And the winner is...

...

..

.

A) Just go and follow Erika

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

'Yes, that's right. There's no way I'm putting the girls in danger again'

You turned your body at Erika's direction and gave her a calm look. "I've already made a decision" She lifted an eyebrow, waiting eagerly for your response. "Oh? What is it?"

You let out a sigh and took a step forward. "I'll g-" But before you could walk to her or finish your sentence, Maya stepped in front of you with an annoyed yet worried expression. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Maya..." You gave her a little smile but it didn't reach your eyes. "I know what I'm doing, I can't-" you were cut off once again.

"No, you clearly do not know what you are doing" Sasha joined the conversation. "This is not a wise decision" she shook her head in disapproval.

"Don't do this (Y/N)! We can continue fighting, just... Don't leave us, we need you" Hannah said with a pleading expression and your heart sank at that moment but your determination didn't falter.

You smiled reassuringly at her and patted the blonde's head gently. "We'll see each other again very soon, I promise" Hannah looked down but she seemed to come to terms with the situation as she nodded at your words and hesitated a few seconds before jumping at your arms and giving you an affectionate hug, burying her face in your chest. Afterwards, she pulled away and placed a hand on Maya's shoulder before mumbling something inaudible at her.

Maya clenched her fists but nevertheless gave a slight nod. She looked at you one last time and before she started to walk away, she got near you and whispered softly in your ear: "You better keep your promise, or else I'll have to drag you back by the collar" you couldn't help but smile dumbly at her 'kind' words.

"Let's go, Sasha. I'm sure (Y/N) will manage to survive and if not... I'll be the one ending her" Maya had already started to walk away from the group and she didn't turn around again. Not many people knew, but she wasn't very fond of 'goodbyes' so she tried to avoid them at all costs.

Sasha crossed her arms and sighed in defeat. "Fine. I will not bid farewell to you, human girl, but make sure you come back to us, in one piece if possible... (It will be a pitty if your delicious blood gets wasted like that)" she muttered the last part so low that you couldn't hear it, then she left along with the werewolf and the kitsune.

It was Akane's turn now. The female demon raised her hand and you quickly understood her intentions. You high fived and the red-haired girl gave you a toothy smile. "I trust in you. Just don't make us wait for you too long, 'kay?" You smiled back at her carefree and positive personality.

Akane left and the last one to talk to you was Konoha. She was probably the most worried one, it was written all over her face. No wonder she was the sister like figure of the group. The pink-haired female wasted no time as she pulled you in a -suffocating- hug. Your face ended up between her breasts and you were unable to breath for the ten longest seconds of your life. "I'll pray to the heavens for your safety and well-being" she assured you. Despite her sometimes irresponsible and even childish behaviour, there was a side of Konoha that reminded you of a true angel.

She soon left.

Erika's loud yawn startled you as you had momentarily forgotten about her existence.

"Are we finally done? I almost fell asleep while listening to you and your little harem's conversation" she chuckled dryly and you shot her a glare but she just smirked dismissively at you.

If they were to hear her comment, they would probably be mad at her.

"Well, at least you look a bit braver than other people I've met" she shrugged.

'If only she knew how scared I am right now...'

"Who knows, we could've been allies in an alternate universe" she half smirked at you and for a brief moment, your heart stopped. Not because of fear though, there was a hint of bitterness and... Genuine sadness? But before you could figure her out she quickly shook her head. "Anyways, let's get moving, shall we?" She threw a look at the creatures around. "Scout the area and make sure they don't follow us" she ordered the beasts, who as soon as they were given the order started to leave. "And you, you go first in case you try to do something stupid"

"By doing so, you will force me to cut your throat, and you wouldn't like that, would you?" she threatened you and you just nodded, afraid that you would slutter and make a fool of yourself if you had spoken.

"Good. Oh and one last thing" she took out something from her pocket and it turned out to be some type of handkerchief. The dangerous female put it around your eyes and tied it so it wouldn't fall down. You quickly reached the conclusion that she wouldn't take the risk of revealing their base's location, which seemed pretty reasonable even though they were the enemy.

You began walking as soon as you felt something sharp pointed at your back, immediately recognising it as the edge of her katana. You tried to supress your fear and keep a cool mind for the girls' sake.

'I will come back... I just need time and a plan'

•••

'THUD'

The sound of wood breaking was followed by a frustrated groan.

