14 Envy's Embrace

"So, this is the slums, huh?" I mutter, taking in the crumbling structures that seem poised to collapse at any moment.

"Everything looks like it's about to start falling apart any moment…"

I glance around, noticing the lifeless expressions on the inhabitants' faces. Some of them shoot us hostile glares.

"Damn… this is depressing…" I turn to the girl beside me.

"Emilia, you holding up okay?" I ask, genuine concern in my voice.

'She has been getting most of the bad stares…'

"I'm fine, really. This is just everyday life in the slums. Outsiders aren't usually welcomed here." She offers a meek smile.

"Mnn…" I nod, but my concern lingers.

My eyes shift to multicolored hues as I recheck the ethereal threads.

"We're on the right path. Just a bit more, and we'll reclaim your insignia, Emilia." I shoot her a reassuring smile.

"Yes…thank you once again, Ryota…" She returns my smile, but her eyes catch the unusual coloration of mine.

"I never expected you to have a Divine Protection, though…"

'Divine Protection? Again with this? Maybe I should ask her about it. If she thinks it's strange, I can play it off as me being stupid or something.'

"Emilia, can you explain what this Divine Protection thing is?"

"Eh…?" Emilia looks at me with confusion written on her face.

"Are you serious, Ryota? You don't know what a Divine Protection is? How clueless can you be? Haah…at this point, I would almost believe you're not from this world or something..." She sighs.

'…no way.' My eyes widen slightly.

"Have people from other worlds ever shown up here?" I ask, my tone edged with curiosity.

"…" All I receive in return is a blank stare.

"Haah…I'm getting a headache. Real life is not a fantasy, Ryota. Something like another world couldn't possibly exist…anyway, getting back to our topic." Emilia raises one finger as she begins her explanation.

"Divine Protections are powers bestowed upon individuals at birth by the world, specifically granted by Od Laguna. Most people are born without any Divine Protection, and those who possess one usually discover it on their own. The ratio of Divine Protection holders is 1:100 for those deemed less useful, 1:1,000 for useful ones, 1:10,000 for somewhat rare abilities, 1:100,000 for highly useful ones, 1:1,000,000 for unique powers, and 1:10,000,000 for those with more than one. These abilities are exceptionally rare and can greatly influence one's life if they have a valuable one," she explains.

"They are that rare? Do you have one, Emilia?" I ask curiously.

"Unfortunately, I was not blessed with one. As I mentioned before, they are incredibly rare. Additionally, it's considered impolite to inquire about someone else's Divine Protection. Keep that in mind," she advises me with a tone reminiscent of lecturing a child.

"I understand! Emilia-sensei!" I salute playfully.

"Pfft…hahaha…you're being silly again, Ryota." She giggles gleefully.

'Man, I won't ever get tired of her laughs…' A smile creeps onto my lips as well.

"The sun's setting. We should pick up the pace, Emilia." I suggest, stealing a glance at the darkening sky.

"Mnn…" She nods, and we quicken our steps.

"Lia…my time is almost up…" Puck suddenly says.

"Huh? Oh, I completely forgot! It's almost nighttime…" Emilia gently picks Puck off her shoulder and cradles him in her hands.

"Your time is up? What do you mean?" I ask, bewildered.

"As cute as I may look, I'm still a spirit. Maintaining a physical form requires a significant amount of mana. So, at night, I return to the crystal I was summoned from, preparing for the sun to rise again. Typically, I try to stay here from about nine to five." Puck yawns, offering his explanation.

"So that's how you spirits work, interesting…" I observe Puck's fading form.

"I'm sorry for pushing you so hard, Puck. I'll do my best from here on out, so you just get some rest." Emilia smiles as she takes the green crystal hanging from her neck and cradles it in her palm.

Puck floats over and gently lands on top of the crystal as he turns around to meet Emilia's gaze.

"Remember, don't do anything reckless. If it comes down to it, use your odo to summon me again." Puck says with a serious expression.

"Mnn…don't worry. I'll be careful." Emilia nods.

Puck then turns around towards me.

"Take care of the rest, Ryota." His body starts to glow green as he transforms into particles of light, merging with the green crystal in Emilia's palm.

"That's so cool… " I mutter in awe.

Emilia gently places the crystal back in its spot and turns to face me.

"Ready to continue, Ryota?"

I nod as we press on.

Eventually, we spot a cellar in the distance.

"There. The thread leads right to that cellar. Wait, what?" I halt as the thread I was tracing suddenly flickers and disappears.

'Huh? What just happened? Do they vanish once their purpose is fulfilled or something?' I blink in confusion.

"Ryota? Is something wrong?" Emilia looks over at me.

"Nah, it's nothing. Anyway, the culprit is in that cellar."

"Hm… it's very dark. Wait a second, Ryota." Emilia walks over to a nearby house and takes one of the lamps on the wall. She then puts her finger out, and a small flame appears on top of it. She lights the lamp and walks back to me.

"So you can use fire magic too?" I ask her.

