Author's Note: Sorry, I got inspired and out of nothing this chapter ended this long.

Even so, I hope you like it. (:

Teil Ein.

[Engel's POV]

(These guys are crazy... No, they're not crazy, they're hopeless.) I thought while looking some weird guys weirdly dancing around a big fire inside some creepy castle and dressed as the Triple F in that anime where MC is suuuuper idiot.

But anyways... Why am I here in this situation?

Well... It's being roughly three weeks and a half since I fell from that cliff. That crap of Leonidas though this was Sparta and tackled me like that. If he had not given me those potions, I'd have gone directly to the [Plaza] in [Canasta Village].

But, it seems his plan worked and I did not died in that fall. Also that crap just vanished in the air like that. Did he teleported or did he died? I really don't know what happened though.

So, when I fell and probably broke most of my bones, some of these weir guys wandering around found me, gave a bunch of their potions, restrained me and took me here. It seems my [White Mythril Dagger] fell somewhere and these guy too took out all my equipment and potions and left me here with some kind of medievalish slave clothes.

Mmm...

(Maybe if I use appraisal...)

Whoaah!! It really says it! It's name is [Medievalish Slave Clothes].... But that does not make sense does it.

Oh okay, going back to the track, it seems that these guys are making some kind of ritual to resurrect a kind of [Demon Empress]. But I'm here so calm here because they're trying to kill me so they can proceed with the ritual... But as expected it's not working. The moment I die, I reappear inside the [Royal Hall] near this room where they hold the ritual. It seems what keeps me bound here is a [Flag] they have in that place, but after every try I haven't anything resembling a flag.

The first time that happened they were genuinely surprised, but as to expect, after two weeks of the same every four hours, they got tired of it. Did they never saw a participant of [The Tournament]? Well, nevermind.

Oh, I forgot to tell that they also have caged some [Raubtier] race as three dog-eared people and a raccoon-eared one, most of them girls. Also they have a pair of [Hälfte]; they're twin elves and a hobbit... And also girls... Why? Is that in every world you are virgins are necessary for sacrifices? If that's the case, why they brought me?

I really don't get it... Oh true they have the beastmen guys there.

Oh good, There they come... CRAP, this time looks like they're gonna try an axe and it really seems sharbleghtqñskdajfsadiljfkhsdafñlkj....

[End of Engel's POV]

"David! Go to see if he came back or not to the [Royal Hall]!" Said robed man #1.

"Me?! Again?!" Replied David, the robed man #2.

"And who's gonna clean this?" Asked the robed man #3, who was next to David.

"Don't worry, it becomes ashes like in five minutes. We'll clean those later" Replied the robed man #4

"Okay, here I go again..." Said David, the robed man #2 while reluctantly going to see if the sacrifice that was hindering the progress was there or not.

Teil Zwei.

"And, please, die the next time!!" Were the words spitted by David the robbed man #2 while throwing Engel to the cage were the sacrifices were kept.

The cage was in the lowest part of the building the robbed men were using. The place, or castle, that they were in was named [Sky Rune Castle] and was the place where the [Demon Empress], Katastrophe Schatten, 500 years ago. The robbed men were part of a cult called [Holy Eraser], and what they pretended was neither reviver her, nor unseal her, because her is now sealed in the castle, but to kill her. They worshipped the divinities called [Olympus Deities], and thus, those divinities gave them the mission to kill the now sealed [Demon Empress].

The reason the divinities did that was for mere resentment. She stole once a relic called [Skyfall Sea of Tears], a kind of sphere jewel from [Olympus Heavenly City], more than 1,200 nums over the ground. The divinities said that said relic could give unlimited power to the one who possessed it.

Then, they feared her, and tried to destroy the relic and her together with an attack from [Zeus' Lightning], another relic.

Then, they threw her out of the city, and at the height of 1,000 Nums, they shot her and destroyed both. It was supposed to end like that, but then they felt a little presence in where she was supposed to live, thus, sending the [Holy Eraser] to deal with it.

What the divinities did not knew, was that the [Holy Eraser] considered that sacrificing people was the fastest manner to unseal and kill her in a weak state.

Which was totally wrong.

But going back to the main issue...

"I don't want to die yet, Dave." Replied Engel while kneading his butt.

"Engel! Are you okay?!" Said a female voice inside the cage. It was one of the twin elves. With a beautiful face, blue eyes, golden long hair, white smooth, the characteristic pointed ears and a slim body. That would be in normal conditions but now she was dirty and with some bruises all over her.

"Yeah, I'm okay Jess... Moreover, how is Kess?" He asked. Kess, was the other elf, but with the difference of the eye color. Kess eyes were green.

"Her cold is better now. Moments ago she was still with fever but it suddenly went down." Said Jess.

