"Your Majesty, the Elf Queen!"
The moment Kurose Akira caught sight of the Elf Queen seated atop the Spirit of the Sacred Deer, a flash of delight rose to his eyes.
The Spirit of the Sacred Deer was the Elf Queen's mount—a graceful doe over three meters tall. It was said to have once received the blessing of the World Tree, making it one of the guardians of the elven race.
And its level… was actually as high as 92!
Akira drew in a sharp breath. The foundation of the elven race ran far deeper than he had imagined.
After all, the Elven Kingdom had existed for tens of thousands of years. How could its true strength possibly be something he could grasp so easily?
"Looks like they're all safe~"
Upon seeing that the elves had returned unharmed, the Elf Queen let out a soft sigh of relief and turned to the elf beside her.
"Begin~"
"Yes."
Elena nodded, then raised her hand and gestured to the army behind her.
In the next instant, thousands of elves began chanting in unison.
The faintly bright sky was instantly covered with multicolored magic circles, as though the entire world had been enveloped in a dazzling storm of elements.
"Release!"
At Elena's command—
The magic circles in the sky unleashed a torrential rain of elemental spells.
Flames, hurricanes, ice arrows, meteors—countless forms of elemental magic cascaded down toward the undead army across the broken bridge.
The spectacle erupted in overwhelming brilliance.
The skeletal army, like dry straw, was obliterated under the relentless bombardment, reduced to ashes in an instant.
Even high-level undead knights could only struggle desperately under the assault, barely able to hold their ground.
"Grrrrraaaah!"
A lieutenant within the undead ranks suddenly let out a shrill roar, seemingly issuing a command.
Immediately, several Omen Beasts charged forward from the rear, using their massive bodies as shields to block the incoming magic.
Seeing the undead withstand the first wave, Elena wasted no time. With another gesture—
Thousands of fire elves riding elven dragons surged to the front lines.
"So the Elven Kingdom has this many elven dragons?"
Akira muttered in astonishment. He had always assumed elven dragons were rare—yet here they were in such numbers.
Still, these dragons seemed somewhat different from Elena's. While they were undoubtedly powerful, the elemental energy within them didn't feel as pure.
He also noticed something else—
Those preparing for close combat were almost all fire elves.
Their physiques, while not as exaggerated as Guren's, were still noticeably stronger and taller than other elves. Combined with the flames that cloaked their bodies, they exuded destructive power.
"Go."
At Elena's command, the leading fire elf raised her banner high.
"Charge!"
In an instant, thousands of fire elves surged forward atop their dragons, crashing into the undead army.
The blazing force swept through like a wildfire, reducing the undead to ash. Even the Omen Beasts could not withstand the combined might of thousands of fire elves, collapsing under the onslaught.
Of course, dawn played a role as well—the Omen Beasts had been significantly weakened by the rising sun.
"Hahaha! Look! That's the power of the Fire Elves' elite forces!"
Guren beamed with pride, throwing an arm around Akira's neck as she excitedly explained.
"See that one at the front? She's the strongest among us Fire Elves! She's even ranked in the top ten across the entire elven race!"
"Yeah… I see her…"
Akira subtly leaned back, trying to create some distance.
Their height difference was just unfortunate enough that his face was pressed directly against something soft and white. It was… awkward.
After finally freeing himself from Guren's enthusiastic grip, he focused on the leading fire elf.
"Level 89…?"
He couldn't hide his surprise.
As expected of one of the oldest civilizations—the Elven Kingdom's strength far exceeded his expectations.
Which made him wonder…
Between the Elven Kingdom and the Holy Church—with its three demigods—which was truly stronger?
One thing was certain:
If all human nations united, they would surpass the Elven Kingdom.
But that would never happen.
There were simply too many human nations, and unity on that scale was impossible. At best, they would cooperate temporarily against a common enemy.
Meanwhile, as the fire elves charged, the rest of the elves continued their assault.
Wind elves advanced closer to the battlefield, firing arrows with pinpoint precision, targeting skeletal mages and preventing them from casting defensive barriers.
"Are you all unharmed?"
At that moment, the Elf Queen, riding the Sacred Deer, arrived before Akira.
"Your Majesty!"
Led by Guren, the elves knelt in unison, paying their respects.
"Rise~"
The Elf Queen spoke gently, then turned her warm gaze toward Akira.
"This is all thanks to you, Guild Master Kurose Akira. You have my gratitude for saving my people."
"It was nothing."
Akira replied casually, showing little excitement.
He was a practical man—praise meant little compared to tangible or… physical rewards.
"Your Majesty!"
Guren stepped forward and presented a sealed scroll with both hands.
"Mmm~"
The Elf Queen opened it immediately and began reading.
After a moment of silence, she looked up.
"Is this information accurate?"
"Absolutely!" Guren replied firmly. "That Undead Lord—"
Before she could finish—
The elf standing behind her suddenly produced a dagger and lunged forward.
"Watch out!"
At the critical moment—
Loserine, who had been keeping a close eye on that elf, acted instantly.
A flash of sword energy cut through the air—
And the attacker's arm was severed.
"Ahhh!"
The elf cried out, stumbling backward.
Black magic surged from the severed limb, radiating a chilling aura of death.
"What are you doing!?"
"A traitor?!"
"No… something's wrong—there's something inside her!"
