Chapter 238
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 238
Downtown Glyphish.
“Hah... hah...”
Trapped in a dead-end alley, Ariel gasped for air, her eyes fixed on the monsters closing in.
Grrrrrr.
A pack of orcs, their eyes bloodshot with madness, blocked her only path of escape. To get out of this alley alive, she would have to kill every last one of them.
Of course, if Ariel were alone, she might have stood a chance at fighting her way out.
“...”
Ariel glanced back at the young elf siblings trembling behind her. She couldn't just abandon them.
With a heavy sigh, Ariel’s mind drifted back to the events of a short while ago.
The precious time bought by Isley’s sacrifice...
Iscariot, one of the Twelve Honored Ones, had destroyed the Spirit King’s jewel and appeared brazenly in the central square. While Isley confronted him, Ariel and her subordinates had scoured the city, guiding refugees toward the floating ship.
But with two other Honored Ones attacking the ship, it was unable to take anyone on board. It was a disaster, but they had no choice but to disperse the refugees into underground shelters and public offices throughout the city for protection.
In the chaos, the evacuation teams had been scattered. Ariel, along with her elite guards, had moved quickly to rescue as many civilians as possible. She had managed to save many by cutting through the monsters rampaging through the streets, but her luck hadn't lasted.
Gilean, another of the Twelve Honored Ones who had orchestrated this invasion, had come for her.
“A pleasure to meet you.”
Offering a greeting utterly unsuited for the time and place, Gilean had attacked without warning. In the ensuing struggle, Ariel had exhausted nearly all of her mana and lost every one of the elite soldiers protecting her.
After effortlessly slaughtering her guards and overpowering Ariel, Gilean had spoken.
“As expected of a veteran who commands high-ranking spirits of every element. You truly are worthy of the title, Witness of the Covenant. Though that, too, ends today.”
Squeeze.
Gilean grabbed Ariel by the throat and lifted her off the ground.
“Kugh...!”
As his grip tightened, he added one more thing.
“Ah, do not worry. I will take responsibility for keeping your sister alive. For the successor’s sake, she must live.”
“...”
Just as Gilean was about to leisurely end Ariel’s life.
Flinch.
He paused, his gaze shifting toward the square.
“It seems the battle between the successors has concluded. I cannot let him die.”
Releasing his grip, Gilean left Ariel with a final remark before vanishing into thin air.
“You are quite lucky. Well... though I doubt you’ll make it out of here alive regardless.”
And now, here she was.
Gilean was gone, but she had been chased into this dead-end by the countless monsters he had left in his wake. Just as he had predicted, her survival was anything but certain.
“S-sister...”
“Don’t worry. Lady Ariel will protect us.”
The elf siblings huddled together, hiding behind her back.
“...”
Ariel felt a pang of guilt for the children relying on her. She had no mana left to fight. With the meager dregs remaining in her soul, she could only summon a low-ranking spirit—one that would be useless in a real fight.
“Kasa.”
Fwoosh.
At Ariel’s call, a fire spirit in the shape of a small sparrow manifested.
Chirp, chirp.
With a trembling hand, Ariel stroked Kasa’s head as he perched on her shoulder. Kasa, a low-ranking fire spirit, was her first contracted spirit and her oldest friend. It felt strangely fitting to face the end with him.
Ariel clenched her fists and took a step forward.
“Let’s go, my friend.”
She might have been a leader who failed to protect her city and its students, but she would save these two children, even if it cost her everything.
Just as Ariel steeled her resolve to fight to the death.
Swoooosh.
A cool breeze brushed against Ariel’s cheek.
“...!”
Along with that strange current, the very atmosphere of the city shifted. Sensing the change, Ariel hurried to look up at the sky.
In the narrow strip of sky visible above the alley, particles of emerald mana began to spread like a celestial aurora. It was the power of a spirit—something every child of the forest could feel in their bones.
This energy, gentle enough to embrace the world yet simmering with fierce rage, undoubtedly belonged to a Spirit King.
Chwaaaa!
The particles coalesced, growing and branching until they formed the shape of a colossal tree. It was the legendary tree said to be the home of the forest folk and the bridge between worlds.
The World Tree, Yggdrasil.
After a thousand years, a Spirit King’s Contractor had once again appeared in this land.
You did it, Kiriel.
Ariel smiled, looking up at the tree of light that brilliantly adorned the night sky.
Fwip.
At the Spirit King’s appearance, the Honored Ones scattered across the city converged on a single point. Five had arrived, but with Girena dead, only four remained.
There were two reasons for their gathering: the appearance of the Spirit King, and the need to protect Roen from Iscariot.
Amur stepped in front of Iscariot, his voice a low warning.
“Hey, killing our successor would be a problem. I told you to test his qualifications, not push him to the brink of death.”
Carmilla looked up at the sky, her expression twisted in disbelief.
“But... what the hell is that? A Spirit King?”
The giant tree of light illuminated the night. It was the spiritual manifestation of Yggdrasil, the Spirit King of the Forest.
Gilean checked Roen’s condition before frowning at the towering entity.
“She’s summoned something troublesome.”
Even with four Honored Ones gathered, a Spirit King was a formidable opponent. A Spirit King was a fundamental part of the providence governing the world's elements. In terms of sheer power, they were not far behind the Demon God the Honored Ones served.
