"To think I'd be released by such an accident… how amusing!"
Bathed in radiant light, the figure of Saintess Areishia looked down at Elise with curiosity.
"You are… human?" She seemed to study Elise closely, but the next moment, she shook her head. "No. Though your body resembles a human's, your essence is entirely different!"
"And you… you aren't a being of this world, are you?"
Her eyes gleamed with interest. Creatures from other worlds fascinated her.
"…"
Elise didn't answer. She stared back and asked, "You're not Areishia, are you?"
"Or perhaps… the Light Elemental Lord, Alexandros?"
"Oh?" The woman's face lit up with surprise. "I never thought I'd hear that title again after so long. How nostalgic!"
"Light Elemental Lord—that was my title long ago. But later, people began to call me the Holy Elemental Lord."
Holy Elemental Lord?
Elise had never heard of such a thing!
She racked her brain, trying to recall what she remembered from the light novel Blade Dance of the Elementalers. Unfortunately, back then, she had only cared about Est. Everything else had seemed irrelevant.
"Alright!" The armored woman clapped her hands lightly. "Let's return to my question. You aren't a being of this world, are you?"
"…That's true." Elise grew wary, energy beginning to gather in her hands. "What do you want?"
"To be honest, I didn't expect this at all!"
The Holy Elemental Lord—Sacred Queen—sighed with a helpless expression.
"Beyond the world's root, aside from angels, there should only be those things. So why does a human exist?"
"Or is it… that you've come here from a higher-level world?"
The Sacred Queen tried to understand Elise's existence, while Elise herself pondered the meaning of her words.
The world's root?
Only angels?
From her tone, it was as if the Sacred Queen had once lived there herself!
But that was impossible!
The Elemental Lords had opened the gates to other worlds precisely because they sought to reach the root. How could the Sacred Queen know its details?
Unless…
"You're… an angel?"
"You even know that much?" The Sacred Queen descended gracefully, her armor clinking softly.
For some reason, she had no intention of hiding anything from Elise.
"Yes."
"Long ago, during the war against angels, though the Elemental Lords won, the Light Elemental Lord secretly studied them. In the end, it discovered that angels were nothing more than light elements in another form."
"So it chose to merge with an angel—evolving from Light Elemental Lord into Holy Elemental Lord!"
"And during the Solomon War a thousand years ago, the Sacred Queen split part of her soul and gave it to the Saintess of Salvation, creating the me you see now."
"I am both Saintess and Sacred Queen, and also an Angel!"
"Does that answer satisfy you?"
The Sacred Queen twirled a strand of golden hair around her fingers, her face wearing a warm smile.
But Elise knew well—inside, this being had not a shred of warmth!
"Still, I've answered so many of your questions. Don't you think it's time you answered mine?"
"I can sense it—your existence does not come from the human realm, nor from the elemental spirit realm, nor from any world within the root!"
"Does that mean there exists a higher-level world beyond ours?"
"I find you… fascinating!"
"..."
Elise still did not respond. She only remained silent.
She never imagined that the anime Blade Dance of the Elementalers could be so unimpressive, yet contain someone like the Sacred Queen.
For a moment, Elise even considered returning directly to the Lord God Space. But…
If the Sacred Queen could already sense the existence of higher-level worlds… would she notice the Lord God Space as well?
Truth be told, Elise had serious doubts about the safety of the Lord God Space—especially since it was only a fragment of the Lord God!
While Elise's thoughts spun rapidly, the Sacred Queen continued without pause.
"Still silent?"
"So there really are higher-level worlds, then?"
The Sacred Queen nodded with satisfaction.
"Tell me—would you like to join me?"
The sudden proposal broke the tense atmosphere. Both Elise and Est were taken aback.
She wanted Elise to join her?
"What are your goals?" Elise asked, still wary.
"Goals? That sounds hurtful," the Sacred Queen replied, smiling brightly. Despite the light tone, her expression was delighted.
"I merely wish to stop the wars of this world."
She spread her arms and continued, "In our world there is a contest called the Blade Dance Festival—are you aware of it?"
"Yes."
"You should know the winner may make a wish to the Elemental Lord. Yet for many years, the winners' wishes have been the same…"
"To stop wars!"
Wars existed in the Elemental Spirit World; of course they existed in the human realm too.
"I found that human wars are worse than ours," she said.
"But the wish power can't truly stop wars!"
"So I decided to do it myself."
"How does that sound? I'm saving the world, you know."
The Sacred Queen's tone turned playful. On the surface she looked like an ordinary young woman—but inside… well.
"If you truly want to stop wars, then how would you do it?" Elise didn't accept the invitation. Instead she asked another question.
"And I want the honest answer."
Elise's gaze was serious—so much so it surprised the Sacred Queen.
"Hm, you're tougher than I expected," the Sacred Queen mused, then chose to reveal her plan.
"Of course—I will remake this world."
Her eyes hardened with conviction, as if she genuinely cared for the world.
"This world has been ravaged by war. There is no point in letting it continue."
"So I will destroy it."
"Then I will recreate a brand-new world—with no conflicts."
"All creatures within will live happily and peacefully."
"So… will you join me?"
Silence fell. The Sacred Queen's gaze fixed on Elise.
Elise didn't answer immediately. She rose, drew two deep breaths, and met the Sacred Queen's gaze with steely blue eyes.
"I refuse!"