Chapter 82: Those Who Can Never Be Forgiven (finish)
by AfuhfuihgsThe corruption pit had begun to gradually fade away,
But the ominous energy that had spread around Sera remained.
The demonic presence, so dense it swallowed even the light,
Had now become a whispered topic among the elves.
And then, there was the sight of her torturing Baek Min-jun while he was still alive.
Kim Su-hyun hadn’t seen the full extent of it,
But it was far from anything that could be called saintly.
The elves, who already blamed humanity for destroying nature,
Had no reason to feel sympathy for the fallen Sera.
If anything, this was an opportunity.
Whether Sera was suppressing the Demon King’s power or had become the Demon King herself,
It didn’t matter.
What did matter was that this was their chance—
A rare and perfect opportunity to completely erase the Demon King from existence.
One by one, the elves began gathering around Kim Su-hyun and Sera.
Their anxious stares were filled with clear hostility.
Each of them readied their bows,
Aiming toward the collapsed ruins—
But not for the sake of saving them.
Kim Su-hyun knew this well.
His mind raced for a solution.
How could he save Sera?
How could he convince the elves?
Perhaps he should use the Mesmerizing Eye?
No—
He had already used too much power in his battle against Baek Min-jun.
And besides, the Eye had no effect on men.
Maybe he could charm the female elves?
But what about the males?
There was no way to mesmerize them.
Then what if he ran away with Sera?
But the barrier surrounding the White Mirage Forest made that impossible.
If he tried to flee, they would wander the forest forever until they died in despair.
“Step aside! We can kill the Demon King now!”
“Wait! Sera is not the Demon King!”
“Nonsense! The demonic energy alone proves it!
Even if she isn’t the Demon King—
We cannot allow anyone who wields such a wicked power to live!”
The formal tone was gone,
Replaced by a forceful, commanding voice.
Mathias’ harsh words carried weight,
And the elves around him began nodding in agreement.
The chosen warrior, destined to save the world,
Would surely understand the necessity of sacrifice.
Kim Su-hyun remained silent.
He only looked down at Sera.
Her beautiful face, now stained with blood.
Even if it was all a misunderstanding,
For Sera, who never received proper education,
The loss of her child must have felt completely real.
But despite everything,
The dense demonic aura around her spoke volumes about her choice.
So that’s how it was.
Even if her child never existed,
Even if it was all just her imagination,
She had lost something dear to her.
And now,
She had willingly embraced the Demon King’s power to save everyone else.
Kim Su-hyun held Sera’s unconscious body in both arms.
Then, he faced the elves.
Mathias wasn’t wrong.
Sera had prepared for death from the beginning.
As long as she held the Demon King’s power,
It was the safest and most logical choice to kill her now.
But…
That’s not an option.
They had promised.
A happy ending for the two of them.
For the first time,
Kim Su-hyun spoke without formality.
His voice was low, heavy.
“That’s not going to happen.”
“That’s my choice.”
Mathias lifted his hand.
The elves readied their arrows.
There were too many of them for him to handle alone.
His body was already exhausted.
But it didn’t matter.
He would save Sera.
Even if it meant dying here with her.
That was the only thought filling his mind.
“Wait!!!”
Just as Mathias’ hand was about to drop,
A clear, almost foolishly naive voice echoed across the temple ruins.
Kaellia.
“Kaellia, this is not your place to interfere!”
Mathias’ frustration was obvious,
But Kaellia didn’t hesitate.
“This is wrong!
Why are you trying to kill the warrior and the saintess?
Because of demonic energy?!
But the saintess—
She saved us!”
“The corruption began with her prayer!
How can you be sure of her true intentions?!”
“But, but…!”
Yes, Sera had the Demon King’s power.
Yes, she had wielded dark energy freely.
But everything she had done was to protect them.
Kaellia insisted.
The evil one was Baek Min-jun.
Sera had simply punished a villain.
So why should she be the one to suffer for it?
It was a simple argument.
And because it was so simple,
It could never be accepted.
“Look at the World Tree!
The Blessing of Life has completely vanished!
How can you still believe in humans after this?!”
“But the Blessing of Life…
It never belonged to the elves in the first place!
It was a gift from the gods to the entire world!
“Then why—
Why are you trying to keep it for yourselves?!”
The Queen was dead.
The World Tree was nothing more than a husk.
The elves raged,
Unwilling to accept Kaellia’s words.
And just as the uproar reached its peak,
A man stepped forward from the shadows.
“A race that refuses to share will always end up with nothing.”
“Laura! Natalia!”
Kim Su-hyun’s eyes widened.
Ariel smirked.
He unceremoniously dropped Laura and Natalia to the ground.
“They’re alive, don’t worry.
I merely subdued them.”
Kim Su-hyun gritted his teeth.
Ariel’s golden hair gleamed under the faint light.
His pale face, his pointed ears, his tall, slender frame.
Ariel was an elf, one of the First Descendants.
And yet,
His eyes held only amusement.
“The elves believe the world was made for them,”
“That everything in it was meant to be theirs.”
Mathias’ eyes darkened.
“Ariel… You really went through with it.”
“Of course.”
Ariel’s clothes were soaked in blood.
A sickening stench clung to him.
There was no need to ask—
Everyone already knew what he had done.
A man who once swore eternal love to the Queen
Had committed the ultimate betrayal.
He had crossed the line that should never have been crossed.
Kim Su-hyun’s grip tightened around Sera.
This wasn’t just about one battle.
This was a war that had already begun.
And now, there was no turning back.
(To be continued…)
This chapter sets the final stage—
Sera is no longer just a saintess.
She is a force of nature, and even the elves fear her.
Kim Su-hyun has chosen his path,
And there is no retreat.
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