Ch.21872. Legend and Legend.

It was a calamity that arrived without warning.

Perhaps another form of the apocalypse.

“That’s…”

Diares, with his long blue hair flowing as he ran, quickly extended his arm to the side to halt the troops following behind him.

As guardians, they reigned as the most powerful swords, arrows, shields, and spears within their race.

They were granted rights befitting their responsibilities, and in turn, unlimited devotion was demanded of them.

And guardians were, in essence, the vanguard that stood against tragedies and disasters caused by external forces and internal strife.

In fact, they represented the military might of their nation and their race.

Yet now, as he beheld the girl in black armor before his eyes, he couldn’t help but tremble.

‘It’s death.’

Death was vividly painted before him.

His reason screamed that he should rush forward and stop it immediately.

But his instinct expressed the opposite opinion.

Run away.

It’s dangerous.

Even standing here puts your life at risk.

Don’t catch its eye.

If you draw its attention…

“Hoo.”

He began to step forward alone, leaving the reinforcements behind.

Just a few steps from where he stood.

Only a few steps forward, and yet.

The air had changed.

‘Corruption…’

Beings from the demon realm rarely exert their power in the middle realm.

However, the reverse was also true.

Which meant…

‘Has this area… been demonized?’

And for such an abominable thing to happen right in front of the Divine Tree… Had there ever been such an occurrence in the half-million years of elven history?

He had vaguely heard stories of similar invasions in ancient times… but even those were from the distant past.

“At this rate…”

This isn’t good.

Many of the spirits that instinctively followed him were powerless in this place.

That alone meant half of his fighting strength had been neutralized.

But the bigger problem was…

It meant that the Demon Lord, who had already been wreaking havoc in the middle realm, had now created an environment where she could finally exert her true power.

…The thought alone made his blood run cold.

The pressure and killing intent emanating from her was so cruel that it felt like it could choke the breath out of him.

‘Alone… I won’t be able to manage.’

At this point, he truly wished they had summoned one of the esteemed Knights of Radiance.

-…

With sunken eyes.

The Demon Lord, scanning her surroundings slowly with her two red glowing eyes, with pale skin beneath her black armor and everything else dyed blood-red.

Right now, she was thinking coldly.

As her domain stabilized, she had regained enough of her reason to no longer rampage indiscriminately as before.

This was because she had finally reached a point where she could distribute the pain she bore to her subjects.

In the demon realm, all pain is evenly distributed among all subjects.

However, when she had fallen from the demon realm, she had to bear the full weight of her burden alone.

But now, that was no longer the case.

Even though by her standards it was still insignificant relief.

At least having room to breathe was very important.

With just that much, she could be a little more composed, could grasp her reason more clearly.

‘…Lævateinn.’

Her purpose for coming here.

First, to recover the broken Lævateinn and make it whole again.

And the one holding it would be none other than “him.”

However, since earlier, even the demon realm’s water could no longer track him or determine his whereabouts.

Then, what should she do?

At that moment, her sole legion commander had told her.

If it’s difficult to find, don’t search—make them come to you.

Or secure a place they must inevitably go.

…Easier said than done, but how would one know where?

But he had told her there was no need to know.

Whether sooner or later, just make it happen.

And if their paths crossed, that would be a happy miscalculation.

Nothing is absolute, but if you make it absolute, that’s all that matters.

So her primary goal of completing Lævateinn was.

For this moment, pushed to the back burner.

And that would become a variable difficult for them to predict.

…Then what was the main purpose of this attack, this invasion?

‘…The World Tree.’

Her legion commander, Lutetia.

Ginaikotoinas.

Or Hela, as he was called, had said.

Don’t rampage alone; rule with military strategy.

Draw me into that world.

If that could be done.

…Just as he had pacified the demon realm, he would show her how to pacify the middle realm as well.

And he had actually succeeded in doing so during his lifetime, he said.

In another world she didn’t know about.

