Azharkiel was not a dark elf like most of Sairao's cult. He was a human who had joined the cult years ago because he wanted to reach new heights—even if that meant allying himself with an evil god.
'I didn't think I'd have to face someone at my level.'
He floated in the sky above the base, surrounded by a dense aura of darkness that seemed to swallow the very light generated by the last attack. Before him, among gigantic vines that rose like living pillars into the clouds, stood Virelle. The sky had been overtaken by roots, thick creepers, and intertwining branches that formed suspended natural platforms. Every movement she made caused the vines to react like extensions of her own body.
'In this fight, I won't be able to hold back.'
Azharkiel raised his hand, and a blade of darkness formed, compressed to the point of solidity. He advanced in a straight line, slicing through three thick vines that tried to attack him, the severed pieces falling like torn trunks. Virelle moved laterally in the air, stepping on a suspended root before propelling herself upward. In the same motion, dozens of creepers shot toward him like living spears.
"Barrier of Shackles."
Darkness expanded around Azharkiel, forming a defensive sphere. The vines touched the black surface and began rotting instantly, consumed by dense corruption. With a simple wave of his hand, he shattered the sphere in an explosion, releasing dark waves that tore through the sky, destroying part of the vegetal structures and creating a momentary void between them.
"Birth of the Mother Forest."
Virelle extended her hand, and the space behind him filled with branches emerging from nothing—forest born in midair. Long thorns tried to pierce his torso, but Azharkiel spun, creating horizontal cuts that shredded everything around him. With a swift movement, he appeared before her at absurd speed and struck directly with compressed darkness.
"Whisper of the Night."
"Triple Vine Layer."
Virelle crossed her arms as vines intertwined into a shield. The impact pierced two layers, shattered the third, and hurled her dozens of meters back. She collided against a natural platform and immediately rose again, blood running down her forehead as new roots grew beneath her feet to support her.
"Forest Zone."
The sky grew even denser when she activated her affinity on a larger scale. Entire trees began emerging in the air—not just vines, but thick trunks expanding like living pillars. The aerial field had literally become a suspended jungle.
The trees moved to attack her opponent, but Azharkiel spread his arms, and darkness extended in lines that sliced through several of them, breaking them apart before they could reach him. He concentrated energy in his hands and launched black projectiles toward her.
Seeing this, Virelle dove between the trunks, using the environment to her advantage, dodging as she moved among them. Snapping her fingers forward while evading, several vines coiled around Azharkiel's legs, trying to immobilize him.
"That won't work on me because I can corrode—"
As he spoke, darkness corroded the first layers, but the grip tightened, pulling him in opposite directions. Slightly surprised, he responded by releasing a concentrated explosion of energy that tore everything apart—including part of the vines supporting Virelle in the distance.
"Wings of the Forest Guardian."
Green wings emerged from her back. With a burst of speed, she flew toward him, also using a levitation spell for greater control over her flight. Not falling behind, he rushed toward her at maximum speed. A vine sword and a dark blade collided at the center, generating an impact that split the clouds above.
Virelle spun and launched a sequence of thrusts with her sword, each reinforced by roots emerging mid-motion, causing cuts across his body. Azharkiel blocked and counterattacked most of them with his blade, also leaving deep wounds across her body.
"Second Blade."
When he blocked an attack with the blunt side of his weapon, a second blade emerged from its base, piercing her shoulder. Pulling it sideways, he sliced part of her shoulder as he withdrew the blade. Blood fell through the air, but Virelle didn't seem to care; somehow it was absorbed by a root that immediately strengthened, hardening like natural steel at the wound—without a doubt she was healing rapidly.
"That one hurt, so let me return the favor."
Virelle responded by binding his arm with vines sprouting from her spilled blood, dragging him downward.
"What—?"
He received a knee to the nose and then, with a spin, Virelle slashed his chest with her sword. Her eyes had been serious and expressionless since the start of the fight, which certainly irritated her opponent.
'He doesn't even show pain… is she that resilient?'
'Are they recording this? If they are, I want to show my student how good I am—look, I don't even show pain.'
While her opponent wondered why she didn't show any expression, Virelle was simply thinking that if a magic stone was recording, she should look impressive.
'He's going to beg me to teach him how to make a sword like mine.'
Azharkiel advanced, rupturing the atmosphere like glass under tension. The air ahead compressed violently, unable to yield smoothly to such absurd speed. Virelle did the same, moving at the same level, and the shock of their acceleration did not remain confined to the battlefield.
The displaced pressure expanded like an invisible ring, sweeping across the entire elven continent's sky. Clouds were torn apart thousands of kilometers away, and seconds later a deep vibration ran through the forests as if the world itself had been struck.
"This is going too far. We'll have to change bases."
The old elf watched the battle. He had wanted to remain discreet so that the two circle nines on Elithia's side wouldn't arrive too quickly, buying time to relocate—but it seemed he would have to change plans immediately.
"If they haven't appeared after that shock, then Cavirieth must have done something to delay them."
The sky above seemed divided between green and black. Their clash was so intense that both were pushed backward. Virelle fell several meters before stabilizing on another living platform, breathing heavily, dark marks spread across her body where corruption had touched. Even so, her vines continued to grow. Azharkiel, meanwhile, had one of his arms torn off, blood flowing nonstop as he made a small expression of pain.
'This won't work… that old elf hasn't even moved yet.'
Azharkiel took a deep breath, steadying himself. Prolonging the fight would mean facing the base commander below. The darkness around him retracted, and he gave the signal. Below, the cult members began retreating immediately, covering their withdrawal with explosions and black blades that forced the elves back. Azharkiel cast one last look at Virelle before disappearing into the shadows.
"They're fleeing! Let's go after them!"
"This is our chance!"
"No. We're retreating as well."
Hearing the old elf's order, they hesitated briefly but followed it, gathering important items from the base without questioning further. Virelle descended swiftly, grabbing Victoria and Erina in her arms.
"The base you're heading to is the one the princess mentioned at the edge of the Elven Dimension, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'll go ahead. I sense two circle nines approaching, and I don't want to risk them getting hurt—even if they're being delayed."
She vanished, leaving behind a surprised Erina and a Victoria who showed little reaction despite being caught off guard. The old elf sighed and ordered everyone to move faster.
"How troublesome."