A Glimmer of Hope in the Ruins

Sovenia closed her eyes, awaiting her self-destruction. The ruins lay silent, save for the wind’s mournful cries as it swept through the twisted blue trees. Amidst the melancholic wails, footsteps emerged. Not just one. There were several. Sovenia did not open her eyes. She no longer possessed the will to do so. “Hey, look over there—”

“It really is a long-legged elf.”

“And a female one at that.”

“Her legs are so long.”

Coarse laughter drifted from the distance. Sovenia could discern the regional demonic accent, a sickeningly viscous quality clinging to their words.

“Look at those legs, my god! I’ve never seen such long legs in my life.”

“Nonsense, all elves are like that.”

“How many elves have you even seen?”

“But she’s still bound, look, her hands are tied behind her back.”

“Isn’t that even better?”

Another wave of lewd laughter enveloped her.

Sovenia opened her eyes.

She saw three male demons approaching her. They wore tattered chainmail, their bodies smeared with blood and dust. One had twisted black growths on his face, another possessed abnormally massive arms, and the third was as thin as a bamboo pole.

They were still about twenty meters away.

“Do you think she’s that elf who was carried away?”

“She must be! I saw it clearly; someone carried her out of the Demon Queen’s Hall and ran this way.”

“Where’s the one who carried her?”

“They ran off, of course. Probably thought she was a hindrance and inconvenient, so they just dumped her here.”

“Hahahaha, well, that’s certainly a boon for us.”

They drew closer with each step.

Sovenia glanced down at her wrists.

The ropes were still there.

Yet, she could feel them slowly loosening.

How much longer?

Three minutes?

One minute?

Sovenia calculated the time; it was close, likely less than a minute.

“Do you think she’ll resist?”

“Her? Resist? Look at her state; it would be impressive if she could even stand.”

“Besides, her hands are still tied. How could she fight back?”

“Hehehe, I like them bound like this. It’s exciting.”

“Should we just untie her? She doesn’t look strong; she’s no match for us demons.”

“Haha, let’s just forcefully inject her with demonic essence!”

Their laughter grew closer and closer.

Sovenia raised her head, her gaze fixed on them.

Her face was utterly devoid of expression, chillingly cold.

“Oh, she’s looking at us.”

“So what if she’s looking? What can she do?”

“Hey, long-legged ice beauty, what’s your name?”

Sovenia remained silent.

She simply watched them, her golden eyes devoid of any emotion.

There was no fear, no anger, nothing at all, because she simply did not care. She had already intended to die. She estimated the ropes would soon loosen, allowing her to self-destruct.

What difference did it make if she was violated after death, or simply died? Either way, it was death.

Sovenia closed her eyes, continuing to wait for the ropes to loosen, for the chance to draw her sword, for death’s cold kiss upon her forehead.

****

Just then, she felt it.

Deep within her soul, the two rules branded by the Demon Queen seemed to be plucked, emitting a faint resonance.

Sovenia’s heart pounded violently.

She opened her eyes, her body rigid.

That feeling—of being tracked, locked onto, and targeted by some terrifying entity—

The Demon Queen.

The Demon Queen was pinpointing her location.

Sovenia’s breathing quickened. She could feel the two rules resonating, like twin strings plucked simultaneously, emitting a jarring hum. The sensation emanated from the depths of her soul, piercing through her body, leaving her trembling.

‘The Demon Queen is tracking me. Has she found me? No, not yet, she’s still far away. But what does this mean? It means the Demon Queen might have already broken free from Skullcrusher’s restraint. She’s approaching!’

Sovenia’s mind raced.

‘If the Demon Queen pursues me, will Skullcrusher follow? Will he still be carrying that head?’

Sovenia’s heart pounded even faster.

‘Yes, he will. He absolutely will.’

‘Skullcrusher holds Jimi’s head, poised to challenge the Demon Queen for the throne with it. If the Demon Queen gives chase, Skullcrusher will undoubtedly follow; he would never let this opportunity slip away.’

‘Which means…’

‘Which means there’s still a chance to retrieve the head.’

Sovenia’s eyes snapped open, a fresh spark igniting within them.

Not from fear.

But from hope.

That head—her head—was her sole hope of regaining her power and her male form.

There was still a chance; it wasn’t completely lost.

Sovenia abruptly sat on the ground, trembling, not from excitement, but because… sitting on the ground hurt her backside.

“—Look, she’s trembling.”

“Are we scaring her?”

“Hahahaha, elves are such cowards—”

“Why did she change positions? Is she trying to pick a pose?”

Sovenia lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over the three demons.

They were still laughing, still advancing towards her.

They still believed her trembling was from fear.

‘Idiots.’

Sovenia bit down on her lip.

