Akira's expression was one full of questions, the Elizabeth he had been fighting had gradually bee someone else, and at the very end, she had melted into the shadows as if it was a figment of his imagination.

  And then behind him, a new Elizabeth had shown up, dressed just as how she had been at the start.

  "What, another double? It was a rid we will have fun with it ter tonight, but what you even do? e users are the mest of all in fights." Akira said as he grabbed his sword and zily did a downward ssh towards her.

  She saw the mana dense in the sword and prepared herself to start dodging using her [Puppeteer] skill, as. It wasn't needed, as the mana in the sword burst apart ahe sword flying away.

  "..." Akira stared dumbfou the sword, then at his hand and back to the sword.

  He made a motion with his right arm towards the sword as if it should fly again toward him, but the sword only melted away in a slush of sludge-like liquid with tinges of red here and there.

  Akira however only turo stare at the sludge in fusion. "e." He ordered to the air and a ripple in spaed, it was the tell-tale sign of his bullshit skill that let him summon ons. Only, this time nothing came from it.

  "E!" He demanded again, only for a normal katana to pop up from the dimensional rift, unlike what she had seen before, this one seemed almost [Mundane].

  While the previous sword had been a traditional katana, it still had some decorations in the hahis o seemed almost faade.

  "Tch, the [bitch] died huh? Well, at least that releases one [Slot] for me to py around, but the loss in skill will be a problem...I was ting on her [Swordsmanship]." Akira said dismissively as he stared at the spot were the red marble that represented Rena had been before.

  That was it?

  She fought against his [Soulscape], traveled across his [Self], got [Stabby] killed as she escaped and that was the amount nition Akira would give to this whole trouble?

  T?????????????????H????????I?????????????????????????????S????????????????????????????????????????!?????????????????????????????????????????? ?!?!?

  She wouldn't let it be, she was aware that this wasn't some great [Epic Journey], this wasn't meant to be the finale of some great plot point that had been nurtured for hundreds of [Chapters]. This was the real world, and not everything o have meaning.

  But it irked her how Akira dismissed it all, she still had the blue ss in front of her to prove that her pn had worked! She had eateupid marble in front of Akira (Granted he may be distracted) for [Mother]'s Sake!

  ...The blue ss, they told her that Rena art of her [Heroic Party], then was she able to...Summon that crimson sword?

  ...An idea blossomed in her head, ohat she couldn't let go no matter what, Akira had been a problem because he had raw power and the [Skill] to go with it. Not anymore, since he no longer had access to Rena's skills.

  She had those.

  So maybe...

  Notitegrate bonus from new [Heroic Party] member?Y/N"Yes," Elizabeth prompted the blue s ahe flood of mana from within her [Soulscape].

  Unlike how it had been with Rossie, she didn't feel the overwhelming warmth of love p like a broken dam.

  Instead, it felt like a raging fire raining down upon her soul, she saw a sword falling from the void outside of her [Soulscape] toward her [Shadow Haven], she had thought that her [Shadons] would make a ruckus and prepare to defend against the obviously dangerous sword raining from the sky in a fiery rain.

  But not a single one seemed to be worried, she turned her attention to the real world to see if she had time to deal with this, but she found that her perception of time had slowed down. So she refocused her attention inwardly.

  The fiery sword had poiself towards her [Haven], only instead of accelerating further down... It slowed its advance as if waiting for her input.

  "Mistress? Our servant requires your input for her residehe purple-haired girl called upon her walking outside the apartment.

  "Who even are you? You 't be Aurelia Vitellius, she didn't have any reason to want to work for me or under me." Elizabeth said looking at the girl who shared too many traits with the deceased girl.

  "That was my name before yes, but if it bothers you I shed it as I did with my former life and allegiances. Should you wish to know the reason for my desire to work under you, or doubt my siy, my [Mind] is open for your perusal." The purple girl said, as she fihose words she felt the mind of the girl open to her.

  It was the whole memory of the girl, all her life and her death. She didn't find any hostile i in her, if anything it was weird how much [Faith] she had towards Elizabeth.

  "We will speak about this ter, I will call you [Aura] for now." Elizabeth decided to not think too much about that, she had more important things to deal with right now. Like the fiery sword, she khe probable identity of it, possibly [Rena]'s version of the [Lock] she had with Rossie.

  So she needed a pce for it to nd...Her [Lock] with Rossie was safe in one of the older [tai Cells] in the tral spire, but she didn't feel fortable with it being that close to her [Heart], she knew where her [Heart] was within the [Shadow Haven]. And while she felt bad for Rena, she wouldn't risk her [Life] for her.

  ...Well, she wouldn't risk her [Soul] for her!

  ...

