"Woww, so this is the Underworld's largest kingdom?"
"Yes, master. We've arrived at the gates to the Kingdom Of Elysium." The trio soon arrived to Elysium, and stood at the gates. There were two guards, both wielding a shield, and long-sword. They were both demihumans, specifically, lizardmen. With swampy green, scaled skin, lizard-like heads, large snake-like eyes, and long scaled tails. The sight of them gave sent chills down Christopher's spine. Man, sure glad I'm not one of those...
They both caught sight of them, and were bewildered.
"Huh? Beastmen? What are beastmen doing in the Underworld?"
"You three, state your business here!" As expected, the lizardmen weren't friendly toward them at all. "Filthy beastmen, get out of the Underworld!"
"H-Hey, w-we don't mean any trouble, w-we're just here to find this girl's parents, and my sister!" Christopher instinctively responded, he didn't want to cause a scene right before he even entered the kingdom.
"Hmph." The one on the left seemed to detest his species, though the one on the right appeared curious.
"Wait..." He remarked. His head suddenly perked up, and he pointed toward Christopher. The young boy flinched, and was ready to draw his weapon. "...You're a fox-human, aren't you?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I am." Thankfully, it wasn't what he anticipated them to do.
"Earlier today, there was a fox-human-a girl, who entered our kingdom with a familiar, and a half-angel. They said they wanted a place to stay, so we let them in."
"A-Another one?! A-And she was female you say?"
"Yes." The lizardman acknowledged him. "Could that have been your sister by any chance?"
"..." Christopher paused. He went through what the person stated, and peered to Azure. Azure nodded, and gave a cheery grin. There, he knew it must've been Roselina whom they encountered. He was elated, hearing this, he knew there was a large chance she definitely might be in the kingdom.
"...yes." Christopher eventually said. "That's my sister, Roselina Hallowswift. Now I've gotta get into the kingdom!"
"What?!" The one on the left wasn't completely positive of letting another beastman in. He marched toward the boy, and stared him right in the eyes. "Over my dead body. Beasthumans aren't allowed in the Underworld-it is the will of My deity, Achlys. Get lost, or I'll kill you."
"Achlys?" Despite his massive size, Christopher wasn't intimidated at all by him. In fact, he snickered. "I don't care who this Achlys is, but if it's a fight you want, I'll give you one." Next, he glared at the lizardman, "You sure as hell don't look that powerful, I'm sure I can beat you."
"Oh really?!"
"C-Calm down, Akro! Why do you hate beastmen so much?!" The other lizardman tried to pull Akro away, but failed, Akro pushed him, and raised his weapon.
"Shut up! Beastmen are lowly, insignificant creatures. They have no right to enter the glorious Underworld!" Akro shouted out. He was about to strike Christopher. Using his Clairvoyant Eye, Christopher swiftly dodged the attack, and immediately sent the hilt of his blade upon Akro's head, causing him to stagger, and instantly collapse to the ground with a thud.
"Oof! W-Wha-?! H-How the-?!" Before he got up, Christopher aimed his blade straight at his throat, unwavered by the violence.
"Akro, you will let me into your kingdom, my sister is supposedly in there, and I promised the other beastman I'd bring her home. If you don't let me, I'll kill both you, and your partner here and now." Christopher warned him. Then swiftly, he averted his gaze for a second, and took on a much happier tone, "Or I'll just ask my familiar to cast invisibility on us and just walk past you two..."
"...!" Akro was stunned. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he'd be bested by a mere beasthuman. He was forced to comply. He exhaled deeply, and loudly, then stood up, putting away his weapons.
"Alright...I'll let you in, beastman." Akro strutted back to his post, and the other lizardman shook in fear of the boy.
"A-Alright, you two may enter the kingdom."
"Thanks. And sorry about the trouble we caused."
"N-No, it's nothing, i-it was my partner's fault in the first place."
"Ahaha..."
After all that, the trio finally gained approval to enter the kingdom. Upon entering, they looked around at the surroundings. The ground was made of smooth, dark stone, and the only light available in the area was light from candles, torches, and magic. The houses and buildings were tall, much taller than those in the village. All of them were wooden, though polished, and well-made. The tallest one around them seemed to be a church, Christopher assumed it was the same as the one in the monster village.
