Beta read and Co-written by Gamercrusher55, Shigiya and Fluffy Slayer
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Archer remembered his first days after being dropped into this unfamiliar land. He had spent them gathering scraps of information wherever he could, continuing the practice as he traveled across Eostia, passing from one settlement to another. He spoke to traders, mercenaries, and anyone who would answer a question for the price of a drink. His goal was to understand the borders, the rulers, the alliances, and whether the enemies he was tasked to hunt down might have extended their reach beyond his estimation. Thankfully, the Kuroinu were mostly focused on Olga's domain back then.
But every document he found about the geography and history of this world came from the archives of the clergy from the Church of the Goddess, copied and edited by priests who cared more about doctrine than accuracy. Dates shifted, names changed, entire events conveniently vanished from the records, and even an entirely false origin story. Frustrating for sure, but not exactly something he had never dealt with before.
Most of what he learned about Fullstar did not come from books at all. It came from innkeepers swapping tales with travelers, from off-duty soldiers bragging in taverns, from passing merchants who spoke more about taxes and road conditions than about politics. The information was scattered, inconsistent, and often outright wrong. Still, he gathered every rumor he could, piecing together a picture that was more guesswork than certainty.
Now, standing in the center of a ring encircled by armed elves with the apparent Queen Evelyn herself held at swordpoint, Archer found the irony hard to ignore.
"This is going to be tricky," he muttered dryly, eyes flicking towards Maia. She shot him a questioning look to which he couldn't help but release a faint chuckle that held no real humor. Trouble kept arriving without pause, stacking problem upon problem until irritation gave way to resignation. He had stopped expecting peace and instead braced himself for whatever nonsense came next.
Evelyn, however, met the situation with fury rather than being compliant, as one would expect from someone caught like this.
"Is this another of your schemes, Celestine?" she demanded, her voice raised high. The edge of his sword hovered at her throat, close enough to chill her skin but not yet cut it. A faint tremor in her tone betrayed nerves she tried to hide. "Do you plan to kill me, or take me hostage so you can seize my kingdom after losing your own to that wretched Dark Elf? I should have known you would fail and turn to such disgraceful tactics sooner or later. Release me now, unless you want to face another army marching from the west!"
'Not exactly the best way to negotiate one's safety,' Archer noted dryly. For a woman with cold steel at her neck, she showed little concern for her life, or at least…she tried to showcase that image with little success. Her entire focus was on Celestine, most likely pressuring the blonde to give him a signal to let her go or something.
"You misunderstand, Evelyn," Celestine said evenly with a relaxed smile on her face. "We didn't come here to make war with you. Truth is, we didn't even come here willingly."
"Then learn to lie better," she snapped back.
"She's not lying!" Maia shouted before Archer could answer. She sounded exhausted rather than angry. "We were literally teleported here! One second, we were in some abandoned elven ruins, the next thing we know, we're literally landing right in the middle of your territory!"
"Silence, human!" Evelyn cut her off sharply. "I should have all of you hanged for daring to talk over the queen, you dirty li—hn!"
She froze when Archer shifted his grip, the blade sliding a hair closer until the cold steel brushed her skin. Not deep enough to cut, but just enough to remind her that her life hangs in the balance.
"You're too loud," he said, voice low. "As I told you before, we just want to leave. Let us walk out of here, and you keep your life and throne. Like Maia said, none of us want your crown, your land, or get involved in your war — this is all just a misunderstanding."
"You dare make demands of me? Of a queen? A human speaking to me like this!? Kill him! No, capture him and throw him into the dungeon!" Evelyn glared at him as though the words themselves offended her more than the weapon at her throat. The elves around them shifted uneasily, watching the exchange without moving in. Archer only lifted one eyebrow in return. He had seen this same pride throughout several instances in his life; rulers measuring a person's worth by race and birthplace before anything else… It was honestly getting annoying.
"I am—" Evelyn began her rant again, her voice rising.
"Evelyn, please," Celestine interrupted, stepping forward slightly. "I know there is little trust between us. I know our kingdoms have not stood side by side in years. But we are not your enemies. Both our kingdoms have been attacked, and in response, we have always stayed neutral and even sent each other help several times before. Our families have aided each other before in the past, and all I ask right now is that you listen to me, that the same dangers we are facing right now are the same as yours, whether you want to admit it or not."
"Don't you dare put us in the same boat! You're nothing but a messenger with the gall to call herself a goddess. You're not even of royal blood!" Evelyn shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. Even though she remained loud and uncooperative, Archer still managed to get something out of their little exchanges. Aside from the fact that they knew each other, their relationship was clearly adversarial, and it revealed a possibility that people here did not truly believe Celestine was the Goddess… or at least, not the royal family.
"If you're going to kill me," she went on, her tone shaking despite her efforts to hold it steady, "then I swear on my name that no one will let this go unpunished. All of Fullstar will hunt you to the ends of the world!"
Her words tried to carry a threatening tone, but her trembling frame and breaking voice betrayed her fear. The threat lost some of its force when her knuckles went white as she squeezed them too hard, her shoulders stiff as if locked between fear and pride. Even her eyes were teary, looking as if she were about to cry at any moment.
"Then let's make a deal," Celestine said suddenly, raising her chin slightly. "Since this is all a misunderstanding, and if Archer truly wanted to kill you, he would have done so already, why don't we help each other just this once? We will let you go. In return, guide us to the fastest way out of this forest. I know this is your land, and a place like this must be surrounded by layers of restrictive magics and crawling with ferocious creatures. Without guidance, we could be wandering for days in your land or worse."
"What a worthless bargain," Evelyn snapped back almost instantly. "I gain nothing from it. I don't negotiate with enemies."
Celestine's expression barely changed, though the faint curl of her lips hinted at amusement. "Perhaps you don't want to. But what about the others?" She gestured lightly toward the guards surrounding their queen. Some shifted uneasily, realizing the weight of her words before she even finished speaking.
