Found

"Stop hiding, kid," Zelo yawns, his voice echoing through the dense forest as he drags Isadora along the ground. Kaida, standing up with wide eyes, can hardly believe the scene unfolding before her. 'I can't believe it, he actually did this to Isadora... What happened to Sera?' she wonders, her concern for her friends palpable.

With a casual exhale, Zelo releases Isadora's hair and advises, "Stop standing there like a moron and use a potion." Kaida, spurred into action, rushes to Isadora's side, fumbling with her bag as she retrieves a potion and carefully pours it into Isadora's mouth. "W-what happened to Sera?" she asks, her voice laced with worry.

Zelo, kneeling beside Isadora, responds with a yawn, "Some girls should be finding her soon." Isadora, still breathing heavily, glares at Zelo, her eyes burning with a mixture of anger and pain, yet she remains immobilized.

He reaches out, pressing a finger to her forehead. "This should do," he murmurs, channeling mana in a peculiar pattern through her head, spreading it down to her arms. "I'm circulating my mana under your skin. If you try using aura," he explains, mimicking an explosion with his hands, "Kaboom, you're dead."

Kaida quickly bandages Isadora, her movements careful yet swift. 'There's a limit to what healing potions can do. Although her internal injuries are healed, her body's in a horrible state. If Arin were here, he could've healed all her injuries...' she muses, concern etched deeply on her face.

Isadora grunts in frustration as she attempts to stand, but Kaida, placing a restraining hand on her arm, whispers, "No, stop. We need to wait for the others. And he's right, if you try using aura, the mana will react explosively."

