On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

My Mana flares as I slightly loosen my control over it. The power inside me is tempting me to let loose, but I prevail. Eagnor’s frown deepens as he senses my Mana. He slams the butt of his spear to the ground, causing some glowing buds to emerge out of it. The buds grow into lilies and bloom. Each of them exudes a considerable amount of Natural Energy. I conclude that nothing good will happen if I let them be and then freeze them with a wave of my broadsword.

Eagnor smirks, causing my instinct to flare. I immediately coat my body with a Mana shield and soon feel an impact. There is a bigger lily behind me which is shooting a beam of Natural Energy at me. It can barely crack my shield but would have been dangerous if I let it hit me. Kicking the ground this time, I shoot forward at him. Our weapons clash, causing the air to explode.

Eagnor grits his teeth. His face is showing his disbelief. I keep pushing Rexorem forward until he is forced to retreat. As soon as there is some distance between us, I point Rexorem’s tip at him. Skill: [Death Blow]. My Mana coalesces into a red ball of energy at the tip of Rexorem. It shoots at Eagnor but disappears midway. A second later, Eagnor is forced to be on the defensive as it is a few inches away from blowing his head off.

Boom!

Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t need to make contact to go off. As he is occupied by the explosion, I teleport myself behind him and thrust Rexorem at his back. Rexorem is met with a sturdy Mana shield, but it doesn’t matter. Skill: [Wave of Death]. The shield explodes upon contact with Rexorem. Eagnor is sent flying but manages to right himself in midair. He then lands on the ground with a heavy thud, a scowl ruining his regal image.

The myth that everyone believes which states that Light Elves can’t lie may have some truth in it. However, it has nothing to do with the words they say. Light Elves can’t lie because the faces they make in battles say everything about what they are thinking. I lower Rexorem to the side and muster my Draconic Mana. A Dragon Spell comes to mind, forcing my mouth to move. Immediately, the surrounding air becomes several degrees colder.

[Kryophaem]

It lowers the temperature of a chosen area until whatever is in the area is frozen to death. It is a double-edged sword as it also attacks the caster. However, thanks to my heritage, the cold won’t bother me. The cold immediately affects Eagnor. He overcharges his body with Mana to keep it warm. It will work for some time, but he needs to keep moving if he doesn’t want to end up frozen. Of course, he needs to defeat me to end the cold.

Realizing what he needs to do, Eagnor raises his spear and then slams the blade to the ground as it shines brightly in gold. The ground rumbles before hundreds of root-like appendages emerge out of it. They furiously rush at me. When I parry one of them, it immediately wraps around Rexorem. It immediately disintegrates as soon as it does that, but I figure out something quite alarming: it absorbs my Mana at a terrifying rate.

I shoot past all of the appendages, cutting the air with my body because of how fast I move. The appendages that make contact with Rexorem are shredded and immediately frozen. When I am a few feet away from Eagnor, thick roots emerge from the ground and intertwine, creating a wall that protects him. I slash through it effortlessly and then immediately retreat as glittering spores cover the air.

Some of them manage to stick on my armor. They quickly grow into a plant that absorbs my Mana to fuel their growth. My Mana is too potent, however, so they end up being frozen and dead. They are still troublesome nonetheless as they waste my Mana for nothing. I use [Senbonzakura] to counter them and it does its job swiftly.

I jump into the air as I feel the ground faintly moves. A second later, a dragon’s mouth made out of intertwined roots emerges. I scoff at the scene, unwontedly offended. Gathering my Draconic Mana in my chest, I breathe it out of my mouth. Cold air escapes my mouth, freezing the mock dragon useless. I descend into its mouth, intent on impaling the Elf inside. The said Elf tries to move away but the ice trapping his feet is too strong. He is forced to take the attack head-on as he doesn’t have time.

Clank!

Rexorem breaks through his Mana shield, hitting the center of his spear. He unceremoniously falls on his back as he can’t stand the strength behind Rexorem. The ground craters at the same time the mock dragon shatters to pieces. I watch as Eagnor’s struggling figure is slowly covered in frost. His breathing becomes more ragged as the air coming out of his mouth becomes thicker and more visible.

