Chapter 197: …Wi… fe? (1)
Chapter 197: …Wi… fe? (1)
Grrrrit!
Kantaros, the leader of the orthodox Elves.
He felt as if he were about to lose his mind.
The moment he received the news, he had rushed to the scene, but the sight that met his eyes was nothing short of an abomination.
Elders bound in ropes.
Elven warriors fallen in battle while trying to protect those elders.
The fact that this tragedy was caused not by external invaders or a natural disaster, but by the youths of their own kin, incensed him beyond measure.
“What… What in the world is the meaning of this!”
His roar thundered through the air, making the young Elves who had joined the rebellion flinch.
It wasn't just the power infused in his voice; it was the raw, genuine fury that struck them so vividly.
Kilios took a step forward and spoke.
“Elder Kantaros. We have risen to correct the wrongs of the Elven race.”
“Ha…. Hahaha….”
“Please, surrender quietly. I do not wish to harm our own kin more than necessary.”
Kantaros laughed at Kilios’s words.
It was a laugh devoid of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure.
It was nothing but pure, hollow futility.
It was the kind of devastatingly empty laugh a merchant might give after losing his entire fortune, or a farmer watching his year’s worth of wheat fields burn to ash.
When the laughter abruptly stopped, Kantaros looked at Kilios.
“You’ve gone mad.”
“……”
“I knew your Reformist Faction was beginning to be tainted by humans. I’ve known for a long time. And yet….”
“……”
“I thought, at the very least, that you chose this path out of concern for our people. Part of me even felt pity for you. But this….”
Kantaros scanned the surroundings before turning his gaze back to Kilios.
“You have crossed the line.”
“Elder.”
“Your methods are no longer those of an Elf. You are not Elves. Yet, you can never become human, either. You are nothing but broken, defective products. Trash!”
“Eldeerrr!”
“Shut up!”
When Kilios tried to protest that his words were going too far, Kantaros drowned him out with an even louder shout.
With a face full of sorrow, he looked up at the sky.
“Why has our race come to this? We, the purest, the most excellent, the wisest of all—why?”
Kantaros wailed.
He paused for a moment to steady his ragged breathing.
When he spoke again, his tone was one of grim resolve.
“It is time to start over.”
“What did you say?”
“We must erase everything and begin anew. He was right. There was no future for our race at this rate.”
“What are you… Have you truly given up? Do you intend to just watch the World Tree die and wait for our end?”
“The World Tree is not the problem. You Reformist bastards are the problem! You are the ones destroying the Elven race!”
“……”
Kantaros’s scream, delivered in a voice thick with agitation, was at least sincere.
Whether he was right or wrong was a secondary matter; Kantaros himself truly believed this.
He turned to the Elven Knights he had brought with him and commanded:
“Warriors of the kin.”
“Yes!”
Yurahis, standing at the front, answered.
Kantaros continued his order.
“Those before you are pitiful, filthy beings who have discarded the pride of our race and fallen into depravity. Them….”
“……”
“Kill them!”
Everyone was stunned by the decisive command.
Since the rebellion began, there had been no fatalities in the battles fought so far.
There were minor injuries, but both sides had fought to subdue rather than kill.
But now, Kantaros had issued the first order to kill.
“Are you certain?”
At Yurahis’s question, Kantaros spoke firmly.
“I will take all responsibility. Purify the kin!”
“…I shall obey your command.”
Yurahis turned to the warriors and relayed the order.
“We shall carry out the Elder’s command! Kill the traitors!”
As he gave the order, Yurahis lunged forward. A translucent energy—Spirit Power—was gathered around his blade as he charged.
“Yurahis!”
Kilios met Yurahis head-on, their weapons clashing violently.
With their collision as the signal, both sides began to clash in earnest.
“Strike!”
“Die!”
“You traitors!”
It was the start of a true war.
* * *
Elven Knights.
The greatest military force and the symbol of power for the Elven race.
To earn that title, several conditions had to be met.
First, one must have a contract with at least two types of high-level spirits.
Second, one must be able to hit a target over a thousand paces away with a bow while blindfolded.
And third, one must be able to shroud their weapon in Spirit Power.
This meant using the Spirit Power usually consumed to summon a spirit and instead infusing it directly into the weapon—much like a knight trained in Aura.