Leaning against a tree, Isadora exhales slowly, trying to calm the storm of emotions within her. Suddenly, an old memory surfaces, a memory she can't forget: "Y̷̼͑̎̕o̴̡̍̔̚ŭ̴̼̝̠͙̟̳̮͈̩ ̵͖͚͍͙͙̅̀̀̈́͝͝c̶̛̖̒̈̈́̌̋̃̎̐́̚ò̴̢̭̣̻̗̯̱̞͋̿͋̾̀̑͒͂͘ȗ̷̯̮̀̊̾l̴̨̹̪̜̬̜̳̋d̷͖͍̳͚̱͍̟̎̏̄͂̓̓̊̕ͅň̸̠̜͔̰̯̳̻͕̭͂'̸̧̻̹̓͑ẗ̵̡̗̹͈̙́ ̸͈̣̟̘͎̉̅̄̀̇̿̎̕ḅ̸̢͚͈͊̃̆̿̈́͊̐̒͘̚͘ͅę̴̟̣͇̳̪͂ͅä̷͈̖̟́͛̈́̉̐͗͘͠͠t̸̛̟͕̥̻̔̾̀̒̓̚ ̴̯̪̙͚̞̤͎̜͖̼̄͊̽̈̃͊͜͝h̸̨̝͑ͅį̵̛̠̃͐͑̓m̸̢̻͇̯̙̑͛̀?̸̤̼̣̥̬̰̹͌͋̔̅̾̇̑͜͝ͅ ̷̢̰̰͙̜̱́̀́̂̊͗̓̕͝͝Ȳ̸̧̨̯̞̠̮̝̰͆̍͋̌͋͗̐̂͝͠ͅͅo̷̲̭̖̱͙̟̼̽̅̊̔̄͆̃ụ̷̢̨̌̅̑́̈̓'̸̢̲̰͙̔̿r̷̲̆̃̂͆̐̆́̄̚e̷̮͕̼̬̝̩͕̝͊ ̶̠́́s̷͓̞̦̦̞͚͓̘̠̺͛̓̉͆́͑͆̾͘ư̷̛̯̘̔̓̽͛ͅp̸̢̡̜͇͍̪̫͊͗̽̀̑̔̀p̸̲͈̓ö̸̪̑̾̐͋̀̓͗͝s̵̥̮͑e̸̢̥͈̦̿̀͗͊d̴̤͍̳̫͉͚̤̜͎̳̓͌́͌̂͌̐͘ ̸̧̛̲̩̳̫̘̮̹̞͐̓̽̈̉̇͘͜͠ͅṯ̵̿̈̿̈́̈̄̿͊̄̓͝ö̷̢̨̻̫̼̼̟͐̏̈́̋̔̏͑͋ͅ ̵̧̯̓̒̆̏̂͗͂̐̕͘͘p̶̛͇̜̣̯̯̘̯̣̌̔̂̽ŗ̷͕̙̳̪̜͉͆̚o̷̡͎͍͖͉͙̺̺̭̊t̷̡̫̙̜͇̲̬̟͎̞̤́̈ȩ̸̢̡̛͖̙̣̹͔̬̻͆͋̒̈c̸̲̪͎̣̱̫̓̓͊̓̿͂̆͂̋̏ţ̵̤̯̖̮̟̻͂̾̈́̔́͜͝ͅ ̴̡̢̱͔̟̝̪̟̣̾̾̄̂̈́̾̂̂̚̚͝ͅṳ̶̜̭͑̇̑̅́̕̕s̵̮̳͓͖̰̜̳͋ͅ!̴̛̙̙̻̳̖͔̦͖͚̰́̒̅̐̽͌̓̕͜ ̵̧̜̘͍̘̏͗̐̍́Y̸̨͕̰̟͈̖̰̞̠̌̏͛͗̇͋̎̈́̋̓͆ͅō̴̖̒̎͗̉́̃̀̚ụ̵̉̈́̎̋̄̈́̀͑͌͗ ̷̨̻̿̽̍́͗̀̆̕͜ͅḷ̵̢͎̦͕̘̼͑̏̏͆̑̑͊i̸̡͎͙̰͎͇̜͓͈̬͆͘͝ͅe̵̞͂͑͊͊̈͌̑̓d̸̬̜̘̗̝͓̮̪̯̤̽̕͝!̶̲̝̯̺̝̻͂̇̐̏̿̊̉̌͜.̸̬̲̬̩͍̥̂̓͐̅̂́̀̇.̸̳̪̠͖͂͋̓̀̏̏͝.̸͎̖̽͗͌͆͋͛ ̴̧͖̱̞̣̒̿̒I̴̫̘̹͇̩͎̒̀͛̅̂̀͠t̴̯̲͎̹̣͙̣̿̇̂̚'̵̭̱̱͕̋̌̕͜ś̶̲̻͕̫̥̏̾͒͗͗̂ ̸̡̱̘̱̫̙͔̜͚̔̒͛̅̅̒̚â̴̢̪̦̙͕̭̥͎̬̙̿͑͒̕l̴͎̳̠̐l̷͚̥̪̒͜ͅ ̴͈̼̯̲̖̪̐̊̏͒͒̅̈́͠ỹ̴̺͕͕̭̥̑͌̌͊o̴̪͚̯̎u̸̢̢̨͇̹͍̮̝̟̔̽̈͐͐͠͝͠'̸̨̪̤̬̩̙̃̇̃̉̔̈́ŗ̶͔̝̙̺̼͙͖̉̔͑͗́ẻ̷̤̥̦̋͂̓͘͠ ̶̺̱̙̯͍͈̈́f̷̘̼͓̄̊̓͂̕a̵̧̫̅́̉͑̅̄̾͆͘ũ̷̡̬̦̞̤̙̭̃̊̂́̾̆̓͊ͅļ̵͓̬̞̣̰̻̩̾͝͠t̷̫̘̤̀̏̄̂̔̽̓,̸̛̛̰͙̝̂̑̓͌͂̉̾͜͠ͅ ̶̧͇̈͌w̷̧̡̫̞̬̌́̚e̵̘̥̖̱̻̓͂̄̾͜͜ ̶͖͖̣͍͙͆̆͂̃̽̚͜͜d̴̢̪̘͕͈͇͋̐̂͒ị̶̯̙̩̬̞̮̱̫̆́̋̕ë̷͕̱̼̟̞͔͓̟́̅͋̏̀͝d̴̗͓̝̹͇͔̦̥̾͊̿ͅ ̴͇͈̱͓́͂̐͂̽̾̓̇̈́̽̈b̴̼̣̪͉̩͈͍͚̹͊̄̓̿̄̍̒̓́͆͜͝ȅ̶̢̬̜͙͖̜̩̻̯̪̟͆̒̾̽̐c̸̡̤̦̹̠̃a̶̧̩͚͕̤̦̔̽͛̇u̶͎̬͓͍̔͛̓̾͘͠s̴̮̺͖͈͙̝̞͈͂̅͑̊͋̈́̌e̵͚̥̤̦͐́́ ̷̰͍̣̂̈́̉͑̃̚͠͝ǫ̸̨̟͙͍̜͍͂̌̓̓̌̈̕f̴̨̯̯̑̈̓̚ ̸͈̻̘̣̹̒͜ỷ̴̭̄͋̍͂͂̓̓ö̶̡͚̩͉̮̥̙͈́͑̒̇́͒͋̿͐͘u̶̩̝͑̇̎͌̌̀!̷͔̜͖͙̺̞̋̌͑̈̑͆̊ ̷̨̜̣̪̠̻̟͐͂̅̃͐̐͛I̸̧̦͇͖̮̝̥̜͙̰̮͂̿̍̂́̅͂̄̎̋͝t̶͔͚͔̬͇̻̰͐̈̊̽̕'̴̧̭͎̬̫̻͉̟͓͛̀̿̂̆̽̓̐̾́͌s̵̗͎̥͚̤̦̫͉̍̌͜͜͠ ̵̛̘̘͗́́̃̈̃̕͝y̷̛̤̼̘̔͋̿o̶̜̻͚̟̜͚̩̺̍́̃͒̔̚͠͝ų̶̙̜̜͕͍͈̠̀͊̿̚͘͘r̴̢̗̥̦̪̫̖̠̬̦̎̏̇̍͌̅̃̈́̍̆͜ ̶̼̜͈̖̲͎͈͕͗f̶̡̨͉͓̟͔̺̱̑̑̑͋́̒á̸̞̭̮̠̖̳̯̞̰͙̕ų̷̧̗̗̞̲͎͔̫͒͐̌l̸͔̬͔̩͌͌̾͑t̵̢̮̩̞̰͚͔̫̉́͛͝!̴̦̜̘̥͚̯̬̈́͛̐̌̏̈́̾̍͠ ̴̪̗͉͙̐͊̓̈͆͗͋͒̆͝ͅȲ̴̦̠͑̾͐́̋́͑o̴̝̞̾͛̈́́͠u̸̡͚̗̹͚̰͋̈̾̄̓ ̴͔̲̥͔̭̗̐̉͆̉̽ͅp̶̧̻͓͙̤̺̟͎̏̋͛͊͗̉̊̏̈́͑ͅr̷̨͉̒̓͊͜͝͝o̶͇̗̩̗̰̦̖̬͠m̶̧͍̱͚̗̖̝̙̀̀̔̈͗͒̔i̴̳̬̭̝̓s̸͖͇͉̈́̋͜ę̸͖̤͕͈̘̦͎̆̄͝d̷̨̡̪̼͙͓͕̟̖̓̄͆̊ ̴͙͒̏́̄́̽ų̸͕̲̯͗̐̚s̶̱̅̆̈̒̈́͆͛̒!̸̢̭͔̼̣̭͕̠̰̈́͜" The accusatory voices of shadows merge into a collective, muffled chorus, waking her up.

