At Erenes's words, everyone wore puzzled expressions.
After all, Ghislain was the one who had destroyed the most rifts created by the Salvation Church. He had even killed Ravier, a high-ranking priest, and exposed the Church's schemes to the world.
And now she was asking him what his connection to the Salvation Church was? The elf seemed slightly out of her mind.
Ghislain curled his lips into a smirk and asked.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The energy you use is similar to that of the Salvation Church."
Ghislain's expression hardened at her words.
He had met Erenes in his previous life. While she had seemed slightly wary of him back then, she had never acted this hostile.
There was only one difference between then and now.
'Dark.'
The memory of killing Ravier resurfaced in his mind.
'That bastard was startled when he saw my power.'
When Ghislain had unleashed all his energy, Ravier had been stunned, leaving himself open to a swift decapitation.
Back then, Ravier had tried to say something upon seeing Ghislain's power.
"Hey, I think there's some misunderstanding..."
Crunch.
Before Ghislain could finish, vines rose from the ground, fully encasing Erenes.
Crack!
The vines quickly morphed into armor—not the bulky kind worn by knights but something sleek and form-fitting that highlighted Erenes's elegant form.
It was as though her entire body was now covered in bark.
Crack!
Her face was also concealed by a helmet made of wood, with antler-like protrusions rising from its top.
Flash!
Green light radiated from her eyes and seeped through the gaps in her armor.
Watching from the back, Claude, carried by Wendy, muttered in awe.
"That's so cool! I want one of those."
"..."
Wendy barely resisted the urge to throw Claude to the ground.
Unlike Claude, who was filled with admiration, Ghislain's face grew increasingly emotionless.
'Damn it... She's pulling out that armor.'
It was the armor Erenes donned when she was serious about a fight. Right now, she seemed utterly convinced that he was a priest of the Salvation Church.
'I can't win against her right now...'
Erenes was different from the other members of the Continent's Seven Strongest.
Some, including Ghislain, had earned their titles by fighting rifts and growing stronger. Ghislain, in particular, had reached the rank later than most.
But Erenes had been that powerful from the moment she first appeared. Rumor had it she was under some kind of restriction, unable to wield her full strength. Some even said she was an elf who had lived for a thousand years.
In other words, Erenes possessed incredible power even now.
Recalling this, Ghislain let out a savage grin.
'The Second of the Continent's Seven Strongest.'
That was one of Erenes's titles, signifying that she was the second strongest on the continent. In his past life, he had often wanted to fight her. However, it was practically impossible, and she had left the alliance before it could happen.
'Well, this is a rare opportunity.'
Ghislain hadn't yet regained the full strength he had in his past life. He knew he was currently weaker than she was.
But now, he had a new source of power: the amplification provided by Dark.
If they had started with a conversation, things might have gone differently, but now that the other party had chosen to fight, he wasn't about to back down and make excuses.
"A fight always..."
Boom!
Mana erupted from Ghislain's body like a storm. His eyes burned a deep red, and a dark red energy enveloped him.
"...comes down to who fights harder, don't you agree?"
At the sight of Ghislain's almost demonic transformation, Erenes flinched and took a step back.
"You... That form..."
"Let's see just how strong you are."
Whoosh!
Ghislain vanished, leaving behind a black afterimage.
Boom!
In an instant, he appeared in front of Erenes, swinging his aura blade.
But she had already moved behind him. Ghislain quickly turned, raising his sword.
The green light extending from Erenes's hand slammed into Ghislain's blade.
Crash!
Unable to withstand the force, Ghislain was pushed back, skidding across the ground.
The spectators were stunned. None of them had ever seen Ghislain pushed back in a one-on-one fight before.
Ghislain, bracing himself against the ground, lunged forward again and swung his blade. Erenes dodged effortlessly and retaliated with a swift strike of her own.
Boom!
Their exchange of blows was so rapid and powerful that it was difficult for anyone to follow. Shockwaves rippled in all directions, forcing the onlookers to retreat.
'As expected, she's incredible.'
Ghislain thought as he narrowly avoided and blocked her attacks. He was reminded anew of how formidable the Continent's Seven Strongest were.
Was this how his opponents had felt in his past life? It was like facing a massive, insurmountable wall.
But Ghislain had been one of the Seven Strongest himself. The experiences and insights he had gained were still with him. If anything, he had become even more refined after his return.
Boom!
Erenes, too, seemed slightly surprised as she fought.
"What is this...?"
Though he was stronger than most superhumans, she had thought he would be easy to subdue with her abilities.
At first, that seemed true. But there was something extraordinary about his movements—a destructive, combat-honed skill far beyond his apparent strength.
'He's not following the flow; he's forcing his way against it. This is pure, destructive combat instinct!'
It didn't make sense. To move like this, he should have been even stronger. It was as if his body couldn't fully keep up with his insights.
Whoosh!
"Ugh!"
Lost in thought for a moment, she barely avoided an attack aimed at a critical spot. Every strike was lethal, as if he intended to kill her outright.
But she, too, had been through countless battles—massive wars beyond imagination.
"You fight like a beast!"
Erenes dodged and launched a counterattack.
Boom!
Ghislain was pushed back again and clicked his tongue inwardly.
'She's definitely not like the other elves.'
Erenes's legs bent slightly under the force of the clash, but that was all. She had withstood the attack without taking damage.
Vanessa frowned, biting her lip.
'That armor...'
No matter how strong someone was, they shouldn't have been able to take a direct hit unscathed. She could sense the armor absorbing the energy from the strikes.
"Stop!"
The others could no longer stand idle. The elves who had accompanied Erenes were now surrounded.
If the skilled warriors here attacked, the elves would be slaughtered in an instant.
