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overanalyzingelswordiswhatido · 5 years ago

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Job Classes I made for the two timelines I created for The Depths of Time like an impulsive dummy

Since @sunneflower said they were interested.

I decided to include the Elsword job paths these were inspired by. This is mostly spoiler free!! Mostly because I kept everything purposefully vague since, while I did solidify the premises for these two timelines, I don't have a lot of the actual STORY fleshed out other than the beginning and tidbits here and there.

Anyway, on to the job paths (gonna do a cut because this post is actually really long)

Destruction Timeline – a timeline where the El Search Party was defeated and only a handful of them remain (though I haven't included what happens to who all that much), fighting a losing guerilla war purely to ensure their survival, unable to help the people they swore to protect.

Elsword (based on Immortal): Execution Knight/Blade Reaper/Hel’s Emissary

Elsword decided some people didn’t deserve a second chance and that he would dirty his own hands to ensure they never caused trouble for the world again, honing his sword skills until he could wield two smaller blades with deadly accuracy.

Aisha (based on Aether Sage): Storm Magician/Hurricane Eye/Vengeance Seeker

Aisha channeled her power into creating storms of unmatched magnitude to easily take care of the hoards the El Search Party found themselves facing off against but after escaping capture with Ara, she started to push her friends away, becoming cold and distant.

Rena (Based on Anemos): Assault Ranger/Cyclone Striker/Maelstrom

Rena found her abilities in combat to not be enough to protect her friends and asked the wind spirits to help her be faster and stronger so she could become the tip of the spear so to speak, plowing through even the strongest enemies with power to spare.

Raven (Based on Rage Hearts): Scale Taker/Dragon Fist/Wyrm Soul

When Raven came across a dragon, he decided to attempt harnessing that power to protect his friends and created highly durable armor from a dragon’s scales and refining his sword to be as sharp as dragon claws. He redesigned his Nasod arm to be able to harness flames equivalent to a dragon’s breath.

Eve (Based on Code: Ultimate & Code: Esencia): Code: Revival/Code: Assimilation/Code: Ragnorak

Eve focused on the revival of her people but she realized that humans and Nasods could never peacefully coexist. Rather than despair, she came up with a rather unorthodox solution to the problem and pursued it with single-minded determination and vigor.

Elesis (Based on Bloody Queen): Judgement Knight/Purgatory Blade/Vindicator

If Elsword is the executioner then Elesis is the judge and jury. Determined to right the wrongs of the world, she makes sure those who hurt others cannot escape punishment, never doubting the righteousness of her actions, with an unpredictable but precise fighting style.

Chung (Based on Centurion & Comet Crusader): Shield Guardian/Phalanx Cannon/Victory Herald

With the hordes facing Hamel and then his friends, Chung focused on strengthening his defense as far as he could push it. He created a phalanx-like set of shields he commands at will, as well as providing friends/allies with support with his long-range attacks and plethora of buff abilities.

Add (Based on Dominator): Splinter Tracer/Void Watcher/Fenrir’s Master (as in the wolf from Norse mythology)

Early on in his research into time travel, Add discovered the existence of alternate timelines and created portals that allowed him to send drones into those other timelines to monitor them. With the El Search Party, he’s a wild card who’s only known loyalty is to himself yet he has made himself an invaluable ally despite their inability to trust him.

Ara (Based on Shakti): Little Wisp/Holy Revenant/Spirit Harbinger

Ara partnered with Eun to better defend her friends and find her brother but when she woke up in Lu and Ciel’s fortress having escaped capture, Eun was gone. Left on her own in a way she never thought she would be, she desperately tries to hold out hope that everything will be okay.

Lu (Based on Innocent (Ishtar)): Final Ruler/Eternal Shadow/Genesis (Rapture)

Lu set to regaining her power and through an unexpected twist of events succeeded much sooner than she had anticipated and is now the sole ruler of the demon realm.

Ciel (Based on Catastrophe (Abysser)): Final Ruler/Eternal Shadow/Genesis (Entropy)

Ciel takes being Lu’s shadow literally and becomes her left hand, performing tasks most would stay far away from to ensure their success and survival.

Ain (Based on Richter & Herrscher): Lofty: Warrior/Donner (means thunder) Essence/Blitzkrieg

Ain doesn't manage to catch himself in time and falls to the Dark El. He becomes a demonic deity similar to the demon god Scar was trying to summon in Lanox.

Rose (Based on Minerva & Prime Operator): Novice Hacker/Signal Echo/Cyber Wraith

Rose arrives to Elrios and finds herself in conflict with Nasods. She manages to capture some models mostly intact and reverse engineers ways to get into their program and shut them down without causing any damage to their physical structure. That way she can repurpose them.

Laby (Based on Eternity Winner & Nisha Labyrinth): Shadow Child/Twilight Mist/Midnight Specter

In an effort to protect herself from the world, Laby learns how to fight. Because people scare her, she often finds herself in the shadows, cast off to the side, and she becomes comfortable there. She learns to use people's tendency to overlook her to her advantage.

Nasod Timeline – a timeline where Nasod technology is a common fascination among the people of Elrios, almost like mythology in the modern world, and many have at least dabbled their toes in Nasod technology, and some are able to utilize it (though not to the same extent as in the past).

Elsword (Based on Knight Emperor): Wandering Knight/Honorable Sellsword/Gladiolus

While Elsword did advertise his services as a swordsman so he could get out and see more of the world he loves so much, he still insists on doing the right thing, upholding the values of a knight just like his sister would.

