"Ah! It's rare that we go on a mission together, Epsilon."
"Haha~ Yes, it's such a rare opportunity, Beta."
Deep within the heart of an ancient forest, where moonlight trickled down through thick canopies and shadows danced under silver leaves, two enchanting figures stood side by side. They were members of the Seven Shadows—warriors of beauty, mystery, and overwhelming power. The two elves, Beta and Epsilon, exchanged cheerful glances, their smiles soft but charged with underlying tension.
They belonged to the [Dark Night Courtyard], and tonight, under the command of Alhaitham, they were tasked with purging the surrounding forest of the thieves who had turned it into a den of iniquity.
Beta, the second seat of the Seven Shadows, was a silver-haired elf with large, tearful eyes that stirred hearts effortlessly. Her delicate and graceful figure, combined with the teardrop-shaped beauty mark beneath her eye, made her appear simultaneously vulnerable and irresistible.
Epsilon, the fifth seat, was no less captivating. Her hair, the color of the clearest lakes, was tied into playful twin tails that swayed with each graceful step she took. Her features were refined, her voice a bright soprano that harmonized like a melody with the surrounding nocturnal rhythm.
Yet, beneath the elegance, their subordinates sensed something peculiar—an invisible friction in the air. There was an eerie trace of fire magic, not from their enemies... but from the very presence of these two allies.
Screams shattered the quiet of the forest.
"Ahhh! Run! Run for your lives!"
"Monsters! These two elves are monsters in disguise!"
"Please! Don't kill me! I beg you!"
The terrified shrieks of the fleeing thieves echoed into the night as Beta and Epsilon methodically unleashed devastation upon their targets. They had been ordered by Alhaitham to eliminate all criminal elements in this region—thieves who had plagued villages, disrupted trade routes, and committed unspeakable atrocities.
To the women of the [Dark Night Courtyard], this mission was more than duty. It was justice. The criminals were filth, unsalvageable remnants of a corrupt world. There was no remorse, no hesitation—only cold, efficient eradication.
The thieves' leader had been the first to fall, and his end was particularly gruesome. He had the gall to gawk at Beta and Epsilon, suggesting with arrogance that they become his slaves. A moment later, he was no more than minced flesh and shattered bones beneath Beta's blade.
But despite the bloody task at hand, the real heat wasn't in the battlefield—it was between the two elves themselves.
"You know," Epsilon began casually, twirling her hair, "When I reported to Lord Alhaitham yesterday, he complimented my hair. Said it was radiant."
Beta's smile didn't falter, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Her hand tightened around her sword hilt.
"Ah, how lovely. But speaking of Lord Alhaitham... I had quite the special moment with him the other night. I woke up from a nightmare and bumped into him during his midnight walk. He stayed with me until I fell asleep and even told me a bedtime story."
Epsilon's eye twitched. "A bedtime story... from the Lord himself?!"
Beta straightened up with smug satisfaction, clearly enjoying Epsilon's growing envy. Her silver hair shimmered like moonlight, her posture elegant and proud. She was showing off, and she knew it.
Epsilon, not one to back down, leaned forward and let her twin tails sway dramatically. Under the moonlight, her hair sparkled with ethereal beauty—something even Beta had to begrudgingly admit looked mesmerizing.
But Beta had her own charm.
She flicked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear and smirked. "Well, beauty comes in many forms. But we all know the Lord appreciates maturity. After all, some of us aren't stuck in the growth stage."
Epsilon's gaze darkened.
"You dare bring up that? Well, at least I don't go begging the Lord like a child for stories! So childish, Beta!"
"Hmph! At least I don't carry around twin tails like some kind of magical schoolgirl. Grow up already, Epsilon!"
The air crackled with tension, magic energy distorting space between them. Despite the mission, despite the chaos around them, the two were laser-focused on each other.
Their bickering intensified.
"Why don't you cut that ridiculously long hair? It's a liability in combat!"
"Well, why don't you stop stuffing your chest into tight uniforms just to flaunt your assets, Beta?!"
"You jealous little—!"
"Oh, please. Keep dreaming. Even if you stuff yourself into the tightest bodysuit in the world, you'll never—"
The [Dark Night Courtyard] soldiers around them pretended not to hear a thing. They focused diligently on finishing off the remaining thieves, showing no reaction. Clearly, they were used to this bizarre routine.
After all, the two were both original members of the Courtyard. They'd been through life-and-death battles together, shoulder to shoulder. They trusted each other, valued each other… and bickered like sisters.
Usually, there were no problems between them.
Usually.
"This is war, Beta. And I intend to win."
"Bring it on, Epsilon. Let's see who can take down more thieves tonight."
The challenge sparked their eyes like fire meeting flint. The two dashed forward at the same time, unleashing a storm of blades and spells. Their bodies moved like dancers, swift and elegant, but their attacks held the ferocity of dragons.
Thieves screamed.
"Stay away! Stay away from me!!"
"They're not elves! They're death itself!"
"I'll never have a crush on an elf again, I swear!!"
What were once dreams of elven affection had turned into a nightmare. The grace and beauty that made the elves enchanting now made them terrifying. Their smiles no longer seemed sweet—they were the grins of executioners.
As the massacre continued, the two women continued glaring daggers at each other while cutting down bandits in droves.
"You're my greatest rival, Epsilon."
"And you're the one I must surpass, Beta."
The reason for their rivalry wasn't hard to understand.
Alpha, the proud leader, carried a majestic aura that prevented pettiness.
Gamma, the inventor, was too focused on research to engage in intrigue.
Delta, the warrior, had no time for subtlety.
Zeta looked cool, but melted into a shy puddle when touched by the Lord.
Eta admired Alhaitham's intelligence more than anything else.
Only Beta and Epsilon...
They were the tricksters, the masters of quiet schemes and smiling sabotage. The best at slipping in unnoticed and vying for the Lord's attention.
They were cats. And when two cats competed for one owner's affection, claws would come out.
"Let's settle this, Epsilon," Beta said, dodging a crossbow bolt and driving her blade into an attacker's chest. "Whoever takes down the most tonight wins."
"And the loser," Epsilon replied, landing on a branch and sniping three targets with a fireball, "must show their ugliest photo to Lord Alhaitham."
"You're on."
They launched themselves into battle like twin comets, leaving explosions and corpses in their wake. Their rampage had reached berserker levels, abandoning all the grace typically associated with elves.
And then—at the peak of their violent rivalry—a rift opened in space nearby.
Alhaitham stepped out, elegant and composed as always, flanked by Ayato and Cyno. The Lord had arrived to check on the mission's progress.
And what he saw was...
Beta and Epsilon, blood-splattered, panting heavily, glaring at each other with insane intensity while bodies of thieves were strewn around them like fallen leaves.
Alhaitham blinked.
"…What are these two doing?"
Behind him, Ayato gently coughed. "Well... it seems they're... motivated."
Cyno rubbed his temple. "Very motivated."
The two elves finally noticed their Lord's presence and froze. A beat of silence passed before they both snapped to attention, instantly switching to their most graceful and innocent poses.
"Lord Alhaitham! We've completed the mission!"
"Yes! We annihilated the enemy! Just as ordered!"
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. "...I can see that. Thoroughly."
As Beta and Epsilon stood in front of him, both fighting to catch his gaze and win his approval, Alhaitham sighed internally.
These two...
He turned back toward the space rift. "Very well. Clean up and report back to the base."
"Yes, Lord Alhaitham!"
They saluted at the same time, their competitive spirit flaring once more.
The battle was over, but the war between them had just begun.
To be continued…
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