‘If anger and helplessness had a color, it would surely be white.’
“I suppose I still need a Puck, don’t I?”
“…”
‘Heaven knew why I had ended up like this!’
‘Oh, of course, it wasn’t that this current form was inherently bad. Yet, in all fairness, my combat prowess in this state was, well, merely average!’
‘If Leya’s combat strength was previously a mere 5, it must now be around 50!’
‘While that sounded impressively cool, a tenfold increase, it was akin to an ant’s strength multiplying by ten… still just an ant, wasn’t it?!’
‘No, no, that was too harsh. After all, Emilia was, in a way, my magical mentor, and by human standards, this form was genuinely not weak.’
‘However, for Leya, who was accustomed to transforming into Saber and wielding the pinnacle of human strength, accepting such a drastic power disparity all at once was truly difficult.’
“Host, the Intermediate Divine Power Card has not yet been fully replenished, and therefore cannot be used. Instead of wallowing in self-pity here, taking some practical action would be far more beneficial.”
“Action?”
She paced in circles, clutching her head in distress.
‘Considering the actions currently available…’
‘Wouldn’t that just be escaping?!’
“Hmph—”
As if to calm her turbulent emotions, Leya exhaled a deep, murky breath. The purple glow in her eyes intensified, growing brighter, as if… she had activated a Sage Mode.
“First… whether an enemy even exists is still debatable. It might just be the sound of the wind rustling through the grass, couldn’t it?”
With that thought, Leya spread her arms, standing still in the forest as if to confirm something.
However… the wind was indeed present, and quite strong. It made Leya’s body grow even colder, yet…
[Rustle—] [Rustle, rustle, rustle—] [Rustle—]
As the sounds drew nearer, Leya gradually distinguished noises emanating from multiple locations. They possessed a distinct rhythm, as if keeping pace: one would recede, another would advance, then another would follow suit, in a continuous cycle.
This was truly odd. Perhaps the wind in some places could indeed create such sounds from trees, but regardless, the current situation was entirely different. Relying on the Goddess’s keen sixth sense, Leya was convinced this was far from a simple natural phenomenon.
****
“This should be the place…”
Contrary to their expectations, when Xia Er led the five other elves to this location, there was not a single humanoid creature to be found. In fact, not even a fly buzzed in sight.
This situation was utterly surprising.
“Is no one here? Or… are they hiding?”
Xia Er spoke with a furrowed brow, deep in thought. This explanation was one that the other elves readily agreed with.
However, this explanation did not deter Xia Er. He crossed his hands over his chest and devoutly prayed:
“Oh, great Lucian, Goddess of the Azure Moon… I implore you to bestow your sacred light and banish all darkness lingering in this place!”
A strange phenomenon occurred at that very moment!
The elves were the very same ones Leya had encountered during her first transformation into Emilia!
They emanated a faint blue glow, seemingly in response to Xia Er’s prayer. One by one, they converged before him, swiftly forming a colossal orb of light composed of elemental spirits.
What a magnificent display of colors! It was the purest, most pristine light in the world, utterly devoid of any impurities!
It was truly breathtaking!
“Well then… now I’d like to see where else you can hide.”
Xia Er’s lips curved into a confident smile.
Seeing this, the other elves around them also dispersed their formation, using the light from the elemental spirit orb to continuously search for potential targets in the vicinity.
However, at that very moment, as if aware of an inescapable fate, or perhaps for some other reason, finally…
She spoke.
It was a voice… one that Xia Er would never forget.
“You… are truly amazing. It’s clear they genuinely like you.”
“?!”
“Wh-who’s there!?”
Xia Er exclaimed in astonishment, simultaneously adjusting his stance. With a short sword in hand, ready for combat at any moment, he gazed towards the source of the voice.
“You… you’re an elf!?”
Indeed, the voice belonged to an elf maiden, leisurely perched upon a tree. She swung her legs, clad in pristine white knee-high socks, possessing astonishing silver hair and peculiar purple pupils.
“An elf… Can a being like me be considered a normal elf among your kind?”
A flicker of imperceptible sadness crossed her purple pupils. Her eyes, filled with eager light, gazed expectantly at Xia Er.
To be honest… Xia Er found himself profoundly captivated. For some inexplicable reason, he always saw a glimpse of that… legendary figure within her.
Yet, the fact that she would ask such a question truly perplexed Xia Er. Nevertheless, he patiently and responsibly replied:
“Of course you are. While I’ve lived for so long and this is the first time I’ve seen silver hair like yours, if you are a member of the elven race, then we are family. We are beings sworn to protect each other as companions.”
Xia Er spoke with utmost sincerity.
Upon hearing this, the maiden couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, like a melodious song from the heavens.
“Is that so? My apologies… I didn’t mean to laugh. I just don’t know how to explain it; perhaps it’s a conditioned reflex or something. I felt like I heard such an extraordinary answer that my body involuntarily reacted in a strange way.”
“Wh-what… the elven race never jokes!”
Xia Er appeared somewhat enraged. His eyes, devoid of any impurities, seemed to reveal his entire being as he stared directly at Leya.
While the two conversed as if no one else was present, the others had not, of course, vanished. They simply found the atmosphere too awkward to interject.
However, seeing that the two seemed on the verge of an argument, Au Fu finally stepped forward.
“Er… ahem, ahem. So, in that case, that orb of light just now was… er, by the way, I haven’t asked yet. May I inquire which elven tribe you hail from?”
Au Fu’s words jolted Xia Er back to his senses. After silently admonishing himself never to let such matters disturb his composure again, he redirected his gaze back to Leya.
“Hmm? An elven tribe? Yes, I come from the Great Forest of Elior, which is likely a very, very distant place from here… Also, my name is Satella. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
“Satella…?”
Xia Er observed Leya’s every action, especially the myriad emotions contained within her gaze. Finally, he shrugged helplessly and said:
“Xia Er, Xia Er Ragutzner.”
“Au Fu Lavard, Miss Satella. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”
“My name is…” (x4)