful and victorious mood despite the current situation they were in.

Until something, or perhaps someone grappled Ryuu in a tight embrace.

"~ Ara, Ara, if it isn't my favorite elf ever! Things became brighter just from you showing up! "

A voice she knew all too well and had grown to love, spoke in her ear in a sing-song tone.

"A-Alise! This is not the place nor time for this!"

"Why? I'm just hugging my friend that I've missed so much, muuuh." Her captain pouted, rubbing their cheeks together.

"A-A-Alise!" Ryuu was torn between trying to break free from her grasp or pass out of embarrassment.

Clap Clap Clap

"Nice, nice, very nice!"

Her friend's jovial voice brought the elfess out of her stupor, looking at him with reddish tainted cheeks and ears as he approached them.

The characteristic easygoing smile was present on his lips, but… something was off.

"Good to see you two getting along as usual. The situation doesn't suit it in the slightest, but that's the charm of it."

His eyes wandered to Alise clinging to

Ryuu, until finally settling on her.

"Heya Lion. How's everything holding up?"

Despite the cheerful mannerisms of Luke, she couldn't help but notice he was… strange.

His tone was more reserved than before, the smile on his face seemed a tad bit forced and strained. And also his eyes… they looked tired, heavy.

No.

Not heavy, but… distant. Like he wasn't paying attention to anything, but at the same time was.

Ryuu couldn't piece together the puzzle that she saw on him and the way he held himself.

"My, my… I know hygiene is not your strong point but at least try to clean yourself! You look like a pig."

The vice-captain joined the conversation without notice - as always.

Kaguya looked at Luke's blood soaked state with disgust.

Ryuu and the others weren't one to talk about being clean and presentable as of now, but n one was as dirty as him.

His dark cloak took the brunt of the smears, dirt and ashes he caught up as a result of being in the thick of the action. Yet, his face and hair were still stained with the half dried blood from the cultists.

"Ah, darling! As charming as ever I see."

"I'm being serious, you swine. Go wash yourself or I'll drown you in a river to get this stank off you!"

"Oh sweetie, don't worry about it. You can swash my back yourself once this is all over."

Luke blew Kaguya a kiss.

Kaguya almost blew him up with her glare alone.

Ryuu eyed the two in disbelief, while Alise snicker reached her ears.

Uncaring about the murderous stare sent his way, he grabbed his canteen with one hand. Luke splashed his face with the clean water, wiping the blood off it with his free hand.

"You two really look like an old couple with that attitude."

Lyra's comment made Luke stop, lifting his drenched head towards her. Giving the pallum a blank stare, he cranked his neck towards the condescending far-easterner.

She did the same.

Both stared at each other for a second.

"With him? Not even if he's the last male in the whole world!"

"hehe… I guarantee you that this marriage would implode more rapidly than your bombs do, Lyra!"

The elf replied as he got back to cleaning himself.

The rest of the girls gathered around them. Even Maryuu, as Ryuu confirmed with a glance that the wounded were already up at their feet and looking ready for more.

"Are you guys sure you aren't wounded anywhere? Now's the best time to take care of it."

Their healer questioned the group as she looked over them. Her dark-cyan eyes lingered on Luke as they passed by him, certainly worried about his initially seemingly worned, grimy state.

Ryuu doubted he was even winded to begin with, but even if he was, he didn't show it. No one could blame Maryuu for thinking otherwise, giving his filthy look.

A series of dismissive answers was heard from the party.

"No need to worry, Maryuu. This pallum is nowhere near her limit yet - and I'm sure the others share the same feeling."

A quick look around backed her claim.

"Don't fret, we're ready for another round already." Noin spoked up, getting a nod from the tan werewolf at her side.

"Roger that, we can't be worned out by so little. We still have much to do."

This time, the elfess decided to speak up.

"She's right. We can't enforce justice if we crumble under such pressure."

"Hum, hum—Everyone's doing A-okay, Maryuu. There's no need for concern right now!"

Their captain killed the last seeds of doubt of the caring healer.

Yet, Maryuu still pointedly gazes at the onyx haired elf that had his back to the group.

Luke only gave the girl a simple thumbs up, his attention focused on the adventurers that were recomposing themselves. But also, and most importantly, on their surroundings as they chatted.

The urgency of their goals dawned on Ryuu as she eyed her silently but diligent brethren.

"Alise, we should prepare to push further ahead, shouldn't we? Everyone's already getting ready to move in a minute."

The red-headed buffoon seemed to think the same, as she nodded resolute.

"Sure do. No one needs to do anything before we move on?"

...

No objections.

"Good, then let's get ready to roll out, Astraea Familia!" Alise pointed at the front of the assembling formation.

"Got it!"

"Let's go."

"Such an enthusiast…"

The group followed her without missing a beat.

As the other adventurers looked ready for departure, the whole formation was on the move again, with the justice familia taking point.

Ryuu stood beside her captain as they continued deeper into the section of the district.

"Listen up girls!"

Alise spoke up as they marched, gaining her companion's attention.

"Our party is clearing a path that goes straight back towards the East Main Street. The Guild and other familias are evacuating the civilians there, and so we must guarantee they can reach the camp safely!"

The captain continued her explanation as she gained a slightly troubled expression on her face.

"However, Evilus seems to be going further and further away from the district's center… We can't know for sure if they are retreating to their hideouts or are gathering their forces for a renewed thrust."

A fierce look overtook her emerald eyes.

"Whatever their schemes may be, we are going to put a stop to them!"

"Understood!"

"We sure will!"

A round of determined responses echoed around her, bringing a smile to Alise's face. Ryuu noted that the only other elf in their group didn't share the enthusiasm, quietly walking further ahead in the speared formation.

His strange attitude was starting to weigh on her mind the more she looked at him.

'What must have happened to make him like that?...'

In fact, even Alise seemed a bit more reserved and serious than usual, despite how well she hid it behind her forward attitude.

Despite her concern for what Luke might be going through, now wasn't the time nor right place to address her worries.

A couple of minutes passed without any noticeable presence of the evil cult… besides the occasional victim they left sprawled in the streets.

That is until Luke's head stared at an alley at their right side as he came to a sudden stop further ahead of them.

A figure clad in white jumped out of it with a sword in hand.

"Die you bastards!"

Ryuu's eyes widened once she saw it was no ordinary sword. Once the man swung the blade, a torrent of flames was spilled towards the group.

'A magic sword!'

Before the flames could engulf them, Luke extended his arm towards it.

"Shinra Tensei."

The attack was violently repelled back to it's sender by an invisible force, swallowing him whole and destroying the buildings behind him.

Ryuu swerved her head to an adjacent path at their left flank as more than a dozen figures came rushing down said path.

Upon a closer look, they turned out to be desperate bystanders fleeing in their direction, not the enemy. Further behind them, a considerable force of the cult was chasing them down, from below and above on the rooftops.

Their party was on high alert, noticing another Evilus group surging at their rear.

'A trap! They've cut off our retreat route!'

Alise began to bark orders and organize their defense to avoid panic in their ranks. The party quickly divided their forces to combat the foes in both directions upon the girl's command.

The blond elfess took a step forward on impulse as she saw the cultists descending upon the defenseless civilians.

While she stepped forward, a dark haired elf was already there.

Luke cut down two cultists as they jumped towards their next victims, a mother carrying a toddler in her arms. He stood his ground at the back of the retreating citizens, holding off any attempt on their lives.

Just as she made a move to help her friend, a new front opened up as Evilus came from the same direction a cultist had attacked them with a magic sword.

They had no other choice but to focus on the immediate threat as the battle unfolded.

The adventurers gave room for the innocent to pass by them. The civilians, gripped by fear and despair at the ongoing combat, ran deeper into the district as they followed the only path that seemed safe.

The party couldn't stop them as they ran ahead and away from the unfolding mayhem.

As the girls focused on keeping the foes at their flank at bay, a squadron of their allies came at them.

"We are going after the civilians! We'll put them in the right direction and keep the cultists off them!"

A pair of adventurers spoke up as they approached their captain.

Alise spared them a glance, thinking for a second before nodding.

"Understood! Hannes, Palmer, do your best to get them to safety. We'll help you once we deal with this situation."

With a determined nod, the nine man party was off towards their goal.

Ryuu's focus was entirely on the allies at her side and the enemy in front of her. The combined teamwork of their familia was doing short work of Evilus thrust as their numbers decreased by the second.

She periodically eyed how the rest of the formation was holding.

Despite the rear being covered by adventurers that seemed to be complete strangers to each other, they were doing an exceptionally good job in keeping Evilus at bay, though they seemed to be evenly matched.

As she glanced at the left flank, the situation was the complete opposite.

Luke had single handedly halted the enemy's advance.

No.

He completely shattered them as only a handful of the attackers were still standing.

In a desperate attempt to kill her friend, one of the Evilus followers used a magic sword against him. A wave of ice froze everything in its path and came upon her comrade.

It was as effective as the last one was.

With a swipe of his hand and the sound of his spell being cast, the attack came right back at them.

The ones in the way of the frosting magic were turned into ice sculptures in an instant. A few, lucky ones barely survived the magic.

Just as Luke dashed towards the handful that managed to evade the attack, Ryuu had to face forwards again as her group began to push back the cult.

Litle by little.

Step by step.

Kill by kill.

They were putting the cultists foul existence to rest, as the combat was drawing to a close.

Once Luke suddenly joined the fray against the remaining spearheads of Evilus ambush, victory was all but guaranteed against their crumbling ranks.

As the situation became unbearable for the cult, they began to flee like cockroaches.

The adventurers chased them down, striking whichever one they could catch before they got away.

As the battle ended in a resounding victory, Luke landed next to her.

"How are you girls holding up?"

Ryuu decided to take front.

"We are doing well as of now…unfortunately, this isn't true for everyone."

She stared at the unmoving allies laying in the streets and a dozen who were gravely wounded. Maryuu was already diligently working to save them.

The highest leveled member of her Familia eyed the same thing she did.

"That's… Unavoidable. No matter how much we try to avoid it, not everyone will see the light of the next day."