Her eyes flutter open to the sound of birds chirping, a stark contrast to the turmoil within. She blinks, her expressionless facade intact as always, as the early morning light filters through the trees.

"Oh, you're awake. You sure took a long nap, lazy bitch," Zelo remarks with a yawn, his disdain barely concealed. 

★  ★  ★  ★  ★

"BOOM!" The serene forest is abruptly disturbed as a body catapults through the air, breaking a row of trees in its tumultuous path. "Cough, cough, cough," Biana manages to stand, her voice a blend of irritation and exhaustion. "H-hey, I told you to stop it already! I'm getting sleep—" Her protest is cut short as a punch lands directly on her face, the impact sending a shockwave that flips her backward, flying through the forest once again.

Behind them, a swath of pure destruction carves through the landscape, all trees obliterated, leaving no trace of life. The chaos is so intense that both criminals and elves scatter, fleeing from the tumult.

Lysandra pushes herself off the ground, her face flushed not from exhaustion but from sheer determination to continue the fight. She raises her hand, dismissing the need for magic circles—such formalities she finds utterly pointless. From her palms, a spiral of flames erupts, blasting through the air with a formidable whoosh.

"Fuck! Give it up already!" Biana groans, visibly annoyed. As the flames approach, she rips multiple talismans. Instantly, the ground beneath her transforms into a slide, allowing her to hop onto the muddy surface and escape with a swift movement.

