The door shut behind them with a dull thud, sealing off the bustle of Lugnica's streets. Inside Rom's bar, the air was heavy with old smoke and the scent of spilled ale. Dust drifted lazily through beams of dim lantern light.
Felt lounged against a cracked wall, arms folded, a smirk tugging at her lips. Her crimson eyes darted around, restless and defiant.
"So yeah, I took the insignia. Big deal. It's not like you're gonna do anything about it."
Rom stood behind the bar, idly wiping out a mug. His tone was flat, detached.
"You know it's worth more than you think. To her, and to others. That's all."
Felt scoffed, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.
"I need the coin, old man. The buyer's coming soon and paying well. That's the part that matters."
Emilia's violet eyes dimmed with hurt and frustration.
"It's not just some trinket. You don't understand what it means."
Puck hovered near her shoulder, silent, his tiny paws clasped together. His usual playful glow was gone—he simply watched, unblinking, sharp eyes flicking between Felt and Rom.
Enkidu stood calm and poised, voice even.
"We can't allow the insignia to change hands. Be ready."
Felt rolled her eyes, arms tightening across her chest.
"Fine. Just don't expect me to hold your hand. I'm only the middleman."
Rom didn't bother looking up.
"We'll see how it plays out."
A tense silence settled over them. Then, faint footsteps echoed outside, growing closer.
A knock came—sharp, almost playful. Enkidu stiffened, muscles coiling under his skin.
He remembered this scene all too well: Elsa, the Bowel Hunter.
Rom started toward the door, but Enkidu's hand shot out, barring the way.
"Don't."
Rom raised a brow.
"Why?"
"There's danger waiting on the other side."
Rom only grunted, unimpressed.
"Danger finds this place often enough."
A heartbeat later, the door exploded inward. Shattered wood skittered across the floor.
Framed in the wreckage stood a woman with long dark hair and cold, gleaming eyes. Twin curved daggers rested lightly in her hands, almost casual.
"Well, well," Elsa purred, stepping forward. "I thought I was the buyer—but it looks like you were planning to sell to someone else."
Felt flinched, stammering,
"I—I figured a bidding war would be better for me!"
Elsa's grin widened, sharp and hungry.
"Oh, no. That won't be necessary."
"What do you mean?" Felt snapped.
Elsa's eyes glittered.
"It means I'll take the insignia from your corpse."
Elsa lunged.
Faster than any normal human, a blur of black steel and pale skin. Her daggers gleamed in the lantern light, aimed directly at Felt's throat.
But Enkidu moved first.
There was no conscious thought—only action. His body reacted, sliding between Elsa and Felt like a wave of emerald energy. His foot lashed out in a wide arc, crashing into Elsa's side with thunderous force.
She slammed into a support pillar with a crunch. Wood cracked. Dust filled the air.
Elsa coughed, straightened, and smiled.
"Ohhh… that's new." She licked a smear of blood from the corner of her mouth. "You're not ordinary. You're interesting."
Enkidu stepped forward, golden chains slithering out from his limbs and forming around his arms. His stance was fluid—neither aggressive nor passive. Like nature itself: calm, until it wasn't.
Elsa struck again. She flipped through the air, blades flashing with murderous elegance, aiming for his eyes, ribs, and neck in one continuous flow.
Enkidu bent backward under her daggers, chains lashing up to block the rest. Sparks erupted as metal screamed against metal. Elsa twisted mid-air and planted a boot against his chest, launching herself into a backflip that landed her on a table.
She landed with feline grace and grinned.
"Beautiful. That reaction time… You're making me excited."
"Your obsession with disembowelment is disturbing," Enkidu said calmly.
Her grin widened.
"Oh, don't be so stiff. It's a compliment. I only get like this when I find someone fun to open."
She vanished.
For one heartbeat, she disappeared entirely. Then her blade was at his side—aiming for his kidney. Enkidu twisted, letting the dagger graze him. A chain snaked around her wrist and snapped her back into the center of the room.
Elsa hit the floor in a roll, spun, and kicked upward, launching three daggers from under her skirt.
Hidden weapons.
Enkidu's hand blurred—catching two, deflecting the third with his forearm. He flinched. Even dull steel cut him.
He was strong—but not invincible.
Elsa was in front of him again, low and fast. One dagger went high, the other low. A feint. Enkidu ducked, expecting the strike to come upward—but her heel caught him under the chin.
He staggered.
Elsa laughed. "You're not just fast—you're precise. And you're holding back."
Her voice dropped into a whisper. "That won't save your bowels."
Chains erupted from the ground in response, stabbing upward like spears. Elsa darted between them with inhuman agility, spinning through the chaos like a shadow.
A chain finally struck true—piercing her thigh.
She gasped, but didn't scream. Instead, she smiled wider.
"Finally…"
To Enkidu's horror, she pushed herself down the chain, driving it deeper—so she could get close enough to slash at his chest.
Enkidu barely blocked with a chain wall, and even then, the impact drove him back. Elsa yanked herself off the chain with a wet squelch and flipped backward, trailing blood.
She landed crouched, panting, eyes shining.