Christopher stooped down to Hana, and gave her a welcoming twinkle.
"So, which way's your house, Hana?" He asked. Hana moved her face to the left, then to the right, only to respond with a worried expression.
"I-I don't know..." She muttered. "...B-but don't leave me here!"
"Mm, alright. We'll keep looking." The trio marched forth into the kingdom. Throughout the kingdom, everyone stared at them-they didn't want to socialize with the outsiders whatsoever. None of them were used to seeing beastmen in the Underworld.
Soon, noticing her clothes, Christopher decided to visit a clothing store.
"Erm...do you have anything that would fit her?" He told the store clerk. The store clerk was a demon, he stared closely at the little girl, and ultimately came to a conclusion.
"Yes," He stated, pulling out a small, violet shirt, and a light pink, short skirt. "would these do?"
"Sure!" Christopher liked it, he looked over to Hana, who hid behind him, a little embarrassed. "Do you like it, Hana?" He questioned.
"Y-Yes..." She replied.
"Great." Christopher went into his coin purse, and paid for the outfit. Next to him was a changing room for customers. He guided the girl into the little room, and handed her the outfit. "Change in here. Don't worry, I'll be right outside for you."
"P-Promise?" Hana was hesitant to enter on her own, she didn't want Christopher to leave her side.
"I promise." He answered with a nod. "Don't worry."
"O...Okay..." Hana shut the curtain, and started changing.
Azure was still at the counter, her eyes were glued onto what looked like a mask. It was a unique mask, with an eerily wide, pure black, mischievous grin, and small semi-circles facing downwards for eye holes. She wished to purchase it for her master.
"Masterrrr!!" She called out. Christopher immediately responded.
"Yes Azure?" He approached from behind, and stood beside her.
"Can you buy me this?" Azure hovered toward it, and took it in her hands, presenting it to Christopher. He didn't know what to make of it at first, and wondered if she really wanted it. Christopher took it in his hands, and looked at it inquisitively.
"Hrm...you sure you want this? It doesn't really look like it'll suit you..."
"Mhm!! I'm sure, master!! And of course I'm not going to wear it...you are!"
"Eh? M-Me?" N-No way, there's no way I'm putting this thing on my face... Or so he thought, Azure wholly wanted him to wear it. She flew up close to his face, and pleaded with him.
"Pleaseee masterrrrrrr!!! I know it looks weird, but pleaseeeeee can you wear ittttt?? It'll look super good on you!! A-And I'm super duper sure Roselina would like it to!! Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee?!" She shouted out. The volume was enough to startle Hana, who jumped a little in the changing room.
"O-Okay then!! If you want me to wear it that badly then sure..." Alas, Christopher found himself unable to resist Azure, and decided on purchasing the mask.
After Hana put her new clothes on, and Christopher his mask, they continued the search for her parents. Christopher knew her parents were demons, from what Hana said, so his motive was to search where there seemed to be a plentiful amount of them. The hunt of Roselina, he put that aside for the time. Soon, a growl erupted from his stomach-he was hungry.
"Mmm...I'm hungry...Hana, up for a break?" He peered over to the little girl, who returned his gaze with a sleepy face.
"*Yawn* Mhm...Christopherrrr...I'm tired..." She remarked, Hana collapsed onto his right arm with shallow breaths.
"A-Aww...looks like we need to stop at an inn...but...just where are the inns?" Christopher raised his head, and looked around. Not a single inn was in sight, and worse yet, Hana was completely exhausted from the journey.
"Master! Master! I think I know the way!!"
"Hm? Oh, really?" Exactly when they needed it most, Azure had good news. She said she knew the way, but Christopher didn't fully believe her.
"Mhm! Remember when I told you I'd been to the Underworld before?" She answered with a question, "I think I went here as well on my journey! So come with me! I think I know where to find an inn!"
"O-Okay!" Lifting Hana in his arm, Christopher followed Azure.
Luckily, her directions were on point. The three reached an inn much quicker than the young boy anticipated.