Aisha (Based on Aether Sage & Metamorphy): Saber Magician/Elemental Duelist/Arcane Fencer

When it was still just her, Elsword, and Rena, Aisha witnessed a duel where one party wielded a rapier and, despite thinking of swords as barbaric beforehand, she became fascinated by the precise and quick movements that were so similar to how she directed her magic.

Rena (Based on Twilight): Ambush Ranger/Spectral Hunter/Supreme Predator

With the El Search Party having been ambushed too many times during their journeys for Rena’s liking, she decides to beat their enemies at their own game. She perfects her abilities and becomes better than any enemy ever could be.

Raven (Based on Furious Blade): Arsenal Taker/Weapon Master/Gilgamesh

Raven refused to lose any of his new friends and in their battles, he found his sword skills to not be enough. Not wanting to use his Nasod arm, he began carrying multiple weapons on his person and soon it grew until he was carrying an arsenal all his own that he was more than proficient with.

Eve (Based on Code: Sariel & Code: Esencia): Code: Constellation/Code: Pulsar/Code: Andromeda

Eve woke up in a lab instead of her capsule but she escaped and found herself in the wilderness, completely alone, as the only Nasod remaining in Elrios. She wandered, without much of a destination. On her journey, she was inspired by the powerful beauty of the stars in the sky and set her mind to finding a way to mimic that in her abilities using condensed El energy.

Elesis (Based on Empire Sword & Flame Lord): Wing Knight/Flame Empress/Nike (as in the goddess of victory)

While perfecting her sword and fire skills, Elesis came across designs for wings made from Nasod technology and wondered if she could turn the wings into blades that could be directed. The only problem being, while she was decent at following directions, she was unlikely to ever understand the calculations she was plugging into the apparatus, let alone actually make her own additions to it but luckily when she met up with the El Search Party they found someone more than willing to help her add blades to her set of wings.

Chung (Based on Centurion & Fatal Phantom): War Guardian/Iron Battalion/Unlimited Armory

Not wanting to get trapped should he find himself in a situation where he couldn’t use his cannon, Chung set to mastering any weapon that was similar enough that he could learn it in the short amount of time he had. With some help, he developed a piece of Nasod technology that would allow him to summon to his aid any weapon he wanted as long as it was connected to his device and he set to creating his own artillery that he could summon to any location.

Add (Based on Doom Bringer): Empty Tracer/Nasod Mimic/White Star

Not much is known about Add beyond his inability to speak and that he can create particle projections that mimic the abilities of any Nasod he has come into contact with.

Ara (Based on Apsara & Shakti): Little Lance/Ouroboros/Amphisbaena

Ara decided one spear was not enough and, with Eun’s help, developed a unique fighting style using two spears and created her own secret arts: Phoenix Secret Arts and Serpent Secret Arts. She honed her new fighting style until she was faster and deadlier than ever before.

Lu (Based on Catastrophe (Timoria) & Diangelion (Iblis)): Shepherd’s Crook/Steeled Ka/Osiris (Lotus)

Lu wanted to work as a team with Ciel, but it was difficult coming up with something that worked the way she wanted it to with their clashing fighting styles where she preferred to get in their enemies’ faces and he preferred fighting from a distance. She stubbornly continued to work with Ciel until the two of them became unstoppable.

Ciel (Based on Innocent (Chevalier)): Shepherd’s Crook/Steeled Ka/Osiris (Duat)

Determined to protect Lu, Ciel decided it was best to attack from range, picking off the targets she missed in her sweeps but Lu wanted to work more as an equal force than leader and support. So, Ciel worked with her to adjust their fighting styles to be more in line with the team dynamic she wanted.

Ain (Based on Bluhen & Herrscher): Lofty: Reflection/Doppelganger/Ersatz (means replacement)

Ain was never drawn out of the rift by Elsword’s presence so a copy of him was created to fulfill his purpose. Ain is alone, searching for the El, when he comes across Eve and the two of them team up to achieve their individual goals.

Rose: Metal Heart/Optimus/Prime Operator

I decided this route worked REALLY well with the overall vibe I was going for for this timeline, so I decided to slap it in instead of making a whole new Rose route (making everyone else was hard enough).

Laby (Based on Radiant Soul & Eternity Winner): Wonder Child/Sparkle Champion/Heracles

Laby wants to help people and see all the world has to offer her but she also wants to protect everything she's come to hold dear. Not wanting to lose another friend, Laby asks Gaia to teach her to fight and teams up with Nisha to do that.

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rainsonata · 5 years ago

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Doppelgänger 7/15

Chapter 07: Bystander

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 7,009

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —

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Class Notes:

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

Alternative Path: Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

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Knight Emperor

Shadowed silhouettes danced in succession, too fast for Knight to keep up. Flashes of royal blue and cyan chased one another between the ashy trees set ablaze. None of them were human. Ishtar darted to the side with spears shot from her hands with Chevalier at her heels, acting as her shield and means of offense with his gun blade at hand. The two moved together as a single unit, synchronized with a single target in sight.

Blinding light sheared through the dark demonic forest with an intensity in reminiscence of the El. Knight’s chest fluttered in response to the familiar warmth of the energy source emitting from a man clad in white. Long strands of hair rested over the man’s shoulders. The El had influenced every part of Richter with the priest utilizing his own set of spears to counter Ishtar’s. Blades expanding from Richter’s fingertips to be used as a projectile.

“Using spears to compensate for lack of ranged skills,” a voice drawled. “I suppose that man does more than talk about the El.”

Knight sat next to Mad Paradox - not that he had an option. The chains dangling from Mad Paradox’s back moved of their own will. They tightened their grip when Knight pulled on them, fighting to remove himself away from them and their owner. Paradox snickered when Knight asked how long they would remain here and ruffled the redhead’s hair with a toothy grin.

