Hope you enjoy this chapter! :-D

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Chapter 12.5 – The Serpent

Leo’s POV

It has been a while since Reila and Nelus’ departure and things have been good. I trust Nelus that he will protect her… for now I gotta focus HE is nearing the village and I got to get ready. Nelus might be thinking on how did I manage to get Gungnir in the first place well it was a long story… a story filled with regret and suffering… why did I do it in the first place… all I remember was an ominous glow before it all began. This is how it happened…

It was 21 years ago that Reila was born me and my wife was at our happiest. As an immortal it was rare to find another immortal let alone an elven immortal… my wife was one. She was supposed to be the next supreme elder if it wouldn’t have been for me… it was my fault… no matter what I will do I cannot atone for it. My daughter is growing up so fast and I couldn’t even hug her… praise her or take care of her all these years… it brings me great pain… once he is here I need to kill him and then… I can finally tell Reila that I am… II can't stop grinning!) wh-what will she say…? how will she react I wonder? N-no focus… he is coming and I feel he will be here tomorrow.

Quite a good timing… tomorrow the other elves are going hunting on the far east of the village as I can feel he is heading here from the north west. Everything will finally change… I know it… just win… I have been training these past years… I am far stronger then before… I went back to my home to rest for the awaiting battle… did he get stronger too? If so it will become more problematic… I fell asleep. When I awoke I sensed a being heading here at great speed… it was him. I got out of my home and noticed that most of the elves are gone from the village… now is my chance. I slip past the others and headed north west until I was at the meadow. There I saw a familiar figure...

???: We meet again… heh…

That face just makes my blood boil!

Leo: Atir! Lets finish this…

Atir: Is that something you say to an old friend?

Leo: My wife… you will pay it is because of you that she…

Atir: Oh? Did you forget how you succumb to your greed? It is your fault that all of this happened. Just return Gungnir to me and let me kill you or just kill yourself, either is fine.

Leo: …

How could I forget… 2 years after Reila’s birth… I went hunting for food until… a rift opened… one that connects to another dimension… what appeared was a scaly humanoid that I haven’t met before… holding a spear which later I found out its name was gungnir. I heard a voice in my head… (You want power right? KILL HIM!! Take his spear. It holds great power. You can protect those important to you. I KNOW YOU WANT POWER!!! KILL THOSE WHO WANTS TO DESTROY THOSE YOU LOVE!!)

I went berserk and tried to kill that man even if I haven’t met before. He retaliated using the spear but it was my advantage as I attacked him out of the blue. I grabbed the spear but he was far too strong… I was flung away and I tried to retreat. He was far too fast I can’t escape him… he thrust the spear towards me… I closed my eyes to accept my fate but then I heard a huge explosion that I was blown away. It was my wife Delia, she cast a spell called which disables any being at a certain amount of time depending on their power and it is greatly powerful against dark element beings. My wife is stronger than me, with both strength and magic. She then used [Barrier of Light] to protect me. I cast which was all cut down with his spear.

He also cut down the barrier surrounding me in one swing. It was hopeless as magic was useless against him… still my wife and I never gave up. She then takes out an artifact, it was a sword. She told me she can only use it once a year. It converts mana to “Pure Energy” just like the wind element beings. She casts and converts it to Pure Energy as it was all propelled towards the man. He tried to cut the sabers but he can’t and it passes through his defenses. I took that chance to take his spear… then I had a bad premonition.

Atir: How dare You!! I was planning to save this spell as I can only use it once and it recharges for at least a decade but you leave me no choice!! Dimension Void. Now die!!!

A hole open up beneath us trying to devour both of us slowly. My wife then pulled out another artifact… it is called… "Heart of the Ancients"… it is a stone that cancels any magic only once and then it will become useless. She used it to cancel the magic beneath me. I ran to her and when I was in front of her I tried to pull frantically to free her but it was no use… no matter how much strength I use it still slowly engulfs her.

Leo: N-no this isn’t happening… Deliaaa!! I need to pull harder!! You!! I’ll return your spear just please save her!

Atir: Once I cast the spell it cannot be stopped. In your case you were lucky that her artifact stopped it. It must be a precious stone to be capable of stopping even an X rank magic.  Ahahahhahaha now you will forever suffer knowing that your wife is dead once she is fully sucked in… does it hurt? Aww… poor you!  hhahaha.

Leo: U-uuu…Aaaahhhhh!!!! No!!! Deliaaaa!!!

Delia: Leo my love… don’t cry… what would Reila say when she knew that her father is such a crybaby…

Leo: D-Delia… I cannot go on if you are not there with me… let me go with you!!

Delia then slap me as I felt my mind becoming blank as I returned my terrified gaze at her... but what made me afraid wasn't the strength she displayed but the fear of losing her forever!

Delia: Stupid… Reila needs you… my last wish is that for you to take care of her… see her grow in my stead… please.

Delia smiled gently as she caress my cheek as a tear fell from her eyes.

