As it was ought to do, time continued to move forward and, the day after the enrollment of the new students, it was time for another separation of parent and child. Vahn had been up the entire night, watching over the children in the dorm, so he had been thinking long and hard about things by the time he had returned to the Manor. When he had gone to her room, Vahn found Riveria sitting listlessly on the edge of her bed, staring at the cradle containing Masonia. She didn't even respond to his presence at first, only turning after he called out to her, dried trails of tears marring her beautiful face. His presence seemed to awaken something inside of her that she had been fighting to keep down as, the moment she realized it was Vahn who entered, Riveria clung to his body and began crying once again...
Though he had thought about it a great deal, Vahn couldn't even imagine what Riveria was going through right now. She and her father didn't have the best relationship when she was a child but it was obvious she still cared about him deeply, as children ought to do. Over the past few days, she and Larfal had been spending a fair amount of time together and, now that the time for their permanant separation had come, he wasn't surprised she was in such pain. Still, while she was crying in his arms, Riveria never once asked him to help Larfal overcome his fate. She, like the tragic King himself, had accepted the reality of the situation. They both accepted the burden of their royal blood and, in order to ensure the future was secure for their people, both father and daughter had found their resolve...
By the time the departure was scheduled, Riveria had worked to restore her appearance back to a more natural state, even though anyone could see she wasn't holding up nearly as strong as she'd like them to believe. Larfal himself was much the same, looking haggard but containing a resolute light in his eyes as, for the first time in a long time, the two shared a long embrace together. Vahn just stood at the side, holding Masonia in his arms, watching the two give their final farewells. In truth, he feared he would never truly understand situations like this as it almost seemed 'senseless' to take such actions when you had ways to circumvent them. He hated that sacrifice was 'necessary' in some situations, just to smoothen over things for other people much later down the line...
After Riveria and Larfal finally parted, the latter turned to Vahn or, more specifically, the bundle in his arms. The light in his eyes seemed to blaze like a bonfire as he walked over and looked into the face of his sleeping grandson, muttering, "I am full of regrets...but, to create a better world for all the generations to follow, this is something I've chosen to do...forgive me, young one..." Then, as if finally realizing his presence, Larfal raised his head to match Vahn's gaze, saying, "Vahn Mason...in all my years, I've never seen anyone like you...so young...so capable...please, I know it isn't truly my place to ask this of you, and I know you would do so without my asking, but take care of my daughter and grandchild...please..."
Once again, causing his guards to twitch, Larfal bowed low and implored Vahn to protect the two most precious things held within the King's heart. In response, Vahn took a deep breath to retain his composure before solemnly stating, "No matter what happens, even if the Heavens themselves collapse upon the Mortal World, I will bear the burden in place of my family. I will never allow harm to befall them, regardless of the circumstances...that is my pride as a Husband and a Father...go, Larfal, King of the Elves, knowing that your legacy will continue forward into perpetuity..."
Hearing this, Larfal showed a gratified smile and reached out his hand, patting Vahn's shoulder as he laughed boisterously. Many of the guards, each knowing what they were going into, also produced small smiles since, much like their King, they believed the future or their people was already secured. They, too, had seen Vahn's performance the previous day, even viewing it on a loop after having one of the [Projection Sphere]s provided to them. His prowess simply went 'beyond' anything they had expected, giving them full confidence that the progeny of their Liege was secure with Vahn around.
Before Larfal was able to board his carriage, Riveria had reached out her jade-like fingers and gripped the edge of his robes, muttering, "Father..." This caused the King to lower his head slightly and, without turning to face his daughter, state, "The future of the Elves now rests on your shoulders, my child...and...I'm so proud...of you...." Though nobody could see them, it was easy to infer that Larfal himself was on the verge of tears at this point, if not already crying. His voice was shaky and the fact that he refused to turn back was a true testament to what he was feeling right now. He wanted his final moments to show his resolution, not his weakness...not again...
