"Ah! It's rare for us to be on a mission together, Epsilon."
"Haha~ Yes, it's a rare opportunity, Beta."
Somewhere deep in the forest, two beautiful elves from [Dark Night Courtyard], both members of the Seven Shadows, exchanged smiles.
Yet, the air between them was thick with an unspoken rivalry as the scent of fire magic lingered.
Beta, the second seat of the Seven Shadows, was a stunning silver-haired elf whose pitiful appearance easily evoked protective instincts, and her well-developed figure, along with a tear mole at the corner of her eye, made her even more enchanting.
Epsilon, the fifth seat of the Seven Shadows, was equally charming, with hair as clear as a lake, skillfully tied into twin tails, fine features, and a bright soprano voice harmonizing with the forest around them.
"Ah ah ah! Run quickly!"
"Demons! These two elves are demons!"
"Please, don't kill me, don't kill me!"
Both were executing Kishi's orders to eliminate all the bandits in the area.
The bandits, once terrorizing innocents with their violence, were now facing a retribution far greater from the [Dark Night Courtyard].
The leader, having been entranced by Beta and Epsilon's beauty, had spoken wildly about making the two girls his slaves. He paid dearly for his words and now lay as a lifeless piece of flesh on the ground.
Despite their diligent task execution, Beta and Epsilon's focus was entirely on each other, a dark glint hidden in their narrowed eyes.
"By the way, yesterday I was praised by the Lord during my report. He said my hair was beautiful. Such a waste," Beta said, her voice dripping with false modesty.
"Oh, really? Hehehehehe~" Epsilon's lips twitched, and she twirled her twin tails as if to flaunt them. Under the moonlight, her hair looked even more graceful, a beauty Beta couldn't match.
But the silver-haired elf had her own weapons.
"So, last night when I woke from a nightmare, I happened to meet the Lord taking a walk. Haha~ He ended up telling me a new bedtime story."
"Huh? A bedtime story from the Lord!" Epsilon gritted her teeth in envy. This time, Beta lifted her head proudly, her eyes filled with superiority.
Though their squabbles seemed petty, the surrounding [Dark Night Courtyard] members paid no mind, focusing instead on cleaning up the remaining bandits. They were used to this.
As original members of the courtyard, Beta and Epsilon trusted and valued each other deeply. They had overcome numerous trials together and shared the same ideals, akin to family. Disputes were rare.
Well, almost.
"Such hair will only get in the way during battle, right? How about cutting it short like mine, Ei! Pu! Xi! Lon!" Beta taunted.
"Hahaha! Even though you're already so old, you still pester the Lord for bedtime stories. How childish! Beita!"
"Oh my, oh my~ Do you think your figure will win the Lord's favor? As an elf, you must be self-aware, Ei! Pu! Xi! Lon!"
"Hmph! You're the one here. The Lord must find it very troublesome. After all, this certain person used to be a super crybaby. Beta! And I'm still in the growth stage and it's not over yet!"
"Yeeeeeee—!!"
Their weapons clashed harder and harder, roaring like thunder. But as "companions," they wouldn't truly harm each other.
So the bandits were out of luck.
"Don't come near us!" they cried, trying to escape in terror.
Men being men, they had once fantasized about the beautiful elves. Now, those fantasies turned into nightmares as Beta and Epsilon crushed their hopes.
Bandits: "It's terrible, it's terrible, the elves are so terrible! This race kills without blinking an eye and still smiles!"
The two elves, still smiling but with gritted teeth, had no intention of stopping.
Their relationship could be summed up as like repelling like.
"As expected, you are my biggest enemy, Beta."
"This is what the Lord calls like repelling like, Epsilon."
They stared directly at each other, their fighting spirits high.
Among their companions, they were the best at sneaking away!
Alpha had a straightforward aura, Gamma didn't know how to play tricks, Delta lacked the brains for it, Zeta looked cool but got shy when their master touched her head, and Eta admired their master's knowledge the most.
But each other? They were the best at using cunning means!
And what happens when two sneaking cats cross paths? They repel each other, especially when their target is the same person.
"Let's settle this, Epsilon."
"Agreed, let's see who can kill the most bandits."
"Whoever loses... will have to show their ugliest side to the Lord."
"Fine, don't regret it then, Beta."
So, the two elves rampaged, killing like berserkers, completely devoid of the elegance and beauty typically attributed to elves.
At that moment, Kishi opened a portal and walked through, just in time to witness the scene.
Kishi: "What are these two doing..."