Ryuu had to bitterly agree with his statement. She saw it happen one too many times to simply stay ignorant of that fact.

People die in a war.

Especially against such a ruthless and scummy enemy.

Yet, she refused to be shaken by it. If she had the power to save everyone, then she would.

She had to.

That was the justice she wholeheartedly believed in. If not, then why were they fighting for?

Before she could delve deeper into her sense of justice, their captain walked up to them.

"Luke, we've got a problem."

Her friend perked up at her words.

"I'm all ears, captain."

"Palmer and Hannes led a group after those stray civilians from before."

Upon hearing these names, his mismatched eyes became sharper.

"...Where did they head to?"

"They followed the civilians' last known path down the street. Their group might be in need of help… I'm weary that Evilus has laid more ambushes like this one further ahead as well."

Alise's concern was met with a curt nod from Luke.

"Roger. I'll assist them."

Ryuu's azure eyes widened at his claim.

"You can't go alone! What if there's another Evilus trap lying in wait!?"

"Look around you, Lion. The group is in no condition to move. Also, we can't leave them unprotected and guideless–It's better off If I go alone."

Her mouth moved to protest below the green cloth that covered her face, yet no words came out the more she thought about his points.

As she was about to relent, Alise came in for the save.

"That's not necessarily true! We can split ourselves."

Luke gave Alise a quizzical look.

"Don't you get it? Half of us go with you and the other one stays here until we either come back or they are ready for another round!"

He looked between the captain and the others.

"I see… That can be arranged."

"Then it's settled! Neze, Noin, Lyra, you three stay here. Kaguya, Lion and I will go with him."

The werewolf and the human girl obliged instantly, while the prum looked at her captain in indignation.

"Ma, Ma… Sidelining us like this. I thought you saw us as more capable individuals, captain."

Lyra's sarcasm flied straight over Ryuu's head.

"What are you saying, Lyra!? Alise clearly knows that you are capable. That is the reason she's leaving the group under your care."

"Geez, Lion. Can't catch a joke, can ya?

"W-What? Why would you joke in a time like this?"

"Do I need a time or place to show all my charming nature? I don't think so."

"We are in the middle of a war zone, Lyra. The last place one should jest. We also need to go—"

"Hey! Where are you going, you idiot!"

Kaguya exclaimed suddenly, cutting Ryuu's misplaced berating. She saw the source of the outcry as her elf kin was already running down the street.

'What is he doing!?'

"Goddammit, Luke! Wait!" Alise called out as she ran after him .

Without saying another word, the trio that was supposed to follow him did so, but not in condition they imagined. They struggled to match his pace.

"W-Wait, Luke!"

Ryuu's plea seemed to reach his ears as he slowed down a bit, getting within hearing range.

"If you have the time to delve into pointless arguing, then you have time to keep up with me. Those people's lives are in our hands."

He said, using an unnatural cold tone to his voice.

"Hold it for a moment! You're not thinking this through–"

Luke planted his feet on the ground as he spun on his heels, facing them as his soles scraped against the pavement until he came to a halt.

The three were met by a disturbingly stern look on his otherwise calm features.

"Not thinking this through!? Are you serious now, captain!?"

Ryuu's eyes were wide as plates at how agitated he was.

"What's the matter with you, stupid buffoon!? You're acting more of an idiot than usual!"

Luke's glare shifted from Alise to Kaguya.

He gestured all around the street, pointing out to the destroyed landscape.

"Do I really need to explain myself? Look around you! The whole district is set ablaze! People are being mercilessly slaughtered, and we're here finding time for games; time for petty, childish arguing!? We have people counting on us, for heaven's sake!—our allies may be pleading for help at this very moment and we are standing idle, arguing instead of coming to their aid!"

Swung his arm towards the streets further ahead.

"Every second we spend here, can mean one more life we can't save!"

Ryuu felt a sharp stab in her heart at his harsh words.

He was clearly shaken by this whole situation, but his jab at their attitude from moments ago after the fight was over, was a truth that stung her.

They were wasting precious time when they knew their allies were most likely in need of help, stranded somewhere deeper into unknown territory.

Before then, they could afford to take their time and jest if it came to it once the fighting was over and they recomposed the group.

But not now with the knowledge that there were courageous adventurers that headed straight into danger for the sake of innocent civilians, and were counting on them for backup.

However, Kaguya didn't seem to quite agree.

"A complicated situation doesn't justify stupidity and poorly thought actions. Get a hold of yourself!"

The girl responded in kind.

Luke grit his teeth, clenching his hands into fists.

Ryuu jumped in before anything happened.

"Kaguya, that's enough!"

"I'll deal with this my own way. Don't stick up your nose on this."

"This is not-"

"Everyone quiet down!"

Alise intervened to cut off any more arguing.

She wore a troubled look on her eyes as she looked at the sole male member of her Familia, sharing the same concern as Ryuu seeing his state.

"Luke, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath, clear your mind and then we'll talk."

The elf seemed ready to protest but held himself at the last second. He straightened his posture, closing his eyes and letting his shoulders sag as he breathed in and out in a slow rhythm.

A few uncomfortable moments later, he opened his eyes again, the past urgency and distress mostly washed from his form.

The captain nodded in satisfaction.

"There! Way better now, isn't it?"

"Yes… sorry, everyone… I… lost my composure."

His gaze didn't quite meet their eyes as he glanced at each of them. Ryuu saw in him a mirror of herself whenever she ended up making a mistake from time to time.

He really was ashamed by his outburst. She could clearly see that.

"Now, what's going inside that thick head of yours? As much as I enjoy seeing you making a complete fool of yourself, you're taking it too far."

The girl with matching hair color as his, who got enjoyment out of tormenting both him and Ryuu, spoke up.

Ryuu saw how he hesitated to speak, opening his mouth a few times but no words came out, until he finally chose silence.

"Kaguya…"

The far easterner girl met Alise's wary gaze. Her purple eyes looked between her troubled captain and the eerily silent elf.

...

A flash of understanding seemed to pass by her features as she nodded.

"I see… so that's what it is."

"Yes…we've seen… things." Alise lowered her head, at the same time Luke hid his face under his bangs as he faced his feet.

Ryuu stood in bewilderment as she caught the dark meaning behind the short exchange.

'Just what did they witness?'

For Luke to act in such a manner. Losing his collected attitude and the easy-going smile no matter the situation.

For her brash and forwards captain to be weighed down by it as well…

Deep down, Ryuu dreaded knowing the answer to her question.

"Today has been hard on everybody…" Alise spoke somberly.

The red-headed captain lifted her chin, her eyes shining with new vigor.

"But we must persist– stand tall and unshaken against the vile cult or any menace that threatens the Dungeon City! That's the obligation we assumed and has been entrusted to us ever since we pledged the oath of justice!"

Her gaze fell on each of the three.

"Together, we'll triumph!"

'Alise…'

Ryuu's lips curled up at the inspiring words. The elf beside their captain slowly looked up again, the past gloom on his features was replaced by the usual collected face he always showed them.

He nodded with newfound resolve.

Kaguya just eyed the scene in reserved amusement.

"Right. Let's get going then. We have a cult to stop." Alise made the move to take point, but Luke beat her to it, catching them off guard again as he shot off.

Despite his calmer state, Luke returned to his original pace from before, forcing them to give it their all to follow him.

"W-What did I just say!?" The captain shouted as she ran after him.

He looked over his shoulder; showing then a subdued, mischievously toothy grin.

Ryuu wore a small smile below her mask as she pumped her legs with all her might, not caring about the pace - they would only get there faster after all.

Her friend seemed to be back to his true self, and that's what mattered now.

Not even three minutes at this intense pace, they discovered that, unfortunately, Luke's fears came true.

They came face to face with almost twenty Evilus fanatics, who were pillaging, brutalizing and defiling their latest victims' corpses.

Not missing his momentum, Luke jumped at the distracted cultists, drawing his sword and slashing a cultist that has his back to him as he rummaged through a body.

He mercilessly bulldozed through them before they could see what hit them. The few pawns that tried to react stood no chance against him.

They barely managed to croke out their last wails before he killed all of them without any hesitation behind his attacks.

Ryuu and the others didn't need to assist, nor they could even if they wanted as he had already put them down before they could even think about assisting.

Flicking his aquamarine to clean the blood stains, Luke began to stroll through the various bodies.

Ryuu struggled to eye the scene as each deceased has been more mauled than the one before.

An agglomeration of the bodies piled up further down the street. A significantly lesser one, was currently at their feet as they walked.

Judging by the combat gear, they were more than likely adventurers as well. Prying at the multiple bodies further, she saw mostly civilian garments adorning them.

Luke came to a halt, standing unmoving as he stared at a pair of corpses at his feet.

Her stomach sank once she approached him.

Two unfortunate fellow adventurers were brutally bisected, separating their bodies in two, irregular halves.

But what shocked her wasn't the gruesome scene.

No.

It was the fact that she recognized them.

They were the same pair that led a group in a hasty attempt to rescue the citizens.

Stealing a wary glance at the civilians' corpses, the thing that transpired here was cruelly obvious to her.

The group had perished in a desperate attempt to protect the innocent. A courageous act that ended up being for naught as said innocents shared the same fate as them.

"...Goddammit, you brave fools."

Ryuu's blue eyes landed on her friend as he mumbled to himself. His body was tense, his hands clenched tight. His eyes, a combination of sorrow and building up anger.

"Did… Did you know them?"

Luke kept his eyes on the bodies, as he registered her words.

"Yeah… we met them and their group when we first got here. They should have followed my advice…"

The captain and her vice approached the duo.

"Luke, what's the matter—"

Alise's words died on her lips as she saw it.

"Palmer… Hannes…"

She came to the same conclusion as them as she eyed the scene.

"Are these the allies we're looking for?"

Both who knew the fallen duo nodded with a heavy heart. After nearly half a minute of silence, Luke parted his lips.

"I wonder if we could have saved them if we came sooner… but… there's no point, isn't it?" He asked to no none of them, but more to himself.

Luke sighed, taking a long look around the carnage.

"You know… The worst part about our job is that… we can't save everyone." Luke turned away from them, looking around the nearby vicinity instead.