"Ugh!" A red-haired female clenched her right fist, the one she had used to literally break the table in two. Her slit eyes were glowing an intense yellow.

The recent events had casted a shadow over the rest of the day.

"Stop this nonsense, Akane!" Konoha grabbed the demon's arm. They were already severely injured so reopening wounds wasn't a wise decision. Akane's hand was bleeding a little but she couldn't care less. "You come with me, I'll treat your wounds" she ordered her as she dragged her to the bathroom and ignored her harsh words.

But nobody could blame Akane either.

Hannah, whose body was covered in bandages, was sat down and currently staring at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. "If we had fought back, would it have made a difference?" She asked rethorically.

"She is a strong enemy, there is no doubt about that. The way she handled that katana as if she was dancing in the battlefield" Sasha, who was sitting in front of Hannah, stared blankly at the space, trying to figure out Erika's nature. "She..."

"Shinsengeki" Maya blurted out.

The kitsune and the vampiress were caught off guard by her sudden comment, and they fell quiet, trying to process what she had just said.

"What?" Hannah was the first one to break the silence, unable to comprehend the meaning of her words.

Sasha, however, furrowed her brows and seconds later her eyes widened in realisation. "The Shinsengeki dynasty. A traditional family of ninjas who died trying to protect their village during the Sakura War. They, who possess the blade of Yatsuna, the one weapon which was used to decapitate general Miyato" she explained, knowing as much as an enciclopedia.

"But- Aren't they supposed to be dead? Annihilated by the enemy? I mean, the War took place hundreds of years ago-" Hannah tried to reason.

Sasha shook her head "I would have also died hundreds of years ago... If I were a mortal" she said. The fox girl realised the meaning behind those words and she gaped her mouth.

"So... Erika is a Shinsengeki?"

"That is probably right. The way she wielded that sword... It might be the Shinsengeki technique" she stood up and without saying a word she went to a book shelf, looking through the different titles to find what she was looking for.

Minutes later, Sasha took a fairly big book and placed it on the table before opening it carefully. She began her research, quickly skimming through paragraphs talking about the traditional Japanese dynasties and their techniques and abilities with swords.

She suddenly stopped reading and looked up to face her werewolf friend. She stared at her skeptically, almost as if she was analysing her features. Maya raised an eyebrow, confused. "Is there something in my face?"

The vampire's expression hardened. "Why is it that you are familiar with the Shinsengeki? How did you know she could be one?" She asked her.

"I... I heard that name before a few times. My parents used to talk about how they had been the ones invading the forest- the werewolves' territory" she explained, rasing both hands as in to prove she was being honest.

Sasha's serious face was replaced by a frown. "But still... If I find out that she is indeed a Shinsengeki, you will have to give me a valid explanation" crimson eyes were carefully analysing the wolf girl, who involuntarily gulped. Maya regained her composure as she furrowed her brows and gave a confident nod. "Fine, just continue your research"

Sasha glared at her but still did what she was told, her mind now focused on the book laying before her. She had a goal: discover the enemy's identity and prepare to fight against her, then take you back.

They might have their differences and disagree with each other sometimes, but they shared the same objective, so their bond was as strong as ever. They wanted to save you, the person who had sacrificed herself for their sakes without thinking twice, someone willing to go with the enemy if that meant protecting five girls she had just met. Once they recovered from their injuries, they would embark on a journey to find you and get you back.

Little by little, these supernatural girls had started to fall for you, even if some of them didn't realise it yet, and this only hardened their resolve to go and look for you.

•••

Who would have guessed the plains were that big...

You felt as though you have been following her for hours, and the idea of walking on an endless landscape didn't sound so bizarre now.

The Mythest soldier hadn't spoken a word since you had set off and it was starting to bother you. No witty remarks or teasing, just silence. It didn't matter how much you wanted to break the silence in order to distract you for the time being, you wouldn't risk annoying her. You didn't even turn around, afraid that she would stab you if you stopped walking, not to mention the fact that you couldn't see anything, which made the experience a great deal more unnerving.

That is why you were caught off guard when she was the one who talked again. "I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I am bringing you to our boss. Don't take it personally, it is my duty to inform her of everything" she shrugged. "Besides, if it's true you aren't hiding anything from me and you really don't know anything then there's nothing to worry about" she assured you but it didn't calm your nerves at all.

(What in your humble opinion had seemed like ages) later, you had finally arrived at your destination.

