The cursed swamp frothed as if something were struggling within.
“Child born from my blood. Fulfill your duty…”
“Please, let me pray… Just let me pray…”
In the prison of black vines, Kurususarina, trapped, repeated words like a spell, trying to turn away from the echoing words in her mind.
Already exhausted from becoming the vessel of her ancestors, unable to sleep properly, she had been tormented by pain. Kurususarina’s distinction between delusion and reality had become blurred. She convinced herself that the kingdom of ants residing in this room was under attack by fire-spitting beetles.
Yet, she still held onto the thought of not being swayed by the words calling out to her.
Since the day of the battle where the forest was taken away, even while imprisoned in this cell, the voice of her ancestors had continued to whisper to Kurususarina. It was wasteful for them to give prophecies without being asked, originally.
However, Kurususarina did not attempt to respond to the calls. She didn’t want to admit to herself any doubts about her ancestors, but the result of entrusting everything had led to the current breakdown.
Following blindly doesn’t guarantee success. Even if the cause was the elves’ lack of cooperation or power. Even if it wasn’t the fault of the great ancestors. If following the prophecies worsened the situation, then she felt it wasn’t worth following them.
So Kurususarina just prayed. Prayed for calmness in her heart, for a solution that would resolve everything without driving her into a hopeless battle.
But the voice calling out to Kurususarina had suddenly grown stronger.
“Please, just let me pray…”
“Kurususarina… it’s because you don’t fight…”
“…Eh?”
The moment Kurususarina felt the tone of the calling voice change, her consciousness detached from her body and raced through the depths of the earth, envisioning distant lands.
It wasn’t a forest but a plain, a human town by the riverside.
An army of monsters besieged the town, engaged in fierce combat with the soldiers of the Khenis Empire.
Beside the heavyweights like giants and golems, elves rode wolves through the battlefield…
No, they weren’t elves. Though they had the appearance of elves, their skin and hair were tainted by darkness, and the women wore indecent armor.
They were the enemies of all elves, the minions of darkness, the Dark Elves.
Who was leading this battle?
—Liella…!?
Liellamires.
Why? How? Such words swirled within Kurususarina’s mind.
“…it’s because you don’t fight…”
“Because… I didn’t fight…”
Kurususarina echoed the whispering voice dumbfoundedly.
—Liella! Liella!! Why would you do such a thing!?
That was an unforgivable sin. An absolute taboo.
It shouldn’t have happened. It was inconceivable. What had driven her to do such a thing? No, that didn’t matter.
She had to revert her. Even if it was impossible, she had to stop her.
The existence of Dark Elves itself was a sin, so she had to stop Liellamires before she committed further sins.
“Liella… I have to stop you… I will stop you…!!”
At that moment,
As if plunging into the abyss, Kurususarina’s already fragile mind was penetrated to its core.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Zeft and Sekichin launched simultaneous attacks on the “Rose Princess of Hellrage” in a coordinated assault.
“≪Freikugeln≫!”
As she swung her blood-red magic sword, hideous crimson-black magic bullets burst forth from its trajectory, each flying with apparent intent, surrounding Zeft.
“Damn it!”
Swinging his greatsword, Zeft countered the magic bullets, evading and parrying, leaving a blood-like mark on his chest armor. The armor, blessed with «Consecration», had resistance against malevolent attacks. The damage was still minimal.
In the meantime, Sekichin closed in on the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”.
With a giant gauntlet resembling a dragon’s head, he unleashed a barrage of consecutive strikes.
“Haa!”
Like lightning, his thrust struck thrice in an instant.
However, as if to crush his momentum, the “Rose Princess of Hellrage” slashed back.
He intercepted. Dodged. Was dodged. Encircled.
A battle at speeds beyond ordinary comprehension.
Observing the unnaturally optimized evasion of the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”, Sekichin pondered if there was some form of telepathy involved.
—Reading… too fast. Could it be she’s reading minds? …The opponent was a powerful named monster. It was possible. In that case, feints and distractions would be pointless! In an instant decision, Ishimakura reduced his attacks slightly, focusing all on a lethal blow.
“Seiyaaaa!”
Sekichin unleashed a powerful punch, putting all his weight and strength into it.
The “Rose Princess of Hellrage” swung her magic sword to parry. Sparks flew between the crimson blade and the dragon-gauntlet. Despite her small stature, her strength was unbelievable.
“Seiyaaaa!”
But Sekichin pressed forward, delivering another blow. The “Rose Princess of Hellrage” retaliated, slashing her magic sword as if to deflect his attack. Sparks flew, and she took a step back. Despite her immense strength, in a contest of weight, Sekichin had the advantage.
“Seiyaaaaaa!”
Another strike.
A heavy sound reverberated like a bell. The ground, already trampled, was further marred by the girl’s heels.
“Take this!”
Zeft swung his greatsword overhead, leaping towards Ishimakura’s head.
There seemed to be no room to evade this.
However, just as Zeft swung his sword down, the “Rose Princess of Hellrage’s” figure vanished.
“Teleport!?”