Appearing as though it was one of the most difficult things in the world, Riveria continued to grip the hem of Larfal's robe for nearly a full minute before a sound snapped her back to reality. Masonia had awoken and started crying, causing her to look back instinctually, face filled with concern. Then, as if uttering a magic spell, Larfal said, "Go to him...a child needs their parents..." Though Riveria didn't seem to think too much on his words at that time, Vahn felt like his heart was seized by a skeletal grip, tearing away at his chest with a fierce intensity. Still, he stood staring at the back of the King, suddenly finding the latter's shoulders to be much broader than his own...
Using the moment when his daughter had let go, Larfal boarded the carriage and the guards quickly fixed their formation as Lendal proudly raised his banner and shouted, "Forward!" in a commanding tone. Riveria, no holding Masonia, followed their departure with her eyes and, even if she wasn't aware of it herself, she took slow steps towards the gate to continue doing so for a long while thereafter. Vahn stood there silently, supporting her as best he could while also following the procession with his gaze. Seeing more than a hundred people willingly march to their deaths, without any discernable hesitation, weighed heavily on both his heart and mind. He knew they were deserving of his respect but, deep inside, Vahn felt like this entire thing was just...so senseless...
After around twenty minutes had passed, Riveria turned her eyes away from the direction her Father had left. She looked into Vahn's face, a wavering light in her jade-green irises as she said, "I'm fine, Vahn...let's go inside...I need to feed Masonia..." Vahn lightly nodded, supporting Riveria's trembling body as they made their way inside. The Hearth Manor, which was always filled with warmth, now felt like a chill had settled into it. To counteract this feeling, Vahn surrounded Riveria and Masonia with as much warmth as he could manage, letting calming energy envelope the entire room as he embraced his wife and child...a glimmer of light flashing across his pupils when he saw Riveria break down into tears once again...
---
When the procession had originally left the Elven Kingdom, they had used a powerful formation that had generally been reserved for evacuating the royal family to safety. This was how they were able to make a journey of more than six-thousand kilometers within a single day's time. As to the reasons such an extreme method were used, it was because Larfal had desperately wanted to see his grandson while simultaneously creating a 'gap' for his enemies to exploit. At this point, almost all of the Noble houses each had their plots against him, with the number of attempts at his life already numbering greater than a hundred. Even Alfred Els Lainu, the man he had treated as a friend and brother for more than a hundred years, had been plotting to seize the throne for himself, blaming Larfal for the failures and crippling of his son, Alosrin.
For the last ten months, Larfal had been using what remained of his power and authority, using his connections with both the Sage Council and High Priestess Faction to bide time. Fortunately, he still had the adulation and respect of his people as, even though some of the Noble houses had tried to slander him, the rumors simply lacked credibility. After all, it was 'very' difficult to believe when the people you 'knew' were responsible for so many atrocities were the ones telling you someone else was bad. This was especially true when families started being forcefully taken into those very same Nobles' houses, never to be seen again. When rumors began spreading of a large number of Elven slaves being handed over to the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, everyone knew the 'truth' of the matter, making it much more difficult for them to actually depose him.
Remembering the foolishness of his own kin, who touted their superior intelligence over the other races, Larfal couldn't resist snorting. Though he also believed that the High Elves were a superior species, as the 'facts' were readily available, he wasn't one of the people that advocated their doctrine of racial superiority. The only thing that truly mattered was the survival of their people, something that had been jeopardized by nearly a thousand years of policies he had been too weak to change. In the past, he had given up his freedom, his love, his family, all for the sake of things he hadn't truly believed in...now, to set things right, he was paying the price with his own life. It was one of the only 'real' decisions he had ever been able to make and, even though he was filled with regrets, they weren't able to shake his conviction...
It was with that same conviction that, several days after their departure from Orario, Larfal burst forth from his carriage to fight against his attackers. As expected, they had been ambushed on their return trip to the Elven Kingdom, fire and ice striking against his carriage in an attempt to take him out instantly. Fortunately, the barriers held true and Larfal was able to leap outwards as he began his own chant, causing a massive emerald green magic circle to appear beneath his feet. He might not be as strong as his daughter, but that didn't mean he would be taken out so easily.