Gilean lowered his gaze to the Spirit King’s Contractor, Kiriel. He had expected her to summon it eventually, but not this soon.
Sssss.
The great tree of light trembled, and green particles gathered to form the figure of a woman. It was the avatar of Yggdrasil.
She spoke, her voice laced with divine fury.
[How convenient of you to gather in one place. It will make disposing of you easier, you filthy children of darkness.]
Iscariot looked up at Yggdrasil and sneered.
“Hmph, quite confident, aren't you? How long do you think that young summoner can maintain your presence?”
Even a Spirit King was ultimately a being of the spirit realm. Without a summoner, it could not remain in the middle world for long. Kiriel’s talent was immense, but she was still a bud yet to blossom. The time Yggdrasil’s avatar could manifest was limited.
But Yggdrasil paid the taunt no mind, her voice rising in power.
[Long enough to slaughter every last one of you and honor the souls of the children who died!]
Yggdrasil waved her hand.
Crack!
Roots erupted from the tree of light, wrapping around the entirety of Glyphish like a massive spiderweb. Countless roots shot up from the ground, impaling the monsters scattered throughout the city.
Kweeeek!
Kieee!
That wasn't all. From the roots of Yggdrasil sprouting across the city, numerous tree spirits were born, beginning a systematic slaughter of the remaining monsters.
Furthermore, Yggdrasil’s blessing possessed the power to heal life and bolster the spirit. As the Blessing of the Forest spread through the city like an aurora, the forces of the elven kingdom found their strength renewed, fighting back with newfound vigor.
Moreover...
Kwa-gwa-gwang!
Suddenly, a massive mana bombardment rained down from the coast. The artillery strikes fell upon the monster-infested city center, instantly vaporizing thousands of creatures.
Carmilla hissed, her brow furrowing.
“What? I thought we wrecked the floating ship.”
Although they hadn't breached its barrier, they had destroyed the ship's propulsion system. The Sky Whale should have been unable to stay afloat, let alone fire its cannons.
But a bombardment of this scale...
Gilean gazed toward the hazy horizon and murmured, “...It seems reinforcements from the Empire have arrived.”
Reflected in Gilean’s eyes was another floating ship. A flag bearing a red dragon fluttered proudly above it. It was the Cassandra Imperial Family’s warship, the floating ship Legion.
The Legion and its escort fleet were rapidly approaching the coastal waters. Following the appearance of the Spirit King, one of the Empire’s elite legions had arrived.
Gilean subtly bit his lip. They’re faster than I expected.
Perhaps Ain Soph had predicted this entire situation.
The tide of battle had turned. Assessing the situation, Amur spoke up.
“Iscariot, let’s retreat. We’ve achieved our objective.”
“...”
Although they had lost one of their own, they had accomplished their primary goal. They had secured the mixed-blood successor and inflicted critical damage on Glyphish. They had killed seven Swordmaster-level spirit knights, numerous elven soldiers, and even professors from the Union, including members of the ancient species. One of the floating ships was also half-destroyed.
It was more than enough to announce the beginning of the war. There was no need to clash with a Spirit King and risk further losses. They had already lost an Honored One; they couldn't afford to lose another major asset.
Iscariot slowly nodded.
“Fine. We retreat. But grab that before we go.”
Iscariot pointed at Roen, who lay dying in Elena’s arms. Gilean nodded and used barrier magic to snatch Roen away.
Shaaa.
Enveloped in a black mist, Roen was suddenly at Gilean’s feet.
“...!”
“Roen! Give Roen back!” Kiriel screamed, but Gilean blocked her path.
“Contractor of the Spirit King, he has already promised to come with us. In exchange for your lives. If we had truly wished it, you all would have been dead long ago.”
“...”
Carmilla added with a smirk, “Besides, we’re the only ones who can heal the successor in his current state.”
Roen’s body was mangled, his life force flickering like a guttering candle. Neither spirit magic nor divine magic could heal him now. He was half-human, half-demon—a being born of the bloodline of darkness. Only the power of darkness could save him.
At this, Freya, her eyes welling with tears, pointed her sword at them.
“I will come for him. Without fail. So you’d better keep him alive.”
“...”
Coming from the one destined to become the Hero, the wielder of the holy sword, it didn't feel like an empty threat. Gilean felt a chill run down his spine but forced a smile.
“Yes. We shall look forward to that day.”
Tick.
Gilean snapped his fingers, and a black mist swallowed them whole. The four Honored Ones vanished, taking Roen with them.
And so, the brief Siege of Glyphish came to an end.
A hospital room, bathed in the bluish light of dawn.
“...”
Ciel slowly opened her eyes. A faint blue light filtered through the window. Dawn was breaking.
She lay still in bed, her fingers tracing the pendant hanging around her neck. The pendant held no energy. Once a deep black, it had turned a hollow, pure white.
Roen was no longer here.
Ciel struggled out of bed and walked to the window. Below, she could see the city, with pillars of black smoke still rising into the air. She saw the broken floating ship and the people moving busily through the wreckage.
She could guess what had happened while she was unconscious.
Ciel stared at the scene in silence before turning away. On the table next to her bed, a diary caught her eye. On top of it lay a letter left by Roen.
In the end, Roen had answered the call of fate and left her side.
Ciel clutched the letter and the diary to her chest, quietly wiping away her tears.