Conversation.

That wasn’t something Clay and Tia could exchange casually.

『Conversation?』

While Clay stood there with a grim expression, Beatrice, who had been circling in the air, spoke, transforming into her human form and descending to the ground.

“You suddenly appear out of nowhere and start saying strange things.”

She fixed Tia with a sharp glare.

“You broke through my surveillance to get here, and now you say you want to talk to Clay?”

“I had no choice if I wanted to get here safely.”

Tia gestured toward the elves around her.

“It’s not a method you wouldn’t know about. We just used a special formation that only works when elves gather.”

“You’d still need to add your own power for it to work. A few elves casting concealment magic wouldn’t be enough to escape my sight.”

Beatrice spoke in a tone that clearly showed her displeasure.

“It sounds like you want to claim I simply failed to notice you, but to me, it’s suspicious. You could be making excuses for sneaking in here to harm Clay.”

“If that were the case, would I have revealed myself like this?”

Tia raised both her arms.

“Did any of you here spot me before I showed myself? Or did you only surround me after I revealed my presence?”

No one could answer. In truth, until she had deliberately made herself visible, no one had realized she was there.

“Tia.”

Clay finally spoke.

“There’s no need to explain.”

He knew full well that with the elven leadership gone after Yelena’s absence, the elves could be swayed to move under her command. With their natural abilities, rapid movement and concealment were possible.

But that wasn’t what mattered to him right now.

“Go back.”

He rejected her request outright.

“I have nothing to discuss with you.”

“I do.”

Tia took a step forward, prompting the Demon King’s Army to raise their weapons and shout.

“Do not approach the Demon King!”

“Step back!”

“Do you want to die?!”

At their threats, Tia turned her head slightly.

“Do I want to die?”

FWOOOOSH!

A massive holy seal flared to life beneath her feet. Its blinding radiance made the Demon King’s Army flinch and step back.

“I’d suggest you think wisely.”

Her words made the soldiers glance toward Clay for guidance. Faced with the oppressive aura of the Saintess, they dared not act rashly.

“Clay.”

Beatrice stepped forward.

“You don’t even need to deal with her. I’ll take care of it.”

“No.”

A voice interrupted.

“Don’t.”

It was Athanasia.

“Not right now.”

She could sense something was wrong with Tia.

“She’s carrying something dangerous.”

As an ancient god, Athanasia recognized the type of power Tia had pushed into overdrive. And it was the kind of power she feared most.

“What are you?”

Athanasia questioned Tia.

“Even those who borrow Elhaim’s power don’t feel like you do. Are you directly connected to it?”

“…”

“Damn.”

Athanasia’s expression shifted to alarm. Watching her reaction, Selimia emerged from somewhere nearby and let out a mocking laugh.

“This is ridiculous.”

She seemed almost incredulous that even Athanasia was intimidated.

“The Demon King told that woman to leave right away, so why are you just standing there like an idiot? Aren’t you supposed to be an ancient god, Athanasia?”

“Hey. That’s something entirely diff—”

“I’ll handle it.”

Ignoring Athanasia’s twisted expression, Selimia moved toward Tia.

“For the crime of showing disrespect to the Demon King, you will repay with your life.”

In an instant, frost spread from beneath her feet, freezing the ground.

CRACK!

Jagged spires of ice shot up around Selimia, then launched straight at Tia.

Tia swung the holy sword, Excalbren, cutting through them all in a single stroke.

“!”

Selimia’s brow twitched in surprise, and Tia spoke.

“Don’t interfere. I came here to speak with Clay.”

“How arrogant. Didn’t you hear the Demon King tell you to leave? And don’t toss around his name so casually—you’re not his friend.”

“I don’t intend to waste any more time.”

Tia’s eyes hardened.

BOOM!

The ground shook as she stepped forward, her body now cloaked in golden light.

CRACK!

The ice-covered ground Selimia had frozen shattered beneath her feet.

“What…?!”

Startled, Selimia hastily expanded her frost field. Neglecting to shield the nearby Demon King’s Army, she caused screams to erupt as soldiers collapsed, their limbs frozen even at the outer edge of her domain.

With such strength, Selimia was sure she could stop Tia—but,

“Huh?”

The moment her frost touched the light radiating from Tia’s body, it lost all its chill. No matter how much she intensified her power, Tia didn’t stop advancing.

“This can’t be…!”

Selimia gathered all her strength, forming a blue sphere in her hands.

“You won’t be able to block this!”