Ryuu felt the urge to vehemently disagree with this view, almost speaking out but bitting her tongue before she could do so when she cranked her neck towards him.

Even with his back to her, she could clearly see him wiping his eyes with the back of his gloved hand.

All the animosity was washed off her after that.

"Everyone, we should head back to the others… There's nothing we can do here." Alise gave them a new goal to focus on instead of delving into their failures.

The trio silently obeyed her, preparing to run back, although with less vigor than before.

That is until a loud crash was heard more or less two streets to their left.

The sound that followed was caught by her enhanced senses and naturally good hearing, making Ryuu's eyes widen.

A toddler's desperate cry.

Luke was already on the move.

They followed his initiative.

He jumped across the rooftops, pinpointing the exact location the cry came from as they trailed behind him.

As he ran, Luke suddenly dived in a tight alleyway between two blocks of buildings. Alise; who ran further ahead than the Kaguya and her, jumped in the alley's entrance instead.

Luke's repulsive spell's distinct sound was heard, followed by a loud crash on the other side of the street.

The two were almost at the end of the roofs.

Just as Ryuu and Kaguya reached said entrance going by the top of one of the buildings, they saw a torrent of flames engulfing a part of the street below.

A figure went flying from it, crashing head first into a home.

The two wasted no time once they saw the Evilus cultists near their captain, whose flames adorned her hands and feet.

The pair jumped down, running towards Alise who engaged in a fierce combat with various Evilus followers once Ryuu graciously touched the ground.

Covering each other's back and giving the enemy no room to explore their slight numbers advantage, the three justice enforces quickly dispatched the foes with their combined might.

Once the quick struggle was over, Ryuu looked towards the alley.

The various mangled corpses at the feet of her elf kin, showed her that Luke made quick work of the goons as he stood protectively over a mother and her small toddler.

Her head turned back towards her captain.

"What's going on?"

Ryuu inquired, her posture tight and ready for any further confrontation.

Alise glanced at her in a sideways look.

The stern expression that overtook her beautiful features told the elfess about the gravity of if, seeing she didn't let her guard down despite ending the fight.

"We've found the higher ups."

Alise's gaze returned to the caved-in wall the figure that she struck with her magic had landed on.

"Now the real battle has begun for us. Prepare yourselves."

Ryuu tensed, seeing Kaguya tighten her combat posture in her peripheral vision.

She stared at the same direction her captain was, her eyes carrying the palpitation of her heart as it beated faster by the second.

As the three were awaiting for any movement of the enemy, Luke was checking the mother caught in the middle of all of it.

Suddenly, he spun on his heel in a heartbeat, drawing his sword in the same movement.

Ryuu couldn't see how it happened, her eyes being too slow to follow. She just knew that something - or rather someone - almost cut him down in an instant.

Once her gaze settled upon the attacker's face, her heart stopped for a moment.

'T-That's Arachnia!'

The most wanted individual in the Guild's blacklist. The sadistic monster that killed anyone without any restriction or remorse.

A foul creature that feeds off the innocent.

A heartless monster that showed no empathy or reservations.

A ruthless scoundrel that was blessed by a demon with the power of a first class adventurer.

That's who Valletta Grede was in Ryuu's eyes.

"You son of bitch!" The Head Executive of Evilus brought the sole of her boot on Luke's sternum. The power behind the blow sent his skidding along the ground as he tried to maintain his balance.

The woman didn't let up, dashing at him at a speed that Ryuu had no hope of matching.

Luke desperately parried, blocked and dodged the onslaught that was aimed at him. Each blow from her sword showed the clear difference in might between a level 4 and a level 5 as he struggled to withstand it.

Ryuu grit her teeth at her inability in the situation.

She had no way of helping, as interfering as a mere level 2 would result in nothing at all. On the contrary, it will only make things worse.

Thankfully, Luke managed to activate his enchantment magic in a pinch, and so leveling the field between him and the mad woman as he gained the powers of a first class adventurer. The fight quickly became a stalemate as they matched each other in most aspects. However, Luke seemed to move slightly faster than his opponent, but nothing that would tip things in his favor.

'They are evenly matched.'

"...!"

Ryuu's focus on the battle was cut short as her senses screamed at her.

Just as she faced ahead of her, she saw a frenzied individual with snow-white hair barreling down towards her, catching her off guard.

She tried to lift her sword to intercept the blade aimed at her neck.

Seeing the blade move faster than her own, desperation gripped her heart as the sword drew near and near.

Clank

That is until a fiery form stood in front of her, blocking the attack at the last second.

" Tsk… Annoying brat!"

The man brought his free hand towards her friend's face.

Once again, she reacted on instinct.

Ryuu charged the aggressor, aiming the tip of her sword at the man's ribcage as she came at him from his exposed left side.

She also saw that Kaguya was coming at him from the other flank.

The man jumped back, landing a few meters away as he created some distance between them while evading their combined attacks.

Yellow-green eyes full of hatred stared down at the three girls.

"You whores from Astraea Familia really are a torn on my side. I'll have a pleasant time cutting all of you open before I kill you!"

Olivas Act; infamously known as Vendetta.

He was as much of a cruel bastard as the other Evilus follower Luke was currently facing.

One of the leaders of the heinous cult, and an incredibly dangerous foe for the three of them.

Yet, despite all of it…they had a chance against him.

He was only a level above them, and while normally that difference would prove to be too much in a fight, it wouldn't be the case for them. Not only were they three Level 2s with harmonious fighting cohesion, but also Alise herself could close the gap between levels with her unique skills and magic.

As long as Luke could deal with Valletta on his own, they would have a shot at defeating one of Evilus' heads on their end.

They just needed to play their cards right.

"Not if we put you down first, you scoundrel."

"Don't underestimate us, Vendetta. Else you'll fall prey to your own ego."

Olivas snarled like a wild, rabid dog at her friend's provocative words. Ryuu raised her guard to its fullest, glaring at the man with righteous fury in her eyes.

"Astraea Familia will be the one to bring you to justice, Vendetta. You'll pay for your crimes, you lunatic!"

Ryuu could see the bumbling rage beneath the man's face. Just as it looked as if he would let it all out, his expression did a complete turn to the opposite, now letting a humorous, deranged laughter out of nowhere.

That's until he stopped suddenly. His eyes were dripping with venom as he stared at each of them.

"I'll put those foolish ambitions to rest! Burn in hell, guild's lap dogs!"

He charged at them.

Ryuu kept her gaze focused on his every move, despite struggling to keep track of him. As he was less than a few feet away, their captain intercepted him, using her fire enchantment to its maximum capabilities as she used the fire to propel herself and gain the ability of limited flight.

The elfess and her self proclaimed rival didn't hesitate to attack his now exposed flanks as he clashed with their captain.

Olivas pushed Alise back, gaining room to block and dodge both slashes. Before he could overwhelm either of them, Alise came back at him again from above, keeping the pressure on him.

A tense standoff arose. The seconds seemed to stretch indefinitely as Ryuu became fully immersed in the combat.

Neither side could land a decisive blow. Each thrust being parried or narrowly evaded. Neither one was able to gain the upper hand as the sword dance unfolded. Every opportunity Olivas tried to take one of them out, the other two would relentlessly attack him; closing the opening he found.

Despite that, the same problem occurred to the three girls.

No matter how much pressure or from where they struck, he was always able to dodge or block their attacks, barely getting a scratch out of a few close calls. The same could be said about the girls, as more and more shallow cuts appeared on them as the fight dragged on.

They couldn't pay attention to Luke and Valletta's own battle. Any lapse of concentration would be fatal for them.

The two minute long, intense stalemate finally was broken by one side.

Ryuu caught a kick to her stomach after blocking two slashes aimed at her. Air was blown out of her lungs as she went scraping along the pavement.

Completely ignoring her comrades, Olivas focused entirely on her as she tried to hastily get to her feet while struggling to breathe.

Finally getting her bearings back as she supported herself on one knee, her eyes caught the glimmer of a blade approaching her chest.

Time seemed to slow down.

Ryuu didn't have time to gasp or even widen her eyes in surprise, much less having a chance of blocking it. The only thing she was able to do was see the horrified expression on her companion's faces as they tried to get to her in time.

'So…this is it…I'm sorry, everyone.'

Her eyes slowly closed themselves as the end drew near, accepting what was to come.

As her eyelids were almost sealed, only letting her see the faint silhouette of the weapon and the one that would take her life; a blinding light engulfed her vision.

As time resumed, a loud electric sound filled her ears, followed by a humming beam of light that struck her would be killer, sending him and his blade flying away.

Ryuu's neck snapped in the direction the spell came from.

Luke was there, clashing swords and holding Arachnia with one sword in hand, while his other was stretched and his palm aimed in Ryuu's direction.

She wasn't able to see the punch that met Luke's jaw, making him spill blood from his mouth. He managed to block the next one with his free hand, but didn't with a round-house kick to the side of his head, sending him crashing to the street below.

Ryuu wasted no time in standing on her feet once Kaguya and Alise approached her.

Olivas lied on the ground, struggling to lift his charred body from the dirt.

Before they could seize the chance to take him out, a sizable detachment of Evilus' reinforcements arrived in the direction he was dragging his wounded form.

Alise didn't back off at the rare opportunity, releasing explosions through her enchantment spell with her sword as the catalyst, aiming straight at the Evilus higher up.

The cultists jumped in front of the attack without a second thought, throwing their lives away to save their leader. One after the other, they took the brunt of the explosions targeting their leader.

They sacrificed their bodies, unwavering in their utmost devotion to the cult's sickening beliefs.

As their colleagues gave their lives for Olivas, the rest dragged him away from harm's way and exited the battle all together. They stood defiantly against the just adventurers as Vendetta as was vacated from the area.

'This cult… just how far will they go?'

Ryuu swung her head towards Luke, seeing him standing tall where he had crashed upon, the lightning of his enchantment still dancing around him. His body was littered with flesh wounds and a few deeper cuts than the rest. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and the side of his head.

His attention was solely on Valletta, who stood on the roof in front of him. Her form was just as worned out as his.

