"Ghh...Ugh..."

I awoke to a series of terrible migraines. It wasn't as if I had not experienced things like this before.

...It was just a long time ago.

But I had my medication before, so it was usually somewhat supressed.

So the fact that the pain has returned, meant that my symptoms were getting worse.

The surroundings were distorting and changing rapidly.

In between a dark place and a very familiar bedroom.

"AaRrghhhghh!!!"

It took me a little while to clear my head temporarily.

But when I was done, I realized that I had woken up in my bed.

No, Syviel's bed. I was naked. Looking around, I could see my clothes hanging on a chair at the desk on my left.

There was someone sleeping beside me in a birthday suit as well. It was Syviel.

I was still feeling a little disoriented.

It felt like I had just escaped from something really traumatic moments ago...

"Ah, must have been... just... a nightmare... I guess..."

Hearing this, Syviel suddenly woke up beside me.

"Nnghh... Hmm...dear... you're awake?"

"A-ah... yes... It seemed like I had a really bad nightmare... I'm sorry I woke you up."

I kissed her forehead, resulting in her blushing.

"Oh you...! Nightmare... yes... it must have been a bad dream, come here for a hug~ ... Are you still sleepy?"

She took her pillow and hit me playfully with it.

"Not anymore I think... why...?"

"Because~? ...I think we can go for another round-?"

Ah, Syviel~

I began to move my hands closer to her chest...-

-Splash!

?!!

"See... he's not waking u- ...! Ah, finally...! Thank goodness, I thought he was already dead."

"Dead from what, a small concussion?"

I could make out someone snorting.

Hnngh...?!

I awoke again to cold water being poured onto my face.

I was refreshed instantly.

Where... was I again?

Huh...?

I was... on a big and fluffy bed a moment ago...?

We were about to have...

...h-huh?

This place...

This place felt extremely real to me.

The cold hard floor my feet was touching. My naked body being attacked by a very painful cold, and my hands...

...being tied to chains on each side.

I was in a cold cell, dimly lit by torches at the front of this place.

I couldn't speak for some reason, as I listened in to the casual conversation between the two familiar girls with a face full of confusion.

"Relay the diagnosis results to me again just to be sure. Really... I still can't believe it... Such appearances too..."

Tasha eyed me like a piece of home-grown product.

"Mn~ Incurable.

Mental Instability. Diagnosis is Grade D.

It is deemed unwise to proceed with the copulation plans. Verdict, mines.

Also..., it's not as if it's unwaranted. You know this, Mistress. But-

Sneaking around here really nailed it this time for the Wardens..."

I-is that... is that Syviel?

Mines? What is she talking about?

"A pity, and it was being reared quite well this time too.. it just had to turn weird at the last moment.

Grade D huh... I guess I should have not went with my instincts this time...

I definitely thought this was a good catch...

...Is there really no chance at all that it can be raised to a C at least... for meatstock~?"

Huh? Grade... D? Reared well...? Good... catch...?

Food? Are they talking about meat? Is this place some sort of rearing grounds?

I don't see any animals...?

"I don't think so. They wouldn't like it if it was found out that I messed the numbering up, ...

Looks like a very poor evaluation on your part this time, Mistress."

...Eh? Evaluation? What have they been talking about this whole time...?

There were so many questions I could not answer. Neither could I comprehend what kind of situation I was in.

I just continued listening first without questioning the two girls, since I couldn't talk.

Maybe they could tell me what had happened after they were done talking.

"Sigh, it was definitely a shame this time... I've never felt more humiliated for even interacting with this thing... We should cover this up from the rest at least. It's going to put a stain on our reputation.

I still couldn't make sense of whatever Tasha was saying.

Hello? ...Did they not see me? I'm right in front of them?

From the beginning of their conversation till now, they had not even returned a glance at me.

"...By the way, is it for the Amalgamate? Or the Labour section?"

"Are you joking with me, Mistress? Labour?"

"...Ahhh, you're right~ ...

Well then, carry on. You have my permission."

"Understood, well then, y-"

As Syviel was prepared to beckon to a few guards, one of them hurried over to her ear and whispered something anxiously.

"...

...?!

Huh?!

Someone's been there for days already?!

Then what are you still doing here? It's just one person, dispatch them!!!" (whisper)

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

"...What's that?!

...Where? ...Mn got it.

We'll be right there to handle it. We're not in too much of a hurry since for now,

that person staying there for days proved that the barrier is still working.

But we can't let any inconsistencies threaten our village... Give me a moment first." (whisper)

"What's wrong?"

"The sentry units reported that there'd been one woman holding a sword standing right outside of the northside barrier for about a week now.