"It has been centuries since I last set foot in Fullstar," Celestine continued, her gaze moving slowly across their faces. "I can't say whether your laws remain the same. But if I remember correctly, when a ruler is slain, the guards sworn to protect her meet the same fate. Execution for failing their duty. Isn't that right?"
Her question hung in the air, and immediately the tension crackled through the clearing. Faces paled; even Evelyn stiffened as if someone had poured cold water down her back.
"Hah! What nonsense," Evelyn snapped, though her voice faltered halfway through. "There's no such thing! T-That ridiculous law has been thrown away completely, and o-only those who do not follow my words are executed! R-Right, m-my words are the rules, and I will execute you all if you don't obey me!" Her voice grew louder, more desperate as a slight quiver betrayed her…Everyone could tell that she was lying.
Celestine did not let the moment slip. "Archer," she said smoothly, "is my most powerful mage. Harm either of us, and not even a thousand of you could stand against him. He alone crushed the Kuroinu and captured Olga Discordia. All by himself."
"..."
"..."
The reaction was not immediate; some tilted their heads in confusion until whispers started to spread among the guards bit by bit. It continued until every elven guard now looked at him with various expressions on their faces. The women's spears wavered at first, until they slowly lowered their arms entirely. "What the hell are you idiots doing!? She is lying! No human can defeat an elf of any kind, even the impure ones! Are you that stupid!?" Evelyn's fury climbed, her authority slipping as more signs of resignation continued to spread through her ranks.
"This is treason!" she shrieked, eyes wide. "If you refuse to save me, I'll seriously have every one of you executed! Kill this human now and capture the rest!"
But no one moved. The guards stayed frozen in place while Celestine's smile only grew, calm amid the rising panic. Basically becoming a smirk by now, while both Radomira and Mistiora remained frozen in their spot, the former watching the entire thing as if it were a show, and the latter just gazing at everything with very little change in her expression. Maia, however… was no different than a ball of nerves, looking around hastily as if to search for an escape route.
"Keep talking and I guarantee this situation will get bloody. Even your guards understand the weight of this moment. Continuing this defiance will only put you in a position you cannot recover from." Archer said evenly, his voice a low constant designed to break through her hysteria. He held himself perfectly still, only his eyes shifting. A small part of him considered striking her temple with the pommel of his blade to knock her out cold and be done with her. It would have been the most efficient solution, silencing her arrogance in an instant and stabilizing the immediate threat.
But another part of him held back, curious to see whether this so-called Goddess Reborn had the sense to defuse the tension herself and perhaps even turn it to their advantage. There was also the risk that the moment he made a move, the guards would leap to the wrong conclusion, convinced he had harmed her or worse. Not that he feared them hurting him, rather he worried these protectors would end up hurting the others, and possibly worse if he was not fast enough.
Now, with every eye fixed on her and her pride crumbling, Evelyn stood frozen. The chill bite of Kanshou remained at her neck, the metal pressed just firmly enough to remind her what would happen if she moved. Her lips parted, but no words came out. The defiance in her stance was cracking apart with each passing second, as though a storm had stripped it down piece by piece. Moisture gathered at the edges of her eyes, making her look as though she might break down entirely any second and weep where she stood. Celestine waited for her answer patiently.
Maia and the others held their tongues, and as for Archer… he suddenly felt droplets of liquid fall onto his arm and was stunned to realize that for all that previous bravado—the queen of Fullstar really was starting to cry.
"Uuuuh… sniff…Fine," Evelyn whispered at last, the word barely louder than the faint hum of a mosquito drifting through the air.
"Did you say something, your majesty?" The blonde elf Goddess Reborn replied, her voice sounding even more cheerful, and, surprisingly, somewhat smug. "I believe it would be prudent to ensure your subjects hear the acceptance clearly. We would not wish for any confusion regarding this arrangement."
"Damn you, Lucross, I said I'm fine!" Evelyn snapped, her voice cracking as the last of her restraint slipped. "I accept the deal! Now get this filthy human away from me! Uuuuaaaah! He has already tainted my body and my honor as it is! Uuuuh! How long do you intend to humiliate me!?"
At this point, the tension seemed to evaporate, and Archer let the weapon disperse in the air and watched as the girl fell onto her knees, holding her body as if he had done something irredeemable to her. 'And this is the queen of Fullstar… somehow, she's making the Princess Knights from before look more competent. She's no different from a spoiled brat.'
He truly started to worry about this world. If Draco wasn't around, then these people alone were incompetent enough to destroy it entirely just by themselves.
"No, we're not done yet," Celestine said at once, countering Evelyn's pleas, shocking the elven queen. "I want you to give your word. Swear on the name of your royal house and your crown as queen that you will not go back on what you have agreed to. No treachery. No betrayal."
Every layer of caution she added tightened the snare around Evelyn further, forcing the woman to nod through clenched teeth, her pride trampled into the dirt.
"Whatever, just b-because I am a gracious queen… sniff, I-I shall allow you this minor victory and honor the deal." He could see that even some of the other elves around looked away in what could only be described as embarrassment for what they had just witnessed.
He really pitied these people.
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(An hour later)
They had walked in uncomfortable silence for a while. Evelyn had put her clothes back on, refusing to spend one more second in her birthday suit. Of all the things she could have worn, she chose a pink and white leotard that wrapped around her like a one-piece swimsuit, barely covering her hips and breasts, with a little pink ribbon tying her chest area.The ensemble was completed by pure pink leather thigh-high boots, gloves with crown-designed sleeves, and a pink cape lined with white fur. To finish this ridiculous, skimpy, pink excuse for a royal garb, she wore a bejeweled pink and gold queen's crown on top of her head.
"Hah…"
He just had to tell himself that this was accepted here, that, for some reason beyond his comprehension, this was considered normal.
Evelyn really was quite spoiled; she even needed her handmaid's help dressing herself rather than doing it herself. Once dressed, Evelyn directed one of her guards to show the fastest way off their territory, which they obliged. Now they were being watched slowly as they made the trek out.