The ropes weren’t fully undone yet, but she no longer wished to die. She needed to live. She needed to retrieve her head. She needed to reclaim her male form.

And these three fools before her…

Sovenia glanced down at her wrists again; the ropes were so loose they were on the verge of falling off.

These three imbeciles would serve as the perfect first step in her rebirth. She would kill them, using their blood to herald the return of Jimi the Cruel. Then, she would go to the Demon Queen’s Hall to find Skullcrusher. To reclaim everything that was hers.

Sovenia took a deep breath.

She looked towards the Demon Queen’s Hall. Beneath the blood-red sky, the twisted blue trees swayed in the wind, emitting eerie cries.

Wawalde had returned.

The Demon Queen was coming.

Skullcrusher would come too.

And the head would come.

Sovenia suddenly paused.

She recalled Wawalde’s words before he left—

“I apologize, Miss Sovenia. But I must return and complete what I must.”

‘That foolish dog, that self-righteous enemy. That bastard who dared to strike her backside—’

‘He went back to his death.’

‘He went back to fulfill some damn oath.’

‘He went back to…’

Sovenia suddenly felt a surge of irritation; she refused to ponder the matter any further. ‘Anyway, die or not, what does it matter to me? If he’s still alive then, I’ll thoroughly understand him, question him.’

‘This isn’t about saving him, merely about summarizing lessons learned, understanding why the advantages of a female appearance couldn’t become the leash around that dog’s neck.’

Sovenia opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on the three rapidly approaching demons, a cold smile curving her lips.

“Come,” she murmured, “I shall offer your heads as sacrifice to the Blood God.”

“What did she say?”

“Look at that sneer on her face; does she actually think she’s Jimi the Cruel, the Heavenly King?”

“She certainly looks the part.”

“Then it’ll be even more fun when we get our hands on her.”

A demon pulled out a wolf-toothed club and declared, “Let’s see if your master’s big club is hard enough! I’m going to use it to beat your backside until you cry ‘master’!”

The binding ropes slipped from Sovenia’s pale wrists. She sprang to her feet, drawing the Moonpetal Blade with a fluid motion. The gleaming blade arced, its surface obscuring half her face as it reflected the blood-red sky.

“In my legion,” she declared, “you wouldn’t even qualify to step onto the battlefield, you weaklings.”

The three demons encircled her, their mouths still spouting lewd remarks.

Sovenia gripped the Moonpetal Blade, adopting the Boar’s Tusk stance. Even with this frail female body, she would use it to reclaim everything she had lost, relying on her own strength rather than some unstable, foolish dog who would even strike her backside.

‘Deck of Fleeting Phenomena, let me see your power. Activate!’

The deck deep within her soul began to operate. The draw pile shuffled, and three cards materialized in her consciousness.

‘[Defense], [Defense], [Defense]… A terrible draw!’

Sovenia’s eye twitched.

“Why isn’t she moving?”

“Has she been scared witless?”

“Hahahaha, I told you—”

Sovenia turned and fled.

“Damn it, she’s running!”

“Chase her!”

“Don’t let her escape!”

The three demons burst into laughter, giving chase.

Sovenia ran swiftly. Her long legs strode through the ruins, her leather boots crunching crisply on the rubble. The hem of her short skirt fluttered, her thigh muscles taut, and the lines of her calves appeared exceptionally slender beneath the blood-red sky.

“Look at her legs!”

“They look even better when she runs!”

“Once we catch her, we’ll definitely—”

Sovenia suddenly changed direction, dashing into a cluster of collapsed stone pillars. The three demons followed her in. However, the terrain of the ruins was complex, with pillars, rubble, and crumbling walls obstructing their view.

Sovenia weaved and darted among the pillars. She could hear the footsteps of the three demons; they had split up.

‘Good.’

Sovenia stopped, concealing herself behind a massive stone pillar. She closed her eyes.

‘Round Two.’

‘Draw card.’

‘[Attack], [Attack], [Blazing Strike +3].’

Sovenia opened her eyes, a cold smile playing on her lips. ‘This is it.’

“Where is she?”

“I see her! Over there!”

“Boss, you go block her over there!”

The demon wielding the wolf-toothed club burst from behind a pillar. His right arm was abnormally massive, veins bulging, and the club whistled as he swung it.

“Little beauty, tired of running?” he roared with laughter. “Come, let master show you some affection—Third! Get to her right! Don’t let her escape!”

The other demon, thin as a bamboo pole, immediately circled to Sovenia’s side.

Sovenia did not retreat.

She stepped forward, raising her sword with both hands. Activating [Blazing Strike +3], the Moonpetal Blade began to glow, not with the silver-white of moonlight. It was the fiery crimson of flames.

Blazing flames spread from the hilt, swiftly engulfing the entire blade. Tongues of fire licked at the edge, crackling and popping. The air warped from the heat, and a searing wave washed over them.

