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rainsonata · 5 years

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Doppelgänger 4/15

Chapter 04: Revelations

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 8,302

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

Alternate 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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Aether Sage

Her journey with Knight has been a long one, for better or worse. Five years of camping and fighting alongside with a teenager with muscles for brains, who grew up to be a considerate man with more experience in the battlefield and was better about thinking before he spoke. Aether had seen the many faces of her teammate - the good, the bad, and the stupid. So why did it feel like she was talking to a stranger?

What happened to him? ‘Knight’ slouched in his seat, made casual comments, and lacked tact in his words, eager to point out his observations. It was remarkable in the attention to detail he had and surprised Aether when he asked if her gloves were insulated to withstand magic backfires, but annoying when he started interrogating Crusader about his armor.

“Did everyone change clothes while I was out?” He asked the night before.

Hair as red as his eyes and perhaps showed too much with the unbuttoned jacket. Wasn’t he cold? It was summer in the Demon Realm according to Ishtar, but summers continued to be shorter than those in Elrios.

Concern was obvious on Empire’s face, “I’m sorry it took us longer to get here. I’m sure Ain can heal those for you.”

“I’m fine,” the younger Sieghart insisted when she wanted to inspect the injuries. “They’re not as bad as they look.”

Aether wasn’t as convinced but didn’t press on. She didn’t want to break up a moment between the siblings because the mage was sure she would have liked a moment with her grandfather if they were separated in similar circumstances. ‘Knight’ must have thought the same because he didn’t argue with Empire and let the elder knight dry him off with a towel. Damping his forehead with a hand cloth, the smile on the edge of Empire’s lips reminded her of a distant memory of her mother doing the same when she was a young child.

“You look different, Elsword. A little...thinner.” Ishtar commented.

“Do I?” He exclaimed, “Fighting demons is stressful!”

The demon sovereign studied the man, scanning the knight with her lips sealed into a straight light. Did she sense something? Aether did not hold the ability to detect El as much as Bluhen and Ishtar, or had access to technology that could as Bringer and Esencia did. It was a useful ability to have and could change the nature of battles on the whim if one took advantage of it.

Ishtar covered her mouth and giggled at his response, “You need to pay more attention to our fights then. You clearly haven’t fought me enough times to know what demons are capable of!”

“I might have to do that more often!” ‘Knight’ agreed.

Aether facepalmed. No, he was definitely Knight. Only an idiot would respond to a challenge in the same manner he did. It was very like him to grin at the face of a fight and see it as a way to build his strength. Demon sovereign or not, beneath the regality was a demon eager to find an excuse for fights and Knight was frequently happy to fulfill that with the occasional spars and with their other teammates.

Daybreaker asked, “Where did you find him?”

“Not too far from here,” Aether said. “You’re lucky you weren’t here yesterday. He looked worse without the bandages.”

On his back covered in burns and scratches, ‘Knight’ was unconscious when they found him, but was responsive to the potions. They found shelter nearby in the form of trees covering them from most of the wind and Crusader brought extra clothes and sleeping bags in case they found their friend. What they didn’t expect was the unusual behavior.

When he woke up in a jolt, a fire flared in his eyes before the redhead recognized their faces and stopped struggling, pausing to examine them with caution. What did the demons do to make him react to them as enemies?

The initial confusion met with bewilderment, demands for answers to questions of things she had no answer to. Why did ‘Knight’ have a sudden interest in what she wore and how she put up her hair? His reaction to Crusader was strange too, the inquiries to how the destroyer worked and what made the guardian of Hamel decide to stick to the original cannon he built. These were questions Bringer would ask, not the knight whose head was more often consumed by battle tactics and swords. The sudden attention ‘Knight’ held, interested in his teammates as if it was the first time they met. It was uncanny and out of character.

Daybreaker chuckled, “Then it’s a good thing he has you and Chung to take care of him.”

Aether stole a glance to the knight again, seeing him bobbing his head in agreement to something Bluhen said, awe and amazement when the priest closed his wounds with a flash of green light. It was an advanced form of magic she had read about in books.

“Don’t move too much,” Bluhen warned. “I healed the worst of the injuries, but your body needs time to recover.”

“Sorry for making you worried,” ‘Knight’ couldn’t take his eyes off his healing leg, mesmerized by the efficiency. Wiggling his toes, he spotted Rage and said with a sly grin, “Raven, you didn’t tell me! You finally realized the power in being shirtless!”

Aether couldn’t believe he had the gall to comment on the older male’s choice in armor. Well, she had thoughts of asking, but that was rude and inappropriate when what he wore was none of her business! He was going to get a lecture of a lifetime.

Bluhen was amused, “He’s right, Mr. Half-Nasod. You don’t wear a lot of clothes.”

“What?” Rage was taken back. Looking down at his armor, or rather ahem, a lack of it to where his vital organs were, the older male turned coughed with embarrassment. “Don’t be absurd.”

“Elsword!” Aether hissed, “Don’t say weird stuff!”

“Ow, not my ear. Please don’t curse me,” ‘Knight’ winced in seeing her hands ready to grab him by the ear in irritation.