"I'm glad hearing that. What about the others? Sleeping?" Asked Engel.

"Yeah. Even with you stalling the ritual, they are still afraid you one day won't come back and they'll take another one out here." Replied Jess.

For this ritual, there was supposed to be a kind of order so they could unseal the [Demon Empress]. They were just starting, so the order was like this: 2 [Personen], 2 [Hälfte], 4 [Raubtier] and then 1 [Hälfte] again.

The first one being sacrificed was some kind of human dealer, and was the one who tried to sell the other ones inside the cage. Then, because they did not had other [Personen], The went to the surrounding places to look for one that nobody would miss.

There was where they found Engel.

And when they tried so sacrifice him later... That happened. He could not die. So, he wanted it or not, he was an hindrance to the ritual. The problem was that they could not simply go somewhere and abduct a kid or ask to the jail to handover a prisoner.

Their actions were being taken in secrecy, and also they were supposed to be a [Holy] organization. They were limited in their actions by that too. Even if they were willing to sacrifice son lives, they still had some conscience and thus their leader had restrains on them.

"Well... It's better if we go to sleep too. I don't know why they are still trying to kill me if they could somewhere to take a random guy... But it's better this way. Like this you would still be alive for the time being, because in this world I won't die just yet."

Said Engel while giving a warm smile to Jess. She blushed a little and then nodded. They both went to sleep after a while.

Then in the early morning, Engel suddenly woke up. He felt a really cold chill as if a cold breeze focused in one point in his back.

"Ah... So it's ya." Said Engel while moving nearer to the wall to rest his back.

"How cold of you. And just now I thought to teach you how to get out of here, tell you how can you dismantle that choker restraining your abilities... or even, take you out personally." Said a bewitching female voice in an empty space inside the cage.

"No way you could, you're just an [Ethereal] right... An [Astral Projection]" Added Engel

"I know, but even like that, I still have some [Phantom Skills] you know. Replied the voice.

"Tell me, why those guys do think that killing people in front of an shrine will unseal you?" Asked Engel.

Because the [Ethereal] that was now in front of him, was the [Demon Empress], Katastrophe Schatten. As a ethereal existence right now, she could control whether people could see her or not, and right now she was invisible.

"It was not my fault. It was the fault of the [Asteroid Magician], the one who shot me in the [Olympus Imperial City] with [Zeus Lightning] and trapped me here. That bastard let some kind of message near the shrine and was misunderstood by those idiots of the [Holy Eraser]. Even though centuries had passed, they are the same stupid ones as then..." She said.

"So that magician surely has ample knowledge about [Barrier] magic..." Murmured Engel.

"Anyways... Why do you come every night here?" He asked.

"I cannot get out of this place even in my [Ethereal] form; there's a barrier outside for that very purpose. So, I get sooo bored in here you know... But then... You're really an interesting person, don't you think?" Replied Katastrophe.

"Why?" Said Engel

"Because you can't die. No... If you couldn't die you would make go back time or regenerate... But you disappear from the place to be in another one completely fine... As if you reincarnated or something." She explained.

"So I'm interesting because I'm the first one to do that..."

(Of course I intrigue her. She has been stuck inside this place at least 500 years. It's obvious that she has never seen a participant of [The Tournament], much less to know that this is an [Avatar].) Thought Engel.

"No... You're interesting because you are not the first one I've seen doing that." Said Katastrophe while making a bewitching smile no one noticed.

Teil Drei.

"So at the end, what happened to that kid?" Asked the [Game Master] Ms. Cole in her office.

[I don't know. After you disqualified that other weird guy, I just started to see something more interesting like that girl who became part of the [Olympus Knights]. Sooo, when I checked back the other one, He had just disappeared. I could not find him even with the GPS in his [Avatar]] Replied [Quarta], the AI that helps the [Game Master] to supervise the game.

"And did you do that other thing I asked you?" Added Ms. Cole.

[Yup. I gave that pale kid equivalent experience points to that of the disqualified.] Said [Quarta]

"Well.. If you could not find him with the GPS it's okay. He may be inside a pretty powerful barrier. With giving him the experience points is enough." Said Ms. Cole while going back to her work.

(But in that world... The only one capable of such high level barrier would be me....)

Thought the [Game Master] as she started to deal with tons of work.

Teil Vier.

"BLERGH.... As always this food is bad... sooo bad ...." Said Engel while trying to eat the only one meal they were provided in the day at noon. They ate it in a somewhat luxurious dinner hall inside the castle.

He was not puking by the way, just the sound.

"If you do not want it then give it!" Shouted David, the robbed man #2.

"Hey Dave, why do you use those weird robes?" Asked Engel.

"We use them because they are special artifacts that protect us. They are imbued with special magic so we won't die easily... And also they're a gift from the upper echelons." He explained.