"Damn it, Sally! What are you doing?!"
"…!"
All eyes turned to the elf named Sally.
Confusion and disbelief filled their faces.
"She… she's already dead?"
Akira frowned slightly.
Earlier, he had only sensed a faint aura of death from her.
But now, with her arm severed—
There was no doubt.
This elf named Sally had been dead for some time.
"Damn it!"
After failing her assassination attempt, Sally turned and fled.
But in the next instant—
The Elf Queen lifted a finger.
A strand of pale magic bound her in place.
"I've found your presence strange for some time… but now…"
Her gaze turned cold.
"Get out of her body."
The moment her voice fell—
Five-colored elemental magic surged into Sally's body.
Before everyone's eyes—
A blackened finger was forced out, dropping onto the ground.
"This is…?"
Shock rippled through the crowd.
Even as just a finger, they instantly recognized it—
A fragment of the Undead Lord.
"Take her body back and bury her properly."
The Elf Queen handed Sally's corpse to the guards, then turned her icy gaze toward the writhing finger.
With a flick of her hand, magic enveloped it.
"Undead Lord… will you not show yourself?"
As her words fell—
Black mist erupted from the finger, forming a skeletal visage.
A hoarse voice echoed from within:
"Elven Queen… your resistance is nothing but ignorant defiance against a greater power. That power will bring divine judgment! Are you ready to witness the end of the world?"
"The end of the world? You think too highly of that so-called 'power.'"
Before the Queen could respond, Elena scoffed.
"It's nothing more than a stray dog driven out of the divine realm, yet it dares to call itself 'the end'? How laughable."
"Foolish! Ignorant!"
The Undead Lord grew agitated.
"The destruction of the divine realm was all orchestrated by my master! It was my master who drove the gods away!"
"Drove away the gods? Do the gods know about that?"
Elena's tone sharpened with mockery.
"As for the collapse of the divine realm—that was due to the world core. What does it have to do with your master? You really love taking credit for things, don't you? Shameless. Just a pair of clowns."
"Y-you—!"
The mist turned faintly crimson with rage.
"Look at you, getting worked up~" Elena laughed lightly, dripping with sarcasm.
Akira couldn't help but be surprised.
How did Elena know so much about the divine realm?
Judging by the Elf Queen's calm expression… she knew as well.
"Enough~"
The Elf Queen finally ended the exchange.
"No matter your intentions, I will not allow anyone to threaten my people."
"Then prepare for destruction!" the Undead Lord snarled. "My master will—ahhh!"
Before it could finish—
The Queen waved her hand, dispersing the mist entirely.
At the same time, the elven forces finished eliminating the remaining undead and regrouped.
"We should return."
The Elf Queen turned to Akira.
"Now that we know the Undead Lord's location, it's time to prepare for the final battle."
"Alright."
Akira nodded and followed her back to the Elven Kingdom.
Though he couldn't ride with the Queen on the Sacred Deer—somewhat disappointing—
He ended up riding Elena's mount instead.
Well… not bad.
Even if her figure wasn't quite as… perfect as the Queen's—
Cough.
The journey wasn't exactly smooth either.
Elena kept complaining that he was holding her too tightly.
But what was he supposed to do?
The terrain was rough—he had to hold on or risk falling off!
Before long, they returned to the palace.
The moment they arrived, Akira was summoned alone to the Queen's study.
"Your Majesty, what is it?"
Akira asked curiously.
"This matter today… I owe you my thanks."
She smiled gently.
"Is there anything you would like as a reward? As long as it's within my power."
"Hmm…"
Akira thought for a moment.
His gaze… unconsciously drifted downward.
Cough.
It wasn't that he was always thinking about such things.
It was just… too perfect. Hard not to look.
"Guren is my friend. It was only natural."
He waved it off.
He hadn't come here expecting any reward.
This was simply about helping Xu Feiyan… and saving Guren and Azkman.
"That won't do~"
The Elf Queen smiled.
"How about this—you wait here for a moment. I'll go get something."
With that, she left the study, closing the door behind her.
"…Something?"
Akira blinked, puzzled.
What was she going to bring?
His gaze drifted to a photograph on the desk.
It was slightly yellowed with age.
The image showed a young girl.
He didn't recognize her… but strangely—
It felt like she was looking at him.
"…Am I imagining things?"
He rubbed his temples.
Just then—
The door slowly opened.
The Elf Queen returned.
"So fast?"
Akira blinked.
"It's only been a minute…"
Wait.
Where was the item?
Click.
The door shut behind her.
Without answering, she walked toward him.
"Guild Master Kurose Akira~"
Her slender fingers brushed lightly across his chest.
The faint touch sent a shiver through his body.
There was something… almost magical about it.
"Y-yes?"
He swallowed.
Something felt off.
This version of the Elf Queen…
Didn't match the one in his memory.
"I always reward merit fairly~ Since you performed so well… I must reward you properly~"
She smiled, her hand tracing his chest, feeling the firmness beneath.
"What kind of reward?"
Despite his confusion, Akira perked up immediately at the mention of a reward.
"Well… look~"
She gently lifted the hem of her silver dress.
Beneath it—
White stockings, delicate and adorned with lace, came into view.
"I'm wearing white stockings~"
"—!"
Akira inhaled sharply.