Loosing forth a tempest of wind, infused with the power of destruction, Larfal loudly exclaimed, "Traitorous dogs, you dare attack your own King!? Do you truly believe your Masters, the very men who have wronged you and your families, are deserving of your loyalty!?" Though he knew it wouldn't make much of a difference, Larfal cried out to rile himself up. Magic might be more difficult to cast when a person was in a heightened emotional state, but it also made the resultant magic much stronger. His family had always been able to use magic containing the power of Destruction and, much like the name implied, it was capable of wreaking havoc on everything, even other magics.
Surprisingly, in response to his shout, a voice Larfal recognized sounded a response, "The only traitor here is you, Larfal! What right do you have to sit upon your throne when you can't even keep a single sow in line!? What value do your words possess when you so readily break promises!? You even go to the very man who had stolen your daughter, attacked my son, and enacted a blockade against our people! You have betrayed everyone! Your own wife, your daughter, your allies, and now, your very people!"
Accompanying the shout, several arrows and a powerful fire magic shot towards Larfal, breaking against the barrier he had erected. The man who had shouted out was none other than Alfred, the father of that bastard, Alosrin, the swine who had pined after his daughter's flesh. However, as if to make his asinine words even more ridiculous, Alfred actually had the assistance of foreigners in the ambush. He was obviously trying to stage things to look like it was outsiders that attacked them, likely using it as a justification to rally the people and seize the throne for himself.
Seeing that his 'friend' had turned into a true traitor to their people, Larfal just snorted, raising his staff high as he shouted, "The Els Lainu family has betrayed the Kingdom, conspiring with outside forces to commit regicide! Give these traitors no quarter!" In response to his words, the surviving guards all released a loud warcry and continued to fight against the vastly superior enemy forces. They were easily outnumbered four to one but, as if the opposite were true, the Royal Guards continued to strike down their assailants like farmers harvesting wheat in a field. Even Alfred was somewhat surprised by their fervor but kept a contemptuous scowl on his face as he looked towards the man who had 'betrayed' him.
Larfal knew they wouldn't be able to last that long and, if not for the fact his enemies were trying to make it appear like an ambush from external forces, they would have already died. After all, magic was a very powerful tool to use during an ambush and it wouldn't have been that difficult to set up a variety of powerful traps. This would be much more difficult to explain away, however, thus leading to this situation where only weaker magic, swords, spears, and bows were being used to slaughter them. Still, even though this was the case, Larfal continued to fight with full confidence that he had already won, much to Alfred's chagrin.
Long before he had left for Orario, Larfal had already made use of his own network, along with his daughter's, to spread the information about today's attack. He had also gotten the support of the High Priestess Faction who, knowing that he was willingly facing his death for the better of the Kingdom, had decided to support him. Though it might be talked about openly, it was known by all of the important figures for the future that his death was undoubtedly a result of internal conflict, not external interference.
The moment any of the Noble houses tried to lay the blame on others, they would instead be putting targets on themselves for the people to focus on. Though some would inevitably believe the Noble factions, especially those who supported the racial superiority of the High Elves, Larfal had already come up with a countermeasure for that as well. He had compiled a list of every single Elf that had been sold into slavery, who had sold them, and where they had ended up. For the last ten months, he had accumulated information on more than five-thousand slaves, which would now become public knowledge with his death. This would undoubtedly lead to greater internal conflict, but this was a trial that his people needed to overcome if they wanted to raise their heads high in the future...
Though he had held out for nearly twenty minutes, Larfal's defensive artifact finally sputtered out as an Adamantine arrow pierced into his shoulder. Accompanying the pain, he felt his nerves begin to tense up as a numbness quickly began spreading through his body. Understanding the arrow had been poisoned, Larfal just smiled towards the man he once treated as a friend, muttering decisively, "You bring doom upon your own people, yourself, and your kin...what a petulant little man...haaaaa."
As if having salt applied to an open wound, Alfred's expression became even more fierce as he tore the bow from the man next to him and knocked an arrow of his own. With a cruel smile on his face, Alfred coldly stated, "You were never fit to be King..." before releasing the arrow and watching it fly. Not really having the time to nod, Larfal just looked directly into Alfred's eyes, completely agreeing with the foolish man, though for entirely different reasons. He certainly hadn't been qualified to be King, as it had only been the catalyst for every regrettable mistake in his life, but, in the end, he felt that his life had purpose. Though he hadn't been able to give her the throne she rightly deserved, Larfal had an amazing daughter and, now that she had the support of someone like Vahn, Larfal knew there was hope for the future of their people...
