"Yu!" Shion quickly caught Yu who was slowly falling to earth.
I quietly glanced around once.
The Tarukan's were being completely destroyed by the natural light, purged away like an infestation is purged away by fire.
They melted.
They melted... I frowned.
If that light does that to beings of death qi...
"...then you were all trying to kill Yu as well?" I quietly called out to the thickets and brush where several toddler sized fairies appeared.
Kiril spoke with barely disguised contempt, "It was the destruction of a Death Elemental, we did what was necessary, besides, the Death Elemental was destroyed by us and the Darkling is fine, isn't she?"
"You... think you were the reason it was destroyed?" Dratan suddenly appeared from the Soul Heart around my neck with an unsightly expression, "Had it not been for us, that Death Elemental would have shattered your petty little Forest Goddess Formation and wiped you all out, and if not for the little one... we might have died as well."
Kiril scoffed, "You? You think you all are so great to challenge the Forest Godess Formation? ...wait, how do you know about this formation?"
Suddenly the air changed and Kiril took half a step back, they hadn't used that formation in well over a hundred years after all, there should be no spirit so young which knows of it nor any human besides those monsters at the center of empires who are even able to live that long.
Immediately those older fairies circled around us.
I guess that was some really sensitive information huh.
Dratan bared his teeth in a ferocious smile, "I am Dratan Algambus, the Scourge of the Exiled Court! To know my name... you will die well."
At the mention of his name, there was a pause as the older fairies felt their hearts tighten, however, those younger warriors among the fairies had no idea and sneered and laughed at him and his tiny form.
Kiril was among the younger elder's who was barely alive a hundred years ago his expression fell dark, "To humiliate the fairies of the Thousand Wing Gulf's Council, is to humiliate the entire Thousand Wing Gulf."
Immediately, the air turned hostile.
If they attack... I glanced back at Shion who was holding Yu in her chest.
We didn't expect battle today, nor any of this would happen so we went out in loose training clothes, no time to get real combat-ready clothing and especially not clothing with pockets large enough to hold Yu.
Shion won't be able to fight properly with Yu to protect, even if she holds her in her off-hand, that will just cause Yu to get shaken and fly around violently as Shion makes her moves.
I guess that is the best place to keep her from getting whiplash or hurting herself.
All of that said, this is going to be difficult.
If these fairies are anywhere near the strength of those from the Fairy Ring up in Durlivan's mountains, then this is going to be very difficult.
Hm?
"Crap, everyone, move!" I shouted as the grass beneath my feet had begun to grow up trying to coil around me with unnatural strength.
As one would expect, fairies can manipulate nature as it is what they are born from, loved by nature they are blessed by the forests.
The grass is shrouded in thick nature qi.
Taking several sideways steps back, the grass couldn't reach past a certain length forcing them to use other patches, yet, the blackened earth where I'm standing now isn't moving.
Looking up I realized Shion had already noticed this and was standing on the blackened earth a little ways from me.
Kiril's face turned unsightly, "Using death against nature fairies? Truly, brutal as all humans are!"
A wave of nature qi rolled off his body and submerged itself into the earth, a small quake running through the ground like a pulse.
"Mother's Heart Beat." Kiril said in a low tone as he suddenly brought his hands high to the air, a vicious look in his eyes.
The ground shivered and I think I can hear someone clapping far away
Crack... crack... crack...
The tree's branches began to grow at terrifying speeds slapping down at myself and Shion.
Swiftly dodging it I exploded across the forest floor arriving at Shion's side within a single breathe, mostly because she had come towards me immediately as well.
Standing closely the branches converged into one large branch moving extremely quickly.
Shion's eyes flashed viciously as she kicked off speeding towards Kiril like a bullet low to the ground.
I looked up at the coming branch.
My job now is to stop, or at least stall, this bloody thick branch long enough for Shion to take down Kiril.
My Scarlet Qi roared and Dratan peeked his head out of the Soul Heart, looking up at the branch his eyes were cold, 'Mother's Heart Beat. A technique which uses a small portion of the power of the fairy goddess simply known as 'Mother Nature'. It's a brutal technique that harms her. But, it's weak to my Scarlet Qi. Burn it.'
Mother Nature is the name of a goddess? Or is it what people who don't know better call her? Or... or I should start paying more attention!
I swiftly cut upwards.
The Scarlet Qi stacked up within my arms strengthening them to the highest degrees causing my muscles to feel as though they were on my fire and the skin on my arms to burst in several places.
Two breathes... one breath... half a breath... Now...!
The Scarlet Qi rushed from my arms and coalesced around the sabers like a rising fire.
Ting!
A horrific sound wave shot out at breakneck speeds creating a visible wave of Scarlet and Nature Qi to fly everything burning and purifying everything it touched.
C-crack!
The branch cracked and my sabers dug in, the moment they got past the thick outer bark, they continued through like a hot knife through butter.
"AH!" Kiril screamed and coughed blood.
The other fairies charged in sending him their Nature Qi, but it was far too late.
Shion held her rapier between Kiril's eyes.
The giant branch withered as well.