(So they are obligatory he says... But he did not deny they were weird after all.) Thought Engel while trying to digest the bad food.

"But even so... You guys, how can you digest such bad food?" Asked Engel while looking at the weird soup he had in front of him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Said one of the male [Raubtier], a raccoon-eared named Lyad.

"If it's about the food, it tastes average." Added a female [Raubtier], the dog-eared Cale, as the other prisoners nodded.

"Heeey Jess. It seems the others already broke. Maybe they can't be saved anymore...." Murmured Engel to Jess who was next to him, but even like that, as [Raubtier] and [Hälfte] they were, heard what he said.

"What are you saying Engel? The food is totally fine." Replied Jess. To this, Engel wide-opened his eyes in surprise and then held his head with his hands in sorrow.

"Yeah, yeah! What are you, Engel? Some kind of noble that can't stand the normal food?" Exclaimed the now recovered Kess. And as seen, Jess was the quiet twin and Kess the lively twin.

After that exchange of words, they all started to laugh; even David did.

(Seems it worked.) Thought Engel.

When he woke up, everybody was in really low spirits and at the edge of breaking down. But that was a given; being imprisoned and being told that you'll die soon really gives a hard pressure to your heart and mind. Moreover, the ones over 15 years were the elven twins, Engel and Lyad. Cale was still 14, but the hobbit and the other two dog-eared looked below 10.

Their ages and time experience could not put up to what was happening; and also he could easily tell that even Jess and Kess were putting up a hard front.

The strange thing was that Lyad and Cale were not that in low spirits... but he could tell that they were not that affected by the [Holy Eraser] words.

(That means they both have seen things nobody absolutely want to see...) He said to himself.

For the sake of progress in the cheering up, he decided to not to pry in their pasts... But he could not simply let them like that. He made a memo to himself that later he was going to ask even if it was painful for them.

(Even like that... This world's food really is crap. I knew beforehand that the food they produce here lack flavor and most of the time the seasoning is wrong. But to the people here to think of this flavor as common sense... It's totally wrong...)

After thinking that, he steeled himself and talked to David.

"Hey Dave! Who of the robbed dudes makes the food?" He asked.

"... Me... Is it really that bad to you?" Replied David with a rarely heard soft voice.

"Well, don't think about it because the mistake is in society, but yeah, this soup tastes as [Morning Tiger] blood. Meaning: Not tasty at all." As if he were 8-man, he said that to David.

"So that's why Dave, next time you are send to cook the food for us prisoners, I want you to take me along." Added Engel.

"What?!" Exclaimed David in the complete sense of surprise.

Then, the next day after the usual failure in killing Engel, David secretly took him to the kitchen in the castle.

(I do not even know why the damn I'm doing this...) Thought David while guiding Engel. David did not knew yet, but somehow he had developed a strange sense of comfort with Engel.

Known as [Lima Syndrome] in earth.

After they got into the kitchen... David somehow started to fear the combination of "Captive + Very sharp cooking materials". Sensing this, Engel said-

"Hey Dave, what's your level?"

"... 95?" Replied David

"Woah! High! Why so high?" Exclaimed Engel.

"Why do you want to know?" Asked David.

"Just to know my captives better. I'm 72 by the way." Added Engel.

"Well... because I was the best in the class in [Holy Eraser]. We receive authentic training you know!" Replied David to Engel's words.

"Well, now you can remain calm. I cannot harm you with the kitchen knives. Besides this limiter in my neck, our levels are so different that I think I could not win to you with only a simple knife you know." Said Engel while looking for the ingredients and other things to cook.

"Eh?!"

David suddenly got confused by what Engel said, but immediately regained his guard, but without the uneasiness he had.

"By the way Dave, how old are ya'?" Asked Engel.

"17." He replied.

"What? I surely thought you had 25 or similar! You really got a deep voice dude!" Said Engel while starting to boil water.

After finishing the cooking, they both went to take out of the cage the other sacrifices and went to eat.

"Where were you Engel? It passed a long time since that guy took you out... Don’t ya say he really let you cook?!" Exclaimed Kess.

"Yup, he did." Said Engel.

"Well, with that delicate and picky tongue I expect that what you made was worth your barking." Opined Lyad while leaking a faint smile.

"Well, I was the cook of my [Party] you know!" Exclaimed Engel while they walked towards the dinner room.

"WHATTHEHELLISTHISISSOOOODELICIOUS!!??!" Shouted Kess; An incomprehensible shout that covered the feeling everybody had.

"Yeah... I didn't think it was going to be like this. I though this guy was just bragging, but to cook like this..." Muttered David while eating together with the sacrifices.