Curse him? Aether pulled her hand away. She was skilled, but curses were not in her repertoire. It would take a mage years of experience and special training to perform the most basic form of the sort. Knight must have placed her in high regards to think she was capable of that. It was flattering, yet worrying. She wasn’t that kind of person.

It was as if ‘Knight’ had never left them. For a guy who found bruised and covered in bandages, the man was back on his feet, chatting and commenting on something Apsara said. Discussions about meat and barbeque were overheard when Aether leaned back to catch her breath. He asked Esencia about Remy and Moby and greeted Chevalier when he caught the butler sitting to the side of the conversation with a cookbook out.

“Do you know who attacked you?” Rage asked, “How many were there?”

‘Knight’ didn’t answer right away, opening his palms to reveal runes carved in red. “There are demons that shoot spikes and thorns on their back. Never saw them. There were probably at least eight or nine of them, maybe more.”

That explained the puncture wounds on his body. They must be strong if they took their leader by surprise, Aether was alarmed. She never heard of those demons. There might be more lurking in the woods and they were recovering from the fight with the Nephilim Lord. Their survival was because of Bluhen’s persistent healing and Empire’s quick thinking to come up with the strategic tactics to split the team for one group to distract Nephilim Lord and the other to hit the weak spots.

“How long were we in Demon Realm?” ‘Knight’ asked.

Bringer wasn’t one to mince his words and snorted, “Did you lose your brain cells? It’s been six weeks!”

“You know what they say,” he sang. “You lose track of track of time when you’re having fun~”

What kind of answer was that? The brawler stared, questioning if ‘Knight’ was all right in the head and Aether would be lying if she said she wasn’t too. What could be fun about surviving in the wilderness to avoid being spotted by demons? Although Knight was never good at sneaking around because he would rather take them head-on and bulldoze his way through things.

“That’s not nice to say!” Apsara scolded. “Elsword has gone through a lot. Let him rest!”

“No one is stopping him,” Bringer shrugged. “It’s not my fault if he slows us down.”

“It’s not a problem if it helps Elsword,” Bluhen interjected.

So much for the team meeting, Aether sighed. Her teammates were as lively as ever. This was supposed to be an opportunity for them to regroup and sort out their thoughts to address any questions before making their way back to Elrianode. As soon as ‘Knight’ came into the picture, their discussion dispersed into utter chaos. She almost couldn’t hear her thoughts through the noise her teammates were making. Aether debated on leaving the tent until she caught him chuckling.

“I’m glad you guys get along.”

“Who? Us?” Bringer pointed at himself and Bluhen, “You really have lost it.”

“Well, you’re not what I expected either.” ‘Knight’ grinned.

“What did you say?” Bringer glared and shook him by the shoulders. Despite gaining a couple of inches in recent years, ‘Knight’ remained shorter than the brawler by several inches, but laughed.

“How about we stop the conversation here?” Daybreaker appeared between the two. A vein popped on the side of the elf’s head, “You wouldn’t want to put Ain’s efforts into vain, would you Elsword?”

‘Knight’ caught the hint and rubbed the back of his neck. “Of course, not!” He sweated and changed the topic, “Uh, Chung! Was there anyone besides me back there?”

“When we found you? No.” Crusader’s expression darkened, “Did they hurt you?”

Hands covered in calluses and scar tissue webbed over the burns and cuts ‘Knight’ sported on his body. He waved his arms in frantic, shaking his head. Side bangs hung from the side of his head and his ponytail flicked over.

He kept his arms closed, legs closed inward that drew Aether’s attention to the red markings on his lower stomach and arms. There was no reason for ‘Knight’ to be wearing that ridiculous outfit after Crusader offered him a change in clothes. A nagging feeling edged in the back of her mind. Did Knight ever learn to read and understand runes? Aether was troubled in that she could not answer the growing number of questions she had about her teammate.

“That’s not it,” ‘Knight’ winced at the harshness in the guardian’s tone. “They protected me and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“What do they look like?” Crusader asked.

“Funny you should ask that,” he said with no humor.

This gnawing feeling wouldn’t go away. It didn’t make sense. Was it that Aether didn’t know her teammate as well as she thought she did? Did those years she spent with Knight mean nothing when she couldn’t recall if he ever had interest or hobbies beyond sword fighting and battle tactics? Knight’s decision to sacrifice himself to the El cemented how much she and the rest of the group underestimated him for what he was capable of. It took yesterday’s disappearance for Aether to realize how little she knew of Knight as a person, not the leader of the El Search Party. She couldn’t even fathom why he chose to pursue things by himself until Crusader pointed out the obvious.

Aether couldn’t breathe.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he began.

————————————————–

Knight Emperor

“How big is this place?” Knight gazed to see miles of his environment in a repeated pattern.

Crystals, cave, walls, more crystals, the occasional thorny demons not unlike the one that ambushed him and Rune. Their needle thorns pierced his skin and drained his stamina, but he had learned to dodge them after his legs grew numb for the tenth time. It left a tingling sensation before the effects take place and left him struggling to move.

