"Hahahaha...! Aella... Aella... Aella! I never imagined I would meet the princess of the Nefetari Kingdom in this Remote Forest."
Lilith laughed disgustingly in my face.
She hadn't changed at all. Her black eyes with red pupils. The two small horns on her forehead. And her long, dark red hair that was as black as blood. A beautiful-faced mage of the Demon Race. A disgustingly psychopathic woman.
"So... what is the former princess of Nefetari doing here. We've been looking for you everywhere! We thought you had starved to death after the death of your savior... what was his name... yes, Estella!"
"Shut up, you bitch!"
I yelled, scolding her. I couldn't stand the name of my friend, Estella, coming out of that disgusting woman's mouth.
"Hahahahaha... look at yourself, Aella! Should I tell you what Estella's last face looked like?"
"No... I don't believe Estella died at your hands, you disgusting demons!"
"Are you stupid, Aella? Stop dreaming and accept the reality of your beloved friend's death. Just like the death of your father when he was pierced by Dragnel's sword."
Yes, that was the name of one of the generals of the demon army who killed my father. A Half-blood of the Dragon Race. The Dragon Destroyer, Dragnel Raveger. I will never forget that event forever. The moment when my father cried while chanting his teleportation magic spell. The moment when Dragnel's sword pierced my father's body.
But now is not the time for me to remember my past grudges.
"What do you want from this little girl, Lilith?"
Lilith looked at me and grinned, saying,
"Aella... you should also realize it. Her face... that girl's face. Doesn't she remind you of that damned woman? Yes... I never forget that. The wound in my chest, which always feels sore at night. The wound left by Estella's sword. That girl... reminds me of Estella. I want to take her... cut her skin little by little, enjoy the sound of her screams... Hahahahahaha...!"
Lilith laughed loudly. She was indeed a psychopathic woman. And Estella had almost killed her during our battle on the Southern Continent before. She held a grudge against Estella.
"So Aella, can you give me that little girl?"
"Do you think I'll do that?"
"Yes... right! That's impossible, because of course you also feel what I feel when you see that little girl's face."
After that, two wyverns that had previously attacked Swordmaster-san were seen flying closer to Lilith. They stood on Lilith's right and left sides. Then Lilith stroked the face of the ferocious monster, which was bowing towards her.
"Aella, are you really going to fight me? Together with that stupid Swordmaster. Do you think you can face me? Aella... I'm not interested in you. I'll let you go. You just have to hand over the little girl behind you to me. Don't you want to live, Aella?"
I answered her by chanting my magic and taking my magic wand from the spatial magic stored in my bracelet. Now in my right hand I was holding my magic wand 'Indurtha'.
"So that's your answer, you stupid elf princess."
Lilith laughed again.
Somehow, Swordmaster-san, who was the girl's partner behind me, suddenly jumped and attacked Lilith with his sword. But the wyvern beside Lilith flung Swordmaster-san's body away with its wing. And Master Swordmaster was thrown and rolled right in front of my body.
"Stop it! You can't fight her alone. If you do that again, you might really die."
He looked at Lilith with anger that burned his face red.
"Elena... how is Elena now."
He asked me while still looking forward.
So the girl's name was Elena. Could it be... could it be that she was indeed your daughter, Estella?
"I've healed her wounds with my healing magic. But considering the amount of blood she lost, her body is too weak to stand right now."
"Is that so? Then what should we do now, Miss Elf?"
"You, Swordmaster-san, face the two wyverns alone. While I will fight Lilith, the red-haired woman in front of you."
"It's a bit difficult, because those two winged monsters are always flying and breathing fire in all directions."
"Vetum'med Prasidum."
I gave him my wind magic. He looked confused with his body covered in wind.
"Listen to me! I've given you my magic. So now your body will be lighter than before. With your ability, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to fight the two wyverns in front."
He looked at me for a long time.
"Let's protect Elena together, Swordmaster-san!"
"Arara... can you stop flirting in front of me!"
Lilith spoke loudly and interrupted our conversation.
"I've been waiting long enough. Shouldn't you realize it too? So how is it... are you going to hand over the little girl behind you to me, or would you rather die at my hands."
Swordmaster-san and I began to prepare to attack Lilith. And she should have already known our answer.
"How stupid of you..."
After saying that, a moment later the two wyverns that had been standing beside Lilith began to fly towards us.
"Let's carry out our plan, Swordmaster-san!"
The man in front of me looked at me and nodded.
Then the man ran and jumped towards one of the wyverns that was charging at us. With the help of my wind magic, his body was now lighter. He slashed the wyvern's neck with his sword. But his sword bounced off easily. That's how hard the wyvern's scales were.
The man rolled on the body of the flying wyvern. He ran and jumped to the other wyvern.
But the wyvern was quick enough to face the man's attack. It flung the man's body away with its left wing. The man was thrown quite far.
This time, both wyverns began to chase the man's body. They charged at the man again in turn. Yes... his task was done. The man had successfully lured both wyverns towards him. Now it was just me who was concentrating on facing Lilith.
"Ignis prædæ, ignis in terra custodes, præbe mihi virtutem tuam, ut coram me urar malum."
I began to chant my spell. This time I used a full chant of my magic spell.
"Ignis Vita!"
I created four large fireballs in the sky. And threw them towards Lilith.
"Firmamento tenebrarum!"
I heard Lilith chanting her spell. And a moment later, her whole body was shrouded in dark fog. It was the 'Dark Dome' magic. One of the protective magic owned by the dark element.
The sight in front of me was enough to shake my hand. I had used a full chant of my magic spell. But Lilith easily blocked it with a short chant of her own. Yes, all my fireballs were easily blocked by Lilith's magic.
I have to admit it. Lilith is too strong an opponent for me right now. After all, she is one of the six generals of the demon army, Lilith 'The Sorceress of Darkness'.
"Is that all you can do, Aella! You're so pathetic. Apparently the figure of Aella 'The Demon Slayer' is completely gone."
She said while grinning at me, mocking my ability.
Yes... when I joined Estella's army my name was very famous among the demons. And my title was 'The Demon Slayer'. I was a magician who slaughtered demons in front of me mercilessly. They, the demon army, would run away when they heard me start chanting my spell.
But that was a memory of the past.
It's been more than fifteen years since I fought with the demon race. In this era, I spent my peaceful life with my five adopted children. I rarely even fought using my magic. Of course, I now am no match for a demon general like Lilith.
"Then let's start our fight, Aella!"
After saying that, Lilith then raised her right hand to the sky. And began to chant her spell.
"O deus tenebrarum, ostende crudelitatem tuam. Et da mihi lanceas tuas mortis."
Along with Lilith's spell, black spears began to appear in the sky. The black spears were shrouded in dark fog and were about three meters long. Three... five... eight... what is this? how many spears will be created by Lilith's magic.
"Hasta tenebrarum!"
With Lilith's shout, the black spears began to rain down on me. Who was standing right in front of the little girl named Elena.
"Dam! dam! dam! dam!"
I could hear the sound of the spears hitting the ground with great force.
What should I do? What should I do to protect the girl named Elena that's behind me?
Think, Aella!