These were the minimum requirements to be recognized as an Elven Knight.
Therefore, even in a battle where spirits were currently sealed, an Elven Knight should have been able to overwhelm other Elves.
Normally, that is.
“Hyaaaah!”
“Ugh….”
Boom!
A spearhead imbued with powerful Aura and a blade forged of Spirit Power collided head-on.
The two forces were locked in a stalemate, neither side clearly gaining the upper hand.
Yurahis’s expression contorted.
“Kilios, you….”
“What? Did you think you’d win easily?”
“How dare you….”
“Actually, you know….”
“……”
“I never liked the way you looked at my sister!”
Kilios shouted as he swung his spear in a wide arc.
Yurahis, who had been locked in the power struggle, was pushed back significantly.
As the distance opened, Kilios aggressively utilized the advantage of his spear’s reach.
“Hah!”
Rapid thrusts lunged from a distance a sword could never reach.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yurahis moved his sword to parry and defend against the spear, but he couldn't find an opening to close in.
The speed and destructive power of the spear were formidable.
Being attacked unilaterally from a set distance without being able to move forward—this was the most difficult situation for a swordsman facing a spearman.
Eventually, Yurahis was pushed further and further back, and Kilios’s spear only grew faster.
‘How dare this brat….’
The fact that he, an Elven Knight, was being pushed back by a common Elven warrior wounded Yurahis’s pride.
But it was an undeniable fact that he was currently losing to Kilios.
‘To think that I, one of the top-tier Elven Knights, am being pushed back like this…. Wait.’
Yurahis flinched.
If he was being pushed back like this, what about his comrades?
Taking a large leap back to create space, Yurahis quickly scanned the surroundings. He was horrified by what he saw.
“This can’t be….”
The Orthodox Faction was being unilaterally overwhelmed.
While the orthodox Elven Knights fought with Spirit Power infused in their weapons, the weapons of the young Elves facing them were all imbued with 3-star level Aura.
This completely negated the advantage of infusing Spirit Power into weapons.
Furthermore, the enemy far outnumbered them.
“Push them back!”
“Flank them!”
“Strike simultaneously! Don’t let them rest!”
The Elven Knights barely held on against the young Elves who were ruthlessly pressing their numerical advantage.
But to any observer, the situation was deteriorating rapidly.
“The tide seems to be turning against you, doesn't it?”
Kilios spoke with a faint smirk, his spearhead still leveled at his opponent.
Yurahis’s face crumpled at the provocation, but he kept his mouth shut.
‘Stay calm. I must stay calm.’
The situation was indeed dire.
If the battle continued like this, their defeat was certain.
He needed to keep a cool head and find a way to change the flow….
Just as Yurahis was racking his brain.
“It’s Lady Elione!”
“Lady Elione has arrived with the other Elven Knights!”
“Great! Keep pushing!”
“Wooooo!”
To make matters worse, Elione was arriving with the comrades who shared her cause.
“Dammit….”
A harsh curse escaped Yurahis’s lips.
Though fewer in number than the Orthodox Faction, there were Elven Knights who supported the Reformists.
They were now joining the battlefield alongside Elione.
“Tsk….”
Driven by a severe sense of crisis, Yurahis bit his lip and shouted.
“Silape!”
At that moment, as if responding to his call, a violent gale enveloped his body.
What appeared was a beautiful, translucent, pale-green woman. It was Silape, the High-level Spirit of Wind.
“Gasp!”
“A spirit?!”
Everyone was shocked.
Even those belonging to the Orthodox Faction.
But Yurahis gave his command to the summoned spirit without hesitation.
“Dwell within my blade, Silape.”
The swirling gale began to condense onto Yurahis’s blade. He swung his sword with all his might and shouted.
“Die!”
K-boooooom!
A terrifying gale swallowed Kilios. And it didn't stop there.
“Ugh… Aaaaah!”
“Aaaack!”
The gale, like a condensed typhoon, swallowed Kilios and dozens of Elves behind him.
The scene left in the wake of the wind was truly horrific.
“Ugh… Argh….”
“Nngh….”
Elves, torn and shredded by the blades of wind, groaned in agony.