Seeming to travel in slow motion, the pristine white arrowhead reduced the distance between its lethal tip and Larfal's forehead, holding true to its course as it prepared to claim the life of a King. However, though it seemed as though nothing could have obstructed its flight path, the reality of the situation was quite different from expectations. As if it had been there from the start, a figure appeared within Larfal's vision, obstructing his view of the arrow and the traitor who had fired it. In the next instant, a tyrannical and oppressive aura descended upon the forest as a cold and solemn voice resounded in everyone's ears, "I won't give you the satisfaction..."
Alfred's eyes widened when a stranger suddenly appeared, snatching his arrow deftly out of the air and glaring towards him with blazing blue eyes. Just as he wanted to shout out, asking who this newcomer was, the man was already right in front of him and, unable to voice any word whatsoever, Alfred found himself lifted from the ground. He didn't even have time to struggle as a sickening feeling welled up from his stomach, followed by a powerful 'jerking' motion. Then, before his brain could even process the pain, darkness had claimed his mind...
Though almost everyone had stopped after the oppressive aura had appeared, they became absolutely silent when they saw this strange man cover the distance between the King and their attacker in an instant. Then, with the ease of a butcher preparing a chicken, the man wrung the neck of Alfred and allowed his lifeless body to drop to the ground. They didn't even have time to process what was happening, however, as pain suddenly spread through the body of every person performing the ambush. Looking down, with what remained of their strength, each and every one of them saw black 'spears' originating from their shadows, piercing through their bodies as if they were kebabs. Unfortunately, they didn't have the same 'painless' death as their Master and were left to bleed out on the ground after the spears removed themselves from their bodies...
Not even sparing a glance towards the attackers, Larfal continued to stare blankly at the man before him, completely ignoring the painful numbness in his body as he asked, "Why...I-" Before he could continue his line of questioning, the man had looked back at him, a firm light burning vibrantly in his eyes as he repeated the words Larfal himself had said in the past, "A child needs their parents...you have failed Riveria too many times to simply throw your life away here...I don't want to see her cry anymore..."
Hearing this, Larfal felt like the numbness in his body had spread to his brain but, in the next instant, a warmth began to spread through his body, completely driving away the feeling. It wasn't just him either, as most of the people around him, including the attackers, felt the same warmth spreading into their bodies, repairing their broken bones and mending their wounds. The only real difference was that the attackers also felt an oppressive force weighing down on their bodies, which had been crippled from the spears completely shattering the 'cores' in their abdomens. They would live to face the justice they were due, even if they only did so at the behest of their now deceased master. Many of them were slaves that were forced to take action so the man, none other than Vahn, wouldn't reap their lives so readily...
Vahn looked out over the site of the battle, clenching his teeth for having waited so long to take action. Now, more than eighty of the King's escort, including Lendal, had been slain, bodies splayed out on the ground with still-resolute expressions on their lifeless faces. In truth, he had just intended to bear witness to Larfal's death, having felt it was his responsibility to ensure that Riveria's father was at least treated with dignity after the fact. However, his main body was, even at this very moment, drinking tea with a very tired looking Riveria. Though he might have been able to repress his emotions in other circumstances, he simply couldn't be sitting comfortably with his wife while simultaneously watching her father sacrifice his life...he just couldn't...
Walking over to Larfal, who was still kneeling on the ground, clutching the arrow in his shoulder, Vahn pulled it out with a painful yank and began healing the wound as he plainly stated, "You made your resolution, Larfal, and I respect that...however, I too have made my own resolutions...I want to make a world where people can be happy...where everyone can smile without having to worry about the situation they were born into...how can I build that kind of world when I can't even save the father of my wife...the grandfather of my child...? No...I can't do it...I won't just sit back and 'wait' for change to come...I can't allow this senselessness to continue...not anymore..."
Without allowing Larfal the chance to respond, Vahn pulled the slack-jawed King to his feet, dusted off his shoulders, and then patted his back, saying, "Come...we have work to do..."
