Chapter 108 Say It Bluntly

"Ahhh! It feels so good to finally be out!" Elisa exclaimed as she walked out of the tower.

Levi followed her.

"It reeks of blood though..." She whispered to herself.

Around her, the remains of a massacre.

Dozens and dozens of Corrupted Dark Elves lay dead.

Elisa took gracious steps away from the tower, and towards the fallen.

Levi watched from afar.

Once Elisa found the location she thought best suited, she got on both knees, closed her eyes, and brought her palms together.

Inaudible whispers.

That was all Levi could hear.

Which is why he approached.

"... The Forest has offered itself to you. Now, you must offer yourself to the forest. Rest, and find your way to the Ancient Tree once more."

Levi stood silently, his gaze fixated on her.

"Are you going to ask?"

He didn't answer.

Elisa stood back up after a bit.

"Oh." She walked towards one of the many unmoving Corrupted Dark Elves. "Your clothes aren't as torn. I'll be taking them."

...

"Huh."

'What?' Mark asked.

"It's interesting. Explains some things. Makes others unclear."

'Enlighten me.'

The Fire Spirit laughed.

"All I know is what I've seen. Doubt anyone could get a good understanding that way. It's like that for my Flames. The only way to truly understand them, is to be the one producing them, to be the one there at their conception. To be the one there from their beginning." He explained

'I'm not sure I follow.'

"I don't doubt that." The Spirit snickered.

'Mm.'

Mark silently stared at the Underlings around him for a bit.

'I didn't take you for one to talk... Or think about things like this.'

"Well isn't that rich coming from the brute who only cares about fighting with his own arms and legs."

Mark's eyebrow twitched.

And the Fire Spirit did not miss that.

'My own arms and legs... Yeah. It's something like that.'

"So your past came back to bite you at your most vulnerable. I, for one, would've loved to see that."

'You were there, weren't you?'

"I only saw the fighting. The outside."

'And you would've loved to see both the outside and the inside?'

"Ha! And why wouldn't I?"

'Well isn't that greedy...'

The Fire Spirit smiled brightly.

"Isn't Fire the greediest of the four Element?"

'Is that a fact?'

"Of course it is. I would know. Who do you think you're talking to?"

Mark took a short pause.

'Fire itself...' He looked away. 'Or at least, that's what I thought during our first encounter.'

The Spirit's eyes shone brighter.

He quickly got rid of the smile on his face before Mark could see it.

"Our first encounter. It's a perfect example."

'Is it? I got my ass handed to me during the whole thing.'

"Bwahaha! I'm glad we're talking while you're in this kind of mood. This is perfect! We should do it more often. Only call me out when you feel this way.'

Mark rolled his eyes.

"Alright. Alright. Let me expand on that. You wanted to do it yourself. You took the first opportunity you got to get those guys out. You wanted to fight alone. And more than that, you wanted to fight with your arms and legs. With your own body. Once you realized you couldn't, you tried using what I had at my disposal."

'So? That's just being foolish? Against you, I was arrogant thinking everything could be solved with brute strength.'

"Yeah... No. I don't think that's it." The Fire Spirit argued. "You wanted to do it with your own body. Get it?"

'My own body...? Well, with this memory from my past, I can't argue the contrary, now can I?'

"Exactly. You were dumb enough to think physical attacks were all-powerful. Dumb enough to think that being able to use your body could... Don't look at me with those eyes. Those were your words, not mine."

'What are you trying to say?'

"You're arrogant and insecure. I'll say it bluntly."

The Spirit took a pause.

"Because no one else will."

That was it.

The reason why talking to him was so different.

"Those two can't coexist. They don't mix. And the reason why you're having trouble is-"

'That one is caused by my past, while the other is...'

pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ "That's right."

Mark let his back hit the ground.

'I can't remember it. My past. I guess it'd be easier if I could.'

"You did remember some things though."

'I did.'

"When?"

'On different occasions.'

"Can you find anything in common between those occasions?"

Mark silently stared at the blue sky, and the Fire Spirit took it as a cue to move on.

"That aside, I just can't get over the fact that you got humbled by your own past." He snickered.

The Spirit couldn't, or rather, wasn't willing, to move too far away from the subject.

'Humbled? I wouldn't say that. It just...'

Mark couldn't find the proper words to explain himself.

'It's like there were knots all over the place. And now-'

"You undid the knots? Cause that's not what it sounds like."

'No. More like... I'm aware of them. I can see those knots now.'

The Fire Spirit laughed out loud.

Even Mark felt like he could chuckle.

Talking to the Fire Spirit was different.

Depending on the situation, it would prove better or worse.

Leaves rustled-

"Ohh! Finally someone other than this rock! I just got out for the first time in forever and I already feel like going back in! Death wouldn't be as bland and uneventful! That's how much of a bore he is." A shouting Elisa exited the forest.

The white gown she previously wore had been traded off.

Leather pants, boots, a vest, and an unclear number of sheathes around her waist.

Levi exited shortly after her.

"You see his face?" The Fire Spirit whispered.

'Looks like he's the one dying.'

The two laughed as Elisa walked towards them.

Mark turned towards the Fire Spirit.

His opinion of the latter had changed slightly. Or at least, that's what he thought. Mark wouldn't accept it being described as more than slightly.

'Think we can trust her?'

The Fire Spirit took his time answering.

His first instinct was answering: "There is no we."

He chose not to.

"How would I know?"

'Good point.'

Mark lazily pushed himself off the ground.

"You know I've been nothing but cordial with you all. And you've been nothing but rude. Asking me to sign a Contract with an Underling, then leaving me with this damn shell of a-"

Gulp-

"What... What are you doing?"

As a violent purple Aura oozed out of his body, it took an instant for Mark to close the distance.

And now, he stood in front of Elisa.

His sharp claws, less than a centimeter away from her bare neck.

'Nia.'

[Your Title "Gaavah's Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]

'Can you do something for me?'

The hovering Fire Spirit took his time to catch up to them.

"Who are you? And what do you want? He asks."