Leo: I-I… will!! I promise…

Delia: I was right to have married you… those days with you I will never forget… ever…

Only her hand was left outside the hole still holding mine, as her body was still being pulled down. It became lifeless as it slowly releases my hand until… there was nothing left but me… kneeling on the ground where my wife once stood.

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Atir: Yes! Such despair! Hahaha! I want more! I know! I’ll kill all of those important to you, like perhaps… your daughter?

Leo: Ggrrrr!! Youuu!!!

Atir: It’s not you it is Atir. Hah!

We battled as the surrounding slowly gets destroyed with our intense bout. Even with the spear we were still equal of power. It was at a standstill. He retreated but before doing so he told me…

Atir: One day I will come back to take those important to you. You can’t escape… once you summon my spear or call my name I will appear. If not I will find you again myself.

It drove me nearly insane but once I came home I found Reila… asleep… my little daughter… I then resolve myself to take vengeance once he comes back that I will become stronger… but just to be safe… if he kills me I must not let him know where my daughter is… and where the village is located. The village has a barrier that lets only elves or their guest see it. So when he comes… I will go a little farther from the village. Years have passed and here we are now…

Leo: Let us finish this once and for all…

Atir: Oh? It feels as if it was yesterday that you were begging me to free your wife.

I used a unique light spell, , as large spherical objects made of light was heading towards him at a high speed as it explodes creating a massive crater as the compressed light particles from within is was released.

Atir: Oh? You have been practicing. Did you know? Poison tastes delicious… at least for me.

A large purple beam burst forth heading towards me at high speed it was Atir's spell, . It was far too late to dodge so I summoned Gungnir. I cleave the beam as it disperses and I headed straight towards him. I thrust the spear at him as I engulfed the spear in light.

Atir then used the spell, surrounding himself in corrosive poison. I attacked the purple barrier and successfully destroy it I then used the spell I have been researching for many years. An X rank spell … it is a magic I stole from the Luminant race secretly though I can only use it once per century unlike the Luminant King which can use it up to three times per century. It engulfs Gungnir in an intense pure white light emanating power beyond my capabilities.

Leo: This is the end!!!

I thrust the spear towards him as he panicked while feeling the power that equals him or maybe even greater…

Atir: G-Gungnir come!!!

The spear on my hands suddenly disappeared appearing on his…

Atir: Phew! You scared me there.

Leo: Wh-why… h-how did the spear...

Atir: You thought just because you have it that it was yours? Ha! Don’t you get it? I let you use it… let you get use to using it… then one day once I take it back I can see your utter despair once more. Ahahahaha!!!

Leo: … Then all these years were practically useless…

Atir: Well it isn’t all useless you gave me a such a great show.

Leo: …

Atir: Aren’t you going to beg me to spare you?

Leo: …

Atir: Tch! Boorrriing!

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Mila’s POV

We were heading towards the forest at the east when I noticed that Lord Leo was not here… I asked Jerald and told me he was busy… suddenly I heard an explosion coming from the west but it seems that Jerald and the other didn’t seem to hear it… I was getting worried as something might have happened. So I headed back without them noticing me, I told Jerald I left something.

I returned to the village and headed west. I kept running until I came across the meadow. On the meadow was a mysterious hooded man and Lord Leo… Lord Leo seemed expressionless as if it were the end and all hope was lost. His face was pale and he was trembling. It surprised me I never saw the supreme elder act like that and it gave me a bad feeling. Afterwards I heard a voice.

???: Boorrriing!

Lord Leo was still expressionless and didn’t respond at all… what is it with that hooded man everything about him felt ominous.

???: Hahh… Let me end this then afterwards I will kill that Reila I heard from before.

Mila: (Reila!?)

Leo: I won’t let you!

Leo ran towards the hooded man trying to tackle him when suddenly…

???: Goodbye, .

Leo: (I did all I could… Delia will I see you again?)

Atir: Also I knew where that Reila is all this time did you know? I found an artifact to let me see the person I want to find from anyone using their memories? I can only use it once and it only works with those weaker than me, I just used it.

Lord Leo was being sucked in by a hole on the ground. He was helpless as he struggled free until almost half of him sunk to the ground.

Mila: Lord Le… uummph.

Someone covered my hand from behind… it was Jerald.

Jerald: Shh! He might hear you.

Mila: J-Jerald Lord Leo is…

Jerald: Mila… please don't cry… I saw… I also heard Reila’s name.

Mila: Let’s warn them…

Jerald: I agree, there’s no time to waste.

We head back towards the village to pack the things we need and try find them. We then departed towards the same direction Reila and Nelus were headed.

Mila: (We must get there before he finds them… if Lord Leo cannot stop him then I doubt Lord Nelus and Reila can. Even if Lord Nelus is strong …that hooded man… I can feel that he is different… he is an X rank… I mean who else can defeat Lord Leo besides… Guleus or that shadow woman from before? That man didn’t use shadow magic as shadows are our only main weakness after all so the only explanation left is his rank…)

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :-D