(A/N: This will probably be the only chapter today, at least for the time being. I'm not sure why, but I've had a bad migraine since yesterday and, even though it started getting better yesterday evening, it seems to be acting up now that I'm seated at my computer. I'll try to write some more from my laptop, after laying down, but I feel compelled to simply sleep away the pain as much as possible. Honestly, I don't really know what to say at this point and just ask that you please be patient with me. I really want to wrap up Vol 15 soon, and there are only a few chapters left, but my brain has been wonky for the last couple of days. For the future, I promise to never try another writing challenge, especially if it's going to hurt the amount of content I can output after the fact. Know that I am very sorry for the lack of content this week and I swear I will try and do better in the future.)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tears are heavy on the hearts of heroes...','Pride of a King...','Pride of an Emperor...')
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Not long after taking a few steps away from the King, the latter reached out his hand and exclaimed, "Wait...!" Vahn, having taken less than five steps, turned around with a simultaneously plaintive and solemn look, asking, "What is it...?" With his hand still in the air, Larfal remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Vahn...thank you for saving my life...however, this is something that is nec-" Before Larfal could finish, Vahn interrupted him, asking, "How is it necessary? Why is it that good men have to die at the behest of greedy and despotic individuals? Tell me, Larfal, what would you have done if you weren't ambushed along the way...!? Cut off your own head!?"
Larfal's face turned into one of confusion, as he hadn't expected Vahn to have such a sudden outburst. All of his experiences with the boy had made the latter out to be a very calm and rational individual, not the type of person to suddenly argue against the convictions of another. At the same time, however, Larfal considered Vahn's words, wondering, what would he have done if there wasn't an ambush waiting...he would have returned and, until the situation had worsened, continued working hard to help as many of his people as possible. There were many things in his life he had regrets about, one of the biggest being that he knew his people would continue to suffer for a while after his death.
Seeing Larfal unable to come up with an immediate response, Vahn squinted his eyes slightly and stated, "The future is limitless. As long as you draw breath, you should be doing whatever you can to create a better future for yourself, and others. You are a King, Larfal...you owe it to your people, not just your daughter and grandchild, to do everything in your power to defeat the enemies that would lay them low. Even if my assistance causes misunderstandings, we can focus on bringing change slowly, just like what I'm doing with the School...besides..." At the end of his words, Vahn pulled out a crystal object that was now very familiar to Larfal, a [Projection Sphere].
Because he thought it could be helpful to the King's cause, or serve as a memento for his family, Vahn had been recording Larfal's last moments. It was one of the things that had prevented him from taking action sooner, as his focus on ensuring the quality of the recording had helped to distract him, even if just a little. Now, though some of the sounds were hard to make out, he had almost irrefutable proof of the conspiracy to take the King's life, even if people tried to spin things against them later on. Though some might still argue the the [Projection Sphere] is fake, they would have no way of proving it as there weren't any similar items in the entire world. The few gods within the Elven Kingdom would easily be able to verify that authenticity of the item and, as long as they had even a small amount of support from the High Priestess Faction, things should proceed in a positive light.
Larfal was finding it very difficult to form any words to explain the various thoughts running through his mind. He had been so 'determined' to face his death that, now that he was alive, he actually didn't know what the best course of action was. From the moment he had used the emergency escape teleportation circle, nearly two weeks prior, he had been anticipating his own death. Now, after having lost a large number of his most faithful men, he was giving another chance at life...? It just felt so empty, like he didn't deserve the chance after having so many failures. The most problematic thing, however, was that he knew Vahn's words cut through to the truth of the matter. Unless someone else took his life in a plot, his death would have no meaning, other than serving as a means of escaping a difficult situation...
Suddenly, while the two had been staring into each others' eyes, waiting for the other party to give in first, a loud explosion resounded through the forest. Based on how the sound was muffled, it had to have come from hundreds of kilometers away, at the closest. Giving the distance, and direction, it was very easy to understand that the source had been the Elven Kingdom itself. Vahn had jerked his head back before leaping into the sky to get a better vantage but, after remembering that the Elven Kingdom was hidden by a massive formation, he returned to the ground and asked, "Will you stay here, brooding, or will you go to your people...?"