As they began the trek back, Archer's attention was drawn to the forest closing in around them, leaving behind the clarity of the lake. Something about the woods unsettled him, a vague tension he couldn't quite name. The trees stretched high, their branches weaving together in places to blot out the sun. The air was damp, carrying the faint scent of moss and wet earth.
There was a strangeness here that gnawed at him, and it made him feel uneasy. Celestine mentioned monsters, he recalled, yet we haven't encountered a single creature. Not even the rustle of a beast in the brush—only the distant, hollow chirping of birds.
They moved in a wary cluster, his companions surrounded by the queen's protectors. Archer could not shake the prickling sensation on the back of his neck—the unmistakable feeling of being watched. He didn't dismiss it as paranoia; experience had taught him that paranoia was often just survival. Perhaps Olga was trailing them… If it were the dark elf, he doubted she would abandon them now. She had no family left but the one traveling in this very group. That alone would keep her close, a phantom in the shadows.
"Well, that went better than I expected," Maia muttered, finally slipping over to his side. Despite her words, her rigid shoulders betrayed her true state of mind. She scanned the trees. "I was half ready for an all-out fight. That girl in the horse-drawn litter is glaring at you with enough venom that I almost mistook her for Alicia."
Archer's mouth curved slightly. She was not wrong. From the horse-drawn litter ahead, Evelyn's golden hair gleamed in the dim light. She sat bolt upright, her eyes boring into the back of Archer's head with a stare that could have curdled milk. Beside her, Celestine spoke to her in calm tones, the picture of control, while the rest of the guards marched outside the carriage.
"I still think we should have split off and found our own way," Maia went on, her voice low. "I'm seventy… no, make it ninety percent sure they won't let us walk away once we reach the capital. They'll box us in with reinforcements and toss us straight into the fucking dungeon! The Queen is such a little brat, I'd half expected her to go back at her word the moment she could; it's so obvious even a blind man could see the betrayal coming."
"Celestine claims the royal family values their word as much as their bloodline," Archer replied. "According to her, they will not betray us."
Maia shot him a look of pure disbelief. He answered it with a dismissive shrug before adding, "I know what you're thinking, and no, I don't buy the 'royal honor' bit either. But the least I can do is to observe and wait. Given our recent history, my confidence is non-existent. It's highly probable she'll try to break her word."
"Ah, phew, for a second, I thought I was talking to someone else," Maia said dryly. "Never knew you could be this trusting with some random elf queen we just met. She kinda reminds me of that fucking Michelle."
"I've never met him, but based on what I heard, he can't have been that bad. You're exaggerating, right?" She rolled her eyes but let it drop. She at least had the sense to keep her misgivings quiet rather than stirring trouble with the guards. Truthfully, he trusted none of them and planned for them to slip away the moment they approached the capital's walls.
"Hey, Archer," came a hushed voice from behind. Radomira drew close, her tone barely above a whisper. "What should we do about… You know, the others?"
"Right…"Archer did not believe for a second that Olga would simply vanish after the effort she'd spent tracking Chloe. Now that Mistiora was with them, he was certain the dark elves were close—likely shadowed by Olga's concealment spells, waiting for an opening, or perhaps she was just waiting for him back in the cave they found on the way here. Both options were good since he made sure to remember the path back to that place in case things got messy here.
"Everyone is already on edge; let's not give them a reason to snap." He glanced back at Mistiora, who was trailing Radomira so closely her hand was bunched in the Tiefling's clothes. It was funny in a way, as the latter did not even seem to notice it. He knew that there were several eyes on those girls by the surrounding elves, but most of their attention was on Radomira.
'Not a warm welcome for her kind, Archer noted. Queen Evelyn had called her a demon, but the elven guards' reactions were surprisingly muted compared to the open hostility of the Seven Kingdoms..' If they were forced into a fight, he was confident Maia could hold the line for a time, but even her blessings had limits. Against these numbers, her endurance would eventually fail. She was a formidable fighter, but she was no one-woman army..
"She still hasn't talked much yet." He was told by the redhead, who also took it upon herself to keep an eye on their traveling dark elf. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I almost feel sorry for the girl. She isn't as arrogant as Olga. Honestly, that woman could learn a thing or two from her," she finished, speaking loud enough for Mistiora to hear the entire thing, but of course, she still, just like always, did not react.
"Don't go looking for trouble now, Maia."
Archer's scolding earned him a scoff, as Maia retorted by crossing her arms while whispering to herself, "My, my. Look at you, already getting defensive over her. Was she really that good in bed?" Archer ignored the barb. Jealousy was a potent distraction, but his protection wasn't born of sentiment—it was pure pragmatism. Discussing the Dark Queen while surrounded by elven spears was a death wish, plain and simple.. Better to wait until they split paths. "Speaking of which, I am a bit surprised your reputation even reached this area of the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you didn't do anything big, but Fullstar is so far away and they barely cared about us all these years, so I'm kind of surprised how they reacted after knowing you eliminated the black dogs."
It wasn't the defeat of Vault and his mercenaries that moved them," Archer said, catching her eye.. "It was Olga. Regardless of their disdain for Celestine and the seven kingdoms, these people still feared that woman. She was raising an army of dangerous demons whose numbers seemed to stretch as far as the sea. They knew that if the Seven Kingdoms fell, Fullstar would be the next logical target. I didn't just kill a man; I removed a looming existential threat from their doorstep.."
That made the redhead cross her arms with a bitter expression. "So this fuckers were secretly thinking we were going to fail in the end, didn't they?"
Archer shot her a sidelong glance. "I'll remind you that, despite claiming dominion over seven entire kingdoms, you were forced to rely on a band of sellswords, of all things, to solve your problems. You ceded so much authority to them that, in the eyes of the common folk, they were the true masters of the realm. By the end, the 'Royal Houses' were nothing more than expensive figureheads."."
She shrank a bit into herself after he reminded her of their past failures, at least showing she had the decency to look slightly ashamed. "All right, all right, stop reminding me about it, you're starting to sound like Claudia. I don't need a second person in my life acting like she's my mother."