"So you were not just bark..." Said Lyad while quietly eating. All of them were totally surprised with the quality of the food cooked by Engel. Even the quiet Cale was eating like crazy.

Surely, even in those circumstances, that was a moment they would never forget.

Teil Fünf.

"DAVE!!!" Shouted Engel.

"TAKE ME OUT OF HERE CRAAAAAP!!!!!" Shouted Engel with all his strength.

"I'm sorry but that is... That is something I cannot do." Replied David to the prisoner’s screams.

"All is for the purpose of defeating the [Demon Empress]". He added while avoiding to look into Engel's direction.

"You see... He will not yield." Said the temporary [Ethereal] being, Katastrophe Schatten.

How the things ended like this? This happened exactly three weeks after the meal made by Engel.

From that onwards, Engel not only made the food, but also taught David to cook decent food as well. Every time they managed to fail Engel's sacrifice and the next day they'd eat nice food made by him. Somehow, by the exception of Engel and David, they stated to lose focus of their situation and started to change their attitudes. They cheered up and in a short period of time, their whole world became that place.

But a two weeks and 3 days after, Engel's execution was put on hiatus. One of the robed man, robed man #4 had gone to a certain place to contact [Holy Eraser] headquarters. Then, that man learned about the [Participants] and [Egg], thing that was not conveyed to them due to their mission, thus, when he came back, he did not only bring the news, but also another sacrifice; a guy who was captured trying to rape a girl in [Delay Village]. He had also raped many others before in other villages, but when he was trying there, mysterious wyverns attacked the place.

That guy surprisingly survived, but as a wanted man, he was taken to jail. Then they realized that they could give him to the mission the robed guys were in.

When they went back to the [Sky Rune Castle], and he gave the notification, they also started look for said [Flag] that was pinning Engel to the [Royal Hall]. Even so, they could not find it. Even so, they did not had the obligation to look for it, but wanted to confirm it either way, if he really was coming back there because of the [Flag].

After they spent one day in that, they sacrificed the delinquent the very next day. After that, they did nothing to wait for 4 days, until they moved Engel to the next cage alone, and took the other sacrifices to the ritual.

And now Engel was pleading to David's good side.

"COME ON DAVE! LET ME GOOOO!! YOU TOO DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM DIE DO YOU?! WE ATE AND WE COEXISTED TOGETHER FOR MORE THAN A MONTH!! I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT THIS!!" Exclaimed Engel.

Then, David could not stay put anymore and-

"I KNOW!! I KNOW I DON'T WANT THEM TO DIE BUT I CAN'T DO ANY OTHER THING!! THIS IS MY DUTY AS-AS A [HOLY ERASER]!! IT'S FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD YOU KNOW!!" Exclaimed David too.

"See, he won't wield down. Every one of the [Holy Eraser] are just stupid." Murmured Katastrophe.

(JUST SHUT UP NOW!!!) Thought Engel while glaring at the empty space next to him. Of course he could not voice his protests due to the confusion of becoming mad.

"BUT HOW CAN YOU SAY THIS IS OKAY?! DON'T YOU SEE THAT SACRIFICING PEOPLE FOR THIS KIND OF THING IS JUST TOO MANY LEVELS WROOONG??!!! THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT!!!"

"I KNOW THIS IS SO DAMN WRONG BUT I CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!! AND IF THERE'S OTHER WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WITHOUT SACRIFICES, PLEASE TELL MEEE WHICH IS IT!!" Shouted David to Engel's complains. Then, after seen such spectacle from these two, Katastrophe decided to talk in a louder voice.

"Of course there's another way to do this." She said clearly.

"Eh?! What was that?! Am I crazy?" Said David while lost in the moment.

"No you're not. And I fucking expected you said that since the beginning." Replied Engel.

"You listened to that too, Engel?" Asked David.

"Yes I did, and that it's something right now I can't explain; Please you [Ethereal], tell us the way!" Claimed Engel with strong voice.

"Well, I will. But first, you kid, take the choker off from that kid. I cannot remove it." Declared the Invisible Katastrophe.

"....." David, thinking thoroughly all what was happening did not moved an inch...

"........................." Silently, he opened the door and with a knife within his robe, he said some chanting and removed the choker in Engel's neck.

"........ With this, I suppose I'm relinquishing from my faith..." Said firmly David.

Engel with those words let out a big sigh and David moved to the next issue.

"Then, you mysterious voice, even if you're a ghost, demon or whatever you may be, tell us what to do from now on... I trust that you were telling the truth. And even if you didn't, now that I threw everything I am, will act as I please; and that means I'm going to rescue those kids" Claimed David with strong resolution.

"You can trust it." Said Engel. He did not said anything else until Katastrophe started to talk.

In the middle of these exchanges, Katastrophe thought.

