A/N sorry for being rushed, and shitty. I have lost all motivation and will only regain it when arc 2 begins. Whoopy, tehe. Hope you liked this, tho anyway.
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After working out the plan with Rom, Felt came in the same way she had in the previous timelines. But this time, things shifted fast. Rom and I pulled her aside and explained the situation, laying out the problem in full. It took a while to convince her, naturally - she's stubborn as fuck - but I promised her that once this was over, I'd make it my personal goal to get her out of these slums.
We talked through the plan together, and though she agreed in the end, she wasn't happy about it. She wanted solid proof that the buyer was dangerous, that there was a real threat. I made sure she saw it.
---
A knock was heard on the door as Elsa walked in, tall and beautiful with pale skin and flowing dark ha- ok why am i describing her, we all know what the inside toucher looks like. Or stabber? Nah toucher sounds worse. So it works.
Her eyes swept lazily around the room, taking in the scene. The moment her gaze landed on me, a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"Ah~ I know the old man," she hummed, her voice smooth like silk dipped in poison. "But who's this little thing~?" Without waiting for an answer, she slid into a nearby chair like she owned the place.
"I'm me, who are you?" I replied, dead serious. Hey, I got infinite bodies, might as well. It also might stall as well.
Elsa tilted her head, a glimmer of amusement in her crimson eyes. "Oh my, such a sharp tongue. I like jokesters." She rested her chin in her palm, eyeing me like a wolf sizing up a particularly interesting rabbit. "But you still didn't answer, it would make this conversation mu~uch easier if I knew. My name is Elsa. Now, could you please tell me yours?"
Rom shot me a brief look that basically screamed the fuck are you doing.
"Hmm, suuure, I'll do that. My name is... Are you sure you want it? No, np no, no, you do... don't you. Well, my name is... ahhhh~... Capella." I gave a venomous grin, I stood up slightly.
Elsa's playful smirk vanished like a candle snuffed out by a gust of wind. Her entire posture tensed, eyes narrowing as her hand instinctively slid toward a hidden blade at her side. "What… did you say?" she asked, voice low, a crack of genuine unease bleeding through her tone.
Rom stiffened too, the sudden shift in the air thick enough to choke on.
"You know what I said~" I teased, sing-song, the grin on my face wide and sharp. I raised a hand to my cheek, fingers curling as if to peel something away. I watched her eyes flash, a flicker of fear, real and unhidden, mixed with a visceral sort of worry.
And then I lunged back, creating space between us in a single swift move. "Hah! You really thought I was her? Whaa~aat? Were you about to call Mother? Mama? Hah."
The name alone made something ugly twist in Elsa's expression. A storm of emotions crossed her face, one after another. Confusion. Doubt. Dread. Bewilderment. And then - anger. That cold-blooded, predatory anger she was known for. But underneath it, a strange spark of excitement, like she'd just stumbled on something too dangerous not to want.
Her lips pulled into a tense, crooked grin, the kind that promised blood. "You've got some nerve," she hissed, eyes gleaming like a predator denied its meal. "How… how do you know that name!? How the hell do you know!?"
For a moment, she looked shaken, her calm uncoiling into something raw and frantic. But then, like a flame catching dry wood, her expression twisted, excitement blooming in her blood-red eyes. The fear was still there, buried deep under something more dangerous.
"Ah… no, wait," Elsa chuckled darkly, a shiver of giddy madness in her voice. "I don't care anymore." She leaned forward slightly, her fingers flexing near her blade, lips curling into a sadistic smile. "I just can't wait to see your beautiful intestines," she spun her blades around.
The room felt like it dropped ten degrees, tension crackling through the air like a spark in a dry field.
I quickly pulled out my blades, I smiled, "Aw, how romantic, love at first sight, is it~ but you'll have to earn it first~" I winked, the gesture so out of place it threw her off balance for a moment.
Her eyes flickered with confusion, processing the unexpected move, before that split-second hesitation vanished. With a snarl, she lunged forward, deadly intent blazing in her gaze.
Her speed was impeccable. For a second, it looked like she vanished, but she appeared, and her blades came careening towards me. But, thankfully the fuck ton of experience and her ALWAYS AIMING FOR MY GODDAMN FUCKING BOWl, made the parry much easier than other times.
Unfortunately, her strength was just as fierce as ever, and my body still hadn't adjusted to it. The impact barely registered at first, like a dull ache, before it slammed me backwards hard enough to crash against the wall.
The room shook from the collision, dust falling from the cracked plaster above. I pushed myself up, tasting blood at the corner of my mouth. Elsa didn't waste a second - she advanced again, blades gleaming like deadly promises.
The club slammed into her ribs with a sickening crack, forcing her to stagger back, the wind knocked out of her. Rom growled, "Get the hell away from her."
He didn't hesitate or hold back - his raw power and rage were clear, every swing meant to stop Elsa by any means necessary. His focus was fierce, his protectiveness driving him like a battering ram.
But that first hit was just a lucky shot. Elsa danced around each heavy, powerful swing with fluid grace, light on her feet. She leapt up, aiming to repeat the same move from the last loop - closing in for a deadly strike.
