'Crackkkkk.'
The door swung open to a throne room, and our eyes were immediately drawn to the imposing throne in the distance.
Rows of pillars lined the path from the entrance to the throne. Above the throne, a banner hung against the wall, its fabric swaying slightly in the still air.
At the ceiling's center, a chandelier loomed, its glass and metal catching the faint glow of the gas lamps.
To the left of the throne, tucked into the corner, two golden capsules rested, positioned like telescopes, their clockwork designs hinting at their purpose.
A figure lay sleeping on the throne like a cat. The throne's enormous scale made it clear it was designed for something other than a human.
"Who dares to disturb a goddess while she's sleeping?"
Instantly, I recognized the voice; it was Lucy's voice.
"Lucy, it's me, Liam."
I withdrew my sword and advanced toward the throne.
I observed as Lucy stretched her arms and rose to her feet. She approached me and delivered a punch to my abdomen.
'Bam!'
"Lana asked you to occupy the capsule labeled 29, ensuring we can land at the same location."
Lucy folded her arms and clicked her tongue. "How come a bitch landed in front of me instead of you when I woke up?"
The force of her fist striking my abdomen caused me to collapse to my knees. Clutching my stomach, I raised my gaze to meet hers.
"Geez, is this how you welcome your only disciple?"
I stood up, and at that moment, Evelyn approached and positioned herself beside me.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked.
Lucy gestured towards Evelyn. "Who is this bitch?"
"Please remain calm," I urged Lucy, making a soothing gesture with my hand.
I turned to Evelyn, gently resting my hand on her shoulder. "Lucy, this is Evelyn." Then, gesturing to Lucy, I added, "Evelyn, this is Lucy."
Evelyn approached Lucy and extended her hand for a handshake; however, instead of reciprocating, Lucy struck Evelyn's wrist aside.
"A mere elf can never dream of touching a goddess."
Evelyn withdrew her hand and licked the precise spot that had come into contact with Lucy.
"So spicy," I like it.
Her ears twitched, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"Disgusting," Lucy scrunched her face and glanced at me.
"Where did you find this freak?"
"Enough with the slurs. Please be respectful; I owe Evelyn my life."
"That has nothing to do with this," Lucy said, turning away to glance at the two golden capsules in the corner. "Besides, we only have two returning capsules; it's not like we can take this ELF with us even if we wanted to."
"What do you mean?" I asked, stepping closer to Lucy and placing my right hand on her shoulder.
"Isn't it obvious?" She gestured toward Evelyn with her chin. "The capsules are designed to activate and launch like arrows into the sky, but they only function upon detecting two mana hearts. Anything less or more will render them useless."
After listening to Lucy, I walked in an L-shaped path and positioned myself at the eastern end of the throne room.
There, I observed two capsules positioned like a telescope, featuring an intricate design of a mechanical clock. They were directed upward, resembling a cannon poised to launch.
When I placed my fingers on one of them, it felt as cold as ice, and its interior was filled with a transparent liquid.
"Evelyn, Lucy, or I. One of us has to stay behind and die. Who's it going to be?"
I turned around and glanced at the two individuals positioned beside the throne. Extending my hand into the air, I signaled for them to approach my location.
"I have made up my mind."
I took measured steps and positioned myself beside Evelyn. I interlocked my left hand with hers, pulling her closer until our shoulders touched.
Lucy fixed her gaze on us and crossed her arms.
"What is it?" She asked.
Instead of responding, I leaned in and kissed Evelyn, our tongues curling around each other.
As our lips parted, traces of my saliva lingered on Evelyn's lips.
I whispered into her ear. "Trust me."
Gazing at Lucy, I pointed at one of the capsules. "Get inside. I'll join you in a second."
Lucy's brows furrowed, and she responded, her voice strained as if she'd swallowed a fly.
"Tsk. Whatever."
It's easier to control her when she's angry.
Effortlessly, Lucy turned the hand wheel attached to the cylindrical capsule.
When the hatch opened, all the transparent fluids inside flowed out, and she stepped in and lay down.
Lucy slammed the metal door shut and secured the hatch from within. She lay at an angle of 45 degrees, eastward.
I grasped the hand wheel of the second capsule, and by rotating it in the opposite direction, the capsule opened. Its hatch was a four-by-seven door that mirrored the capsule's curve.
Evelyn looked at me, her voice silent.
Her lips moved as if she was going to speak, but she stopped. And her gaze kept darting around the throne room.
I grasped her hand and drew her closer. Her hand trembled as we stood before the remaining empty escape capsule.
Evelyn smiled at me, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
With my free hand, I gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"I...."
Evelyn tried to speak again, but the words wouldn't come.
Realizing her anxiety, I pulled her into a bear hug and whispered in her ear, "Thank you for everything."
Her left chest felt rigid as if I were hugging wood, and her left hand, stiff as a statue, stopped midway around my back.
"Half my body is wood," she whispered in my ear. "Don't worry; it will revert to normal."
There was a faint tremor in her voice, accentuating her nervousness.
"Consider this an act of redemption. Sorry for abandoning you, Evelyn."
Before she could reply, I pushed her into the capsule and swiftly closed the hatch from the outside.
Evelyn pounded on the glass door, her mouth forming words I could not discern. I remained motionless, observing as the transparent fluid filled the capsules, completely engulfing Evelyn and Lucy's bodies.
What followed was a resounding cranking noise of metal gears grinding against one another, reminiscent of the inner workings of a clock tower.
'Bang!'
The two capsules were expelled from the throne room with great force, striking the ceiling like cannonballs and continuing their trajectory, colliding with various obstacles until they exited the castle entirely. Their path was meticulously calculated, targeting the airship precisely, which was positioned to intercept them as soon as they arrived at its location.
'Swoosh'
After the dust settled, I made my way to the throne and lay down. It was so massive I could use it as a bed if I squished my legs enough.
The quest was over, and I had failed.
I allowed Evelyn to enter the capsule, fully aware that failure to complete the quest would result in execution.
For the first time since my transmigration into the world of Blades of Destiny, I wept.
I pulled my knees tightly to my chest, my eyes clenched shut. From beneath my eyelids, tears flowed freely, tracing damp paths down my cheeks.
The regret of abandoning Evelyn runs deep. She was the one who saved me from the Elephant's Foot, but when the snake strangled her, I, in my cowardice, shamefully ran with my tail between my legs like a pussy, leaving her to face it alone.
"I am truly pathetic."
The truth is, I'm a degenerate who loves waifus more than anything else in the world. I'm the type of person who'd genuinely be satisfied if Luffy, Zoro, or Sanji died instead of Nami.
Nami and Rubin are the two characters I can't watch One Piece without.
Just like them, I felt it would be an insult to my pride to let a busty and curvy elf like Evelyn succumb to her teeth, or for a half-demon Lucy, who promised to sleep with me once the quest was over, to die.
'Thud! Thud!'
A sound of footsteps resonated in the throne room. My eyes snapped open, revealing two ten-foot-tall creatures standing in the room's center.
Their skin was a vivid green, with two fangs curving upward from their lower jaw.
"My name is Grak, and this is my sister Shazog." A female orc said.
She hoisted a wooden club over her shoulder and pointed her finger at me.
"The test is over, you are the last surviving inmate on the island, per the regulations, we have been sent to execute you."
Blood dripped from the club she held, and it was evident to me that the blood likely belonged to other death row inmates she had executed.
'I guess this is the end. Of all the ways to go, this is certainly unexpected. My death will be dealt by two tall green women, dressed in what looks like the bare minimum a caveman would wear.'