Volume 4, Chapter 91 – The Grievance of the Past

A pitch-blackness that swallowed all light shot from the tip of the sword straight towards Helian. The distance of less than five meters was crossed in an instant. However, even in that split second, Helian reacted quickly. The dark light made the hair on her body stand on end, and a bone-chilling sensation urged her to evade immediately, otherwise she would lose her life in the next second.

[Blink].

By a hair’s breadth, the black light flashed past the position where she had been hovering. Helian herself appeared directly in front of Claire.

The [Blink] she used was not a true leap from one point in space to another, but was more like a spell that enhanced her speed to the extreme in a short period of time, so fast that it was almost a space jump. Therefore, it was difficult to make movements like turning midway.

And this gave Claire an opportunity.

The blood-red longsword in her left hand, which absorbed mana, slashed down at Helian from above. Helian subconsciously raised her silver-scaled arm to block, but the blood-red longsword was just a feint. Taking advantage of the moment her vision was blocked by her arm, the blue longsword in Claire’s right hand stabbed straight at her abdomen.

This was the advantage of dual-wielding. Normally, an opponent would relax their guard after successfully defending against the first attack. And dual-wielding could launch a more fatal and easily overlooked second pursuit when the first strike was blocked.

However, Helian was no ordinary opponent. Using her silver-scaled arm as a weapon, her other fist, hidden in the dark, met Claire’s sword tip without backing down.

Using her fist as a weapon?

Claire’s eyes widened slightly.

As expected of a dragon-type. Her fighting style had the flair of the dragon race.

But the weapon in her hand was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

All this time, Claire had never explained to Fia what was so special about the two swords in her hands. Besides containing a huge amount of mana as seen on the surface, they also had a special effect. The blood-red longsword had the effect of absorbing the mana of the person it hit, while this black longsword, covered in blue cracks, had a special function that was difficult to observe with the naked eye—the Sword of Reversed Causality.

That is, the “effect” of a wound appearing on the opponent came before the “cause” of the sword hitting them.

Although it was not without its drawbacks, for example, if the opponent had a high-intensity defensive spell attached to them, or if the Sword of Reversed Causality was successfully defended against afterwards, the damage effect would be greatly weakened. But this was still an ability so powerful that it exceeded the specifications of the World Tree Continent’s magic system.

As a result, before the Sword of Reversed Causality had even collided with Helian’s left fist, blood had already spurted from her left abdomen.

Skk—shk

The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh.

And then the ear-piercing sound of the sword tip colliding with the silver-scaled fist.

Like fingernails scratching a blackboard, a grating hum echoed across the desolate land. With the point of impact as the center, an invisible shockwave spread outwards, and the ground burst with a large amount of dust. The huge reaction force made both of them retreat at the same time. Every step they took on the ground created a spiderweb-like crack and a deep footprint.

“Ugh!”

Helian, who was at a disadvantage, let out a grunt. She clutched her bleeding waist, her eyes filled with shock.

“Ninth Rank?”

Without answering her question, Claire just began a new chant. The surging mana that condensed on her sword made Helian’s heart jump.

Her charming features gradually became ferocious. Her hands, which had still been slender like a woman’s, quickly thickened, and her five fingers also gradually deformed, becoming slender and ugly silver dragon claws with sharp nails.

“You will pay the price for your arrogance! —[Dragonification]!”

Like the sounding of a battle horn, Helian rushed straight for Claire with a boom from the earth.

…

It was unknown how long the battle had been going on.

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An incomparably tough enemy.

Her whole body was emitting white smoke, and her silver scales were covered in blood. Helian wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. The earth around her was like it had been washed over by howitzers several times, full of pits and craters, with either hot or cold smoke rising, the terrain having been greatly changed.

Claire’s strange magic and moves made it almost impossible for her to get close. Whether it was the blood-red longsword that would suck away her mana once it hit, or that strange blue longsword that would surely leave a wound on her body once it was swung, both brought her immense pressure. As long as she got a little closer, what awaited her was a storm of swords. Helian even felt that even without these two troublesome weapons, it would be difficult for her to gain an advantage in close combat with her. It was as if she had engraved all combat skills into her muscles, and knew how to counterattack without thinking. She was like a person who had been practicing sword skills since she was born.

Not only that, but the various kinds of magic she had never seen before were also extremely troublesome. Although Helian had countermeasures, and some spells could even be blocked by her scales alone, she could clearly feel that this was only because of her suppression. Claire had no chance to use more powerful magic. If she were to relax her attack slightly, what would await her would be at least a Sixth-Rank attack spell.

To make matters worse, Claire had perfectly integrated magic and sword skills. Her movements were precise and fluid, her combat experience frighteningly rich.