The elfess then swerved her gaze towards the terrified woman in the backseat of this confrontation, cradling a child in her arms at the alley's entrance.

The mother was frozen in place, overwhelmed by all that was occurring as she tried to calm and comfort the child.

Little by little, Evilus' numbers increased as more of their foot soldiers approached their location.

'This is bad!'

The situation would quickly become unsustainable if most of the cult's forces were already massing towards the ongoing battle.

Despite Olivas being taken out of commission, it wouldn't be wise to underestimate Evilus.

Valletta was a wild card that could turn things against them horribly.

"Alise, we're being cornered." Ryuu voiced her thoughts.

"She's right captain, a retreat seems the best course of action." Kaguya reached the same conclusion.

Alise kept her eyes on the slowly creeping cultists further in the street. She pondered what their next move should be.

"The only problem lies on how to keep Arachnia off our backs as we flee. We can't hope to outrun someone with the prowess of a first class adventurer."

Both the blond elfess and the onyx haired girls widened their eyes at her remark.

The pair switched their gaze towards the newfound obstacle.

Their friend continued a tense staring contest with the mad woman, each waiting to see who would make the first move.

The gravity of the situation downed on them.

'This is bad… How can we all get out of this? There is no way we'll be able to escape from the Evilus leader' s clutches in time... unless Luke could keep her—'

'No!'

Ryuu ceased the line of thought her mind strayed to.

There was no way she would make Luke do something like that, not even to save themselves. If it came to it, she would stand her ground and engage the cult to her last breath.

They couldn't allow that to happen.

She wouldn't!

She knew he would agree with that plan without hesitating. The mere thought irked her to no end.

"What's the matter? Afraid things aren't going the way you lot had planned?"

Valletta's mocking words made Ryuu grit her teeth as she struggled to find a viable solution to their predicament.

Valletta's pawns were only a few meters ahead of them now, looking for an opportunity to strike. The three girls from Astraea Familia stepped back as they closed in, making their way towards the petrified woman in the alley while still maintaining the enemy in their line of sight.

"You talk too much. Your parents didn't give you enough love and attention when you were little?— Tsk. Dumb question, of course they didn't."

Luke bit back, the usual sarcastic tone of his voice more subdued than normal.

The woman's yellow gaze fixed itself on him, gaining a sick, amused grin.

"You sure have a big mouth for a guy in your situation. I'll entertain myself by cutting that sharp tongue of yours off!"

Arachnia pointed her sword at the lightning clad elf below.

Alise's stern expression turned towards him once they finally got their back to the alleyway entrance, guardian the innocent woman and her baby.

"Luke! We have to go, now!"

He gave her a brief sideways glance, focusing back on the imminent threat above after a short exchange of gazes.

"Come on, we don't have all day! Use your head for once and listen to us! We need to fall back!"

Kaguya added her own command with the usual pinch of salt.

"We can't risk it. We need to go–"

"Oh! Leaving already? Did you hear that, Dina-oneesama? Just as we were about to entertain ourselves as well."

"I did, Vina. These guys are no fun!"

A pair of shrill, childish voices cut through the air.

In the opposite block of houses, two figures walked up to the edge of the roof overlooking the street with a beat to their step.

Once they came into full view, Ryuu's stomach made knots as her eyes looked at them in horror.

Their already difficult situation, now turned into a nightmare come true.

'T-They are… the Dis Sisters…'

There was no mistaking it. Their Infamy was too widespread for it.

The demonic siblings.

The Captain and Vice-captain of Alecto Familia. Dina and Vena respectively, were widely known as the Dis Sisters around the whole Orario.

The ones that Ryuu's values perceived as a shame to the whole elven race. Criminals that stained their image and killed countless innocent folk out of pure sadistic enjoyment.

To make matters worse, both were marked as Level 5 by the guild's blacklist, showing how dangerous and deadly they truly were.

"Why don't you wait just a bit more? It will only take a moment for us to gut you and feel your warm blood in our hands."

Dina; the white elf with the same hair color as Ryuu and the older sister between the two, suggested in an innocent tone.

"Dina-oneesama is right! You can play some fun games with us till then. Getting your limbs chopped off while your throat is being slowly crushed sounds perfect!

Vena, the dark-elf with silver hair and the younger sibling, complemented.

Both wore revealing, symmetrical designed and colored garments that were similar to a caravan dancer.

Dina had a strange tattoo below her left eye, resembling a dark teardrop. Vina had one on her right eye, being colored white instead.

The pair looked at all four of them with expectant faces.

The lump in Ryuu's throat grew tighter as every second stretched longer than it seemed possible.

The thick air around them was palpable as both Kaguya and Alise tightened their grip on their weapons.

'This might as well be where we die…'

Hopelessness overwhelmed Ryuu's will to fight, now being surrounded by three different first class enemies.

Shink

The distinct sound of a sword leaving its scabbard gripped Ryuu's wavering attention.

Luke drew his second sword, sporting one in each hand as he kept his back to them, fixing his gaze on the foes ahead of them.

"I don't want to hear a word from you girls!–I'll keep them at bay until you guys manage to escape."

Ryuu sputtered at the suicidal claim.

"Are you out of your mind!? We can't do that!"

Kaguya sighed beside her.

"This idiot…" she muttered, seeing the scope of the situation as her gaze wandered between Luke and the Evilus executives.

Alise remained quiet, her face scrunched into a juncture of thoughtfulness and anger as her emerald iris peered the back of Luke's head.

"Look Dina-onesama! He's an accursed!"

"Is he?—Oh my, he really is! His eyes are just like the tales!"

The heinous sisters pointed excitedly at her friend, infuriating Ryuu even further at their complete lack of urgency or care for anything. Luke half turned towards them, exasperation clear on his features as he frowned.

"Did you hear what I just said? Get out of here, now!"

"No! We'll–"

"You'll die if you stay here—all of us will!"

Ryuu's protest died down, being mercilessly put down by the harsh truth in front of them as Luke looked over his shoulder. No matter how much she fought against it, the only result of all this couldn't be more clear.

"The three of you have no chance against these odds. If you stay here you won't be able to protect yourselves, and I can't fight while worrying about you…"

His dejected face made her heart shudder.

"...I'm sorry, but there is no other way."

While Ryuu struggled to accept the reality and the accuracy of his points, Alise stepped up.

"...We are leaving."

Ryuu was immediately pulled out of her stupor.

"Alise, we can't let him do this! He–"

"He's absolutely right. If we stay, then we are pretty much signing our own death sentences. Listen to the captain."

"Kaguya…"

"Lion… I don't like this as much as you do, but our hands are tied. We'll only become a hindrance."

'No, it-it can't be!'

There had to be another way, right!?

They would think about another way out of this. They would all be fine… right?

They wouldn't leave their friend to the jaws of death, would they?

"Get going already! Take the civilian with you and go!—There's no time to waste!"

Luke screamed, getting her out of her spiraling mind. Ryuu felt something grab her arm. Looking to her left, Alise eyes her with utmost seriousness.

"Lion, we are leaving."

She wanted to protest, to stand her ground and stay. To fight alongside her friend and aid him. But deep down, she knew they were right, no matter how much she might try to deny that fact.

Ryuu nodded, but her actions didn't meet her eyes, looking dry and gloomy back at her captain.

"Yes, Alise…"

Averting her eyes, Ryuu followed her captain and vice-captain as they headed towards the woman behind them.

Her mind was unfocused, not even paying attention to the words of Alise as she talked to the mother cradling the toddler, then scooping both of them in her arms and lifting the pair up right after.

Gathering her courage, Ryuu looked back at Luke.

He wore a small smile on his lips as he was half turned towards them.

"Don't worry, I'll catch up to you in a minute. So, get going."

She clutched the sword in her hand, gripping it tightly to control herself as she pried into his serene face.

Ryuu spun on her heel, almost missing Alise's troubled expression as she ran past her, straight into the tight alley in front of them. She didn't look back—she couldn't.

Not if she wanted to keep herself together and not run to her friend's side.

Taking point, her sharp hearing confirmed that her companions were trailing behind her.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Ryuu cursed the heavens, the evil cult and, above all, her own lack of strength to stop them and stand alongside her friend they had simply abandoned to his own fate.

.

---

.

Fear.

The primal, self preservation instinct that was ingrained into almost every living creature in this world.

It was a feeling that crept through one's very being, signaling him that something was terribly wrong. Hinting towards the danger that lay ahead.

Monsters.

Eldritch beings from the tales of old.

The darkness that swallowed everything.

The unknown—the inability to see or control what was in front of him.

Common things that brought horror to one too many souls.

Thus, giving the current predicament that was before him, he had more than one motive to be afraid. To let fear grip his mind.

Yet… He didn't feel any of that.

No.

His heart was filled to the brim with another sentiment; completely gripping and suffocating any sense of dread or agitation he may feel.

Hatred.

His heterochromatic eyes glared holes through what lay ahead of him. Not showing an ounce of second guessing, apprehension or trepidation about what would soon transpire.

The three cultists at the rooftop were the victims of his justified fury.

The elf sisters showed only amusement and curiosity the more murder intent leaked out of his form, infuriating him to no end.

"Those eyes… you are looking at me just as my dear Hedin does. No, yours is much more intense! ~ Oh, how I want to gouge them out."

"He truly is, Vina. Perhaps he's trying to match their feelings towards us? My precious Hogni would die of jealously if that's the case."

"He's in for a completely futile attempt, Dina-onesama. Our love is theirs, and their only! I won't swap my sweet prince for any man in this world! I'll have him stuffed in my bedroom, you'll see! "

"Oi, Vina. You're letting your true emotions show. Don't be so upfront about it in public, it's embarrassing, dear sister."

"Oh right—Sorry onesama!"

Luke grit his teeth as the infamous Dis Sisters descended into a bunch of utter nonsense topics, squealing and playing with each other like a pair of young, gossiping girls.

His eyes switched to the left, looking at the foe he scuffled with a couple of minutes ago.

Valletta sported a sadistic grin on her face.

"What is the matter? Life flashing before your eyes? Petrified in terror as you're all on your own now? Unable to move, else you'll crap, your pants?"

