Chapter 186: The Beating
Chapter 186: The Beating
"This is the worst... How much longer do we have to wait?"
In a cave nestled within the woods near the royal palace, Sheryl let out another sigh. Ever since Jaejin had been kidnapped, her sighs had shown no sign of stopping.
She had agreed to Melia’s plan because there was no other choice, but she hated just sitting around doing nothing.
If Melia had actually betrayed them this time, it would be the end. Even if she hadn't, the small clone Melia had left behind hadn't checked in for hours, and Sheryl’s anxiety was mounting.
They had been in constant communication since Melia entered the palace, but since evening, not a single word had been sent, leaving Sheryl’s mind in a state of disarray.
"Let’s wait a little longer. Melia must be busy..."
Nia rested her chin on her knees and stared at the mana barrier erected at the entrance. The thin film Mari had cast blocked the flow of mana between the interior and exterior, preventing detection from leaking magical power.
Thanks to that, the three of them waited endlessly for news, hearing nothing but the chirping of birds from the lush forest, without any further contact from the other fairies.
Then—coo, coo-coo. A pigeon flew in from beyond the barrier with a low cry. Sheryl checked the letter tied to the pigeon’s right leg and realized the carrier pigeon had arrived safely.
Before setting out to find Jaejin, the group had brought along Wollyeon, who had a free schedule, and asked her to act as a middleman between Selene’s Spring and the group.
This was because they couldn't rule out the possibility that they might miss each other and return to the spring.
The content of this carrier pigeon was to inform Lena, who would be in the capital, about what had happened with Melia through Wollyeon.
Seeing that the letter originally tied to the pigeon’s left leg was now on its right, it was clear that contact had been made.
The message they had sent included their expectations of forming a cooperative relationship with Titania and news of Jaejin’s safety.
Scanning the reply, Sheryl began to read, feeling the relief in Lena’s handwriting and prose.
"Ahem, I’ll read it. 'Sheryl, I received your letter. It is such a relief to hear that Lord Jaejin is safe.
While Melia’s independent decision is regrettable, I think it would be a good thing if we could truly bring the Queen to our side. It will be difficult, of course, but we must trust Lord Jaejin.
I’ve told Ms. Wollyeon to remain in the village, so the three of you please keep an eye on the situation a bit longer. Since you are the three I trust most, I believe you can overcome any danger.
And if you happen to encounter Oberon, break the bracelet I gave you immediately. It will surely protect the three of you.'"
Since the pigeon had been sent before they knew the talks with the Queen had gone well, there were some discrepancies, but the information seemed to have been conveyed clearly.
While it was a positive situation that information was being shared between both sides, the fact remained that they could do nothing until more news about Jaejin arrived from Melia.
As they prepared to take turns keeping watch through another night of indefinite waiting, they felt a presence outside the cave, following the confirmation of the reply.
Two fairies had walked in a straight line right up to the cave, which should have been undetectable from the outside due to the mana barrier.
One was a woman with a confident face and fluttering red hair that shimmered like flames, and the other was a slender woman with silver hair and a prim expression.
Mari realized they were powerful individuals who could see through her concealment and felt the need to pass through without conflict, just as Melia had instructed.
Nia stepped forward, stopping Mari as she moved to deactivate the mana barrier and attempt a conversation. Recognizing the two fairies' faces, Nia shouted urgently.
"W-Wait...! They’re the King’s Swords...!"
Along with her shout, a fireball came flying in, barely blocked by a tree root Nia hastily surged from the ground. The entrance of the cave instantly became a sea of fire from the scorching heat and the sparks burning everything in sight.
"Get back!!"
Sheryl stepped forward, staring beyond the roots blocking the exit.
Matching the scenery she saw through her Mind's Eye, she stomped her foot firmly. Using her left foot as an axis, she spun her body around and intercepted an incoming blade of wind with her right foot, which was shrouded in Fighting Spirit.
The unrealistic sight of the thick tree roots—which had even blocked the flames—being sliced clean through was a lethal blow that might have taken their lives if not for Sheryl’s quick wits.
"Who are you people? Why are you attacking out of nowhere?"
Despite Sheryl’s furious expression, the two fairies watched their opponents' response with leisure, offering genuine admiration.
"Oh~ I didn't expect you to block that. When was the last time someone blocked me so cleanly?"
"I don't know, probably not in over a decade. By the way, this is different from the report. Why is there even a Dryad here?"
The silver-haired woman, who answered the red-haired woman’s question indifferently, stared intently at Nia, expressing her doubt.
The conclusion she reached regarding the situation, which differed from her information, was simple.
"You betrayed us, Melia. To think you’d dare take advantage of Lord Oberon’s kindness. I’ll tear you apart with my own hands."
As a terrifying amount of mana began to bloom around the silver-haired fairy, Nia realized an unexpected variable had appeared.
"Those two... are Ifrit and Sylph, King Oberon’s subordinates."