If she used magic to block her attacks, her magic would be destroyed by Claire’s. And if she wanted to take the initiative to attack, she would fall into a magic trap that Claire had set up at some unknown time. Helian even felt that the other party’s age might have already surpassed her master, The Sovereign, and was a life form that had existed since the beginning of the world, like Absolute Evil, and needed to be measured in tens of thousands of years.

If she could use magic to fight her head-on, perhaps it would not be so difficult now. However, Helian had barely even thought of this method. A dragon-type great demon was not a real dragon. She was skilled in close combat, not in chanting magic.

This was the worst possible situation.

“□□□□□—”

This is bad.

A completely unfamiliar magic chant sounded in her ear. A sense of crisis once again rose in Helian’s heart. She looked up at Claire. This silver-haired demon had begun to chant that bone-chilling, long chant again.

To have fought for so long without any sign of mana depletion, is this person a normal living being?

No. Once the will to fight is shaken, it is impossible to defeat the opponent.

I will gather all my strength and resolve this in one go.

The moment the decision was made, it was immediately implemented. Helian appeared in front of Claire with [Blink]. However, as if she had long expected her to attack, Claire immediately interrupted her chant and instead spat out a short one.

“[Dark Magic Barrier].”

A three-meter-thick black wall suddenly rose from the ground. Like a moth flying into a spiderweb, Helian, who was lunging at Claire, plunged straight into it. This black wall was not a solid magic, but had swallowed her whole.

In an instant, a sizzling sound like strong acid corroding skin exploded. At the same time, the longsword in Claire’s hand pierced straight through the wall.

Bang!

Like colliding with a heavy truck traveling at high speed, Helian, who had been swallowed by the black wall, was sent flying out of it. Her body drew a parabola in the air and bounced several times on the ground before stopping.

It looked like Claire’s victory, but she did not relax. On the contrary, a ten-meter-tall armored knight suddenly rose from the crimson earth behind her. The moment this knight appeared, it raised its giant knight’s lance and, without hesitation, swung it at the empty space in front of it.

“[Living Armor Creation].”

“[Star Breaker]!”

Boom!

The air exploded. At the same time, the armored knight was covered in rapidly spreading cracks, and the figure of Helian appeared from the void. The Helian who had been sent flying by Claire was just a decoy. The real her had already used [Blink] to get behind Claire.

This trick had long been seen through by Claire.

What greeted her was a gravity trap.

[Gravity Control].

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Crack.

The earth, as if it had been punched hard by a giant, was covered in cracks. The heavy pressure made the mid-air Helian suddenly sink. However, her outstanding physical ability allowed her to continue to dive towards Claire after shattering the living armor, even under the heavy pressure. Her right arm, like a meteor, burst with a vermilion afterflame, and the sharp screech made the hair on one’s body stand on end.

Even Claire couldn’t help but frown at Helian’s full-strength attack. She could feel that she had already been locked on by her. To run would only put her on the defensive. She took a step back and poured mana into her two swords of different colors, then crossed them in front of her chest.

[Spatial Strings].

In an instant, countless black arms extended from behind her. They wrapped around her layer by layer. In less than the blink of an eye, the writhing black arms had completely protected her.

And then, Helian, like a vermilion meteor, finally crashed into her.

As if a meteorite had struck the earth, a huge amount of energy instantly lit up the entire desolate land. A dazzling white light turned the rusty sky into daylight. A hundred-meter-high scorching airwave spread out with a surging momentum that seemed to want to drown the world. Hearing and sight were stripped away at the same time, so much so that even the Abyss couldn’t stop trembling.

But these were nothing to the person who had created this disaster.

Helian and Claire did not retreat after one strike, but were locked in a stalemate of strength. In a simple contest of strength, Claire was no match for her. And Helian had also seen this. Disregarding her flipped scales fist, she slowly pressed the two swords towards Claire, her battered face, so close to her, filled with ferocity.

“You are not of this world!”

Claire raised an eyebrow, her long silver hair flying in the airwave created by the collision.

“So what?”

Because of the blood-red longsword’s ability to devour mana, Helian, seeing that she could not suppress Claire in a short time, had no choice but to retreat. And Claire had also seen through this. The golden light of [Strength Boost] suddenly lit up in her hand. In an instant, she poured an explosive amount of power into her two swords and forcefully swung Helian’s arm away.

Then, taking advantage of the fact that Helian was still off-balance, she kicked her heavily in the abdomen.

Unfortunately, this level of damage was as powerless as being pushed for her. Helian successfully created a distance between them. With a low chant, the wounds on her body began to recover at a visible rate. As if time were rewinding, both the everted scales and the sword wounds that were gushing blood began to squirm with new flesh and recover.

Panting heavily, she wiped the corner of her mouth.

“Since you are not of this world, we have room for discussion. Join us. Not only can we acknowledge your identity, but we can also tell you the secrets of this world.”

