The Price of a Wish

Thankfully, Wawalde pulled them up.

Sovenia scrambled to her feet, her knees smudged with dust and blood. She flicked her silver fishtail braid, sending the blue ribbon arcing through the air.

‘How humiliating.’

The shame of that sudden kneel was, at best, a mere fraction of the humiliation she felt from Wawalde spanking her.

Yet, this was not the time to dwell on such matters.

She lifted her gaze, her eyes sweeping across the chaotic battlefield to lock onto Skullcrusher’s mountain-like form. More precisely, her focus narrowed on the head hanging from his trapezius, grotesque as a tumor.

That particular head bore a single horn and stared blankly at the ceiling. Its skin was a sickly, ashen blue, and a trace of congealed black blood still clung to its lips.

That was her head. The head of Jimi the Cruel, the First Heavenly King.

Only by reclaiming that head could she escape this cursed elven female body. She yearned to be free of these ‘little white rabbits’ that bounced with every step, this damnably delicate face, and this fragile form that wept in pain at the slightest injury.

She longed to transform back into Jimi the Cruel, the one with boundless strength, impervious to blades, capable of smashing a dragon’s head with a single punch.

The battle, however, did not pause for her desires or her mortifying kneel.

Skullcrusher was currently swinging his pillar-like maul, bringing it down upon the Demon Queen. The injured demon dragon thrashed on the ground, its wings weakly beating, scattering gravel and dust.

They were allies, fragile ones at that, and Skullcrusher had no compunctions about friendly fire, even when it came to his own mount.

A storm of aggregated stones and dust surged towards the pair. Among them, a volleyball-sized rock shot out from the haze, hurtling straight for Sovenia.

She ducked sharply, then flung out a hand, conjuring the [Shield of Resolve]. An arc of ice wall erupted from the ground, only to shatter instantly, showering her face and hair with icy shards.

Unsurprisingly, participating in a top-tier battle proved incredibly difficult for her frail elven body, even with the assistance of the “Myriad Phenomena Deck.” The sheer collateral damage was enough to make her movements arduous.

She estimated that, before her deck was fully activated, she was no match even for a common Demon Warrior.

In this chaotic melee, a Demon Warrior would have an easier time than her. Their full plate armor allowed them to shrug off most of the shrapnel-like stones.

Sovenia immediately adjusted her objective, assessing the battle situation.

She had to activate the Myriad Phenomena Deck now to boost her strength, which was her only hope of reclaiming her head. Therefore, while time still allowed, she needed to draw [Evolution+] and use [Shield of Resolve] to discard the pile of useless cards.

The gold card [Absolute Defense], acquired after slaying the Chaos Spawn, also presented an opportunity. This gold card cost 2 energy and instantly granted ten times her normal defense.

Another stone, roughly the size of a basketball, flew towards her. Wawalde suddenly appeared, shattering it with a single sword stroke, though the fragments still demolished Sovenia’s fragile ice shield.

The light on his chest glowed red as he asked, “Miss Sovenia, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Sovenia rose, taking cover behind Wawalde, and inquired, “The light on your chest? Did you use the Bird’s Claw?”

“Yes, it’s temporary.”

Sovenia’s gaze quickly assessed Wawalde’s injuries.

Blood mixed with black ash obscured his eyelashes, each blink squeezing out a trickle of dark red sludge. His chest plate had split open, revealing a palm-wide fissure. With every ragged breath, his pale ribs were faintly visible, a fractured bone fragment rhythmically pushing against the torn flesh as his lungs heaved.

‘His durability, as a meat shield, was probably around 30%.’

“I can protect myself,” Sovenia stated. “Go, kill the Demon Queen.”

“Be careful.”

Wawalde, resembling a broken tin soldier with his tattered plate armor, charged into the dusty melee.

****

“Boom!”

The demon dragon unleashed fire upon the Demon Queen, some of its dragon’s breath escaping the chaotic smoke.

As the dragon’s breath surged, Sovenia dove to the ground, preparing to use defensive cards in the next turn. Thus, she continuously drew and played defensive cards, evading various attacks like a scuttling cockroach.

Finally, the battle’s intensity lessened somewhat. As Sovenia rose, she felt the “lustful energy” of her veil had significantly depleted; heaven knew how many attacks it had deflected for her.

It was now the fifth turn. Evolution had been used, many cards burned, and [Evolution+] was ready, marking the completion of her setup.

She could now execute the small combo of [Swift Strike+] and [Reckless Charge].