(Even if they label me as a [Demon Empress] and [Babel's Ruin] He said he trusts me... Really, just after a month... What an interesting person you are, Engel Falsch.)

Then-

"Yes, yes. I will help you. So don't make those faces." Said the [Demon Empress].

"Well, it's not like you can see David's face anyways." Retorted Engel.

As Engel chuckle lightly, David said:

"Oh right, now that I've betrayed the [Holy Eraser]. I'll takes this weird thing now." While accepting it was a weird costume, he took it off.

""JUST WHAT THE?!"" Exclaimed Katastrophe and Engel at the same time.

Of course they would be surprised, because under such a weird robe and a deep male voice, was a beautiful girl.

Short Hazelnut hair, black eyes with a mole under the left one and a slim figure maintaining everything where it should be. She was wearing beige fit shorts, heavy dark brown boots and a shirt that covered her arms until the forearms, including a shortsword in her lower back.

"Surprised? I bet you are. I really hated that costume, really. Why it had to have a spell to change the voice? I don't get it!" H-She said.

"But you have a male name!" Exclaimed Engel while regaining his posture.

"Well, it is technically not my name. It's because I have a really long name." She replied.

"Which is it?" He asked.

"Elizabetha Haven Aufgehenstainen Von Davidennsforthkratter"

"What a hell of a name... but they could not simply call you by your first name or something?" Added Engel

"In the [Holy Eraser] you can't call anyone with their first name if you're not his or her family, or their marriage partner. Really, how antiquated." Explained Katastrophe.

"Well... But, do we really have time here to be playing around like this? We need to run now where the ritual is held and we have to hurry."

Said David while walking out of the cage.

"Forget it. I let us play around like this because we were not going to make it in time even if you ran with all your strength since the beginning. If you run now, at least three will be dead. Right now they would be at the final part of the dance. The [Shrine Room] is really far from here, right?" Said Katastrophe.

David clenched tightly his molars and then-

"So what?! What were are going to do?" He asked

"Ther-" As Katastrophe was trying to explain, Engel interrupted.

"There is one way one of us will be in time... And that one would be me, right?"

"What do you mean?" Said David.

"That means you have to kill me-"

"So he appears near the shrine room. He'll always appear in the [Royal Hall], right?" Complemented Katastrophe the words of Engel.

"So, now, David... do it." Said Engel while David lightly touched the hilt of her shortsword.

"Do it... It's the only way..." He added while closing his eyes.

David strongly gripped the hilt of her shortsword and cleanly cut Engels neck and then pierced his heart.

One minute later, he suddenly woke up in the [Royal Hall] at less than a minute of the called [Shrine Room].

"So what I'm going to do now? I'm as well as dead without a weapon and also you have to explain to me what is the other way to deal with the ritual, right?" Said Engel while looking around him to find something that resembled a weapon.

"About the ritual, I'll tell you there. It's better that way. For the purpose of making the ritual work as it is supposed to.... For the weapon issue... You can go there behind the throne to see if there is a secret compartment." Replied Katastrophe who had followed Engel as fast as she could through all the structures in the castle.

The [Royal Hall] was the place where Katastrophe would receive her visits. It was all clad in gold and embroideries of rubies and sapphires. Armors, statues, furniture and everything else was gold. Even the throne itself. A marvelous sight that had not changed in more than 500 years.

Engel had already been there more than 20 times, but it always outstand him.

So, he ran to the throne and looked behind it. It had nothing in there but then Katastrophe said:

"Push this ruby in the front corner."

The throne was clad in gold and rubies and there was one in the corner, thus he pushed it. Then a slim compartment with a deep blue lightsword in it popped out behind the throne.

"What is this?" Asked Engel

"Haha. I had it there in an emergency case. They're hidden all over the place. The Mass-Produced Demon Sword [Hekatonkheires]." Said Katastrophe.

Once, she had mass produced an acclaimed demon sword so she could defend herself anywhere if she were to be attacked inside the castle.

Engel took [Hekatonkheires] and then rushed to the [Shrine Room].

"Engel; there's an important thing I want you to do after I get unsealed." Said quietly Katastrophe.

"What is it?" He asked

"Please save me."

Then her presence disappeared.

Teil Sechs.

[Jess' POV]

Cries; is what I hear around me. Everybody's crying. Kess, Cale, the hobbit Brita, the siblings from the [Lycan Tribe] Seth and Beth... Even the serious Lyad is letting out some tears... But I do not know why I don't cry.

Maybe because I'm the first one whose end is the nearest.

The robbed men are dancing around a big fire in this strange room after killing a man I don't know, the same as the first time I was here.

I clearly remember the first time I was here... But everything started time before that.

Because our parents were [Adventurers] and both elves, we did not lived in the [Elven Hidden Village]; we lived from town to town, village from village, quests after quests. We were happy with that life, me and Kess.