Archer chuckled; at least he was glad to see she accepted his words despite her answer. "After we get out of this forest, we should find a way to make haste back to Feoh and get in contact with Alicia as soon as possible… that place will fall into chaos if she does not properly reign in everyone."
"You really want to go back there? I know Draco has been a nightmare, but I'm sure, now at least, Alicia has things well in hand. Why not take this chance to head back to Ansur? It's been ages, and I doubt that beast would dare linger there after the lesson you taught her. If all you need is to send a message, Fullstar has a shrine operated by Kaguya's maidens. They can reach anyone using those enchanted talismans of theirs."
"Kaguya?" The name caught Archer off guard. Anything involving that insect-worshipping cult usually signaled trouble.. "Here, of all places?"
"Their faction is quite a friendly one, just like Luu-Luu's. They mesh well with others and are welcomed almost everywhere, so don't be surprised if you see miko maidens walking down the street. We can use their network to reach Alicia."
True enough, she had a point; he did not know Draco's current whereabouts, and it was very possible that the blonde pipsqueak could have moved on to greener pastures. Yet, a nagging doubt remained. Draco was the personification of vanity; leaving without one final trump card would be an admission of defeat—something her pride would never allow.. He knew Alicia wouldn't be able to handle the fallout alone if Draco had left a parting gift. "We'll see. Let's first focus on our current proble—hm?"
That sensation again—a prickling along the edge of awareness, subtle but unmistakable. Archer snapped his head around, gaze fixed outwards, as if the motion itself might catch the unseen observer in the act. Of course, nothing; his eyes found only empty distance, unchanged. Yet that was enough. Now he knew—they were definitely being watched. The more he dwelled on it, the more this place seemed to shift under him, growing stranger with every heartbeat…
Her overall entourage was not that numerous to begin with, a few dozen of her personal soldiers, just like the entourage Celestine used to have with her knights back in Feoh. He did wonder why a queen like her needed to come this far from the kingdom just to take a dip in a random pond in the middle of nowhere, but the fact that the teleportation spell also brought them near this place made him question why that was the case in the first place. "Maia, do you perhaps have any knowledge of whether or not this place holds any significance to the elves in FullStar?"
"This place? Beats me, I'm not a history nut like Kaguya or even Celestine. Best to ask the bossy elves themselves. That is, if you don't mind getting scratched by that brat as soon as you get close to her."
"This is their ancestral land." Both turned in shock to a voice Archer had only heard once at an inn. To their surprise, the one who actually gave them their answer turned out to be Mistiora of all people. The silver-haired beauty had kept her silent all this time, never once even acknowledging them, yet now had finally said something.
Archer, Radomira, and Maia looked at her, as she showed no signs of embarrassment, her mouth still somewhat hidden under her veil, as she continued to speak. "Legend has it that the goddess once came to this pond in order to give birth to the first light elf who would create the kingdom of Fullstar. At least, that's the story the royal family likes to spread. It hasn't been proven solidly yet, and many old records show no evidence of such a thing, besides their word of mouth."
"You know your history." He asked with genuine curiosity, grateful for the peace of information.
"I heard of it during my travels; it is a popular tale spread in Fullstar by their local church."
Oh? So this place also had something similar to the church of Celestine. He didn't exactly deal much with those people back in Feoh; still, Archer had a feeling that they would not be so accepting of him and the effect he had on their goddess. He hoped at the very least that things would go as smoothly here, hoping he would not be interacting with them whatsoever in Fullstar.
"Is she safe?" she asked, garnering his attention, as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She didn't stop as she looked at him with her amber eyes."You were with her earlier."
'How'd she know?'
You think I abandoned her?" To that, the dark elf shook her head slowly. "You're quite trusting of me. I thought you were determined to remain a silent shadow. Regardless—yes, she's here. And this time, I'm warning you. Don't do anything reckless. No running off.. If I have to pull both of you out of the fire again, the odds of someone getting killed go up. Don't put her in that position."
She lowered her head, offering a silent nod of compliance. The quiet didn't last. Archer's hand shot up, signaling a sharp halt to everyone behind him. "Wait," he commanded, his brow furrowed as his eyes swept the dense treelines.
The sudden stop rippled to the front of the column, where Celestine and Evelyn broke off their conversation to look back in confusion. "What is the meaning of this? Keep walking!" Evelyn snapped. The guards nearby didn't wait for orders; they drew their weapons and leveled them at Archer's chest. It was a clear sign: these people had no intention of letting them walk free once they reached the capital.
"Archer?" Maia's voice was tense as she followed his gaze, searching the shadows for whatever had spooked him, but to no avail.
"Something's not right," he murmured. That prickling sensation was no longer a nag—it was a scream. It had clung stubbornly to his senses for the last hour from the moment he arrived in this forest.e'd tried to dismiss it as the strangeness of a new world, but the weight in his gut told him otherwise. This wasn't an environment; it was a threat.
…
…
Yet no matter how sharply he scanned the perimeter, nothing stood out—which was a warning in itself. "Something about this place is neutralizing my senses…" he muttered. "I can feel the stares, but I can't pin the source.. '
"We will not ask again." an elven guard hissed, her spear tip inching closer. "Move, or we will make you." Hostility radiated from her, and it grew more evident by the second. Archer didn't need to answer. A split second later, dozens of large, dark orbs arced out from the treeline, raining down into the center of the column.
The moment the orbs left the treeline, Archer's instincts took over. He pivoted, throwing himself in front of Mistiora to shield her, just as the spheres detonated, releasing a thick, acrid smoke that swallowed the clearing in seconds.
"Shit, Celestine-sama!" Maia made haste to the carriage, with Archer giving Radomira the signal to follow the redhead to keep an eye on her.
"—!"