She rose from the trembling earth, her gaze fixed on the dust of the ongoing melee.

The Demon Queen’s form was vaguely discernible. She raised a hand, unleashing a whip of black flame towards Skullcrusher.

Skullcrusher roared, sweeping his maul sideways, scattering the fiery whip. The demon dragon seized the opportunity, clambered up, opened its maw, and lunged at the Demon Queen, biting and swallowing her whole.

The Demon Queen braced her hands against the dragon’s upper jaw, her elbows bent, muscles taut. As the dragon clamped its teeth, its fangs pierced her shoulders, and blood streamed down its scales. She held out for only two breaths before her arms weakened, and she vanished into the black, cavernous throat. The dragon’s mouth slammed shut with a dull thud.

‘Was it over?’

Sovenia strode forward, Moonlit Blade in hand, attempting to evade Skullcrusher’s gaze as she approached his broad back.

However, Skullcrusher’s single eye flicked towards Wawalde, whose chest light was now flashing wildly red. Without a word, Skullcrusher raised his spiked maul high and brought it crashing down directly on Wawalde.

The fragile alliance shattered, allies turned into foes.

Sovenia couldn’t help but curse, “Fool!”

‘Though Sovenia herself was poised to backstab him and reclaim her head, one should at least wait until the Demon Queen was confirmed dead!’

Flames erupted from Skullcrusher’s spiked maul, descending with a thunderous roar, like a mountain collapsing.

A shockwave exploded before Sovenia, forcing her to raise her hands to shield her face. In her peripheral vision, she caught a flash of golden light amidst the blast.

Wawalde retaliated with a Sacred Slash, but his injuries only worsened. Sovenia, caught in the residual shockwaves of their clash, also sustained some damage.

Instead of retreating, she charged forward, launching a [Reckless Charge] at the mountain of flesh. Aided by the [Double Strike] effect, her blade flashed twice, accurately piercing into his scale-covered knee joint.

Though heavily scaled, she managed to hack through the tough hide, drawing Skullcrusher’s attention. He retaliated with a backhanded swing of his maul, aiming directly for her!

A shadow enveloped her. It wasn’t a cloud, but Skullcrusher’s colossal maul, capable of pulverizing city gates, which now filled Sovenia’s entire field of vision like a black meteor. The wind pressure struck first, whipping her silver hair into a wild frenzy, even cutting off her breath with its suffocating force.

She did not retreat. In her golden eyes, there was no trace of fear, only a calculation as cold as ice.

In her peripheral vision, the golden blur that was Wawalde roared, attempting to turn. ‘The fool! His body was already in such tatters, yet upon seeing the colossal maul descending upon her delicate form, he instinctively wanted to abandon his attack to defend her.’

Sovenia bellowed, “Don’t mind me!”

Wawalde’s movements faltered. In that fleeting instant, an inexplicable trust in this “fragile elf” overcame his knightly protective instincts. He grit his bloodied teeth, no longer looking at her, and poured all his remaining divine power into his sword, transforming into a golden bolt of lightning that unflinchingly struck the giant’s unbalanced knee.

At that moment, the colossal maul was three feet above her head.

[Absolute Defense] activated!

A crystalline, flawless hemispherical dome of ice instantly materialized in the air, tightly encasing the girl’s small figure within.

It was the tangible manifestation of ten times her normal defense.

Even with ten times the defense, Sovenia still rolled on the ground; this wasn’t her first rodeo, after all.

The next second, destruction descended.

The maul head struck the ice dome, sending ice shards raining down. The earth convulsed violently, and the rolling Sovenia was jolted half an inch off the ground before crashing back down, her insides twisting in agony.

Rocks around her crumbled into dust. A sharp, piercing ringing filled her ears. Eventually, she regained consciousness, alive… She touched the veil on her face; the flowing shimmer was gone, leaving only cold fabric against her skin.

Sovenia struggled to her feet, immediately looking towards Wawalde’s results. His Sacred Slash had made Skullcrusher, who had underestimated him, pay dearly. A flash of golden light, and Skullcrusher’s right kneecap was cleanly severed, his massive body crashing to its knees.

Just as Wawalde moved to press his advantage, he was struck by a sweeping hammer handle. He flew through the air like a pebble, the red light on his chest exploding into a shower of sparks.

Sovenia spared Wawalde no further glance. Seizing the opportunity of the giant’s imbalance, she took two quick steps, leaped, and scrambled up his scale-covered back.

