The Fake Dark Elf
Elves were known for their exceptional mana control, physical prowess, and striking beauty.
Even Murdersonal, the tree elf, was beautiful—at least in the face.
'That guy's a bit ugly, though.'
But with those pointed ears typical of elves and his skill at climbing trees, he seemed like one, sure enough.
Somewhere in between.
'I'll catch him first and see.'
I'd know once I saw the blood color!
I flashed my eyes and swung my sword relentlessly.
Slash! Slash! Shraaack! Sguuuuack!
Rumble rumble boom!
Trees collapsed in heaps with every swing.
But it wasn't just trees. Each swing brought a tactile feedback in my hand—like something tearing apart.
The magic arrays blanketing this forest were being shredded mercilessly.
'What the hell is this sword?'
I hadn't even infused it with much Divine Power.
Despite barely putting any in, it was outputting several times the efficiency.
And not just that—the magic array that had even disoriented Ash, a powerhouse on my level, was ripping apart without mercy.
Screeeeech!
A long tearing sound echoed as space warped.
"!"
Forced spatial leap!
'No, what kind of forest has crap like this installed?'
But my sword let out a mighty roar. The two gems embedded in its pitch-black blade glowed fiercely.
-------!
The mana trying to teleport me scattered forcibly, canceling the spell.
At the same time, I spotted the dark elf stumbling slightly in panic.
"Found you, you bastard."
Daring to toy with me?
I gripped my sword tighter.
Vwoooom!
Red energy coiled around the jet-black blade.
Just then, as my senses fully returned, Ash—back at full strength—drew a handful of daggers from her bosom and hurled them.
Thuk! Thuk thuk!
The dark elf dodged the daggers embedding into the ground below his feet, but something appeared above his head.
A crimson magic array!
"Bind him!"
With Jenella's shout, chains forged of fire burst from the array.
The dark elf evaded the chains wrapping toward his limbs with nimble moves, but that predictability sealed his fate.
Like driving in spikes, nearby trees writhed, and crude wooden dolls popped out.
"!!!"
The dolls herded the dark elf like prey toward one spot.
'Gotcha.'
Shwaaaaack!
A blood-red sword strike flew toward the dark elf's neck.
No way he'd dodge that.
"......Warp!"
For the first time, the dark elf spoke, his form flickering. The red slash grazed his half-transparent body.
Spatial leap!
I narrowed my eyes.
"Where do you think you're going!"
I brutally infused Divine Power into the sword. Vwoooom! A long, blood-red slash enveloped the blade, transforming it into a massive greatsword.
"Y-you, you mad bastard......!"
This sword could cleave magic arrays.
Surely the same for spatial leap magic!
Fwosh!
Screeeeech!
It sliced clean.
A severed finger dropped to the ground with a thud.
"Tch. Missed......"
"Adria! Watch out!"
On instinct, I hurled my sword backward.
A fireball flying from somewhere collided with my blade.
Sizzle!
The fireball extinguished forcibly amid the burning sound.
I retrieved my sword and whipped my head around.
Where'd that come from?
"S-sorry."
Jenella apologized then.
"I definitely aimed at the dark elf, but it got deflected by something......"
"...It's fine, Jenella. I was just a little startled."
"B-but..."
"I said it's fine? We've got two people here to block stuff like that."
What the hell had they layered this forest with?
This wasn't some ordinary woods.
And those were high-level magic arrays no fake elf like that could possibly set up.
'Starting to really piss me off......'
I wasn't some toy to play with!
I turned to Jenella.
"Jenella."
"Yeah?"
"Just burn it all down."
"......Huh???"
"If it's a real dark elf, it'll block the fire, right? Elves and all. If not, it's not an elf."
Jenella stared at me in disbelief.
"...What if it's not an elf and it runs away? We might lose it."
"I'd spot and slice it first."
"......"
"Plus, if it's faking, it won't run at least."
I cracked my neck.
Whoever it was, time to see its face.
And beat the crap out of it!
Tick! Tick tick!
Jenella crouched to ignite a flame, but it wouldn't catch—like wet logs.
"Fire's not working."
"Some other magic must've triggered. My senses are fine, but...... I can't control the mana in the air."
Ash's words made me ready a big swing.
If it was a magic array, one swing would tear it—
"Hold up."
Earlier, there'd been an especially tough barrier where the tearing sound was loudest.
Why was that one so strong?
If it was the center, all barriers should've vanished. But it lingered, meaning something else was there.
"......Everyone, follow me."
"Huh?"
"Yeah?"
"What?"
They sounded puzzled but followed without complaint.