His wrists ached from the chains constricting close to his skin. There were at least three or four of them, it was hard to tell. They bunched up in knots and clung to him, sometimes playfully waving in the air.

The gold pendulum Richter held between his fingers swung as he summoned additional spears to combat Chevalier from above. Chevalier spun around to launch a bullet at the defending priest, bringing his gun blade into closer range with Ishtar by his side. Blue sparks exploded with flames emitting from Ishtar’s palms to force Richter to back away.

Knight held his knees close to his body and leaned his head forward. It was hard to watch the people he considered family fighting a familiar face, even if he had never met them in person. The injuries inflicted by both parties left his mouth dry with pain in the back of his throat.

“How do you know he’s Ain?” Knight asked.

He squinted at the blue haired man on the hologram screens created by Paradox. They were surrounded by four screens. It was like they were there where the fight had taken place. The fight was recorded by one of Paradox’s drones, hidden discreetly between shrubs to be unnoticed by his friends. How could he be so close to them, yet couldn’t touch them and let them know he was there?

Paradox noticed the knight’s interest in the priest and smirked, “I’ve met enough of them to know it’s him, even when his hair looks like toothpaste. They’re all the same.”

“Does that mean I’m the same?” Knight frowned.

“As much as I am to your Add.”

There was no doubt in his mind he was talking to Add. His mannerisms remained reserved and offered little for Knight to work with. Past and future? Paradox kept his lips sealed, never offering more information than necessary.

But he wasn’t Doom Bringer.

It wasn’t fair when the time traveler held a gleam in his eyes and an all-knowing smile when Knight said something like he knew something the redhead didn’t. He sometimes looked at Knight like he was talking to someone else, his eyes wavering into black scleras in angry flashes. Pieces erratically chipped off Paradox’s body from time to time, threatening to pull the man apart. Knight was sure Paradox would crumble before the man forced himself together and bared sharp teeth as if in pain.

What happened to turn Paradox into what barely resembled humanity?

Ishtar shouted something to Chevalier with urgency from how tense her muscles were. Hands forming into fists and legs apart with a raised finger at Richter with betrayal reflecting off her eyes. Chevalier held her back with one arm and shook his head, whispering into her ear. Knight couldn’t read their lips. Both turned to Richter dashing to them and crouched over with a blade piercing into Chevalier.

“Ciel, no!” Knight and Ishtar screamed.

Ishtar mirrored her companion in clutching over her chest. Jets of black ink beside Chevalier’s red, seeping through her clothes under red lightning from the many moons. Ishtar growled, clenching her teeth and summoned an arsenal of spears. Reaching from her back, the former ruler extended her blades and pointed them at the priest. Pain and rage escaped from her lips as the forest was filled with light.

A powerful wind blew past them. Pulling Chevalier up with her shoulder used as support, blue fireflies appeared around the two. A hoard of spirits formed before them before she and Chevalier had them charge into Richter. Pebbles trembled to the spears crashing down, locking Richter’s limbs into places and restricting the priest from further movement. The blue haired man looked at the former ruler with glassy eyes.

Ishtar stood over the priest and bit her lips when she looked over to Chevalier’s physical state.

“Is this what you do with your friends?” Knight looked away.

“What are you talking about?” Paradox asked.

“Do you make them fight each other like this?”

“I don’t have friends.”

“You must have someone,” Knight searched for weakness in the other’s expression. His skin was like alabaster, dented with a pronounced facial lines from the permanent frown Paradox had if he wasn’t laughing like a maniac.

“Do you mean the El Losers like yours?” Paradox leaned his head back. “Sure, if you want to call people that want to kill each other ‘friends’.”

Knight winced. Did he want to know what Paradox’s team was like? He chose not to probe further. Talking about another El Search Party wasn’t going to give him the information he needed to learn more about this man.

“Then why come to us?” Knight kept his voice even, “If we’re all the same, then you wouldn’t want to see us.”

“You’re smarter than the last one,” he mused. “Pity you don’t use that brain more often.”

“Did you kidnap me so you could insult me?” Knight fumed.

“A wonderful idea, but there are stupider people I can choose for that.” Paradox showed his teeth, “I was bored.”

Bored.

This entire mess. Switching swords and making other teams see each other as the enemy. All because of one man? Knight looked at Paradox for clues of this being a joke, but the tall man only giggled for an answer. He had the power to manipulate time and this is what he used it for? For entertainment? It took Knight soothing himself with calming words to keep his mind clear. What could make a man use his powers for something so petty?

Even if Knight wasn’t even sure what kind of history Paradox or Doom Bringer had, it couldn’t have been a pleasant one if they chose the life of following the El Search Party. Their group attracted those with hard lives, those that seeked for something better than what they already had. Paradox held the same sad-eyed look Bringer had when he thought no one was looking. A longing gaze, one that thought about the what-if’s many times until the sun rose. Knight once had the same look when he stayed up wondering if his father and sister would return from the war. He had his friends, but who did Paradox have? Bringer never spoke about having a family, so did that make Paradox the same?

“You’re lonely,” Knight realized.

He felt the grip around his body loosen as soon as those words left his lips. The chains shriveled, leaving Knight enough room to move his arms and pull himself out from its grip. Paradox’s shoulders shook and staring past the bangs that fell over his face. Paradox let out a humorless laugh when he realized Knight was still there and was no longer bound into his spot.

“And people call me delusional,” Paradox scoffed. “You have mistaken and are projecting yourself onto a person you barely know.”

“You’re still Add.”

“If you want to compare me to a brute.”

“Why are you so stubborn?” Knight groaned, “Doesn’t it bother you watching people you know fight each other?”