The cavern layout was a maze looping itself around several times with more demons waiting for them. The Shadow Guards had bulkier shoulders with tall narrow teeth that charged and tried to crush Knight with its muscular arms. Wisp-like demons circled Knight and the child, eager to sap them of their strength and disappearing as quickly as they came. Longer fights and stronger enemies extended the further they drew away from their original point.

“Behind!” Knight shouted.

He pushed the child away from the charging demon, blocking its attack with his sword and using his weight to push it away. Narrowly avoiding getting bulldozed by the demon, Knight dug his sword into the ground to stand his ground in the earthquake and in the aftershock created by the demon. He drew his blade and swiped the Shadow Guard, pulling his sword into the chest and watching it twitch before it went limp in his hold. Jet black ink sprayed over the dusty floor. Knight leaned on his sword for support and breathed.

“You need to stop running off,” he gasped for air. “I don’t want you to get lost! What if something happens to you?”

Do they have a home? A nagging voice tugged at the edge of Knight’s mind. He didn’t know anything about the child. Who they were, where they’re from, why they were here, or even what their face looked like, but that didn’t stop him from being concerned. When he and Empire lost their family, they had each other and the village for support. What if the child had no one and that’s why he was alone?

The child covered their mouth with both of their sleeves, cat ears drooping from the top of their hood. Muffled cries came out and their body shook, the child lying on the floor with their legs sprawled out in a position that could not be comfortable. Worried when there was no response, Knight rested his hand on their arm, careful not to scare them. It then hit him how scrawny the child was underneath the layers of clothing. Their arm was thinner than Knight’s when he was around their age.

“Here, let me see your hands.” Knight let them wrap their hand around him in a tighter than expected grasp. “You’re okay.”

Was this how Empire Sword felt when she raised him? She used to track him by the trail of mud left at their door to catch Knight covered in scratches and grass-stained knees.

Arms covered in puffy sleeves and magenta gloves flopped over. Knight missed the curled lips for a moment when the gloves came off to reveal pale translucent skin. Pink and sweaty from running around with Knight, but otherwise no scratches for any indication that they have fighting demons.

He raised a brow.

It might be connected to their keen ability to sense demons, Knight theorized. Despite their small size, or maybe that was the advantage, the child was good at not being detected by the demons and snuck up on him more than once. He sometimes lost track of them and found them on the opposite side of the rooms without an explanation.

The child laughed. A soft chuckle laced with amusement and an all-knowing smile that held secrets they refused to proclaim, certainly not to a person they had met hours ago. Knight would be hard-pressed to think he was going to get the full story behind the child in the span of hours he had known them.

“See? Not a single scratch!” Knight patted the child on the head, “Just a little further and I’m sure we’ll be out of here in no time!”

The child hissed, shrinking away from his hand and turned their head. Knight retreated his hand with an apologetic look and mumbled a sorry. Right, they didn’t like being touched on the head. He hoped that his friends wouldn’t mind having an extra mouth to feed until they could find better living arrangements for the child. The battlefield was no place for someone as young as them.

Where was out? They were in a part of the cave where the air became acrid and unbearable for Knight to breathe, gagging when he inhaled dust and debris. It was dead silent for the entity of the trip except for the sound of their breathing and the rustling of their clothes brushed against the damp walls.

Glowing crystals lit the narrow paths Knight chose to follow to avoid the bigger demons, although, with his poor luck, there were more demon encounters than he could count. Numerous and crawling in about every corner of the caves, these demons were persistent and went after them once they spotted the humans until confronted. Most were weak and couldn’t stand to a few swipes and kicks, but there were a few craftier ones that required more creative strategies.

To his relief, no humans or signs of their presence were seen on their search for an exit from the heart of demon territory. Rune must have escaped and avoided the same fate as him, Knight smiled. If things didn’t work out on his end, he could at least count on his alternative to be safe. Another Elsword could always take the torch and find a way to restore the El.

The child stopped in their tracks, kneeling and lying one hand over the ground and leaning their head into their knee. Chains at the end of their coat curled at the edges, serpentine in movement as they swayed to the side. Knight thought they were chains from their mechanical appearance, but he could have sworn he saw them twitched the number of times he checked to see if the child was behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Knight asked.

A harsh screech pierced the damp air, echoes bouncing around enclosed walls and shaking the foundations for each bellow. The ground beneath them shook, gravel loosened and dragged Knight to his knees and head hung low. His tendons protested in the tugging and pulling, impatient and demanding as Knight hugged one arm around a giant crystal in desperation.

An earthquake. There were smaller tremors when he explored the cave, but this one felt bigger than the previous ones. Was this the culprit for the ones he felt yesterday?

Swinging his weight to a pink-colored crystal about a meter away from him, Knight used his remaining strength to pull himself up for a better view before he saw the looming figure emerge from the shadows. What was that thing?

Its body was enclaved with gems and ores. Luminescent stones erupted from its back, forming a crown around its head with blades on its limbs and lower body. Crystals formed vertically down one what appeared to be the mouth with little imagination needed beyond the many rows of teeth. Smoother crystals had curved surfaces embedded into the folds of the monster’s rough exoskeleton - on its chest, hips, and extra appendages sticking out from its body for purposes Knight would have preferred to be kept in the dark about.

