Chapter 427: The battlefield moves to the ground
(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)
"You... damn human!!!"
Elfin-san was furious. Her comrades had been injured, and her daughter had been put in danger.
Even though she wasn’t doing anything, embers crackled in the air.
At this rate, a small trigger could cause a massive blaze to erupt.
"I understand your anger, but please calm down. First, we need to get Lin out of here. This isn’t a good place to fight, and innocent people could get caught up in it."
"Tch, I know that."
She seemed to have regained some composure, at least enough not to unleash flames immediately.
Instead, she glared at Lin with such intensity that it seemed like she could kill with her eyes alone.
"…Can I have a moment?"
I spoke in a quiet voice.
"…What is it?"
"We’re going to drive Lin outside. Can you help?"
"…Helping a human? That’s absurd. If you’ve mistaken our last encounter for a reconciliation, you’re gravely mistaken."
"…That’s—"
"—What I’d normally say, but this is a different matter. Fine, I’ll listen."
I discreetly shared my plan, making sure Lin couldn’t hear.
That said, it wasn’t a complicated strategy.
Even if she overheard, it wouldn’t matter much.
It was so simple that it would be difficult to counter, leaving her with no way to respond.
However, if she decided to lash out purely to spite me, that would be troublesome.
At this point, conflict was inevitable either way…
But if we had to fight, I at least wanted to do it outside, where no one else would get hurt.
I stepped forward.
"Lin, why are you doing this? Are you really willing to abandon your humanity? Do you think you can get out of here unscathed?"
"Hah? Are you misunderstanding something?"
"Misunderstanding?"
"Why would I need to run? I’ve gained incredible power—there’s no reason to flee. First, I need to pay you all back for treating me like a fool. I’ll kill every last one of you."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. I hate being looked down on. I’ll make you understand my worth, my power! Now, bow before me!"
"Tch."
A terrifying surge of magic radiated from her, pressing down with overwhelming force.
Was this really Lin?
It was unbelievable that she possessed this much magic.
Several times—no, dozens of times stronger than before.
She had abandoned her humanity in exchange for immense power.
This was dangerous.
Among all the opponents I had faced, the strongest had been Iris…
But Lin might have surpassed even her.
The sheer pressure of her magic was suffocating.
"If your heart has been fully consumed by darkness, then I’ll fight you. But let’s take this outside—it’s too cramped in here to battle properly."
"Heh."
Lin smirked as if she had just heard something amusing.
It was a malicious, inhuman expression.
"Worried about your weak little friends? You’re as soft as ever. Hearing that makes me want to mess with you even more!!!"
Her gaze shifted to the Phoenix clan members who had been watching anxiously.
She was planning to kill them first.
There was no logical reason for it.
She just wanted to see me suffer.
That was all.
What a despicable person.
But if she thought things would go her way—she was dead wrong.
"Hngh!"
"Wha—what!?"
While Lin was distracted, Nina had stealthily moved behind her.
She must have understood my deliberately provocative words and taken action on her own.
I had hoped she would, and she exceeded my expectations.
I’d have to give her plenty of praise later.
"Bye-bye."
"You little brat!!!"
Nina opened a hole in the subspace and threw Lin inside.
Lin glared at Nina with a furious expression and tried to resist.
However, she realized it too late.
Her entire body was swallowed into the subspace.
Shortly after, the hole in the space closed, and Lin's figure disappeared.
"Rain… I did it."
"Yeah, thank you. You really saved us, Nina."
"Hehehe."
Nina wagged her three tails happily, expressing her joy.
"Where did that woman go?"
Elfin-san, still unsure of what had just happened, asked.
"Um… Nina, where did you send Lin?"
"The surface. My power is still weak, so I can’t send her far."
She said it apologetically, but I gently patted her head to let her know it was nothing to worry about.
In fact, this was the best possible outcome.
If Lin had stayed here, it would have been a problem, but if she had gone too far, that would have been troublesome too.
After all, we couldn't just leave someone like her unchecked.
"That child is amazing. She still looks so young, yet she already knows how to manipulate space."
"Is that rare?"
"It doesn’t happen often. Either she has extraordinary talent, or there is some other factor that accelerated her growth."
"Ehehe, I'm great, right?"
Realizing she was being praised, Nina proudly puffed out her chest.
"Anyway, let’s go after her. Now that she’s on the surface, we can fight without holding back."
"Agreed… Five of you, come with me. The rest of you, focus on defending the village in case of an emergency. And Shigure, I need your help."
"Good grief, are you planning to work an old woman to the bone?"
"Don’t try to slack off. You’re as strong as I am, aren’t you?"
"Well, my back has been aching lately… but I suppose we can’t just leave someone like her—no, that demon—unchecked."
It seemed that Elfin-san, the Phoenix clan members, and even Shigure-san would be joining the fight.
There couldn’t be a more reliable team.
"A-Ah!"
With a trembling voice but strong determination in her eyes, Finia spoke up.
"Please… take me with you too!"
"Finia? What are you saying? You need to stay here. You are the next chief—why would you put yourself in danger?"
"That… that may be true… but as the next chief, I can't just ignore this crisis!"
"That’s…"
Caught off guard by Finia’s firm resolve, Elfin-san hesitated.
After a brief silence, she turned a gentle gaze toward her daughter.
"Honestly… How much have you grown in just this short time? A child's growth is truly astonishing. But… as a mother, I am very proud of you."
"U-Um… then, Mother, I…?"
"I will allow you to come. However, do not push yourself too hard. And you must obey my instructions at all times. Understood?"
"A… Ah! Yes!"
With a mix of surprise and joy on her face, Finia nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright… let’s go."
Now that everything was settled, Nina opened a portal leading to the surface.
TL Note- The battle rages on.....
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