Rom wasn't about to let that happen. At the last second, he barely dodged, twisting his body just enough to avoid her attack while keeping his club ready to strike again.
After taking a moment to shake off the impact of being slammed into the wall, I jumped back into the fray, swinging at her from behind. This wasn't a full-strength attack, I wasn't trying to land a real hit. Why bother? Curse doll shit means, she wasn't going to be hurt unless an iceberg fell on her. Multiple icebergs. And even then, she'd still not be put down.
Elsa ducked under my swing with that same unnerving, almost lazy grace like she was playing a game she'd already won a thousand times. Her crimson eyes gleamed, lips curling in a grin that promised nothing but pain.
Rom came charging in from the side, his club tearing through the air with a violent gust. Elsa twisted, narrowly avoiding the arc, though the tip of the club caught her cloak and ripped it clean off her shoulders.
She landed on a nearby table with a predatory crouch, that damn smile never leaving her face. "Tsk, how annoying. But still not enough~"
Rom didn't waste time. He roared and lunged again, wild and relentless, each swing shaking the ground. He wasn't some lazy drunk anymore - this was a man fighting for family, and he was terrifying when he wanted to be.
But no matter how heavy the blows, Elsa moved like water, slipping through the cracks of his offence. And then, with a sudden pivot, she sidestepped one wide swing and drove her blade deep into his side.
"Rom!" I shouted, eyes widening. fuuuuuck
The old man grunted, blood spilling down his coat, but before she could twist the blade, he grabbed her wrist with a vice grip and yanked her closer, headbutting her with a sickening crack. Elsa reeled back, grinning through bloodied teeth.
"Not bad, old man, but I believe it's time for sleep," she chuckled.
Rom staggered, his grip slipping, and Elsa took her opening. In a flash, she buried her foot into his stomach, sending him flying across the room, crashing through a table. He didn't get back up.
I cursed under my breath. Shit.
Before I could move, Elsa was already on me. A fist slammed into my gut, knocking the air clean out of my lungs, then a blade came whistling toward my belly. I barely raised my weapon to deflect it, the clash jarring my arm, making my bones scream. I knew how this went. No matter how many times I fought her, she was always faster, stronger, meaner? Pfft. No. Wait, not the time for jok-
A kick to my ribs sent me skidding across the floor, pain blooming sharp and hot in my chest. I coughed, spat blood, and pushed myself back up, refusing to stay down.
"Aw, poor thing," Elsa purred, licking a line of blood from her lip. "So utterly weak, but that's what makes it all so fun, ah~" she moaned, as she took a slow step forward, she knew she won now.
I tried to rise again, my limbs barely listening, everything hurt, everything burned. I hated it. I hated this. I hated pain. I hated her. I wanted it to stop, stop? Yes, I needed it to stop, we needed it to stop, no no no no. No. I wanted her to stop, to stop. Stop, death, die, end end end.
A voice chanting repeated over and over again, until I gave in, and let it ̷̫̦̃ị̷̡̔n̵̗͋͘
As she closed the distance, her grin widened, a faint blush colouring her pale cheeks. She was enjoying this. Drinking in my agony like fine wine. Then, she stopped. A visible shudder rippled through her.
Her face shifted, the amusement cracking.
I felt nothing. I couldn't control my body, yet it moved.
Elsa's eyes narrowed, her predator's smirk faltering as a cold bead of fear settled in her gut. Something felt wrong.
My hand rose, not by my will, and a voice slipped from my throat, low, ragged, and foreign to even my own ears."Goa."
Mana tore through my body like a riptide. I felt it leave, felt my gate burst open and spill it out. I tried to stop it, desperately, frantically, no, not again, not now, but it was too late. My skin prickled, my head spun, and then.
My gate slammed shut.
Like an ocean battering against a dam of splintering wood, the torrent of mana smashed against the seal. Blood burst from my lips, painting my chin and chest as I doubled over in agony. My whole body shook as I felt the backlash threaten to tear my gate apart.
But it held.
Barely.
Yet enough mana had escaped already, a fifth, maybe more, swirling and condensing around my outstretched palm. A flame sparked to life, its glow bright orange, but then something else. Darkness bled into it, veins of void-like black cracking through the base of the fireball, like on another plane.
The room dimmed.
Elsa's instincts screamed at her.
Eyes widening, she hurled herself to the side, her blade swinging to deflect it.
The moment steel touched flame, her weapon, reliable and vicious, crumbled. Metal flaking into dust. The fireball struck her knee dead-on.
There was no grand explosion, no satisfying burst of gore. The fire rippled like liquid shadow over her flesh, and her knee began to flake away, bone and skin decaying in eerie, silent disintegration. She snarled and staggered, one leg buckling under her.
But before the decay could consume more, the cursed flame flickered out and fizzled, leaving behind scorched, ruined flesh and a trembling killer.
She was hurt. Badly. From a single, weak, measly little Goa.
