CHAPTER 159 – EXTINCTION OF ELVES
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN – PREVIOUS TIMELINE
“Kate… Charlotte… Gaeun…” I whispered, my voice trembling as I embraced each of my friends tightly. “Why are you all here?”
Kate’s lips curled into a gentle smile, her eyes sparkling with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. “Do you remember what happened three years ago, during the attack on Tasty Town’s Magic High?” she asked. “Our schoolmate Maggie Antlers and the school doctor Pete Voltaire had us recruited.”
Gaeun, her cheeks flushed with a shy blush, spoke up softly, her eyes avoiding mine. “Um, we also learned that you were kidnapped by the humans, so we tried to work hard to pinpoint your location and get you back.” Her voice wavered with a hint of guilt. “I’m sorry it took a long time.”
Tears of joy streamed down my face as I clutched them tighter. “No, it’s okay,” I said, my voice breaking with emotion. “All that matters is I am safe now.”
Charlotte’s eyes flashed with anger, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulders as she spoke. “Those good-for-nothing lowlife humans deserve death for what they’ve done to you,” she spat, her voice laced with venom.
“That’s a little bit extreme, Charlotte,” I replied, forcing a shaky laugh to mask the trauma that still lingered. “Ahaha.”
“But still, we’ve read the reports. We know what that exiled prince did to you,” Charlotte said, her tone softening but her eyes burning with determination.
My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened in shock. “Exiled prince?” I echoed, my voice barely a whisper.
“That’s right,” a familiar deep voice reverberated through the hall, sending chills down my spine.
Metal clanks mingled with the echoes of footsteps, creating an ominous melody that heralded his arrival. As he stepped into the light, his imposing figure revealed itself once again. It was Gazelle Lockwood, his presence commanding and fierce. Beside him stood a purple-haired dragonoid woman, her magical witch attire shimmering in the dim light, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and determination.
“My name is Eva Nascence. It is nice to meet you, Oracle of the Elves.” The witch dragonoid bowed gracefully, her robes rustling softly. “For decades, Gazelle and I have been tracking down the human who murdered your past incarnation. As you see, Exceria was our guardian and our ally twenty years ago, during the Dragonoid Liberation War.”
“We knew that Emperor-consort Cleru Neos and Empress Serenity Elkyria had something to do with it, but I knew that the true culprit was another party—a Regressor of Time,” Gazelle said, his voice deep and resonant, filled with conviction.
In an instant, Arthur’s haunting words echoed inside my head, sending shivers down my spine.
“It’s not your fault, per se. It was Exceria’s fault,” Arthur had said, his tone cold and detached. “She tried to kill me when I was in my mother’s womb. To protect myself, I had to bathe myself in the Curse of Time and suffer a fate worse than death—an eternal time loop, where I must go back and forth just to kill you over and over again to survive.”
“It was Arthur.” I bit my lip, the sharp pain grounding me as I tasted the metallic tang of blood.
“Thanks to your three friends here,” Eva continued, gesturing elegantly towards Kate, Charlotte, and Gaeun, “we have finally uncovered his true identity. All we need to do is to destroy the empire until he shows himself once more.”
I clenched my fists, the anger and frustration boiling within me. As much as I wanted revenge on Arthur, it was not fair that innocent humans should suffer. It was Arthur alone who had sinned, and it was only he who must be punished.
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“Look, Miss Eva, and Mister Gazelle.” I paused, choosing my words carefully. “I owe you my life, and I thank you for taking care of my friends. But isn’t it wrong to involve innocent humans in this war?”
“We have no choice. It is for the salvation of the whole world,” Gazelle declared, his voice filled with a grim resolve. “The King of Humanity’s Wickedness will not surface until the Empire stands tall.”
“Still…” I muttered, my thoughts swirling with doubt and fear.
Suddenly, a familiar figure burst into the room. Maggie Antlers, a student with a dark complexion and determined eyes, hurried to Gazelle. Her usually composed demeanor was replaced with urgent anxiety.
“Supreme Leader! There is bad news!” Maggie exclaimed, her voice trembling.
“What is it?” Gazelle asked, his brows furrowing with concern.