...Something... feels strange about that description, no?"

"Heh~ A week huh~

Interesting...

To stay there with no purpose at all... ...Maybe... she's someone sent from the Empire again?"

"Those bunch never learn, do they. The tunnels proved to be useless, what are they up to this time?"

"Probably trying to snuff out the whereabouts of the recent ones we've caught. ...Didn't I tell you guys to go easy for a month?"

"Mm... In any case, we should get going and inform the others?"

"...Yeah you're right, we don't have time dawdling around with... defective goods anymore.

You lot, bring us there."

""At once.""

...?!

W-wait... what? They're leaving...?

But I'm still... chained down here?! Hello?! Tasha? Syviel?!!

As Tasha and Syviel proceeded to follow the guards that was constantly around them out of this cell, I could only watch in confusion as they left with quick steps.

Tasha turned to look at me again for a look suddenly.

Ah, did she remember?!

As expected, there's no wa-

She clicked her tongue, and added something else while pointing at me.

"And one of you, get it out of this cell this instant. Since it's already been decided where it's headed, feed it to the Amalgamate quickly so I can finally have a peace of mind..."

Eh? Was the it this whole time, referring to...

...

...me?!

I was left, dumbfounded by that action, as she then proceeded to join Syviel and the guards out.

One guard stayed behind.

She was another female elf with no particularly outstanding traits.

...Maybe I'd getting to accustomed to the beauty of Syviel and Tasha that it's hard for me to acknowledge the actual standard of beauty around here anymore?

But this sentiment of mine, should have been thrown out into the trash in this situation.

Maybe my mind wasn't processing information correctly, and had eased it up with some unnecessary observations at this time.

She clicked her tongue akin to Tasha, as if being left with a dirty job.

...!!!!

T-that look on her face...!!!

She looked at me with eyes full of contempt and approached me with a dangerous aura around here, as if wanting to expend all her frustrations on me.

W-wait... wait a moment... Are you...

I could see that in her eyes. It was evaluating me as if I was below her status by a huge contrast.

I was feeling a sense of danger.

D-Don't come any closer!

I tried to speak, but I couldn't.

The elf guard slowly walked closer and closer to me, while taking out a whip from her waist.

This is... Bloodlust?! Don't come!!! Don't come near me!!!

Help...!

Someone...

Someone help me!

I closed my eyes to brace for the impending hit from the whip.

...!!!

...

...

...?

?

I slowly opened my eyes, and saw the female elf right in front of me, with her eyes wide open.

"!!!"

Assuming that she had left because of the disappearance of bloodlust all of a sudden, I was given a jumpscare when I reopened my eyes to the same elf woman right in front of my face in close proximity.

If my vocal chord was working, one would make out a scream in this cell at this moment.

But I could not make any sound with my vocal organs, as if they were being silenced by something.

She suddenly collapsed.

!!!

Revealing someone standing behind her.

It was a female human woman, who looked around 18 which seemed to be like my age in appearance.

She was holding a large rock stained with blood, which seemingly was the weapon used to knock the guard out.

The newly appeared woman lowered her back slowly and placed the large rock on the ground without a sound.

When she did, she whipped out a stone emitting light like the ones at the surface lighting up the stairs.

Then she placed the stone into the gem socket on her chest, which fit snugly into it.

When she did that, I began to pay more attention to her attire, as the light on her chest slowly illuminated her figure.

On her head, she had a white metallic hairband with intricate silver carvings of two lions on both sides.

The back part of her head revealed her granny silver hair flowing out of it; her deep-set fringe could be seen swept to the side fully, making her side parting frame her face beautifully. Her ends of her hair appeared to be slightly strandy and short, giving me a fierce contrast to her dressing coupled with the ring of furcoat on her shoulders. Her ocean-blue eyes appeared fierce, just like the eyes of a snake. The shoulderpieces of the armor were seemingly made of leather, with the edges made with metal instead.

Below the leather knot that tied the furcoat together, there was a queenly and complex-looking set of diamond neck jewelry which sparkled even more with the light from her chest; Her ample breasts were outlined by the tight fit of the armor. Shiny metal plates covered the lower joints of her bodies; Attached onto both sides of her waist, and knees to her soles. But the suit was not protected entirely, it seemed like the armor only covered the front.

On her waist, there was intricately designed white scabbard strapped around her waist with a sword belt. The common aesthetic of having silver carvings of a lion was apparent on her entire suit. It made her entire armor appear to wield the very meaning of supremacy itself.

W-who was this person?!

Whether it was an enemy or ally, currently in this situation with me being locked up in this cold and dark cell...

By some people who forced Tasha and Syviel into this...