Then, and accident happened. Some days ago, our parents were in [Delay Village] because some business, but then some black wyverns attacked the place.

Our parents were out in a quest too much for me and Kess, so they left us in the inn. But it was a mistake in the end.

After we surprisingly survived, we were found by a person dealer. As elves, he took us, put us restraints and then we went here. He said he was lucky to have found what he were entrusted with quickly.

In the carriage we were, we first knew the others we've been caged to this date... Except the most important of all; Engel Falsch.

Engel Falsch came three or four days later to the place where we were sold. He was one of the rumored [Participants] that came from a different world. That much I and Kess knew because of our adventurer parents.

When I first met him, he was not even in worried in the slightest about what happened around him, and seemed to be a very relaxed person. A weird attitude for someone who looked pale and fragile.

The first to talk to him was Kess. They started to talk about whatever they thought, and that livened a little the atmosphere, even if it soon was broken.

Moments later he came, they took us all to a strange room tied and with fabric gags, and there, this robbed men that bought us from the person dealer killed him in front of us. Then, they started to chant something. Then they took the newcomer and they proceed to kill him.

It was horrible.

He did not even blinked and was pierced by a bastardsword. He bled a lot and I felt a strong feel to puke right away. Even if I've seen dead monsters and magical beasts, I've never witnessed a live murder.

Then, they took Kess. Then, there was where the reality came to all us; that we were going to die today.

When the robbed man was going to pierce Kess' heart as I soundlessly screamed, the door of the room suddenly opened.

There a robbed man with a mop urgently called out to the men inside.

They started to say something about a kid in a place called [Royal Hall], and then suddenly the newcomer's corpse started to became ashes. When the robbed man witnessed this, they stopped what they were doing and followed the robbed man with the mop.

After they threw us again into the castles cages, they brought the newcomer with them.

HOW?! I thought.

I did not know what happened but he seemed fine. I felt relieved about that in the bottom of my heart, even if I did not understood what happened.

Later, we learned that he could not die. And because of that, they could not continue their business.

Somehow, we were saved by him.

Then some days passed and in our minds desperation started to grow. We all started to think: "What if someday Engel dies?"

Then, our mood started to fall instantly.

He seemed to notice that and started to move gears. In some way or another, he kind of befriended one of the robbed men and started to liven the mood.

Then he all of a sudden started to cook us food, and it was delicious. Then we all stated to forget our situation and started to feel some sort of happiness and security, at the cost of Engel's sacrifice every night.

Then, when we all felt this comfy sense, all abruptly changed. What we did not expected, but was sure to happen, happened.

They brought another person to substitute Engel.

So, that brings us here. To the moment where everything ends.

Honestly, I am happy that even if I spent my last moments with my parents, I spent a nice time with everybody here, even under this situation... Even If I am never going be able to see Kess or Engel again.

Then, I was led to the place where I'm going to be sacrificed....

NO.

NO.

NONONONOONONONONONOIDONTWANNAIDONTWANNAIDONTWANNAIDONOTWANTTODIEEEE!!

NO NO NO NO NO NON O NOOOO!!!

I start to cry as I don't want my life to end here.

Despair

I-DON'T-WANT-TO-DIE!!!!

As the moment the robbed man in front of me is going to pierce my heart.

*SLAM*

The door of the room abruptly opens and the one once I thought I'd never see. Engel Falsch.

He had a deep blue lightsword in hand and was breathing roughly.

"Sorry for being late, everyone." He said.

[End of Jess' POV]

Teil Sieben.

[Engel's POV]

Well... Now what I do? First of all, I'll stop that man with the sword.

"[Ice Lance]!"

I throw an magic I activated from the [Ice Element] magic. I make it the weakest so not to kill him as soon as he was caught off guard. Then, I activate an [Area Of Effect] spell for the other ones that are coming to me with their weapons.

Strangely, all of them does not seem to try to attack with magic.

" Guys get down!!" I scream to the ones on their knees. They immediately do react and-

"[Ice Pellets]!!"

[Ice Pellets] It's an area of effect spell that is made to halt the enemy while keeping the damage to your allies at minimum.

As they are stopped by my magic, I run to the ones next to guy and one of them I hit him in the gut with the hilt of [Hekatonkheires] and the other one, I break his stance with my foot and punch him hard in the face, knocking both of them.

There were 4 inside the room. I suppose there were only 5 of them in all this place, so if we exclude David, it means all of them were here.

And the one left, starts to chant a [Fire Bullet] to me. But as I don't need to chant-

"[Lightning Strike]!"

I pointed my sword to him and release that magic. Different from [Lightning], that keeps the electric charge to the weapon giving more strength and sharpness, [Lightning Strike] shots the electric charge to the opponent.