Puck floated above, his form unmoving, but his glow intensified faintly. Mana coiled around him like frost behind glass. He didn't speak. Didn't blink. But his eyes never left Elsa's blades.
Enkidu watched Elsa heal. The wound on her thigh pulsed—and slowly, impossibly, it closed.
Regeneration.
So that's how she's still alive.
Elsa circled him, licking her lips.
"I like you. You're strong. Your body moves like it remembers things you've forgotten. But it's not enough."
She rushed him again.
This time, Enkidu met her head-on.
He swept forward like the wind, chains whipping in all directions. Elsa's blades clanged off them, sparks flying. She spun into a flurry of slashes, dancing from wall to beam to table, always one step ahead of the chains.
But Enkidu adapted.
He began to feel it—each motion, each shift of weight. His body didn't fight like a mage or a swordsman. It fought like the earth itself—rooted, vast, ancient.
He dodged with no wasted motion. Struck with force that shook the air.
Elsa drove a dagger into his side. He didn't flinch. Instead, his hand grabbed her wrist, and a chain slammed her into the ceiling.
She hit, groaned, fell—and landed on her feet.
Still smiling.
But she was breathing harder now. Slower.
"You're wearing me down," she whispered. "I like that." Her voice dropped to a hiss.
"But you'll tire. Everyone does. Then… I gut you."
"No," Enkidu said.
He stepped forward, hand raised.
The chains stopped whipping. They stood still around him, hundreds of them—like trees in a forest, each humming with divine power.
Elsa froze. Something ancient stared back at her through Enkidu's eyes.
He whispered, "Bind."
The chains struck from every direction.
Elsa moved, but she was slower now. Bloodied. The chains snapped her limbs, her waist, her neck. One final blast of mana exploded from Enkidu's body—and a golden spike drove through her shoulder, pinning her to the wall.
She coughed blood. For a second, the smile faded.
Then she grinned again.
"You're strong… Too strong… This body won't hold out much longer." She twisted her neck—CRACK—and dislocated it to escape the bind. Then she dropped to the floor, breathing ragged.
"Next time," she said, backing toward the open door. "Next time, I will see your insides."
With a sickening giggle, she vanished into the night.
At last, Enkidu drove a palm into Elsa's chest, a shockwave rattling the walls. She crashed into the far end of the bar, coughing blood, before slipping out the ruined door with a dark laugh.
"Till next time… I'll carve your insides then," she called, disappearing into the night.
Enkidu stood breathing steadily, hands lowering to his sides.
A glowing message appeared before his eyes:
[Notice: You have leveled up.]
[Notice: Beginner Gift Pack has been unlocked.]
Oh right… the system, Enkidu thought with a sigh. I'd nearly forgotten.
"Enkidu, are you alright?" Emilia asked gently.
"I'm fine. Is everyone else unharmed?"
"Yes… we're all okay," Emilia said, glancing gratefully at him. Puck floated close, still wordless, but his tail curled protectively around Emilia's shoulder.
At that moment, a man with striking red hair and sharp blue eyes stepped through the splintered doorway.
"I heard a fight. Is everything alright here?" His calm, powerful presence filled the room.
"Ah! Reinhard-san!" Emilia exclaimed.
Reinhard offered a reassuring smile.
"Sorry to intrude. Just wanted to ensure everyone's safe."
"We're fine," Enkidu replied. "Just dealt with a lunatic woman with daggers and a… fixation on bowels."
Reinhard's expression darkened.
"Did she have a purple rose pinned in her hair?"
"She did," Enkidu confirmed.
"That was likely the Bowel Hunter," Reinhard said gravely.
"Huh… Enkidu, you actually fought off the Bowel Hunter!" Emilia said, eyes wide.
Before they could process that, Felt hesitantly stepped forward, extending the insignia with a scowl.
"H-here. Just take it, alright?"
Emilia's expression softened. She reached for it—but Reinhard's hand shot out.
"Wait."
They all looked at him. Reinhard stepped close, staring at the insignia. It glowed faintly in Felt's hand.
His eyes widened slightly.
"I see… I'll need you to come with me."
Rom's massive form shifted, looming over Reinhard.
"Over my dead body."
Reinhard smiled lightly.
"If you're important to her, you can come along. It's best for all of you."
Emilia opened her mouth to argue, but Enkidu rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. She met his eyes, pleading—he only gave her a calm, resolute look. At last she fell silent.
Soon, Reinhard led Felt and Rom away.
The gift pack & new power
[Notice: Would you like to open your Beginner Gift Pack?]
The prompt blinked insistently. Enkidu finally sighed.
"…Accept."
Just as the system processed his choice, Emilia spoke up.
"Um, Enkidu… why did you let Reinhard take Felt?"
"Oh, that's because—"
A strange heaviness washed over him. His knees buckled. The world tilted.
[Notice: Skills "Wood Release (Hashirama)" and item "Mori Mori no Mi" will now fuse with body: Enkidu.]
[Fusion successful.]
[Unique Skill: Mother Nature acquired.]
Enkidu collapsed. The last thing he saw was Emilia's worried face, and Puck's small form hovering near her, eyes sharp and protective.
An: this chapter was extra long, about 2x