His body moved before his mind could even register the threat, muscles twitching on pure reflex as he yanked Mistiora toward him. "Kya!" The feminine dark elf stumbled into his chest with a startled cry, just as a dagger sailed through the air and buried itself in the spot where she had stood seconds earlier. One glance at the blade told the man all he needed to know. The metal was coated in a dark, oily film, its faint sheen betraying a poison crafted to either cripple or numb rather than kill outright. Had he not moved her, the blade would have taken her in the thigh, neutralizing her without the messy finality of death. This was a capture attempt, not an assassination..
'It can't be the same group from the village, they shouldn't know she's here, and they certainly don't have the means to track a teleportation this quickly. Are there other cells in Mandeville's service? We shifted locations instantly. Unless someone followed us through the rift, we should be invisible.''
For a fleeting moment, the ring of steel and the rising roar of carnage made Archer feel as though he'd been pulled back into the ruins of the previous battle. The smoke coiled like a living thing, carrying the frantic shouts and the rhythmic, heavy clangs of a desperate defense. Even through the din, Evelyn's shrill voice pierced the air, shrieking for her guards to slaughter the intruders or die trying.
He never imagined meeting anyone more headache-inducing or stubborn than a younger Alicia, but here he was.
"Hm?" A sharp pressure spiked at the edge of his vision. The air shifted with an unnatural weight,, and Archer felt goosebumps as his instincts screamed with fury. He pivoted to react, but the figure was already inside his guard, less than a meter away. She was crouched so low her chest practically brushed the dirt, coiled like a spring. A massive iron greatsword loomed over her shoulders, the weapon's surface marked with nicks and scars — exactly like what he had seen earlier.
Burning orange eyes locked onto his steel gray with predatory focus. There was no hesitation, only the cold intent of a hunter as she launched herself forward. Crude bandages of broad leaves and torn cloth were lashed around her limbs barely covering fresh wounds and doing even less to preserve her modesty. Yet nothing about her movements suggested weakness. The massive greatsword swung upward in a single, vicious arc, the earth beneath her feet cracking as she channeled her full weight into the strike.
There was no doubt… A normal man would not have survived this, regardless of how many layers of armor he wore. Shields would have splintered, swords would have snapped. Even hardened leather would have been cleaved through like parchment. Bone and steel alike would have shattered under the sheer weight of that blow.
But the brutal, decisive impact she expected never came. "Hn". Instead of cleaving through flesh, the sharpened edge of the greatsword met the sole of Archer's boot with a resounding klang.
"Eeh!"
"Nrgh!"
Archer had intended to kill the momentum by driving the blade into the dirt, but he'd underestimated her. The iron bit into his soles, the upward force threatening to toss him aside. It was enough to override his counter-pressure and continue its lethal arc. Enough to not only overcome his move but to continue on its path, forcing him to go along with the motion. Forced to adapt, he pulled Mistiora tightly against his chest, and used the rising flat of the greatsword as a springboard, launching them both into the air. Enhanced strength, he noted, his mind already calculating. Roughly on par with an Orc.'
All the more reason to keep Mistiora close. He landed gracefully on a sturdy high tree branch, shielding the dark elf behind the massive trunk. His bow was already in hand—traced into existence in a blur of mana. Leaning out from the cover of the trunk, he released a rapid volley of arrows.
Leona's eyes widened in disbelief; she was still processing his evasion when the bow materialized. On instinct, she slammed her greatsword into the earth, huddling behind the slab of iron like a makeshift shield, which, luckily for her, sufficiently covered her against the arrows that tore through the air. The arrows struck with enough kinetic force push her backwards, her blade carving a deep gash through the soil. "You gotta be kidding me!" Leona snarled, feeling the wind of a projectile shred a lock of her hair. Any thoughts of a clean capture vanished; this was a fight for survival.
As Archer touched down on the forest floor, his bow dissolved into molts of blue light. To Leona, this was a chance and she seized that glimmer of hope and lunged forward with everything she had. All of her actions were observed by him as the giant weapon came swinging. 'Blocking that head-on would be a fool's errand, he thought.' Reinforcement would help to somewhat even out the gap, but he was not here for a strength comparison contest, opting for something simpler. As Bakuya materialized in his palm, he didn't meet her edge; he swept the short sword against the flat side of her blade, guiding the blow harmlessly past him.
A loud screech stung his ears, but the desired outcome occurred as he managed to push that thing off its course using a precise strike. The blade goes above Archer's head, the crushing momentum missing him by less than a hairbreadth… thus leaving Leona completely open. The latter already realized her blunder but was unable to recover fast enough despite her monstrous strength. "Motherfu—urgh!"
Reinforced boots dug deep within her unguarded stomach, pushed deep with a quick spin to add more momentum. Air forcefully pushed out of her lungs and caused some spit to fling out of her mouth, the Lycanthrope fell backwards like a tumbleweed.
"You somehow survived that fall from the teleportation. I'm almost curious to know how." Archer said quietly, eyes never leaving hers. "Give up, I won't let you take her.. Leave with what few men that were dragged along with you in that teleportation accident."
Was it mercy? Perhaps. Though in a way, he was grateful she attacked, as the conflict painted them in a better light and focused Evelyn's attention on another party instead. If killed immediately, the blonde elf could just as easily bring her ire back on them.
"Tch."
The snarl came from deep in her throat before she pushed off, bare feet digging into the ground. She sprang back into the swirling smoke, vanishing into it as if it swallowed her whole. Archer's gaze tracked the faint trail she left before it too disappeared.
"Stay there and do not move," he ordered Mistiora before dashing into the middle of the ground where they stood before, never taking her out of his sight.
'Moving like that with such a weapon, and so silently at that, either she relied on magic to mask her steps, or it's indeed just pure strength alone.' Even Archer himself admitted that he would have made some noise carrying something that heavy, yet she slipped through the battlefield like a shadow. How she managed it did not matter.
The battle beyond them began to quiet down. The shouting of Evelyn's elves was thinning, fewer voices cutting through the smoke. 'Maia should be able to keep those two safe along with Radomira. These mercenary men were already injured from their last battle; using a surprise attack method would not help much in the long run.'
Then, a faint motion flickered through the haze.
'There.'