He shrugged, “It happened in multiple dimensions. Your problems are nothing new to me.”

“Why do you even have these powers?” Knight waved his hands, “The only person who can control time and space is Glave-”

“Don’t speak of that man,” Paradox hissed.

“Didn’t he help you learn more about Henir?”

“Don’t assume what happened in your dimension is the same as ours,” the time traveler sneered. “Mention that man again and you won’t learn what happens to your friends.”

So there was something between him and Glave. Knight didn’t recall Bringer having a relation with the gatekeeper beyond exchanging snide comments, but maybe things were more personal for Paradox. Things that made the time traveler uncomfortable to share with others and recoil with threats.

It was the first outward sign of frustration he had heard from Paradox since they first met. Tufts of hair stood up from his roots and his eyes flickered black with venom in his voice. His pale cheeks were patched with tinges of red, his lips curled down into a frown and a hardened expression.

“You said you wouldn’t kill me.” Knight looked at him in the eye, refusing to blink. His anger didn’t scare Knight, but it was the raw emotions that caught him off guard. It was a contrast to the shy quiet persona he had in child form.

“I won’t kill you, but I can keep you from dying.” Paradox said with a Cheshire grin.

Knight had no doubt the man could do that. He was alive by a narrow margin because of Paradox’s strange abilities.

His mannerisms and the way he talked wasn’t any different than Glave’s. He held up his head and held a coy smile when Knight thought he held the pieces to better understand the time traveler. Paradox was an enigma. His answers brought in more questions into wondering what kind of man twisted his body beyond recognition for abilities only gods dreamed of.

“Time… is unforgiving.” Paradox said, “it moves on without waiting for you. I defied that and now I’m past the laws of time and space.”

“Is that why you look like a child?” Knight thought about the man’s unstable body, forever broken apart and forced back together. It was alien and was hardly what he considered to be living. There was fear, but mostly pity in the man’s existence.

Paradox didn’t answer.

“Are you keeping me here forever?” Knight asked.

“Don’t be dramatic,” Paradox rolled his eyes. “I’m just borrowing you for a few hours.”

Knight pulled out Rune’s sword from his bag and pointed it at the strange man that shared Bringer’s face. “I need to get back to my friends. Now.”

“Resorting back to brute force, how typical.” Paradox snorted, “You do everything to save their sorry asses after so many times, only for them only create more problems right after. Don’t you ever get tired of it all?”

“I need them.”

“Or do they need you?” The man stretched his arms out to show bright colored gloves, “Placing all responsibilities on a child. They’re as stupid as the ones from my universe.”

“You don’t know them,” Knight snarled.

Knight didn’t need the reminder of being a young leader. At first, it was by default because it was only him, Aether, and Daybreaker. As their party grew, the foolish headstrong leader grew into his armor and no longer struggled picking up the sword his sister left behind. It was only because of his friends and dumb luck that they were successful in making it this far. Did his friends really need him? Knight no longer lived in his sister’s shadow, but he still felt like the child left behind Ruben by his father and sister to answer the call to war.

He didn’t lower his blade. The red runes on the blade sparked in response to his El resonance, but he didn’t strike. He saw Rune use it to summon flames in combination to the sword techniques both of them have learned from their sisters.

“I’m more than their leader,” Knight said. “I’m their friend. What will it take for you to let me go?”

“Negotiating with a blade pointed at me. I guess you’re more than talk.” With a dark chuckle, Paradox folded his arms in with Dynamo flying around him in an uneven disarray. “How about you entertain me? We have all the time in the world.”

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Ishtar

A small figure appeared in the fog with her tail flicking to the side as the hairs at the back of her neck stood up. They were not home, but the former demon monarch recognized the familiar presence of demonic energy. It was like walking through the Sander swamps if each step dragged their footsteps further down until they were left without enough stamina to continue on without being devoured by leeches or demons. Luckily for Chevalier, Ishtar was one of the two. Aether was less than impressed when the butler suggested cooking them.

The longer they stayed in Demon Realm, the more accustomed the El Search Party was to fighting in the dark among demons. She had no doubt that this was their advantage. Rune’s party was slower and unfamiliar with demon territory, struggling to keep up with them and clearly not used to the Dark El’s presence. It took more effort for them to inflict damage on them.

Pain injected into her chest. Sharp ice traveled through her veins, fading in and out in succession. Her vision split into two before meeting at the center again as she blinked rapidly to the sound of his voice.

“Lu?” Chevalier’s face came into view.

Gripping her wrist with a gloved hand, Ishtar winced with one eye shut with the other glancing at the blue-haired man. Chevalier mirrored her action with his eyes unfocused from the shared pain. Was it her or Chevalier? The visible gash on Chevalier’s arm indicated the latter.

“So the brat could still fight,” Ishtar breathed without humor.

Despite being covered in bandages and outnumbered, Richter could stand his ground. Tranquil rage pierced through his gaze with the celestial quick to read their movements. He and the opposite party had split their group into separate routes. They must have known this would be a challenging fight if they saw them as a threat.

Splitting power over two parties was good in reducing pain, but that meant sharing it and the additional complications that came with forming contracts with another person. The bond between Ishtar and the man she had grown to view as her equal was something that could not be described with the limited vocabulary in Elrian culture. It wasn’t just physical pain they shared, but emotional bonds chained between the two. Her anger against Richter for breaking loose with accusations at them were felt by Chevalier and his frustration with the ongoing fight was shared by her.

“I’m sorry,” Chevalier said with guilt, covering the gash on his chest with one hand. “I wasn’t being careful.”

