The head fragments scattered through the air like shattered glass, and then—silence.
The three of them lay lifeless. It was impossible for them to ever stand again.
"Although the result isn't perfect…" Elric exhaled softly, shaking off the blood from his blade. "…I'd still say you've passed."
After completely dealing with the three of them, Elric turned toward Elsa.
She was trembling—still terrified—but no longer screaming. When Elric said she had "passed," her eyes widened, then softened with relief.
"R-Really?" she whispered. "Does that mean… I'm not going to die today?"
Elric gave a short nod. "Yeah. You've passed the last test." He sheathed his blade and looked her straight in the eyes. "Now, it's time to get down to business."
He paused, his tone turning serious. "I told you before—I'll make sure you survive in this era. Safely. But…" He tilted his head slightly. "You know there's a price for that."
Elsa understood immediately. Her hands clenched around the torn hem of her jacket, and she lowered her head.
There wasn't anything else she could offer him—nothing valuable enough. Only herself.
"I…" she started, her voice small, before finally nodding. "I agree."
After what she'd gone through today, she finally understood: the world wasn't what it used to be. Law, mercy, and morality had all vanished in the chaos. Alone, she wouldn't last a week.
But Elric—he was different. He had fought monsters and men alike, and she'd watched him tear through enemies like they were paper. Someone like that… could protect her.
And besides, ever since the moment he pulled her from deaths grasp, she had felt a strange sense of safety around him.
So when Elric looked at her again, she didn't flinch.
"Good," Elric said simply. "Then let's start now. Take off your clothes."
Elsa froze, her cheeks burning. "W–Wait, now?" She waved her hands quickly, embarrassed. "No, Elric, I don't mean I don't want to, it's just—look at me! I'm covered in blood. It's disgusting…"
Elric paused, then nodded after a moment. "Fair point. You're right. Let's get you cleaned up first."
He reached into the dimensional pocket and, without ceremony, began taking out dozens of water bottles—then hundreds—stacking them neatly on the ground.
Elsa stared, dumbfounded. "You… you can just make these appear?"
Elric shrugged, as if it were nothing special. "Something like that."
For a long moment, Elsa could only stare at the piles of clean, unopened water bottles. First the way he fought, now this. This man… wasn't just strong—he was something else entirely.
She smiled faintly. If she stayed by his side, she'd never have to worry again—not about safety, not about food, not about water.
"Alright," Elric said, motioning to the bottles. "Take a shower. Wash all that off."
Elsa nodded and began cleaning herself up. The water sparkled in the dying sunlight, pooling on the broken asphalt. As the blood faded away, so did the last remnants of her fear.
When she looked back at Elric—calm, powerful, and impossibly composed—she realized that from this moment on, her fate was tied to his.
A sudden noise echoed from the hallway. Elric and Elsa both turned their heads toward the shattered dorm door.
Through the broken frame, a dozen frightened faces peeked in—girls, all of them. The other survivors who had been hiding on this floor.
When Elric had fought Paige's men earlier, the clash had been loud enough for everyone to hear. But none of them dared to come closer back then—they'd seen the blood flowing out into the corridor, the corpse of Jane, her body crushed beyond recognition.
They thought a mutant monster had gotten loose, feeding on people.
Only after the noise stopped, and the hallway grew quiet again, did the bolder ones start creeping toward the door.
"That's not a mutant…" one of them whispered.
"It's… it's a guy."
"And he looks like a student."
"Wait—was he the one who killed Jane?"
"But Jane was a special… wasn't she? How could he—"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! If he can kill someone with powers, he must have powers too. Do you want him to notice you?"
Their whispers were faint, but Elric's senses picked them up clearly. He sighed softly.
"Change of location," he muttered.
Elsa, still holding a few bottles of water, froze and looked down. Her face was bright red. Those girls were staring right through the broken door—and she was in no state to be seen.
Elric had no intention of letting that continue. He activated his clairvoyant scan—his eyes briefly glowing with pale light—and spotted an unoccupied dorm down the hall. It was spacious, clean, and stacked with supplies that clearly belonged to two former residents who'd since gone missing.
"This one will do," he said. "It's empty."
With a flick of his wrist, the world warped for a moment—and in the next instant, Elric, Elsa, and the crates of mineral water vanished from their spot and reappeared inside the new dormitory.
Elsa blinked in disbelief, then simply gave up trying to process it. After everything she'd seen from him today, what was one more impossible trick?
She nodded silently, gathered the bottles, and went into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, Elsa emerged wrapped in a white bathrobe. Her hair was still damp, water drops tracing her neck and collarbone. She wasn't wearing any makeup—just her natural face, pale and clear.
There was something serene about her—a quiet elegance that reminded Elric of the girl she used to be before all this chaos. Natasha might have been slightly more striking in appearance, but Elsa had a kind of gentle, unpolished beauty that felt… real.
Elric didn't say a word. He simply looked at her, then reached out with his ability.
A soft chime echoed in Elric's mind, his system interface lighting up.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host. You have successfully taken in a qualified adopter.
Ding!Devil Tree Growth +1
Ding!Devil fruit (Nature Type) fully matured!
Ding!Unlocked: In-Depth Connection Reward — "Desert Eagle — Full Ammo, Caliber .50 AE."
Remaining Monthly Interaction Count with Elsa: 18.
Elric leaned back, glancing at the sleek new weapon that materialized beside him. Its matte-black finish gleamed under the flickering dorm light.
"Not bad," he murmured. "A clean start."
Outside, the night wind rattled the shattered windows. The apocalypse raged on.
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