"You!"

Nearly everyone inwardly cringed at the sound of her voice. When Elesis used that tone, it meant some serious shit was about to go down. Even her ancestor found himself apprehensive whenever Little Red called to him like that. Why she couldn't have inherited his laziness and ability to take things with a reasonable(?) amount of indolence, he had no idea. Fortunately, it wasn't him that she was looking at today. Tracing her gaze, the Chasers found themselves looking at Zero, who was gazing into the campfire with his sword lying against his side.

Noting the sudden silence, he raised his head, disconcerted by the unusual amount of attention he was receiving. "Me." It was meant as a question, but somehow it ended up sounding like a statement, which infuriated the Red Knight even further.

"Yes, you!" Elesis gestured impatiently. "Come! Hurry up!" Without even waiting for a reply, she turned and stalked off towards the trees, some distance away from camp.

"Wow, what did you do?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "She looks pretty mad."

"I do not think I have done anything that could have irritated the Leader in such a degree." Zero replied, his composure masking the slight uneasiness inside him. He tried to remember what he did that deserved the Leader's wrath: He spent most of his time with Grandark. Occasionally he talked to the others, but it was they who usually initiated the little conversation they had. He slept. He didn't eat much, as human food was mildly repulsive to him like any other demon would be. That's what he had always done. So what then?

Sieghart looked thoughtful for a moment before laziness settled over him again. "Nah, don't worry too much about it, kid. Red's just probably in one of her moods. You know, girl stuff. Just try not to die."

Vulgar oaf, it chimed in, blinking heatedly at the yawning immortal. Why a pig-headed descendant of that lazy fool has been chosen leader of this ragtag group of misfits, I will never know. Zero, go. Maybe if we're in luck, we can defeat her and actually do something useful.

Zero made his way through the camp and into the clump of trees where he last saw the redhead disappear through and hoped she was not in "one of her moods."

"Will he be okay?" Rin wondered aloud as she watched him go. "Elesis seemed awfully mad…"

"Don't worry." Lire assured the goddess with a smile. "She never hurts her comrades. That is simply how she reaches out to others."

"Yes, what a great way to reach out." Asin mumbled, rolling his eyes, not realizing that he wasn't exactly one to talk.

Zero dragged his feet, and Grandark, he made his way to the Leader. As soon as he was within distance, Elesis, quick as a flash, unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Zero.

With composure of steel, he put a hand on his own blade, saying, "What is the meaning of this?" as opposed to his sword, which began spewing insults.

"You said you've met my father, haven't you?" She pressed the blade closer to his neck. "Elscud Sieghart? I'm sure if you put your mind to it you'll remember."

As a matter of fact, Zero did remember the man that he had fought, one of the very few that Grandark had given its grudging approval at his strength. Whispers among the Chase had also informed him that the girl that was menacing him now was the only daughter of that man. The skills he had learned from him were unlike any other, but that was all Elscud Sieghart was to him: a teacher and a skilled swordsman. What Zero did not understand was how from such a self-possessed and refined warrior came...this girl that was threatening to decapitate him.

Just like your lazy excuse of an ancestor, no brains at all, the sword was taunting. Threatening the one who holds knowledge of your supposed father gets you a looong way, doesn't it?

"And tell your sword to shut up!"

He sighed. Nonetheless, he answered her question as he gently pushed hew sword aside. "Yes, I had met the Kanavan Tracker on my journey. Even Gran had acknowledged his combat skill which transcends humans overall. But I do not know where he has gone afterwards..."

"Nothing? Not even a hint?"

Even if he did, what make you think Zero would tell you?At least Elscud was smart enough to not try to stab his saviour, even teach Zero a few things. You're sure he's your father, girl? If he is, you certainly didn't inherit his morefavourable attributes.

"Shut up, you stupid piece of junk! Nobody's listening to you!"

"Gran, that's enough." Zero sighed. To Elesis, "No, he was a most...reserved man. But he is a capable swordsman; I do not think that he has ceased to exist."

"You're sure?"

"It is only a thought." he mused.

Elesis looked like she was about to stab him, but slowly lowered her blade, putting it back in its sheath. She did not know what to feel. It seemed everyone had met her father: Sieghart, Zero, Kaze'Aze, demons of other dimensions...everyone except her. And even then, only bits and fragments of what he did and who he once was. Sieghart claimed to know little, if any at all, and now amount of yelling and threatening could make him budge. Whether he genuinely didn't know or was purposefully hiding information from her...

Damn Kaze'Aze and her cryptic taunts about her father rotting in some abyss! And here was this masked demon telling her that...he met him. They had talked. Did he remember anything? Did he remember that he had a home, a daughter that endlessly pursued him?

She wanted to extract every single bit of information she could, but she...now she needed to think. She had to believe that Elscud was still alive, because to consider him dead would have made her entire journey pointless. If he was dead, she had to at least get solid confirmation for that, and if there was any, bury his remains with honour.

Zero may not be the most reliable source for information, but it was all she had. It was something to grasp at, something to hold onto other than her own increasingly tenuous faith in her father.

"I see." The voice came out thick, and she hated it. She needed to go, right now. "...thanks. And don't tell the others!"

"Will she be all right?" Zero wondered, watching her run. "Should I go after her?"