Unlike the Shadow Drillers and Shadow guards that reached the height of a grown adult, the new monster’s shoulders dragged across the sides of the wall. Why should it let limited space hinder its movements through the tunnels? It left claw marks on the ground with its eerily humanoid hands, swinging a giant lantern made of the same material as its body with speed Knight wouldn’t have expected from a behemoth.

It vanished into the darkness and phased back into existence, appearing before Knight and swinging a chained sword in its wake. A dull, but blunt blade materialized in its hand. It had a weapon too?

He let out a less than heroic yell, throwing his body to the floor and sliding between the Dark Agate’s legs and pulling himself back up with his greatsword. Knight unceremoniously scooped the child up in a dash away from the unworldly monster, their legs hanging over his arms and hugging his neck for support. Nothing he couldn’t do, Knight reassured himself. This wouldn’t be the first time he fought a demon or a monster several times his size.

“Hang on tight, Knight told the child. “Don’t let go.”

They clung to him with their arms pressed tight around his neck. Good, they understood the dire situation.

Bringing his sword over his head, Knight took a leap, slashing the heavy blade over the Dark Agate’s numerous eyes. He used his legs to kick and roll away from impending attacks, letting gravity pull him to the ground in helping him dodge the spikes and needles shooting from the monster’s back. Its hoarse screams echoed the chambers and shook its foundations, forcing Knight to press his weight against the wall for support.

There was little time for him to catch his breath. A bronze sword swung at his direction, narrowly blocked by Knight’s greatsword. He struggled to redirect the blade, overpowered by the towering Dark Agate. Red flickered in his vision and the first blood dripped from his neck.

Reaching for his back pocket, Knight chugged half a bottle of Ventus’ Wing Elixir. It felt like he had swallowed the ointment Chevalier used to heal burns, a cool but burning sensation in his throat. In exchange, his legs became light and nimble as air. He saw his chance and ran.

The lantern it held in its hand brightened into dusty purple as the Dark Agate opened it, a blinding light rivaling the crystals in the caves. Knight charged, aiming for the wrist with the lantern to knock it off before it went off.

Strong energy levels of Dark El resonated from its body, solidifying and washed over them in waves. It became harder to breathe. Knight felt lightheaded and struggled to concentrate. His legs grew weak and he struggled to stand up. A familiar metallic taste reached his tongue, swallowing his own blood and feeling the heat travel to his head.

The room went pitch black.

Knight blinked and he heard the chains. He strained for signs of the monster, but his senses have gone numb from the battle. The sword in his hand suddenly felt too heavy for him to hold, slipping from his sweaty hands. Dark laughter echoed the caves and light flooded back into the room.

Knight didn’t notice until it was too late. Spikes hardened into crystals and pierced into his chest. His vision went red as his body went into shock and became limp.

He promised his friends he wouldn’t disappoint them again. They must be searching for him now and wondering where he was. Knight should have waited for everyone to be awake instead of going off by himself with only Bluhen for support. Lady of El, he made Bluhen worry for him again. His friends were going to be hurt because of him. Some friend he was.

Knight waited, lying in unbearable silence and darkness. Demons, monsters, the Dark El, they lost importance in a seemingly infinite amount of time. Darkness surrounded him and cradled him in a state that was half awake, half asleep. Pain returned to his body when he heard a familiar cackle from a distance. Gasps and whispers filled his head until it became too much, overstimulating yet underwhelming all at once.

The knight woke up with panic.

What happened? He had crystals buried into his body, but his skin was now free of shards and blood. His body looked fine, but Knight remembered how much it hurt. He should have died from the impact of having a few dozen shards shot through his body. How was he alive?

“Good morning!” A voice rang.

Knight froze. They didn’t sound like Rune or anyone from the El Search Party. This voice was nasal, a low whisper fringed with bemusement and mockery in tone.

Standing before him was a man with long hair that reached down to his ankles, curtained down the back like a billowing cape. A long-sleeved top covered his body with the collar hiding his neck. An unzipped hooded jacket draped loosely over his small shoulders and pants with belts were looped with chains. At the center of his chest held a pink core glowing in unison with eyes the color of the night sky. He sported a single scar slashed down one side of his face and had a set of six drones floating beside him.

“My hero!” Shark teeth peeked behind the man’s lips, “That’s what you were going to say, right?”

Knight recognized the drones, the sarcastic remarks, the unnerving giggling, and made the connections. There was only one person that spoke in a condescending tone like that.

“Add?” He choked.

Mad Paradox grinned.

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Rune Master

Rune was a magnet for the strange and bizarre - lizard men, ghosts, mermaids, and man-sized crab to name a few. Trouble liked to stir where he and his friends ventured, which was to be expected when one led a life of pursuing the El down its unwinding path of destruction. If Glave had the leisure to toy with him and the El Search Party with duplicates of former enemies that no longer existed in their world, then meeting his alternative self and those of his teammates was another weekend to the fire user.