Her deranged grin stretched from ear to ear.

"No one is coming to save you. You'll die here."

Luke pointed the tip of his black sword right at her. The sparks of electricity his enchantment produced danced around him.

"We will see… about that."

"Oh my, still got some heat into you? Let's see how that lasts once I tear your limbs off one by one."

He tensed, raising his guard as Valletta seemed ready to pounce.

"Oi, Arachnia!"

"Halt it!"

The Dis Sisters broke the ensuing tension. The woman gave them a nasty glare as he maintained his eyes on them.

"What is it!?"

"Can we take him? He's different from the others of our beautiful race. This is the first time I've seen an accursed up close!"

"There's no need to ask, dear Vina. We'll simply take him for ourselves."

"Will we? Then it's settled! We'll be the ones to rip his internal organs out. Perhaps we should share those eyes of his, one for each of us. What do you say, Dina-oneesama?"

"Brilliant idea, Vina! It will certainly make for a nice decoration atop my bed frame."

'What the hell is wrong with these two?'

Bit by bit, Luke was getting more and more unnerved by how deranged the sisters acted. They were nothing short of insane… just as they were well known for being.

"You don't have anything to say about it, right Arachnia?" The older of the siblings, Dina, looked at her expectantly.

No. Not expecting something, but rather daring her.

Valletta clicked her tongue, her yellow eyes going from them to him. Luke could see her irritation from down there.

"Fine… do whatever you want. We already accomplished what we came here for anyway."

She gave the sisters a sharp glare.

"Just make sure to finish him off. His dirty comrades were worthless to me, but he? No, not in the slightest. This bastard has potential, so better cut off the bark before it grows too much. Got it!?"

Her response came in a series of excited nods and hums.

"Leave it to us! He'll be glad to die comfortably in our tender arms."

"Yes, Dina-onesama. Though I wished my sweet, precious Hedin was here…"

"It can't be helped, dear sister. His familia is currently on an expedition to the Deep Floors. I doubt they will show themselves till we are done here."

Luke bared his teeth at this new piece of information.

'So that's why those bastards hadn't shown up till now!?'

If one of the biggest and strongest familias was absent; away from the city and unable to heed any calls for help. Then it would make for a perfect window of opportunity for the cult.

Evilus had truly planned this thoroughly. A fact that only served to feed his hatred for these animals.

"Rest assured, sister. I'm certain he'll be a nice entertainment to brighten this already splendid evening!"

" Hmph. Hmph—Understood, onesama!"

Luke tensed as the two jumped down from the roof they stood upon. The pair landed gracefully, standing almost shoulder to shoulder as their playful gaze was set on him.

He planted the dark blade at his right hand firmly on the ground.

Using his now free hand, he reached for an item that would be crucial for his success. Quickly rummaging through his waist-pouch, Luke pulled out one of the two mind potions he had left on his inventory.

Sliding the cap of it, he gulped the liquid of the vial.

"~ Ara, ara… Looks like someone's is getting ready for–—"

Thud

Dina placed the palm of her hand right in front of her forehead, catching the empty potion he threw at her.

"Quite the impatient one. I'm sure you must be thrilled to die in a puddle of your own blood."

She dropped the vial at her feet, drawing a pair of small swords from her back.

"Right, right. Just remember to not damage his eyes, onee-sama. I'll keep the blue—"

"Shut the hell up, you freaks! You and your sick personas are fucking disgusting!"

...

Everything grew quiet.

Luke's heavy breathing was the only source of sound near them. The childish expression of glee on the sisters' face shattered into a blank slate.

The unnerving sight lasted for a brief moment before they broke into a frantic, mad frenzy. Their eyes shining with a glee of insanity.

"Those words…. We're not freaks! We are beautiful fairies like any other!"

"What's the difference between us and the others!? There are none! How mean! You're cruel—Very, very cruel!"

Luke was taken back with the unexpected outburst.

'It seems I've struck a chord…'

He could see it in their eyes, on their faces. The desperation to prove him wrong, to prove themselves as normal.

But… they were anything but that.

To demonstrate such fervor in defense of their standing as one of the prideful elven race, hinted towards a certain fact about their backgrounds. They looked like scared children, struggling to fit in….Something had happened to these two.

Persecution, discrimination, isolation.

Death, loss, abandonment.

The possibilities were endless, yet he knew nothing about their circumstances that led them to this path.

Nor would he care.

Not after today. Not after what they've done in the past. Not after having so much blood on their hands.

Even if the tiniest part of him felt pity for them, seeing they could have been shunned, facing the same struggles and hardships he'd faced with his race—perhaps even more so…

.

(Cue: Re:Zero Season 1 OST 1 - Rondo of Love and Darkness)

.

However, the other overwhelming one cared little for how wronged they were.

No matter how tragic or justified they believed they had been. The sisters would burn in hell if he could do so, alongside the whole cult.

"You will die today! Your demise will be a fitting end to this wonderful feast!" Dina screamed, charging at him. Her sister moved right behind her, in an impressive syntony with her every step.

Luke managed to block the first blow, aimed at his head. He used his second blade to block the second strike aimed at his stomach.

"Oh, you can match me? This will be more fun than I thought!"

Luke had to jump to avoid the attempt to sweep his legs off him.

" Guh!"

He wasn't fast enough to block the kick to his stomach, his Sixth Sense skill only making him painfully aware of that before the blow even connected.

Having the air blown out of his lungs and almost letting his breakfast out, Luke was sent spiraling down the street as he tried to gain his footing.

Gasping for air, Sixth Sense screamed at him as he looked up.

A magic circle hovered above him.

Before he could even think about moving, a pillar of fire emerged from the circle, going right at him.

Still out of breath and unable to chant, Luke lowered himself and let his cloak cover him fully.

The fire engulfed him.

Despite the Black Goliath robe saving him from the brunt of the spell, impeding the fire from directly crisping him; it did nothing to spare him from the immense heat. His skin started to burn as he was slowly being cooked underneath the cloak.

After less than a minute that seemed to last for eternity, the spell finally ended.

Luke stood up, removing the burning hot hood from his head. Steam and smoke rose from his form as he looked for his enemies with a heavy breath.

His skill flared inside his head, warning him about the imminent strike from behind.

Bringing his sword, he met Dina's thrust with the flat of his blade. The Onyx sword at his right hand returned it in kind, aiming a slash at her jugular.

The cultist parried it, holding her blade in a reverse grip.

Dina's insane gaze was met with Luke's hateful one as the two stood in a brief power struggle, neither side managing to overpower the other.

" Gehen."

Lightning traveled through Luke's right hand up to his sword, coursing all the way to the tip of the blade in an instant.

Dina's eyes widened slightly as a beam of light emerged from his sword. She narrowly avoided it as she swerved her head to the side.

The spell only managed to kiss her skin, slightly burning it. However, her ponytail on that side of her hair was completely charred.

Not letting up, Luke brought his left shin up to her ribs. The insane woman diverted the blow to the side using her own feet.

Using the momentum she gave him, he spun on his heel and used the same leg she kicked away to get her feet off her.

He met only empty air as she jumped away.

Completing the arc with his left leg until it stopped behind him, Luke balanced himself on his right one as he launched himself forwards, not wanting to give her space.

He quickly scanned around him, looking for the other sister as he soared through the air.

'Where is she?'

Luke clashed swords with Dina again, matching her blow for blow, move for move, as they continued their death ballet.

The foe before him required his sole attention, as he was only standing on equal footing because of his precognitive skill and his enchantment magic.

In terms of technique, skills and combat experience, Luke could clearly see and feel behind each blow that she had the upper hand in that regard.

Sixth Sense flared again, and not because of the adversary in front of his eyes.

" Eat it, the gate is opening. All hope is replaced by despair!"

Dina disengaged, jumping up towards one of the adjacent rooftops. He didn't need to look back to imagine what was happening as he was already on the run.

Stealing a glance over his shoulder, Luke saw numerous dark orbs of fire coming down at him from atop a tall building. The orbs filled the sky above him like a rainfall of doom.

The fire magic washed the street in flames, getting closer and closer to him as he ran. In front of him, tens or so Evilus cultists stood dumbfounded at the approaching adventurer and the mortal threat that pursued him.

Luke jumped over them, clearing the entire group in a single leap as they were consumed by the hellfire that chased him.

The orbs were getting closer and closer, despite his attempts to evade them.

'Dammit! I need to conserve mind, but at this rate… screw it.'

Luke planted his feet on the ground, making his boots scraped along the cobblestone as he turned towards the incoming attack.

" Shinra Tensei."

As intended, the spell created a dome of repulsive force around him, reflecting the orbs in all directions but his.

Once the wave of flames died down, Luke's own spell followed suit.

Scanning for his foes, Luke glared at the duo atop one of the buildings at his side. The sisters stood there, not giving a care in the world as Vina leaned towards her sister.

"Look sister, he ruined your hair! What shall his punishment be?... Oh! Why don't you slice off one of his legs, Dina-oneesama!

"Excellent idea, sister. But I think I'll rip off one of his arms instead!"

Luke tensed as the close combat expert suddenly jumped towards him again, forcing him to block her renowned assault.

After each blow, he tried to keep an eye on Vina, who had already vanished from her previous spot.

He couldn't keep track of her, not with the immediate danger before him.

"Don't make such a serious face, smile some more!"

" Tsk…Go to hell!"

Luke swatted one of her blades with his own, making it point towards the ground. He followed suit with a thrust that sent the other one aiming at the sky.

A perfect opening arose.

He didn't let up, closing in on her as he kneed her on the stomach.

Pressing his attack, Luke brought both his blades towards her neck in scissor-like movement. As she narrowly blocked it with one of her swords at the last second, Luke planted the sole of his boot on the side of her other sword, driving it aside.

Using the new opening, he planted the back of his heel on her chest as he spun, driving her backwards.

Before he could even think about exploring the advantage, his skill flared yet again.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the sister who stayed at his rear further back in the street, swinging a strange sword at him.

As the blade followed the motion of her arm, a wind spell emerged from the blade, slicing through everything in its path.