…We haven’t turned back time, nor have we gone back in time.

Delica, who was hesitant at first, finally made that clear.

Her legion commander seemed to have known this all along.

‘Then.’

Does that mean our struggles, our resistance, our rebellion were all for nothing?

‘Not necessarily.’

Because it was by passing through that time, that era, that her current self could exist.

That shouldn’t be denied.

…Hatred, resentment.

Absurdity, irrationality.

Misfortune and pain… must never be forgotten.

-…

Unlike moments before, her condition was definitely improving.

However, the wound inflicted by that unknown weapon still showed no signs of healing.

…And now, that strange woman was holding it.

‘She prepared for this.’

As if she knew I would come here all along.

It’s impossible that information leaked.

Then is this a countermeasure based on the elves’ unique ability to foresee the future?

‘…It doesn’t matter.’

Her legion commander, who boasted of having crushed seers before, said there was only one conclusion.

‘Even if calamities can be prepared for.’

Great calamities cannot be opposed with the meager power of created beings.

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‘Come.’

I am here, now.

If you are my subjects.

‘Even in death, you cannot escape me.’

====

The beings from the demon realm that had been appearing throughout Ardisus began to move in an orderly fashion from that moment on.

Regardless of whether they were demons, monsters, or demonic creatures.

Their movements began to display a clear, singular will.

Perhaps that’s why.

Those who had been responding to the situation separately at first couldn’t grasp this change.

But as they shared and gathered information remotely through spirit arts, they realized that an unwavering order had been established within the chaos and irregularity of these beings.

‘They’re all converging toward the center.’

Naturally, the elves who had been responding also reorganized their formations and began to pull their lines toward the center.

Furthermore.

The dimensional gates of the demon realm, which had been opening indiscriminately, began to expand toward the vicinity of the World Tree.

Alesia was retreating ahead, following the elves’ lead.

Due to the significant difference in mobility, her movement speed was noticeably slower than theirs, even with the aid of spirit arts.

‘It’s not that I’m slow!’

They’re abnormally fast!

The difference between those who moved like acrobats through the trees and herself, who had to push off the ground with her whole body to run, was simply too great.

Moreover… seeing those who traveled through the sky on what looked like birds or divine beasts, or those who practically flew by riding the wind with spirit arts, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of existential doubt about why life was so unfair.

‘Why are humans so sluggish?’

That’s just how it is.

“What are you still doing here?!”

Just then.

A large bird firmly gripped her metal shoulder guard.

Whoosh.

…And soared into the sky.

Alesia, who nearly let out a shrill scream in shock but held it back with superhuman patience.

“Zora, you! Y-you should give a signal before grabbing someone!”

“Where’s the time for that?!”

The bird with lush red feathers was casually speaking human language.

Since this wasn’t the first time, Alesia’s shock quickly subsided.

Being grabbed and lifted high was somewhat welcome.

While she was still feeling dazed, Alesia shouted her question, and Zora replied through the bird’s mouth.

“And what about you? What were you doing here?!”

“Me? I’m holding onto one of the most needed humans right now!”

Most needed human?

“When the Demon Lord starts using her full power, we’ll need your strength!”

“Demon Lord?”

Ah, so that’s why Mines disappeared so urgently.

Although she hadn’t been with them from the start, whenever she caused a commotion from a distance, it was quite noticeable.

Typically, white ice dust would spread like fog.

Ice barriers would rise, and well, other things too…

But when such outlandish phenomena suddenly disappeared, I thought she had gone elsewhere… Demon Lord?

“Ugh!”

The memory of what happened last time instinctively sent chills down her spine.

Among experiences she never wanted to have again, it was the most memorable and the worst… In any case, that kind of thing.

Though she was used to hardship, that wasn’t hardship but more like being tortured alive without respite.

She still had nightmares about that experience.

…Come to think of it, it wasn’t that long ago, was it?

“But where—!”

“You’ll bite your tongue! Just stay still!”