At first impression, Knight’s mannerisms and the emblems embroiled were one of a Velder soldier with high honors. Red armor, a cape, and a well-balanced sword. It was a dream Rune once fantasized as a child.

Unlike the shadows from the Temple of Trials in Hamel, Knight was of flesh and blood, unashamed of prioritizing the safety of others before his own. Rune knew that much when the other fought off the demons to help him escape. There was no mistake that they were of the same core.

Did things have to be this way? Would the results differ if Rune held ground and insisted on fighting the demons in Knight’s place instead? Rune could muse on the what-ifs, but he would only come to conclusion with hollowed potentials that never came to be.

It was night time. The rare shining of the dimension’s sole sun had disappeared when they had lunch earlier. Rune’s first night in Demon Realm taught him that the moons rotated in irregular cycles; one of them lasted for half an Elriosian day and the red one took a few hours to cross the night sky.

“What do mean you aren’t him?” Crusader demanded to know. His question held the authoritative weight suiting for the future leader of Hamel, assertive and unfaltering. The man in armor looked and sounded like Phantom, but lacked restraint and wore his emotions on his sleeves with pride. Frustration was visible in his features, lines forming between furrowed brows.

Confusion, anger, denial. Painful raw emotions reflected off the people that resembled the people Rune came to see as family. In the minimal time he had the chance to meet and observe this new El Search Party, it hurt to stay silent and pretend he was their leader. He felt like a poor imitation of Knight and it showed from the reactions he garnered when he came out to them. It didn’t feel right to leave them in the dark and let them continue traveling with a liar.

“I’m not your Elsword,” Rune said with kindness reserved for evaluating villagers. A gentle and mild tone followed by a smile was met with quizzical stares. “I’m here to let you know the truth.”

“You’re here because we found you,” Aether corrected.

“You did,” Rune hummed.

“If you aren’t Elsword, then who are you?” Rage asked.

“William Phoru, silly!” Rune teased and stuck out his tongue like the mature adult he was. When there were no responses, the rune user sighed, “Doesn’t he follow you guys too? And I never said I wasn’t Elsword.”

It was the minor differences that kept Rune from mistaking them as his El Search Party. Aether left smaller footprints in conversations, small interjections and stealing a peek when she thought he didn’t notice. Angkor’s absence was an odd detail that left the fire user pondering if the demonic bat existed in Knight’s dimension. On the other hand, Rune didn’t mind because that meant he could have uninterrupted sleep without waking to the brat digging through his bag for spare El shards.

Rage was not the only party member who looked different from his counterpart, but he carried himself in a sluggish walk - a Nasod arm and a ridiculous proportioned blade dragging through the wet forest grass. He was effectively a walking Nasod-human hybrid tank covered head to toe in armor and blades.

“But you said…” Rage said.

Rune huffed. “Look, I can prove to you I’m not your Elsword.”

Saying his own name left a bitter aftertaste for Rune, foreign. Just because they looked different didn’t mean they were complete opposites. What did Rune have that Knight didn’t? Rune reached for his sword from his back, only to come out empty-handed and bit his lips. Did he lose his sword in the fight against demons?

“What’s wrong?” A woman with hair the color of fire looked at Rune with a serious expression, his older sister! Alternative universe or not, seeing Empire’s face was a reassurance that the red knight would be a consistency and things were going to be alright. Rune could always count on her to know what to do, or at least he hoped this one did.

Ashamed to admit he lost his sword, Rune backed away from his original plan. Then again, he could always resort to his plan B and do what he did best. Moving his mouth until someone told him to shut up.

“Then what are you?” Crusader asked. “An illusion?”

“He’s no illusion,” Bringer said. “Too annoying and talks too much to be one.”

Rune took one look at the brawler and chuckled, appreciating the bluntness one would expect from Dominator’s counterpart. That was one consistency he recognized, but the same couldn’t be said for Bringer’s clothes. Tight shirt and pants with arms covered in tattoos? Now that he knew it was possible, Rune was going to bother Dominator when he finds the scientist into wearing more black and leather.

“What are you laughing at?” Bringer turned pink.

“I’m glad you’re the same, Add.” Rune said, “But I never thought I would see you wear black.”

Bringer scoffed, “Is that what shocks you?”

“Not the strangest thing,” Rune shrugged. “Aisha formed a contract with Angkor-”

“Who the hell is Angkor?”

“A demon god.”

“You have a wild imagination, I’ll give you that.” Aether commented, mumbling to herself. “A contract with a demon god? In what universe? How hard did Elsword hit his head?”

Rune twitched. He heard that! Fall on his head? More than once. Damage his head? Unlikely, but he should probably reassess his personal bias. He didn’t count on having a tough crowd to win their hearts, but he sure as hell was gonna try if it meant breaking his head. Maybe not if he valued not getting stabbed by Ultimate. Or Richter. Or both.

“Aisha would never do that.” Crusader agreed with the mage, but paused. “What about me?”

“You became a marksman and infiltrate enemies before they can find you,” Rune was giddy in getting Crusader’s attention. “Raven’s arm looks different, Ara wears more black, and Ain doesn’t heal.”