Your captor came to a halt and so did you. "We're here" she announced and the next thing she did was to take off what was preventing you from seeing a thing.

You blinked a few times trying to get used to the sudden increase of brightness and to inspect your surroundings, which now consisted in something similar to... A forest?

In front of you was the entrance of what looked like a cave, the inside so dark that you couldn't make out what lay ahead. "Do we..?" You felt a slight pinch caused by her deadly weapon and her response was as clear as water. After sighing softly, you entered the cave without complaining.

You walked for another five minutes until you reached a path which was illuminated by torches in each side of the tunnel. Then, you were forced to stop when you found yourself facing a wall made of rocks and other materials. Before you could utter a word, Erika took a step forward and buried her katana into the wall without a single care in the world. She was wearing a stoic expression when she began reciting some words in another language.

"Montru al mi la vojon, kiu kondukos min al libereco kaj la homa sango verŝos"

The fire in each torch turned into blue flames and the ground started to shake slightly but enough for you to notice. Around where the weapon was buried, a strange blue symbol had started to appear.

'What now? Will the wall fall down and give way to a secret passage??'

Erika gripped the katana and pulled it in order to retrieve it. The ground stopped shaking and then she grabbed you roughly by your arm and without giving a warning first she stepped into the wall, her body slowly disappearing into it as she dragged you with enough strong to pull you in with her.

Everything turned black once you felt your body was sucked into the solid barrier.

•••

You slowly regained consciousness and the first thing you felt was a 'sticky' and 'cool' sensation in your waist. Slowly opening your eyes, your breath got caught when you realised something or rather someone was sitting on your waist.

"O-Oh you're awake" a soft femenine voice said.

It was a girl, but not just any girl... She seemed to be a 'slime girl'. You didn't know much about them but have heard the name a few times before.

Remembering the position you were in and noticing that she was practically naked, your cheeks reddened. "W-Who are you?" The girls' eyes widened and she abruptly stood up. "S-Sorry! I... I wasn't doing anything weird, I promise! I was just trying to wake you up but you wouldn't move so-" she seemed very nervous as she blushed bashfully.

You gave her a little smile, quickly shrugging it off. "It's okay, you don't need to apolosige, I believe you" and it was true, she looked kind of innoffensive. Nevertheless, you wouldn't let your guard down, looks could be pretty deceiving, you learned that the hard way.

'I really don't want to recall my traumatic encounter with lizard boy...'

"T-Thanks... I'm Layla" she introduced herself in a brief and cute manner.

"I'm (Y/N). It's nice to meet you, Layla, but I wish it would've been in different circumstances..." You said once you glanced at the place you were currently being held in. It was a relatively small room that might as well be a cellar of a prison.

(A/N: Pic at the beginning of the chapter for reference)

"Yes..." She averted her gaze.

There were a million questions running through your mind at the moment, but you decided to take it easy and start with the basic ones.

"Hm where are we exactly?" You asked.

"Mythest Fort's chambers" she sighed.

"I see..." You clenched your fists and locked your eyes on the female in front of you. "How did you end up here, if you don't mind me asking..?"

The shy slime girl gave you a nervous look. "W-Well... I refused to help them. My parents were loyal to their cause and everyone expected me to follow their footsteps. I-I guess I'm a disappointment to them..."

You frowned at her words. "That's not right. Just because you don't agree to do something you don't want to doesn't mean they can emprison you"

She shook her head. "N-No, she can. It was the Queen's orders, she deemed me a threat since I knew too much information, but my parents begged her to keep me alive, even if they still saw me as a traitor, a deserter..."

You gritted your teeth. "Parents shouldn't force their children to do the same thing as the. You are free to choose what you want to do"

She blushed. "T-Thanks for your kind words, Miss" her eyes stared at nothingness with a lost look. "But even so... Even if they hate me for being a failure... I love them. They hate me so much, yet I miss them..." she looked on the verge of tears and you quickly reacted, you went to sit by her side and gently raised her chin with your hand. "Hey... Look at me"

"You're not a failure... You're probably braver than most people who don't dare speak their mind. You stood up against them and refused to do what they wanted. So don't you ever say you're a failure for doing what you think it's right" you meant every word you said.