Didn't Oz give you brains, boy? Gran snorted. Girls and their sentimentality are best left alone. Now carry me, I feel cold.

"...You're a sword. You don't need heat."

Don't pester me with your logic!

They, or he, trudged back to the campfire, ignoring the inquiring stares. "So, what did she want?"

"...I am not permitted to tell you."

Ronan glanced up and frowned, but did not say anything as Sieghart continued to pester the demon, saying "Aw come on~ does she have a crush on you?"

"She does not wish to crush me, I think." The same couldn't be said for Gran, sadly.

"Ah well, she'll come to." Sieghart rolled on his side, stretching lazily with a yawn. "What's for dinner?"

"Stew." Ronan turned his attention back to the pot over the fire.

"Again?" the elder grumbled. "Come on!"

"We're out in the wilderness, far from civilization." Lass jibed as he munched on an apple. "If it's not fancy enough for you, old man, don't eat."

"You're so rude."

"He has a point, Sir Sieghart."

"Lire, not you too?!"

It was always noisy with Sieghart around. Zero didn't like excessive noise. When dinner was finally served, he quietly accepted a bowl and sat some distance away. He wasn't indifferent to the Grand Chase, but wasn't sure how to interact with them. Aside from the occasional word and stares, he was content to be in the background, observing, contemplating.

"She's not here."

Why does that bother you, fool?

"It doesn't. I just thought…"

"Darn!" Ryan dug into his backpack, taking out bottles filled with strange brown liquid that seemed to come alive. "I thought I packed water...I must have gotten the wrong bottles...whoops."

"How do you confuse coke with water?" Amy asked in disbelief. "They're not even the same colour!"

"Sorry, sorry! I was in a hurry, and I didn't have time to actually look at the bottles I was grabbing..."

Asin, who had never seen a carbonated drink before, took a bottle and stared at it curiously, watching the bubbles fizz and pop violently with every shake. How very interesting! He shook it harder till the bottle seemed to shake by itself. Beside him, Rin watched too with innocent amazement; not even plum juice could do that!

"Asin don't do that! Shaking makes it explode when you open it!" Amy snapped.

He looked up, a glint in his eyes. "It does...?" He gave the bottle a few more tosses, and with a quick sweep of his hand, busted off the cap and threw the two-litre coke bomb into the air...

...landing right onto Jin's face in an explosion of brown foam and carbonated liquids.

As the boy spluttered and attempted to wipe off the disgusting froth, Asin chuckled at his success. Even Rin let out a hysterical giggle before clamping her mouth shut.

"So, Jin..." His lip curled at the utterance of the name as he eyed the warrior, giving a whatchu-gonna-do-now?-Come-at-me-bro look.

In the commotion, Zero picked up one of the unscathed bottles that rolled towards him. The drink inside fizzed with bubbles as if it were boiling, the bottle was cold in his hand. He had tried one of these concoctions before. They scalded his mouth but the pain came with a pleasurable taste that left a crisp aftertaste.

"You gonna drink that?"

How strange; he thought she'd linger in the forest longer and brood, let alone come after him, again.

"Do you want it?" He held it up, undaunted by her looming over him.

Still can't believe this oaf and that sloth are connected to one of the better human scum.

"If that thing says that one more time I'll break it."

Zero would never let that happen. Gran had no face, but she could feel how smug he was. Your flimsy metal won't make a dent anyway.

Elesis snorted in disgust. "I'll take half." She took the bottle and seated herself beside the demon.

And who invited you to be here? Go break a rock or something.

Cranking open the bottle with a loud pop, Elesis rolled her eyes. "I don't need an object's permission." Tossing the cap aside, she was about to take a big swing before pausing to say, "I'm assuming you don't care about germs."

"Um…"

He's impervious to whatever filthy disease your body contains.

Elesis couldn't think of a snappy comeback just then. She'd think of the perfect one long after the opportunity went by. Instead she said, "How about I pour this over you instead?"

"…Why?"

"Not you, him!"

The question still stands. Not that it'd affect me.

"Gran doesn't drink coke."

"Whatever." Elesis plopped down, handed the untouched coke to him. "It'd be nice to pour it over and watch the bugs come crawling."

Are you sure you're the daughter of Elscud?

"Shut up." Back to Zero, "What did he say?"

"Pardon?"

"My father. Tell me about him—please." Elesis plopped beside him, looking contrite.

"What about him?"

"Everything."

That wasn't helpful. Zero observed, "You miss him."

Elesis stared at him. "Wow. Really?"

Silly humans and their sentimental attachments; tell me, child, do you think you're the only one who fights for the sake of another? That you're a lone martyr-to-be in your ever so noble cause?

"Gran, that's harsh."

Truth is always harsh, boy. All of these infidels are fighting for their own dumb reasons. Power, revenge, whatever. I always find those who fight for others more interesting, even if they're pathetically weak.

"Except Elscud."

Hmph. We have yet to see if he's successful in his suicide quest.

"That's true." Zero acknowledged.

"He fought to protect." Elesis affirmed.

"He fought for many reasons." Zero answered. "He was an unusual man."

"Where did you meet him, exactly?"

"I saw him at—"

The rest, of course, was history.