“I wear too much white?” Apsara looked at her clothes.

“You told me the last one before,” Crusader sighed. “What about you?” Concern painted in sky blue eyes, a million of thoughts racing in his head in an inquiry that quickly turned into a series of tall tales he wasn’t ready to accept.

“You see, I’m very different.” Rune smirked, “I can shoot fire.”

It was satisfying to watch the shock on everyone’s faces. He didn’t remember seeing Knight using runes or fire magic when they fought together. This was going to be easy! This had to work, otherwise, he was going to have to get creative and start splitting hairs.

“Uh, huh.” Aether failed to be impressed by the claim. “And I can control time and space.”

Ignoring the skepticism, sparks emitted from his palms. Small fireballs danced at his fingertips, casting shadows stretching across his face.

“See?” Rune grinned. “Pretty cool, right?”

“You’ve been doing that since Ruben,” Bluhen cocked his head to the side. “Was there supposed to be more?”

For real? Poster boy had access to fire abilities too? Then why didn’t Knight take advantage of that when they were fighting? Rune extinguished the flames and hung his head, sighing in exasperation. That was the most obvious clue, so now what?

Rune didn’t hear the footsteps, a hand rested on his shoulder. Lifting his head up, he was greeted by a matching pair of crimson eyes gazing back. There was a visible determination not unlike Flame’s, but stern and unhesitant, holding a scabbard in hand. A black and sleek scabbard engraved with the title Knight Emperor.

So that’s what their leader called himself. Fitting name for a person with an equally impressionable sword that was missing from its case.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t save your sword. This was all we could find,” Empire apologized. “I’m glad Aisha and Chung found you.”

Tongue-tied, Rune gave a solemn nod. From Empire’s perspective, her brother disappeared and then showed up with off-putting claims, ignorant of Knight’s true fate. He could argue with Aether and Rage all day on who he was, but things were different with Empire. She looked too much like Flame for him to find the heart to correct her.

“Thank you,” Rune finally found his voice and accepted the scabbard.

Well-polished and clean, it was maintained with care. Strips of leather wrapped around the edges into a scrap for the owner to wear around the belt outside of battle. It didn’t feel right to possess something belonging to a man he had talked to for ten minutes at best. Is this what Knight would have wanted?

“Why are you telling us this?” Rage asked.

“Because I’m going to leave,” Rune turned to face his back to the side, away from the others. “I need to find my friends.”

He was going to make a plan and pray that the other was somewhere in Demon Realm. Rune wanted to believe his counterpart would be as tenacious and stubborn on dying as he was.

“Great, just what we need.” Aether rolled her eyes, “Two Elswords!”

“But we are your friends!” Crusader protested.

“Can your Elsword do this?” Rune stepped outside the tent. Flames exhausted from his oily palms. Red flares engulfed the oxygen in the air, smoke-infused with a sharp crisp scent of the forest. Fire burst into the sky in the form of a phoenix greeted by the stars.

“What are you doing?” Aether saw the fire shoot past her vision and hissed, “You’re going to give away our location to the demons!”

“I think the red brat might be right.” Bringer snarled at Bluhen, “Check his El Resonance. What do you see?”

Bluhen frowned, “It’s the same, but his energy is different today. His magic levels are higher.”

“What should we do?” Cavalier asked.

“The enemy might find us if we don’t leave now,” Daybreaker said. “Let’s move!”

Before he had a say in the matter, a pair of strong arms (one human, one Nasod) lifted Rune off the ground. His legs dangled in the air as Rage threw him over the shoulders, upper body behind and lower body hanging loose on the other side.

“Hey!” Rune pounded his fists on the older male’s shoulders. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

“We’re leaving,” Rage said. “You’re going to have to stay with us longer and tell us more about the other Elsword.”

Rune did not appreciate being manhandled. Plan B in convincing this El Search Party that he and Knight were different people was successful, but like the numerous plans he came up with, he failed to consider the next step once he reached his goal. Where were Blade and Ultimate when he was stuck in a rut?

————————————————–

Richter

He looked at the starry heavens, reaching for the spot where he saw the burst of flames minutes ago, unmistakably Rune’s Phoenix Talon. Richter recognized the wing structures in the display of fire and sheer power.

On the day he earned his title as Richter, he also made a promise to himself in protecting Rune and the El Search Party for the things they have done for the priest. The time they invested into him despite the inconveniences when the Dark El attempted to seize his very being. For those reasons, he could not ignore when Rune was taken by demons. As foolish as humans were, they taught him the lesson that it was that ambitious trait that made humans survive longer than expected.

Humans have a phrase about having holes in their chest after suffering a loss, which Richter was quick to dismiss when Elsword first explained the concept. What humans failed to tell him was how much it aches when Rune was gone. Not even a month has passed since Rune was retrieved from the El and the redhead vanished.

Their team didn’t designate leaders, but Rune was the heart in their group of friends. His encouraging words and willingness to open his heart pulled them together; he was an optimist that gave people second chances even to those that didn’t deserve it. Numerous of their friends had the brains and intellect to come up with plans, but Rune held a moral compass that was hard to come by.