I swung at torn magic arrays a few times.
Snag.
Something caught.
I gripped harder—shraaaaaack! Something long tore, revealing what illusion magic had hidden.
"Found it."
"Hah, hah......"
The dark elf hurriedly stanched his finger.
Blood kept pouring from the stump. It should've clotted by now, but that demon—no, that student's sword was like a cursed demon blade, keeping the blood flowing.
'Damn it. Gotta remove it quick......'
The dark elf's face darkened.
He looked like a dark elf on the outside, but he wasn't one.
There was no such thing as dark elves among elvenkind to begin with.
Impostor.
More precisely, a sentinel dispatched to guard 'that thing' hidden in this forest.
'Today was supposed to be when the Arishion family came......'
He'd first thought they were from the Arishion family, but they lacked the basic anti-magic artifacts and the family's signature green hair.
Enemies!
Seasoned mercenaries from their aura and presence, yet student-like faces—an odd bunch.
He'd figured the confusion at first would let him eliminate them easily per his contract with Arishion.
'...That demon!'
Eugene alone had blocked everything.
Swinging a demon sword despite priest robes!
Had to be a holy knight who'd joined the Church of Light with a corrupted demon blade.
'...To think he'd pierce even the emergency artifact.'
The emergency artifact allowed warping to desired spots within the forest.
He'd heard it granted near-invincibility during use, but who'd have thought it'd get sliced, finger and all.
'......It's fine. The forest is thick with magic arrays anyway. They can't break through.'
He was immune to magic array interference thanks to innate anti-magic and physical prowess, despite lacking mana control.
But they weren't.
Not even a high knight bordering Master realm could—
"......!"
A heart-squeezing pain jolted him.
They found it?!
How?!
"This is......"
"Corpses piled up."
Jenella paled, covering her mouth.
Mercenaries and lost travelers formed a small mountain of bodies.
"Human sacrifice?"
"...No."
Ash examined the corpses and shook her head.
"Doesn't feel like sacrifice—just stacked. The array below resembles a warp gate... no evil magic."
"Then why pile them? What for? Experiments or something......"
"...Seems like it. I've seen similar cases."
Ash's expression darkened as she spoke.
"Pretend to be monsters for experiments, kill people...... supply materials."
Where'd she see that? I wanted to ask but held back.
She clearly didn't want to dwell.
"So?"
"That guy's fake too. See his face earlier?"
"Yeah. Ugly mug."
"Scars?"
"None."
"Fake confirmed. Burn these bodies first."
"That okay?"
"Yeah. Better—disrupts whatever they're planning."
I nodded to Jenella and Adria.
They nodded back, drawing mana.
Grrrrumble—
"?"
The ground shook.
What?
"Adria, too much power?"
"...What're you talking about?"
"?"
Not Adria?
Then my senses pinged—spears flying in, something rising from underground!
"Jump up!"
With my shout, we leaped back.
I snatched a flying spear barehanded mid-leap. As one hand blocked, countless daggers targeted my vitals.
"Hup."
I inhaled sharply, spinning my body wide.
Parararak!
The daggers ricocheted off the spear.
No sooner had they bounced than a shadow loomed over my head.
"Grroooaaarrr!"
A green fist tattooed with runes.
'Troll?'
No ordinary troll.
Runes and spells writhed on green skin, exhaling mana instead of foul breath.
"......A modified mutant troll! Be careful!"
What the hell had they done?
I didn't block the fist head-on, leaping back instead. It smashed where I'd stood.
Kwaaaang!
The ground upheaved, shaking the area.
I was dumbfounded.
"Why make something like that?"
"Groooaaarrrk!"
The troll drooled and charged, fists whistling through air with each swing.
Thud! Thud! Boom!
"Whoa, hey. Free ride?"
Bam!
"Can't I just pay and leave?"
"Grroooaaarrr!!"
Dodging made it rage harder, bellowing louder.
Does it talk?
I decided to try.
"Speak human words! Human words! Oh, no IQ? Hm, lower than sashimi maybe. Wait, lower than objects? Not even alive then? What are you? Understand me? Do you know kimchi?"
"Grrrrowl......!"
The troll halted suddenly.
"......?"
What? Understands?
"Do you kno—"
Mid-thought, the runes and spells on its skin writhed.
Black tattoos flushed blood-red.
"Oh......"
Red tattoos covered its body, making it look less green monster... more red monster.
"Ogre?"
"Groooaaarrr!"
"Hey, why mad? Ogre's a compliment. Or squid? Ugly as one, though."
"Grroooaaarrr!"
The enraged ogre—no, troll—charged me.