The tall spirit with red hair was Ifrit. Named Elza, she possessed overwhelming ability in manipulating fire and was a sharp sword used to erase obstacles in Oberon’s path.
And the silver-haired Sylph standing beside her, glaring unpleasantly at Sheryl, was named Irina. Capable of manipulating wind at will, she was a keen blade that eliminated enemies with razor-sharp gusts.
"You know us? Then this makes things easy. That Melia woman who was with you acted disgracefully toward Lord Oberon.
Well, it seems she settled the matter herself by violating that pathetic man of yours, but that’s that. You all are being taken in for that crime."
"Dryad Nia, a Demon Lord candidate of our fairy race. You are a criminal who disobeyed Lord Oberon’s orders and failed to return to the forest. I need to know why you are with those whom His Majesty ordered us to capture."
Irina didn't wait for Nia’s excuse. She lightly spread her fingers, sending out invisible blades.
However, just because they were invisible didn't mean they didn't exist.
Sheryl quickly captured the flow of air and the unnatural, crescent-shaped distortions. She swung her kicks, infused with Fighting Spirit, erasing the attacks one by one.
"Whew~ impressive. To think you can react to every single one of our lady’s attacks. ...Whoops, right, right. I’ll watch my mouth."
"Elza, if you call me 'lady' one more time, I’ll cut you down first and finish the mission alone."
The two spirits were far too relaxed, even while facing two Demon Lord candidates and a Half-Elf. It wasn't mere arrogance; it was the composure that came from a certainty of victory.
And for good reason—Demon Lord candidates were young demons who hadn't even reached a hundred years of age.
These spirits, who had already witnessed the birth of several Demon Lords, were on a different level in terms of both the quantity and quality of time they had accumulated. Even so-called geniuses were usually unable to overcome the wall of time these two represented.
However, contrary to such natural expectations, Sheryl was holding her ground, parrying every one of Irina’s wind blades with fast and precise footwork.
"I’ll leave that one to you, Ms. Mari, Nia...!"
Sheryl, finally finding her pace and the breath to speak, sent the two toward Ifrit, who seemed to be a worse match for her.
Elza’s face, which had initially been watching with admiration as if observing a child’s antics, began to stiffen. This wasn't the kind of power a mere Demon Lord candidate should possess.
Even that brat Veled, who was closest to becoming a Demon Lord, should have reached her limit at twenty exchanges—maybe fifty at the absolute most.
But this unknown Three-Eyed Demon Lord candidate had already parried sixty blades. She hadn't moved an inch outside a certain radius on the floor, as if drawing a circle, blocking everything. She was absolutely not an opponent to be underestimated.
"Where are you looking, you piece of trash?"
And then, Elza was faced with Mari, who had closed the distance in an instant and was thrusting a fist that carried the weight of a windstorm toward her face.
Recognizing that her defense was too slow, Elza decided to release the maximum firepower she could produce directly in front of her.
Despite the intense ignition occurring instantly, Mari drove her punch straight through. Ignoring the flames licking her body and fist, the punch landed, sending Elza flying backward.
However, thanks to the opening she created at the last second, Elza managed to barely block Mari’s punch with her arms, landing on the ground without losing her stance.
"Oh, you blocked it? You’re pretty good. I’ll give you that."
"Y-You little brat, how dare you...!"
Even though Elza had blocked the punch with her arms, the mark of her crushed nose remained on her face.
The unpleasant pain in her face made her want to explode in rage for the first time in a long while, but Nia’s tree vines struck Elza’s body even faster.
"To use such dirty, cowardly tactics... ugh!?"
"Shut up and just take the hit."
Elza wanted to unleash the majesty of her boasted hellfire, but Mari didn't care if her own body was burned by the lingering embers. She closed in to point-blank range, throwing punches that seemed to tear through the air itself.
Faced with a barrage of strikes that gave off the intimidating pressure that a single hit would mean the end, Elza could only be appalled by this brute of a Half-Elf.
Originally, Elves were a type of fairy; their physical abilities were usually average, while their magical talent was exceptional.
But this half-breed Elf defied all common sense, cornering her with overwhelming martial prowess. And she was doing it as if she were looking at a mortal enemy she intended to kill today.
"What is this? Why the hell are you doing this to me... Fuck!!"
"You... don't... make... any... sense... do you?"
Every time her words broke, a punch that pierced through her guard landed on Elza’s body. Before Nia could even intervene further, the high-ranking spirit known as Ifrit was being brutally dismantled, unable to even show off her hellish flames.
"Who... do you... think... you are... insulting... my... Dad... you... piece... of... trash."
Finally, Elza lost even the strength to keep her guard up, and Mari’s straight punch exploded against her face. With the sound of bones snapping, Elza was sent flying through the air once more, collapsing limply onto the ground.
Faced with the overwhelming result—one that would have ended in death had Mari not controlled her strength at the very end—Irina quietly raised both hands in the silence. Only Sheryl’s heavy breathing broke the stillness in front of the cave.