Chapter 2261: Ravenfolk

Chapter 2261: Chapter 2261: Ravenfolk

Emilia, whose face was ashen, turned to look at it and immediately covered her wrist with a light touch. The area where a black raven tattoo had once appeared felt a slight pain, and she knew that the entity before her was the one that truly cursed her.

The man with the crow’s head did not speak immediately but curiously looked at the corpse of Shard on the ground, which the crying Little Unicorn was resting its head upon. Only after confirming it was truly a corpse did he begin to speak, his Carsonrick language impeccably pronounced, even more so than the King’s official spokesperson: ℯℯ𝑙.

"You may call me—Mr. Raven."

The demon said, as raindrops fell from the sky yet avoided him entirely. His body faced Emilia, but his crow’s head was turned towards the elf, allowing Emilia to see only one of his eyes.

It was a perfectly round eye, the black pupil looking as artificial as a glass bead against the white sclera:

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t act on my own, nor would I reveal myself voluntarily."

He spoke with his hands behind his back, devoid of any emotion. Emilia’s lips moved as if to say something, yet she found herself unable to act or speak.

"But this situation is different. The human male protecting you carries the ’Demon Hunting Seal’ and even requested your hair to share your curse. Those are typical traits of a Demon Hunter; I haven’t seen a Demon Hunter in ages. I need to ensure he doesn’t disturb my game, and it seems the Demon Hunters of the Sixth Era are equally skilled."

The pupil within the round eye stopped its random movement and focused tightly on Emilia:

"And you are quite intriguing, elf. Despite your noble lineage, it has no effect on me. You are inherently lucky, which has allowed you to evade misfortune numerous times. Now, having escaped me for the fifth time, your strong protector has once again shielded you. That is one of your many fortunes."

His right hand, previously behind his back, extended forward. His hand resembled that of a human, remaining dry in the rain:

"Emilia Xenode from the Far North Witch Academy, you possess the ability and courage to overcome and command misfortune. Welcome to become my envoy; I am willing to grant you the power to bring misfortune to all beings and civilizations."

Emilia, who was initially immobilized, suddenly felt her right hand lift without control, trembling in a bid to reach Mr. Raven’s extended hand.

She struggled desperately to resist, causing her raised hand to twitch convulsively in mid-air.

The black pupil of the Ravenfolk’s eye turned within its white socket, enabling Emilia to regain her speech:

"Elf, do you refuse my power? Since my creation, you are the fourth mortal to receive this honor."

"Then where are the previous three now?"

Emilia gritted her teeth, hoping the pain would help her regain some control over her body. Of course she was afraid, but her sorrow had rendered such feelings insignificant:

"If he chose to protect me... then I am willing to protect everyone by standing here to refuse you. You loathsome thing, I don’t know what you are; maybe you’re the Ancient Evil Spirit from childhood tales told by the Elf Nanny. But it doesn’t matter, none of it matters now..."

She managed to turn her head slightly so that the corner of her eye could catch a glimpse of Shard’s corpse. Tears welled up, but the tiny elf girl summoned her courage; her protector was now gone, and she could not let him down:

"He’s gone, and now it’s up to me to protect this world. I am weak and can do nothing, but at the very least I can refuse you; you will never get what you want."

The black pupil within the demon’s sclera turned again, and under its gaze Emilia felt even her courage begin to ebb away.

"A pure and flawless soul, the bloodline of the Tree Father Ritual, you merit my further investment."

The demon spoke again, withdrawing its hand and resuming its posture of having both hands behind its back. The black suit was paired with a white shirt, and even when standing in a water-filled puddle, the leather shoes remained mud-free:

"You needn’t think about stalling for time, hoping for rescue.

True God’s Believers are now blocked at the tower by me, none can ascend without my consent. I am willing to offer you greater stakes, elf; the power of misfortune will become your foundation. I will transform you into another life form. Together, we will bring more misfortune to this world until all things move towards termination, and only then will our mission conclude."

The black pupil fixed its gaze on Emilia:

"You are worthy of this; do you accept?"

Emilia slowly shook her head, as the beast lying on Shard’s corpse suddenly shook its head violently, knocking the longsword and magic wand to Emilia’s feet. Upon contact with her, Emilia inexplicably regained control over her body.

Without hesitation, she bent down to pick them up, but the raven had already extended its hand.

Knowing she had only one chance, Emilia decisively abandoned the longsword, choosing instead to grasp the black magic wand that felt so familiar to her... not knowing that this relic could be used only by Shard and Luviya.

But the Ravenfolk merely flicked its fingers, sending Yggdrasil’s Staff and the Little Unicorn flying afar, crashing into the wall before coming to a stop.