Ishtar shook her head, already reaching for the potion in her pouch and bringing it to her friend. “Don’t bear the guilt by yourself. Both of us have underestimated him.”

Chevalier applied pressure to the injury with his hand over a torn piece of cloth, breathing heavy breathes as Ishtar administered the potion. A combination of the potion and being half demon sped up the healing process, his muscles contracting in pain and forcing Chevalier to lower himself. His face turned pale as he tucked his head down and choked on his own saliva.

If only Bluhen was here, Ishtar breathed heavily in unison with the other. Medication of that dosage might have been too much for Chevalier. She placed her hand over his shoulders and did what she could to circulate her power over to alleviate the pain. Ishtar was better at taking in the pain than most humans were. Even if Chevalier was half-demon, she didn’t want him to go through this alone.

She had Chevalier nibble on a Sander jerky while she unraveled a bandage roll and quickly patched him up. Ishtar would have offered him more, but she didn’t want to run the risk of having Chevalier consume more than he could handle when they were freshly out of a battle. She took it as a good sign when the butler showed appetite and downed the dried meat with as much enthusiasm as one could for food of mysterious origin. It was a good thing that the dark elves offered them supplies and ration in the last stop. They were running out of medicine and provisions before Knight offered them peace.

“Good thing Raven packed these,” Chevalier noted between bites.

“You enjoy eating that?” Ishtar let out a weak laugh, “Talking like this after you gave me a scare. You really are a child.”

“Anything tastes great after that close call,” he shrugged and shoved the rest of the Sander jerky in his mouth. “And I’m not a child.”

Ishtar wiped a tear and turned her head to where their attacker laid. Spears pinned Richter down by the clothing hems, limbs spread out with an emotionless face staring up to the starlit sky. Long tangled hair sprawled on the grassy floor with the celestial’s lips quivering and mouthing words of prayer in an extinct language humans no longer spoke.

“Don’t speak of me as if I’m dead,” Richter uttered.

“Don’t talk as if you didn’t try to kill Ciel!” Ishtar glared back.

“I did not intend to kill,” the priest said with equal iciness.

It took every ounce of self-control not to stomp over and tell off Richter to swim with the mermaids. Ishtar felt Chevalier peering into the back of her head. His worrisome nature seeped into the back of her unconsciousness even as she struggled to push it away. Chevalier was such a mother hen when it involved her and their teammates. It was sweet, but bothersome when she wanted a clear mind. She threw a look at Chevalier to stop.

Blue light sparked from the celestial with no concern for his physical being, if Richter held the concept of being one. Daggers extended between his fingertips as the priest used them as projectiles with skill that one could hope to achieve - not that Ishtar was subpar and couldn’t keep up with him, hmph.

It was hard to believe the man was the same as Bluhen. His impulsive tactics ran the risk of injuring himself and others yet he head no fear for each strike he made against his opponents. Clean distinct movements from the priest’s spears before light flashed from above.

Placing her palm over Chevalier forehead, Ishtar managed a smile when she discovered that it was still warm. His breaths were shallow, but at an even tempo. They were lucky that Richter inflicted shallow cuts just short of Chevalier’s vital organs. With a few hours of rest, he was going to be okay.

Richter fought by concentrating and creating bursts of energy at the end of his spears, not too different from how Ishtar’s methods. Having the technique deflected on them was a surprise Ishtar wasn’t prepared for.

“If you’re not trying to kill us, then what are you trying to achieve?” Ishtar demanded. “You were specifically targeting us when we had two additional teammates with us.”

“As if I would give away my objective to demons,” Richter sneered.

“You are not in a position to talk,” Chevalier crouched over one knee in trying to get up despite the protesting pain. He used his gunblade as a makeshift crutch to push himself onto his feet and looked down at the celestial. “You’re out of stamina and we have disarmed you. Do you not recognize us as your friends?”

“Sharing their faces doesn’t make us friends,” Richter said. “They are not friends, they are colleagues.”

How cold, Ishtar thought. She already knew that Bluhen wasn’t human - how could he be when the priest had unnatural stamina and possessed powers that were closer to those of a God than organic? Richter was more vocal about his distaste for demons, but the way he talked about his teammates reminded her of the demonic view of keeping one’s allies at an arm’s distance.

“Then tell us why you’re going around with our friend’s sword.” Ishtar pulled the great sword from Richter’s belt. Light and adept for battle, the piece of El sculpted in the handle glowed faintly when she held it up to catch Knight’s scent mixed with ashes. It smelled recent. There was a fire involved.

“I know you don’t like us,” Chevalier said. “Rightfully so after you saw us taking your Elsword, but we need answers too. Where is ours? We may be demons, but we know where our loyalties lie once people have proven their worth. Let us win yours.”

“I already said I don’t know.” he said. “I have not met him. He is not with the El Search Party.”

Richter gave up wriggling under the pressure of multiple blades pressing against his skin. Emotionless in seeing doppelgangers of his teammates, he stared at Chevalier with lips tucked down into a permanent flat line. The expression was too much like Bluhen’s when forced to hold a conversation with her or Chevalier, dulled facial lines edged with a hint of annoyance. For all the right reasons, Richter was not pleased in his position and being forced to comply with the enemy. His once pristine clothes turned to an ashen gray and his blue stole reduced to tatters.

“Yours?” Chevalier asked, “and the sword-”

“Lying on the floor,” a strand of hair flipped to the left side of his face. Richter directed his gaze to Ishtar, “I don’t give answers to demons. Elsword placed trust in you and you let him down by losing him.”

“You lost your Elsword too! Ugh! What is your problem?” Ishtar groaned, “you’re even worse than Ain!”

“I am Ain,” he said.

“You know what I mean!” She shrieked.