“Guah!”
As a scream echoed from behind, Sekichin had already turned on his heel.
Magician Claire of the “Sub-Zero Crystal Spear” fled towards them, clutching a wound dripping with fresh blood.
Her shoulder was deeply gashed, as if she had been bisected from shoulder to hip, yet the blow seemed unnaturally halted midway.
And from behind, as if to launch a follow-up attack, Cain stood with a large shield raised, blocking the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”.
“Do you think I’ll let you?”
Thrusting out the large shield big enough to completely conceal his body, Cain charged forward with crushing force.
Seeing this, the “Rose Princess of Hellrage” prepared her deep-red magic sword as if drawing a bowstring, creating tension as if taking a deep breath.
In the instant Cain collided, the tip of the magic sword protruded from the back of the shield, causing it to tremble.
“What?!”
“What!?”
Cain was taken aback and stepped back.
The shield wielded by a shilder was meticulously crafted to be sturdy, sacrificing various aspects like weight and price. As the equipment of a sixth-tier adventurer, it was undoubtedly a fine piece, not easily damaged.
However, it seemed that she couldn’t pierce or cut through it so easily. As Cain retreated, the magic sword slipped out from behind the shield.
“That was close! You were almost dead.”
“I gave it my all, but had to use a charm at the last moment. That sword doesn’t inflict physical damage; it’s magical.”
Cain and the “Rose Princess of Hellrage” glared at each other, both cautiously holding their defenses.
“≪Grace: Great Healing≫!”
Albina cast a healing spell on Claire, who rolled over to them.
“Damn…”
“Are you okay?”
“Barely, cough barely managed to use the talisman in the nick of time. That sword doesn’t deal physical damage. It’s magic.”
Claire’s glasses gleamed as he picked up a charred and smoking plate.
A protective charm, an absolute defense item that blocked all magic.
Understanding the nature of the attack the moment it was struck and defending against it with the most appropriate means, this dandy seemed to be a top-notch adventurer with courage that belied his frail appearance.
“I knew it would be tough…”
“Yes, but if we defeat her…”
Zeft gritted his teeth with hatred.
“Chenxi… will be freed!”
◇
–Situation report.
While facing the special combat unit, René communicated with Alastair telepathically.
The undead controlled by René had a one-way mental connection with her and moved according to her will.
With this application, it was also possible to convey simple words or share information René possessed.
“Everything’s fine on our end. All countermeasures against the enemy’s tactics are functioning effectively.”
Alastair’s voice echoed in René’s mind.
This wasn’t René’s ability, but rather the result of a lich she had stationed on the other side connecting René and Alastair via the «Telepathy» magic.
Before the start of the battle, the enemy’s formation was almost fully understood, and their tactics were almost predictable.
And although countermeasures had been prepared for each, they all seemed to be effective so far.
“Have reinforcements been stopped?”
“It should be difficult for the enemy’s reinforcements to reach you. Princess-sama pet is in high spirits.”
Black smoke rose like a signal from the south.
The giant dog and flamethrower would shine brightest against a large group rather than a small, elite force. That’s why René had her mount acting separately.
“If you have any reserves, could you send the special combat units prepared for the southern reinforcements to me? I’m currently engaged with what seems to be the enemy’s ace party, and they’re quite formidable. Right now, I’m waiting for them to tire out.”
“Understood, I’ll do that…”
“Sorry, Princess-sama, urgent message!”
While exchanging information with Alastair at the speed of thought, the call mark, which she had been holding between her thighs, suddenly burned brightly, and Everis’s voice shouted out.
The special combat soldiers also looked puzzled, wondering what was going on.
“Blue Army forces stationed in the forest have apparently activated the Holy Transference Ritual of the Land Veins, but now, due to that, an abnormal energy reaction has been observed in the land veins…”
“…That’s?”
René felt an eerie wave of inexplicable power approaching from the south.
Fast. Faster than running, sprinting, flying—something was crawling through the ground.
No, it wasn’t crawling on the ground; it was advancing through the ground.
Confusion and commotion, regardless of enemy or ally, voices sounded, initially distant, gradually closer, like approaching waves.
The ground was cracking.
Thin, long fissures, almost straight, were coming faster than horses.
Something was moving through the ground while emitting bursts of light from the cracked earth.
“Shining moles…? No, that can’t be.”
Using her ‘Emotion Detection’ ability for combat, René felt as though she had touched something chillingly inorganic and terrifying, and instinctively closed her mind-reading eyes.
—This is…!
It felt familiar.
The sensation of something that had harbored the will of the God.
The approaching light fissures stopped near René, erupting light like a geyser.
Or rather, the ground exploded.
“Whoa!”
Some were caught up in it and blown away along with the ground.
And in the column of light, something was there.
A simple robe that seemed to be made of light, like a shimmering and flat white polygon, with no decorations of goldwork or gems, with an expression of anger fixed like a Noh mask.
It had the form of a human, but it wasn’t human.
Hovering in the light, Kurusarina stared at René from above, exuding an aura of anger.