If she had attacked him from behind earlier, then her next move would almost certainly be the same: to run around his blind side and strike again. He was proven right when she repeated the tactic, this time skipping any buildup of momentum or strength, going straight for a thrust.
Clang!
The sound split the air as her blade scraped across the gleaming white edge of his Noble Phantasm. Sparks burst between them while his hand twisted, deflecting the strike upward before he stepped in, ready to drive his foot into her side. Yet she clearly learned her lesson from last time and twisted with the deflection, vanishing once more into the smoke.
She made no sound as she retreated. That silence was starting to bother him. Maybe a spell was masking her presence, or a skill that enabled her to blend in with her surroundings… something similar to the way Assassin's presence concealment worked, but he had doubts if it was something that complex. If so, this fight had just become far more troublesome than he expected.
"Ah!"
She came at him again. The pattern repeated, each emergence from the haze bringing a different attack. Sometimes she struck with a high downward slash, other times with a long horizontal cut meant to carve him in two. The woman even went for thrusts when the opening seemed right. But every blow was met by Bakuya's edge, steel crashing against steel with a rhythm that rang across the battlefield.
Through it all, he stayed calm. His gaze never left the shifting smoke where she hid between strikes. Leona's assaults were coming faster now, the intervals shrinking. At first, she always leapt back into the mist after each failed blow, but lately she had started chaining a second attack immediately after the first, hoping to catch him off-guard before vanishing again.
'She's not as fast as those Lycanthropes I fought with Olga,' he thought, adjusting his stance to meet her next strike. 'But she's every bit as strong.'
More than a dozen clashes had passed already, and she showed no fatigue. Her breathing never faltered, her movements never slowed. She fought as if her body ignored the limits that should have dragged her down by now.
"Is she trying to wear me out first?" he wondered. "Not a bad plan."
No longer being a Servant, his limitations as a human would make it impossible for him to engage in prolonged combat; exhaustion would end up catching up to him sooner or later. In fact, he was already getting a bit of soreness in his grip from the prolonged fight on top of the small skirmish against the mercenaries earlier.
The longer the battle dragged on, the clearer her overall style of combat became. She wasn't a warrior who thrived on head-on clashes and using strength to overpower her opponent, even though she could perfectly do so. Rather, Leona was shaping the fight using stealth, speed, and timing rather than sheer force. Their first encounter before the teleportation incident had been abrupt, catching her unprepared.
He compared her to others in his mind. Alicia had been fast, Maia had been devastatingly strong. This woman fought like the best traits of both had been fused together, not possessing either's monstrous abilities in that field, but a balance she knew how to use, that in his eyes honestly made her more dangerous than the Princess Knights, at least. Aside from Maia herself or perhaps Claudia with her high durability, he doubted any other Princess Knight could have lasted this long against her.
But he had no interest in dragging this duel out. She struck mostly from his blind side, avoided direct frontal attacks, and favored overhead swings for the momentum they offered.
Thrusts, on the other hand, left her open whenever he deflected them, and she always struggled to recover in time afterward. With each exchange, the pattern became clearer in his mind. So when she lunged again with another thrust, he redirected her blade and countered at once, his strike catching her in the side and sending her sprawling through the smoke once more.
She was slower to rise this time. Her earlier wounds from fighting Olga must still be taking their toll.
'Perhaps that was the reason she is avoiding a direct clash. The woman knows she is running out of time, each moment carrying her closer to the edge where pain will finally make it impossible for her to stay focused and get caught off guard.'
Archer read that rhythm once more, and in the next heartbeat, using the sequence he had prepared earlier, he flicked his wrist and sent Bakuya spinning through the air. The blade vanished into the haze lingering across the battlefield. "Argh!" A painful cry cut through the smoke a moment later.
"Damn it!" An enraged roar answered it.
Leona emerged once more, this time with a streak of crimson running across her shoulder. Her eyes burned with fury as she charged straight at him, sword raised high above her head. There was no caution now, not even the sign of an attempt to retreat back into the smoke if her strike failed. Most likely in her mind, he was unarmed, and this was her moment to finish him.
"You fool," Archer muttered under his breath, too low for her to catch. It looks like she hadn't figured out what those blue molts of light were.
Shock widened her eyes when, in the next instant, his other hand flared with Magical Energy and Kanshou shimmered into existence… its edge gleaming. Instead of turning the black blade to block her downward strike as he had done before, he slashed upward with full force. Steel met steel. Her weapon split clean in two, one half spinning away to bury itself into the dirt while the other half remained in her grip, useless.
"It's already over for you."
Leona instinctively tried to retreat toward the edges of the fight, but the move came too late. From the swirling smoke behind her, Bakuya shot forward like a silver flash, the blade biting into her side before she could react. The strike tore across her lower stomach, leaving a deep, open wound with blood spilling everywhere.
She twisted desperately at the last possible moment, saving herself from a killing blow, but the wound was still severe enough to wrench a cry of pain from her throat.
"Gah!"
"Leona!"
As the smoke began to disperse, what few remained of her group saw her condition and immediately tried to intervene. "Get her to safety! I'll distract them!"
He had to give it to them; at the very least, they were loyal to their leader. Despite not being in the best shape, with severe wounds on their own bodies, these men pushed themselves to get between him and Leona. The first one, pointing his chipped sword straight at Archer, the latter, on the other hand, merely kept his silence. "Cocky bastard!"
"Your leader has fallen."
Despite his words, the bearded man tried to attack him first, swinging his sword with all his might, but Archer parried him, doing very little against his opponent. In a flash, both Kanshou and Bakuya moved with him, landing less than a handful of swift cuts. The first one rendered the attacker's arm useless, causing the sword he held to fall, and two more slices across his stomach. He stumbled a bit, his back hitting a tree as he slowly descended downwards, leaving a trail of blood on the trunk.
"W-What the hell! Did he even move!?" Some shouted, confusing his sleight of hand with the blades for speed. That particular display already demoralized them further, and with the sight of their comrades dying at the hands of the elven warriors around them. Their numbers already dwindled down by the second.