“Lu,” Chevalier rubbed his forehead. “You’re making things worse.”

“He’s the one insulting us and we have to take it lying down?”

“You made me lie down,” Richter said lying down.

Ishtar leered at the priest, questioning if this man was Bluhen’s counterpart. Where were the cheeky comments and jabs that came with them? His blinks gave away confusion set with seriousness in his expression, thin lines forming around his facial features. Richter’s pendulum was placed away from his reach, although that was more for show because Ishtar was sure he could manipulate the El without one.

This was no good, Ishtar sighed. It was better to let Chevalier talk things out with Richter before letting her anger get the better of her. Chevalier was good at letting people speak their minds and saying the right thing to ease their defenses. It was a skill not many possessed and she was grateful to have him by her side.

What she was now was a far cry from her reign as the Steel Queen, but that didn’t mean Ishtar was safe from losing her patience to spoiled children like Richter. If she was her former cruel self, she would have forced Richter down on his knees, but that would have disappointed Chevalier and Ishtar promised to be a better person for him and for the El Search Party’s sake. Bluhen at the very least knew when to keep his distance when pushing people too far. Richter was probing balloons with pin needles.

“It’s true we lost Elsword, but we’re doing what we can to get him back.” Chevalier asked, “You must care about yours a lot to be fighting us.”

“I made a promise to protect him,” Richter said. “To lose him is to diminish my purpose. I did not sense demonic energy when I found the sword. What is Elsword doing with you?”

“It was his choice to come with us,” Chevalier explained. “He said he would help us find our Elsword.”

“Elsword… willingly joined?” Betrayal appeared on his features.

“I don’t know the specifics, but Elesis thinks it’s out of guilt.” Ishtar added, “Rune looked okay when I last saw him.”

“When did you find the sword?” Chevalier inspected Richter’s state. His wounds were already closing at an increasing speed, bruises turning into a yellowish tone.

“Right before you interfered and took Elsword,” annoyance came back into Richter’s tone as soon as the topic moved away from Rune.

“They caught us with Rune as soon as we saw them with the sword,” Ishtar thought aloud. “This is all well-placed.”

Chevalier caught on quickly, “you think we have been manipulated?”

“It won’t be the first time,” she said with disapproval. Ishtar hovered over to snap her fingers, releasing the spears from holding Richter down. “We can’t make you believe us, but I can promise you no harm will come to your Elsword.”

“Do you have an idea who might be involved in this?” Chevalier asked.

She shook her head, “I’m not sure. It might not be someone we know.”

Their reputation has been building up enough for demons to speak of them. It would not surprise Ishtar if Knight’s kidnapper was someone of another world where news of their achievements have reached them. She needed time to think about who could be a culprit. This wasn’t something they could solve by themselves.

“What do we do with him?” Chevalier gestured Richter.

“You can talk to your friends, can’t you?” Ishtar asked.

“And if I do?” Richter turned his face away.

“I want you to pass the message about what we discussed.” Ishtar elaborated, “If we can track Elsword’s steps, we might find him and perhaps the culprit. We need everyone to work together so we can outnumber them.”

“You sound like Elsword,” Chevalier teased.

“Guess the kid rubbed off on me,” she laughed.

Richter remained lying on his back, eyelashes fluttering as the celestial’s chest heaved up with quiet breaths. Clawing the grass with his hands, he rolled to the side and crawled on his fours. He pulled himself up and gasped when he discovered gashes forming over his skin, bright red painted over porcelain. Dried sweat and chapped lips and without his teammates, Richter looked lost. He looked at his gloves smeared with dirt and dried blood with dull eyes.

“You said Elsword is fine?” Richter asked.

“He’s with Aisha, Chung, and the others.” Ishtar confirmed, “You can talk to him when we meet up.”

“Surprising that even demons have some sense,” Richter uttered. A thin smirk formed on his lips to give little room for misinterpretation on his feelings about the demon duo. What an imprudent child. So rude!

Ishtar turned her head away from Richter so she could listen to Chevalier talk about a new recipe he discovered. The priest with hair the color of human toothpaste looked at them with uncertainty, holding a silent debate of how much he could trust them. Whether or not he could trust them, they shared a goal in finding their leaders and that was enough for Ishtar to let Richter follow them.

-----------------------------------------------

Oz Sorcerer

Oz was beginning to think the Demon Realm was nothing more than a field of spider lilies overcrowding fruit candy colored grass. She saw no less than three carnivorous plants passing by after circling around the same trees dozens of times. Angkor stupidly flocked over to a budding plant in bat form before Oz pulled it away from being swallowed whole. It was already bad enough that Rune was pulled off his feet and kidnapped like a fairy tale princess. She did not want to spend her afternoon or whatever it was forcing man-sized plants to vomit Angkor back up.

The mist made it impossible to see beyond a few footsteps in front of her, leaving the dark mage tapping her foot and resting with elbow over her staff with lowered eyelids. Oz had one hand in front of her face, feeling her way through the mist and using Angkor to see further. The demon bat squeaked and flew against the wind.

Almost immediately in front of her was Devi. Dressed in a cocktail dress with that ridiculous swallowtail reaching the floor, Oz was grateful that the older woman dressed in bright colors to make it easier to follow her. One foot placed over the other, Devi surveyed the dense fog, unaffected by its presence and kept her head high with piercing eyes. She ran a gloved finger over the trees and sniffed them, canines peering from her lips with a thoughtful expression.

“Are you sure they’re here?” Oz peeked over Devi’s bare shoulders, “I don’t see them.”

“No doubt about it,” Devi lifted her head up. There was no trace of doubt in the martial artist’s voice and posture. “They must have picked up something good.”

