The entire forest trembled as if it were waking up angry.

Aeliana's inhuman screams tore through the sky above, a raw, echoing sound that made the very air vibrate. The corrupted mana in the forest reacted instantly. Monsters all across the land froze for a heartbeat—then went completely berserk.

Ogres, trolls, and mutated beasts howled as their eyes turned blood‑red. They began rampaging wildly, destroying anything in their path, tearing apart lesser monsters, smashing ancient trees, and ripping up the blackened ground. The forest itself seemed to respond.

The earth shook.

Roots writhed. Trees twisted and groaned, their trunks bending as if they were alive. Vines lashed out like whips, and thorny plants crawled across the soil, reaching for anything living.

Out of the fortress, Elaria finally managed to escape, stumbling down the massive trunk and reaching the ground with the help of the remaining pathways and magic.

She looked up—and her blood ran cold.

All around her, elven forces were locked in a desperate struggle. Archers fired arrow after arrow, warriors fought with swords and spears, mages struggled to cast even basic spells in the dead mana. They were barely holding the line, constantly forced back by the endless waves of monsters and animated trees.

But even that wasn't what made her knees weak.

The image of her mother's transformation—platinum hair turning wild, scales spreading, wings tearing out of her back—kept flashing in her mind. Aeliana's scream, that single word…

'Run…'

Tears blurred Elaria's vision as she stood there, shaking.

'He said it will be okay,' she thought, remembering Alex's eyes and his promise. 'He said he'll save her…'

She wiped her face roughly, forcing the tears away.

"No," she whispered to herself. "I can't fall apart now."

The Bow of Moonshade materialized in her hands, elegant and deadly. Its silver surface shimmered with pale light as if responding to her resolve.

She drew the string back and nocked two arrows at once.

Moon‑touched energy gathered along the shafts.

"Moonshade Volley," she murmured.

She released.

The arrows split into dozens of luminous streaks mid‑flight, raining down on the monsters and corrupted trees assaulting the elves. Explosions of soft white light erupted wherever they landed—burning through twisted bark, piercing monster skulls, tearing apart vines and roots that were strangling her people.

Elaria drew again.

Another double‑arrow shot, another cascade of radiant destruction.

But each shot took its toll.

Her breathing grew ragged, her arms trembling. The overwhelming mana cost of using the bow in this corrupted land gnawed at her stamina.

"Tch…" she hissed, dismissing the bow.

With a flash of light, a beautiful rapier appeared in her hand instead. She dashed forward into the fray, thrusting and slashing with precise, elegant movements. The blade pierced eyes, tendons, and joints, conserving her power while still cutting down enemies.

Even so, they were heavily outnumbered.

Little by little, the elves were being pushed back. For every monster they killed, two more seemed to take its place. The animated forest itself worked against them, roots tripping them, branches striking from above.

Saria ran toward Elaria, cutting through a line of monsters with her twin blades. She skidded to a stop in front of her and bowed her head briefly, even in the chaos.

"Your Highness!" she shouted. "We'll clear a path for you—please, get out of here!"

"Are you insane?!" Elaria cried. "I'm not leaving you and my people here to die!"

"Please, listen to me!" Saria insisted, parrying a clawed hand and countering with a kick. "Your life is more important than any of ours!"

Elaria opened her mouth to argue—

BAM!

Something huge slammed into her side.

Pain exploded through her ribs as her body was flung through the air like a ragdoll. She crashed into a tree with a sickening thud, bark splintering around her. The impact knocked the air from her lungs.

She coughed, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, and forced her eyes open.

Through the blurry vision, she saw Saria standing alone before a massive ogre—far larger than the others, its muscles bulging, bone armor thicker, eyes burning with crazed fury. It raised its enormous club, the weapon glowing faintly with corrupted mana.

It brought the club down toward Saria with crushing force.

"NO!" Elaria screamed.

---

Suddenly, something massive and burning slammed into the ogre from above.

The charred, still‑smoldering corpse of a blue dragon crashed onto the creature's back like a meteor, knocking it off balance. The ogre roared in shock and pain as it staggered forward and fell to one knee.

Before it could recover, a calm voice rang out.

"Sovereign Blade, First Form: Radiant Dusk."

A figure descended from the sky like a falling star.

Alden's sword, wreathed in black flames tinged with faint white light, drew a clean arc through the air. In the next instant, the ogre's massive body was cleaved from shoulder to hip in a single stroke.

Black flames erupted along the wound, devouring flesh and bone in seconds. The creature's scream was cut short as it collapsed and disintegrated into ash.

Saria swallowed hard, throat dry.

'That ogre…' she thought, stunned. 'At least A‑rank… taken down in one blow.'

Alden landed lightly on the ground, flicking his sword to shake off the remaining embers.

"Looks like I made it in time," he said casually. "Lucky for you."

Saria stared at him, then at the burning dragon corpse still lying nearby, its scales cracked and charred.

"Did you… do all this?" she asked.

"I had to," Alden replied with a sigh. "Because that bastard of a king left me behind to die up there."

Before Saria could respond, a shadow passed overhead.

Up in the sky, a woman with curved horns and tattered wings hovered, panting. It was Kyra. Her body was covered in wounds, burns and cuts clearly left by Alden's attacks.

She looked down and saw Zerath's burning remains, what little was left of the blue dragon's body. Her expression twisted with fury and grief.

"That idiot…" she hissed. "I told him not to transform into a dragon, over and over, but he never listened."

Her golden eyes locked onto Alden.

"I'll remember you, human," she said in a low, venomous voice. "I'll kill you with my own hands. I promise."

Before any attack could reach her, she beat her wings and vanished into the distant sky in the span of a blink.

Alden dashed a few steps after her, sword raised, but saw no trace of her.

"Damn it," he muttered, clicking his tongue. "She escaped."

"Um… excuse me," Saria's voice called from nearby. She was still holding off a small horde of monsters with the help of other elves. "A little more help, please?"

Alden sighed loudly.

"Yeah, yeah, alright," he said, moving to join the fight again. "But you guys should really do better than asking us for help every time."

Saria's mouth twitched, but she didn't argue.

Because he wasn't wrong.

Right now, they were the ones who needed saving.

----

A/N:

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