Chapter 142: After the Meeting

"After the meeting, do you really think we’re just going to walk home together like nothing happened?" the woman holding a sword asked. She stood alongside two other individuals, her gaze fixed upon the three figures waiting several meters ahead of them.

The three individuals stood beneath the trees of the Shade Forest, seemingly waiting for them to arrive. None of them appeared surprised to see the opposing group, as though they had already expected this confrontation.

"Magic Swordswoman," a little girl said, her cheeks lifting as she smiled innocently. "Or should I say... Eris Pothoroa, a noble from the Salean Kingdom?"

The Magic Swordswoman’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"She must be here to fight me yet again," an elf said, his smile widening. "Do you never get tired of losing, Magic Swordswoman?"

The little girl gaze then shifted toward the two individuals standing beside Eris.

"What’s up with the two escorts?"

The man wearing the straw hat stepped forward slightly.

"I’m here for the thrill," Thousand Petal said with a grin. "And I’m also here to fight alongside my countrywoman."

He glanced toward the dark figure standing beside him.

"I’d also like to fight you, Dark Emperor."

The individual standing beside Thousand Petal was none other than the Onyx Elf. His dark eyes moved across the opposing group before settling upon the three Constellations before him.

"What a strange combination of individuals," he said calmly. "The Dark Emperor, Scarlet Queen, and Lapace the Overproud."

His gaze shifted toward the Scarlet Queen.

"But the strangest thing is what made the Fearless Demon say that."

The Scarlet Queen tilted her head slightly, then gave him a sweet smile. "That’s none of your business."

She paused before lightly giggling.

"And besides, wouldn’t you stop talking about how strange our combination is? You’re literally a loner. I think that’s much stranger, don’t you?"

The Onyx Elf stared at her for a moment.

"...You’re annoying."

"Enough talking." The Dark Emperor stepped forward and reached for the long broadsword resting at his side.

"Let’s get this done."

The atmosphere immediately changed.

The three individuals opposing him straightened their bodies, their playful expressions disappearing as they prepared for battle. Above them, the Onyx Elf slowly levitated from the ground as black smoke began gathering around his body, eventually fading into his torso like darkness being absorbed into his flesh.

The Scarlet Queen suddenly bent the air around her.

Red magical energy erupted from her body, twisting around her like flames. Without warning, she launched herself upward, her claws colliding directly with the Onyx Elf’s sword.

BOOM!

The impact exploded through the forest, sending a powerful shockwave across the trees.

Below them, Thousand Petal suddenly disappeared.

For a brief moment, the forest became completely silent.

Then flowers began blooming across the Shade Forest.

One after another, countless petals spread across the ground, covering the roots, rocks, and fallen trees. From within the flowers, vines suddenly erupted, twisting upward before peeling apart and revealing countless individuals who looked almost identical to Thousand Petal.

The Dark Emperor stared at the army surrounding him.

"The Thousand Petal and his thousand clones."

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Pleasure to witness such power."

He opened his palm. Muscles began bulging across his body as an immense pressure erupted from within him. His body rapidly expanded, growing larger and larger until he towered over the surrounding trees like a colossal giant.

Meanwhile, the Magic Swordswoman and Lapace simply stared at one another.

Neither moved.

Their eyes remained locked for several seconds, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then Lapace disappeared.

In an instant, he reappeared directly in front of the Magic Swordswoman, his attack already descending toward her.

CLANG!

The Magic Swordswoman blocked the strike with her sword.

"I’m not a fool." Her eyes sharpened. "I’m not falling for the exact same move twice."

Lapace’s smile slowly widened.

"Good."

He pushed his weapon against hers.

"Then let’s see how many times you can keep up."

The whole forest shook as the six of the most powerful individuals fought against one another, each clash sending ripples of shockwaves through the trees and across the surrounding mountains. The ground trembled beneath their feet, while the once-quiet Shade Forest was slowly being torn apart by the sheer force of their battle.

The Onyx Elf opened his palm before slowly closing his fingers around the air itself. Almost immediately, the darkness surrounding the Shade Forest began to deform and twist, stretching toward his hand as though every shadow within the forest had become an extension of his authority.

"Bring it on, Onyx Elf," she said.

A large, worm-like creature suddenly emerged from the circular red portal, its body formed entirely from crimson energy. It twisted and writhed through the forest, weaving between trees before rapidly changing direction and charging straight toward the Onyx Elf.

However, the Onyx Elf did not even bother to dodge. He simply closed his eyes, remaining completely still as several enormous pillars of darkness suddenly erupted from the ground, rising between him and the approaching creature.

The crimson worm crashed into the pillars, its body completely blocked as the impact sent a powerful shockwave through the surrounding forest.

"You blocked that? Impressive."

"I heard your contract from a god is significantly weaker. So let’s see how much your magical capacity can hold before you start collapsing from within," the little girl said with a playful smile.

She raised her hand, and another crimson circle appeared beside her. A worm-like creature burst from it and shot toward the Onyx Elf, only for another to emerge moments later, followed by another and another. The creatures poured into the forest continuously, attacking him from every direction.

Yet the Onyx Elf remained completely calm. With every movement of his hand, pillars of darkness erupted from the ground, blocking the incoming creatures one after another, while the shadows surrounding him continued to twist and deform as though the entire forest itself had become an extension of his power.