'Dammit!'

" Shinra Tensei."

An invisible shockwave met the magic's sword wind head on, altering its flight and sending it back to the sender.

Vina lept, dodging the returned attack as it struck and turned a couple of buildings into rubble behind her with a clean cut.

As Luke focused on the other sister, he swiftly managed to parry Dina' s renowned onslaught as she punished him for his lapse of attention at her.

"You're pretty strong–I like that!"

He grit his street in frustration, pushing her away before he took the initiative again.

Using all his accumulated techniques and experiences, Luke tried everything to gain the upper hand.

Simple combinations.

Sophisticated thrusts.

Unorthodox blows.

He used almost all he had at his disposal to land a clear hit. Yet, nothing seemed to work.

No matter how much force he placed behind each blow.

No matter how ingenious he tried to be with his offensives.

Dina always seemed to be one step ahead of him. Her sister, always backing her up at every moment of opportunity, rapidly turned the fight into an unwinnable situation for him.

He was stuck in a stalemate—and a stalemate was as good as a defeat considering his current predicaments and time limitations.

Time and mind conservation was of the essence for him to stay in the fight.

Amongst the various attacks, Dina increased her ferocity, forcing him to block a dual stab aimed at his chest.

It was a trap.

She made him use both of his swords to meet her's, yet she fainted at the last second; striking with one blade on the predicted target, while scouring the other precisely in the gap below his guard.

She pierced the space between his armor and cloak; his most vulnerable area, with a clean cut at his ribs.

Luke's blood flowed as she slashed his side open.

He hid his pain as he grit his teeth and returned the pressure on her, forcing her to back off.

He didn't let up, dashing at her despite bleeding profusely from her previous attack.

Trading blow after blow, they were going all out in the mortal duel.

Dina grabbed his right arm, holding it in place at his side. Using the same arm as an anchor, she nimbly maneuvered her body, snaking her legs around his neck.

She threw him off balance, taking his feet off him as she brought him to the ground in a swift move.

Luke acted fast, swerving his legs back and narrowly avoiding being impaled by her downwards thrust at the last second as he jumped to his feet.

The cultist managed to get a hold on his cloak as he got up. She used it as leverage as she pulled him towards her, bringing her blade towards the center of his chest in the same movement.

Luke was able to evade the stab, stepping to the side and making her sword strike only the back of his robe.

He used Dina's grip on him against her as he pulled her towards him instead, getting them face to face.

The two butted heads, leaving a gash on each one's forehead. Luke embraced her tightly, sweeping Dina off her feet, taking both to the pavement below.

The two rolled along the ground, their swords narrowly avoiding hitting any of them by a miracle as they tumbled down.

Blood traveled down in between their heads as they were pressed tightly against each other.

Luke's rage filled eyes pried deep into Dina's excited ones.

The snarl on his face was met with her childish laughter as they tumbled across the cobblestone street.

He increased the grip on her back, threatening to crush her spine against him in a death's embrace.

The crazy elfess gasped in a mix of pain and… excitement?

Luke was too focused on salvaging the opportunity to incapacitate his opponent, not having time react to her head swerving up.

He closed his eyes instinctively, expecting a harsh headbutt in retaliation as he gave his all to end it right here.

Contrary to all his expectations, something soft met his lips.

Opening his eyes, Luke saw their lips touching, catching a glimpse of her deranged gaze as she kissed him.

His blood boiled as he kept his lips shut tight. He could even feel once she tried to stick her tongue past his teeth and into the depths of his mouth, swerving it back and forth under his lips and gums.

Her spine popped as he used all his strength. The disgust he felt served as an extra fuel against her.

Luke made sure to hold her above him once they came to a halt, thus preventing Vina from casting her magic on him with sister on the crossfire…or so he hoped.

Luke let out a croak with his throat, feeling something dig deep into the flesh of his lips.

Dina let out a giggle, lifting her head away from him slowly, pulling his upper lip along with her as she wolfed down on it with her teeth.

A cold sweat ran down his neck.

The rage in Luke's eyes gave place to a mounting trepidation as he glimpsed at the true extent of what her broken, twisted mind was capable of.

A sharp, burning pain spread through his lips as she began to tear his skin off, caking his mouth with his blood.

The insane look in her eyes and the aroused face she displayed made dread fill Luke's mind for the first time since the fight began, as she began pulling even harder.

She tore a chunk out of his upper lip off, holding it in between her teeth for him to see.

Small crack sounds resound from her back, as Luke did his best to focus on killing her instead of the display of madness before his very eyes.

He was, until a painful headbutt broke his nose and disoriented him, making his vision fill with tears in a second. Feeling his grip loosen, the lunatic elfess tried to pry his arms open.

Fearing the worst as the position became unsustainable, Luke kicked her off him.

He jumped up to his feet as fast as he could, eyeing the cultist with an enraged look.

Dina was standing tall, stretching her back as if she had just a minor discomfort. As if he hadn't almost shattered it in half just a few seconds ago.

(End soundtrack)

"Ah! To think I've got the chance to do it with an accursed! Oh… but poor Hogni will be jealous now."

Luke spit towards her, his saliva coming mixed with his blood, as he pressed his bleeding lips with the back of his hand right after. His other hand worked on setting his nose straight, as blood flowed freely from his nostrils.

"Don't worry onee-sama! He won't care once he's turned into a pluffy! Just be patient."

He stole a glance behind him, seeing the magic specialist right at his blind spot on the rooftops.

"You sick bastard…"

"Don't be so mean! You'll be grateful that my dear sister did it with you."

"Let him be, Vina. He'll see how–"

" Shinra Tensei."

A transparent wall washed over the street in front of him, dragging the mocking white elf alongside it and away from him.

He leapt up, landing on the roof the mage that had been a torn on his side was in. Not wasting a second, Luke was upon her, bringing his aqua-marine sword for a clear slash on her chest.

She blocked it with her magic sword, ducking under the following thrust with his second blade. Luke increased the force behind his attack, managing to break her guard as she was pushed back as she tried to block the next hit.

Adamant on not giving her room to breathe, he managed to strike her blade as she was out of balance, taking her magic sword out of her grasp and disarming her in the process as the blade fell to the side.

Closing in on her, Luke pointed the palm of his hand in her direction.

"Gehen."

A ray of light emerged from his hand, hitting her squarely in the chest, sending her flying a good distance away.

Sixth Sense alerted him again, this time from his right flank. He was too late to react as a blade left a deep gash on his unwounded side.

Luke ducked to avoid losing his head to the subsequent slash, spinning his body right after as he aimed to cut his attacker's legs from under her.

Missing its mark, Luke narrowly blocked a kick to the side of his head. However, the force behind the blow sent him crashing into the street below.

Maneuvering his body mid-flight, he managed to land on his feet, planting one of his swords on the ground to kill his momentum.

As he came to a full stop, Luke's gaze immediately went to the roof. Dina stood on the edge, giggling while she hopped in place, excited like a child in a kindergarten as she twisted her twin blades at her hands.

Vina stepped up beside her. The previous spell that struck her didn't seem to have done much, despite the burned skin and blood that stained her charred clothing.

The dark elfess shared the same enthusiastic glee of her sister as she sat on the ledge, letting her legs dangle as she moved then back and forth.

Stealing a glance over his shoulder, he was met with the sight of Arachnia watching the unfolding battle in amusement, surrounded by various of her subordinates on the rooftop behind him.

Looking to both street ways, Luke saw the crowd of Evilus onlookers, simply watching the fight as they blocked any outside interference.

Taking a deep breath, Luke placed one of his hands on his ribs.

As expected, his glove came back caked with his blood.

'I need to end this somehow… and fast!'

The use of the others spells further drained his already decreasing mind pool with his constantly active enchantment magic, Deus Tonitrui.

At this rate, he had less than eight minutes at best before he met his limit, else he'll pass out. All but guaranteeing his death at the sisters' hands.

Luke tightened his grip on his mother's sword.

'I've got no choice… I'll have to risk it. Fortune favors the brave, doesn't it?'

A sudden memory of the day of his level up feat against Alfia came to the front of his mind.

'Remember–Throwing your life away to achieve victory and putting your life on the line for it, are not the same… I advise you to learn that as fast as possible, child. Otherwise you won't be breathing by dawn."

His teacher's cold, monotonous voice echoed in Luke's head as the corner of his lips lifted up slightly.

He shuddered as he recalled that fateful day.

She wasn't jesting, not even close to being humorous. Alfia was dead serious in every lesson she ingrained into him through blood, sweat and tears in her spartan training.

'Sure do, sensei… I'll put that to good use.'

.

(Cue: Re:Zero Season 2 Main Theme - The Breath of a Vow)

.

Luke raised his guard, ignoring the pain all over his body as blood trickled down his forehead, right in between his eyes. The bolts of lightning clacked around his form as he sent a determined glare at his foe.

"I'll make sure you won't hurt a fly from now on after I'm through with you lot, you can count on that!"

Dina leaned forward with her hands behind her back. Blood flowed from the cut in her forehead, drawing red lines in her snow-white skin.

"You don't say?... Look Vina, he's gushing out his life force from his wounds yet he still has that lively attitude!"

The younger sister placed her elbows on her knees, resting her chin on the palm of her hands.

"He's got quite the spirit, one-sama! I'm starting to really like him."

"I second that, sister! It will be fun to rip out that energy right out of his cold, dead body."

Luke lowered himself ever so slightly, adjusting his body.

"Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, you psychos!"

Blam

The force behind Luke's leap cracked the cobblestone at his feet.

In an unnerving tranquility, Dina broke her relaxed pose, launching herself from the roof's ledge right towards him.

The two clashed swords in the air, a small shockwave washed over the close vicinity.

Dina managed to grab his sleeve, pulling his right arm over her shoulder in a nimble move.

Sixth Sense screamed at him.

Looking at the ground below them, he saw Vina standing there, magic sword in hand.

Swiping his head up above, Luke's eyes widened as he saw the multitude of magic circles that were present there.

Using the faintest break of his focus and gripping one of his swords, Dina managed to lock his arm in place.