"Here we areeee!!" Azure announced. Christopher smiled. He leaned over, and since his arm was busy, he planted a soft kiss onto his familiar's forehead. She flinched at the action, but accepted it.
"Thanks Azure, I knew I could count on you." He confidently said to her. Azure was satisfied by the response. The inn was small, and filled with the Underworld's residence. Demons, lizardmen, and even Dark Elves roamed the inn. Each one of them had their eyes on the trio-which made Christopher anxious. He remembered the petrifying experience he had with the Dark Elves, and he refused to relive it. Carefully, they made their way to the counter, and asked for a room. They were given one-albet reluctantly.
Entering their newly rented room, Christopher gently placed the sleeping Hana onto the single mattress. The look on his face was grim, and frightening.
"What is the matter, master? You don't look well." Azure, catching sight of it, was concerned. Christopher spoke in a sour mutter,
"I won't let it happen again..." He said. His eyes met Azure's, "...Azure. Kill any Dark Elf or that enters this room. Ensure that Hana doesn't come to any harm in this place. I'm going to look for Roselina."
"E-Ehh? B-But master, it's dangerous outside! You can't seriously be going alone, are you?"
"Don't worry about me, if it's Dark Elves you're concerned about me encountering, I'll flee the moment one approaches me." The last thing Azure wanted happening was her master venturing out without her. She gaped at him with a fearful expression, which Christopher sympathized with.
"Come on, after what happened back at the cavern, I've more than learned my lesson."
"Mmmmmmm...are...are you sure about this, master?" Azure ignored his last statement, she approached her face, and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Yes, Azure. Stay here and guard Hana, don't let any harm come to her." Christopher was firm. He trusted Azure more than anyone else in the world-and Azure was aware of that. She obediently nodded to him, and took heed to what he spoke.
"Okay, master. I shall do as you command. Good luck, and please stay safe."
"I will, thank you, Azure. I'll see you later."
Christopher exited the inn, and went out into the hall. He was about to depart when out of the blue, he felt a mass bump into him from behind. The force caused him-and whoever the individual was, to plunge to the ground.
"Ahhh!"
"Oof!"
"O-Oh no! I-I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so sorry!!!"
"E-Ehhhh..?" Christopher looked in the direction of the voice, and saw whom it was that pushed him. Though the moment he did, his jaw dropped open. "W-Whoa..."
"I-I'm sorry, a-are you hurt? Ooooohhhh....this is all my fault!! What will she think if she finds out what I did...oooooohhhh..." The person was female, and looked like a teenager, except she had the voice of a young child. Her skin was white, and her long wavey hair was as white as a cloud. The woman's large, round eyes were an icy blue, which fit her playful-yet powerful demeanour perfectly. Her gorgeous, petite body was covered by a long white sleeveless dress, which left a small part of her lower body uncovered. Her ears were that of an elf's, though she clearly wasn't. Despite it being nearly invisible, Christopher was able to see the faint outline of two large wings, both two meters in size, behind her, attached to her shoulder blades.
She looked at Christopher, her eyes overcome with worry, until he at last took her hand, and stood up.
"U-Um...n-no, I'm fine..." He replied. His eyes were locked onto her, not because of the accident, but because of her immense beauty. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, her gorgeousness captivated him. "...Y-You?"
"Oh, I'm completely fine, see?" The girl did a small twirl, then once more met his gaze.
"O-oh, okay..."
"A-Anyway, I-I'm Christopher, and you are..?"
"Deva!" Deva happily replied to him, "I'm Deva, a half-angel. And I see that you're a beastman?"
"Oh, mhm. I-If you're wondering, I'm only here because I'm searching for my sister, who should be somewhere in the Underworld."
"Your sister?" Deva tilted her head, her eyes filled with wonder as she listened to Christopher's words. "Hmmmm, by how you look, you look like a foxhuman...what are foxes doing in the Underworld in the first place?"
"E-Erm, i-it's a...long story...ahahaha!" Ah, can't tell her about what really happened...that might be bad... The thought of revealing to someone he wasn't from the world frightened him. Previously, he pondered around revealing it to Eloise, but he quickly realized it would've been better to keep it hidden until the marriage actually took place. Before he had the chance to continued his speech, Deva let out a terrified shriek, which caught the attention of everyone there.