She sniffed, looking in your eyes with flushed cheeks. "Y-You shouldn't care for a stranger... W-What if I was lying to you?-"

You chuckled half-heartedly. "Yeah... I guess I'm too naïve sometimes"

Layla didn't say anything in return, and you were facing the wall so you had no idea what her reaction was. Having that conversation about parents and duties had reminded you of your own family.

How long had it been since you saw them? It might have been days, weeks... Ever since you stepped in this foreign world, you have lost track of time and your days in the normal world seemed like a distant memory.

It was sad.

And so was the smile that had appeared on your face. One of longing, melancholy and regret.

"You know... I also miss my family... And my friends. They're so far away, and I feel like I'll never be able to reach them" you said.

"Where are they now? Are they outside Vexlord?" She asked trying to hide her curiousity and showing concern for you.

You turned around and gave her a weak smile. "Yeah, something like that" it was no use trying to explain her that they were in a different world, it would probabaly shatter the little trust you had gained.

The slime girl walked to you and suddenly hugged you with enough force to make you fall on your back and she ended up on top of you, her whole body squeezing against your chest and belly, leaving you with a sticky sensation.

Tears had welled up in the corner of her eyes and she kept hugging you tightly, inevitably making you blush. "Don't worry, (Y/N), I'm sure you'll reunite with them soon"

'Gah, she's so clingly..!'

You were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Am I interrupting something?" It was a female voice.

Layla immediately stood up, feeling embarrassed for being caught like that. "N-Not at all"

You gave her a distrustful look when you realised she was wearing a heavy armor and carrying a knight weapons which meant she was a guard and judging by her pointy ears, a non-human Mythest foe. You instinctively reached for your weapons attached to your waist only to find out that they weren't there. "Crap! Where are my blades?"

The female guard raised an eyebrow but still bothered to answer the question. "They're outside the cell, of course"

You groaned in annoyance when you realised she was right. Kaen and Kawa were laying against the wall, out of your reach thanks to these stupid bars. "Great. Just great"

"W-Wait, (Y/N) you're wrong. Illya isn't a bad person, I swear" Layla assured you before you freaked out more. "She... Isn't?" You asked dumbfounded.

"Allow me to introduce myself, young warrior. I am Illyanna Winders, royal knight and elf guard of this prison" she bowed formally and you were shocked by this turn of events. "As Layla said, I am not fully supportive of Mythest's radical actions. They used to be a peaceful organisation that stood up for supernatural beings' rights but now..." She shook her head. "(Y/N), is it? I want to help you"

You were still processing everything so all you could offer was a lame 'Wait what?'

"Listen to me, we don't have much time left. Erika is currently heading to the throne room, she will talk with the Queen and eventually get back to pick you up and bring you to Her Majesty" she explained.

You gulped and let out a breath in order to calm down and concentrate. "Okay. Can you let us out?"

"Illya, you can't do that!" She looked at the elf girl worriedly. "They'll definitely kill you when they find out you let her escape"

"... I appreciate your concern, My Princess, but I've had enough. I'll help you escape, so please, bring Layla with you" she told you.

"N-No..." The slime girl looked down as tears started to blurry her vision and you stood there, not knowing what to say but feeling bad and annoyed at Mythest's actions.

Illyannna noticed your confusion and was kind enough to explain. "I used to serve Layla's family as their royal knight. She is actually a princess" she smiled sadly. "I can't stand seeing her behind these bars. I want her to experience the outside world again. It wasn't possible for me to get her out alone, but with your help..."

"Illya! I don't want to leave if it means putting you in danger. And... It's too risky, if you fail they'll end up killing everyone of us so it would've been for nothing" her shy and introverted demeanour nowhere to be seen now.

The elf guard simply gave her a sad smile before kneeling down. "I beg you, young warrior, please take her and leave. It is my last wish as a knight"

"Illyanna" you clenched your fists and looked down. Her words sounded so sincere, so desperate. She even discarded her pride as a knight just to ask for your help.

"S...Stop being so selfish! I won't be happy if you sacrifice yourself for my sa-sake. I-I'd rather stay here with you..." her voice cracked a bit. Layla wiped away her tears and put both hands on your shoulders as she successfully gained your attention. "Don't do this. There has to be another way, let's just wait for now"

"This could be our only chance" the female elf added. "We don't know what will the Queen and Erika do. Princess, please do what I say just this time" Illyanna wasn't giving up any time soon.

You mentally groaned, wondering what you should do now.

