Chronicles of the Engulfment

As silence finally settled over the ravaged clearing and the dust began to settle, Kazuya gently wiped his blade with a cloth before sheathing it. He approached the group with a relaxed stride, as if what he had just done was nothing more than a casual stroll. The elves watched him with a mix of wariness and fascination.

"Well," he said with a casual smile, "who wants to thank me first?"

Thaelion crossed his arms, his piercing gaze fixed on Kazuya.

"Before we thank you, we'd like to know who you really are."

Kazuya struck a theatrical pose, one hand on his chest and a radiant smile on his face.

"Me? I am Kazuya Shirogane, the Ultimate Divine Chosen One, Lord of Dreams, and Prophet of Lost Worlds. But just call me Kazuya. No need for all the formalities."

The group exchanged skeptical glances, while Faelar whispered to Eryndel:

"Lord of what?"

Eryndel shrugged.

"I guess it sounds impressive."

Claude, though still wary, spoke up.

"Thank you for helping us, Kazuya. But what are you doing here, in the middle of this forest?"

Kazuya shrugged, playing the mystery card.

"Oh, nothing special. Just a traveler passing through. And to be honest, you looked... how should I put it... in a bit of a tight spot."

Lysariel, still suspicious, crossed her arms.

"A tight spot? We were perfectly coordinated!"

Kazuya smirked, glancing at the scattered pieces of trees all around.

"Of course, of course... It's not like half the forest almost fell on you. But hey, everyone has their own fighting style, right?"

Eryndel grumbled, but Claude raised a hand to ease the tension.

"We thank you for your help," he said seriously. "You saved our lives. I'm Claude. These are my companions: Eryndel, Lysariel, Thaelion, Ryandel, Faelar, and Tylwen."

Kazuya gave a slight bow.

Thaelion, still on guard, pointed at the unconscious man on the ground.

"That person is dangerous. We should eliminate him before he wakes up."

Kazuya frowned slightly, but Lysariel, who held a magical staff ready to defend herself, intervened.

"Wait, Thaelion. He's already defeated. There's no point in killing him now."

"He's a servant of an unknown master who granted him terrifying powers," Thaelion retorted. "Do you want to risk him coming back stronger?"

As the debate raged on, Ryandel and Tylwen seemed to have completely shifted their attention away from the situation. Their gaze was fixed on the small creature perched on Kazuya's shoulder.

"Ohhh, what is this adorable little thing?" exclaimed Ryandel, her eyes sparkling.

Tylwen cautiously approached, reaching out a hand.

"It's so cute... Can we touch it?"

The creature, a miniature fox with shimmering multiple tails, raised its head with dignity and spoke in a high-pitched but proud voice.

"I am Yuki no Tamashii, the Divine Guide and Protector of Kazuya-sama! I am not a mere stuffed toy, ladies."

The two elves blinked in surprise before melting into even more intense admiration.

"It talks! It's even more adorable!" exclaimed Tylwen.

"I want to pet it..." begged Ryandel, looking at Kazuya with pleading eyes.

Kazuya burst out laughing.

"Haha, Yuki, it seems you've become the star here."

The little fox narrowed its eyes.

"Kazuya-sama, it is beneath you to allow such behavior."

But before it could protest further, Lysariel gently grabbed it and began to pet it, followed by Ryandel and Tylwen.

"Stop this at once!" protested Yuki, though its voice betrayed a hint of satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Claude sighed, looking up at the sky.

"And we were supposed to be a serious group..."

Thaelion, on the other hand, hadn't taken his eyes off the unconscious elf.

"I can't believe you're joking around when a threat of this magnitude is still alive."

Kazuya turned to him, his tone serious again.

"I understand your concern, but there's something unusual about this person. He mentioned a master. Maybe he knows something important. Killing him now would be a mistake."

Thaelion stared at him, his lips tight, but eventually looked away with a grunt.

"Fine. But if he gets up and becomes a threat, it'll be your responsibility."

Kazuya nodded.

"Deal."

As the girls continued to pamper Yuki, and Thaelion kept a dark eye on their enemy, Claude approached Kazuya.

"Listen, thanks for your help. But if you're hiding anything..."

Kazuya raised a hand, cutting Claude off with a disarming smile.

"No worries, Captain Suspicious. I'm on your side. After all, I can't let people like that run free, can I? I'm just a normal guy, after all."

Despite himself, Claude couldn't help but smile slightly.

"We'll see."

An awkward silence settled, broken by Thaelion pointing at the uprooted trees.

"Normal, huh? Because what you just did was anything but normal."

Kazuya pretended to ponder, placing a finger on his chin.

"Hmm... Maybe I'm just really lucky?"

Eryndel rolled his eyes.

"Lucky, huh? You sliced through a giant wave of water and took down a man capable of destroying a forest. That's a bit more than luck."

"Ah, but you know, it's all a matter of perspective!" Kazuya replied with an innocent smile. "Maybe you're the unlucky ones for running into that guy?"

Eryndel rolled his eyes, while Thaelion whispered to Faelar:

"He talks a lot, doesn't he?"