Honestly before I was in the camp that Elf and the others definitely died, but Takafumi seems to be the author's mouth peice so going off the rant last chapter they probably don't die and the reason he left is going to be something comedic.That's the thing about this series, it's hard to place whether there will be tragedy or comedy or both.(this series likes to yank our chains and keep us guessing on where things will land.)
A little disappointing though, lately this manga has been missing the trauma that really got me into it at first. There is nothing like good comedy to really bring out the sadness in a story, but now it seems there is a bit too much comedy drowning all of that out.