My vision blurred, the edges of my world darkening as I took in the sight. Am i fucking dreaming? I thought. Because of what I saw, what I saw on Elsa's face wasn't joy. It wasn't sadistic pleasure. Not even twisted excitement or fury. Or even a weirdly creepy way of sexual pleasure that she got from a fight. No... no no no.
It was panic.
And also,
fear.
My body felt heavier by the second, vision was swimming. I could barely lift my arms, every nerve screaming. I saw her take a shaky step, expression warping into something I couldn't even describe anymore. Then, a sharp crack split the air.
A voice. Male. Calm, but sharp like a knife's edge. I couldn't make out the words, not at first. The pounding in my head made it hard to focus.
"I apologise for being late."
Then the ceiling came down.
The roof caved in with a deafening crash, stone and wood splintering apart. Dust and debris choked the room as Elsa was buried under a collapsing heap, a brief scream swallowed by rubble. And through the clearing dust, a single figure stood atop the wreckage. Red, fiery hair caught the pale moonlight filtering through the hole he'd made.
Reinhard.
I could barely keep my eyes open anymore.
Finally… took ya… long… enough…
I let out a breath, my body going limp against the cold floor. Darkness crept in, my vision tunnelling to nothing.
I hope this isn't death. Would suck, if so.
That was the last thing I thought before everything went black.
---
Waking up, my eyes fluttered open, the world around me blurry and sluggish. My head pounded like someone was hammering the inside of my skull. The second I moved, a high-pitched yelp rang out beside me.
My eyes shot open fully, adrenaline rushing in like cold water. I bolted upright, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain in my ribs and shoulder.
"Ah!" It was Emilia, sitting right next to me.
Looking around, I saw a completely rekt building, as Reinhard, felt, and Emilia were staring at me.
Emilia immediately leaned over, practically climbing into my space as she frantically looked me over like a worried mom. "You're up! Are you ok? How are you feeling? I'm so sorry I took so long. I should have-"
I lifted a hand, palm open. "I'm fine, I'm fine," I croaked out, voice a bit raw. "We did it. So whatever happened before, it's done. No need to apologise."
She bit her lip, guilt still plain on her face, but she nodded. I could tell she wasn't entirely convinced, but at least she let me have that one.
Then something twinged at the edge of my mind. My eyes darted around. Reinhard was here. Felt was here. Emilia was fussing. Hmm, what else was missing?
I forced myself upright with a hiss, my whole body protesting. Emilia rushed to steady me, and after a few shaky tries, I managed to stand on my own. I staggered over to them, ignoring the pain.
Felt stepped up before I could say anything. She looked… awkward. Not her usual cocky, sharp-tongued self.
"Uh… Shiro," she started, rubbing the back of her neck and glancing away. "Look… thanks. For earlier. You gave us a heads up when no one else did, and if you hadn't, I… well, whatever. I owe you, alright? So yeah. Thanks."
She scowled at the floor, like the words physically hurt to get out.
Felt snorted at that, a crooked grin tugging at her lips. Then she turned to Emilia, awkward again.
"And uh… sorry for stealing your badge thing or whatever," she said while walking away, making some distance.
Then, i felt it, and i remembered RIGHT, FUCKING ELSA!
My head snapped toward the rubble just as she burst out, a blur of black and bloodlust. Without hesitation, she hurled a handful of knives at Emilia and me.
Reinhard shot forward, intercepting them mid-air with ridiculous ease. But what he didn't expect, what none of us did, was the second volley. Two more knives came at him from different angles. He deflected them, too, but it was a distraction.
She was already there.
Elsa was looming over Felt, her blade raised to carve her open like a butcher to fresh meat. Felt's face twisted with fear, and for the first time, even Reinhard couldn't move fast enough.
And just like before, like when that fireball burst from my palm, my body moved on its own.
I heard it.
A noise. No… a voice.
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Incomprehensible. Quiet. Crawling in the back of my mind like a whisper from something I couldn't name.
Then the wind shifted. The air rippled around me, warping like heat haze.
I didn't think. I didn't hesitate.My lips moved, and the word ripped from my throat like instinct.
"FURA"
Elsa's eyes widened, and once again, she froze. A cold dread spread through every cell in her body as she bolted back on pure instinct. Realising the same thing was happening a second time. But it wasn't enough.
The blade of wind formed in an instant, visible by the cracks it carved into the air itself, unusual and unstable. A void seeping out.
It fired forward, slicing clean through her arm horizontally.The entire length split apart, flesh and bone peeling like a grotesque blooming flower.
A scream tore through the air as decay immediately followed. That was all I saw before my body gave out, blood spraying from my wounds.
My vision clung to consciousness for a single, fragile second. Long enough to see Elsa drop to her knees, then launch herself away into the shadows.
What the fuck just happened
That was my last thought before the world went dark once again.
A/N this was SUPER SUPER rushed, sorry. But like before, I really wanted to end this and go into arc 2, which will have some fun changes.
now, i do hope the mystery is fun. because there will be more.
toodles
Arc 1 - The Blossoming Flower's First Dance Beneath The End.
finished.
arc 2 - ???