Listen to Layla and wait for her to return and take you to their leader, possibly losing your only chance in escaping and refusing to grant the elf's last wish but without putting them in danger..?

Or accepting Illyanna's offer and consequently putting everyone in danger but with a chance of escaping with the princess successfully, though the elf girl's destiny would be tragic..?

'I want to see the girls again as soon as possible but... Whatever I decide to do, one of them will be upset. I cannot make everyone happy as some stupid heroes in fairy tales believe'

'Knowing this... What should I do now..?'

A) Turn down her offer.

B) Accept her offer.

•••

(Not to pressure you guys/gals, but this decision will determine a lot of important things in the plot, so choose wisely!)

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

[Q&A section]

Hannah: Hey there

Akane: Welcome to this Q&A section *winks playfully*

Konoha: But what's the point if there are barely no questions?

Maya: Exactly.

Sasha: We demand a valid explanation.

Author: Hey! We cannot disappoint our readers. We must answer the question... Besides, today we have a special guest.

Maya: *raises eyebrow* Special guest? Who?

Author: You will find out in a moment. First, let's answer the question.

Akane: *groans* Fine

Author: It is for Maya. Huh, tsun-wolf, you seem to have gotten quite popular with all these questions being sent to you. *chuckles*

Maya: *rolls her eyes* Yeah yeah... Just tell me the question.

Author: Jeez, fine. It is from thatkidkitan: 'in your wolf form when you saved me, you licked me, was that an indirect kiss?'

Maya: *face becomes as red as a tomato* W-What? *Forced laugh* I don't know what you're talking about. It's just... A way of greeting! Like humans shaking hands in a formal way *sweats nervously*

Sasha: But according to a book I read about dog behaviour licking someone else's face means-

Maya: *tackles Sasha*

Sasha: You brute, little piece of fur- *they start fighting each other*

Author: Hey, I said no violence! *sighs* Whatever, they never listen to me anyways.

Akane: Yo Author! You gotta tell us who this 'special guest' is.

Author: Oh, right. She must be-

*Imaginary door opens and a black-haired girl walks in*

Konoha: *jaw drops*

Akane: What the-

???: I'm glad that you missed me so much *half grins*

Hannah: *hides behind Author and lets out a growl*

Maya: *abruptly stops fighting Sasha* Erika?! For real?!

Sasha: *frowns* And what exactly is she doing here?

Author: *sweatdrops* Oh, you know... Everyone who plays a role in the story is allowed to make an appearence-

Akane: That's bullsh-

Erika: Don't worry, little demon. I won't start a fight unless you provoke me.

Akane: *cracks knuckles* Is that a challenge I hear?

Author: No, it's not! *grabs Akane by her arms* Just try to get along for now, please.

Konoha: As much as I'd like to defend peace... That girl has kidnapped (Y/N), there's no way in heaven I'm forgiving her! *Transforms into her angel form*

Akane: *struggles* Let go of me! *her eyes glow yellow and her demon horns appear* Let me beat the crap out of that b-

Maya: *growls and suddenly transforms into a dark wolf*

Sasha: *frowns and her eyes glow red as she grows two bat wings*

Hannah: *golden fox tails and ears appear* Hahah~ You better prepare to lose, katana girl! *Smiling excitedly*

Erika: *shrugs* Fine with me, I can easily take you all out with one slash of my sword. *Unsheathes katana* Bring it on!

Author: Welp, I tried- *quickly lets go of Akane and hides behind a rock*

*Apocalipsis begins*

Author: *whispering* thanks for reading, voting and commenting, hopefully we'll see each other in future chapters. Oh and new guests will arrive as well! Anyways, see you later-

*Signal error*

•••

I think I ship Illyanna x Layla, sorry not sorry.

Word count: 4590 (I swear these chapters keep getting longer and longer- I should stop this x'D)

Sorry for the extremely delayed(?) chapter, my life's been quite busy these days (gotta enjoy Summer vacation!) and I didn't have the time nor the motivation to update anything. (To tell the truth, I usually write my stories without any planification. I start writing and come up with ideas at the same time. So unprofesional, I know!)

The next chapter of LoL (lmao I swear it's not League of Legends-) aka Lust or Love has probably been published by the time you read this, so check it out if you wish!

~~~

Also, to those who play FGO:

My user ID/ friend code is
308,125,786

Feel free to add me if you want to! (My servants aren't very powerful though. Blame my laziness)