Erenes briefly lowered her hands and straightened her back. Glancing at the surrounded elves, she turned her gaze back to Ghislain.
Her voice came out cold and sharp.
"For the greater cause, sacrifices are inevitable. You will tell me everything you know. Do not think of running."
Her demeanor was nothing like that of an elf said to cherish harmony and peace. Her unyielding determination to push forward, regardless of the cost, was plain to see.
No, calling it determination wasn't enough. Her actions bore the marks of an obsessive compulsion.
The spectators found themselves re-evaluating their understanding of elves.
"Turns out all those elegant and noble elves only exist in storybooks."
'I should have realized when I saw how Ascon behaves.'
'Why is it that only elves like this end up coming to us?'
At Erenes's stiff demeanor, Ghislain gave a twisted smile.
'I still can't expand my core.'
Not only was her power immense, but her skills were exceptional as well.
Even those watching couldn't believe what was happening. Ghislain, whom they had thought of as invincible, was being pushed back by an elf—a race often regarded as enslaved and inferior.
For the first time, some wondered if he might actually lose.
Boom!
The two clashed again, momentarily pulling apart. At that moment, someone shouted loudly.
"Stop it right now!"
As the fight grew more intense, Vanessa, unable to stand by any longer, intervened and raised her hand. She had to use more mana than usual after seeing Erenes's overwhelming power.
Flash!
A streak of lightning shot down from the sky, aiming directly at Erenes.
Boom!
During his time as the Mercenary King, Ghislain had created five cores. To match someone like Erenes, he would have to use that level of power.
However, it was still too early to create two cores simultaneously.
He could create one for now, but the fourth and fifth cores had to be forged together to achieve perfect balance.
To rival Erenes's strength, he needed something even riskier.
Ghislain reached out to the consciousness within Dark.
'Amplify it further.'
— Wh-what? Even more here?
'Hurry!'
— Don't blame me if you die!
Crunch, crack!
Ghislain's bones and muscles began to twist.
He had grown stronger through daily training since acquiring Dark. The power he could wield through amplification had also increased.
Even if only for a moment, it would be enough to give Erenes pause.
Rooooooar!
The black smoke enveloping Ghislain thickened and began to flare up violently.
As Ghislain's power surged, Erenes drew more deeply on the natural energy around her.
"As I thought, it's a ominous energy."
Rumble!
The ground quaked as the immense power warped the space around them.
Terrified, the spectators backed away further. Even the elves who had come with Erenes did the same.
Only Belinda, Gillian, Vanessa, and Tenant remained close, lowering their stances and watching for an opportunity to attack Erenes.
Whoosh!
The two, glaring at each other, exploded with power and rushed forward.
Ghislain's massive aura blade slashed toward Erenes, while a brilliant green light radiated from her hand.
At that very moment, someone interposed themselves between them.
"Damn it!"
"What?!"
Both Ghislain and Erenes were startled but couldn't fully stop their attacks, which had already been unleashed.
BOOOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted, creating a crater in the ground around them. However, the figure standing between them remained unharmed.
Erenes looked at the person blocking her with a disbelieving expression.
"They withstood that? Holy power... Could it be the blessing of the goddess?"
The individual radiated an overwhelming holy power, their silvery hair shimmering like moonlight.
Piote shouted at Erenes.
"Stop this! Lord Ghislain has nothing to do with the Salvation Church! He's been saving people from them! If he were aligned with them, why would he be fighting the rifts?"
Piote then turned to Ghislain.
"This person isn't bad. There must be some misunderstanding—I can tell."
Piote was a priest favored by the goddess. As such, he was especially sensitive to dark energies.
To him, Erenes felt like pure nature itself.
If Claude and Alpoi were like murky water, this elf radiated an almost blinding light, likely stemming from her righteous convictions.
Ghislain smirked at Piote's words.
"And you think someone who attacks without warning is a good person?"
"That's..."
Piote looked back at Erenes. Her overwhelming convictions seemed to make her impervious to others' reasoning.
"So, basically... she's like a stubborn old-timer. Someone who thinks only her opinions are right. That's the feeling I get. She's probably an extremely old elf, even if she doesn't look like that."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Erenes turned her gaze to Piote and asked.
"I can sense the blessing of the goddess upon you. But as a priest, are you telling me you don't feel the ominous darkness radiating from him?"
"That has nothing to do with Lord Ghislain."
"What?"
"It's because of Dark."
The people of the territory were already aware of Dark's existence, so they weren't overly concerned about the ominous energy emanating from Ghislain.
Ghislain had fully subjugated Dark under his control.
Unaware of this, Erenes tilted her head in confusion.
"What is... Dark?"
"Lord, just show her! Why do you always try to solve everything with violence?"
"She attacked first!"
Ghislain responded with an exasperated expression, and Piote turned back to Erenes.
"And why do you solve everything with violence? What kind of elf does that?"
"..."
Erenes placed her hand over her face.
Swoosh...
The wood that had covered her face receded, leaving her armor intact. Revealing her face, she looked at Ghislain and said.
"Tell me what Dark is."
Her intimidating aura had noticeably diminished. The presence of Piote's strong holy power seemed to prevent her from dismissing his words outright.
Ghislain also lowered his energy. Truthfully, his enthusiasm for the fight had waned somewhat.
Sizzle...
The dark energy surrounding Ghislain condensed into a single point, forming a humanoid shape.
Soon, Dark appeared and spoke.
"I'm Dark. I live inside my master's body. Do you need something from me?"
Erenes paid no attention to Dark's insolent tone. Instead, she observed him intently with a penetrating gaze.
"A spirit? No... not an ordinary one."
"That's right! I'm a Spirit King!"
"..."
For the first time in her life, Erenes felt something she hadn't experienced before: utter disbelief.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]