Despite his state, Eagenor struggles to the best he can. His spear may be fine, but his armor has already developed a dent in it. He is not cut anywhere, but the pressure his body is enduring is enough to make him throw up a mouthful of blood. He growls and bares his teeth as he looks at me. His expression seems very out of place for an Elf.

“Killing me won’t procure you anything, Demon! The established paradigm won’t shift so easily. Dark Elves will remain scorned and Light Elves shall never extend their hands to them. Hear me; your effort shall be futile,” Eagnor exclaims. “Eryn, my daughter, my death won’t mean you have avenged your mother. You are only going to waste her death!”

“I am surprised you prefer channeling Mana to your vocal cords instead of using them to warm your body,” I remark in amusement. “Regardless, your death doesn’t matter. I don’t need the Light Elves to admit their mistakes and get along with Dark Elves. I only need Lithandrel to be ruled by Haletha. The rest doesn’t matter. After all, history is written by the victor.”

Eagnor weakens, allowing me to push Rexorem into his body, passing through his armor effortlessly. His spear is freed from his hold as his frozen fingers break like ice. He can’t feel the pain as his nerves are already dead but still winces. The despair finally gets to him, causing him to cackle madly. I point my finger at his head and channel my Draconic Mana to it. A tiny blue orb materializes at the tip of my finger, exuding an absolute aura of death.

Eagnor abruptly stops cackling and gazes at me coldly. He entirely ignores the death penalty that he is going to receive.

“We were once called Elves until Galhador made a bold move. Light Elves were born and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Galhador granted us power. Your flowing golden hair is the proof of that. To abhor me for my actions is the same as hating yourself. You can never make Dark Elves forgive you. The sin is deeply engraved on your body. You are the way you are because Dark Elves are condemned with their impure fate.”

The tiny orb leaves the tip of my finger, blasting Eagnor’s head off. His words remind me of the psychopathic criminals back on Earth. They are not dangerous because they are full of hate. They are dangerous because they believe what they are doing is just and right. These people are helpless, so killing them is the kindest thing that you can do. I almost lost it once but was saved by my summoning. Valeria reformed me and here I am thriving.

I kill but never think of it as the correct thing to do. I only kill because it is necessary. It sounds similar but different. I would argue that I have more compassion than most humans as I still can empathize with them despite being a Demon. Not many humans even empathize with others and that is especially true in this harsh world.

“It has finally ended, huh?” Eryn remarks with empty eyes. “I thought I hated him, but why do I feel so empty?”

“The war is still ongoing. Cast your feelings aside until it ends,” I command, waking her up from her daze.

“You are right…. Thanks for coming on time.”

Saying nothing, I get out of the dome with Eagnor’s headless body in my hand. I materialize my Dragon wings and send my body into the sky. Using my Mana, I make the air vibrate, producing an ear-grating static that forces people to look at me. The battle pauses as everyone’s eyes are planted on the headless body I am holding.

“Your King is dead and you have two choices. You can keep fighting and die or surrender peacefully,” I announce.

As the Warriors cheer, the Eternal Light Army of the Light Elf grimaces collectively. Some immediately drop their weapon whereas some cry while swinging their weapons. Choices are made and consequences are faced. Half an hour later, the battle is concluded. We lost more than half of our army whereas the Light Elf lost close to three-fourths of their army. It is an amazing feat and, once again, I want to praise Lemius for that.

“Master, I got you a new pet.”

Teanosvera comes flying at me, bringing a helplessly beaten Phoenix in his claws. His eyes gleam as he looks at me and I can barely hold a wry smile. The light in the Phoenix’s eyes is dimming. I doubt he will be useful. It doesn’t matter, still. Lithandrel has fallen into the Dark Elf’s hands. It still shines as bright, yet the shadow it casts is now covering it.𝚘𝗏𝔩xt.𝗇𝓔t

From the outside, it will look like its light is dimming. However, the truth is it merely returns to the way it should be: nothing special but in harmony.