Chapter 317

Chapter 317

-......My lord, the special unit will not return.

The Elemental City of El Lata (l.lata).

In the conference room of the central castle, the monarchs of the Elemental City were receiving reports from their soldiers.

-The special unit is not coming back?! Isn’t it still daylight outside?

Mote, the High Spirit of Light, wondered.

Suddenly, he remembered when he had heard the news of the fall of the border city of Lúcĭfer.

At first, he thought it was just a joke.

Dark elementals captured Lúcĭfer with humans, among other things, and even during the day!

But it wasn’t until they lost contact with Lucifer and sent scouts to verify the facts that they realized the gravity of the situation.

-... ... It was a separate unit to prepare for an emergency, but if they don’t come back, it means that the enemy is targeting this place.

He rests his elbows on the armrests of the throne he sits on, his jaw clenched.

The Higher Fire Elemental seated to his left jumps to his feet.

-It’s broad daylight out here, so the rumors are true, there’s a man who’s bringing the night to them?

Mote reaches out a hand to the fire elemental, who shouts in agitation.

-Calm down, Ruta. The enemy will die at the entrance before they can even approach our city.

With that, he rose from his seat and headed for the window of the spire.

In the distance, in a place far away from the city, countless spirits waited.

They surrounded the outer entrance to the dungeon that housed the city, forming a barrier to destroy any enemies who tried to enter the dungeon.

-At this rate, even the purest of them will turn to mana and vanish the moment they enter. We can only wait and see, just in case.

Currently blocking the entrance is Fira, the High Wind Elemental.

One of the three Lords in charge of this city, and the most powerful of all the Wind Elementals besides the Elemental King.

-What choice will you make?

I thought to myself.

Kwao-!

A huge explosion of sound, flame, and smoke erupted from the dungeon’s entrance.

The earth shakes.

-What the hell is going on!

More stares out the window, startled by the suddenness of the situation.

It was a destructive force that could never be produced by the bombs or magic used by humans. In an instant, the spirits placed at the entrance of the dungeon were caught in the explosion, oxidized into mana, and disappeared.

“What the hell.......”

Kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao-kwao!

He can’t think of anything. He just stood there, dumbfounded by the overwhelming sight.

Mote, who was sure he would win the war without difficulty, thought he might actually lose for the first time.

* * *

Making it to the dungeon’s entrance wasn’t too difficult.

Well, that was to be expected. I hadn’t expected them to fight us outside against the dungeon’s natural defenses.

Perhaps the ‘real’ thing they’ve prepared to defend is the entrance to the dungeon.

In preparation for this, all the troops are stationed in front of the entrance.

I took up my position in front of them, smiling as I tossed a gem bomb into the dungeon.

“Pitcher, wind up.”

Another bomb is sucked into the dungeon.

Normally, I would have felt the earth tremble with a huge boom, but the explosion was eerily quiet inside the dungeon.

Jin-woo, and Han Seo-joon, who were standing beside me, could not help but stare at me as if to ask, “What is he doing?”

“Master. May I ask what you’re doing?”

Finally, Han Seo-joon, who couldn’t hold back his curiosity, took the initiative and asked me a question.

I gave him a straightforward answer.

“Cleaning.”

“......I missed, it’s a shame.”

Han Seo-joon muttered nonchalantly as he flicked his wrist.

I wondered how he was able to get the blade through the shield.

And to fend off all those attacks and escape, well, that doesn’t sound like an ordinary spirit to me.......

“He must be one of the three lords who control this city.”

-Fira, the Wind Elemental, one of the Lords. Normally he would never turn his back on his enemies, but this is strange.”

Black Hand from Darkness Family looked at the slowly receding back of the elemental and smirked.

-Well, it’s a miracle he survived after being hit by a weapon capable of creating this much damage around him, but it’s horrifying to think that this could have been unleashed on the Darkness back then, hehe.

I wonder if he’s still holding on to what happened back then?

I shrugged my shoulders reassuringly.

“It was less powerful back then, so it would’ve been okay.”

-......I guess that was enough to bury the Darkness, though, hehehe.

Well, it all turned out okay in the end, so I guess that’s why we can laugh about it.

I turned my gaze back to the massive city in the direction the spirit had flown.

A large, sprawling city, different in scale from the first border city we went to.

However, it was different from the border city in that the walls were lower and thinner.

-This is El Lata, the City of Spirits.

A city built by the combined forces of many spirits.

The earth spirits built the walls and buildings, the fire spirits baked the soil to harden the walls, and the wind spirits made sure the weather always stays cool.

The spirits of light have always kept the city free of darkness, and those who hide in the shadows have always protected them from approaching danger.

However, those who once protected the city from potential threats......have now returned as a new threat.

“......Beautiful city.”

Black Hand looked in the same direction I was looking, its voice tinged with longing.

-Yes. It’s a beautiful place, once home to countless spirits, but now...... it seems to be nothing more than a city of hungry creatures.

The faintest hint of hatred could be felt at the end.

I replied, placing a hand on the shoulder of such a black hand.

“It will be our city now, Black Hand.”

-If you say it, it will come true.

The creature moved forward beside me, turned, knelt down, and offered me both hands.

-Boss of the Darkness Family, Black Hand requests. Please, leave the spearhead of this war to our Darkness Family.

He asked me with a serious voice.

I look out over the city once more and think of the discrimination and anger that must have been felt by them. I pondered the idea of revenge, and then, placing my hand over his, I answered.

“... Umbra, the boss of the Darkness Family under Corleone. I ask you through the spirit’s question and answer.”

-Speak.

“I will erase the sun for you. What will you give?”

-Victory. I offer victory to Corleone.

The answer that came from the spirit’s question and answer, can only contain the truth.

I nodded in silence and activated the ring once more.

“I will trust you.”

[Triggers “Twin Wings of Heaven.”]

[The sky around you begins to turn dark.......]

Slowly raising his head, Black Hand kissed the Heir’s Ring on my finger, stood up and slowly walked towards the direction of the battlefield.

At his heels, the other spirits who had been wary of their surroundings began to follow, one by one, as if mesmerized by something, until their numbers gradually increased, and all the dark spirits who participated in this war gathered behind Black Hand.

The sky is colored by night and the earth is stained with darkness.

-Brothers and sisters of Darkness.

The vengeful embodiment of that darkness, the vanguard of vengeance, raised his gaze in fury at those who had denied the darkness, his voice rising in anger.

-Say to those who were once our brothers.

The darkness has returned.