CHAPTER 170 – TURNING POINT
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN
Seven days have passed since the massacre at the inauguration, a span of time too brief to grieve properly for the dead. Yet, we must press onward. The King of Humanity, Arthurius Elkyria Neos, is on the move. In response, I summoned a summit between all the leaders of the races, held in the grand Cathedral Exa of the Guardian’s Haven.
Among those I called were the venerable Elven Elder of Yggdra, the solemn head priest Oni of Onishira, the enigmatic Vampire Queen Lancaster of Nocturnia, and the stalwart Dwarven Admiral-General Pryce of Kraghelm. Our numbers have been severely reduced, and these leaders are the only ones capable of guiding their races through these troubled times.
By my side stand the members of the Daybreaker Squad—Kate, Gaeun, Charlotte, and Meike. They have finally recovered their physical strength, but the emotional scars and heartbreak from losing their loved ones remain raw and unhealed.
As the leaders assemble, the air is thick with tension and anticipation. My friends scan the room, their eyes flitting from one face to another.
"Hey, have you seen Lysander?" Kate asked, her voice tinged with worry as she scratched her red-haired scalp.
"Don’t bother. That peasant is probably off to shit somewhere," Charlotte retorted sassily, flicking her brown hair with a dismissive air.
"Ahahaha," I interrupted with a forced laugh, trying to mask the unease beneath my cheerful facade. "Lysander said he's feeling ill, so he won't be attending this summit."
"It's probably because of the memory crystal," Meike muttered under her breath, her words barely audible yet heavy with implication.
I bit my lip, a pang of guilt twisting in my chest. It was my fault that Lysander was unwell; I had let him use my memory crystal instead of mine. To make matters worse, I hadn't found the courage to talk to him properly since. His once-vibrant blue eyes now seemed dull and lifeless, and I often caught him staring blankly at the walls, his eyes wide with some unseen horror.
Lysander never told me what he saw in the previous timeline, but I had a terrible suspicion. Whatever he witnessed must have been unimaginably horrific, considering the deep trauma etched into his features.
"Maybe I should apologize later," I muttered to myself, placing a hand over my chest as if trying to steady the tumult within.
"Anyway, should we start the summit?" Meike asked, her voice cutting through my thoughts.
"Alright," I nodded, taking a deep breath to compose myself. Rising from my seat, I felt the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders as all eyes turned toward me.
As I took the speaking stance, the room fell silent. Conversations halted abruptly, and the leaders fixed their gazes on me, waiting expectantly for the words that might shape our future.
"I have called you here to discuss what we should do about the Empire of Humans," I began, my voice steady but laced with urgency. "As we all know, Emperor Arthurius Elkyria Neos has turned against us, murdering four of the Dragon Lords and several important officials from different races. He has built his army of skysoldiers, who are preparing to advance as we speak."
The Elven Elder of Yggdra stepped forward, her presence commanding attention. Her eyes, ancient and wise, scanned the room as she spoke. "My rangers have spotted significant human activity at the edge of the southern Alterran Coast. They are preparing warships to invade Yggdra. I humbly ask for your cooperation in defending the land of the elves." The elder bowed low, a gesture of both respect and desperation.
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"Isn't Yggdra the land where the Yggdrasil Tree is planted?" the dwarven leader inquired, his voice gruff and concerned.
"The planetary tree maintains the balance of this world," the vampire queen interjected, her eyes blazing with outrage. "What in the hell is the King of Humanity thinking?"
"It may be against our beliefs as priests," the head priest Oni calmly declared, his voice resonating with a serene authority, "but we must do everything in our power to defend the planetary tree."
“Thank you for your support, leaders.” I bowed deeply, acknowledging the weight of their commitment. “But there is one more pressing matter we need to discuss: the power of the King of Humanity himself. As long as he remains invulnerable, we can never hope to defeat him.”
“There is a way, Lord Hiraya Misteltein,” Queen Lancaster interjected, her voice carrying the weight of centuries of experience. “I have lived for several millennia and have witnessed many iterations of the light that protects him. It is humanity’s Archonlight.”
“Archonlight?” I asked, curiosity and concern mingling in my voice.
“Archonlight is the manifestation of the ruling power of the royal blood,” Queen Lancaster explained, her eyes narrowing as she delved into the depths of ancient knowledge. “As long as he has retainers and followers, he will remain invincible. Therefore, there is only one way to kill the King of Humanity.” The Queen of Vampires smiled, a hint of dark understanding in her expression.
Her logic was clear, albeit brutal. To kill Arthur, one would have to eradicate all humans on this planet. This grim solution had already been discussed with the Daybreaker Squad. We had come to the unsettling realization that Gazelle's idea of initiating the Purge of Humanity might have a twisted logic behind it.
“Is the Purge of Humanity the only way?” I muttered, placing my hand over my chest, feeling the turmoil roiling within.
Even now, I resisted believing that this was our sole option. I was at my wit’s end, trapped in a dilemma with no apparent solution. The thought of eliminating innocent humans—those I had fought so hard to protect—was abhorrent to me. Yet, the weight of our predicament bore down heavily, leaving me grappling with the darkest of choices.
“It is the only way, Hiraya.”
A familiar voice echoed through the summit room, sending a chill down my spine. I had known that voice all my life, yet I had never heard it sound so cold and chilling.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted at the center of the table. Everyone sprang into action, weapons drawn and spells at the ready—everyone except me. It all happened so quickly that I found myself swept off my feet, cradled like a princess in the arms of the man I loved. As the smoke cleared, the room was filled with gasps as the cloaked figure made his dramatic entrance.
“Lysander,” I whispered, my voice trembling with confusion and betrayal. “What are you—”
“I’m sorry, Hiraya,” Lysander interrupted, his smile forced and eyes glowing with a strange intensity.
Before I could comprehend what was happening, a hypnotic spell washed over me. My strength ebbed away, leaving me helpless in his arms, as I felt my mana being drawn out of my body. To my horror, I watched as he absorbed the nature energy from within me, his ears elongating and sharpening in the process. It was Elform—the complete control of nature’s mana—a transformation achieved by siphoning my essence.
“Lysander, what are you up to!?” Kate yelled, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
“You’re such a show-off for a peasant, you know that?” Charlotte protested, her voice dripping with disdain.
“Shut it, everyone. One wrong move, and Hiraya will die.” Lysander’s chilling voice echoed in the room, his words cutting through the air like a dagger.
“Um, Lysander, don’t joke like that,” Gaeun said shyly, her nervousness evident as she tried to lighten the mood.
“You’re making quite a scene, Lysander. Did you drink again?” Meike quipped, her tone half-joking but tinged with genuine concern.
Lysander's eyes narrowed, irked by the dismissive comments. There was a seriousness in his gaze that sent a shiver down my spine. Something was very wrong with him, and I desperately wanted to warn everyone. But all my strength had left me, and I couldn’t even utter a word. I was completely helpless in his arms, like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Lysander Faradeiss. Please let Lord Hiraya go, and we will treat this as a bad prank,” the Elven Elder implored, her voice steady but filled with urgency.
“I am not Lysander Faradeiss,” Lysander muttered, his voice low and menacing.
Suddenly, his skin darkened to a metallic silver hue, and he threw off his cloak to reveal an imposing black adamantine armor. His arms transformed into draconic limbs, and bluish dragon wings unfurled from his back, casting eerie shadows across the room. At his forehead, a layered eye opened, shimmering with rainbow colors.
“My name is Necross.”