  ........

  She would just let the stupid fming sword nd near her apartment and be doh it.

  "Land there." She said to the sword, feeling her voice turn [Primal] and full of [Authority], the effect was immediate as a door at the side of her shared apartment with Rossie had a new pque with a new name.

  [Watanabe Rena]

  New [Heroic Party] member added:New effects on skill:

  - Rossaline Singh, The Saint of Healing

  Current Boost from Heroic Party: Increased effect from Healing and Increased defense against Dark and Shadow Attributes, increased affinity towards Holy, Light, and Divine Elements.

  -Watanabe Rena, The Sword Saint

  Current boost from Heroic Party: Increased regeion, increased stamina, increased strength, dexterity, agility. Increased proficy towards bded ons and hand-to-hand bat.

  Current Boost to members of Heroic Party:

  -Increased size of iory (Access to a shared [Garage] Iory)

  -Increased proficy towards skills acquisition.

  -Increased exp gain by 5% (half of that gain is redirected to the [Hero])

  -Access to a limited version of [Skills] from the [Hero].

  -Members know the current status and location of the [Hero], should they wish for it, they may [Teleport] towards the [Hero].

  [Boosts to the heroic party are decided by the current skillset of the Hero. At eaew slot acquisition the Hero may decide on the bonus.]

  As she was reading the new s she felt the start of a headache form, almost at the same time a new e started to form within her [Soulscape], but uhe first time she formed one of those she knew what to exped prepared herself to fight tooth and nail.

  She wouldn't mind that much should Rossie wish to pletely [Dominate] her...that would be kind of ho...

  *ahem*

  That would be something for them to discuss in the privacy of their bedroom in a more appropriate setting, but with Rena?

  Yeah no, she felt bad for the girl, but not bad enough to allow her to [Dominate] her, especially after she had fought to [Liberate] her, so she poured as much [Mana] as she was able to into the e and prepared to defend her [Demesne] from any intrusion.

  Notice:Link successfully established.

  Status of the [Soul] of New Member: Dying, currently being sustained by [Heroik].

  Establishing hierarchy in e... The other party is submitting to the will of [Hero].

  Hierarchy: Master (Elizabeth Starbright) > Servant (Watanabe Rena).

  Servant doesn't have enough [Authority] to disrupt hierarchy.

  Servant doesn't have enough [Fate] to survive on its own.

  The e was fed as a hread was created, uhe rope-like thread she had at the start with Rossie, this was a thread so thin...It was almost pitiful, it was almost see-through. And it fought to stay ected to her with all its might.

  In trast, her side of the e was sturdy, it was a mana thread wide as a rope, and it was doing most of the job to keep the e going.

  Just like how it had been with Rossie the e was mostly going her way, 90% was her side and the other was 10%. She tried to reduce the amount of [Ownership] she had over the thread, she wasn't ied in having sves.

  But with each meter, she retracted from the e to make it more stable, she felt the thread eg to Rena turn more frayed, more strained. It was around 75% she felt the thread was about to snap that she stopped retrag her [Authority], instead, she allowed her mana thread to bleed over the part that was [Rena].

  Trying to nurture and reinforce it, the [Thread] absorbed her [Mana] as if it were a starved man in a desert. And as it ed her [Mana] the thread started being painted in her colors, and this in tur that her [Authority] over it was increasing.

  She decided to not think too much about it and instead walked towards the new [Door] that had a new inhabitant in her [Soulscape].

  *knoock*

  "What I do for you [Master]?" Answered a red-haired woman dressed in skimpy clothes, she wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that she o look for fabri her clothing or the fact that this [Woman] didn't seem to have aiges of life in her eyes.

  "First, stop with the [Master] thing." Elizabeth started as she waved her hand in the dire of this [Woman], "Sed you don't o dress like that, just be [You]."

  As her hand moved, the neartment] was engulfed in [Shadows] transf from what seemed to be a [Love Hotel Room] (She didn't know how one of those pces looked, and Elizabeth totally didn't search for the address of one of those to visit with Rossie. Girl's scout promise) into a normal apartment room.

  It was bare, it was simple, but it was more in tuh the girl that stood there. A girl that could barely qualify as a child, why was it always a child?

  First, it was Rossie as a little girl, and now Rena too? Was she cursed by a [Little Girl] or something?

  Was she missing something?

  "Will I be okay? You will not discard me?" Asked the little girl with red hair, she was holding a ruieddy bear.

  "You will be fine, as soon as you are feelier we will talk again okay? For now, I o deal with the big bad man." Elizabeth said starting to walk towards the exit.

  She didn't want to deal with this either, why couldn't her life be simple?

  Two years ago all she wanted was to nap all day dang it!