She hurled it straight at Tia—a sphere of frost condensed to the extreme, carrying enough force to freeze and shatter anything it touched. It was, for all intents and purposes, Selimia’s ultimate technique.

She caught it in her hand with a tap.

“I’ll return this to you.”

And in the next instant, she was right in front of Selimia.

“Mmff—!”

The sphere was shoved into Selimia’s mouth. Tia pried her jaws open and forced the sphere inside.

“!”

The entire Demon King’s Army watching widened their eyes in shock as Tia stared at the writhing, choking Selimia.

“Of course, it’s not the same sphere you threw at me.”

Somehow, light was now radiating from it. That light had erased the original sphere and created a new one—blazing, radiant, and searing hot.

“Mmff! Mmff!”

“You’re the Witch of the North, aren’t you?” Tia said calmly, “This is called the Power of the Sun.”

A power that could melt any frost, tearing through the darkness of the upper sky to bring down its light. A force that clearly had its roots beyond this world.

“Go on, try to withstand it.”

Just as fear began to creep into Selimia’s face—

Whng!

—Syltanaro came flying out of nowhere, forcing Tia to release Selimia and step back.

“Ghhhk!”

Selimia immediately spat out the solar sphere, which melted into the ground and disappeared somewhere deep underground.

“Wh-What the hell was that?”

“Can holy power even do something like that?”

As the demons muttered in fear, Clay—who had thrown Syltanaro—spoke to Tia.

“That’s enough, Tia.”

His eyes burned with anger.

“Did you come here to insult me with that power?”

It wasn’t Elhaim’s holy power. It resembled the divine power he had once been given, but Clay could tell it was clearly different. Even so, the more pressing issue was that she was using it here to humiliate his army.

“This is my domain.”

Someday, he would have to settle things with her—but he would not drag his entire army into that battle.

“If you mean to use the power you hid during my execution just to toy with my soldiers, then you’ll pay for it.”

“You misunderstand.”

Letting Syltanaro return to Clay on its own, Tia spoke again.

“First, this isn’t some power I was hiding during your execution. I didn’t know it would become this strong.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean this isn’t something I pulled out now to insult you.”

She made it clear—she wasn’t here to provoke his anger.

“If I’d known it could become this strong, then even back then, I…”

She cut herself off before finishing. Clay’s brow furrowed.

“It doesn’t matter. If you knew this might happen, tell me your real reason for coming.”

“To stay by your side.”

The answer was so absurd it barely made sense.

“If I’m here, I can make sure you survive any crisis.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Clay’s voice was laced with irritation.

“I don’t need your help. If you think we’re allies just because you struck the west of Krata while I moved, you’re mistaken.”

“I know.”

Her face took on a pained expression.

“I know better than anyone that you have no intention of forgiving me.”

Even so, she asked:

“But right now… would you rather take revenge on me before Lutan?”

The man who had led her execution was still alive. Yelena had died because of him. Whatever Clay’s revenge might be, that man could still ruin it.

“He might rob you of your revenge.”

“…”

“I want to help you take it.”

Her eyes met his.

“Even if, in the end, that blade turns on me.”

Silence. Neither the elves nor the Demon King’s Army spoke; all simply watched.

In that stillness, Clay stood unmoving—except for the fist he clenched tight.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Emotion finally broke through his carefully neutral expression.

“If that’s what you meant to do, you should have done it from the start.”

Bitterness laced his words.

“You shouldn’t have become a target for revenge in the first place.”

There was no going back to how things had been. His trust in her was broken beyond repair.

The ritual of his death had destroyed that completely.

“Your regret won’t undo anything. It only makes me more wretched. And you say this knowing it?”

“I’m sorry.” She apologized “I’m sorry, I… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“I’m sorry, Clay.”

“I said, don’t apologize!”

His shout cracked like an explosion.

“I have work to do. Don’t you dare ruin it.”

Seeing the strain in his barely-contained expression, Tia parted her lips, then sighed.

“In truth, I wanted to make excuses. I have reasons.”

But she didn’t say them.

“It’d just be an excuse, wouldn’t it? I’ll try to stay out of your way, Clay. But—”

She didn’t back down.

“Give me a place here. So you don’t suffer another tragedy while leading this army.”

“…”

“If you don’t want to burn everything and lose everything… please, I’m begging you. Listen to me.”

A plea.

Clay closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

Then he turned sharply away and walked off—leaving Syltanaro, which had returned to him, stabbed into the ground.

No one else spoke. All simply stood there, frozen.

(End of Chapter)

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