CH 15

That’s what I said, but this process had already been carried out four times before.

There were no trees left around here that I could escape to.

Now it was time to face each other head-on.

Gritting my teeth, I shot an arrow from the last remaining tree and finally descended to the ground.”

Warhammer, who deflected the arrow with ease using a hammer, grinned and revealed his teeth.

“What’s the matter? My heart is still beating just fine.”

“…Since you’re not dying so easily, I’ve come down to end your life myself.”

“Hahaha, really, I like you!”

At first, the duel had a clear advantage, but now, after five consecutive rounds without pause, the overwhelming momentum has shifted unfavorably.

Although the trees were shattered, aerial combat was impossible, yet there were still fallen trees around, providing cover.

The advantage of the terrain had not yet disappeared.

“Very well, I am your fifth opponent. How many of us can you satisfy, I wonder.”

“…Shut up. Because I plan to kill every last one of you.”

At my venomous words, Warhammer once again laughed heartily.

“Really, I never thought I’d find a fellow like you so appealing among the demons! Young elf, you have earned the favor of eight warriors. Do you know the significance of that?”

“What do I care?”

After all, it’s a matter of life or death for those who will either kill or be killed.

Warhammer, Matikan, continued to grin.

“It means that your death will bring Khalaran’s blessing.”

“Fucking crazy.”

Even if you give me such a god’s blessing, it’s useless.

No, if it were some skill, I might have appreciated it, but what good is a warmonger’s blessing for an elf?

It’ll probably just create one more oddball elf on the fringes.

Or perhaps a second Dark Elf.

But really, what’s the meaning of a blessing attached to death in the first place?

Receiving such a blessing after death is utterly useless.

It’s just a way of saying you’re going to hunt me down.

“Hey, it started as a simple game to kill time, but suddenly, our duel with you is becoming more enjoyable than I imagined. I don’t know how long this time will last, but… I hope it continues for a while. Whether on this side or the other side.”

“…What?”

As I caught my breath, I expressed doubt about the statement that I simply couldn’t let pass.

“What did you say?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Are you playing games with me?”

I gnashed my teeth.

“Just now, you said ‘the other side.’ What does that mean?”

“Ah… Is that what you meant?”

“Well, I guess it’s probably fine. Anyway, it’s not like the outcome will change.”

“So, what the hell does that mean?!”

The wind quiets down.

The shouts fade away, and the chilly silence of the forest amplifies the turmoil within me.

Amidst my turmoil, Matikan spoke as if it were nothing much.

“Well, it’s no big deal. In fact, the ‘brothers’ who entered this forest with me, including myself, make up a total of nine.”

“….”

“Just as you felt us, we felt you too. You presented yourself as bait by approaching us. We found that interesting and sent one of our brothers to fulfill his destiny separately. He’s quite interested in fighting you as well. If he loses to ‘Soo Kram’, he’ll obediently go.”

‘Soo Kram’ is more elaborate than rock-paper-scissors in this world.

In ancient language, it means ‘the act of making one’s destiny’.

I thought it was quite grand to give rock-paper-scissors such a name.

“….So, stalling for time…”

“Ah, come to think of it, without knowing that, we were stalling for time until we were blue in the face. Well, it actually ended up fueling our fighting spirit and providing a different kind of enjoyment.”

Matikan laughed heartily and thumped his chest.

“But just stalling for time isn’t particularly advantageous for you either. By now, my brother has probably even reached the kitten hiding under you… And he has probably caught them all.”

“…Artir is there.”

“Artir? Ah, you mean that spirit?”

Matikan’s laughter spread in the calm silence.

“Do you really believe that such a puny spirit will become our opponent?”

“Artir is there. You damned bastards.”

Uncontrollable trembling dominates my entire body.

Anger.

Uncontainable anger clouds my vision.

Warm droplets trickle down my cheeks.

“Fine. That spirit. It’s probably dead by now.”

Matikan now wore a perplexed expression.

Despite that, deep inside, I prayed earnestly.

I prayed over and over again.

Please, please let that cursed spirit be safe.

Spirits possess the ability to communicate and resonate with their contractors’ minds.

That’s why, with an extended contract period, the understanding between contractor and spirit deepens, turning them into exceptional companions who understand each other.

Such a strong bond strengthens both sides, which is why elves call this ability a “blessing.”

But it’s also a type of binding, a kind of shackle that further solidifies the relationship between contractor and spirit.

That’s how it is. If one of the two, who have been mentally bound together for a long time, dies… it’s too obvious to say.

The death of one no longer remains just the death of one.

When their spirits are already intertwined as one, does it even matter to distinguish between their individual spirits?

“Aaaahhhhhh────!!!!!!”

Elysia.

My mother.

The sole existence that allowed me to live in this world, the reason for my existence.

I fell silent.

And then the forest fell silent.

I’ve always disliked this silence, always felt the desire to disrupt this quiet with noise.

Whenever I walked through the village, I used to feel an urge to disturb the forest’s silence.

But it’s never been like this before.

“Everyone──!! I’ll kill you all──!!!”

It wasn’t like this.

My mind blanked out.