...That's right, they must've been forced by some mastermind behind all this!!!

Then that means... Tasha and Syviel are in danger!

I could not let my guard down...!

Ignoring my thoughts internally, she moved her slender arm forward with outstretched fingers and opened her palm facing upwards, as if summoning.

From her palm which turned slightly viscous and translucent, something came out of it. When the object that came out of her palm had fully surfaced, her skin became completely tangible again. ... It was the head of a female elf. For some reason or another, it looked very familiar to me. What... is... she...

Suddenly, the head that she had taken out of her body opened its mouth with much difficulty.

...?!!!

It did not speak until a full 7 seconds had passed, as it was adjusting its stiff jaws with creaking sounds.

"...I finally found you. Hang on, I will get you out of these chains."

!!! THE HEAD SPOKE!!! ...Found... me?

The woman carried the head below her right shoulder like a basketball, and freed her left hand.

Was she left-handed?

That was a pointless conclusion I had to the small action she just did to adjust herself.

Instead of using the sheathed sword I had expected the female elf to break the metallic chains, her left hand suddenly turned viscous for a moment again before shapeshifting into a sharp blade.

It was as if her body could bend into any form.

She sliced the chains with them, and quickly caught the falling metal to avoid any sound.

This act of caution reminded me of someone I had met before, but I could not remember it.

Having been freed while having a terrible pain in my head, I fell down onto the floor weakly.

"Nnghhh!!!"

My voice leaked out.

It seemed that I could speak normally again...

When I had steadied myself, I found the woman in white who had just saved me, readying to smash towards my direction with the bloodied rock in tow on her left hand.

She seemed to have picked it up again while I was pulling myself together.

"?! S-s-s-stay back!!!"

"? What's wrong? Didn't you want me to help you break free of your human chrysalis?

You still haven't been baptized yet, so don't struggle around too much... It's unsightly~"

W-wait... ...what?

I couldn't quite understand what she just said.

"...Bap...b-baptized? Human... Chrysalis...?"

Nodding to herself softly, the female elf bent her waist to return the rock to the ground slowly, and looked at me with her judging eyes.

"... You've caught my interest from the start, but now looking at you a little more closely, the feeling and impression I have seems to be getting stronger...?

The first time I met you, was kind of a... weaker experience? An unforgettable one for me actually... at least, in that body. But since it's now tattered to pieces except for a head, I'll have to look for a new one. Hmm, this guard here seems decent. ...Ah, I've derailed, I've derailed again... Really, I should stop getting caught up on my own..."

"Tattered... to pieces...?! ...You've... met me?"

"Ah~! No wonder she said that repeating questions were annoying... Seems to be a mood killer too! Just when I was happily reminiscing our chance encounter before~

This is why it is no good, it seems like to have you trust me unconditionally and not question things pointlessly, I'll have to do that first..."

I had a foreboding.

"...Mn, yes yes."

She took out a sword from her scabbard on her waist slowly, as the smooth grinding of metal could be heard when it was drawn.

"W-what are you trying to do?!"

"No no, you shouldn't be talking right now~ It's going to taint my body if you do at such close proximity...

...I speak only to the dead~"

"?!"

It seemed more like a ceremonial sword than one used for actual combat, but she whipped it out casually as she explained.

"Yes... your condition seems to be fatal heh~ ..., it seems like you'd have to be baptized from your human life first.

Hold still~ It will only hurt at the beginning~

...Then, here I go~ I will turn you into my familiar without any delay~!"

...

It took me another few seconds to process the absurdity of what the female elf had just said.

As I slowly came to a realization what she meant by those words as she readied the sword, my eyes also began to widen with fear.

N-no way...

She wants to...

Kill me?!

L-Lunatic... This person is... a lunatic!!!

A LUNATIC!!!

I dodged the sword stabbing towards me on the ground by doing a side roll.

Seeing that it missed, the woman narrowed her eyebrows and questioned me with a head tilt. Her lifeless eyes began to release a dangerous aura...

"Why did you dodge that? Hey, why did you dodge that~?"

Scrambling for the exit of this cell, I quickly got past the girl who had just 'saved' me, with the metal cuffs on my wrists still not yet removed.

Since it didn't obstruct my movement too much if I just treated it like a little more heavier bracelet, I ignored this fact and continued to run away from her without thinking.

"?! Wait~! Come back! Your imperfect form! It can't be shown to the world like this~!"

She immediately gave chase while panting right behind me in a light jog, as if she was not someone very athletic, just like me.

I wouldn't wait. Nor stop running.

Saving me had strings attached it seems.

And I didn't want to hear anything more, coming from a person who wanted to kill me just because she liked to speak to the dead!