Calca's confession plunged the hall into deep silence. All eyes were on her, and even the guards looked shocked. But the reason for their shock was not Calca's decision, but my annexation of the Kingdom of Roble without firing a single arrow. A country won without war or destruction... It was as if it had been handed to us on a silver platter. Most of the nobles had already been replaced by doppelgangers in my service. There seemed to be some grumbling on the surface, but these were all planned and controlled reactions. The only group that could really cause trouble was the people themselves. But the people of Roble worshipped me as a hero and Calca as a saint. In their eyes, we were two sacred figures descended from the heavens. This alone suffocated any possibility of rebellion.
I struck the tip of my staff against the marble floor. The sound echoed from the dome of the hall, silencing the crowd.
"Now," I said in a resolute voice, "let us proceed to the true purpose of this gathering."
I scanned the room with my eyes. Everyone was paying close attention.
"Our next target: the Elf Kingdom.
Most of the troops in all the provinces have already gathered at the border. The necessary intelligence has been prepared in advance, so as you can see, this war has been planned long ago. I am handing over command to Demurge, as he is the one with the most knowledge of the region."
Demurge rose slightly from his seat and saluted. His gaze was calm as usual, but there was a restrained desire for slaughter in his eyes.
After the meeting, which lasted several hours, only the palace guards remained in the hall at my command.
"Demurge, your primary objective must never be to capture the capital. That forest is a major problem for our army. I will teleport to the capital with a small group. This way, we can kill the king beforehand and crush the country's morale."
I paused for a few seconds and continued speaking:
"Nekomi, Zesshi, Alpha, and Harmonia, you will teleport to the capital of the Elf country with me. Prepare for battle. The meeting is over."
I rose from my throne and began to walk toward my chamber. As I walked, I thought about Roble's army: already weakened by the recent war, it had been further weakened by the death of the Custodio sisters.
"Asfall-sama, may we speak for a few minutes?" Calca's angelic voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Ashfall-sama, I want to join the battle. After all you've done for me, I don't want to just sit here and do nothing. Please give me a chance." Calca spoke with a determined expression.
Actually, Calca's participation in the war was good news for the Roble army. She could both scatter the enemy lines with her newly acquired powers and heal the soldiers with her sacred spells. But Calca's participation in the war was causing another problem.
Elves live much longer than humans. So even if they weren't as powerful as Hougan, there would still be quite a few powerful individuals in their army. The Roble army couldn't protect Calca on its own.
"I don't want you to join the war, Calca. But I see the determination in your eyes. I'll assign eight Fenrir to protect you during the war." I said as I stroked Calca's hair.
"Good day, Ashfall-sama." Calca gave me a farewell kiss and returned to her room.
As Calca turned and walked away silently, the aura she left behind seemed to linger in the air.
The once-holy priestess was now transforming into a warrior angel walking through the flames.
**********†**********
As the first light of dawn spread across the horizon, the massive Fulmenreich army moved forward with overwhelming force. More than four hundred thousand soldiers were supported by angels summoned by magic, immortals, and demons. This apocalyptic force from the heavens was marching directly toward the borders of the Elf Kingdom. As the front lines advanced, tearing through the skies, the earth groaned under the weight.
The units, which had advanced smoothly across the open terrain at first, soon plunged into the depths of the ancient forest. The trees stood like stone pillars reaching toward the sky; even the light filtering through the leaves seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of battle. The silence was broken by the first ambush. Elf archers hidden in the treetops released their magic-enhanced arrows and immediately retreated. The second attack came twenty minutes later. Then another... The successive ambushes had turned into a ritual echoing sinisterly through the forest.
When Demurge noticed the continuity of this tactic, he turned to the woman beside him with a mocking smile. Flora, whose elegant green hair fell to her shoulders, took a step forward when she saw his approving gaze.
She closed her eyes, raised her arms to the sky, and summoned the darkest essence of nature. Suddenly, all the vegetation in the forest began to tremble. The vines moved like a beast obeying a command, wildly stretching and climbing to the tops of the trees. Their thorns glowed with poison, ruthlessly piercing the elves' bodies. Some vines wrapped around the elves, breaking their bones, while others sucked their blood, draining their lives.
Massive branches suddenly burst from the trunks of the giant trees, impaling the elf archers lying in wait like stakes. Many elves were torn to pieces before they could even comprehend what was happening. The ground absorbed the elf corpses like a bloodthirsty beast. The luminous essence emanating from their drying bodies flowed toward Flora like a shimmering river.
Flora drew in the power flowing into her body with a deep breath, her stats increasing. She channeled the EXP gained from this massacre into the [Avarice and Generosity] gloves she wore. Her body glowed, her stats rising once more. A cool satisfaction filled her eyes, and a graceful smile graced her lips. She once again admired the genius of the one who had inspired this method—her "beloved husband."
The resistance within the forest had been largely suppressed. The natural defenses of the Elf Kingdom had been betrayed by nature itself.
