Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

Mom is dead. My mother has passed away. My dear mother has left this world.

No matter how I phrase it, the meaning remains the same.

I felt tears threatening to fall at the thought.

*

Enok looked at Zikfrein’s hurried back as he conjured a small magic circle over his hand.

‘Seems like it might work.’

The time spent at that gathering or whatever it was turned out to be shorter than expected, but he had managed to piece things together. If things went as planned, Zikfrein would be able to have a conversation with the Idalian.

“Why do I have to go through this? Seriously.”

Enok grumbled, and his head snapped around. Tsukiyo was the same.

As their eyes met, both tilted their heads in confusion.

“Choco, did you feel that?”

“Hmm. At this level, he doesn’t seem like an amateur… but is it really that significant?”

“Is it? I guess.”

Even though there was a wild aura, one might feel the urge to use some strength while living life. It is stranger to search for that desire.

Yawning quietly, Enok began to walk away.

“Then I’ll head inside and rest….”

Boom────────────────!!!

A crimson aura came flying from somewhere, obliterating the top of the lord’s castle.

Enok, who was yawning, closed his mouth in surprise, blinking.

“Looks like something’s up.”

The feeling in the air was unusual. Enok immediately leaped forward and saw the form of a woman.

“How arrogant. How dare you touch this place?”

With a snap, the woman lightly tapped her high heel against the ground, sending crimson lines painting the air.

“Ahhh—!”

“An attack! Hurry!”

Severed limbs fell as if harvested like grain. Amidst the blood-soaked scene, the woman’s gaze turned toward Enok.

“Oh my? What a handsome young man.”

With a bright smile, the woman’s hand moved gracefully. Simultaneously, Enok knocked the air as if tapping on it.

Thump-!

The woman was sent flying back, her eyes wide open. Blood dripped from her lips as she stared at Enok with trembling eyes, letting out a hollow laugh.

“…What is this? What kind of monster…?”

Not a handsome young man, but a monster? Yekaterina hastily took a poison pill from her robe and popped it into her mouth.

“Huff…!”

Crimson energy erupted explosively from her body. Along with that, an unsettling, sticky aura began to be felt.

“Hmm?”

Enok raised an eyebrow. That familiar energy—it was demonic energy. And among those, likely the essence of a Succubus.

[Lilith! I offer half of my remaining lifespan! Please, may the darkness of that soul—!]

The woman’s energy burst forth again. Enok furrowed his brow, then discreetly shifted his gaze.

Boom—!

A man collided with Tsukiyo. The hurried Marquis also joined the fray, creating a 2-to-1 situation. However, the man showed no signs of being overpowered.

“Ugh…! Why can’t I find anyone who falls for illusions these days!”

Tsukiyo, infuriated, sharpened her claws and charged. But her specialty wasn’t hand-to-hand combat. At this rate, it could get dangerously close.

“Eri, let’s wrap this up quickly.”

[Yes, Dad.]

In that brief moment, the woman surged forward. She dashed toward Enok, who was floating in the air, and clapped her hands.

Snap-!

The space twisted, and random threads of crimson shot forth. Enok sidestepped with ease, unleashing the power within him.

Whoosh──────

An iridescent ring rose behind Enok. Fox ears sprouted above his head, and soon, he had gained six fluffy tails.

Kiiing-!

The Ki Eye shone upon the woman. Perhaps the demonic energy of the Succubus was no illusion; a peculiar current surrounded her.

[Oh my.]

But he was immune to it. Ignoring it, he crafted a spear in his grasp.

The realization Enok gained when he ascended to Grandmaster was Convergence. Even the space twisted by the woman’s power became trapped in that spear, and he drove it down onto the woman’s face, filled with horror.

Thunderous roar──────────!

A dazzling purple light flashed. After the blinding light faded, Enok clicked his tongue at the scene that unfolded.

[How annoying.]

Tsukiyo, who was fighting the man, had suddenly blocked the woman’s path.

What on earth was going on all of a sudden? He was just trying to get some rest, and now trouble was brewing.

“Who are you? I haven’t heard of such a strong person in Demisto.”

[I’m the one asking. What the heck is going on, suddenly bursting in here?]

While maintaining his Gi state, Enok rotated the rings in his eyes. The Ki Eye pierced through the man. However, the man seemed to feel something unusual and did something to block his gaze.

[Oh.]

“Hoh….”

As Enok and the man stared at each other, Tsukiyo and the Marquis, who had lost sight of their opponent, came rushing in.

“Dad! That guy is him! Tugi!”

At her words, the Marquis frowned.

“…Tugi. The leader of Haken Welt, why are you here?”

[What, that’s enough.]

Enok gathered electric currents in his hand. According to the principle of Convergence, the surrounding space was getting sucked into his grip.

[The best strategy is annihilation. Just wipe them all out.]

“Is there no thought of having a conversation?”

