Choice. And a Slightly Underhanded Story.

The elves were in a state of uncontrollable excitement, letting out moans that echoed across the arena.

"Haaaaahhhhn."

"Ah! Ah! Haah!!"

"No! Stop! Make it stop!"

"You have to endure! Please, just hold on!"

"I-I feel like my mind is going to break!"

"I'm losing it! I'm seriously going to lose it!"

Yes. The elves watching the World Tree's explosive form were maintaining a state of extreme arousal. Of course, regardless of how the elves felt about it, another bunker buster launched by the God Hyeji Impact had scored a direct hit on the World Tree.

Even from a considerable distance, the sound was loud enough to rupture eardrums, and the shockwave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the explosion carried all the way here with devastating force. As a result, the World Tree had surrendered to the super-giant-sized bunker buster and was now exposing its insides in all their naked vulnerability.

And as yet another missile flew in, it detonated mid-air into multiple fragments. White phosphorus shells. The worst chemical weapon imaginable—the devil's own arsenal—using white phosphorus with its extremely low ignition point and vicious flammability. And at the same time, the very core of Hyeji's identity.

Into the World Tree's exposed innards, already beaten into a ragged pulp, smaller white phosphorus shells embedded themselves. The effect, however, was explosively intense. Like proving the old saying that even small peppers can burn the hottest.

Flames the same vivid red as Hyeji's hair erupted across the World Tree.

Earlier, when the Pond Leaf Tribe had promoted the duel between the elf great warriors, every single elf without exception had gathered at the arena. In other words, there was currently no one near the suffering World Tree.

From the elves' perspective, this was a critical moment with no one available to extinguish the flames consuming their sacred tree. From our perspective, it was the one and only chance to thoroughly mess up the World Tree without causing any civilian casualties.

Hearing the World Tree's screams, the elves finally snapped out of their frenzied state. Sharit of the Pond Leaf ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Tribe urgently issued commands to every elf present.

"We must save the World Tree first! Everyone, pull yourselves together and head toward it!"

The moment Sharit's order rang out, the elves rushed to abandon their positions and help their sacred tree. But no matter how desperate or urgent they felt, none of them could move from where they stood.

"Oh my! Is there some urgent business you need to attend to?"

At some point, beautiful yet ominous sky-blue butterflies had materialized in thick swarms all across the duel arena. Their numbers were far beyond anything seen before—excessive to an absurd degree. Those sky-blue butterflies had bound every single one of them.

High Elves. Regular elves. Elf great warriors. None were spared. The only ones not restrained were our entire group and Demian, who had been fighting Hyeji. Everyone else was completely immobilized by Elsia's butterflies.

With only their eyes permitted to move, Elsia smiled sweetly and returned the exact line Sharit had used earlier, throwing it back in all their faces.

"Where exactly are you all rushing off to in such a hurry?"

"Ersciana, you hybrid bitch!!!!!!"

Sharit barely managed to move his mouth, roaring in a tone that had completely abandoned any semblance of dignity. The elf great warriors immediately began issuing rapid instructions to the others.

"Listen up! They're nothing but butterflies! Tear them off calmly!"

"To bind this many people at once, the binding can't possibly be that strong!! Apply your power slowly!"

"Any elf who breaks free first, help the others!"

Numerous power readings spiked above the elves' heads simultaneously. The elves, as if catching a glimpse of hope, struggled even harder and began gradually loosening the butterflies' hold. It seemed that in the pre-regression future, they had managed to free themselves this way.

In the middle of it all, one elf great warrior who had nearly torn every butterfly off his body through sheer force glared at Elsia with bloodshot eyes and snarled.

"Did you really think something like this could stop an elf great warrior!! You filthy hybrid whore!!"

It looked like the bindings would break at any moment. In that instant, Elsia smiled faintly and spoke.

"You're right. Butterflies alone aren't enough."

"That's right!!!......What?"

Elsia said nothing more. She simply gave a coy smile and snapped her fingers. The moment the elf great warrior—forgetting he was about to break free—demanded an explanation from her.

"What do you mean by that!"

- THUD!

A single white thorn vine seized the elf great warrior's arm.

"Husband... are you really going to go through with this?"

"In my opinion, there's no other way."

Turning back the clock to before the duel began, we had slipped away from the elves' watchful eyes, gathered separately, and held a quick strategy meeting.

"That damn tree bitch is never going to let you go, Elsia."

"But would they really break the bet so openly?"

"Without question."