Planting both her feet on his stomach, she used it as a springboard as she kicked off him. A white, hot pain spread through his ribcage, as it cracked under the pressure.

He felt once his dark sword was stolen from his grasp as his grip weakened from the blow.

Almost losing his breath, Luke was sent crashing into a wall.

Not having a moment to spare, he immediately stepped off the caved-in wall with a sharp intake of breath. Just in time as both the fire descended upon him and Vina swung from her magic sword.

The magic death trap was launched at him in perfect synchrony by the mage.

"... S-Shira Tensei!" Luke managed to croak out, creating a protective barrier around him and sparing him from certain death. As the spells were deflected, Luke faintly noticed how a few spectating cultists at the sidelines were struck by the derelict magic.

With a heavy breath once it was all over, Luke glared at the sisters as they calmly walked in the street.

Dina was holding his father's onyx blade in her hands.

"Oh, my apologies. This is yours isn't it? I'll borrow it for the time being." She tossed the sword over her head, letting it land somewhere near an alley at her back.

Luke gave her a sly-smile.

'Yes, keep underestimating me. Overconfidence will be your downfall, you skank!'

He had one shot at this.

He couldn't miss it.

If he played his cards right, he could kill both of them. He just needed to be patient and await the perfect chance to strike.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda—You talk too much. Stop beating around the bush and come at me already!"

Luke screamed at them, pulling out his trusty knife from her holster, holding it in a reverse grip as he pointed the tip of his aqua sword towards Dina.

"If you seek to die so much, then I'll oblige you!" Luke tensed his legs once she dashed at him.

They crossed swords once again.

This time, Luke stayed solely on the defensive as the ballet between the two started all over.

Dina began to push him back as did his utmost to weave through and block most of her attacks. New scratches and small wounds were made once every other close call almost struck him.

Stealing a brief glance behind her and above, Luke was able to see her sister patiently watching their every move as she now stood on the high ground again.

The seconds ticked by as he resisted her ferocious assault. More and more she was becoming bold and confident in her moves as he was getting pressed against the wall.

Gashes littered Luke's body as he did his best to stand strong against the crazy elfess.

Until, seemingly out of nowhere, Dina fainted an attack, leaping back suddenly instead of pressing further.

He didn't even need his skill to know what was coming.

Low and behold, various magic circles hovered above the battlefield.

Luke was already on the run as the pillars of fire descended upon him. Now knowledgeable about what her magic could do, Luke managed to weave through the spell, the fire piercing the pavement after each step he took. He managed to evade the last pillar through the neck of his skin as it only managed to graze his cloak and kiss his skin with its scolding heat.

Dina was already upon him again. He was forced to go on the defensive again.

She did not let him catch his breath, resuming her relentless close quarters assault.

'Just gotta hang tight! I can still win!'

He parried her sword with his knife, finding an opening that was swift and mercilessly closed as she pressed her attack.

'Hold…'

Managing to block both of her swords with his own, Luke swung them upwards. As he tried to capitalize on the breach, Dina did a backwards somersault, leaving a thin line of blood on his chin as she almost hit him square in the jaw, her feet moving in a perfect 90degrees arc.

'Hold…'

Luke endured yet another barrage of attacks from the broken fairy. This time though, she slipped through his defense and left two nasty cuts on his thigh and forearm, though the piece of armor that covered the latter took the brunt of the damage.

Dina pressed even more.

Luke's heterochromatic eyes widened slightly, as a clear opening presented itself to him.

'...Now!'

Seeing her confident, bearing the arrogant, attempts to cut him down, Luke managed to squeeze out a simple slash of his own in between her onslaught.

Dina moved to block his simplistic attack without any effort.

Luke felt a strain on his mind reserves as his sword hummed in a soft azure light.

The broken elfess's smirk quickly morphed into a shocked face in the span of milliseconds once his blade phased through her own, as if it simply wasn't there.

Luke's bloodied mouth broke into a grin once her eyes became as wide as plates as his sword went through her guard completely.

'Take this you crazy harlot!'

His blade dug deep into her flesh, cutting her down from the shoulder all the way to her ribs on the other side.

Her blood spilled on his face as he cleaved his knife into her left wrist and twisted it, forcing her to drop her sword as he disabled that hand.

Luke came for another slash on her chest, crossing it with the cold steel of his blade yet again, as a deep X like cut was now carved into her midsection.

Concluding the turn of tables, he spun on his heel, delivering a devastating kick on top of her new, grave wounds. Dina sailed across the air, her body smashing against the front of a shop as she disappeared further into the establishment.

"Onee-sama!"

Vina screamed for her sister, making the unfortunate mistake of not paying attention to him.

As her eyes were focused where the older sister crashed into for a brief moment, it gave Luke more than enough room to close the distance between them.

Realizing her slip up mid combat, Vina swung her magic sword, trying to hit him at point blank range. Luke was faster than her, holding the wrist of the arm that held the blade and driving its movement precisely to his left.

The ensuing gale decimated the street behind him, hitting a handful of unlucky cultists that attempted to scramble away from it.

Luke slammed the inside of her right thigh, forcing her to take a knee.

He drove his sword through her stomach without hesitation.

" Gehen."

The spell traversed the body of his blade, burning her insides in the process as a beam of light emerged from the tip of his weapon.

A pained cry was stuck on her throat.

One that Luke didn't want to hear as he kneed her in the face, feeling her nose cave in before his knee pad. The momentum behind the blow carried her body off his blade.

Luke had pried the magic sword from her hands.

Turning towards the direction Valletta was previously in, he swung the blade as he pivoted.

As the spell traveled through the air, Luke was able to get a glimpse of the woman's baffled face. She mouthed a curse under her breath as she leapt away from the incoming attack.

Her goons weren't so fast, being obliterated alongside the entire roof they stood upon.

Using the surprise amongst Evilus ranks, Luke slashed the air to his right, releasing another spell from the stolen sword at the cultists that blocked one of the street's end.

They tried to flee, pushing each other as they ran towards the buildings at their sides. A futile effort since the magic collapsed the structures on each of their flanks, crumbling it on their heads.

Clink

Crack

'Shit… Well, it did its job.'

Luke thought, seeing the magic sword crack and splinter on his grasp. He tossed it aside, letting his enchantment spell die down at the same time.

(End soundtrack)

His breath came hoarse and heavy from his broken ribs, his whole body felt like lead as his knees threatened to give out under him.

'Black spots at the corner of my vision. Unbearable headache… I'm lucky I haven't passed out yet.'

Luke quickly rummaged through his pouch with a trembling hand, searching for his saving grace. Feeling the glass surface of the potion, he pulled it out, took the cap off and swallowed the liquid in a haste.

In an instant, most of the ailments related to a mind down ceased. Only the ones resulting from his injuries still remained.

Luke winced as he stood straight, pressing the wounds at his sides to stanch the deep cuts present there.

'These psychos got me pretty good…'

He focused his gaze on the dark elfess who was face first into the ground a good distance away from him; a pond of her blood flowed below her form. His eyes widened as she slowly began to crawl to her feet.

'How can she still get up after that!?'

Vina faced him, sporting a gaping hole in her stomach as blood washed her clothes.

"aha… hahaha."

Luke's eyes switched to his left, hearing a faint laugh coming from the place the other sister crashed into.

Much to his horror, Dina stood there, right in the half crumbled entrance of the building she landed on. She stepped to the street with such a calm that was unfit for someone in such a state. Neither the pair of deep gashes he gave her nor the cut open wrist seemed to bother in the slightest.

Despite how much blood she was losing, she acted as she was in perfect condition.

'What kind of monsters are they?'

Vina began to walk towards her older sister, not even as much as faltering in her step despite the damage she sustained.

"Sister… I think we found someone as fun as our dear Hogni and your beloved Hedin." Dina said with her broken nose clogged up with blood.

Snap

She set it in place, blowing it a few times to cleanse her nostrils.

Vina nodded enthusiastically at her younger sister.

"Of course, of course—He's a cutie, but those abilities of his… I love it!"

They flashed him an excited glare.

"~ We'll kill him for sure!" Both spoke in unison in a singsong voice, sending a chill up Luke's spine.

He tensed, raising his sword as he pulled out his knife again. Glancing at his flank, Luke eyed Valletta as the remnants of her forces gathered near her.

Luke analyzed his next steps forwards.

'Perhaps if I push Deus Tonitrui further and tap into the power of a fresh level 6… It will only last for 5 minutes tops, but maybe I can still win this.'

He didn't have the opportunity to get his mind and body connection accustomed to the prowess of a level 6.

But had no choice—Not if he wanted to get out of this one alive.

Lightning flared around him. His grip around his weapons intensified.

Blood dripped down from his wounds.

Luke's eyes sharpened as he prepared himself for his last stand.

...

"...hmm?"

A sudden commotion at the back of the Evilus line brought his and Valletta's attention there. A handful of cultists came running down the street desperately.

"Lady Valletta! They are here! Loki Familia just—Ahhhh!"

The panicked cultist screamed in terror as a wave of flames came from their rear as they ran, engulfing them and their colleagues as it washed over the entire street.

Luke had to take the high ground to avoid the incoming hell fire.

Landing on the safety of the rooftops, he observed as the Evilus executives seemed to have taken the same initiative as he.

Luke glared at the three lunatics on the roofs across the street.

Valletta didn't care in the slightest, focusing her attention on where the flames that killed her subordinates came from.

"Ah! It seems they finally decided to show up. Shame that they came so late to the party. Would have loved to rip open that prum's annoying, smart-ass face… Well, I'll save that for another time–we are done here anyway."

Looking in the direction she was prying on, he could see a rather large entourage coming their way. Judging by their armor and clothing, they were most likely his adventurer brethren. Some of them were quickly dispatching any stragglers the spell didn't quite finish off.

Switching his gaze upfront again, Luke pointed his sword at her.

"Do you really think I'll simply let you go, you bastard!"

"Aha, hahaha! I don't need your approval, brat!"

Valletta opened her hand, letting him see various orbs in between her fingers.

"Next time we see each other, you'll end up drowning in your own blood. Mark my words!"