The [Night Watchman] emitted a glimmer, resisting the power of the demon, and Emilia could only pick it up and hold it in her hand.

The silver sword blade glowed as it sensed the demon’s power, and the ancient Elven Rune emitted a bright amber light, making Emilia remarkably clear-headed at this moment.

Holding the [Night Watchman] granted a certain level of swordsmanship experience, but unfortunately, Emilia’s talent in swordsmanship was far inferior to that of the Outlander and most of the previous owners of this sword. Her level was too low to unleash the power of the [Night Watchman], but she still bravely raised it to aim at the crow in front of her:

"I won’t agree to any of your terms. This time, I will... protect everyone."

Her golden hair had long been drenched by rain, and the water streaming from her eyes was indistinguishable from rain or tears:

"Don’t think you’ll get anything from me. Today it’s either you kill me, or I will definitely kill you in the future."

She desperately resisted the urge to wipe away her tears, and her hand holding the sword trembled with fear, yet she never considered fleeing from here. Emilia Xenode stood in front of Shard’s corpse, crying as she tried to resonate her spirit with this unfamiliar but immensely powerful sword.

"If this is what you wish for."

The Ravenfolk spoke with little emotion, and a black raven feather materialized in the void, stabbing toward Emilia just as it had attacked Shard earlier. Emilia immediately swung her sword to block, drawing a silver arc with the longsword in the air, but she did not manage to block the feather.

The feather pierced into Emilia’s left arm. She cried out in pain but still held the sword with her right hand:

"I will protect everyone."

She charged forward in the rain, sword swinging, as the demon, unwilling to make direct contact with the [Night Watchman], transformed into a wisp of black smoke to evade. When Emilia stumbled to a stop, a pair of black raven feathers shot towards her from behind.

The [Night Watchman] guided Emilia’s right hand in a Cavalier Slash, destroying one feather and deflecting the other feather’s direction, letting it graze Emilia’s face and soar into the stormy sky, leaving a blood-streak on the Elven girl’s face.

At this moment, the Ravenfolk in a black suit appeared in the sky, standing in the air, unreachable by the flightless Emilia. The Elven girl fervently wished for a lightning bolt to strike it down, but such thoughts were impossible.

The demon flicked its right hand effortlessly, and with a clang~, Emilia felt the longsword in her hand abruptly heat up. Countless raven feathers clashed with the brilliant sword light erupted from the longsword, knocking it from her grip. The sword, tip-down, stabbed into the ground before her, emitting a persistent hum~.

Emilia clutched her wrist and looked up at the Ravenfolk standing in midair. The demon’s large, round black eyes continued to watch her.

The rain poured down loudly upon the earth, and Emilia couldn’t hear what was happening below the tower, nor did she know the condition of Little Liana, who had been knocked away earlier. But thinking of Shard, who died to protect her, and of her teacher and friends who had always defended her, she brushed away the hair obscuring her vision, her body temperature being sapped by the rain, yet feeling a fire warm enough to ignite her soul rising within her.

The crow asked from above:

"Are you truly unwilling to be my envoy?"

"No, you are the enemy of civilization, the enemy of all sentient beings."

She believed that if it were Shard, he would surely answer the same.

"Why refuse me? What can you gain from rejecting me?"

"I gain nothing, this is... justice."

The Elven girl responded. She did not really believe in any justice; she only knew that the entity before her was her enemy. If she survived today, she would dedicate her life to avenging; if she died today...

"Then, are you not afraid of me?"

Ravenfolk finally asked, prepared to move, as Emilia wasn’t worth its prolonged attention.

The peculiar force of fate unleashed more malice upon Emilia, and the densely appearing black raven feathers in the rain were poised to inflict numerous penetrating wounds on her next.

Pale from injury, facing the threat of death, Emilia felt an overwhelming peace. The little elf lacked the Outlander’s ambition, Iluna’s aspirations, nor Luviya’s secrets and responsibilities; she, who merely wanted to frolic and play with the unicorns, had never thought she would take on any burden.

She was a free elf, but at this moment, she decided that in the last moment of her fleeting life, like a hero in a fairy tale, like the true hero behind her, she would do things that were never meant for her.

Against the enemy of civilization, the righteous Elven girl reached for the still-vibrating treasure sword before her. Although knowing she would surely die facing a formidable enemy, she bravely grasped the sword hilt with both hands, feeling the flame within her soul about to erupt, drawing the sword and pointing it at the sky.

Enemy of civilization, Heart of Justice, wielding the Holy Sword, drawing the sword against the enemy, thus——