"Eh?" The noise startled the boy. He went a step closer to her. "W-What's the matter? D-Did I do-"
"CH-CH-CH-CH-CHRISTOPHER?!?! W-WHAT HAPPENED T-TO YOUR LEFT ARM?!? OH NO!!! W-WAS IT FROM THE FALL?! OOHHHH I'M SORRY!! I DIDN'T MEAN FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!! I-I SWEAR I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU, I SWEAR!!!! I SWEAR ON MY-"
"H-Hey!! D-Don't be stupid, Deva! L-Like hell it was from the fall!" Christopher wasn't sure whether or not he should've been concerned or amused at her behaviour. By what she stated, to him it must've been a joke, though from the way it was carried out, Deva looked genuinely worried she might have caused his left arm to be missing.
"Th-Then w-what happened?! B-Beastmen don't shed their limbs, d-d-do they?!"
"Sh-Shed their limbs?! W-What are you even talking about?! Th-This happened because I was careless during a battle against Dark Elves! It wasn't because of the fall!"
"Huhhhhh? Phew..." A sigh of relief escaped Deva's lips as she finally calmed herself down, "...Ahhh thank goodnesssss! I don't know what I would've done if you lost your arm because of me running into you...hahaha! Roselina would be so mad at me!"
"D-Did you just say Roselina?!?!"
"E-Ehhh?? Y-YES!! Ahh!" As soon as he heard his sister's name, he freaked out. Had Deva known Roselina was his sister, she would've understood his reaction. Christopher's volume grew increasingly loud, and Deva shrunk back.
"YES!!! DEVA, YOU'VE GOTTA BRING ME TO HER, NOW!!" The boy yelled out pleadingly.
"E-EHH?? B-B-BUT SHE ISN'T HERE RIGHT NOW! I-I WAS JUST HERE TO R-RENT HER A ROOM! H-HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW ROSELINA?!"
"SO SHE IS HERE!!! YESS!!! THE LIZARDMEN WEREN'T KIDDING!! AAAHHHHH!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU DEVAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"A-AHHH! W-W-W-W-W-WHA-E-EHHHHH?!?! CH-CHRISTOPHER?!?!" On instinct, Christopher out of the blue threw himself at Deva, and tightly embraced her with all his strength. He held the Deva closely to his chest, and pressed his body on hers without even a second thought.
"Ch-Ch-Christopherrrrr!! S-Stop! I-Y-You're squeezing me to tightly! I-I can't breathe!!"
"Mmmmmm!! Thank you Devaaaaa!!! Now I know for sure my sister's here!!"
"St-Stop!!! I-Christopherrrrr!!!"
"Oooh thank youuuu!!! I've gotta go, catch ya later!!"
"Eh-Ehhh?! W-Wait, h-hey!! Wait!!" With no warning whatsoever, Christopher released Deva from his grip, and sprinted to the inn's exit. He took one last glance at Deva, and sent her an elated smirk.
"Catch ya later Deva! And thanks for the heads up! See ya!!"
"CHRISTOPHERRRR!! D-DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START?! HEY!! WAIT UP!! I-I'LL COME-" But it was too late. Before she even finished her statement, Christopher was already out the door. She ran out the inn, and watched as he disappeared into the kingdom's streets.
"Stupid..."
"ROSELINAAAAAAAAAAAA!! ROSELINAAAAAA!!!!!" Christopher walked through the streets, his mind fixated on locating his lost sister. Not many people were there, but the ones who were steered clear of the boy. He searched everywhere-inside of taverns, shops, even on the outskirts of the part of the kingdom he resided in, but no traces of her were found.
"Mmm...Roselina...just where are you..?" He muttered to himself. He began to lose hope. Roselina was definitely in the kingdom of Elysium, but he was unclear about where in the kingdom she was.
"Hm?" Christopher found himself on a quiet, spacious road, not many buildings were around, only small huts when he suddenly heard footsteps nearby. He turned in the direction of the sound, but nothing was there.