The army advanced comfortably for a time. But the moment they crossed the range of Flora's magic, a deafening roar pierced the silence, and magical arrows began to rain down from the peaks, tearing through the air. The arrows were no ordinary arrows; each was locked onto its target, passing through the trees without getting caught, advancing with deadly precision.
But before the arrows could reach their targets, Seraphina stepped forward. Her shield glowed and she activated the [Absolute Protection] spell. A dazzling wave of light spread out, forming a semi-transparent barrier around them. Hundreds of magical arrows stopped one by one as they hit this invisible wall, then fell to the ground, rendered ineffective.
Everyone assumed the attack came from an organized group. However, it soon became clear that the attack originated from a single point—the top of a tree.
On a high branch, among the delicate leaves, a tiny elf, no larger than a child, could be seen. She held an ancient bow, carved with magic, that was too large for her small body.
Demurge could no longer tolerate this audacity. He closed his eyes silently, then shifted his position with a flash of light. In less than a second, he appeared behind the child, took its head between his hands without saying a word, and crushed it mercilessly. The tiny skull cracked, and as brain fluid and blood flowed between his fingers, the tree silently absorbed the blood. Demirge wiped his hand with a handkerchief he took from his pocket.
Then, with complete composure, he bent over the corpse, took the bow and quiver. The intricate carvings and magical weave of these weapons made it clear they were no ordinary weapons.
Meanwhile, far away behind a hillside, someone sitting atop an earth elemental watched silently.
The Elf King narrowed his old eyes and watched the scene to the end. He had seen the bow and quiver taken, but he did not care about the child's death.
He muttered to himself:
"Two sacred relics... Heirlooms bearing the honor of my people... Wasted in the hands of a child... This is an unforgivable shame."
The cloak on his back fluttered in the wind. A mixture of pain and anger appeared on his face. He silently ordered the earth elemental beneath him to retreat.
****************
I activated my teleportation spell and teleported to the Elf capital with the girls. Of course, to avoid being noticed, I hid all of us in the pocket world with the Tier X [Mirror World] spell. With the help of the [Lead of Yatagarasu] spell, we flew directly to our target, the Elf palace.
A few minutes later, we reached the top floor of the massive tree that served as the Elf palace. The floor of this floor was made of earth, and the area was illuminated by magical lamps.
"Let's split up. Zesshi and I will loot the treasure room. Nekomi, you will protect me with your stealth, so follow closely. Alpha, Harmonia, guard the place strictly until we return."
"Yes, Ashfall-sama ×3," the girls said in unison.
As we entered the treasure room, I sensed the presence of a powerful being behind us. It was most likely Hougan. Since I had moved away from Alpha and Harmonia, the spell couldn't hide them anymore, so it was clear they had already been noticed.
"Hmm, who was your mother? You have heterochromia like me and can withstand my pressure. Finally... I have a strong child... Let's mate and create a powerful elf family." Hougan said to Harmonia with a voice full of pride and self-confidence.
"What?!... Mating?!" Harmonia stammered in shock. The fact that her enemy had suddenly made such an offer to her had shaken her.
However, a few nanoseconds later, when she understood the meaning of the words, her expression changed. Her face twisted with anger and disgust. Her eyes grew cold, as if she were looking at a piece of shit. She clenched her teeth so tightly with anger that the grinding sound echoed through the hall.
"You!... You dare to defile me, the woman of Ashfall-sama, with those disgusting words... You can't even touch me with that old, useless dick of yours. After all, Ashfall-sama has already claimed me as his own with his magnificent thing. Old bastard, I'll rip your dick off and feed it to you so that next time you'll know your place when you speak to me." Harmonia shouted at Hougan with changing emotions.
Harmonia's pupils suddenly turned the colors of the rainbow, and a dense, oppressive wave of energy spread around her. Faced with this power, Hougan summoned the massive earth elemental [Behemoth] without hesitation. The elemental appeared with a roar that shook the distance between earth and sky and assumed a battle stance.
At that very moment, Harmonia's body underwent a radical transformation, reverting to her true form, the [Primal Spirit of All Elements], and taking on the appearance of a fire elemental. However, the flames enveloping her body were no ordinary flames. Energies in the colors of the rainbow, containing the power of all the elements, flowed from her body, illuminating her surroundings.
Harmonia clasped her hands together and created a tremendous beam of energy, attacking her enemy. This rainbow beam first pierced through the body of the earth elemental protecting Hougan, then struck Hougan directly, sending him flying through the air with great force. When Hougan crashed to the ground from the top floor of the palace, the area was filled with fragments of earth and stone.
"Zesshi, go after Hougan. But remember, don't kill him. He'll still be useful to me."
{Nekomi, follow Zesshi without being seen. If the balance of the battle is disrupted, intervene, but leave no trace.}
"Harmonia, calm down. With a power release of this level, you'll reduce the entire palace to ruin.
"Alpha, move to the front line. Buy time for Harmonia's attack. I want you to finish this fight together."
I issued the orders one after another. The resolve in my voice cut through the tension in the air like a sharp sword.