With this, all of them are knocked down.

A soon as I check that the first man I knocked with [Ice Lance] is still blacked out, I start to untie everyone.

"Th-Thanks Engel!!" Shouts Jess as soon as I untie her. She then, crying, embraces me. I accept that embrace and caress her head for a while. Then I take her hands off to untie the others.

"So-Sorry." She says.

"It's okay, I don't mind. It's just obvious. You were about to die." I reply.

"But really... Thank you, Engel." She added while warmly smiling with some tears in the corner of their eyes.

Then, after I untie them they do the same Jess did. But why even Lyad? Lyad... Please... Stop... This is No Good. I'm no homo... Sthap!

*Sigh*

At that moment, I hear a familiar voice from the entrance.

"Engel!!" Shouts a female voice.

David's of course.

"Whaa?!"

"Who is she?""

Ask Jess and Kess.

"Don't worry, it's just David. She's in our side now" I say.

"David? That middle aged man in the robe?"

"I cannot believe that."

Said everybody. I know, I did not entirely believe it yet.

"Just deal with it now. But- Woah! You dealt with all of them, Engel?" Asked David.

"Yeap. But I just knocked them down. Nothing serious." I replied.

"Yeah, I see that. But, they all were level 80 in average you know." She added.

But... Is really like that? I did not was that much effort in dealing with them.

"Well, now that we've finished here, you better go out of here now." I said.

"You? So you're not coming with us?!" Exclaimed Jess.

"Why?!" Exclaimed Kess.

"Well... I need to finish the ritual, and stall for time when these guy wake up." I said.

"So you are still doing it?" Added David.

"Yeah. If not, these guys will try to do it again, and this time people will surely die." I explained.

".... Okay. I trust you will come back to us, Engel." Said David firmly.

Then, she started to get out of the room as she ordered everyone to let me go. They understood what I was going to do, so they reluctantly went after David.

"Oh, one more thing. Now that I've betrayed [Holy Eraser], you do not need to call me David. As comrades we are now and as a proof that you're coming back... I... Want you to call me by my name." Added David.

What she made sense, and also gave everyone a feeling of safety and unity. Thus, I agreed with it.

"Okay... Mmm... Let me see... Liz... Eli... No you're not that girly... Mmm.... Beta?? Too old fashioned... I Know!"

I thought about it and-

"Well then, I'll see you later, Haven." I said while giving her a half-smile.

I decided to use her second name because somehow it suited her.

"Wha... Ok-Okay." She said as she went out of the place with everyone else.

I think I was Jess and Kess pouting but I really didn't know why they did that.

"Sooo... Katastrophe, are you there?" I said. I had to put up a cheerful front when I talked to everyone, but now they are gone, so I can seriously face the ritual.

(No answer...?)

As I thought that, I felt a strange sensation coming from the fire in the middle of the room... That... is not normal fire...

Then I heard a deep voice thorough all the room as the door suddenly closed itself.

[YOU THAT OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES WITH A PURE HEART. YOU THAT HAD SACRIFICED THINGS IN ORDER TO SAVE YOUR BELOVED FROM DESPERATION. YOU THAT HAVE A BIG AND KIND HEART, HEART SIMMILAR TO ONLY FEW. ONLY YOU ARE ALLOWED TO KNOW THE TRUE HEART OF THE ONE SEALED IN THE MYGHTY ICE ONLY THIS ONE CAN MELT. NOW, KNOW THE TRUTH.]

Said the voice as a dazzling light covered the room.

[End of Engel's POV]

As the light faded, a pillar of fire rose to the ceiling... No. To a giant block of ice that resembled the ceiling and started to melt it.

(An enchanted flame? I once asked [Quarta] about it because it interested me; enchanted things, and she told me only high level [Magicians] could do that. This [Asteroid Magician] was quite high level. And to even be someone from my world, I wonder who could be?) Thought Engel after analyzing the situation.

"Anyways, what's going to happen now?" He said in expectance.

Then, the flame got stronger and suddenly stopped. An enormous hole could be seen in the middle of the ice and then, something fell.

It was a little girl.

Long black hair with traces of red, silky white skin and a thin complexion. She was dressed on a long one piece white dress. Too big for her to wear. She looked like a 10 year old girl at most.

(Is she... Katastrophe?) He thought while looking at the little girl. When he approached her, he checked her breathing and pulse. She seemed okay.

So, now, what do I d-!!!????

When he touched her cheeks, a strange feeling crossed all his body.

Teil Acht.

(Where is this?) Said Engel to himself while looking around him. It seemed like a little and poor house. Two wooden windows and a wooden door as well. It had basic cooking utensils, a table with four places and only one medium sized bed. Next to the door there were under the average hunting tools. A spear, a hunting bow and an old steel bastard sword.