Richter felt a spark. Rune was alive, his El resonance electrified the air as soon the sky was lit with fire. Anxiety lingered as the celestial ran through the forest, ignoring the prickling sensation and his skin turning hot in overstimulation to the presence of Dark El and demons surrounding them.

“Is he still there?” Anemos kept her voice low, not wanting to disturb the forest’s inhabitants. It was admirable the lengths humans and elves sometimes underwent for the sake of others. He appreciated her for not feeling the need to fill the moment of silence with pointless chatter as some humans did.

“He’s moving,” Richter said; he felt Rune’s El resonance drifting in and out of his range.

“Then we move too,” Flame caught up with him and Anemos, hand over her claymore and legs closed together.

They were a group of eleven people, demons and Nasods or half-Nasods included. Richter was tired of counting, holding irrational hope that he had missed a number each time. Ms. Dark Mage and Mr. Ancient were caught up in a debate Richter could care less about.

“Extracting this is more efficient!” Dominator argued.

“What are you, stupid?” Oz retorted. “That’s a waste of resources when you can use a substitute!”

Devi was effective in dissipating their banter in a single sentence and a smile that made the two shudder. Richter did not envy whoever faced the wrath of the woman hailed from a kingdom now swarming with demons.

“Things will be smoother if we were quieter,” Phantom remarked.

“With our group?” Abysser snickered. “That’s not happening.”

“Maybe if half of us didn’t have such huge egos,” Timoria was bemused by the adults holding useless banter.

“If things go wrong, remember the setup we discussed.” Blade reminded them. “Get into your positions and wait for my signal.”

A former enemy, Mr. Half-Nasod was once the result of crude experiments conducted by Nasods. Years of observing the mercenary grow to become a reliable and irreplaceable team member left a bitter aftertaste for Richter. He didn’t hate Blade, but being next to the mercenary made his core seize in ways that irked the priest. The half-Nasod was demanding, throwing orders like Rune was no longer there.

Despite initial aggression and the visible conflict Blade had with his Nasod arm up until recently, Rune looked up to the older male. He pestered the mercenary, joked, and asked questions on the trivial things humans worried about (“Is it gay to want to kiss your best friend? Asking for a friend.”). If the mercenary’s expressions were to speak for themselves, Mr. Half-Nasod was uncomfortable answering those types of questions, urging Rune to ask his sister instead. Although Rune was a magic user, he continued to home his sword and went to Blade to enhance his skills and knowledge in the way of the sword. This remained true when his sister joined their growing party.

That familiar spark again. Rune, he was nearby. From below?

His eyes fell to where his feet were, something shimmering gleamed in the undergrowth. Richter felt the power of an El Shard coming through. He lowered himself to brush the leaves off, blinking when he felt for its form.

The grip and blade were infused with crimson material similar to Rune’s. A blue stone glowed where the cross guard met with the blade, an El Shard fragment. It was lighter than it looked and maintained balance when he tested it with one hand in checking for abnormalities. The owner took care of the sword and it showed.

“My scans detected Elsword,” Ultimate announced. “He is ahead.”

Richter hoped that it was the correct one. Things would be unfortunate if their target turned out to be Rune’s counterpart, but would it matter? They would still be Elsword, kind-hearted and naive with the strong belief that everyone could get along. It was a childish belief, but Richter had witnessed the Rune Master achieve the impossible more than once.

But would the other Elsword recognize him? What if Richter never existed in the other Elsword’s universe? There would be nothing for Rune’s counterpart to remember if Ishmael found another solution in restoring the El. Was that something Richter could live with?

“We’re almost there,” An arm reached out, a firm hand resting over Richter’s. Flame smiled, “He’s waiting for us.”

Claymore out, Ms. Fire walked in stride with her legs spread out and a fierce grin directed at Richter. Wild braids combed past her back and the fire knight had sparks dancing in her palms. It was easy to understand why Rune looked up to her. She held confidence and purpose in her words, unchallenged and unapologetic in her actions. Her words shook Richter from his trance.

“He has caused trouble,” Richter said.

“Yes,” she agreed. “That’s why we’re here to rescue him again.”

A rare smile appeared on Richter’s features, “He won’t appreciate hearing that.”

“I know,” Flame grinned.

Through cupped hands, Blade let out a soft caw, crowing into his mic piece. That was the signal. It started out as a joke when they were investigating the fires in Velder, but the idea stuck.

Richter took the lead, summoning blades that materialized in his hands. His feet brushed past the grass and leafy terrain, no longer concern on making his presence known. Rune was here, minutes within their reach. He was going to repair what he did wrong. The priest refused to make the same mistake and lose sight of his friend, not after the El Search Party went through hell in the Hall of El.

He sensed them. Rune wasn’t alone. There were others, several of them at least. Their El resonance was luminous in his third vision, akin to fireflies in the summers he remembered in Velder. Each of them had a unique wavelength, a rainbow palette near identical to the people Richter had traveled with.