With a simple command, several swords were conjured in the air, taking aback both the elves and mercenaries. Leona especially became horrified upon finding that each one of those blades was aimed at what remained of her men. Their death at his fingertips with just a simple command, acting as a separating line.
"W-Wait…" Archer stopped right as another one was about to rush at him, turning his attention to Leona, who was being supported by one of the White Wolves mercenaries while a quick, bloody cloth was coiled around her waist. "D-Don't kill them…if you spare them…I will h-hand-urgh, I will hand myself over." She said in between her grunts, gritting her teeth while trying to stay conscious.
"..." He stood there quietly at first, observing the woman closely to see if she was planning something else or waiting for him to lower his guard. He doubted she was going to try anything in her current state anymore, and what little remained of her men would not count as a threat anymore. "I can't make promises for the queen or her entourage, but surrendering right now is your best option regardless of the path you choose — you still have valuable information."
Understanding what he meant, she nodded. "Give me… your word… that my men won't be harmed."
He scoffed, "As long as you don't try anything funny. From Feoh, all the way to the ruins, and now going so far as to launch a surprise attack against the queen of Fullstar. Despite not having fully recovered from your previous injuries. I hope it's worth whatever the person who hired you is paying," he said. In the next moment, the dozens of swords around him dispersed, this being his answer to the woman who, using her last bit of strength, gave him a nod before losing consciousness. It's a miracle she managed to stay conscious for so long despite having lost so much blood. I'll factor it due to her Lycan side giving her much better survivability.
"Archer!" Radomira's voice called out for him, though this time it sounded quite urgent. He dropped whatever questions he had for Leona and immediately ran off towards the carriage, where his eyes immediately widened upon seeing a scene he never thought would occur right now.
"Maia!" He shouted the redhead's name upon finding her on the ground, held close by Celestine, as a dagger embedded itself in her shoulders. Her face was pale, and she was having a hard time breathing.
"Archer, it's Maia, she's hurt!" Radomira cried, her voice breaking. Tears streaked her dust-covered face as Archer sprinted to the fallen mercenary's side..
"Damn, the blade was tainted!" he snapped, his irritation flaring as he observed her skin flushing a feverish red as the toxin raced through her system. Acting quickly, he yanked the poisoned dagger out. Blood surged from the wound in a steady stream, splattering across the dirt before he pressed his palm hard over it to stop the flow, tracing several clean bandages and surgical adhesives to keep the wound closed. "Can you help her?" he asked, his eyes darting towards Celestine. The goddess knelt beside Maia, her face fully focused on her Princess Knight as she placed both hands on the girl's head. She kept her focus for several seconds before slowly shaking her head.
"I can try to heal the wound itself… but I am not as skilled in healing as my sister," Celestine admitted frustratingly. "But whatever has entered her body… I cannot draw it out. I don't even know what it is."
"Damn it, does anyone here know how to treat poison?" he roared, his gaze swept the trembling attendants and the stoic elven guards alike, but he was met only with averted eyes and silence..
Archer didn't wait for a volunteer. He strode over to one of the captured mercenaries, seizing the man by the collar and hauling him up so roughly his boots barely scraped the ground. The toxin. What was on that blade?" Archer demanded, his face close enough that the man could see the cold gleam in his eyes. Perhaps it was the memory of how their leader had fallen earlier, the display of his magecraft, or the killing intent radiating off him, but the mercenary stammered, his composure shattering.
"I—I don't know the name! It's just a sap we found on one of the plants here!" the man stuttered, voice cracking as Archer's grip tightened until the fabric bit into his throat. "Leona said it was poisonous, that's all!"
"We know of that plant," came a feminine voice from behind. One of the elven women stepped forward, her expression darkening the moment she laid eyes on Maia's wound. "If that poison comes from a blue-capped, red-spotted mushroom, then your companion is not in a good situation. It grows only in these forests and is used by our alchemist for brewing various kinds of potions. Left untreated, it kills slowly and painfully."
"Then you know what I'm about to ask next."
She nodded. "The palace stores antidotes for every lethal plant and venomous beast in these woods. But even if you reach Fullstar, the court physician only treats those with authorization from the royal family. And at the rate the toxin is spreading… she won't survive the journey." She glanced toward her queen, who was busy kicking the corpse of one mercenary who had apparently tried and failed to attack her earlier.
Archer glanced at Maia again. The poison was spreading too fast. Her breathing had grown dangerously thin, and her skin was slick with a cold, frantic sweat. Her body was burning from the inside out. He didn't hesitate. He scooped her up into his arms and rose in one smooth motion. "Then tell me the path. Now."
"Follow this road until you reach the river," the elf woman replied instantly, not even questioning his words, to which he was grateful. "Head upstream until you see the beacon towers. They lead straight to Fullstar." She paused before adding, "If you take a horse, I can guide—"
"No." Archer cut her off before turning to Radomira. "How fast can you fly?"
"I've improved," she answered without hesitation, already spreading her wings. "Whatever speed you need, I can reach it." Had this been before she attained her adult form, the man would have seriously doubted her words. She could barely float back then, let alone fly at great speed. But in her adult form, her rate of improvement was ridiculous to say the least, both in terms of her own magical prowess and the usage of her wings.
"Good, then I want you to keep up with me. I will be running to Fullstar."
The command hung in the air, drawing every eye in the clearing. Confusion swept through the ranks; it was obvious they had expected a tactical retreat or a frantic debate, not a direct sprint to the heart of the kingdom. To the elven guards, the idea of traveling on foot was lunacy—even with a horse, the journey was grueling.
Archer paid no attention to any of it, gently picking Maia up. Radomira stepped forward, nodding firmly, already bracing herself with a pair of black feathered wings emerging from her back.
"Also, carry her along. She owes us a favor, and she'll be our entry ticket."