At the same time he was speaking to Larfal, Vahn, back at the Manor, was also taking actions of his own. He had been previously cuddling with Riveria but, now that things had developed so suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders and answered her confusion, "The Elven Kingdom is in danger. I'm going to help..." For a moment, Riveria's confusion increased even further before her eyes suddenly opened wide and she asked, "Vahn...did you save...my father...?" Though he didn't truly feel guilty, probably, Vahn still averted his eyes before nodding his head, saying, "I couldn't just stand by and watch..."
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Riveria wasn't angry at all and, instead of reprimanding him for doing something unnecessary, she tightly hugged him, exclaiming, "Vahn, than you...thank you so much..." In response to this, Vahn hugged Riveria tightly, stroking her long and silky smooth hair as he muttered, "I couldn't stand to see you in such a state any longer...we had promised each other previously, to shoulder the burden of the future together...I can't let you bear such a heavy weight on your own. I'd rather bear the weight of an entire Kingdom, together with you all, than watch a single one of you suffer...especially when I have the power to prevent it..."
Riveria's expression turned especially soft upon hearing these words but, as if it had been an illusion, became very serious an instant later, asking, "What is the situation?" Vahn experienced a momentary pause before explaining, "There was an explosion coming from the direction of the Elven Kingdom. I'm currently helping your father and his men get prepared and intend to investigate the source of the explosion soon. Once I get a better understanding of the situation, I may bring Terra, Fafnir, and Fenrir to support..." Nodding her head in agreement, Riveria said, "If things get out of hand, make sure you call me as well...I'll make sure our son is taken care of...go, Vahn, help our people..."
With a final nod, Vahn made his way over to Terra's Garden while using his telepathy to communicate the situation with the other girls. Terra herself had already been called to the side of his main body so Vahn immediately submerged himself into the wellspring and began to meditate. This was a method he had come up with for emergency situations, as he could share energy with his other body through the link they shared together. By submerging himself in the wellspring, his natural recovery would be accelerated even further and, if there were a multi-pronged attack that targeted the Manor, he could use the Unit Management function to immediately call Terra back...
Back within the Western Forests, Vahn had quickly helped the 21 remaining Royal Guards get into fighting shape as three figures appeared nearby, startling everyone except Vahn himself. To prevent any problems, Vahn explained, "These are my trusted companions; they will help." Without further explanation, Vahn turned to Terra, Fafnir, and Fenrir, explaining, "Terra, Fenrir, the two of you will accompany me to the Elven Kingdom. Terra, if there are any people that are injured, please do what you can to help them. Fenrir, you'll deal with any fires that might have resulted from the explosion. If there are any people trying to attack you, try and incapacitate them without killing them. However, if you feel genuinely threatened...do not hesitate..."
Terra's wings rustled slightly, nodding her head with a solemn expression, while Fenrir's scarlet eyes just began to glimmer. Though Terra was a pacifist, it didn't mean she would turn a blind eye to those trying to claim her own life. As for Fenrir, though she had never killed anyone, the only people she even placed in her eyes were those in the Manor, and those her Master wanted to protect.
Using Terra's [Void Transferance], the entire group was teleported to the edge of the Elven Kingdom's barrier, leaving only five men behind to tie up and escort the surviving attackers. Vahn was a little surprised to find that, even though they were right on the edge of the barrier, and there must have been conflict occurring on the other side, he only saw empty forest before him. Of course, the moment he opened his [Eyes of Truth], this was no longer the case. Instead, Vahn saw a thick membranous barrier and, on the opposite side, a sight that chilled his heart and mind slightly.
Larfal, not affected by the barrier in the first place, nearly fell to his knees but was prevented from doing so by one of his Royal Guards. They all had pale and almost hopeless expressions on their faces as, in the distance, two massive trees were currently burning amidst a much larger forest fire that sent plumes of smoke into the sky from various locations.
