"I-Is that….Tipha?" Arianna mumbled as she eyed the now dark elf on the staircase. "Y-You do love that hat…don't you?" Tipha looked around the room to see the injured Arianna and Lima writhing in pain. She walked down the stairs slowly, exuding her aura.
"Seventh prince." she commanded. "Go help the others."
"O-Ok! Miss Tipha!" Clive responded, running towards the injured. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a few healing potions, ready for use.
"So, you are Tipha?" Marcus smirked, eyeing his new opponent, "You look good as a dark elf. Did that runt do the ritual with you already?"
"Is that a problem?" Tipha smirked.
"That brat actually managed to convince you?! HAHA!" Marcus laughed, "It doesn't matter. I'll make you, and all of the others here mine…as originally planned." Marcus wasted no time. With a roar, he charged forward with his large sword raised above his head. His movements were fluid, but powerful, the weight of his weapon cutting through the air as if it were nothing.
Tipha countered with quick footwork, evading Marcus's first strike as her hands lit up with a burst of purple flame. She sent a searing fireball his way, the heat distorting the air as it hurtled toward him. But Marcus twisted his body, narrowly dodging the attack, his sword coming down with a brutal slash aimed at her shoulder.
Tipha blocked with a conjured barrier of dark energy, sparks flying as metal met magic. The force pushed her back, but she regained her footing quickly, spinning out of reach and launching another barrage of purple fireballs. Each burst collided with Marcus's defenses, the room illuminating in violent flashes.
Clive watched in awe as he saw his bodyguard make quick work of his brother. He had been tending to Arianna, pouring the potion on her gash. "C-Clive….Go help Lima first." she coughed. "S-she needs you more than me…"
"A-are you sure?"
"Yes….go, little Clive." Arianna smiled. Clive nodded and sprinted towards Lima. He hoped his emblem could help her just as it did in the labyrinth.
Meanwhile, Marcus retaliated with a flurry of strikes, his sword swinging in tight, controlled arcs. Tipha matched him, dodging and parrying with calculated grace, the runes on her body glowing as she cast spell after spell. Her heavy movements mirrored his strength, the two of them locked in a near-equal dance of power and precision.
As Marcus lunged forward with a powerful overhead strike, Tipha sidestepped at the last second, using the opening to fire a stream of purple flames directly at him. Marcus gritted his teeth, enduring the scorching heat, before sweeping his blade at her legs in a low strike. Tipha leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the swing, and came down with a flaming kick aimed at Marcus's chest.
He raised his sword just in time to block, the impact sending both of them sliding back across the floor. They locked eyes—both breathing heavily. "How was the ritual successful when it was done by tarnished royal blood." Marcus panted. "It makes no sense…"
"Tarnished royal blood?" Tipha asked, with her usual sultry voice. "From what I can see, he is as of the royal kind as you." Clive, who was tending to an unconscious Lima now, couldn't help but feel vindicated hearing that.
"Tch…"
Marcus's eyes narrowed as he charged forward once more. This time his movements were intense, each step bringing him closer to Tipha with relentless determination. The blade gleamed ominously, reflecting the firelight from Tipha's spells. However, Tipha was ready. She watched Marcus's approach with keen anticipation. As he swung the sword with all his might, she ducked low, narrowly avoiding the deadly arc of the blade.
With a swift, determined motion, Tipha conjured a fierce burst of purple fire, aimed directly at Marcus's exposed hand. The flames roared to life, searing through the air with blistering heat. Marcus's eyes widened in shock as the fire engulfed his hand.
"MY HAAAND!!!" Marcus yelled with a guttural roar. He staggered back, the sword slipping from his grasp. His severed hand fell to the ground, the once-powerful weapon now useless. He clutched his burned stump, eyes filled with fury and disbelief. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAND?"
Tipha advanced cautiously, her expression a mix of grim satisfaction. The air crackled with residual magic, the flames flickering around them as Marcus tried to steady himself. "Something that should've been done yesterday."
"CLIIIIVE" Marcus roared, focusing his full attention on his little brother. "You…You are not WORTHY of bearing my last name, you son of a whore…I…I'll tell my father and the rest—we—we will strip you of EVERYTHING you love, YOU HEAR ME? EVERYTHI—"
Suddenly, the air crackled with icy energy, and before anyone could react, Marcus was engulfed in a rapidly forming cube of ice. The spell's speed was astonishing—one moment he was staggering with a burned hand, and the next, he was completely encased in a thick, crystalline block.
As the final icy tendrils solidified around Marcus, Clive's party turned toward the source of the spell. Standing at the door was Nava, his expression a mixture of authority and relief. The elven chief's presence was calm, his finger still glowing softly from the spell he had cast. "That prince always likes to run his mouth…" He said playfully.