“We have information about the Empire’s Fleet going after the island of Yggdra! They plan to annex the Land of Elves!” Maggie cried, her voice breaking.
“What!?” Gazelle and Eva gasped in unison, their faces pale with shock. The rest of us stood there, frozen in awe and horror at the news.
My heart pounded in my chest as I put a hand over it, my fingers trembling. “Mom. Dad. Please be safe,” I whispered in a silent prayer, my eyes brimming with tears.
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We immediately departed in our aircraft, the engines roaring to life as we soared into the night sky. Gazelle guided me, teaching me how to harness the full power of the Mark of Vesryn. With the Dragon Lord Commandments, we transformed our dragonoid forces into colossal flying dragons, ready to transport us to my hometown—the island of Yggdra.
As we approached the island, the night sky revealed a devastating sight. Flames engulfed Yggdra, casting an eerie glow over the charred landscape. The Yggdrasil, the ancient tree protected by my people for millennia, was now a blazing inferno. The once-lush trees, the rolling hills, and the forest cities were reduced to smoldering ruins.
“No…” I cried, my heart sinking. “I may be too late!”
“Incoming!” one of the dragons telepathically warned, its voice urgent in my mind.
Above the burning island, airships bearing the flag of the sword and shield—the emblem of the Imperial Forces—hovered menacingly. There were about thirty of them, accompanied by twenty helicopters and fighter planes, their engines humming ominously.
We had seventy dragons, but their strength paled compared to those empowered by the Vesryn Pulse. However, Gazelle was with us. He transformed into an Alientech Dragon, his body shimmering with alien technology. With a fierce roar, he unleashed curving green lasers, slicing through the human armies with precision and power.
“Go, Hiraya! Save as many elves as you can!” the Alientech Dragon commanded, his voice booming with authority.
I landed on the hill of Yggdra, flanked by Kate, Gaeun, Charlotte, Maggie, and Alris, each of them in their Partial Dragon Forms. Together, we ventured towards the burning tree buildings, our hearts heavy with dread as we searched for any signs of life.
But all I saw was carnage. Elves lay lifeless on the ground, their bodies riddled with bullet holes and soaked in their own blood. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and death. Desperation drove me forward as I sprinted towards the direction of my house, fear clutching at my heart.
There, I witnessed one of the most horrifying moments of my life.
“Mom! Dad!” I hollered in agony, my voice breaking as I saw them lying on the floor, drenched in blood. Their bodies were mutilated, missing limbs, and their clothes were torn and bloodied. I was about to rush to their side when Alris's voice pierced through my despair.
“Hiraya!” Alris shouted, snapping me back to reality.
Through the smoke and flames, I saw a silhouette that made my blood run cold. Standing ten meters tall was a white dragon with magnificent, multicolored wings that shimmered in the light of the burning elven homes. The wings were a breathtaking display of red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, violet, and blue, each hue reflecting the fire's glow. It was a Rainbow Dragon.
Atop the Rainbow Dragon stood Emperor-consort Cleru Neos, resplendent in golden armor and wielding a golden scimitar. His presence was commanding and terrifying, his eyes filled with disdain as he glared down at us, as if we were mere ants about to be crushed.
“W-Why… Why did you do this, your majesty?” I asked, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my face.
“It’s for my son,” the emperor-consort replied, his tone cold and unfeeling, his eyes colored with obsidian hue. “It’s for Arthur.”
It was always Arthur. Arthur. Arthur. That man had destroyed my life! Why was it always him? I had suffered and lost three years of my life because of him! I had lost my dignity because of him! I had lost my family because of him! Did he not have anything better to do than to destroy my life?
Overwhelmed by the weight of my losses, I collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The anguish and despair coursed through me like a torrent, each tear a testament to the pain I endured.
“Hiraya…” Alris’s voice broke through my sorrow. He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I… I will fight with you. I will be by your side.”
Suddenly, a powerful sensation coursed through us. Our hearts began to glow, and our heartbeats synchronized, resonating with an undeniable force. A newfound vigor surged within me, and a singular goal crystallized in my mind.
“Activating Vesryn Pulse!” I shouted, my voice ringing with determination and defiance.