The woman dropped the orbs at her feet, releasing a massive smoke screen that covered not only the roof, but quickly spread to the streets right below.

"It seems our playtime is over. Till next one then! Make sure not to die to anyone but us, got it?"

"I'll fill you with holes for what you've done— Then we will be even! Bye, bye!"

The sisters' childish voices echoed from the thick smoke.

'I won't let you!'

Luke jumped, sailing towards them in a mighty leap.

His eyes widened as a small object parted a minor gap in the black smoke, coming right at him.

He shielded his face with his cloak, blocking the bright light he saw even through the robe's fabric as the object exploded.

The protective cloth did nothing to stop the deafening bang.

As an intense ringing noise filled his ears, he managed to clear through the smoke and land where the cultists previously stood.

'Smoke bombs and flashbangs?—Slippery bastard!'

Stepping foot on solid ground, Luke twisted his body, slashing the air in an arc around him with his sword. Creating gusts of wind with his movement, he cleared the smoke around him.

The psychotic women were nowhere to be found.

Luke grit his teeth.

"Shinra Tensei."

The shockwave of his spell repelled all the smoke in the air, lifting it high into the skies above to be carried away by the breeze.

Like he already suspected, no trace of the Level 5 trio or their whereabouts.

Luke took a deep breath to clear his mind before sheathing his blades. Looking down at the streets below, he saw the cavalry arriving once the fire started to die down.

With a sigh, he descended from the building back to the paved path.

Luke let out a pained grunt as the gashes on his legs flared up a burning sensation throughout the whole limb as he landed on his feet.

He wavered a little on his steps, seeing blood continuing to pour out from the multiple cuts around his battered body.

Wearing a pained face, Luke walked - or limped to be more honest - towards the ones that got him out of a tight situation.

Two figures he knew all too well broke off from the group, running at him. The blonde, stubborn elfess and a scarlet haired girl both showed looks of worry and relief as they laid their eyes upon him.

A certain vulgar, amethyst eyed far easterner simply strolled casually with the rest of the adventurers, displaying all of her concern for his well being.

The last sight brought a chuckle out of him. One that he regretted immediately as pain shot up from his sides as he applied pressure to his wounds.

"Luke!"

Both of his friends reached out for him as they got close.

"Oi, Oi–easy there. I lost enough blood already. No need to squish out some more, hehe he… Ngh!"

Luke felt blood curdle up on his throat, throwing him into a coughing fit, each cough digging his broken ribs further into his lungs.

"A-Are you alright!?"

Luke glanced up at Ryuu with his mouth caked with blood upon hearing her question. He gave her a pointed look as he straightened himself up, showing his injuries for all to see.

"No… not really… hehe."

His legs gave out under him as his knees finally failed. Alise reaction was remarkable as she catched him before he planted his face on the ground.

She slowly set him up laying on the ground, being especially careful given his wounded state.

"You idiot. You were supposed to come after us, not pull something like this."

"Sorry, Cap… Not everything goes according to plan in life."

Ryuu crouched at his right side, with Alise standing in the opposite one.

"The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life. Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you."

A green light surrounded her hand as she gently placed it on his chest.

"Noah Heal."

Luke felt a warm and inexplicable soothing feeling course through his whole body. He could feel the pain lessen, the blood coagulate and his wounds slowly but surely start to close.

A third person entered his field of view from the ground—A girl in a kimono to be more precise.

'Ah, here we go again…'

"Congratulations on getting out of this one alive. Beware though, stupidity does tend to be quite unforgiving."

Luke groaned, hearing the sassiness dripping out from her tongue.

"Can we please not do this? I'm not really up for a friendly banter with you right now, Kaguya." He placed his gloved hand over his face, not seeking to see her likely already smug face.

"Oh my, I never intended to offend you. I was simply stating a fact."

" Sigh… Sure you were… Can you do me a favor? Get my sword for me would ya? She should be somewhere over there…"

Luke pointed out with the thumb, making Kaguya look further back from where they stood.

"Don't worry, I'll give you a compensation for your kindness…"

"Tsk. Fine, I'll lend a hand to someone as frail as you. However, I'll hold it up against you."

"Righ, right…" Luke waved dismissively with his hand, receiving a glare he didn't need to see to feel it prying his head open.

With that out of the way, Luke basked in the relief Ryuu's spell gave him. Opening a gap in between his fingers, he eyed his friend whose sole focus was on healing his wounds.

"Thank— Cough"

Another coughing fit struck him for his attempt to show gratitude.

"You need to be quiet, Luke. Your lungs are punctured, speaking will only make things worse. Stay put until I'm finished."

He nodded at her recommendation.

Just as he closed his eyes to let Ryuu patch him up without distractions, his pointy ears caught various footsteps closing on them.

Prying his eyes open in a tired manner; looking through the same gap in his fingers with his blue eye, he was greeted with a sight he wished to avoid for his entire life if he could do so.

Riveria, the High Elf princess and Vice-Captain of Loki Familia, and she was heading exactly where he was.

At her flanks, two elfesses followed her every move. Judging by the number of steps he heard, even more were trailing behind her.

'Ah, shit… here we go again'

Luke closed his eye, choosing to ignore the situation at hand.

"It seems your friends' prayers bore fruit. As cruel as this may sound, my expectations of your survival were bleak given the circumstances they told us once we crossed paths by chance."

But the High Elf thwarted his plan, making him pry his eye open again.

"R-Riveria-sama!" Ryuu spoke surprised at the royalty's unexpected approach. She was seemingly torn between giving her the proper attention her status as a High Elf demanded, while still treating him.

Luke glared at Riveria with his sole eye.

"Sigh—I'm immensely grateful for your intervention and for securing the safety of my friends, your highness… Given that, I humbly request you to refrain from speaking to me… I'm not in the mood to deal with you nor your stuck up, staunch servants."

"L-Luke! You can't talk to royalty in such a—"

"What did you just say!? How dare you refer the word to Riveria-sama in such uncult manner! Apologize immediately!"

An elfess with long, golden hair and a pair of hazel eyes berated him. Luke's azure eye landed on her, seeing her holding the bow in her hand with a tight grip.

"Do you have any idea how little I care?—Scram, would you?"

"You insolent fool! How can an elf say such disrespectful—"

The elf archer's words died on her throat once Luke removed the hand over his right eye.

She jumped in front of Riveria in a heartbeat.

"Riveria-sama, stand back! He's an accursed!"

The other elves of the squad perked up at the declaration, picking up arms as they surrounded the princess in a protective cordon.

"You bastard! To have the courage to even be near her!"

"How did we let that happen!?"

"If we knew we were coming to the rescue of the likes of you, we might as well have left you to your fate!"

The elves broke into a chorus of outrage and indignation directed at him.

Luke took a deep breath through his nose as they continued to insult him.

Alise stood up, going between him and the other elves cursing his whole existence

"Shut your mouths! I won't stand idle as you continue to insult my friend!"

"What do you know, human? He's an accursed—Him speaking to Riveria-sama is a sin we can't—"

"Alicia, that's enough!"

The hazel eyed elfess, now named Alicia, flinched at the princess's harsh tone.

"B-But Riveria-sama, he—"

The fierce glare Riveria sent her way silenced her in the same instant. The whole elf entourage burning anger directed at Luke froze under her cold gaze.

Her eyes softened once they landed on Luke. His were as cold as hers were but a moment ago as she pried into them.

With a sigh, Riveria turned her back to him, surprising her loyal followers as they looked split between going after her or glaring at Luke.

Fortunately for him, they choose the prior after a moment of indecisiveness.

As the Loki Familia Vice-Captain and her troupe walked back towards the remaining adventurers in their group, Luke let out a sigh of relief.

He didn't miss Alise's angry stare towards the elves as they had their backs to them. Nor as Ryuu's ashamed and concerned face hadn't failed to be noticed by him.

Luke closed his eyes again, trying to tune out the outside world. A migraine slowly started to form itself on his head. Everything that transpired in the hectic day came crashing down on his mind at once as he got trapped in his own thoughts.

Clink

Luke cracked his eyes open again. Glancing to his side, he witnessed his sword impaling the cobblestone block right next to his head. Holding the handle of the sword was none other than the one he requested to retrieve it for him.

Kaguya sent him a nonplussed look, quietly walking away without as much as a word, despite almost impaling his ear.

Luke had the slight feeling she would actually aim right in between his eyes if he bothered her enough someday.

"K-Kaguya…You…. H-How come…"

Ryuu struggled to find words as her mouth hanged agape in shock at the absurdity of what her rival just had done. All the while trying to maintain her mind focused as Noah Heal was still in effect.

Luke simply shook his head, his now restored lips stretching into a smirk.

'Never expected to become family with such strange folk… These girls are something else.'

Even with his head suffering through an annoying migraine, Ryuu's indignation with Kaguya's seemingly blatant disrespect and lack of care never failed to entertain him.

Really. These two were a show apart.

In fact, all the girls in his familia had their own unique quirk. Lady Astraea being no exception to that.

They were a rather convoluted family, but a family nonetheless.

'All more reason for me to grow stronger…'

Luke rested his eyes again, massaging his temple as the headache subdued ever so slightly.

'Man… what a day…'

.

---

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A/N: Another chapter done. I do hope you liked it.

Next one will be more slow paced and with almost no fighting, which gives a nice change of pace.

The aftermath of Evilus assault, and the toll it took on them - especially Luke and Alise - will be addressed. Plus the level up party I've mentioned in part one, with some surprises of course.

After that, I'll take a pseudo hiatus as I begin to rewrite the first chapters and cross post the story at AO3 as well. I won't change anything major, but I will add more scenes and deepen the bond Luke and his exiled surrogate family had. This will really add more weight to the Great Feud.

Now to the reviews!

Neyl Boo: You can count on that! I plan the Great Feud to be one of the heights of my fic, so stay tuned. One of the confrontations will be extremely entertaining and compelling to write.

Kilalasu: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

I'm pretty active around the Danmachi subreddit, so if you want you can find me there. I'll keep you guys informed through my profile page.

As usual, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinion about the chapter.

This is all for now. Stay safe people!