It was a miracle that there were no fatalities, and the reason for that was….
“Cough….”
It was because Kilios had used all his Aura to dampen the impact as much as possible.
That was the only reason the other Elves hadn't died.
Yurahis’s attack had been filled with clear murderous intent.
Elione ran over, panting, and screamed.
“Yurahis, have you lost your mind?!”
Her cry echoed the sentiments of everyone present.
Yurahis had summoned a spirit and used its power, knowing full well the burden it would place on the dying World Tree.
And he had done so to kill his own kin, not an external enemy.
In this wretched reality, Kilios gritted his teeth, his face pale.
Yurahis shouted to his comrades.
“Everyone, summon your spirits! We must not be defeated by those who defile the pride of the Elven race!”
The Elven Knights of the Orthodox Faction looked conflicted at Yurahis’s shout.
If they summoned spirits and fought now, they might personally bring about the end of the dying World Tree.
They couldn't help but hesitate under the weight of potentially leading their own god to death.
Then….
“If we lose here, we lose everything.”
A grave voice from behind encouraged the wavering Elven Knights.
It was Kantaros, the leader of the orthodox Elves.
He spoke to the hesitating knights.
“What we must protect is not a wretched life, but the pride of our race. Warriors of the untainted Elven race! Fight with everything you have!”
Several Elven Knights reacted to the word 'pride' in his desperate cry.
They were the hardliners within the Orthodox Faction.
They were those who had already accepted the death of the World Tree and the extinction of their race, but supported the Orthodox Faction in the hope that their end would not be defiled.
They gritted their teeth and looked up. And then….
“Naia!”
“Flare!”
“Metron!”
Fifteen of the Elven Knights belonging to the Orthodox Faction summoned their high-level spirits.
The Elven Knights, whose individual power was said to surpass a 7-star knight of the human world, began to reveal their true strength.
“This… How could you… How dare you do this….”
Elione despaired at the sight.
Every bit of power they were unleashing now placed a massive burden on the World Tree.
To do this knowing that….
“How dare you….”
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Then, a bloodied Kilios approached her, using his spear as a crutch.
“Sister…. You must… escape… cough….”
“Kilios.”
“Hurry….”
Kilios was already in no condition to fight.
Yet, even though he could barely stand, he leaned on his spear and blocked the path in front of his only sister.
He was determined to protect his family with his own body.
‘Sister…. You must live.’
She was the sister who had raised him in place of their parents, who had died when he was young.
The person he respected most in the world.
His only family.
He wouldn't hesitate to give his life to protect her.
If they could just get through this crisis, his sister could follow that human and flee to the human world.
He didn't like the man, but for his sister’s happiness, it was the only way.
At least she could be happy by his side until the final moment of their race arrived.
“Sister…. Please….”
“Kilios!”
Elione understood Kilios’s heart, but she couldn't run away.
How could she flee and leave behind the brother she had raised like her own child?
When she realized that the massive energy being unleashed by those wretched turncoats was aimed at them, she chose another action instead of running.
Grab.
“Sis…ter.”
She pulled her brother into an embrace.
She was an Elven Knight too.
If she summoned a spirit to fight back, she might be able to block that attack.
But she couldn't do it.
She couldn't bring the World Tree closer to death with her own hands.
Yet, she couldn't abandon her brother and run.
In the end, she resolved to meet her final moment here with her flesh and blood.
“Siste…rr….”
“……”
Kilios pleaded desperately, but Elione simply shook her head and held her brother tight. And then….
“Strike!”
Finally, the end arrived.
The attacks from the high-level spirits summoned by the Elven Knights swept toward the siblings and the entire rebel force. And then….
“That’s enough!”
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Second Style
Great Dragon Cross Sword
From the opposite side, a massive cross-shaped slash soared over the siblings' heads and collided head-on with the spirits' attacks.
K-BOOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted with a roar that seemed to echo to every corner of Evergreen.
The two attacks neutralized each other, and when Elione finally looked up, what she saw was….
“The chaos ends here.”
She felt like she was going to cry.
No, the tears were already falling.
“From now on, I’ll be your opponent.”
“Lord… Patrick.”
There stood the back of Patrick, standing tall and proud, with Aura Blades extended from his twin swords.