“From the moment you laid a hand on little Fia, you and the thing behind you were already my enemies. But you said I’m not of this world…”

Seeing that she had piqued her interest, Helian explained while secretly healing her wounds. Claire’s ability was strange. She was very likely no match for her. In fact, even [Star Breaker] could not defeat her. She had already had the thought of running away. Not only could she not recover mana in this desolate land, but it would also constantly strip away her mana. She could bet all her chips, but if she did that, she would no longer be able to preserve her strength and would very likely be captured alive by the Eldest Princess who would come later.

To give up on Clark and find a chance to leave, this was the rational choice. There was no need to risk her life for a human—she had already achieved her goal.

At this thought, Helian reached a hand behind her back, her face full of sincere persuasion.

“This world is as precarious as a leaf in the sea. Outside of this world, there are many other worlds similar to ours, but different. Whether it is the Saints summoned to this world by the gods, or an existence like you, they can all prove the Sovereign’s guess. As long as you join us and assist him in controlling this world, we can send you back to your homeland.”

“Mmm… that is indeed a very interesting proposal. If I were to return to my original world, I would no longer have to suffer this world’s curse.”

Seeing Claire nod in thought, a hint of doubt rose in Helian’s heart. Although what she had said was the truth, she had not actually thought she could really pull her to her side. Now, her interest greatly exceeded her expectations.

Although people from other worlds would unconsciously bring disaster to those around them, these losses were nothing compared to the help brought by an Eighth-Rank or even possibly Ninth-Rank practitioner. She began to probe further.

“The destruction of the elf race is a matter of time. There will be no good end in following the Eldest Princess. The Alexia family has committed blasphemy. The Elf God will soon bring down divine punishment on them. If you still want to live, you should leave the elf race as soon as possible.”

“Oh?”

Claire tilted her head slightly. As if to show that she no longer had any hostility, she sheathed her two swords.

“Why do you say that? If you don’t tell me more specific things, it will be difficult for me to make a decision. Little Fia is the only one who is exempt from my curse. I will not give her up easily.”

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“Because of what the Elf Saint did ten thousand years ago.”

Helian answered without hesitation. Even if she didn’t say it, Claire would soon know the answer. There was nothing to hold back.

“Ten thousand years ago, the Elf Saint, in order to ensure the eternal inheritance of his own race, chose to raise his butcher’s knife to the Elf God. He lured the then-weak Elf God into the Abyss and, while his projection had not yet merged with his true body, sealed his true body under the Holy Tree. And in order to cover up the god’s vast mana and Divinity, the Saint constructed a huge magic barrier to divide his mana and Divinity, turning the mana into nutrients to be sent to the ley lines, and the Divinity into the so-called blessings of the elf race.”

“You should have also noticed that the Holy Tree is a creation of pure mana. How could such a massive volume be touched by a mortal? The tree itself is the product of the Elf God’s mana materializing. Now the seal has already loosened. He will come out at any time to crush the people who betrayed him. Both the Alexia family and the entire elf race will be destroyed because of what the Saint did back then!”

“I see. So it was a god that was sealed,” Claire murmured to herself. “No wonder I obtained Divinity…”

“Well? To cooperate with us is much brighter than staying with the Eldest Princess, who is doomed to die. Even if she escapes to the ends of the earth, the Elf God will not let her go as a member of the Alexia family. Look over there. It’s already begun.”

In the middle of her speech, the wounds on Helian’s body had completely recovered. A silver mirror also appeared beside her, ready for her to step in and leave at any time. And in the direction she was pointing, one could see the Holy Tree as if it were being pushed up from below, as if the end of the world had come.

Claire smiled and shook her head.

“No. Even a god who could be sealed by the Elf Saint, I do not think such an existence is worthy of being called a god. And I lied to you about one thing. It’s not that I ‘will not give up little Fia easily,’ but that I will never give her up. Since the so-called Elf God wants to harm her, then I will, just as I have dealt with you, erase him as well. I don’t know why, but the moment I hear the word ‘god,’ I get inexplicably angry. Perhaps it is as you said, that I am from another world, and in my original world, I was at odds with the gods.”

“You really didn’t intend to join us. It’s not that easy to erase me. We will meet again!”

With that, Helian rushed straight for the silver mirror beside her. However, a violent fluctuation of airflow suddenly erupted in the air, as if the air had been compressed into a cannonball, and it smashed into her at the last possible moment.

[Mind Blast].

And then, while she was still in a daze, Claire used [High-Speed Flight] to arrive in front of her. Due to the [Mind Blast], her entire body’s defense was at its lowest point. A coldness appeared in Claire’s deep, jade-green eyes.

“Farewell.”

The sword rose and fell.