“You mean Elsword?” Oz asked.

“Not him, but I can smell four people.” Timoria said from behind, “You smell it too, right Ciel?”

“You’re the one who can do that, not me.” Abysser laughed.

“They are close,” Devi pointed at the set of footprints in front of her. They were fresh. “Eun senses them too.”

How come she got stuck with the crazy girl and two demons? Oz ignored Angkor tugging her hat for attention and lowered her hat to cover her eyes. Not that she was lacking in confidence or any of that, but being outpaced by three people with supernatural senses was annoying. But still, if that was what it would take to track down Rune’s kidnappers, she couldn’t complain. These were the same three people that made it possible for their survival in Demon Realm. Timoria was familiar with demons and knew how to talk to them without the risk of angering them. Abysser knew how to survive in the harsh climate with his knowledge in culinary arts and in herbs. Devi had inhuman strength and her… pig-headedness.

Lady Luck was by their side for them to catch the other El Search Party walking through the forest with hushed voices. If Oz’s teammates had strange clothing choices, the opposite had it worse. All but one team member were dressed in white, which was easy to spot even among the mist. Oz spied Dominator’s counterpart as part of the group and a gray-haired man dressed in an oversized coat. She heard someone call him Ain earlier. Rune wasn’t with them, but Oz knew they could lead them back to the red-haired boy. Their Chung and Elesis were dressed differently than Phantom and Flame. Oz was unsure what to make out of that minor detail, but hoped that it didn’t lead to a rougher fight.

“Where are they?” Oz strained her eyes past the trees in search of four human-shaped figures.

Steep mountains came into view, rising past the clouds as the fog lifted from the ground. The place smelled of dried pine trees and gravel. Grass became bare and the floor turned dark and damp from the rain the night before - or was that morning? It was difficult for Oz to understand the day and night cycle in the territory so different from Elrios’. Each of the moons in Demon Realm rotated in different angles and sometimes they appeared in the sky with one of the suns. Oz stopped when she saw the endless darkness below her feet and stepped back with panic. Angkor pulled on the back of her skirt to stop her from falling.

When Oz found her footing and turned to face her teammates, Devi’s hair flared and her spear was held up in offense. She saw Timoria and Abysser ready their weapons in her peripheral vision. A white-haired man in a coat pulled over his shoulders was covered in tattoos with sparks flying out of six weapons with pointed ends.

“Following us all the way here?” Doom Bringer cracked his knuckles, “you really are stupid.”

Without the fog, Oz saw that they were at the entrance of a crystal cavern. Demonic energy radiated from the interiors and her first thought was to scream at her teammates not to go. She heard cries and shrieks coming from the inside. Those demons felt stronger than the ones they encountered earlier. Were these the ones that took Rune away?

Behind Bringer were three familiar faces. They stood at the edge of the pit with Bringer covering his left eye and baring his teeth in a wide grin, holding back laughter to the sight of their odd four-man team. It was strange to see the Nasod reliant scientist wear so much black when Dominator expressed offense to the suggestion of wearing anything other than white and purple. Oz almost didn’t notice him until he spoke up because he blended in so well with the purple crystals growing from the cavern’s opening.

“You’re making us sound like criminals,” Empire Sword chided the brawler. A woman in red, she wore her hair into a high ponytail and sported high iron-clad boots. She wielded her claymore and had a serious expression in contrast to Flame Lord’s.

“As if what we’re doing doesn’t make us suspicious,” Bringer snorted.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Bluhen smiled. It was bizarre to see an emotion Ain’s face other than solemn or mildly content. What a strange reaction to being confronted by enemies.

“As a matter of fact, there is.” Devi’s lips curled into a smirk, “you know where Elsword is.”

“So what if we do?” Bringer taunted them, “What are you going to do about that?”

“Rune spoke about you,” Empire’s eyes fell over the flattering black dress covering the older woman’s curves. There was confusion in her face and unnatural hesitance in the once confident knight. Her voice faltered ever so slightly when they made eye contact, “Are you Ara?”

“My friends call me that,” Devi giggled a girlish laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. “But you can call me Devi.”

What was Devi trying to pull? Oz threw a dirty look at Devi and mouthed her to hurry up with the talk, but her signals went unnoticed. Ugh, they were supposed to intimidate the other El Search Party, not seduce them. Devi was caught up talking to the woman that looked so much like Flame and smiling when Empire lost her composure mid-sentence.

“We’re... not looking for a fight,” Empire said unconvincingly.

“What if that’s why we’re here?” Devi pursed her lips into a feigned pout and hugged her spear, “Surely you can make time for us together, can’t you?”

“Is it your intention to lead us to the demons?” Oz shoved her to the side and forced herself into the conversation. She did not have time for this.

“You noticed,” a blond man in white-armor nodded with approval. Crusader said, “Ain felt something in there and thinks Elsword might be there.”

Oz directed her scowl to Crusader and questioned the validity of his statement, searching for a brow out of place or holding out his stern expression longer than necessary. Why was it that Rune came back but the other Elsword had gone missing? Were they suggesting Knight was stupid enough to wander into a demon infested cave by himself or was kidnapped by demons? Angkor whispered into her ear earlier about this place. Demons called it Shadow Vein. The cavern contained energy similar to that of the Dark El and housed demons that made the ones invading Velder look like children.

“So you’re keeping ours hostage until you find yours?” Abysser asked.

“I know it looks bad, but that’s not what we’re doing.” Crusader turned pink.

“Then what is it?” Devi asked. “A replacement for the one you lost?”

“It’s not like that!” Empire snapped.

