Versatile: Alternate World

Elves, the legendary beings of the forest and known as blessed beings of the Goddess of Life, are renowned for their unyielding pride and warrior spirit. Even when faced with dire circumstances, they refuse to retreat from danger or back down from any challenge. It is said that unless they have been definitively defeated in battle, they will stand their ground no matter the odds stacked against them.

The elves before me are not an exception to that, however, they held a deep aversion to the sight of my firearm. Accustomed to the elegance of bows and arrows as their primary weapons, the introduction of a novel instrument like my gun was met with disdain. This disdain reflected the elves' relatively traditional approach to weaponry, which contrasted sharply with the ever-advancing world beyond their forest borders and their hidden kingdom.

As the tension in the mansion's atmosphere grew palpable, a rallying cry pierced through the silence. The leader rallied his men, "Beat him!"

With that command, the elves surged forward, brandishing swords and daggers, their eyes fixed on me with unwavering determination. Some amongst them retrieved their bows and swiftly nocked arrows, their aim steadily focused on my heart. The figure who appeared to be their leader regarded me with malice, his intent to kill me radiating from his piercing gaze.

But I stood apart from them, equipped with a unique weapon – the Versatile Weapon at my side. As arrows sped toward me, I fluidly transformed it, elongating its form and reshaping its blade into a staff. The incoming arrows, swift and unerring, were met with my quick swings and precise blocks, ensuring they veered away from their intended targets. As sword-wielding elves closed in on me, I drove the staff into the ground, causing it to shift into a sturdy shield.

This abrupt transformation caught the elves off guard; they had not anticipated such adaptability. Nevertheless, they pressed forward, too committed to halt their advance. Yet, I harbored no inclination to allow them to assail me without consequences. As their blades slashed toward me, I deftly evaded their strikes, executing a graceful bow and sliding to the side before plunging my weapon into the side of one of the elves. Though not a fatal blow, I ensured the wound was grievous enough to pose a life-threatening threat. The others followed suit, launching their assaults, but with a few well-placed sidesteps and crouches, I nimbly dodged their attacks before swiftly countering with my own lethal strikes.

In the midst of my skirmish with the knife and sword-wielding elves, those with bows and arrows launched another volley of enchanted projectiles at me. The telltale glow of these arrows signaled their magical nature, suggesting they were likely homing in on their target. Recognizing the imminent threat, I seized one of the elves, restrained his hands behind him, and secured his neck before turning to face the incoming arrows.

"GAAHH!"

The hapless elf became an unwitting shield, absorbing the impact of all the homing arrows and becoming the first casualty of the confrontation. Though I was technically responsible for his death, it was not by my hand alone, absolving me of direct blame, or so I reasoned.

"Bastard!"

"Oy, little sh*ts, just because you think you have the right to attack us, doesn't mean we will stand idly by and let you have your way. Stay still, for I am not finished with you yet. I will teach you a lesson you won't soon forget, and you will learn it well."

Now, with most of the knife and sword-wielding elves either bleeding profusely or struggling to move due to their injuries, it was time to address the persistent ranged attackers.

With a deliberate motion, I spun the dagger in my hand, gradually altering its form into a substantial hook that fits snugly in my palm, its chain trailing to the ground. Swinging it in a graceful arc, I hurled the hook toward one of the archers on my left, ensnaring him and drawing him toward me. At the last moment, I extended my leg, capitalizing on the hook's momentum, and sent the elf hurtling through the air, where he landed with an ominous thud and ceased moving. I don't know if he died or just lost consciousness but that is not going to be my problem.

"Wha?!"

The leader stood bewildered as I vanished from his line of sight, reappearing behind him with a resounding, non-lethal blow to the last archer in the group, rendering him unconscious. Then, I faced him and aimed the gun into his face, causing him to freeze seeing how this weapon managed to make two of the elves unable to battle.

"I am showing you mercy," I declared. "If you wish to leave here without further harm, take your comrades and depart. You are well aware of the consequences should you choose otherwise."

But contrary to my expectation of him surrendering, he angrily bellowed and raised his weapon, "As if we would surrender so easily! DIE!"

I shook my head, resigned to the inevitable, and greeted his defiant charge with a punch delivered via the gauntlet form of the Versatile Weapon. Whether he perished from the impact was of little concern to me. He was sent flying into the distance, landed on the ground, and like the guy who was sent flying with the kick I did, he also ceased moving. Of course, its none of my concern whether he died or not.

At that moment, the butler spirit and Renatta emerged from the mansion. The butler's expression reflected shock and incredulity at the one-sided battle, while Renatta offered a triumphant thumbs-up in my direction.

"Good work," Renatta commended. Then she turned to the Butler spirit. "Butler, escort them outside and seal the gates. Given their audacity to resist, they shall learn their lesson by remaining outside, with no prospect of assistance."

Though visibly hesitant, the butler spirit nodded. "Yes, Master."

As we reentered the mansion, Renatta inquired further.

"So, what have you concluded regarding the theory of a traitor within our midst while you are fighting? Are they involved?" she asked.

"What theory?" I queried, puzzled.

"You know, the suspicion that there might be a traitor among us," Renatta clarified.

"Ah, that," I replied, recalling the topic at hand. "I can confirm that there is indeed a traitor who is leaking information about us. Judging from the battle we just witnessed, it appears this traitor can communicate with the adversaries outside the mansion while remaining inside the mansion's premises and providing them with 'tips' that expose our actions and recent movements. If not for them, then they wouldn't know that we brought the kids here. We made sure we were not followed or being watched.

Renatta clenched her fists in response. The gravity of the situation was not lost on her, and her displeasure was evident.

"It's good to have confirmation," Renatta said, her voice tinged with frustration. "While I'm patient and understanding of their motives, blatant betrayal such as this, right under my nose, is unacceptable. Perhaps it is time to purge the source and deal with the traitors directly?"

"Oy, Renatta. I know you are angry with your spirits under your command but don't just use your emotions and let them control you. This is not going to end very well."

Renatta calmed down and sighed as she shook her head.

"Ha... these f*ckers definitely are making me totally disappointed that our hideout is littered with fakes and traitors..."

We returned to the room where the kids were currently sleeping. Pixie is still healing them but now slowly as they only need the energy to at least increase their effectiveness and letting the kids recover much quicker.

"How are they now?" I asked Pixie.

"Ah, Master. Don't worry too much, they have already entered the stable condition. Now that their surroundings are much warmer and they are now in a clean place, the recovery is faster and better. It won't take long before all of their wounds will disappear and they will regain their consciousness."

I looked at them and like what Pixie said, the wounds and bruises that were previously present were not that apparent though it is still big. But if they continue to rest, and receive healing magic, they will recover eventually and perhaps return to their previous glow.

"Manato, you managed to kill one of the invaders right?" Renatta asked.

"Yes. I managed to slay one of them but it wasn't my doing though I directly caused his death, it's not my fault he died in the first place."

"Well, now that one of them has died, we will need to expect more people who will try to deal with us in the process. I doubt those elves that attacked us will be the last of them."

"Yes. But like always, I won't even care if they bring more people, that only means they are increasing the bodies of people I will be trashing soon."