At this moment, a new turn began. Sovenia saw [Blazing Strike+3], and her heart hammered wildly, threatening to leap from her throat. Fate had finally favored her; this was precisely what she desired.

[Blazing Strike+3] activated!

Her Moonlit Blade became wreathed in fierce flames. She aimed for the neck of that tumor-like head – the head of “Jimi the Cruel” – growing on Skullcrusher’s shoulder, and brought her sword down with a vicious chop.

The neck snapped, but a layer of scaled skin still connected the male head.

Skullcrusher roared, his massive hand sweeping backwards with a rush of wind. Sovenia twisted her wrist, drawing the blade and completely severing the remaining skin.

The head tumbled down, and she snatched it into her arms. Pushing off the giant’s shoulder plate, she vaulted into the air. She stumbled upon landing, then clutched the head tightly to her chest and sprinted away.

Sovenia fled like a madwoman, not sparing Wawalde a glance. Her eyes, as if enchanted, were fixed on the male head in her hands.

The familiar face, the upward-curving black horns on its short hair, the tightly sealed lips, the ashen skin.

Within it lay her legacy. She couldn’t resist a soft kiss to its cheek, her tender lips brushing against the cool, hard, fish-scaled skin.

She would awaken its power, absorb her inheritance, and finally shed this frail elven body that had been humiliated by her beheading enemy with a spanking.

She would transform back into the First Heavenly King, Jimi the Cruel, the Human Butcher, the Elven Nightmare, the Demon’s Blade!

****

“Rumble!”

Only one thought echoed in Sovenia’s mind: ‘Is this ritual to revert to my male body a bit too loud?’

Something slammed into her back, knocking her down. She clutched the male head tightly, rolling several times on the ground before she could open her eyes.

A dragon’s head fell from the dust, crashing beside her. The scent of blood stung her nostrils, and small fragments of stone struck her long elven ears.

The Demon Queen, wreathed in black flames like a harbinger of death, rose above the demon dragon’s corpse and slowly descended to the ground. “My challengers always underestimate me. Die!”

The black flames engulfing the Demon Queen were no ordinary fire; they were life itself burning. The edges of her charred skin curled back, revealing fresh red flesh, and her half-ruined face appeared both ferocious and majestic in the flickering light.

Sovenia recognized it instantly: Life Burn.

She cursed under her breath.

‘They had fought for so long, a demon dragon had died, Skullcrusher’s knee was severed, yet this woman’s trump cards were still not exhausted?’

‘Just thirty seconds, merely thirty seconds, and she could complete the inheritance ritual.’

‘Come on, great Skullcrusher! If you can just hold them off for thirty seconds, I’ll erect a monument in your honor.’

As if hearing Sovenia’s encouragement.

Skullcrusher’s roar shattered her thoughts. The mountain-like body, dragging its broken knee, swung its maul towards the Demon Queen.

The Demon Queen raised a hand, and shadow flames coalesced into a spear, piercing through Skullcrusher’s nape. The entire process lasted a mere three seconds.

“No flying here,” the Demon Queen declared, waving a hand. The [World Book] had appeared in the air at some unknown point. She then commanded, “Lift the ban.”

The World Book emitted blue ripples, and the invisible restriction in the air dissipated. Sovenia felt a sudden suffocation, not from the ripples, but from sheer terror.

The Demon Queen looked at her and said:

“Kneel.”

It was a King’s Edict.

Sovenia’s knees buckled. They bent uncontrollably. She gritted her teeth, veins bulging in her neck, yet her legs trembled. She fought with all her might, but this elven female body was ludicrously weak.

Her left knee hit the ground.

She knelt on one knee amidst the gravel and blood, the head in her arms almost rolling away.

The Demon Queen flew through the air like a diving bomber, her silhouette magnified by black flames, rapidly approaching. The pressure on Sovenia’s spine intensified, threatening to crush her.

Time was running out.

Sovenia’s hand drew out a sacrificial dagger.

She struggled to lift her head, her golden eyes devoid of fear or plea, holding only a deadly calm.

The Demon Queen laughed, mocking her feeble and ridiculous bravery.

The sacrificial dagger in her hand was sharp, and this elven female body was frail. With a single stab to the chest, the dagger could fulfill its original design—suicide.

She was Jimi the Cruel. The First Heavenly King. The Human Butcher, the Elven Nightmare, the Demon’s Blade.

She would rather die than suffer humiliation.

Sovenia raised the dagger, preparing to ‘sacrifice her life for righteousness.’

No one could save her.

