Demon Worshippers? Elves? Spirit Wave
The name of the technique was simple: Spirit Wave, the wave of spirits. But cloaking the great spirit Kairum—who had maximized his size—with aura was already a feat worthy of admiration. And to create five additional clones on top of that, laying waste to everything in all directions? The difficulty level bordered on the mystical.
This was the impression from Tiny's previous life, not now, so its power went without saying. For any lesser foe unable to handle aura, it was an attack that would reduce them to dust the instant it swept over them—and unleashing it across every visible inch of the battlefield made for truly terrifying destructive power.
'The guardian of the World Tree in every generation developed it to fend off monster waves, but she claimed she'd perfected it herself.'
Even one use would leave Estina utterly exhausted, but there was no doubting it was more potent than any grand magic spell against a massive army. In his previous life, Estina had believed that technique held the key to even higher realms.
—'If I can handle seven Kairums, maybe I'll become an Aura Master. Eh, just something I've been mulling over for fifty years.'
At the time, he and the others had just laughed it off. The realm of Aura Master had seemed impossibly distant, no matter the means.
But now, as a spirit user with a faint grasp of soul power, Tiny was certain.
'It wasn't just a joke. Estina was the closest among us to becoming an Aura Master.'
—'It's not cloaking spirits with aura. It's manifesting the spirits I know in an instant with aura itself.' Estina had called it Spirit Aura.
'Spirit-fied aura,' or something like that? Even as a spirit user now, the concept was still beyond his reach.
That made this present-life reunion all the more anticipated. Even if it wasn't full Spirit Wave, if he could learn a technique to draw out another facet of spirits' power using aura or mana...
'If I can master that, I'll be one step closer to Aura Master.'
Even if it was a technique possible only with aura or one requiring a spirit user to reach stages 7 or 8, remembering the theory alone would serve as a foundation for future growth.
That anticipation was certainly part of why Tiny's steps quickened.
Of course, more than that...
"Haven't seen her in ages, Estina."
Unlike the Sword Emperor, Weapon Master, or Reaper, this was a true old comrade he'd been genuinely close to. The prospect of reuniting with her far outweighed the rest.
As he neared the border between the demon-tainted lands and the Great Forest, a group of elves came into view, and Tiny's smile deepened.
But the moment he approached...
"♬!?"
"♬♪!?"
Chaos erupted among the elves who'd spotted him.
Pabababak.
Dozens of arrows whistled through the air, embedding themselves in the ground ahead of the charging Tiny.
"Who goes there! State your identity!"
Only as the elves closed in, their faces etched with wariness and shouting in the common tongue, did Tiny realize his current appearance.
He was a grotesque sight, drenched head to toe in the blood of demon beasts that reeked of rot.
"Ah, crap..."
Lost in nostalgic frenzy after so long, he'd overlooked the simplest thing.
Paaang.
He hastily channeled mana to shake off the blood.
"Mana like that?"
"A human?"
"...Black hair?"
The elves grew even more guarded, leaving Tiny momentarily flustered. He hadn't encountered anyone fixating on his hair color lately, thanks to his recent fame.
Regaining his composure, he waved his hands frantically.
"I'm a visitor from outside Elvenheim, here to see Lady Estina. I have something to discuss..."
As he rushed to explain, the lead elf from the group was already eyeing Wolrang with sparkling interest.
"Oh, a spirit? A human spirit user?"
"Uh... yeah."
Elves gonna elf. Tiny chuckled wryly at their focus on Wolrang over his words, his gaze naturally shifting to the Elven Knights in the rear.
Elves in blue metallic armor that seemed infused with mana were panting heavily along the front lines here and there. But the armor differed starkly from human designs.
Not full helmets flipped down, but open-faced helms covering only the temples and ears, with a metal choker around the neck. Below that, only the shoulders for archery, vital chest spots, and lower-body essentials plus hips were barely covered.
A sight that left nowhere safe to look. The bigger issue(?) was that the male Elven Knights were dressed almost identically.
'Ugh.'
Tiny's eyes met a male elf's, and he instinctively averted his gaze—but it was unavoidable.
Elves, who despised the environmental destruction from mining and smelting, used only 'mana metal' extracted from nature via moonlight mana by their rare metal-handling sorcerers. Naturally scarce, it led to minimal coverage over vitals only.
The nature-friendly attire was the same on the approaching Elven Knights.
"Whoa, look at that fine fur. Where'd you come from, elder?"
"Krung."
"Such a majestic one. ♬♪♬♪?"
"Kung."
The elves before him had completely shed their hostility, petting Wolrang while mixing common tongue and elvish.