"Oh no, you don't. That won't work twice!" Uda declares, frustration evident in her tone. Casting a magic circle, she conjures a barrier just in time as a gigantic icicle attempts to pierce them from above.

Biana, running up to them, is visibly exhausted. 'You damn bitch, making me exercise. I'm going to make you pay,' she pants, her frustration boiling over

. "Hold her down!" she grunts, struggling with every ounce of her remaining energy as she grabs a blanket from her pouch. Together, they wrestle with Lysandra, who fights back with the ferocity of a cornered animal, but eventually, they manage to wrap her in the blanket.

Biana then hastily affixes dozens of talismans to the blanket, her movements precise and calculated, effectively sealing Lysandra within. The three of them collapse, breathing heavily, their bodies heaving with the exertion of the struggle. Within her fabric prison, Lysandra continues to wriggle, her movements reminiscent of a worm in distress.

"w-what is wrong with you humans?" Saelin gasps out, lying on the forest floor, her voice heavy with fatigue.

"n-no, this is not all humans. It's just her," Uda manages to say between breaths, trying to catch his breath after the intense ordeal.

"Ugh... Now I know why V keeps tabs on her," Biana groans, hugging her pillow in pain, 'No wonder V doesn't let out of his sight. She's as strong as Isadora.'

Uda and Saelin stand up, their attention drawn to Lysandra, who continues to wriggle within her confines. "Hey, why are you acting like this?" Saelin crouches down, curiosity piqued as she pokes Lysandra in the face. Gasping for air, Lysandra manages to utter, "Find V," her voice strained and desperate.

"What, is he your boyfriend?" Uda scoffs, scanning their surroundings skeptically. "No, that's not possible. He's with Lú..." Saelin muses, uncertainty clouding her features as she scratches her head, pondering the situation. "Maybe V has some medicine she needs. I mean, look at her. She's panting like crazy," she concludes, trying to piece together Lysandra's erratic behavior.

"Huh, what's that?" Uda's attention shifts to the distance. Amidst the destruction, they spot someone kneeling, bloodied and beaten. Dragging both Lysandra and Biana along, they hasten towards the figure.

"Hey, isn't she from class B?" Uda mumbles, glancing at Biana for confirmation. Biana squints, recognizing the figure. "Oh shit, you look horrible, dude," she exclaims bluntly upon seeing Sera, who remains unresponsive, her eyes closed, lost to her injuries.

"Hey, you greedy elf, are you going to let her die?" The accusation hangs heavy in the air, prompting Saelin to approach Sera with a resigned sigh. "I'm not greedy, I'm just cautious," she defends, a hint of amazement coloring her tone as she assesses Sera's condition. 'Wow, she's still alive?' The reality of the situation hits her as she notes the cold blood pooled around Sera. 'She must have been like this all night.' Without hesitation, Saelin administers multiple potions, hoping for a swift recovery.

Saelin turns to Biana, seeking assistance. "Do you have anything she can wear?" Biana, initially reluctant, "Why would I carry extra-" is caught off guard as Uda delivers a pointed kick. "You damn cold noble, I know for a fact someone like you carries extra shit around." Groaning, Biana relents, producing a set of pajamas.

As Saelin changes Sera into the pajamas, she can't help but remark on her appearance. "Wow, she's beautiful," she says, gently cleaning Sera's face of blood and dirt. Biana, the cynic, rolls her eyes. "Aren't we all? Oh, everyone except for V, that is."

With a heavy exhale, "Ahh..." Saelin shakes her head, countering Biana's dismissive tone. "We elves don't have the same beauty standards you humans have."

Biana yawns, her curiosity barely piqued, "Oh, and what's so different?" she probes, skepticism woven into her words.

"hmm... it's hard to explain," Saelin muses, her fingers gently brushing through Sera's black wavy hair. "It differs from person to person... While we understand how humans view each other, especially on first impressions, elves perceive beauty differently. I won't deny that physical beauty can make a difference, however, it mostly depends on the situation, and it's more about a feeling, the influence of nature, perhaps?"

Rolling her eyes at the explanation, Biana retorts, "Come on, it can't be that different. I don't think your connection to nature can change your views that much."