He pointed directly at Evelyn, who blinked in surprise, as though only now realizing the sudden shift in the topic of conversation. "What the—Hua!" She barely had time to form words before the tiefling swooped in, catching her cleanly by the leg and hauling her upward without a single ounce of delicacy. "K-Kidnapped! I am getting kidnapped by the demon! Help me, you idiots!" Evelyn's startled cry rang through the clearing as the winged figure beat powerful strokes into the air, lifting her skyward while she kicked wildly in protest.
"Your Majesty!" several voices called after her, alarm and anger rising, but the elven guard who spoke to him earlier raised a hand, silencing them before turning to Archer.
"Just keep her safe."
"I will And you too, keep the others safe," Archer told her plainly, with a reassured tone. He started to find these people more pleasant than he imagined, and she was proving far more rational than most he had encountered in this world. "And make sure no one amongst the mercenaries runs away."
He wasted no more words. Reinforcement surged through his legs,The earth groaned and cracked beneath his boots as he detonated into a sprint, the treeline instantly becoming a green blur. He moved with predatory efficiency, every stride a perfect synchronization of muscle and mana..
Behind him, Radomira struggled to maintain the pace. Strain was etched into every line across her face as her wings beat the air with frantic, rhythmic thuds. Evelyn, still gripped firmly by the tiefling, flailed like a hooked fish. Her voice was a high-pitched streak in the wind, unleashed in a steady stream of aristocratic curses.
"Aaaaaaah! Forget the dungeon, I will skin you two alive and drop you in a bath of saltwater! Unhand me!"
"Not a wise idea, that last one. You might fall and snap your head. Not to mention we saved your life," Archer shot back, though the White Wolves perhaps were not dumb enough to kill the ruler of an entire Kingdom — she did not need to know that. "The least you can do is save one of ours."
Whether Evelyn heard him was irrelevant. The wind whipped her protests into a fragmented blur. It didn't help that Radomira hugged the treeline too closely; Evelyn was repeatedly lashed by low-hanging branches as they tore past the forest.
The route shown by the elf earlier guided him through the woods, cutting a clear line through the dense undergrowth with few obstacles to slow his momentum. Celestine and the others would be safe for now; with their queen effectively his hostage, no one would dare harm them. And if anything went wrong, he knew Olga would step in before the situation became a disaster.
"Over there!" Radomira pointed ahead as the terrain started to clear up a bit.
The kingdom appeared at last, rising against the horizon with towering walls and wide spires glinting faintly in the light. Its size dwarfed even the Princess Knight's domains Archer had seen so far, but there was no time to take in its majesty. He vaulted across the outer defenses in a single motion, Evelyn's indignant shouting now drawing the attention of townsfolk below.
"Is that the queen?"
"No way, that can't be right."
"Halt! Intruder!"
Passersby froze in their tracks, staring in slack-jawed confusion as an upside-down figure with windswept hair and disheveled garments tore across the sky. The resemblance to their queen was undeniable, yet few could accept what they were seeing; their ruler, carried like a sack of grain by a demon with wings.
This wave of disbelief followed them as they neared the city's heart. Some of the elves tried to shoot arrows at them, some almost hitting Evelyn. "S-Stop shooting at your queen, you idiots! Traitors, assassins! Everyone is trying to kill me! This is mutiny!"
Her shrill, unmistakable command paralyzed the warriors, who started to realize that this person was not just a look-alike, but their queen in the flesh… Guards rallied quickly near the palace gates, spears lowering in unison as Archer landed before them.
"Who dares approach the royal palace? By order of Her Majesty, none may enter! Leave now or face execution!" one barked, a male surprisingly enough, glaring at the trio — only for his words to falter when Archer caught Evelyn by the collar mid-protest, lifting her with effortless precision so she dangled there like an unruly kitten.
The relentless speed and the fact that the woman had been held upside down for so long left her visibly sick. Her skin was pale and clammy, the sort of look one had right before vomiting. The man holding her stepped forward with urgency in his voice. "This is your queen. We are her allies, and we were attacked on our way here. She needs immediate medical treatment; both of them have been poisoned!" His shout took a few seconds to fully sink in; the gathered guards glancing at one another in hesitation before confusion broke into disarray.
Seeing them falter, he barked louder, his tone carrying through the night air. "If you value your lives, follow my orders swiftly! Open the gates now!" His words cut through the hesitation, recalling that particular law mentioned by Celestine for those who failed their ruler, and within moments, the guards moved. The gates groaned open with reluctant speed, the man releasing a faint sigh of relief before hurrying through, Maia still in his arms.
"Urgh… I can see the lights… so… annoyingly bright," she murmured weakly. Even in her state, there was enough of her spirit left to make such tasteless remarks, the corner of her mouth twitching faintly as she tried to smile.
Archer glanced down at her, lips curling in faint amusement despite the situation. "If you intend to keep the promises you made about all the things you claimed we would one day do together, staying away from that light would be in your best interest."
"Wait… re… really? Even in the throne room and Alicia's office?" she whispered, a ghost of humor clinging to her words. "Maybe… I already died… this is… cough! This is heaven."
"Just save your energy, Maia," he said, the faintest edge of warmth in his voice, relieved that she still had enough strength to joke.
A sudden shrill cry cut through the moment as they reached the inner palace and waited for the healers to show up. Evelyn regained her composure and immediately showed her fury. "You there! I am done with you humans and Celestine's lies! I will have you hanged! Help! Call the guards! I will—GAH!" The woman who had regained her confidence within her own palace clearly thought her earlier fear no longer applied. Her attempt to reverse her promises was cut short when he silenced her with a swift strike to the back of her neck. Her body went limp instantly, collapsing into his arms before he shifted her aside.
"I suggest you summon the physician now," he called out loudly. "Your queen's condition is worsening by the moment, and she even fell unconscious."
The words sent the attendants outside into a frenzy, voices rising as they demanded the healer's presence. He ignored the noise, carrying Maia to a bed and easing her down gently.
"You'll get better soon," he murmured, settling beside her, waiting in silence. Radomira was sitting by his side, unconsciously holding his arm for comfort while looking at Maia worriedly.
"Don't worry," he said, patting Radomira on the head in comfort. "She survived worse."
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.