Even if the World Tree lost the bet, I didn't believe for a second it would honor its promise. The probability was overwhelmingly high. Especially after seeing the way it had acted, I had completely given up on the idea that things would resolve easily.

'They'll probably flip the table during the second duel and run away.'

With that understanding, we sat down during the remaining time before the duel and hammered out our strategy. Operation name: BTS. Back To the Stone Age. The plan was to feed the elves a massive dose of nationalistic pride drug.

Our scheme was to pour an entire bowl of that nationalistic drug straight into their noses and drag every last one of them back to the Stone Age. In this context, the "nationalistic drug" referred to the weapons Hyeji could manifest.

'Because it's Made by Hyeji, so it's domestic. That's why.'

From the way the Pond Leaf Tribe elves had been promoting the event earlier, it looked like every elf in the area was converging on the duel arena. That meant we could avoid the stigma of civilian massacre, which was one less thing to worry about.

I quickly assigned roles to everyone. Jung Ayeon would handle the BGM and bring over the animals staying at Elsia's house. Elsia would restrain every elf gathered at the arena. And Hyeji would use overwhelming violence to pulverize the World Tree in the middle of the duel.

After I finished explaining the plan, Jung Ayeon asked what kind of BGM she should play. I recommended something that suited Hyeji perfectly. Once the detailed coordination with Jung Ayeon was complete, Elsia spoke to me with a slightly downcast expression.

"This is an extremely extreme situation. What choice should I make?"

"......That's not something I can decide for you."

"I don't know. I've never faced anything like this before."

It was true. In a sense, this was forcing a very cruel decision on Elsia. She could either purify the entire Great Forest with flames—burning her own home to the ground along with it—or let everything be swept under the rug and continue living entangled with those filthy elves. Neither option was easy.

"Elsia, you have to be the one to choose. Whether to erase everything or keep living this life."

"......Can't my husband make the choice instead?"

Elsia asked in a tiny, hesitant voice, entrusting the decision to me. Her eyes said she would follow whatever I picked. I could have made the choice for her right then. But I couldn't do that.

In a way, it was a terribly irresponsible thing to say. What kind of protagonist couldn't even utter a single sentence about taking proper responsibility for a heroine's life? Completely disqualified.

But Elsia's life belonged only to Elsia. At the countless crossroads life presents, the one who had to make the decision wasn't me—it had to be her. Elsia's life wasn't some simple tool I could swing around however I pleased. That was precisely why I absolutely could not be the one to choose.

I took hold of Elsia's shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. Tears were gradually welling up in the eyes that stared back at me.

"I'm not some amazing person capable of saving others, nor an absolute being who can decide someone else's choices in their place."

"...I see."

"Compared to all of you, I'm just a powerless, weak human. All I've got is this pathetic body."

"......"

"But in exchange, I can go wild as much as you want for your sake."

I stroked Elsia's hair as I continued.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Elsia."

"...Yes, husband."

"Salvation isn't something someone else gives you in the first place."

"Then what is it?"

"The only one who can save you is yourself."

"...But doing it alone... that path has been too difficult until now."

Elsia smiled bitterly, looked straight at me, and spoke in a voice thick with tears. I didn't look away from that gaze and kept speaking.

"A path like that—I'll walk it with you."

".........Really?"

"That's why I'm here right now."

I smiled faintly, withdrew my hand from her, and stood up. Hyeji and Jung Ayeon rose as well, following my lead. Only Elsia remained seated.

Looking down at her, I said, "It will definitely be different from the previous future. The road ahead might be even more arduous."

"......That's true. So much has already changed."

"Even so."

I reached my hand out to Elsia and smiled.

"We came back for a future that's different from before, didn't we?"

"Hic... Sob! Hic!..."

Elsia lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly. One by one, teardrops fell beneath her. After sobbing quietly for a moment, she cautiously took my outstretched hand with her own trembling fingers.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. And my husband is right."

Elsia lifted her head, gripped my hand tightly, and stood up. Though tears still streamed down her face, her eyes now shone with a vitality that hadn't been there before.

"As long as I'm with my husband, I can walk any path no matter how difficult it is!"

And above all else, she was wearing the most beautiful smile I had ever seen from her.

"Because that's why we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠came back!"

Certainly, Elsia's future would change dramatically. It might be harder than before. It might be filled with repeated moments of pain. A future impossible to see even an inch ahead, overflowing with uncertainty. But isn't an unknowable future always like that?

Even when faced with countless obstacles, she would not collapse. For the sake of future happiness and a better tomorrow, she would struggle desperately in every moment and advance step by step. Because that is what life is.