NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

(Back to Okami\'s Perspective.)

Just a slight recap. Okami went inside the throne and met Red. Red killed La Finta, and now the rangers are coming to get him. This is where I will start. Enjoy~

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"You killed... King Arthur…" Those were the last few words thrown by the old lady to Red. She was fiendish, but a kind, grumpy and ancient woman. La Finta was that kind of girl.

I can still remember La Finta and her rangers tried capturing me from before after snatching the fountain of life from them. I won the casino game, so I had to take what they offered. The elves wanted it back, but I refused, and the story went on. But that was not my concern right now.

The elf\'s body fell to my side. La Finta\'s body was heavy, like a rock that had cracked from above. I caught her motionless vessel with my readied hands. She tried talking to me for the last time.

"Red...help her…" La Finta instructed, and breathed her last breath. She was no longer here in Code, and neither was Red.

A faint, glowing light shined upon me. It had an emerald hue that covered my body. I did not know why, but I thought the barrier came from La Finta herself and cast it before she died.

\'But why?\' I thought, but there was not enough time.

The marching of the wardens became clearer for every passing minute. That mob finally arrived after a minute of staring at La Finta\'s corpse. My heart skipped a billion beats, knowing that escaping would be strenuous for me to do.

A petite girl with golden hair greeted my eyes. She had a slim body, short in stature, and had a dagger gripped in her hands. That elf pointed her blade towards me with her eyes boiling bloody crimson.

"You killed my grandmother! I knew something was happening inside the throne!" The elf growled at me with intense anger. She clicked her tongue and charged forward.

The elf wanted to kill me right here, right now, so she tried taking my life. I yearned to dodge the attack and roll to the other side, but my gut told me otherwise.

And I was correct.

The barrier from earlier saved me from the assault as it blocked her attack. The elf girl stumbled and fell backwards, but she got up and balanced her body. Her eyes widened as the long-eared elf observed the shield.

"Grandmother, why are you protecting him?" the elf girl mumbled, and lowered her weapon. She did not want to follow up on an attack.

"Seize him immediately and place him in the dungeon." She commanded the guards to arrest me for the crimes I did not do. But I knew retorting now would waste my efforts, so I carried along with their plans.

La Finta\'s body turned into green pixelated dust and fluttered in the wind. She slowly disappeared in front of us and left Code for good.

All the rangers watching the scene knelt in front of her. Everyone but the petite girl. As I squinted my eyes, the elf girl resembled the grandmother, which I deduced was something like a relative to La Finta.

The elf lady raised her head and locked her eyes onto me. She had a fierce expression and monitored my body. I returned her gaze, but I had a dull mask covering my face.

The warden walked up to me and conjured a dark green vine from her hands. She coiled the cord around my arms and tied my hands behind my back, ensuring it would lock my arms. The ranger was confident in her skills, and I knew that already. She tightened the grip and shook the rope.

I could not move from the creeping plant. It obstructed my movements.

The ranger pulled me up and pushed me forward. I did not have the time to look at the elf\'s facial features, since there was no point for me to look around. I already glued my eyes at the maddened girl before me as the warden guided me to the blond girl.

"You. What did you do?" the acting leader of the group asked.

She placed her hand below my chin and grabbed me by the neck. The girl pulled me closer to her face and glared at my orbs. We were at breath length before head-butting into one another, but I kept my awkwardness at the side.

"If you\'re asking who killed Grandmother, it was Red, not me," I claimed. "You don\'t have to believe me."

"Elina is right." A feminine sound lured my head into the corner. As I shifted my view, a mature-looking woman that resembled royalty and elegance interposed the conversation.

"I am the Queen of Mainland. I know you, Fenrir. You tried helping us escape, but you failed. My husband placed my trust in you, but you disappointed us." Guinevere appeared at the entrance and spoke to me.

Beside her was Guinevere\'s daughter. If I recall the history of Code, her name should be "Eve".

"I am Elina, the granddaughter of the Elven Kingdom, succeeding ruler of Nirvana. How dare you kill La Finta in front of me." Elina tried slashing my face once again, but the barrier kept her at bay. "Do you think mocking me will help you escape? We do not believe your words, player."

Elina threw me back and shifted her view towards the Queen. She gave her a bow and addressed her. "Queen Guinevere. We apologise to seeing such a scene like this."

All the rangers lowered their heads as they greeted the royalty. Even inside Nirvana, the Queen of Mainland still had power over them. Guinevere was not the ruler of the Elven Empire, but every elf paid their respect to her.

Elina, who had just apologised to Guinevere, shot her blade towards me. The dagger hovered in my direction and was about to hit me, but something stopped it on its way. The blade reverted to her side, but Elina caught it with her hands.

She clicked her tongue and grunted. "I do not know why Grandmother wishes to protect you. But as soon as that shield wears out, we will kill you with the rest of the players."

"That\'s enough fighting for today. We already won the battle. Those players died outside," Guinevere approached me and asked. "Do you know these people? Did you issue this attack?"

I shook my head. Although I was a part of their plan, my goal was different. Saying what I wanted right now would not benefit me. Elina and the rangers would even use Ryoshi to use me if they knew he was the one I was looking for all the way here.

"No. I came alone. Those people were nothing but a coincidence. I only used their attack as a distraction."

The same blade flew right through me. But the same scene happened at our fore, with the dagger flying backwards and crashing to the ground.

Even on her deathbed, La Finta still tried protecting me. Although she hated me, I did not know the reason behind this shield. I did nothing for her to receive such protection. But maybe La Finta had her reasons.

"This protective barrier hinders me or any elf from attacking him. It\'s a spell that lasts for six hours." the soldier beside Elina informed her.

"I know what it is. You don\'t have to tell me." Elina retorted with an authoritative voice. She might be the type of person who disliked someone bossing her around, especially when she had a rank in the group.

"We will kill him within six hours, then. For now, place him in the dungeon and feed him like a dog."

At her instructions, the rest of the rangers shove me onwards to the hinge found on the ground. The door opened and led us further underground. Guinevere could only look at me with drooping eyes and averted her gaze to me. She knew I would not escape this den and would remain imprisoned for the rest of my time. And even if I tried, it would be strenuous for me to flee using this smurf account.

I looked downwards and observed the series of steps welcoming my eyes. The guards unlatched the lock and ignited the lanterns from downstairs. It would take us forever if we went to that place. But it was the prison that they wanted me to stay in for the duration of the barrier.

\'I knew it! It was a dungeon!\' A blissful remark ran through my head after knowing that I hit the money all along.

Before we could enter inside, Elina stopped me for the last time. "Guinevere called you Fenrir, but I don\'t believe you. That guy stole the fountain of life from us, but we knew he was a good person deep inside. Who are you, player?"

I curled up into a smile and answered, "Wolf. I go by the name Wolf."

After our exchange, I finally stepped forward and trod the everlasting stairs.