Days later...
Before the family that had helped them, Shaphira delivered kilos and kilos of meat. Their eyes widened, asking in their local language that there was no need for repayment, but she, using that language in an amateur way, explained that it was her thanks for everything they had done.
They gathered the meat and thanked her with beautiful smiles on their faces. Upon returning to the forest, Shaphira walked among the leaves that brushed against her ears until she reached a humble cabin. Elisa spotted her and asked whether she had delivered the repayment. Shaphira nodded. With her ears lowered in curiosity, she clasped her hands behind her waist and leaned forward, asking how she had managed to remove all the Renkai Energy from that meat.
While placing new pieces into a machine beside the cabin, Elisa explained that Slady had taught her that it was possible to remove the malevolent energy by extracting the blood from the meat and passing the rest through a filter, where that energy was stored and the blood remained pure.
After that, it was enough to soak it for a few hours, as Elisa did while explaining, letting the blood permeate the piece. Upon hearing the explanation, a mischievous smile appeared on Shaphira's lips, as she remarked that the General was following the same steps as Slady.
Elisa shot her a serious look, stating that she would never do the same as him. Noticing her tone, Shaphira stepped back and raised her arms in surrender, explaining that she was only joking about Elisa becoming smart like Slady.
With her hand resting beneath the red liquid, Elisa looked away and stared at the meat submerged in blood. Her fingers lightly squeezed the hardened tissue as she said, in a low tone, that she had already been clever even before being taught by him.
Noticing her irritation, Shaphira apologized and gradually moved away. Before the distance grew beyond the reach of her voice, Elisa replied, in a softer tone, that it was not her sister's fault and that she had let herself get irritated over something small.
With a nod, Shaphira understood and stated that she would continue hunting Renkai Creatures. Her steps slowly carried her back to Elisa, wrapping the younger figure in a hug and asking her not to take out her anger on the pieces of meat. Elisa laughed briefly, allowing that small and sweet fraternal moment, and asked the elder sister to put effort into the hunt.
Thus, after the farewell, Shaphira ran among the trees, while Elisa remained at home, focused on her work.
In a reconstruction of a dojo...
The scorching sun covered the heads of the citizens of Libretãnhya, who watched the construction of a new dojo on the distant mountaintop. The Renkai Creatures dominated by Shaphira looked at the work with curiosity, and those that had assumed more humanoid forms crossed their arms, eager to put their strength into the reconstruction.
Ferinish, dressed in much humbler clothes, sat on the platforms and struck the hammer firmly against the nails, joining the wood in the way she desired.
Suddenly, a round of applause made her look away, spotting Faller below her. He began to scold her, in a playful yet formal tone, for having already left recovery to work.
She replied that she was already fine. Faller did not doubt it, but even so his wife had insisted strongly that he not leave her alone. Ferinish let out a strong sigh through her nose, acknowledging Victoria's concern. Then she said that, if he truly wanted to help her, he only needed to fetch more wood.
Shrugging, Faller went to do what he had been asked.
Time passed, and he climbed up and down the mountain many times, carrying heavy logs on his back like a tireless worker. Ferinish praised his capability, and he merely explained that his body was not made only of muscles for aesthetics.
At some moments of the day, the two sat together on the cliff, drinking the alcoholic beverages he brought. Faller was restrained with each sip, savoring every drop. Ferinish, on the other hand, drank entire bottles in a single go, which made the scene curiously amusing.
In the early afternoon, the scorching sun was replaced by black clouds that brought rain. Even so, the workers remained tireless.
Carrying more trees on his shoulders, Faller advanced through the mud with effort to reach the mountaintop. With relief, he looked back and saw some male Renkai Creatures helping to carry the logs.
They said, excitedly, that they had wanted to use their strength on something truly difficult for a long time. Faller smiled and raised his voice to command them, being answered by equally intense shouts.
At that moment, as she observed the contribution of the Renkai Creatures, Ferinish could not help a discreet smile, proud of Shaphira.
That woman had given humanity a gift, the ability to trust a species feared for centuries, and Ferinish felt immensely grateful for that.
And at that same moment, in Brazilovia, Elisa stared at the entrance to Rykenzon, swallowing with difficulty. Memories of the Renkai Creatures trying to devour her returned with force. Her gaze briefly scanned her legs and the rest of her body, marked by scars.
But fear could not stop her. She descended and began to walk with hurried steps toward the snow covered island. With her left hand, she supported on her shoulder a sack from which came the sound of glass clashing, and in her right hand she wielded her father's sword, ready to eliminate any demon not yet subdued.
As her body suffered a small thermal shock in the transition from the pleasant heat of Brazilovia to the cold of Rykenzon, some demon picanhas and crabs watched her with recognition because of her kinship with their mistress. Others, however, were still disobedient and tried to leap at her or climb onto her body. This time, Elisa was relentless in eliminating them.
Upon arriving, she placed the sack on the ground, positioned the sword on her back, and began calling Slady by name.
...
...
...
Silence.
Her eyebrow arched in curiosity, and she decided to look for him in the forest. Some demons were docile in her presence, others still hostile, but nothing that Elisa had difficulty facing.
Suddenly, a bubbling sound echoed from a bush. Taken by adrenaline, she tried to cut with a horizontal strike.
The blade, however, slipped downward, forcing her to brace the sword against the ground. When she raised her head, she recognized the man before her.
He seemed different from the last time she had seen him.
His body was thinner and swayed slowly, as if drowsy. A liquid covered him from head to toe, identified by the smell as saliva, and his skin seemed naturally slippery.
She whispered, in a questioning tone, asking what had happened. With a neutral and sleepy voice, Slady replied that he had been very busy.
His hand passed under her arms to help her up. Elisa felt the extremely soft moisture in her armpits, as if she could slip at any moment.
His gaze turned to the sack, asking whether she had fulfilled the request. With a positive nod, Elisa opened the sack, revealing several glass bottles with a reddish energy flowing inside them. Slady thanked her, took the set, and turned to leave, but Elisa touched his shoulder, explaining that she was not worried, only curious about what he was doing to himself.
The Theatrical Assassin said that she did not need to know, only that he would do something interesting with that energy, perhaps even give her a gift.
Then, his tongue stretched out, demanding the sword. Faced with the bizarre scene, the General questioned his intentions. He explained that he would make the blade more special, not only an inheritance of Raizer, but something that would also carry his own touch.
Elisa's hand hesitated as she held the hilt of the sword, but she handed it over, watching Slady swallow the blade and disappear beneath the snow that was piling up more and more.
She remained silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the sky. She felt that Slady was sinking into something dangerous, as if knowing that he would never see her again after that mission awakened something within him.
Her fists clenched, overcome by guilt. Would she be the cause of all that.
Her lips pressed together. She wanted to feel anger at the coldness with which she had been treated, but she only felt increasingly worried.
He was still an uncle figure, and almost a second father to her.