"Hrm..." By what he had gone through before, he knew not to let his guard down. Was it another Dark Elf coming to attempt to abduct him? Or something worse-something he hadn't encountered before? Whatever it was, Christopher had to be careful.
Clairvoyant Eye. He activated his special ability, and peered around. Nothing was spotted.
"That's strange...I could've sworn I heard something..." He said to himself. "...A-Anyway, I better keep searching for Roselina." Ultimately, he ended up putting the peculiar occurrence aside, and moving on. Little did he know, that was a mistake.
"B-BWAAAHHH! Clang." Out of the blue, three throwing knives were headed straight for his head, and by a hair's breath, was he able to dodge it.
"W-What the hell?! Wh-Who did that?!" Immediately, he drew his long sword, and got himself ready for battle. His eyes peered around him-but nothing at all seemed off about his surroundings. It was clear, he was dealing with a tough opponent. Swiftly,he regained composure, then started his Clairvoyant Eye once more. This time, he spotted someone. The individual was hiding behind one of the many huts with a loaded crossbow in hand. By the body size and shape, it was a young woman.
Christopher shut his eyes, and chanted a spell.
"Fire magic: Reducto!"
"...!" Instantly, after locking onto the object, the opponent's weapon, her crossbow in particular, burst into flames, and fell apart like it was nothing. Once more, Christopher found himself amazed by how powerful fire magic was-but irritated by the fact that if he uses it like that, his mana is quickly reduced.
"Ha! Take that! Now what are you going to do, beat me to death?" He foolishly mocked the woman who opposed him-though soon found himself intimidated by her. Slowly and steadily, she stood up, and drew her blade, an enchanted mythril short sword with the power of illusion embedded into it. The blade was much stronger than Christopher's. Approaching, he finally received a good look at her. She was a short girl, her height reaching up to his shoulders. She had an attractive slender body, and appeared injured, aggressive, and completely worn out. Her hair was black, short, straight, silky, and combed to the sides. On her face was a mask, much similar to Christopher's.
"O-oh, a...a child?" Christopher was shocked to see that it was a child whom attacked him. "Erm, g-good to meet you...? You're an assassin, I'd assume? Here to kill me because of what I did to those Dark Elves back near that demon village I was at? I had good reason for it. Or maybe you followed me all the way from Baba-"
"Shut up."
"Eh?" Two words came out of her mouth in an enraged tone. Through her mask, he felt her eyes locked onto him in a glare. He clearly knew she was out for blood. Stammering, he dared to speak,
"Uhh...a-anyway, w-who are you and...why are you trying to kill me? I can't recall doing anything particularly wrong...as yet."
"..." She paused, then responded plainly, her voice sounding hoarse...and oddly familiar.
"You...Your aura...just how many people have you killed, huh?!"
"W-wha-?!"
"MMMMRAHH!!" Without warning, she sprinted forward, and slammed her blade into Christopher's with enough force to slice a person in half. She truly was after his head.
"H-HEY! Th-The hell are you talking about?!"
"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!!! YOU...YOU MONSTER!!!" One strike, two strikes, Christopher had trouble keeping up with her movements. She moved at lightening speed, and was much more skilled than he was at swordcraft.
"YOU..." She growled at him, and moved even quicker. That time, Christopher was forced to hop back, then channel his magical energy.
"A-Al Heim!" He chanted the spell for an instant-kill, and it hit. Just on time, the girl froze up, and she appeared as though she was in agony. Her mana was being absorbed by him bit by bit.
"OH SHI-AAAARRGHH!" All of a sudden, the spell stopped, and she broke free. She charged at him, and landed a hit on his chest, slicing the surface. Blood gushed out in a small amount onto his already ruined blue shirt.
"HAAAAHHHH!!" She attacked once more, and landed a hit on his cheek, then his right arm.
"Nnrng..." This is bad...this is seriously bad... Christopher thought to himself. He wanted to retreat, there wasn't any chance he had the ability to face her. But right when he was going to, a force compelled him to stay.
"...?" He wasn't allowed to leave the battle. The idea of retreating was being suppressed by an unknown entity. His legs wouldn't allow him to.
"Hmph. Guess I'll just have to fight you then..." Finally, he gathered up the courage to retaliate. Drawing his blade against her, he smirked, "...Don't say I didn't warn you, assassin."