The hand gripping the bow and arrow moved.

But I don’t know how it moved.

Am I shooting the arrow properly now? Is the bow aimed at him?

My perception isn’t working properly.

I saw a hammer coming at me.

Was it thrown, or did he approach and swing it? I don’t know.

I just dodged because I saw it coming. I climbed onto a fallen tree, larger than him, and shot an arrow again.

Did it hit?

I don’t know.

I dodged another hammer.

This time, I hid behind a tree and shot another arrow.

The arrow flew.

I didn’t check what it was aimed at.

Hammers flying, arrows shooting, flying, shooting, flying, shooting──.

Quaang!

My thoughts were abruptly cut off by a loud sound.

Intense pain echoed through my brain.

“Keugh.”

Bloom1.

I could instinctively tell that my left rib was shattered.

Was it the side that was hit?

My body wouldn’t move.

“Huff… Huff….”

Rough breathing reached my ears.

My head wouldn’t turn, but I managed to roll my eyes slightly. Warhammer, with an arrow sticking out of his body, breathed raggedly.

Ah──.

Did I actually lose?

Dying without getting my revenge.

As I thought that, a slightly peculiar sight caught my eye.

That figure.

That Warhammer.

It wasn’t Matikan.

It wasn’t the fifth warrior I was fighting against.

“Great… truly great, warrior.”

Warhammer spoke with a hoarse voice mixed with phlegm.

After a brief cough, he spat out a mix of blood and phlegm.

“Truly remarkable. I can only say that you’re remarkable. ── I never thought you’d be able to face us in single combat.”

“….”

I wanted to ask what he was saying, but my voice wouldn’t come out.

My body wouldn’t move, so I couldn’t show any reaction either.

I could only lie helplessly on the ground, rolling my eyes to look at him.

“Keugh… Keuk. Haha, Cough. Keukkhahaha!”

With each laugh, blood gushed from his throat, but he managed to succeed in laughing heartily.

He laughed.

Even while vomiting blood, he continued to laugh.

It was as if he couldn’t help but laugh incessantly.

“You can be proud! Warrior!! You fought eight of my brothers and killed half of them! You have achieved the feat of offering a battle that will be remembered in history to Khalaran!!”

Half.

Half of them.

“You said you would kill all of us! Even though it’s only half… no!! You’ve achieved half! You’ve killed half of us, just as you said!!”

It was nonsensical, and I wanted to refute it, but I couldn’t make my voice come out anymore.

I glanced around, speculating if I had really gone that far in my frenzy.

I tried to look for the remaining three, but unfortunately, I couldn’t see them in my field of view.

“Cough…. Young warrior. Do you have any last words?”

“….”

“Keukkeuk. Don’t you have the energy to squeeze out words? Cough, kuoghk!”

Warhammer coughed harshly, then spat out the remaining blood from his mouth.

“Pfft! Cough. Well done. After the grueling battle… this feeling of death looming nearby. The sensation that still makes me aware that I’m alive. I can feel Khalaran smiling. Keughk. Engaging in a battle at the cost of one’s life always sets a warrior’s blood boiling. Surely you must feel the same….”

He’s blabbering.

Who has such perverted taste?

“It’s regrettable that I won’t hear your last words, but we can’t stall any longer. It’s about time. Keukk, farewell. Who calls someone a monster?”

With that, Warhammer raised his hammer.

High into the sky.

With enough force to split the earth.

“Farewell.”

With those words──.

An arrow pierced his head, coming from somewhere.

“──Huh?”

That was his final word that he could utter.

“Eldmir!!”

“Are you alive?”

The voices of the villagers.

It seems they came to save me.

Finally.

Yes, finally.

I’ve won.

I’ve succeeded in enduring.

Tears flowed down my cheeks.

A voice that had been suppressed finally emerged weakly.

But it wasn’t so much a voice as it was a groan, turning into a pitiful wailing sound.

Mother.

My mother.

Is she okay? Why did she come to me? What happened to my mother…?

I wanted to ask, but my voice refused to come out.

It’s too frustrating.

I just continued to shed hot tears.

“Oh, El Lyradelle….”

“The forest….”

The sound of the elves who witnessed the scene nearby filled the air.

I kept listening to those voices, but I couldn’t hear my mother’s voice from that place.

In the end, I closed my eyes.

“What’s important now is not that! Heal Eldmir!”

The power of healing flowed into me.

I accepted it, but I didn’t have much desire to recover.

I simply surrendered my body to the flow of fate.

Surviving with these wounds is truly nothing short of a miracle.

“Chase them! Chase those hateful children of war!”

“Remember! The opponent is a highborn! Even though they’re on the verge of death, never let your guard down!”

All sorts of noises and shouts went back and forth.

The forest is in turmoil.

I never wanted this kind of turmoil.

I never wished for the destruction of the forest, never….

…Ah.

I feel sleepy.

As consciousness began to blur, the surrounding noises also started to fade.

Like being submerged in water with a sponge soaked in water inside my ears, and in the midst of the sounds around me growing faint…………

“Eld!”

──It felt like I heard the voice I missed dearly.