Alpha moved without hesitation. He stepped forward with graceful yet deadly strides. Her fists struck the earth elemental's body one after another. However, the level difference was evident; it wasn't easy to destroy an Lv. 87 elemental with physical strength alone. Alpha's attacks could only create superficial cracks in the stone body. But despite this, Alpha didn't retreat.
When the elemental's massive arm swung down, Alpha was knocked back, sliding across the ground toward me.
At that moment, Harmonia, who had returned to her elf form, raised her hands. All the elements obeyed her call. The ground cracked, and ice-covered vines burst forth from the ground, wrapping around Behemoth's feet. The elemental's movements slowed. The crystalline layers enveloping its surface froze it instantly.
"Alpha, don't hold back. Your opponent is superior to you; you must fight knowing this."
"Understood... Ashfall-sama," said Alpha with new resolve.
Without wasting any time, he severed his head from her body and placed it carefully on the ground. Then he pulled off her servant's attire, revealing the gleaming alloy battle armor beneath. Her form became more aggressive, her movements more deadly.
I picked up the head from the ground and held it gently in my hands. This was a silent gesture of ownership and love.
With her armor fully activated, Alpha charged again. The power in her armored fists had doubled; each blow created cracks in Behemoth's stone body. The beast staggered, its defenses beginning to crumble.
At that moment, Harmonia took her final step. The elemental energy swirling between her hands momentarily stabilized, then her voice echoed:
"[Control Primal Elemental]"
The earthen glow in Behemoth's eyes faded, shifting to rainbow hues. It trembled… and then knelt.
†*******************†
Decem Hougan tried to lift his broken body off the ground. Every step was painful. His body was unrecognizable: some parts were covered in ice, his skin was bruised from the effects of the poison, some parts were burned by acid, and others were charred.
"It hurts... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts..."
His mind was clouded, but he was focused on the elf girl. He was affected by her power... For the first time in centuries, he was losing blood. He felt a strange mix of admiration and pride toward the elf. But then he realized he had made a mistake. That girl... wasn't one of his daughters.
"Who was she? Could it be... a sister I didn't know about?"
In the midst of his thoughts, the connection with Behemoth... suddenly severed. He instinctively understood. This wasn't something that could be done with ordinary magic. There was only one being who could destroy him: his father. But his father had been dead for centuries.
This thought triggered a fear that seeped into his very skin. If Behemoth had been defeated, the person before him...
"No… I must survive... I must live no matter what!"
Ignoring the fact that his body was in pieces, he staggered down the corridor. His goal was clear: his private room.
When he entered the room, all of his concubines were unconscious. Some had been stunned by magic, others were barely breathing. But Decem had no attention to spare for them.
Just as he was about to take another step, a sharp pain pierced his abdomen. The sharp tip of a scythe had entered his waist and emerged from his stomach. All his muscles went limp, and the [Paralysis] effect took hold of his body. As he fell heavily to the ground, his eyes locked onto his attacker.
A girl...
Black and white hair... anger burning in her eyes... her body covered in golden-embroidered sacred armor.
"Finally... The moment I've been waiting for years has come. I'll enjoy it a little before destroying you. Just like you destroyed my life."
Zesshi's voice trembled with excitement.
She approached Decem slowly. First, she systematically removed his armor, then his magical items. Then she lifted his armored boot and brought it down on Decem's ankles.
A crack... then another... then one more...
"Hahaha... This feeling... It's amazing."
With each broken bone, Zesshi's face broke into another victorious smile.
"Nabe-san's words were true. Pain is the echo of justice. This must be what Ashfall-sama felt when he played with Clemantine..."
She tilted her head slightly to the side and brought her finger to her chin.
"But I'm bored... I need to try something new... Ah, I've got it."
Zesshi pushed Decem's legs apart with her feet. She stared at Hougan's genitals with sadistic excitement, as if she had found a treasure.
"So, you raped that worthless slut with that disgusting thing. Now I'll destroy it so that your disgusting lineage, which you're so proud of, will die out. What do you think... I think it's brilliant... Hahahaha."
Even when Hougan heard this, he imagined the pain in his genitals. He knew that if the girl hit him, the outcome would not be good. But he couldn't protest, couldn't escape, couldn't cast a spell. Zesshi laughed wildly, stretching her leg all the way back as if she were kicking a ball.
"Here it comes... 3... 2... 1..."
CRACK!!!
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHNNNNNN"
Decem's genitals were crushed by the metal boot's impact, flattened like a 2D image. The pain was so intense that he screamed as if his throat would tear, even if he were paralyzed. His brain couldn't withstand the pain and went into shock.
However, Zesshi's hard slap brought him back to his senses. He couldn't endure the pain anymore... He just wanted to die.
"We've secured the treasure. It's time to go... Don't waste any more of Ashfall-sama's time. You can continue your revenge in Nazarik." Nekomi appeared behind Zesshi and announced coldly.
Zesshi nodded in agreement and carried Hougan's broken body on her back as she moved upstairs.
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