Saelin's laughter, light and genuine, fills the air. "Hahahaha... yes, it can. For instance, to us, V is much more attractive than all you humans here."

Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, Uda interjects, leaning against a tree, "I call bullshit. You elves are biased as fuck."

"For the first time, we agree on something," Biana adds, chewing on dry mango, her gaze fixed on Saelin.

"But you say he's ugly, yet aren't you always bothering him? I saw you bothering him all week long. Just why do you deny it?" Saelin inquires, her head tilting curiously towards Biana.

"That's different. His food is addictive, so obviously he needs to feed me. That doesn't change the fact that he isn't handsome," Biana defends, her voice a mix of justification and realization. 'He did get better compared to the beginning of the year, so I guess I shouldn't call him ugly, he's just not handsome,' she concedes internally, a hint of acceptance creeping into her thoughts.

Saelin blinks blankly, turning back to tend to Sera, mumbling, "You humans are weird..."

-

Sera gasps awake, her breathing heavy as she sits up abruptly. "I-I'm alive," she manages, her hand clutching her head as she grapples with the pain. "Hey, you," Uda sighs, leaning over her, "what happened? You were kneeling in a pool of blood."

With a weak smile, Sera responds, "Ah..." She covers one eye, wincing. "We were fighting this powerful mage and lost—Shoot! He took Isadora and Kaida with him. We need to find him now!" she insists, attempting to rise despite her evident weakness.

"Huh?" both Uda and Biana echo, their voices mingling in disbelief. Biana can barely contain her amusement. "Pfff, You're telling me that crazy woman lost?" she says, a smirk playing on her lips.

"It was... bad luck," Sera explains, rubbing her temples. "We were mid-air when he created a tornado that sucked us in. We wasted all our energy just to stay alive." Inside, Biana relishes a moment of schadenfreude. 'Hahahahahaha, that's what you get, bitch. Always acting all high and mighty,' she laughs internally at the thought of Isadora's plight.

Noticing her clothes, Sera smiles appreciatively. "This is really cozy." Biana smirks, ready to boast, "Of course, it is. It's made of the highest quality wool, and I have countless runes that enhance the comfort—" Her proud, arrogant declaration is abruptly silenced by a kick in the stomach from Uda. "Damn nobles always bragging," he mumbles, clearly annoyed.

Scratching her head, Saelin puzzles over the mage's motives. "I don't get it, why would he take her when he just needs to kill her to get out?" Sera exhales heavily, gazing at the destruction that surrounds them. "He's after V for some reason."

Saelin and Uda look confused, while Biana simply stares at them, disbelief written all over her face. "You all must be idiots, huh?" she comments, walking towards the wriggling form of Lysandra who's attempting to break free. "Why would a criminal be after a human man who's dating a royal elf?" she poses, challenging their assumptions.

Rubbing her temples in frustration, Biana sighs deeply. "Goddess, give me patience..." Then, with a resigned exhale, she enlightens them. "You idiots, obviously someone in the royal family or possibly a noble wants him dead. Don't you elves consider dating humans to be taboo?"

At her revelation, they all slap their foreheads in a collective realization. "How did I not realize this..." Sera laments, feeling foolish for overlooking such a critical detail. 

Sera, with a nervous habit in full display, bites her nails, her eyes wide with determination. "Regardless of why, we need to stop him. He doesn't know where V is since he asked us about him after beating us." Her voice carries a hint of hope amidst the desperation.

Saelin exhales a heavy sigh, a shadow of concern crossing her features. "There's probably more than one criminal," she muses aloud, prompting puzzled looks from her companions.

"What do you mean by that?" Sera inquires, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well..." Saelin hesitates, her gaze shifting to the ground as she contemplates her next words. "I think I know who did it, and he wouldn't leave it to a single criminal... Dammit, Lú is going to blame herself..."

With a stifle a yawn. "It doesn't matter how many there are," Biana declares, her attention briefly fixated on the burrito she's casually holding, which happens to be Lysandra. "This thing right here is nearly, if not as strong, as Isadora. Once we release this hound, she'll distract them enough so we can save Isadora and Kaida. But we need to find them first," she smirks, her thoughts bubbling with mischief. 'Hehehehe, I'm going to save you, Isadora, then you'll have to kneel and thank me,' she plots internally, a gleam of self-satisfaction in her eyes.