Looking to Fafnir, Vahn said, "Protect the King as best you can. Get him to the Palace and prevent anyone from trying to bring him harm..." Fafnir nodded, diving into the shadow of Larfal while Vahn began chanting his [Dios Tukos], meaning Axe of Lightning, and absorbing it into his body with [Magia Erebea]. Turning to the King, and his escort, Vahn stated in a commanding tone, "Protect his Highness and make sure he reaches the Palace safely. I will try to find the source of this attack and deal with it. Terra, Fenrir, you both know what to do." The latter both nodded their heads, Terra taking to the sky while Fenrir dashed off like a phantom into the forest proper. Even though they were already within the Elven Kingdom, the majority of the area was still woodlands, with most of the houses congregated towards the center and made of natural materials.
In the sky, storm clouds began to form as a result of Terra coalescing a massive amount of water elemental energy and trying to cause a rainstorm. Vahn had already taken off into the woods himself at this point, following the sounds of fighting as he made his way towards one of the burning Sacred Trees. He didn't know what was going on and, considering how important the Sacred Trees were to the Elves, it was hard to believe anyone would actually attack them. This would have been an outside attack and, considering the entourage that had accompanied Alfred, Vahn had an idea of who it could be. Presently, the Elven Kingdom was blockaded on the southern and eastern sides of the forest, leaving their only means of getting 'reinforcements' were the Dwarves to the North...and the Rakia Kingdom from the West...
Because he was in his 'Lightning Raiment', Vahn reached the closest Sacred Tree in only a few seconds time, even though it had been a few hundred kilometers away. Another reason he assumed it was the Rakia Kingdom was that the two burning Sacred Trees were located on the Western area of the forest, putting them in the closest proximity. When he got there, however, Vahn saw a small army of Elves besieging the burning tree while the fires within were constantly put out by those on the opposite side of a large barrier. There was an older High Elven woman maintaining the barrier, holding a jade-white staff adorned with five beautiful jewels before her. Vahn could tell she wouldn't last long, however, as her energy had already begun to flicker under the constant bombardment of fire and lightning elemental magic spells.
There was no question in Vahn's mind who was at fault in this situation so, without waiting for a single moment longer, he kicked off against the ground and dashed 'through' the besieging formation. It was a very difficult to describe feeling, having people 'break' around you, but Vahn didn't really care at this moment and just used his Xuánwǔ form to increase his offensive and defensive capabilities. Along the way, as the group struggled to even understand what was going on, Vahn saw an especially arrogant looking group of men and appeared before them. They tried to counter using their magical artifacts but this was only because their brains hadn't caught up with the fact that their legs had already been sliced clean through by his hand.
The three men, and one boy, all released blood-curdling screams, almost like pigs being slaughtered by a butcher. Their cries had caused the surviving attackers to shout things like, "Dal Alfan-Sama" and "Els Lainu-sama", while lunging at him with their weapons. Vahn simply extended his hand out, releasing some of the lightning elemental energy from his body and attuning it to the magic power contained within the bodies of the Elves. As if seeking a ground, but unable to find one, the lightning traveled from his hand, extending into the body of one Elf and then bouncing to the next one in their formation. In what seemed like an instant, the lightning had bounced to each of the closest Elves before arcing towards the ground, melting an area of the dirt as it flickered and tried to arc towards the next Elf.
While he was chaining his lightning between the attackers, Vahn had already turned his attention to the woman maintaining the barrier. As if she had seen a ghost, her face became very pale and, as a result of her break in concentration, the barrier surrounding the based of the massive 10km tall tree had dispersed. Seeing this, Vahn extended his right hand, causing the woman to loudly exclaim, "No, please, do not harm the Sacred Treed further!" Without even chanting, the woman had produced a small purple pendant from her bosom and directed towards his body. Vahn suddenly felt like his weight had multiplied several times as a brackish-purple column of magical light appeared around his body, crushing him into the ground and breaking apart [Magia Erebea] form.
Though his immortality was enhanced to an extreme extent, Vahn's actually defensive capabilities were severely reduced while in pure energy forms. Gravity was a very mysterious force and, even though it shouldn't have affected his lightning elemental energy, each molecule of his body still contained mass at the moment. As a result, he couldn't really resist the sudden gravitational well and was constantly having his body torn apart, causing him to internally retort, ("What the hell is this woman's problem!? I just saved her and she immediately attacks me!?")
