“Ugghh” A pained groan interrupted Maven and Amara’s conversation, drawing their attention to the disheveled man currently in Shayna’s grip.

Hatred and fear colored the faces of each and every one of the elves, but their last encounter had deeply scarred them. Every single elf was frozen in place by the sound of his voice.

“Where…… am I?” The man said with a pained groan. Despite his pitiful condition, he still did his very best to put on an intimidating face.

“Captured.” Fae said perfunctorily, giving the man a firm kick. She very much did not appreciate the attitude he was directing at her goddess.

Rolling his eyes around, the unknown man attempted to understand his circumstances and verify his surroundings. He looked at each member of Maven’s party in turn, a bit baffled by their intrusion, though his eyes widened beyond belief once he saw the resurrected elves.

“How?!” He gasped in shock, right arm repeatedly twitching in surprise.

Who could blame him for his bewilderment? He had personally dispatched each and every one of those elves with his own hands, yet, here they stood - alive and well.

“Hehehe, you bad, bad guy! No way we’d ever tell you how Maven brought those elves back to life!” Kannon said while pirouetting smugly in the air. “Everyone here is just fine, all because Maven is so awesome!”

Flicking Kannon away before she could spout out any more secrets, Maven leaned in close and asked the man, “Now why would a guy like you be attacking a cute girl like Ela all the way out in the middle of nowhere like this?”

“None of your business, though it’s a pity those elves’ death didn’t take.” The unknown man said with a cold smile. Knowing that the girl in front of him possessed the miraculous power to revive the dead, he was determined to give her nothing.

Perhaps agitated by his callous disregard for the lives of her friends, Ela screamed “You monster!” in rage. In her anger, Ela started kicking the collapsed man with all the power of a butterfly fluttering its wings. Clearly, physical training had not been part of this sheltered princess’ upbringing - her kicking strength was a bit pitiful.

Pained to see such a beautiful girl showing such ugly emotions, Maven gently pulled Ela away from the man. Collapsing into Maven’s arms for the second time in the last 30 mintues, Ela just let Maven hold her. Maven just stroked Ela’s hair as the elf girl’s beautiful face rapidly cycled its way through a variety of complicated emotions.

The man just smirked as he watched Maven sooth the distraught elf, right arm continuing to twitch with an oddly mesmerizing regularity. Maven stared at him with idle interest as she enjoyed the sensation of having a gorgeous girl in her arms.

Why was he looking so calm and collected? He had been defeated with a single punch, captured by the enemy, and even the elves had been brought back to life.

“What are you hiding?” Fae asked in a terrifyingly chilly tone. Dedicated fanatic that she was, Fae would allow no potential threats anywhere near her beloved goddess.

“Not. Telling.” The ugly man stated with a cruel sneer, barbaric tattoos writhing as he spoke - arm continuing to tremble with that odd pattern all the while.

“Maven… You may want to make him stop that. That arm of his is faintly radiating some sort of energy even I don’t recognize.” Henna said as she blinked into visibility, her ghostly figure causing the elves the draw back in horror.

“What?!” These words finally created a crack in the man’s unflappable exterior. Clearly, he had not expected his actions to be noticed.

“Hehehe, you can’t pull one over on a goddess like me!” Henna said with a smug smile and an adorable little dance.

“Goddess?!” Ela shouted in shock, causing Maven to face palm in dismay and the elves to blink in confusion. They were supposed to be traveling incognito, not proclaiming godhood to the first people they met - especially not in front of an enemy.

Perhaps thinking this fuss was his chance, the man finally revealed the purpose of his incessant twitching - a signal. A purple flare rose from his arm and flew high into the air before blinking out of existence

“I have a bad feeling about this……” Shayna said in misapprehension.