"C-chief!" Arianna smiled, still recovering.
"I see you all have had a little fun." Nava chuckled, seeing the battle damaged group, "But I assure you, no fighting will occur when I am here."
Lima, whose head was resting in Clvie's arms, slowly opened her eyes. "Ugh…" she groaned, "M-Master?! Where's that man?! I'm going to cut his head off and serve it to you on the…oh." she stopped, seeing the ice sculpture in the distance.
"I'm glad you're okay, Miss Lima." Clive giggled.
"Young prince." Nava said, approaching Clive and Lima. "I see Tipha has chosen to do the ritual with you. I say that this is a sign of your growth, is it not?"
"I…suppose so?" Clive said, playfully placing his hand behind his head.
"Though, I didn't expect her to turn into a dark elf." Nava placed a hand under his chin and walked up to the elf in the pointy hat. "How do you feel, Tipha?."
"I feel…more powerful." Tipha smiled, "There is an abundance of mana within me…"
"Nava…" Clive called, "Was she supposed to turn into a dark elf? Isn't the ritual supposed to turn her into a greater elf?"
Nava laughed. "It is fine. There are rare cases when this has occurred, where the royal who was mixed blood is used. But, the end goal is essentially the same." Nava then turned back to Tipha. "Besides, I think being a dark elf suits your fashion sense."
"C-Chief?!" Tipha said flustered.
"What are you going to do with my brother, Nava?" Clive asked.
"Use him as hunting bait!" Lima chirped in.
"I shall decide what happens to this prince." Naya chuckled, making his way to the frozen royal. "How about you four get cleaned up. I doubt you've seen the best of what the Elven Lands has to offer in one day."
"I suppose so." Clive said, breaking into a smile. "Yes, I shall do that then!"
Meanwhile, Tipha made her way to Arianna kneeling down behind her slumped friend. "It seems you've had a hard time." Tipha said, helping her up to her feet.
"Not at all." Arianna giggled. "It's but a scratch,"
"Don't play with me." Tipha laughed, "You're getting some more training in, understand? We don't want our client to get hurt now, do we?"
Clive, followed by the now healed Lima walking rather close behind him, opened the large doors of the hall, filling the room with natural sunlight. With a smile, he then signaled his two elven bodyguards to follow him on his next adventure.
***
"So, what happened to you?" Nava said, facing the tired prince. The two were sitting at a table in a dark room, with a single window lighting up his face. On the table were two cups, filled with freshly made elven tea. "You look awful."
"T-that bitch…" Marcus shivered, still recovering from being an iceberg. "She took my hand…"
"I thought the 2nd prince of Oshoen was supposed to be a good fighter, no?" Nava said playfully, taking a sip of his tea.
"Shut up." Marcus scorned, eyeing the cheeky trap elf.
"You do seem adamant on claiming one of my elves as your own…you even had eyes for that dog."
"Heh…if only." Marcus smirked, coming up with images in his head on how he would breed each of them. "What are you getting at?"
"How about a deal?" Nava's form began to shift subtly. His height diminished, with his frame becoming petite and more delicate. His once-simple hairstyle blossomed into two long, cascading twintails, secured with delicate, glittering ribbons. His face softened into round soft features, with a soft blush appearing on his cheeks. Her eyes, now large and wide, gleamed with youthful curiosity. Finally her simple white dress morphed into a charming Oshoen-styled gown, adorned with frills and ribbons, which complemented her new, youthful appearance. The colors were soft, and it covered her entire body from head to toe.
"W-what?!" Marcus muttered, seeing the new Nava standing before him.
"Tipha was never supposed to transform into a filthy dark elf." said Nava with the voice of a little girl. "Whatever other blood that the seventh prince has, it is dangerous."
"W-what do you mean?"
"What I mean is…your 'stepmother' may have more to her than you had thought…something more—demonic.." Nava sighed "I shall work with you to take down this 'bastard prince' you hate. Of course, all I want to do is detain him. You decide what happens afterwards."
"What's the catch?"
"I just want a few pieces of Oshoen Kingdom territory for the elves." Nava giggled. "Fret not, with my power, I'll also make you the next king of the kingdom. Maybe, you'll even get that Arianna to be yours and yours only!"
Prince Marcus thought for a bit, carefully calculating the offer and all the potential implications. After a minute, he replied. "Fine. I accept…but what's with the getup?"
Nava simply tugged at Marcus' sleeve playfully, and managed to pull out the slave collar in his pocket. Marcus tried to reach out for it, but Nava put it on before he could try anything. "It's just a disguise so I can work with you more optimally, especially in Oshoen. You'll take care of Sephia, won't you Master~"