'At least wear some cloth underneath. What kind of tradition is this...'
As Tiny grumbled inwardly, one elf in armor gleaming an unusually deep green caught his eye.
A notably tall female elf with pale green hair splayed on the ground, collapsed.
"Estina..."
Joy welled up naturally—until the odd sight registered.
Several forward Elven Knights who'd spotted him paled dramatically and suddenly moved toward Estina. The incongruity in their expressions and actions hit him just as...
"Grrr!"
Wolrang, enjoying the elves' touches, narrowed his eyes and growled.
Through their soul link, the demonic energy lurking in the hearts of those three Elven Knights became vividly clear in Tiny's mind's eye.
The realization triggered an instinctive reaction.
"Demon worshippers!!!!"
His bellow drew every eye as the Stamp flew from his hand like lightning toward them.
Simultaneously, Wolrang leaped over the surrounding Elven Knights and charged.
Paaaaang!
Tiny's move was too sudden, and the front-line elves had just relaxed upon confirming Wolrang. Exhausted from an all-night battle, most Elven Knights could only watch wide-eyed as the sunset-hued mana warhammer spun terrifyingly toward its targets.
The aimed demonic Elven Knight drew his sword with a pallid face—
Taaaaang!
A crisp impact rang out, sending the Stamp flying into the air.
It had been deflected by a bow emitting faint seven-colored lights over ancient engravings on its body.
The transcendent weapon handed down through generations of World Tree guardians: Arcus.
Estina—the green-haired elf who'd seemed dead moments ago—had blocked Tiny's attack.
"Cough."
Her ashen face spat pale blood with the cough.
"Damn!"
Tiny, already there, leaped off Wolrang's back and supported her.
In the same instant, Wolrang pounced on the Elven Knight behind Estina who'd drawn his sword to stab her back.
The result:
"Kyaang!"
Thud. Spurt.
The blood-spewing Elven Knight flew back.
"Human!"
"Enemy!"
"♬♪!"
A beat late, killing intent reignited across the field as countless bows trained on Tiny.
And then.
"What is the meaning of this, human?"
Feeling the blade at his throat, Tiny could only raise his hands with a wry smile.
"...I surrender."
* * *
"Demon worshippers? Among our proud Elven Knights?"
Tiny nodded awkwardly under Estina's hostile glare. Her pallor suggested minor overrebound from blocking his attack in her exhausted state.
He wanted to defuse the situation smoothly, but...
"...I swear on my honor. My only intent was to save you."
"Human honor? The circumstances are too convenient to believe. After insulting our honorable Elven Knights!"
Estina's eyes didn't soften.
But then.
"♪♬."
An orange-haired elf whispered in her ear, and Estina's eyes widened slightly.
"...Wolf spirit, black hair. So you're that Radiant Knight? The one who thwarted demon worshippers' plots twice?"
As a race devoted to halting the demon taint's spread and slaying monsters, elves held unparalleled hatred for demon worshippers.
Things seemed to turn; he hurried to reply.
"Yes, that's..."
"And the human who killed Executor Ilane."
Her addendum drew a sigh. In this moment, he had only one card left.
"...I came here from Elvenheim after their judgment. Feel free to verify."
"That doesn't erase your attempt to kill my comrade."
"I say again: it was to save you. You know if I were truly an enemy, I had my chance."
Realizing he meant when he'd supported her, Estina's gaze finally wavered.
For an elf in her early 200s—young by their standards—and a mana user who'd reached Aura Exceeder without sorcery, she was a true prodigy given elves' inferior physicality. Yet she hadn't shed her race's limits; their long-lived metabolism meant notoriously slow recovery, her glaring weakness.
Right after Spirit Wave against a monster horde, with internal injuries, an attack would've been fatal at least.
"...Can't argue that."
After deliberation, Estina nodded.
Tiny exhaled in relief and continued calmly.
"Beyond the Elven Knight I targeted, two more demon worshippers lurk. I understand your suspicion, but please isolate them until the truth emerges."
"...Uriel was my loyal comrade. What grounds for such deep suspicion?"
"Well..."
"Enough about her attacking me! If she intended that, she'd have had chances before."
"Probably because I arrived."
"What do you mean?"
"You may have heard: I can detect demonic energy even if they hide it. Facing exposure, they'd take your life too. Something like that, right?"
Estina's brow twitched.
"Hmph. 'Too'? You value my life that little?"
"Their endgame's the World Tree or holy relics, after all. Ah, but I personally think you're worth more than that."
Her eyes shook mercilessly at his words.