Sovenia advanced with her lead foot. The blade carved a fiery red arc, the flames trailing a long wake in the air like a shooting star.

“Damn it—”

The demon with the wolf-toothed club’s face contorted in alarm. He raised his weapon, attempting to block. But Sovenia’s sword abruptly changed its trajectory mid-air, shifting into a backhand slash. Its speed surged, the Blazing Strike carving a sharp, angled turn to bypass the wolf-toothed club and cleave into his left shoulder.

The flaming blade sliced diagonally from his left shoulder, carving through his chest and abdomen, before exiting his right hip. The flames then extinguished, leaving only the gleaming blade.

The demon’s body froze. His upper and lower halves shifted, then separated. Blood gushed forth, and his internal organs spilled onto the ground. The corpse split into two, falling to the earth, its wound edges charred black and smoking.

The bamboo pole-thin demon, who had been circling, witnessed the scene halfway through his run. He froze. ‘Boss, Boss is dead? With just one sword strike?’

“You—”

He opened his mouth, attempting to speak. But Sovenia had already rushed him, moving too fast for him to react, and the Moonpetal Blade pierced his throat.

The sword tip emerged from the back of his neck, trailing a stream of blood. The bamboo pole-thin demon’s eyes bulged, a gurgling sound escaping his throat as blood streamed from the corners of his mouth. Sovenia withdrew her sword, instinctively moving to block, but the demon clutched his throat, stumbled back two steps, then collapsed. ‘Hmph, he didn’t even have the presence of mind to trade blows before dying. Just a foot soldier.’

Sovenia turned.

The third demon, the one with black growths on his face, had just burst from behind another pillar. He saw the two corpses on the ground, and his face instantly turned ashen.

“You—you—”

He turned and ran. Sovenia gave chase, continuing to draw cards.

‘Round Three begins.’

‘Draw card.’

‘[Shield of Fortitude], [Attack], [Evolution +].’

Sovenia opened her eyes. She used [Shield of Fortitude], deleting [Attack]. She extended her left hand, and magic gathered in her palm. A curved ice shield rose from the ground, but Sovenia immediately bypassed it. She didn’t need defense. She lengthened her stride, pursuing him.

The demon with black growths ran quickly, but Sovenia was faster. Her thigh muscles tightened with powerful force, each step covering a great distance. The lines of her calves were taut and straight as she ran, her leather boots scraping against the ground with a rapid sound, easily catching up to him.

The demon with black growths looked back, seeing Sovenia already within arm’s reach, his face etched with terror.

“No—”

Sovenia delivered a horizontal slash. The demon’s head flew off, his body ran two more steps forward, then collapsed. Sovenia sheathed her sword. She walked over to the corpse, placed a foot on its back, and bent down to pick up the head. ‘Blood God, she would offer these heads to the Blood God.’

Just as she prepared to sever the second head, she heard footsteps. Not just one, but several, accompanied by the low growls of beasts.

Sovenia looked up.

A tall figure emerged from the other side of the ruins. He wore blood-red full plate armor, his helmet adorned with curving horns. Beside him, four demon hounds, the size of calves, followed, their eyes glowing red, drool dripping from their mouths.

The Blood Plate-Armored Demon Warrior stopped ten meters away, observing Sovenia.

“Interesting,” his voice rumbled, low and hoarse, from within his helmet. “An elf, killing three mere foot soldiers.”

Sovenia said nothing. She looked at the copper-framed question mark card floating above his head. ‘A copper card enemy.’

“Flee now,” the Blood Plate-Armored Demon Warrior said. “I will let my hounds chase you. Let me see how fast those long legs of yours can run.”

Sovenia used her core card, [Evolution +]. She could feel the deck deep within her soul changing. From now on, whenever she drew a status card, she would immediately draw two additional cards.

Sovenia did not flee. She strode purposefully towards the Blood Plate-Armored Demon Warrior, casually twirling her sword, letting the blood fall from the blade to reveal its silver-white gleam.

“Oh?” The Blood Plate-Armored Demon Warrior chuckled. “Not running in fear, but instead approaching me?” He spread his arms wide, striking an exaggerated pose. “Do you think killing three foot soldiers gives you the right to challenge me?” His voice was laced with mockery. “I saw your flame attack. Was that your ultimate move? You can’t use it many times, can you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have needed to run from those three wastes in the first place.”

Sovenia did not break her stride, murmuring, “How else can I maintain my combat state if I don’t approach you? Besides…” She looked at the Blood Plate-Armored Demon Warrior, her golden eyes devoid of emotion: “In my legion, you’d barely qualify as a decurion. But using your head as the first sacrifice is far better than those three foot soldiers’ heads.”