Cavirieth looked at the pale-skinned boy in front of him. He could tell that the boy was dangerous, but what was even more dangerous was the Nartheis made of portal energy being used as his subordinate. To make things worse, Malik seemed to know him, which meant he was completely at a disadvantage. This battle had gone far beyond expectations, but if he sacrificed himself and triggered an explosion, he could take all three with him.
'The only thing I'll regret is leaving my daughter behind… but I feel that if I don't kill this boy, something terrible will happen'
"You'd better stay still."
Jago raised his hand toward Cavirieth while glancing at Malik. The Kairon-level Nartheis used some kind of magic to create a barrier made entirely of portal energy around the ninth-circle mage. Cavirieth used his magic to launch an attack at the barrier, but his attack vanished, absorbed by the portal, and struck his own back from the opposite side.
"Gahh—"
He looked around and realized he was completely sealed within that space. The only way out was to concentrate an attack strong enough to break the portal's limit. Something only a powerful ninth circle could do—and fortunately for him, he was exactly that level.
'This will take time… but I need to be fast'
Meanwhile, outside, Jago observed the injured Malik, who looked at him with suspicion. Especially because he had never revealed that he controlled a Kairon-level Nartheis—something that could have helped in the war if he had used it. If they were truly allies, that was what should have happened.
"Sorry, but I'm not going to risk losing my Kairon-level in a war… and I'm not an ally of Sairao."
That only deepened the suspicion. Even so, Jago maintained a cold expression, as if he had everything under control. That irritated Malik, as this boy who had just arrived seemed to have some kind of control over him.
"Who are you, really?"
"…Someone who seeks evolution. Something similar to what you wanted for the elves. But you lost this war."
"What do you mean I lost?"
Malik had been fighting Cavirieth for a while and didn't know what had happened outside. When Jago gestured to the Nartheis, the giant made of portals raised its hand, and all the recent battles were revealed. Except Sairao's fight against Enrico and Virelle's fight against Zorg—something Jago couldn't see due to the barriers created.
'See for yourself how your allies were defeated'
"…Are you mocking me?"
"I'm not mocking you. I just want you to understand that you should choose your allies better."
Malik looked at the results with clear disappointment. It was as if someone was rubbing in his face that he had chosen the wrong path. That feeling worsened when he saw that Elaris had defeated Elithia, making him recall his own losses against his brother. Because Elaris was like his brother… and Elithia was a reflection of what he himself could have become.
"So that means you're the one I should ally with?"
"Exactly. If you join me, I can take you further than you are now."
"Heh… really? That confidence is interesting."
Malik wore a bitter smile as he glanced aside, toward Cavirieth trapped within the barrier. If he were honest, both he and Cavirieth were stronger than that Kairon-level Nartheis—but that portal barrier technique was extremely difficult to break.
'Even my title as the strongest elf is no longer mine'
He ran a hand through his hair, looking at the white dimension created by the World Tree. His heart felt disappointment—something that had followed him his whole life. His brother became king, and deep down, Malik always knew it should have been him. He never had the courage to take it, which was why he saw himself in Elithia—the version of himself that would have taken that cruel path.
'That must be why seeing Elithia's defeat hurts my pride even more'
"If your pride is wounded for not being the strongest elf, I can help you kill that ninth-circle elf."
'Even he admits Cavirieth is stronger than me'
It should have been an easy decision if he wanted to keep living. But to Jago's surprise, Malik simply raised his arm—and a wind slash appeared just one centimeter from Jago's face. If not for the Kairon-level Nartheis creating a barrier instantly, he would have died on the spot. When the attack was redirected, the sky itself distorted.
"…Don't tell me you regret it now that you've lost the war?"
"Regret? I never regret my decisions."
Malik looked at his own hand with a bored expression. Everything had ended the moment he saw Elithia lose. He never wanted to be king because he never had the courage to take the throne. His true self had been betting everything on Elithia. So no—he didn't regret anything.
"Then why refuse my offer?"
There were two reasons. First, there was a difference between him and Elaris. Unlike Elithia, Malik loved his brother—even if he disagreed with him. Since Elaris had won, his brother had also won in the end, in a battle of ideals within his own mind.
The second reason was simple.
"I don't accept alliances with those who are not elves… or whose personality I dislike."
"Then I'll at least take your body with me."
Malik smiled sinisterly as Jago looked at him coldly. The giant Nartheis opened a portal that swallowed the three of them, just as Cavirieth broke free from the barrier with a powerful strike. When his eyes met Malik's, the elf looked as arrogant as ever.
"Looks like you won't get your revenge."
"Bastard…"
The three vanished completely while Cavirieth clenched his fists until they bled. Not because his opponent escaped—but because he was certain that boy had made an offer. Still, given Malik's personality, it was impossible for him to accept anything from someone he despised.
'The one who should kill you… is me'
The World Tree's dimension shattered, revealing the battlefield. The war was over—and they had won. All the elves who had been used cruelly would now be free. The elves' dimension itself seemed to be recovering.
But for Cavirieth, it was only a partial victory.
"If you survive, I hope we meet again for a battle to the death, Malik."
Turning, he looked toward Elaris, running with her companions toward an unconscious Enrico being carried by Lyrielle. The dark elf seemed satisfied that the boy had defeated Sairao.
Snorting, Cavirieth began walking toward his daughter.
'Well… at least we won this war without major losses… I admit it, your plan was on another level, Enrico—but it only worked because I was by your side, of course'
Of course, he wouldn't miss the chance to be arrogant. He couldn't easily admit that he had come to admire a human in such a short time.
'Good job, kid… and good job to everyone'