The two clashed in battle with all their might. One strike after the other, not a single hit landed on either of them.
"Nnrng..." Christopher had already been struck-it was his turn. He decided to fall back, and wait for an opening. And thankfully, he found one.
"...Now!!" He yelled out. Just before the adversary got to him, he emerged behind her, and sent his blade crashing down upon her back. She shrieked, then attempted a counter.
"Not today!" Though with his special ability, he predicted it, and ducked under. From there, Christopher rammed his body into hers from behind, which caused both of the to collapse, with Christopher on top of her back.
"GAH-!" She sharply inhaled, her eyes bulging out from their sockets. The sound gave Christopher an upset stomach.
"W-Whoa, are you alright?! I-I'm sure my attack didn't hurt you too badly, did it?" Somehow, he showed concern for his opponent.
"Nnrng...sh-shut up!! A-And get offa me!"
"Nope, not happening. You'll just attack me for no reason again."
"G-Get off!! Y-You're squashing m-me!!" Christopher's body was directly on top of hers as she struggled to be released from the situation, her blade was out of reach from the fall, so there wasn't anything she could've possibly done...assuming she doesn't know how to use magic.
"Nope. Not unless you tell me who you are, and why you attacked me." He said, those were the conditions of her being released.
"N-No!! M-Murderers like you shouldn't have to know this! W-Who knows what you'd do to me or my friends!" She argued back. Christopher found himself annoyed by that.
"God, for the last time, I'm not a murderer! I don't know how or why you assumed that, but come on, I've only killed people cause it was necessary!"
"W-WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD IT BE NECESSARY TO KILL PEOPLE?!" She shouted back at him, trying more than ever to escape his grasp.
"BECAUSE I HAD TO RESCUE KIDS FROM DARK ELVES, DEFEND ME AND MY FAMILIAR, AND RESCUE A GODDAMNED PRINCESS FROM AN EVIL KINGDOM!!!!! ARE YOU FREAKING DEAF OR SOMETHING?!"
"Nnrng..." She paid no heed to his words. Christopher found it difficult to continue restraining her, but he persisted.
"Now, I'll only let you go if you promise to stop attacking me!" He scowled at her.
"*Whimper*."
"Eh?"
"Ch...Christopher..."
"What'd you say?" Christopher leaned in close to her face, and listened in.
"Waah...ch...Christopher..."
"Oh...w-wait..." Rose...lin...a..?
"CHRISTOPHERRRRR!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Suddenly, the girl beneath him burst out in bitter tears. She cried, and cried, and Christopher found himself speechless at what she said. N-No...this...this is...
"ROSELINAAAAAAAA?!?!?!!?!?!??!" Yep, it was Roselina. The girl he was previously locked into combat with was the person he'd been searching for ever since he was reincarnated, Roselina Hallowswift.
"N-No!! I-I'm sorry!! I-I'll get off you, j-just please stop crying!!" He panicked. Swiftly, he removed himself from on top her back, and sat in front of her. Roselina sat up with her hands at the eye holes of her mask, her weeping didn't slow down in the slightest.
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!! CHRISTOPHERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!" She yelled in tears. Christopher hurriedly removed his mask, and showed her his face.
"Roselina, Roselina!! Please, stop crying! It's me, your elder brother Christopher Hallowswift, see? It's me!!!" He exclaimed, but that didn't work. Roselina refused to meet his gaze, and his voice was blocked out by the non-stop tears.
"Christopher...Christopher...please...I...I'm in trouble...please....."
"Come on, it's me! Roselina, look at me!" Christopher reached for her hands, but she pushed his arm away.
"N-No! Don't touch me!"
"Come on, look at me!"
"NO!!!!" Her arms flailed as Christopher pinned her to the ground once more, and forcefully removed her mask. Roselina screamed, but the moment she locked gazes with him, everything went quiet.
"Haah...haaah...see? It's me, Roselina..." He sent her a loving, welcoming smile, while she stared at him.
"No...no way...Ch...Christ...top...her...?"
"Yes, it's me. Hahaha, good to...see you again..?"