Wawalde, the meat shield, was almost out of durability.

Wawalde leaned against the wall, his spine broken in two, his lower body numb. He could only watch helplessly as the Demon Queen prepared to kill the girl he had sworn to protect.

Just as before, in the throne room, when she killed his comrades.

A piece of gravel detached from a crack in the ceiling, yet it hung suspended in the air. The stone, meant to fall, was frozen mid-air like an insect in amber, descending at a nearly imperceptible pace.

Wawalde blinked.

The black flames burning around the Demon Queen, their fiery tongues licking, were almost solidified, suspended motionless in the air.

Sovenia knelt on the ground, the silver strands of the elven girl he had sworn to protect floated in the air, each one clearly visible, the blue ribbon at their ends loosened.

Her hand was raised, gripping a dagger, its gleaming tip pointed at her own chest. On her beautiful face, her golden eyes held no fear, only a deadly stillness.

The Demon Queen flew through the air, her hands extended forward, black sparks flickering from her fingertips. She was still ten meters from Sovenia, moving slowly, as if swimming through honey, yet every inch of her approach tightened Wawalde’s heart.

The Bird’s Claw’s voice echoed from his waist pouch:

“Look, brave warrior. I have slowed time, allowing you to clearly witness this beautiful despair. That pure maiden is about to die before your very eyes.”

Wawalde opened his mouth, but no sound escaped his throat. His broken spine immobilized him, leaving him only able to watch. Sovenia’s dagger slowly moved towards her heart.

The Bird’s Claw’s voice, like a serpent’s tongue, hissed with a foul odor: “Make your third wish, brave warrior. I can grant you the power to rise from these ruins, to defeat the Demon Queen, to save that pitiful and beautiful maiden.”

Wawalde gritted his teeth, his voice tinged with blood, and said, “I will not fall, nor will I become a plaything of the Four Gods.”

The suspended stone suddenly accelerated, hitting the ground with a *pat* and shattering into three pieces. The Demon Queen’s figure closed in rapidly, black flames roaring, now only half a *zhang* away.

Sovenia’s dagger’s descent quickened, its tip touching the fabric, which began to tear.

Time accelerated.

Wawalde’s life flashed before his eyes.

Sovenia’s face. She held his hand in the ruins. He watched her cook by the campfire. When leaving Jimi’s bedchamber through the secret passage, he swore to protect her from this hell.

He had promised her. He had sworn an oath.

‘Forgive me… my God, please forgive me, but I must uphold my vow.’

He declared, “I wish—give me strength to save her!”

With a *crack*, the Bird’s Claw’s third finger bent.

Time slowed once more.

The head suspended in Sovenia’s arms, the head of Jimi the Cruel, suddenly vanished. The next instant, it appeared before Wawalde, floating in mid-air.

The head’s eyes snapped open, and black mist poured from its pupils. The mist seeped into Wawalde’s seven orifices, into his chest, and into his broken spine.

Power, dark and corrupted power, surged into his body like a tide.

The Demon Queen froze, blocked by an invisible wall of air.

She looked down at her empty hands.

“Where’s the head?”

She looked up, seeing Wawalde greedily absorbing her inheritance. Her golden eyes instantly widened, tears streaming down her face, splashing into the blood on the ground.

Her straight back suddenly slumped, and her other knee hit the ground with a *thud*.

Her scream tore through her throat: “No!!! Don’t do this!!! Don’t eat the head!”

She threw away her dagger, bracing her hands on the ground, her nails digging into the stone cracks, her knees scraping bloody trails on the gravel. She struggled to crawl towards Wawalde in the distance, her silver hair spread out, dragging on the ground, stained with dust and blood.

Tears blurred her vision, and she sobbed uncontrollably, her shoulders heaving violently.

She cried, her voice broken: “Please… please… don’t… don’t do this…”

‘She would rather be captured by the Demon Queen, subjected to the ultimate humiliation by Goblins, than watch her male body’s head, which she had just regained and then lost, be absorbed by her beheading enemy. She only wanted to die with her male body’s head!’

Wawalde looked at her. The aloof silver-haired elven girl crawled forward, crying heartbreakingly. She was crying for him; she didn’t want him to fall, didn’t want him to lose his purity…

His eyes grew warm, and a tear rolled down, carving a trail through the bloodstains on his face.

“Snap!”

His broken spine reconnected, and Wawalde instantly stood up, dark, corrupted power filling his body. He could hear the laughter of the Four Gods from the highest heavens…