"Please kill the Elemental Lords and save this world!"
"I beg you!"
The Dark Elemental Lord, Ren Ashdoll, bowed deeply before Elise, pleading for her to save the world.
"…"
Elise fell silent. Though she had thought of doing so, the Sacred Queen's strength was not something easily overcome.
"I had originally prepared a backup plan—by reincarnating my power into a human male. If he were to grow strong in the future, he might have the strength to kill the Elemental Lords."
"But now…" Ren's expression dimmed.
"After absorbing an unknown power, the Holy Elemental Lord has broken free of her seal and become even stronger!"
"We no longer have time."
"At this rate, the world will be destroyed sooner or later!"
"Wait!" Elise cut her off. "I recall the Sacred Queen saying she intended to remake the world?"
"Impossible. He would never do such a thing." Ren immediately denied Elise's words. "Remaking the world is, at best, only a trivial step along his path."
"His true goal—just like all the other Elemental Lords—is to become a higher-level existence."
"Remaking the world is only an excuse, a justification meant to deceive humans."
So that one really had no good intentions!
Still, that was only natural. Humans lived for themselves as well. For an Elemental Lord to do so was hardly surprising.
Yet Elise still did not agree to Ren's request—not because she was unwilling, but because it truly was too difficult!
She knew the Sacred Queen's power. In direct combat, Elise was no match. And what about the other Elemental Lords?
Though the Sacred Queen was the foremost among them, the strongest beyond doubt, only a fool would treat the others as weaklings.
To ask Elise to kill all the Elemental Lords?
Her abilities were limited… very limited.
"Of course, I would not ask you to do this without reward. I will help you." Ren smiled faintly.
"You've contracted with the Guardian God, Est, haven't you?"
"The Est in your hand is not the Guardian God's true form, but merely an incarnation… an independent avatar."
"The Sacred Queen once wielded Est as a spirit weapon as well. Now that he has broken free, he will surely summon the Guardian God's true form."
"If that happens, the strongest Sacred Queen will also wield the strongest weapon. By then, no being will be able to oppose him."
"And what do you intend to do about it?" Elise asked. She already knew Est was not her true form. From the beginning, she had never thought of finding the real Est—because she could not be sure if the true Est would be the same little girl she had seen in the anime.
But since Ren was bringing it up now, she must have a solution, right?
"The other Elemental Lords cannot absorb your power. So I ask that you kill them!"
"After their deaths, I will channel the remnants of their power into Est's body…"
"At that time, your Est will become an Elemental Holy Sword no weaker than her true self!"
"How about it? Are you satisfied with that reward?" Ren's smile deepened. With such terms, this outsider surely would not refuse.
In that case, Elise would gain a powerful holy sword, and the Elemental Spirit World would be saved.
It was a win-win!
"Hmm, your offer is very tempting. But…" Elise tilted her head.
"But…?" Ren mimicked her gesture.
"How can I trust you?"
"Or rather, how can you guarantee you will keep your word?"
"Eh? That…" Ren was momentarily stunned, then explained, "I am only an incarnation. Once this matter is complete, I will dissipate. You should be able to sense that yourself, shouldn't you?"
"So what?" Elise pressed further. "You are an Elemental Lord. Who knows what other tricks you may have? If you suddenly attack me, wouldn't I just die here?"
After the incident with the Sacred Queen, Elise had indeed become more cautious. She had to consider the worst-case scenario in everything.
"Ugh!" Ren's expression turned troubled. She hadn't expected this outsider to be so suspicious.
"It's true… I have no way to prove it."
"Then…" Ren hesitated, but finally gritted her teeth, placing both hands over her chest, palms pressed together.
Her life was already nearing its end, and she no longer cared about consequences. Her existence had long since lost meaning.
Power gathered between her hands, and soon, a rhythmic sound echoed from her chest.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
That sound… one any human would instantly recognize.
A heartbeat!
Which meant… was that truly the Dark Elemental Lord's heart?
A sphere of intertwined purple and black appeared in Ren's hands. She extended it toward Elise.
"This is my heart. If you find me doing anything suspicious, you may take my life directly!"
With utmost seriousness, the Dark Elemental Lord offered her own heart to Elise.
"Now… will you believe me?"
"Not yet. I need to test it first."
Elise reached out, grasping the dark-purple sphere in her palm, then squeezed.
"Ugh!"
Before her, Ren clutched her chest in pain. It was unmistakably her heart—the sensation could not be false.
"Looks like it isn't fake."
"Of course it isn't!" The pain lasted only a moment, nothing compared to the countless grievous wounds the Dark Elemental Lord had endured in thousands of years of battle. This was nothing to her.
"Then next…"
Elise placed both hands over the purple-black sphere, her slender fingers beginning to move delicately…
"Wait! Wait!"
"What are you trying to do?!"
A terrible premonition welled up inside Ren. She quickly tried to stop Elise, but as only an incarnation, she could not possibly restrain a vigilant Elise.
"Ah—!"
A girlish scream escaped from the Dark Elemental Lord's lips. She hurriedly covered her mouth, glaring furiously at Elise.
I entrusted you with my heart, and this is what you do with it?
For a moment, she regretted handing it over.
But Elise, of course, would not let her go so easily.
With a mischievous grin spreading across her face, she toyed with the sphere even more.
"Stop that… ah—!"
An indescribable ticklish sensation rose from deep within. In that instant, the Dark Elemental Lord truly seemed like nothing more than a fragile young girl.
Click, click, click—
The camera and camcorder were already set up.
And nearby, Est—over a thousand years old—watched on with eyes far too innocent for the scene before her…