Fractured God

Alright back to the present

As soon as Elizabeth closed the door she immediately made her way down to the first floor of the Manor. With a look of relief on her face she told the two standing before her, "It seems like he'll be alright."

The two in front of her gave a sigh of relief. They were Ezekiel and Vanessa, who was holding Ezekiel's sword to presumably repair it.

"Geez, does he think it's funny to worry us like that?" said Ezekiel.

Without any time to react a fist flew into his stomach. He was glad he had no major injuries there as the shock alone from the pain would have probably sent him to an early grave.

Nonetheless, due to his current condition, he immediately fell to the ground. Most of his upper body was wrapped in gauze due to him taking damage so it was a miracle he was even standing in the first.

From the floor, he tried to see who his aggressor was. An ominous look had taken over Elizabeth's face. She then placed her boot on the part of his chest that, up until recently, was showing a rib. While it was healed that 'healing' had merely converted the rib with a layer of muscle. No skin was currently present there.

"Hey, Liz?" He said trying to hold back his pain while sweat now started to show on the few parts of his skin that were visible.

She then began to forcefully dig the tip of her foot into him.

"Goddamnit, what's the big deal here?" He pleaded as tears were now starting to form in his eyes.

"What's the big deal here?" Elizabeth responded coldly. "You said you were going to explore somewhere that had a few monsters and yet you brought back my Tibaut looking like that!?" She said while delivering a kick to him.

"Shit," he exclaimed in response to the kick. "Calm down Liz, no Elizabeth. Situations like that can't be avoided for adventurers no matter how far down the totem pole we are."

He knew what he was saying was true but he also knew he wouldn't be able to control his anger if one of his own was brought back like Tibaut.

"Can't be avoided?" Elizabeth's face looked as though she'd just been told someone had taken a dump on an expensive pastry she recently just bought.

"You bastard, did you even try to prepare? You brought no healing potions, no S.O.S stones and worst of all was the kobolds. Do you know anything about kobolds?"

While Ezekiel wanted to respond about the healing potions and S.O.S stones by saying he didn't have any, he decided he'd have to refrain if he wanted to keep living.

"Um, they're weak and they're short, that's all you need to know about monsters like them anyway right?"

She delivered a more unrestrained kick to him this time.

"I can't believe I had any respect for you."

"(Was that not a good enough answer?) Stop being so harsh, Elizabeth, we all make mistakes, even me."

"This was far beyond a mistake. You put both your lives in danger for no reason."

Ezekiel looked confused at this statement so she decided to continue.

"Here's a fun fact about kobolds you can make sure to jot down in that thick skull of yours. Kobolds are considered docile."

The sweat Ezekiel had broken out into before was flowing like a river. This wasn't an unavoidable conflict that was caused by the both of them entering underground ruins. There was one moment that stood out in his mind as the cause of the conflict. Him taking care of the first kobold they found.

"Seriously?" He said, however, from his tone of voice you could tell he wasn't trying to deny it.

"Yes, while they can cause damage to animals like sheep, and they're also aggressive with children. They still will not pick fights with things of a certain height or, what would've protected you guys, the presence of mana. They especially ignore things that have traces of mana on them for their own safety." While saying it seemed she had gotten rid of most of her anger as she let out a calm sigh after.

"Shit, guess I gotta apologise to the kid. I gotta say though it's good that you have your heali-" Before he could finish he received a kick to the cheek that sent him flying a few metres across the floor.

Elizabeth now had an even nastier look on her face than before. "You truly are remorseless."

Now holding his cheek he asked "What did I even do? I mean what's the point of beating myself over something I had no idea about, isn't that right Vanessa?"

He looked to Vanessa in hopes she would at least try to stop Elizabeth's cruelty. The smile on her face gave him a brief moment of hope until he realised what she had in her hands.

"Say, Elizabeth, that healing magic of yours should work on a few extra scars right?" She said while dragging the sorry excuse of a sword that was Ezekiel's claymore in one hand as she walked towards him.

He tried to get up while she approached but these new injuries had drained all the energy from his legs.

"I'll have to try my best," Elizabeth responded coldly while cracking her knuckles.

"Guys, this is going a bit too far for a joke. Guys? Guys!?"

Fortunately for him, Elizabeth had decided not to hold back with her healing for what was about to occur next. How very fortunate for him. No matter how much they bruised or slashed at him he would not have to worry about them accidentally killing him.

How very, very fortunate for him.