Empire kept her body lowered, moving backwards and keeping her distance from Devi with her back hunched over. Her posture and legwork were akin to Furious Blade, keeping her legs apart for balance and letting herself stay at an arm’s length from the enemy. She crossed her legs over to the left when Devi moved towards her, forming a circle and away from the martial artist. Muscles tensed with the claymore over her shoulder, Empire’s eyes did not leave Devi. Empire bit the bottom of her lips and her shoulders shook in a silent rage.

“Elsword cannot be replaced,” Bluhen agreed. “But I can attest that Rune had agreed to help us find Elsword and this is the place he suggested.”

“Yet you kept him away with the other group,” Timoria noted.

Bringer said, “if he’s anything like Elbrat, he’ll start feeling sorry for demons and surrender himself to them.”

“His kindness is the only reason why you’re here,” Bluhen directed his words to Bringer with a forced smile.

Oz looked between the two men and winced. This was worse than watching Dominator explain to Richter the purpose of sarcasm after half of the scientist’s remarks flew over the priest’s head. Bringer’s cheeks turned pink and mumbled an excuse, something about idiot redheads and impulsiveness. She could sympathize with that.

Pebbles elevated from the ground. Dust scattered around Oz’s feet in correspondence to the sound of high heeled shoes sliding over stoned surface. Sprinting with her dress tucked around her legs, Devi leaped into the air with her spear over her head. Amber light engulfed Devi as she channeled high levels of energy from her palms. She twirled her weapon, grasping the handle with both hands and swinging it from below.

Empire leaped back, clawing the floor with one hand. It was enough time for her to catch her breath before dashing forward with a battle cry. Sparks rained from her blade as she made contact and blocked Devi’s attack. Red braids flicked to the side of her face with the rest of her ponytail. She pulled Devi down with her boots and used her claymore to press her weight against the older woman.

“What was that?” Devi cackled, “I expected more from you! Don’t be shy, I’m eager to see more of you!”

Devi’s hair fanned down her back. Her feet pranced against the rough cavern’s surface with the familiarity of a swordsman and his blade. She lifted herself off the ground with her spear and performed a backflip, pulling her weight and creating friction in blocking Empire’s attack from above. Devi pushed her leg back and bared a wide grin.

Empire withdrew back and lowered her body to knock Devi off her feet and brought her to the floor. Crimson marked over her armor, trickling down the red knight’s forearm and staining her gauntlets in blood. She kept her weight back and leaned over Devi with an ire expression. Her claymore was gingerly placed at Devi’s chin with heavy breathes.

“I already told you,” Empire said. “Elsword is safe!”

“No doubt about that,” Devi caressed the side of Empire’s face with tenderness reserved for Flame. “Ele would never let harm come to him. I came here to see you.”

“I’m not your Elesis,” Empire glowered. “We don’t have to fight.”

“Too late to say that when you put your blade over me. You were prepared for a fight and took the time to gather your strongest teammates.” Devi looked at the team of four and laughed without humor. “They won’t even listen to each other.”

“This guy disagrees with everything I say!” Bringer glared at Bluhen.

“It’s hard to work with someone who’s ancient and doesn’t listen,” Bluhen let out an exasperated sigh but laughed.

“What did you call me?” Bringer growled.

“Not now, guys!” Crusader shook his head, “We still need to find Elsword!”

Crusader locked Bringer’s arms from behind to stop the brawler from trying to punch Bluhen. Bringer let out a stream of curses at the guardian of Hamel while Bluhen snickered. Without an apparent leader, the entire set up was nothing less than chaotic. Oz couldn’t believe she and the others were dreading this fight after extensive planning. This battle was going to be a cinch! Angkor giggled beside her as if it sensed their advantage.

Energy orbs formed around Devi and her eyes flickered red. She pulled her body lower and pulled on claymore, tossing it in the air and smirked at the look of shock on Empire’s face.

“How can you find Elsword if you can’t even work together? We’ll help you find the boy.” Devi added with a sly smile, “if you can defeat us as a team. Show me what a leader looks like.”

Not that Oz understood Devi’s fascination in meeting Empire, but she had played with the idea of meeting the rest of the El Search Party’s counterparts when Dominator explained the concept of alternate universes. She mused that if she was to meet Knight, she would have had high expectations for him too because he was Rune’s alternate. Rune acted like a knucklehead, but he had a perpetual intuition that made it possible to come this far into their journey without casualties. Oz couldn’t help but be curious to whether that was the same for Knight if his teammates made this much effort to retrieve him.

Empire sighed and readied her blade, “Very well. As a knight, I won’t deny a challenge. You’ll keep your word?”

“I can promise you that this will be more than a petty sparring match.” Devi let out a soft chuckle and her hair turned snow white. Streaks of white formed into a furry of tails behind Devi with red eyes matching Empire’s. “Show me why the knights chose you.”

----------------------------

Author Notes: Thank you @dezimaton for always beta reading my stuff and screaming at me as our favorite trash messes with the cute mc. MP is *chef kisses*. Will KE ever stop getting bullied? Maybe. Chapters will be released slowly because life and responsibilities are keeping me occupied. Thank you for being so patient. Please leave comments because they help motivate me to write. I love reading everyone’s reactions and you have no idea how much it helped me decide to continue writing this series.

#elsword #eltag #mywriting #my writing #Elsword fanfiction #Elboy (Elsword)#Rena (Elsword)#Aisha (Elsword)#Raven (Elsword)#Chung (Elsword)#Ara (Elsword)#Elesis (Elsword)#Add (Elsword)#Lu (Elsword)#Ciel (Elsword)#Ain (Elsword)#it's been 84 years hi I'm back updating the fic #doppelganger

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