Tugi stepped forward.

“Ah, I just remembered. The Swordmaster’s disciple. I don’t recall hearing about someone of this caliber; guess the information was wrong after all.”

[Conversation?]

Enok scratched his chin. But instead, the Marquis muttered under his breath.

“It smells like blood all the way over here, and you mention conversation….”

“Ah, I apologize for that. Yekaterina has been a bit sensitive lately.”

Tugi pointed at Yekaterina, who was eyeing Enok with wary eyes.

But isn’t that woman already half spent her lifespan? My, oh my…

As Enok looked at Yekaterina sympathetically, she scrunched her face. But she didn’t say anything further.

Before long, the atmosphere shifted to a stare-down between Yekaterina and Enok, along with the Marquis and Tugi’s dialogue.

“So what’s your objective in coming to Demisto?”

“We came because the branch in Demisto was destroyed.”

“Wasn’t that your fault for recklessly establishing a branch in Demisto?”

“This land is about taking and being taken. Isn’t it just a game of tag among those claiming ownership? There’s no such thing as true ownership of land from the start.”

After a brief silence, the Marquis locked eyes with Tugi. There was no particular emotion reflected in the Marquis’s dull eyes.

“So what do you want?”

“Demisto.”

“You must be insane. Do you think I would fulfill such a demand?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. In the first place, I’m not even asking you.”

Tugi casually asked Enok as if inquiring about lunch.

“What do you think? If you back off now, I won’t chase you.”

[Oh.]

Enok rubbed his chin. Normally, this would be something to think over, but still, this is Demisto after all.

Noticing that Zikfrein was anxiously watching from a distance, he could tell he was being a bother.

[Doesn’t seem likely.]

“What a pity.”

[Well, it’s a bit ambiguous.]

Enok smiled slyly, tapping his chest.

[You seem to have quite a lot to steal, don’t you.]

Eri’s snout popped out from Enok’s chest. At the same time, her mouth opened wide, unleashing a blinding electric shock.

[Eri Breath!]

──────────────!!!

The breath shot to the sky, creating a black hole at the end. Watching the spectacle with satisfaction, Enok nodded.

[That’s quite the advancement.]

[Yes, Dad!]

[It’s about time for an additional tail to appear.]

That would mean, counting the one that had recently sprouted, a total of seven tails.

If I’m not mistaken, the Master of the Forest has nine tails; isn’t the gumiho the ultimate evolution? If that’s the case, a seven-tailed fox would definitely pack a punch.

Kachunk—

Tugi emerged from the narrow, long pit like a drawn-out slingshot. One arm was slightly burned, but apart from that, he seemed mostly unharmed.

However, realizing the fight might be tougher than expected, his expression tightened slightly.

But that was for just a moment. Tugi’s face, once emotionless, soon transformed into a grin that looked ready to split.

“Heh… well, fine. I guess I won’t need to hold back anymore.”

Whether as Swordmaster or whatever, that’s a problem for the future. For now, he simply wanted to enjoy the fight right in front of him.

“No.”

At that moment, Yekaterina stepped forward. She knew too. Even she, who hadn’t even attained Grandmaster status, wouldn’t be of any real help.

“Master, you know. No matter how strong you are, three against one is pushing it.”

But she was not entirely oblivious. If the opponent were just a rookie Grandmaster, it would be different, but those three would be a challenge no matter how one looked at it.

The Master hadn’t even made a deal with a demon, so he had no means to boost his power.

“How annoying.”

Yekaterina furrowed her brow and grabbed the Master’s hand tightly. The Master looked at her with astonishment.

“You….”

“What are you looking at?”

She nervously pressed her lips against Tugi’s hand.

“Win, Master.”

Yekaterina’s body turned to ash and vanished. The power she had acquired by sacrificing all her lifespan flowed into Tugi’s body.

Tugi stared blankly at his palm and then clenched his fist tightly.

“…What a foolish act.”

Tugi’s red eyes turned toward the three of them. Crimson bubbles boiled up all over his body, enveloping it, while two horns of Ki burst forth from his temples.

Tsukiyo, watching this unfold, couldn’t help but smirk.

“What a captivating drama. Isn’t it silly, huh, Dad?”

Enok clapped with a dazed expression.

[…Turns out, he was a good person all along?]

Tsukiyo, confused, glanced at the Marquis.

“…Even if he’s a villain, does he possess sincerity?”

The Marquis seemed to recall the Idalian and his eyes glistened.

“What on earth is this mess…?”

A disoriented Tsukiyo suddenly heard another voice whisper in her ear.

[Sniffle… that was a good story.]

Startled, Tsukiyo turned her head to see a hazy figure of a woman.

[What’s wrong, cute little girl?]

Tsukiyo’s body trembled uncontrollably.

“Ghost, ghost…!!”

Tsukiyo jumped up in shock.