“Who decides that!”

Besides, was I really needed against that Demon Lord?

Ah, right.

I’m… a saint, aren’t I?

For some reason, I’ve been a bit lacking in awareness of this aspect lately.

…Is it because I’ve been engaging in more physical combat than holy arts, causing my brain to harden?

“What about Kariel?!”

“If there’s no problem, he should have arrived before you!”

Is that so?

If that’s the case… I hope he uses it well… Will it work properly?

Even as she was being carried away, Alesia couldn’t help but harbor such concerns.

‘He’ll manage well enough.’

Since he’s become a super monster that even devours monsters in my absence, he’ll handle himself well.

‘We’ll meet soon anyway, right?’

But why?

Despite the situation unfolding rapidly.

Alesia couldn’t shake the feeling that time was somehow… being lazy.

====

“Why are these things suddenly?!”

While the Southern Guardian, Diares, was facing off against the Demon Lord.

Suddenly, massive monsters and beasts began to surge through the forest, destroying it as they converged toward the Demon Lord’s location.

And some of them were blatantly hurling their bodies toward the World Tree.

“T-the dimensional gate!”

That ominous shape faintly visible through the forest.

From within the dimensional gate, creatures and life forms from the demon realm, both large and small, were pouring out like swarms of ants and bees.

The numerical advantage was instantly reversed.

The reinforcement troops watching Diares formed a formation to counter the demon realm forces that were suddenly pouring out.

However, this kind of formation was more familiar to other races.

In this situation, with only light armor, if they engaged in close combat with those creatures…

“Surround it with thorn vines!”

“Prepare for impact!”

“Honorable ancestors! Guide us to the earth!”

In an instant, thorn vines as thick as a human arm grew, and stone barriers rose from the ground.

As the vines wrapped around them, a makeshift fortress was quickly established on a slight incline.

From there, some demonstrated the prowess befitting a race of marksmen through rapid fire.

Despite shooting dozens of arrows in just three seconds, each one pierced the foreheads and brows of the monsters.

And some who manipulated spirit arts with bare hands from auxiliary dimensions used wind spirits to assist the shooting, while also continuously deploying temporary barriers, manipulating terrain, and using foreign objects to skillfully disrupt the enemy’s charging formation and protect allies.

Not only that, but as elongated trees sprouted from the barren ground, some elves climbed them to launch one-sided offensives.

Despite their small numbers, the sight of them annihilating forces twice their size was reminiscent of legendary warriors of reversal.

But even they could only manage minimal responses when facing gigantic beasts.

Feeding dozens of arrows into a single beast meant that dozens of medium-sized monsters could roam freely, which was bad no matter how you looked at it.

Moreover, there was another adversity.

“Kugh!”

The guardian Diares was struggling against the demonic creatures pouring into the corrupted area that had been demonized.

This meant that the situation around the World Tree was rapidly deteriorating.

…If the Demon Lord were to make a move here, there would truly be no countermeasure.

Although Mines’ blizzard was somewhat interfering with this,

Even that was minimal.

With just a fraction of her power diverted.

The wooden monster that had been frozen solid began to move again.

Mines instinctively sighed.

‘At this rate…’

Had it been just a few seconds? A few tens of seconds since she felt relief?

And already it was like this.

‘If this continues, no more…!’

Grrrk!

As the wooden monster made a persistent, viscous growling sound.

Ominous signs began to appear on the transparent barrier surrounding the World Tree.

‘Cracks in the barrier…!’

Looking around momentarily, everything seemed to be at its worst.

“Ugh!”

Mines herself was also approaching her limit.

Perhaps that’s why.

When something small fell from the sky among the elven ranks.

The elven warrior who discovered it wondered what it was.

It was…

A broken sword.

Why is this here…

Above all, the shape and form of that sword was completely different from those used by elves.

Yes, if one were to compare it.

It resembled the straight swords said to be used in the Empire…

At that moment.

