Chapter 135: Everyone Cries Out My Name

“Just what are you…”

“Did I give you permission to speak?”

“Listen carefully. Not attacking the Elves doesn’t mean leaving them alone. The Elves have vast lands with sparse populations, ruling over the entire great forest, possessing endless and excessive resources, but they’re severely lacking in emotions and lifestyle.”

“On the surface, they keep to themselves, not wanting to deal with outsiders, but in reality, they’ve always had an underlying need for social interaction. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have led the formation of the Highborn Alliance back then.”

Whether it was due to the intimidation of the Necromantic Sword or not, the two remaining guards, still alive, seemed to have their feet rooted to the ground, unable to move.

Even burning blood couldn’t withstand the soul’s fear of the stars beyond.

“So, my original plan was to find a suitable time to visit the Elves, establish contact, and build relations with them—just like the Human Race did over a hundred years ago. If you’d looked at the map, you’d understand that by then, the border between the Demon Race and the Elves would form a giant fishing net, surrounding the Human Kingdom from the east, southeast, north, and northwest.”

“But you, idiot, ruined everything.”

Ayla walked up, looking at him with disgust.

“Now tell me—who will regret it?”

This last sentence awakened the Bloodslaughter King’s memory, memories of a certain conversation, leaving him utterly shocked:

“You’re Ai…”

Shhh—

Necroblade, Bone Summoner—Starseeker.

A flash of white bone passed by, cutting the two-meter-tall Bloodslaughter King in half.

“That’s right, I am Ayla!”

But could I let you say that out loud? Zero is right next to us.

“Great King!”

The two guards, suppressing their fear for a moment, cried out in anguish—only to have Zero touch their necks from behind in the next second.

The Blood Demon Tribe, with high-purity bloodlines, had powerful, vigorous blood.

The two had to step back over ten paces to avoid being splattered.

“It’s over…”

“By the way, Zero,”

Ayla spoke softly.

“All those things I said before—it’s because I used to scheme for the Demon Race, so those kinds of evil plans existed.”

“It’s all right.”

The girl shook her head.

“I don’t care.”

Not caring was even colder than being indifferent.

As a descendant of the Silent Sanctuary, Zero didn’t feel much identification with the Human Kingdom.

She only recognized Ayla, the Hero Squad companions, and Rolls, who became her new guardian just over two months ago.

Ayla understood too, otherwise, she wouldn’t have said those things so openly just now.

Still, she mentioned it symbolically, as if to show she cared about you.

“Thank you, Zero. You’re the best.”

Adding a line for better effect.

After waiting a few minutes, Ayla stepped forward again and chopped off the Bloodslaughter King’s head.

“Zero, you take it. We’ll return to the main battlefield and toss it there.”

This humiliating war deserved to end.

As for why she let Zero carry it instead of doing it herself—well, a gentle, pink-haired, thunderous beauty girl is a good girl, how could she do something so cruel?

“Also, there’s one more thing I need your help with. Is that okay?”

“Okay.”

Zero’s two simple words left Ayla dumbfounded.

I haven’t even said what it is yet…

“When we get back, tell everyone you killed him, and that you came here because you didn’t want anyone else to take the Head Trophy.”

***

In the Elf Territory, south-central region, several girls hurriedly gathered in front of a treehouse.

“How is it,”

Leah asked anxiously.

“Did you find them?”

Miss Saintess had been happy today, had a good sleep and a great meal, but after stepping outside in the morning—guess what—the girls who joined the church were gone!

Another companion was gone too!

That annoying Vina was fanning the flames, claiming the two had eloped for sure.

The calm Celes told Vina not to stir up trouble, insisting they might have just gone elsewhere.

So the group searched all over, checking all the familiar spots, but still couldn’t find them.

For a moment, Leah truly thought the two had eloped, almost crying from panic.

“Misses.”

An Elven messenger ran over from a distance.

“The Elder asked me to bring you over. Your companions have something urgent.”

“Companions? Urgent?”

The girls followed the messenger forward. Along the way, they saw Elves cheering and celebrating, singing, dancing, shouting things that sounded like…

By the time they reached the front lines by Messenger Deer Carriage, they finally understood what the Elves were chanting—

“Ayla!”

“Zero!”

“Ayla!”

“Zero!”

“Ayla~!”

“Zero~!”

They were the names of the two missing companions.

Half an hour earlier, the battlefield had still been intense.

The Blood Demon Tribe was steadily retreating, but could have held out a bit longer.

Until a Dragon Hawk returned from the north, carrying two Human Race girls.

The black-haired one raised a head aloft, while the other pink-haired beauty shouted:

“The Bloodslaughter King is dead~!”

As the strongest of the Blood Demon Tribe, the Bloodslaughter King was not just the chieftain, but also a spiritual totem.

The bloody head shattered the last thread of hope on the battlefield, and the Blood Demon Tribe’s army instantly collapsed, fleeing northward without any resistance.

The Elves did not revel in slaughter.

They didn’t pursue the fleeing enemy, for them, victory in battle was enough—they only wished to celebrate the fruit of victory.

And the ones who claimed this fruit, without a doubt—

“They’re envoys from the Human Race, invited by Elder Isadora and Elder Cuiniya.”

“I saw them that day too.”

“I picked their Dragon Hawk!”

“No problem, our double foreign reinforcements. By the way, what are their names?”

“Ayla!”

“Zero!”

That’s the situation.

When Celes and the others reunited with them, the three girls who had stayed behind in the treehouse all had complicated expressions.

“Too reckless. We could have gone together. Don’t be so impulsive next time.”

“Exactly! Why didn’t you call me for something so fun! I want the Elves to toss me in the air too!”

“Ayla! How could you… How could you just sneak out with Zero without saying a word!”

The three statements above came in order from Celes, Vina, and Leah.

Then, Zero repeated what the girl had taught her, word for word:

“Yesterday, I heavily wounded the Bloodslaughter King and didn’t want anyone else to take the Head Trophy, so I killed him first. But I didn’t have a Dragon Hawk, so I brought Ayla along to take me there.”

“Head Trophy?”

Celes blinked.

“Since when did you develop such a hobby?”

“Uh, ‘Head Trophy’ is a metaphor.”

Ayla hurriedly explained.

“It means the credit for killing someone.”

Still, they really did bring the head back.

Hearing this explanation, the girls accepted it.

After all, their companion was a professional killer—it made sense not to let prey be taken by someone else.

Only Leah puffed up her cheeks, wanting to be angry but unable to make it too obvious, lest others sense something was wrong.

“You… Next time, at least say something. It’s not like you can’t bring me along. I could give you both blessings.”

Sneaking off in broad daylight—what does that look like!