  And now here she was, in the middle of what wasn't a normal [Soulscape] (She had visited two aher looked like this) with two mentally damaged girls in different ways, and one of them robably abused... Oh god please let it only be one...

  "Wait [Mistress]!" The little Rena said as she was carrying a red Rose with her, "You will his."

  And with small trembling steps, the little girl walked outside the apartment, as soon as she did so her plexion started to ge, her skin started to turn paler by the sed, and her eyes dropped. It seemed that making this was taking areme toll on her.

  But she still did her best and gave Elizabeth the flower. As soon as Elizabeth touched the flower it disappeared in a burst of red mana that flew straight towards her right hand. But she was too busy rushing bato the apartment.

  "What happened?" She asked to the little girl, but she wasn't reag.

  "Report!" She demao the shadows around her.

  "[Rep, new inhabitant of the Shadow Haven hasn't recovered well enough to survive without the lifeline, expl the outside may be dangerous as she could erode pletely sublimating into you Mistress.]" Her Royal mage answered promptly.

  And before she could say anything a new voice started speaking from the door "[What my coworker means to say is that this girl you picked up 't survive without your Mana, but as your Mana is too Pure, she is getting intoxicated by it. Eroding her weak self and should she end being exposed she will sublimate into the Shadow Haven, being one of us.]" It was the girl she had baptized as Aura.

  So she couldn't release Rena, but couldn't allow her to wander around her [Soulscape] just yet. So she would be fined...In this apartment...Without ao i with...

  She was just a [Proje] of Rena, there was no reason to worry about her, the real one would be just fine in the real world... Really, she was being silly...

  ...*sigh*

  "[Heed my call dwellers of the dark, proted nurture, proted safeguard, proted guide, help those that have fallen to the darkest pits of hells to rise above. Guide ahose pitiful souls so they see the bright light of a new day.]" As her words finished she felt the world shift once more.

  "[As you and Mistress.]" Aura said as she did a small bow towards her and the shadows around them came to life as they turned into a dress made of shadows. "[So long this girl carries this dress she will be uhe prote of The Stars, she will not be in dahis I guarantee.]"

  It was a very pretty dress and it seemed as if it held a steltion on its fabric, "[Mistress, you do o deal with the bug iside. The accelerated state will end soon enough now that the e is settling. The world, while on our side for this, may still find the opportunity and try to take lord Nyxfyre away, Mistress Beatrice's awakening is ing too.]" Aura finished saying.

  So Beato would awake soon? That was good, she feared that the existence of Aura would have put that farther away. But she was right about that. She o deal with Akira first.

  "Fine, I will deal with Akira first." And so Elizabeth let her sciousness return to the real world. Akira was still staring at her, only this time instead of his usual leer he was looking at her right arm.

  She felt something there s her attention to that she found a...Katana.

  A red katana with a simple design of a red rose on its hahat is [Mine]." Akira said pointing his sword at her. "Return it."

  She smiled at the idea of using the sword that Rena had gifted her to deal with Akira, "I have no idea what you are saying, why don't you try and [Summon] another one from your [Hero's Armory]?" Elizabeth taunted him as she felt the red fiery mana c her body.

  New [Instincts] blossoming in her mind, telling her how to stand, how to move, were to attack, how to deflect. She allowed them to flood into her mind and tasked her [Royal Mages] with the work of parsing through them into her [Puppeteer] skill.

  Notice:[The Sword of My Heart]: The maion of the desires for freedom of [The Sword Saint], capable of severing anything in the way of its search for freedom. After being released from captivity the sword is returning to its flory.

  [This sword will never allow itself to be wielded again by someone who isn't worthy of its power.]

  She was half sure that the description had ged and that this wasn't what it was there before, it was missing some important data, as what its power was, and what the limits of this form were. And what would happen should the bde shatter?

  But for now, she would fight as a [Swordswomen], she had a [Katana] and ao defeat after all, wasn't this what it was about?

  Crossing swords and vanquishing [Evil]?

  "Fine, keep that stupid bitch's sword. I have plenty of ons from [True Heroes] to go!" Akira said as he did a flourish with his hand and several ripples across the air showed, evidence of Akira summoning his [Skill]. "[Hero's Armory - Divine Swram]!"

  It was a sword that was backed by a problematic backstory for Elizabeth, should the legend behind the story be usable, a sword made to sy dragons. Did Akira know her [Iance]? Or was this a mere ce?

  She would o tread carefully either way.

  "Let's go, Rena," Elizabeth whispered to the sword in her hand as she rushed forward, one way or the other she would finish this fight in the least amount of moves possible.

  Akira was getting ered, aill had more [Status points] than her.

  Katsurandom