A pure white light burst forth from between the broken sword pieces.

And that light soon forged countless forms.

-So this is it! Is this our battlefield!

A barbarian warrior wearing a horned helmet.

-Kahahaha! Death calls to us!

A burly warrior with one damaged eye.

-Odin! Another joyful battle today!

-A festival of blood! Blood from blood! Blood by blood!

-Val~hallaaa-!

-Glorious death! Honorable death!

-We’re already dead, what’s there to lose by dying again!

-You die! I die! What exchange could be more valuable!

Various warriors made of pure white light, each carrying and wielding diverse weapons.

They descended upon that place.

Their builds were vastly larger than two or three elves combined.

And there were dozens of such beings.

And among them.

…Something even larger than these massive men, so huge that it seemed like it might touch the clouds, like a tree that had grown for hundreds of years.

…As it straightened its bent upper body.

Its size alone made it seem like it might reach the clouds.

And when such a being kicked a four-legged monster with its left foot.

The monster flew through the air like a stone kicked away.

-Grrrrrr-!!

The pure white giant roared.

The earth and sky vibrated resoundingly.

A barbarian warrior craned his neck upward, then pressed down his helmet that was about to come off, and shouted heartily.

-Brother, that’s one mighty roar you’ve got there!

On one side, another warrior shouted as his massive axe cut through four or five demonic creatures in one swing.

-Uhahaha! A fight! I really love fighting!

-Rather than living as a ghost! Yes! This is a warrior’s life!

Armor made of fur.

Long swords twisted from chains.

Above all, axes.

Throwing axes that embed themselves when hurled.

Two-handed axes that split brains and torsos.

Versatile axes comfortable to wield with one hand or two, used to block with shields and to hack and cleave.

Originally tools of survival for convenience and sustenance.

Also precious companions and sole brothers to overcome harsh lives.

With them, they chopped, stripped, and split wood.

They chopped firewood, built houses, made ships, killed beasts, skinned animals, and cut meat.

And with the same tools, they split enemy heads, crushed muscles and bones.

And easily took lives.

-The rich smell of well-ripened grass! More precious than a woman’s flesh!

-More than that, it’s ale! Ale! Blood and ale!

-Let’s skin them! Odin desires it!

-Kahahaha!

A truly ear-opening, eye-opening spectacle.

A group that suddenly intervened and began barbarically turning the tide of battle.

And contrary to appearances, some elves who had lived for hundreds of years instinctively recalled beings that came to mind when they saw them.

The Ice Sand People.

The Viking Crew.

…Initially, they were pirates, bandits, mere thieves wearing the mask of warriors.

But as a collective, they were overwhelmingly strong.

Pushing and driving out indigenous settlers, they treated plunder as a business.

With that business, they founded and established several countries.

Truly another legend of the continent.

In an era when humans handled mana clumsily, they trained their bodies with mana, making them sturdier than beasts and wild animals.

They were truly bears that could beat bears, kings of bears, and emperors of beasts.

…Facing them head-on in plains or fields was suicidal even back then.

Even with several arrows embedded in them, if vital points weren’t pierced, they would get up and charge.

And their equipment wasn’t shabby either.

They were adept at both single combat and group battles.

If anything, they had vulnerabilities in large-scale warfare…

Therefore, they were incredibly agile, cunning, and terribly cowardly.

They had a natural aptitude for beating, tormenting, and plundering the weak.

…But in fights against the strong, they would rampage like suicidal warriors of reversal.

They were, in a word, mad warriors.

“Where did these come from?”

As one elf was bewildered.

An elf who had taken position on a temporarily sprouted tree, scanning the surroundings, saw.

Through the gaps in the forest. Forces converging toward this place.

And there, the figure of their Blue Queen, clad in a chain mail dress shimmering with silver, riding a white horse and galloping this way.

Also.

At the very top of one of the trees they had been walking on.

There was a man who evoked the image of pitch-black darkness.