City of Rafgal, Southern Border of the Scathlan Kingdom, Northern Continent.
The Demon Army had lost their will to fight. Some of them had already fallen to their knees, their weapons clattering to the ground. The groans of dying Demon soldiers echoed throughout the battlefield. This was our victory—the victory of the Scathlan Kingdom's army.
But…
Just as the wind of triumph had begun to blow in our favor, a sudden, horrifying screech pierced through the skies. That terrifying sound shattered the joy of victory in our hearts. And then, that monstrous figure appeared.
The Dragon of Night Sky Ruler, Morgoth.
Its pitch-black body soared through the midday clouds. Its dark wings flapped with immense force, carrying its massive form toward us. It continued to shriek, as if announcing its arrival—to us, the army of the Scathlan Kingdom, and to them, the Demon Army.
Along with Morgoth's arrival, hundreds of Dragon-riders followed behind. They were the Beast-tamers of the Demon Army, riding their own dragons.
And above all else, standing on Morgoth's back, was the person I despised the most.
My eternal nemesis.
The man who had slain my father—his sword piercing through my father's body before my very eyes.
The Dragon of Destruction, Dragnel Ravenger.
With their arrival…
The despair that had once clouded the eyes of the Demon Army's Swordmasters and Knights was reignited with burning determination. One of their generals had arrived on the battlefield.
On the other hand, our army was undoubtedly shaken by Dragnel Ravenger's sudden appearance.
We—no, I—had made a critical mistake in our intelligence gathering. This was beyond my calculations—beyond the predictions of Shadows, the Mage unit under my command.
But for me, this was an opportunity for me.
A chance to avenge my father, my family, and my kingdom.
The demon who destroyed my homeland was now right before my eyes.
I will kill him—no, I must kill him, here and now, in this battle!
The demon soldiers around me, who had once surrendered and cast aside their weapons, were now picking them up again. Their will to fight had been rekindled, and they charged at me as if newfound strength had surged through their bodies.
How utterly foolish and pointless.
Naturally, I cut them all down with ease. To me, they were nothing more than weak Demons—not even worth counting as real opponents.
"Aella-sama, look over there!"
Raskal shouted my name as he pointed toward the unit of Mages led by Liana.
And then, I saw it—hordes of Beast-monsters charging toward them, aiming to strike down Liana's unit.
The moment I saw that, I sprinted toward them. But—
"Stop her! Stop that damned Elf! Don't let her reach the Mage unit!"
The Demon Army desperately tried to block my path, preventing me from aiding Liana's group against the wave of Beast-monsters.
Damn it!
"Radices Vitae!"
(Roots of Life!)
I chanted my spell, summoning vines to clear the demons blocking my way. But no matter how many I cut down, they just kept coming—relentless, endless.
Frustration boiled inside me as I screamed at them.
"Get out of my way, you filthy Demons!"
I slashed and struck down one after another. No matter how many bodies I split apart, no matter how many heads I severed, they continued to come at me, fearless and unyielding—like moths drawn to a flame.
Even when they saw their comrades' agonizing deaths… Even as they heard their dying screams…
This is insane! I need to save Liana's unit!
As anxiety crept into my heart, a powerful surge of dark energy suddenly rushed toward me from above.
I turned my gaze skyward—
And there he was.
Dragnel Ravenger, gripping his sword, descending swiftly upon me.
In that instant, I leaped backward, narrowly dodging his strike.
BOOM!
The impact of Dragnel's blade colliding with the ground echoed throughout the battlefield.
Now, that wretched Demon stood directly before me.
As soon as he dismounted, Morgoth remained hovering in the sky, leading the Dragon-riders toward Raskal's forces. It was clear—Dragnel had deliberately divided his army into two units.
The beast monsters had been tasked with crushing our long-range attack unit—the Mages. Their speed and ferocity posed a deadly threat to the Mages, who required time to cast their spells.
Meanwhile, the Dragon-riders were assigned to reinforce the Demon Army's front lines.
And as for Dragnel himself—
"I suppose I'll have to stop you here, Elf."
His voice carried a mocking tone as he pointed his sword at me.
"I won't let you go anywhere. Not to aid your front lines… and certainly not to rescue your precious mages."
Yes…
Right now, Dragnel Ravenger stood before me, his blade aimed at my throat.
A part of me felt my blood boil with rage.
This was the moment I had long awaited.
To kill him.
To finally avenge my family.
Yet, at the same time, an unsettling worry gnawed at my heart.
Liana and Raskal were both in grave danger.
Liana's unit was under attack by the Beast-monsters—creatures whose speed and raw strength were devastating to Mages who needed time to cast spells.
Meanwhile, Raskal's unit was being assaulted by hundreds of Dragon-riders—with Morgoth leading them. The riders would undoubtedly rain fire down upon them from the skies, and with most of Raskal's forces being Swordmasters and Knights, they lacked long-range capabilities to retaliate. The battle on Raskal's front would depend heavily on Shadows, our covert Mage unit—who were outnumbered three to one against the Dragon-riders.
This situation… was beyond critical.
What should I do right now?!
As my thoughts were momentarily distracted by my concern for my subordinates, Dragnel's massive sword swung violently right in front of my face. I swiftly raised my own sword, Seraphis, to block the strike. But his swing was far too powerful for my small frame to withstand.
The sheer force sent my body flying backward. I crashed to the ground, rolling several times before finally stopping myself using my entire body. Kneeling on one knee, I refocused my attention on Dragnel.
"Lady Elf, could you stop worrying about such unnecessary things? Isn't it far too arrogant to be distracted when one of the Demon Generals is standing right before you?!"
"That may be true! But of course, I would worry about my subordinates—even if I'm fighting a Demon of your caliber. Ah… Forgive me… But I suppose a filthy and disgraceful Demon like you would never understand such feelings."
"Hahahahaha… Interesting! Even while standing before me, you still dare to run your mouth. You are quite the fascinating woman!"
"Your compliments sound utterly repulsive to me, Dragnel!"
Without hesitation, I dashed toward the wretched Demon before me, chanting my spell.
"O mediocris venti, da vires tuas. et da mihi gladium ut interficias inimicos meos."
(O gentle winds, grant me your strength. And bestow upon me a sword to slay my enemies.)
Forgive me, Liana… Raskal…
It seems I won't be able to aid you.
Because right now, I must face this detestable Demon before me.
But…
This is a trial for you both. A chance to rise to even greater heights.
Besides, I believe in you.
I know you will overcome this.
I'm certain of it!
As for me…
I will focus on my task here—
Defeating the Dragon of Destruction, Dragnel Ravenger.
"Ventus Gladius!"
(Blade of Wind!)
With Seraphis gripped tightly in my hand, I charged toward Dragnel.
At the same time, dozens of wind blades rained down, mercilessly striking his body—
***
"Hundreds of beast monsters are charging toward us. What should I do?! No… The answer is obvious. I will defeat them all. Right now, Aella-sama is surely fighting at the front lines against the Demon Army. Because of that, I cannot continue to rely on her.
The next episode is titled: 'Within Magic and The Dragon Fang.' Stay tuned for the continuation… Bye!"
—Liana