"Hm? Well, I can use both. Technically, I don't use fire or ice magic. I control temperatures, allowing me to use both fire and ice. Although, I am more proficient with lower temperatures," Emilia explains.

"Oh, that makes sense. So? Ready to go in?" I look at the cellar.

Emilia nods as we both stand at the cellar's entrance.

I take the lamp from Emilia as I position myself in front of her.

Double-checking Emilia one more time, I slowly creak open the door.

"Excuse me… Is anybody home?" I call out as I scan the interior.

The first sight that greets me is a cluttered counter, adorned with an array of items—swords, boxes, pots, dolls, and even statues.

'Seems like some kind of shop. Shelves packed with random stuff. Honestly, this looks like a pawn shop.' I think to myself as I turn the lamp around to dispel the darkness.

"Ryota? Do you see somet-"

"GET DOWN!" I shout, swiftly turning around and pushing Emilia to the ground.

The distinctive sound of slicing air echoes within the cellar.

"Huh…?" Intense pain courses through me as I wince and stagger back.

'W-What happened?' I lift my arm to my face.

Gone. It was gone. My hand lay detached on the ground.

I shakily glance down, taking in the gruesome sight.

"AGHH…" I bite my lips, suppressing any sounds.

'Can't panic. Can't panic. ENDURE IT!'

"Ara…good job…you managed to protect the girl…" A voice emerges from the shadows.

"W-Who? Emilia! Are you okay!?" I quickly crouch down, cradling Emilia in my arms.

"Emilia! EMILIA!? OPEN YOUR EY-" A sudden warmth soaks into my clothes.

I look down, my eyes widening.

Blood. Blood everywhere. Her stomach had been slit open…

"EMILIAAA!?" My scream echoes through the air.

"Too bad…you sacrificed your hand to protect her, but it still turned out like this. Let me tell you a little secret…I always strike twice…" The voice drifts from the dark shadows, the last words whispered right next to my ear.

I swiftly retrieve the short sword from my inventory and swing it behind me. I sense my blade cutting through something.

"Oh my…you ruined my dress. How irritating…where did that blade even come from? I swear you were unarmed a second ago…"

"LIMIT BREAKER!?" My golden eyes shift to blood-red, and crimson marks spread across my body.

"Hm? What is this?" The woman in the darkness speaks again.

I turn toward the sound and thrust my blade in that direction.

"Oh! How close! You seem to have become stronger…a Divine Protection perhaps? I'm jealous; you're loved by the world. Lucky you, right?"

'FUCK. I MISSED.' My mind blazes with anger as I struggle to control my emotions.

'NO! CALM DOWN, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!' I gather my thoughts as I assess the situation.

'This opponent is fast… I can't fight her in such a confined space. I can't see anything, but she seems to track me perfectly. This is bad. I need to escape!' I hastily grab Emilia's body and sprint towards the exit.

"Not so fast…" I hear a giggle emanating from the darkness as I collapse.

"F-Fuck…what now?" I glance down and witness a pool of blood forming around me.

"My legs…" I don't even have time to process the pain before catching a glimpse of movement in the shadows.

I feel my body igniting as a searing pain emanates from my stomach.

"N-No…" I topple over helplessly.

"So close yet so far…" I hear that haunting voice again.

'I'm bleeding to death…no…is this how it ends…?' Blood surges up my throat as I retch.

'No…I have to think of something…anything…the potion…' I weakly open my mouth as a potion materializes within it.

Just as I am about to shatter the vial with my teeth, a foot emerges from the darkness, kicking my face.

The vial soars from my mouth, disappearing into the shadows.

"Was that some kind of potion? How interesting…" The voice echoes through the darkness once more.

'I'm dying…'

'My second chance…lost like this…because I was too weak to protect it…weak…I was weak…' My eyes gradually glaze over as life slips away.

'I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak. I was weak.'

My eyes flutter open slightly as I see her body beside me.

I weakly reach for her hand, grasping it in my own blood-stained grip.

I sense the faint movement of her fingers as they weakly close around mine.

As I feel her hand weakly intertwining with mine, a single determined thought takes hold.

'I swear I'll save you…'

In the next instant, Kurogane Ryota lost his life for the second time.

…

"Ryota? What's the matter?"

"…Huh?"

"Ryota? Ryota!" I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders, shaking me from my trance.

"What's wrong? You're staring off into space…"

"…Emilia?"

"Yes, it's me. Do you feel okay? You look like you've seen a ghost…" I feel a hand on my cheek.

'…warm…' I instinctively grab the hand on my cheek and hold it in place.

"Ryota? Y-You're crying. What's wrong?" I hear a panicked voice.

My vision gradually focuses as I gaze at the figure before me.

Silver hair, captivating amethyst eyes, a visage that could steal one's breath away, and those unmistakable pointed ears…I wouldn't mistake her presence anywhere…

"Emilia…" I unconsciously wrap my arms around her, drawing her into a close embrace.

"R-Ryota? What ar-" She pauses, sensing the rapid beat of his heart.

"Emilia…" I murmur, a single perplexing thought echoing in my mind.

'What is happening…'