Humans. An elf, a Nasod, a cyborg, two demons, and a replica, Richter noted with disdain. There were several of them. Their faces were mirrors of his friends, impersonations that looked like the El Search Party, but the disparities were ludicrous, flimsy caricatures of themselves. Mr. Ancient’s claim was correct. He had found their counterparts. Richter strained his eyes for red hair.

“I’m behind,” a female voice spoke to him through his communicator. “Don’t attack.”

Footsteps followed closely from behind. Leaping through the forest on high heels, Anemos landed beside him. Mr. Guardian and Ms. Dark Mage were with her. The demon that followed Oz seemed right at home, flicking his tails and snickered to the dark mage for reasons Richter failed to see.

“Creepy, isn’t it?” Oz saw the small group. “I don’t see Elsword yet.”

“There’s more of them,” Dominator said. “They’re being careful if they’re moving in smaller groups like us.”

That meant they had people in their group doing the planning too, Richter thought. He wouldn’t expect less from their counterparts. This was where Rune has been hiding? He glanced at the gray-haired man swinging a pendulum similar to his. It appeared that the Ain of this world chose a different path. Richter could not sense Ishmael’s will in him. Seeing the fear in his own face made the priest frown. Why was he scared?

“Who’s there?” The replica turned his head to where Richter and the others were hiding, “Show yourselves!”

“He’s demanding like you,” Dominator snorted.

Richter leered at the scientist. His counterpart wasn’t a fool then if they sensed their presence. The priest pulled himself away from his hiding spot to get a better look at his other self, but a pair of legs dashed past him before Richter would speak up.

“You have a keen eye,” Anemos commended his other self. “We have a friend that can do that too.”

“We?” The other Ain blinked, “Why are you here?”

“We’re looking for a friend of ours,” Phantom said. “He’s about this tall, red hair, yells like an idiot.”

His counterpart stopped smiling, lips curled at the end, but conflict was visible in their eyes in their struggle to articulate. Richter understood the feeling. They were overwhelmed, speechless in the sudden appearance of people who looked and sounded like their friends. He almost pitied himself if not for the fact that they provided no answers.

“We’re looking for a red brat too,” a man in a black coat interjected. Mr. Ancient? His physique was a diversion from Dominator’s, lean but muscular with the face of a delinquent. “It’s been two days since he left.”

“You didn’t answer his question,” Dominator studied his counterpart before gazing at the rest of the opposing El Search Party. “There are supposed to be more of you. Where’s Nasod arm?”

“I don’t have to answer to you,” Mr. Ancient in black scowled.

“That’s too bad,” Dominator drawled. “Because I thought you would be more cooperative. I guess a muscle head like you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Fuck off!” The brawler growled.

The scientist smirked, “Do you speak to your mother with a mouth like that? No matter, I have ways of making people like you talk.”

“I’m getting a headache listening to these two talk,” a woman that looked like Ms. Dark Mage muttered to a butler dressed in shades of blues.

“Where did you get that?”

Richter looked to see where his counterpart was pointing at. It was the greatsword he found on the ground earlier.

“I found it,” Richter said.

“Ain?” A male voice came from a distance, “Hey, Ain! Guys!”

Both Ains turned to see Rune flopped over the back of a man with a Nasod arm. The redhead pulled his upper body up to wave at Richter, “You looked for me?”

“That’s Ain?” The other Ms. Fox exclaimed with bewilderment.

“Of course we looked for you!” Oz shouted, “Don’t think we were going to leave without you!”

Rune was safe, Richter breathed. But what was the other Mr. Half-Nasod doing with the fire user and what kind of clothes was he wearing? It was the type of attire Rune once tried to convince Blade that it was what adventurers wore for casual wear.

“Why do you have his sword?” His counterpart asked. “What happened to him?”

Richter looked to the other with no answer. That sword belonged to the other Elsword? He empathized with his alternative in losing someone they were close to, but he remained silent. They had Rune and he wanted him back. There was no point in talking if nothing he said would give the other El Search Party a lead to where their Elsword could be.

“Give him back,” Phantom looked to Blade’s counterpart for compliance. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you need to let Elsword go.”

The other Mr. Half-Nasod turned the other way and ran off with Rune over his back. Rune opened his mouth, but Richter could not discern what the fire user was yelling through the wind. They were heading deeper into the forest.

The brief moment of peace between the two parties disputed into utter chaos. Screams of panic and accusations flew back and forth between the groups like bullets, lasers and magical blasts exchanged to one another.

Light flashed around Richter, long blades emerged from the power of the goddess to lend him her powers. His blades ran their course, glowing in a hot flash of anger. Wind currents followed the priest, leaving cracks in his footsteps in his pursuit for Mr. Half-Nasod’s look alike.

A white spear with an orange orb enclaved at the center appeared in Richter’s peripheral vision. Its owner performed a deadly dance, a transparent veil wrapped around a wide-eyed woman who looked like Devi. The demons’ and Ms. Nasod Queen’s other selves were also here. He could make out their outlines as they shouted at Devi’s look-alike for instructions.

Richter glared at the shadowed figures. He was surrounded.

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