Pumping more energy into his Xuánwǔ form, even though it was starting to drain his reserves very quickly, Vahn solidified his body and tried to disperse the gravitational force acting on him. Unfortunately, though he was able to stop the resistive force at the areas where he was contacting the ground, it didn't really do anything to the force acting on each individual cell. Vahn felt like all his blood, capillaries, and even his nerves, were being weighed down and torn apart. It was a very infuriating feeling as, if he hadn't possessed his [Magia Erebea] form, this foolish woman's attack likely would have taken his life. Fortunately, the moment he was able to get his feet against the ground, Vahn used every fiber of his being to initiate a [Shundo], appearing next to the woman's side in an instant.
Unable to resist the unbridled fury welling up inside him, Vahn brought the back of his hand across the woman's face and shouted, "What the fuck is your problem!? I'm here to help you!" Though he had 'tried' to hold back, Vahn saw the woman spit out a molar while she shakily held her hand to her face. Seeing the severely swollen cheek, and the sheer terror in her expression, Vahn started to feel a little guilty but, considering what she just did, his expression stayed firm. Resisting the urge to apologize, he turned his palms back towards the Sacred Tree and, to the shock of the terrified High Elf, began to 'pull' all of the flames towards himself. Though he might not be able to cast other forms of magic in his [Magia Erebea] state, it didn't mean his external elemental manipulation was affected. He had always had excellent control over fire elemental energy and it wasn't that difficult to extinguish, move, or even absorb it, once it was within his domain.
After extinguishing the majority of the flames, leaving on a few areas that would naturally disperse on their own, Vahn turned back to the woman and snorted. He understood she was likely part of the High Priestess Faction, the same group that had been giving Riveria and the Alliance a cold shoulder recently. Though he didn't know her reasons, the fact she had attacked him unprovoked had seriously pissed him off and, for the time being, she wasn't worth the effort of talking to. Without sparing her a word, Vahn turned his attention to the other Sacred Tree and vanished from the area with a thunderclap marking his exit.
For several seconds after his departure, the High Elven woman continued to nurse her swollen cheek with a blank expression on her face. Then, as if remembering she could use healing magic, she uttered a quick chant as green energy began glowing from her palm. At the same time, she rose to her shaky feet and gestured to the young women running towards her that she didn't need assistance. Instead, she turned to one of the girls with golden embroidery on her robe and said, "We need to send a message to my sister. Tell her that Vahn Mason...isn't the reason for the Elven Kingdom's destruction..." As the words left her lips, the woman, Deina Els Lainu, one of the most powerful Mages of the previous generation, couldn't help but lament their lack of insight.
As the Elven maiden went to carry her message, Deina made her way into the Sacred Tree with the other girls escorting her, wondering what had happened to lead to this current situation. They had already started to implement the countermeasures provided by the King, as their scouts had reported that the procession was nearing the border. However, just as they were beginning to make their move, a small army led by the Noble Houses had started to siege them. The most troublesome thing was, even though they were currently staying hidden, she knew the Sage Council was also helping out. There was almost no magic that could be used by the despotic Nobles that would have been able to suddenly injure the Sacred Trees.
Previously, as a result of Sylfia's vision, they assumed that Vahn had been the reason for the burning they had seen within the reflecting pool. Instead, it was their own people that had brought about such tragedy and, instead of accepting his help, they had been borderline hostile towards him. The fact she had used a treasure that had been kept safe by her family for generations to attack an ally was now weighing heavily on her heart. Though she was more than a little upset that Vahn had painfully slapped her cheek, Deina was doing her best to bear the tingling sensation that, even now, hadn't faded from her body. She had constantly been trying to expel the foreign energy but, no matter how much of her own mana she mustered, it was 'very' persistent...
(A/N: I'll be releasing some chapters today, but I can't say when they will come out. I need to take a break after I write to relax for a bit. Still, there should be 3-4 today since there are a few things I want to wrap up.)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Don't be a coward, kusoyarou...!!','Smells like smoked veggies...','Backhand of the Godhand, a lesson not soon forgotten!?')
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