"Trying to kill Yu. Attacking without provocation. Threatening others without good cause," Shion's words were slow and drawn out like the icy edge of a blade drawing it's way across a thin-skinned neck, "On account of Lirik Khan who has helped Yu in the past with her powers, I will allow you, one of the same council to live, however."
"AH!" Kiril cried out painfully as one of his wings was directly torn apart.
"You will never fly again." She retrieved her rapier and came back to my side.
Lirik helped Yu with her powers? I didn't know that.
Though I guess that would make sense.
Going by the cultural tendencies that the fairies have displayed, they are in direct opposition with anything that affects the forest or harbors energies that are not 'Natural' such as death which is arguably natural energy, but, that is a whole different argument.
Lirik who was likely born into that cultural atmosphere is quite strange for not promoting it in their Fairy Ring and even helping Yu, so, I assume that it's not a natural tendency.
Strange.
Why do they hate the Death Fairies and those who are not of the Nature element so much even going as far as calling them Darklings, as though they aren't fairies but something else? From what I've seen, Death Fairies can clear the lingering Death Qi rising from the forest with greater ease whilst the Nature Fairies have a difficult time and can only destroy it, or perhaps suppress it?
Well... if they destroyed it, then that Death Elemental would not have arisen, so, perhaps there's something hidden within this?
Hm... Kiril got anxious after Dratan talked about the Mother's Blessing Formation or some such right?
There must be a secret surrounding that which they don't want outsiders to know about.
Perhaps this is it...?
They don't destroy but seal up and suppress until it eventually explodes out creating an elemental of some sort?
Yea it wouldn't make sense if they could actually destroy it right?
Even the Tarukan's, unlike with Yu who caused them to wither and then absorbed them, the Nature Fairies caused them to melt and return to the earth.
So basically... they are scammers and the Death Fairies who would be able to tell are their enemy because of it.
"So that's what it is," I muttered, "The Nature Fairies are a bunch of frauds."
But why? Why do that? What is there to gain?
"What?" Suddenly, a cold voice fell from above alongside a heavy pressure, "We, frauds? How are we frauds?!"
Mahira.
"You know, don't you? Your not destroying the Death Qi, but well," I glanced down at the black ground which wasn't healing even after all of the Nature Qi which ran through it due to the Mother's Heart Beat, "suppressing it. You are simply delaying the inevitable and hiding it away for pride's sake."
Mahira raised a brow his eyes glaringly hostile, "What is the other option? Allow Darklings and their innately murderous tendencies to gain power? It would be the end of the Thousand Wing Council."
"If your foundation is so weak, then it should burn," I replied coldly.
If an organization is so corrupt unto itself that a single secret would threaten the collapse of the entire structure... then it is not worthy of carrying the weight it does.
Only if it is willing to grow further to be able to carry its weight once more, do they deserve to stay, otherwise, it's rotten and no one will rejuvenate it.
"Are you threatening my Thousand Wing Council?" Mahira replied glaring down at me.
"No," I replied evenly, "I have given you a warning. End your ways and save your forest or else in time, you won't be able to suppress the Death Qi anymore and perhaps something far worse than even that Death Elemental will arise."
"Get out!" Mahira said.
No need to tell me twice.
This place will go up in the black and charred flames of the Death Qi bomb which lays concentrated beneath the surface.
'That Death Elemental was devoured by Yu, so another one shouldn't appear for at least a few years if there is no war,' Dratan spoke directly into my mind, 'Though, from the looks of it and how late Mahira took to arrive. It would appear other problems have come up around its place. Clearly, that Death Elemental isn't their only problem right now.'
Hm?
That is... true.
Could there have been more outbreaks in other places?
Now that I look a little closer... Mahira looks ragged.
I see.
It won't be long before the center of the Thousand Wing Council is completely engulfed by death.
How unfortunate.
"If any fairies wish to escape this place which will soon be hell, follow me away to the Lirik's Fairy Ring." I said lightly.
Mahira who was standing beside Kiril's unconscious body glared daggers at my back!
So what? If your just going to throw away innocent lives, then I'll just take them to a safe place.
If you don't like it, fight me.
By now, a large crowd of fairies had gathered above the clearing filled with death qi, though, they weren't quite as afraid as the older fairies.
These were the newborns who were within the Inner Sanctum when it fell.
Many of them flew over flying around me, Mahira's eyes turned dark as his tone, "If you want to leave, then go. I will not hold it against you."
The young, newborn fairies flew around me.
Looking curiously at me as they flew around, their eyes lingering on my sabers for an especially long time.
They are likely especially curious of those since they saw the beginning fight against the Death Elemental.
"Warm..." One said quietly as it sat on the edge of the saber swinging her legs, "...I go."
The other fairies flew around and cautiously touched the sabers, some even sticking to my back and sitting on my shoulders.
A few even laid down comfortably against me.
In only a moment, I'd become a tree-like existence where they chose to rest.
A few flew to Shion as well and landed on her looking at Yu for a moment before laying back.
Those others who couldn't find a spot on the heat mats known as myself and Shion flew around close, talking in short phrases and bursts to one another.
We left the clearing after that.
No point in staying much longer after all.
If we take too many of these newborns than Mahira might have no choice but to attack to take them back after all the newest children born of the forest are the purest and have the greatest potential since they are the least 'tainted' by other energies.