There was neither a cry nor a plea for mercy. Helian’s body fell straight to the sandy ground. However, her flesh, as if it had been rapidly weathered, quickly turned into a puff of ash and disappeared. The man-high silver mirror she had summoned also shattered and vanished.

A look of dissatisfaction appeared in her eyes. Claire clicked her tongue and turned to look at the position where she had been standing before.

“I’m sorry. It seems she still got away.”

“Wasn’t she killed by you?”

Along with a light and cheerful voice, the figure of a black-haired, red-eyed girl gradually appeared from the void. At the same time, there was also Clark, with a complicated expression. He had been protected by Claire all along, which was also the reason why she had been standing still. And just now, when Fia had arrived, the job of protecting him had been taken over by her.

“No… I have a premonition that she still got away. After a demon dies, they will leave a corpse just like a human. They won’t disappear like this. Perhaps she has some special life-saving means.”

“To still be able to use a life-saving means even after being deprived of the ability to think?”

“I don’t know. But there are many kinds of magic in the world. There will always be magic we don’t know about. I could feel that she hadn’t been using her full strength all along. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had so much leeway. She’s not as easy to deal with as she appears on the surface.”

At this thought, as if she were recalling the battle just now, Claire lowered her head and looked at her own palm.

Fia, in turn, suddenly pulled her hand from the side, her expression light and carefree.

“Let’s not talk about these things first. If she’s still alive, we’ll meet her again in the future. The situation at the Holy Tree is urgent. I’m going to go down and have a look. I don’t know what will happen outside when I’m inside, so I want to leave the outside to you.”

“I know what happened.”

With a grave expression, Claire relayed the information she had heard from Helian to Fia.

“…Although I don’t know if it’s true or false, it can be used as a reference. If it’s the truth, then the elf race is in big trouble.”

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“The Elf God…” Fia repeated in a low voice. She quickly looked up, her red eyes filled with seriousness. “If it’s the real Elf God, I might have room to negotiate with it. Do you still remember the dream I had several times before? Maybe that was the Elf God. Now that we’ve accidentally released it from its seal, it still owes me a wish.”

“Does Fia want to use this wish to have it forgive the Alexia family? That’s too absurd! I don’t think it will agree to you!”

A hint of urgency appeared in Claire’s expression. Fia clearly felt her grip on her hand tighten a little.

Fia gave a wry smile.

“I don’t think it will agree to me either. But we have to try everything. Taking a step back, if it can’t grant this wish, I have another one. Don’t forget why I wanted to see the Elf God in the first place.”

Claire was first stunned, then quickly reacted.

“At a time like this, you’re still thinking about lifting my curse! As long as you still remember me, it doesn’t matter if this curse exists forever! I’m happy enough with just you!”

“Eh…”

Fia’s cheeks blushed slightly.

Clark was still here. Her words were really embarrassing. But Claire was thinking of her too naively. Fia had to explain in a low voice.

“I was thinking of having it lift your curse first, and then dealing with it. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”

“…? That’s the Elf God.”

“Hah. If it won’t let go of the Alexia family and even the entire elf race, it will inevitably stand on the opposite side of me. At that time, besides fighting it out to decide a winner, there will be no other choice, right?”

Not to mention that she was a member of the Alexia family, first of all, Liti and Yelido were also members. She couldn’t just stand by and watch the so-called Elf God lay a hand on her family.

If there was room for discussion, they could still talk. But if there wasn’t, then she couldn’t be blamed for being impolite. She would not be inferior to a Saint.

“Besides, don’t I still have you to help me, Claire? If the Holy Tree is the incarnation of the Elf God, and the reason it has been rejecting you is because it felt a threat from you, then you are my biggest trump card.”

She sees me as a trump card?

So she does rely on me properly after all.

Both helpless and amused, Claire’s grip on her relaxed a little.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“No. I’ll go in first. If the situation is not right, I’ll come out again. After all, we have to first test if we can solve this peacefully. You are rejected by the Elf God. To go in with me will make it wary. As insurance, if I run into trouble inside, I will use the pendant to communicate with you—before that, I want to ask you to protect the commoners outside for me.”

Claire was silent for a moment. She lowered her head and stared into Fia’s eyes. It wasn’t until she saw the determination in them that she thought for a moment and unfastened the two swords from her waist, handing them to Fia.

“Take these. They might be of help.”

“Mhm. I will succeed,” fastening the longswords to her waist, Fia smiled and nodded vigorously. Soon, the wings symbolizing [Flight] appeared on her back. She gave Claire a light wave. “I’m off.”

“I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

Her jade-green eyes watched the gradually departing Fia until she had completely turned into a speck of light. Only then did Claire withdraw her gaze, which was filled with a gentle smile. She took a deep breath and looked at Clark with a serious expression.

“We will also go to the other side and prepare.”

If Fia failed, then she would be the one to destroy this so-called Holy Tree.