Chapter 217 A Bluff, Really?



The Princess was seated in front of her mirror.

With a brush, she meticulously combed her long ashen hair.

Every lock, every strand.

Every part was properly taken care of, until the Princess was satisfied with the result.

She had just taken a shower. With hot water too.

It had been a while.

Or perhaps, it just felt that way.

Elisa turned around.

She stared at the window for bit, before rubbing her eyes.

'The outside looks murky. I wonder why...'

Elisa stood up, but didn't walk towards that window.

She wanted to look at the view outside, but something inside her kept her from doing so.

The Princess walked to her closet instead.

Open-

'Wonder what I should wear today...'

Elisa's hands wandered around and slid over the numerous attires.

Finally, her hand settled on one.

A simple white dress.

The Princess stared at it for a while after pulling it out of the closet.

She didn't particularly like that dress. Still,  it felt like the one.

The one she was supposed to wear.

Elisa shook her head and got changed.

She pulled the trapped hair out from between her back and the dress she had just put on, before turning towards the window once more.

'Ah. Didn't feel the time passing.'

It was already dark outside.

An uneasiness quickly settled as she stared at the darkness outside.

Before the Princess had even realized it, her feet started moving towards the window.

"So dark... And quiet." She whispered.

The next second, red dots started appearing in the distance at numerous spots.

Elisa's heart shook.

'No... Not...!'

***

"I'll kill you... I'll definitely kill you! Let them go. Let them-"

"Yeah, yeah. So tell me, what's your Link with the Demon Lord?"

"You're not getting away with this. LET THEM GO!" Mark shouted.

He could shout, but, due to the seemingly indestructible roots around his body, he couldn't do much more than that.

"What are your ties-"

Mark interrupted.

Due to the Green Mist's various effects on the brain, it would be no overstatement to say that he wasn't in his right mind.

Which is why for the first time since he was Reborn, he resorted to it.

"Let them go."

"Answer my-"

A large smile was drawn on Mark's face, which surprised Yarnha and stopped the Spirit in its tracks.

"The Demon Lord won't let this slide."

"Atsel? Then you are-"

"The Demon Lord won't forgive this. And he will retaliate."

Yarnha's eyes narrowed.

A bluff.

It was obvious.

Too obvious.

"What are your ties with Atsel? You don't have the strength of a Commander, much less of a General's. I doubt you have much value at all." Yarnha sighed. "The only reason I've kept you this long is-"

"It's not me."

"Huh?"

"They're the ones important to the Demon Lord."

"The cat and the Elf? You expect me to believe that?"

"You better believe it. Or this Forest that you want to protect will end up burnt to the ground."

***

It didn't take long for the red dots to turn into wild flames, which started permeating through the multiple houses and huts that covered the ground.

The fire quickly spread and revealed what, previously, could not be seen.

Screams and cries echoed, as wounded and burnt Dark Elves left their homes.

"NO! DON'T..." Elisa clenched her fists, her legs shaking. "DON'T HURT THEM!"

Just when she was about to jump out,

"LISA!"

The door was hurriedly opened, and the King rushed in.

"Dad! What's happening? Why is-"

"THERE'S NO TIME! HURRY, WE NEED TO LEAVE-"

"Dad...?" Elisa muttered as her father froze.

Cough-

"DAD!"

The King stumbled into the room, as a drop of blood went down his face.

The trembling Elisa couldn't take a step.

She couldn't muster the strength to move.

Eventually, her father's hands reached her shoulders.

"Hurry... Run... Run... Away..."

The King fell, and the Princess held him in her arms.

"No! I can't run away! I CAN'T LEAVE YOU, I WON'T! NOT WITHOUT EVEN-"

The father coughed, and drops of blood were projected onto his daughter's cheek.

He held her by the collar before pulling her closer.

Their foreheads collided with great strength.

"Run!"

"I..."

The next second, he appeared.

It wasn't clear how long he had been standing there, but Elisa had just noticed him.

The sight of him made her tremble.

Was it fear or wrath?

The one she had forgotten.

The one she simply knew as Death.

He brought a hand to his side.

A polite and refined curtsy.

"Princess."

Elisa immediately stood up and brought her hands to her waist.

No sheathes. She couldn't find her trusty Timeworn Elven Daggers.

Still, her father's killer was there.

Elisa had no time to worry about Weapons.

"RAVEN!!!" She shouted as she closed the distance in an instant.

"You're coming at me? Even though your father is bleeding to death?"

Bam-

Bam-

Bam-

"Pheew. We got a feisty one here." The black-haired pale-skinned man commented as he blocked the multiple hits with his palm.

"KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!!"

The next second, he appeared behind Raven.

Elisa's eyes widened and her body froze.

Her feet were swept off the floor.

By the time she rose to her feet, he was already behind her.

The 'other' one.

The one who had caused the Dark Elves an incalculable amount of suffering.

The one who had, practically speaking, turned them into Slaves.

Elisa quickly turned around, but before she could do a thing, her arms were caught by the Vampire Lord, immobilizing her.

His face was incredibly gentle.

His hair, devoid of color, was white and long.

"Part two. Are you ready, Elisa?" The 'white-haired fucker', as Elisa referred to him, asked.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!!" Elisa frantically shouted as she fought against the Vampire Lord's grip.

An index finger was extended towards her.

'...'

The next second, the Dark Aura oozing out of it turned into a dark liquid and started leaking.

"STOP! STOP!!!"

'El...'

To her cries, the Vampire Lord responded with laughs.

'Elisa...'

The nightmare was about to repeat itself.

"Elisa..."

The never-ending nightmare was starting once more.

"ELISA!"