(A hunter's house?... No. A Villagers' house. Something tells me that those weapons are common place... But... How did I got here.... Moreover, something feels odd about this... Like... Like anything of this is real.

As he thought that, he could feel movement inside the house. Opposite to the bed, there was a big, upside down, straw basket, and it was shaking.

He tried to get near to it but then a shout could be heard.

"DON'T COME CLOSER!!" Said a child's voice coming from the basket.

(So it was like this...) He thought, so-

He did not complied to those words and got closer.

"Ouch!" Shouted Engel as he felt an electric current around him.

(Even if somehow this is an imaginary space, it still hurts.) He thought.

"I told you to not come closer!" Shouted the child again.

"Okay-Okay. I won't get near. But, why are you there?" Asked Engel while sitting in the floor.

"It's not your business." Replied the child.

"Well, even if it is not my business, I want to know." Said Engel mischievously.

After a minute or two of silence-

"I.... I hurt people." Said shyly the child.

"Oh... And did you wanted to do that?" He asked.

"No... It was an accident." The child replied.

"But even if it was not your fault, you still feel this depressed? Why? He asked again.

"That... People, the village people understood, that it was not my fault... But then kids started... started to say bad things about me... And then.. after enduring it for too much time... I... I hurt them. I wanted to hurt them."

"Ohh... And then?" Said Engel.

"Then... The kid’s parents start-started to complain to papa and mama... Then it was not only them, other village people started to complain... About me..." The child answered.

"So you could not get out of the house anymore?" He added.

"Yes... But... Then.... Then... Those people... THOSE PEOPLE.... They... They hurt them.... They hurt papa and mama and... and...."

"And you hurt them too?" Asked Engel

"Yes. But this time... They went to sleep... And... AND THEY NEVER WOKE UP...." Replied the child while shaking and sobbing inside the basket.

(So she killed them...) Thought Engel while thinking what to say...

"Well... After that... what happened?" He said.

"All...*Sob* All the village came after papa and mama and me... And then... And then... I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED MAMA TOLD ME TO RUN AND PAPA RAN TOWARDS THE LOT OF PEOPLE... AND THEY... THEY HURTED PAPA AND I SAW IT AND.... AND THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!! I JUST WANTED THEM TO STOP AND EVERYTHING WENT WHITE!! Then... when I woke up it was morning... and instead the village... there... was nothing *Sob* No papa... no mama... No people of the village...*Sob, Sob*"

(So she lost control of her mag-... No, her skill and murdered all the village... That's not something pretty, neither something a kid should experience...) Said Engel to himself.

"That's why you don't want me to get near you..." He said.

"Yes... Because I'm a bad girl.... I'm what the village people blamed... And called... a [Demon]... And I may hurt you."

".........."

Then, after minutes of silence, Engel said:

"Well, if you really want it, I'll go away." He said while standing up and leaving.

*Sob, Sob, Sob*

(That's right... It's better if you leave... It's better If I'm alone.... Like that... I won't hurt anyone...)

Hearing his steps fading... The little child inside the basket, slowly lifted the basket and-

"SO YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS TRUE??!" Said Engel after fooling the little girl.

"Wha-!?" As she screamed, Engel ran after her, and even enduring the pain of the intense electric charge, he took her out of the basket.

"What are you doing?! Let gooo!! I'm hurting you don't you see?!!" She screamed desperately.

"I-I won't" He said as he held her in his arms.

"You-a-are not better alone... I know that..." He said as he remembered his past too...

"I'm gonna stay with you from now on... So... you don't... Have to be alone anymore.... So you don't have to cry anymore..." He added as he embraced her with more strength.

"But... But I'm hurting you! And I may hurt you after!" She Exclaimed.

"I-I don't care about that... I know... I know it was not your fault... Any of what happened... ANYTHING.... So...." As he resisted the pain. he continued talking.

"I'll stay by your side, so you won't be alone anymore." With a strong will and strength, he squeezed those words with a warm half-smile.

*Sob, Sob*

*Sob, Sob*

".... *Sniff* UWAAAAAHHHH!!!!"

Screamed the girl while letting herself go in the warmth of Engel's embrace.

Teil Neun.

[Haven's POV]

As we ran with all our forces... We were at least half a num from the [Sky Rune Castle].

(Is... Is Engel alright?)

As I thought that, I saw a enormous explosion from the castle.

"Wha... WHAT HAPPENED??!!" I screamed as I saw burning the place moments ago I was. Then, I could see in the distance a figure floating in the sky taking along something with it.

With everyone panicked around me, I was that figure going away in the horizon.

(Really... What has just happened? And what was that just now?)

As I said to myself, I prayed for Engel's safety.

[End of Haven's POV]