The Birth of the Mad Spirit Lord

Anna Criesty. Anna Criesty. She was the Great Warrior of her tribe. A valiant fighter who always charged at the forefront the moment war erupted. And every time she returned, the entire tribe would greet her with a magnificent welcome.

“Anna’s back!”

“It’s always Anna, no one else comes close.”

“Anna is the very blessing the World Tree bestowed upon us!”

Yet the individual named Anna Criesty received no such welcome.

“You want to rest this time? You’ve been doing fine so far.”

“Anna, this is all for your sake. You are the pride of our tribe.”

“I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠believe in you always! Sister Anna!”

Don’t smile. Stop chattering. What could you possibly understand?

The sorrow and hatred she experienced on the battlefield slowly shattered her heart. Still, beneath the weight of her tribespeople’s expectations, she silently marched back to the front lines. Day by day she grew more worn down, until at last she reached an extreme decision.

“What? The spirits have abandoned you?”

“Yes. They no longer answer me. I… I will retire.”

“Retire? Anna. You… Ha. For now, just go home.”

She had been the tribe’s greatest warrior and a ten-spirit summoner. Ordinary elves could form contracts with three spirits at most. She had been able to contract with ten. When her heart was already fracturing, Anna deliberately severed every link with her spirits.

I just… want to rest a little.

After Anna left the battlefield, a massive hole opened in their combat strength and more and more of the tribe’s warriors began to die. Soon a rumor began to circulate in secret: Anna had fallen. Anna had fallen, which was why the spirits had left, and therefore the deaths of their kin were all her fault.

It was a baseless, ridiculous rumor, but the elves needed someone to blame. Unfortunately, that someone turned out to be Anna.

“What? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“But Chief… the tribe’s opinion of Anna is growing worse by the day.”

“So you want to drive Anna out of the tribe? After all the times she protected us? How can you even suggest that!”

“But… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠isn’t now the only chance we have?”

“…”

The chief agonized. Simple pity could not carry a tribe forward—especially not in an era like this. After long deliberation he finally gave a heavy nod.

“Send Anna… send Anna away.”

“Understood… Chief.”

Unable to wield the power of the spirits, she resisted to the end before being driven out of the only home she had ever known.

“This… this can’t be happening… Why!!!”

“Ella! Larkwin! Kallen! I… I saved all of you!!!”

She fell into despair.

“Anna… I’m sorry, but we have no choice.”

“Seriously, why did you fall…?”

“Because of you my husband is dead!”

“Sister, I’m sorry… I don’t want to play with you anymore.”

The reactions of her tribespeople only dragged her deeper into the abyss.

Ahaha… Is this a dream? A joke?

I protected the tribe… I should be rewarded… Why… why!!!

Her mind shattered into pieces. After that she wandered without purpose. She grew stronger amid countless threats and life-or-death struggles, yet her psyche was already burned down to nothing but ash. By the time she reached the human encampment she had given up on everything.

I no longer have the will to move, nor any reason to. It’s all over.

Just as her sense of self was about to vanish completely, a voice rang inside her head.

All that remained inside her was murderous intent. Resentment toward the monsters of the Gates. Resentment toward the tribespeople who had turned their backs on her. And finally, resentment toward this damned world. She began to strangle the nearest human.

“I’ll kill you… die… die!!!!”

The moment she tightened her grip, the instant her sense of self was crumbling in real time, an overwhelming joy surged through her. A fullness that threatened to burst her heart. A refreshing sensation that followed. An emotion so addictive she could never escape it. For the first time since birth, she felt love toward another person.

Not a small affection, but infinite devotion. And that love restored her shattered ego. The awakening did not stop at her mind. Having tasted both the depths of despair and the heights of hope, she broke through the wall that had always blocked her. The realm only the first elf had ever reached. The realm where soul and body evolved together.

High Elf.

The joy of her ascension came late, but it meant nothing to her.

This human… No, I must save my beloved.

Only moments earlier she had wanted to tear him apart, yet now she calmly, without excitement, began calling for help.

It’s a side effect of my ability.

No… my heart is pounding like this.

This… this can’t be.

What is it? Hanseong… I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you I love you I love you I love ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you.

“Hoo… It was a dream.”

What a vicious nightmare. The Gates had brought despair beyond imagination to humanity. Even to me.

“Who is it?”

“Of all the things to dream about… Hm? Miss Anna?”

When I opened my eyes, the person who had laid me down was standing right in front of me.

When did she get here…? And she looks completely fine?

Separate from reason, my body was trembling. Probably a lingering physical reaction from having my throat crushed.

“Um… Miss Anna? Are you all right? Are you back to yourself?”

Maybe it was residual guilt. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t look favorably on Anna after she had tried to kill me. Her previously hollow eyes had regained their light. Her pale face had become radiant and beautiful, and her hair now gleamed with the luster of platinum blonde. As for her figure… it was overwhelming. I stopped that train of thought and tried to comfort her.

“Stop. I’m fine, so please stop crying.”

“But…”

“If you really feel sorry, you can just buy me a meal later.”

Only then did she calm down and stop crying. But… why isn’t she leaving? It was starting to feel uncomfortable. The way she stared at me so intently was incredibly burdensome. And she seemed to be inching closer and closer…

“Miss Anna?”

“Yes? Oh, yes?”

“I… I think it would be best if you left now. I need some time alone…”

“Leave…?”

Her eyes were slowly dying again.

“You’re abandoning me too… Wouldn’t it be better if a world like this just disappeared?”

Why is she acting like this all of a sudden…? I need to calm her down first.

“Haha… You’re joking, right? Having Miss Anna here makes everything so comfortable.”

“R-Really…? Fufu, so you like me too… Hehe.”

The moment she heard my words, a perverted smile spread across her face.

That beautiful face making such a creepy smile is honestly disturbing.

But the reason she’s acting like this… Oh! The affection level… damn it.

I had forgotten that I had set her affection to 100. I quickly opened the affection window.

The affection level is one thing, but how did her race change? I’ll modify the affection first…

Are you kidding me…?

It seemed the reckless use of my ability had caused an error. Still, an error in the ability itself… what kind of situation is this? I couldn’t ask anyone. The risk of revealing my power was too great. At least it says it’s correcting the error, so I should be able to use it again eventually.

But the problem is…

“Fufufu… Mine. You’re mine. I won’t give you to anyone…”

The elf had become a woman of obsession. But I still didn’t realize it. The affection window had said the level was fixed at 100. It had never said it was limited to one person. I didn’t know that yet.

An SSS-class Gate. Guilds from every country had gathered to witness the end of that Gate.

“…It won’t be much longer now.”

“Peace will come soon.”

“And it’s all thanks to the Saintess, isn’t it?”

Saintess Yohanna Eil. Without her power they would have died dozens of times over. Her healing could restore severed limbs and even revive corpses that had only just died. Thanks to the Saintess, the guilds of every nation had joined forces and steadily eradicated the monsters. At last, after the final monster fell, the Gate closed.

The news spread across the world. Everyone cheered and raised their glasses in celebration. For a brief moment, humanity was allowed to savor happiness.

Right up until that voice echoed in their heads. And then humanity fell into despair once more. The guilds of every nation were no exception. But the Saintess… the Saintess was smiling. Her eyes wept while the corners of her mouth twisted. She muttered as though speaking to someone.

With a body so fragile it seemed it would break at the slightest touch, she continued, endlessly, to seek God.