The elves screamed in panic as they witnessed the black dog engulfed in dark crimson flames.
“T-That form… No way… That’s just like…”
“When the Burning Black Beast arrives…”
“The Sacred Tree will fall… Ugh… Everything is over…”
“?!”
The elves murmured a certain phrase as they fell into despair and wept.
And I had heard those words before.
Among all the races that walk the earth, none exist without their blessings.
Those who have lived the longest and accumulated vast wisdom shall thrive in nature’s abundance.
Yet, in their prosperity, they shall fall into arrogance.
They shall revere the Sacred Tree and praise their own superiority, but that glory shall not last forever.
When the Burning Black Beast arrives, the Sacred Tree shall fall, and their superiority shall fail to protect them.
Their desperate prayers shall not reach the silent goddess, and in a land filled only with blood and fire, only screams and wails shall echo.
When all is consumed by flames and ruin, the supreme race shall be blinded, clinging to a single ray of light as they plummet to the earth.
A prophecy foretold by an ancient Elven Great Seer, a figure of legend.
Among the elves, this prophecy had been passed down through generations, regarded as a grave taboo and a source of deep anxiety.
The part foretelling the destruction of the once-prosperous elven race at the hands of the “Burning Black Beast,” along with the fall of the Sacred Tree, Yggdral, was believed to signify their doom.
Fearing this fate, the elves took every possible measure to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
To eliminate any potential threat, they adopted an extremely isolationist stance, choosing to live exclusively beneath the Sacred Tree.
They only engaged with other nations and races under the most restricted circumstances.
This had been the way of the elves for countless generations—long before Elfin, and even before her grandfather, the current Elder of the Elves.
However, this seemingly profound prophecy, first revealed in Crusader Bryden NX, ultimately existed only as a piece of lore within the game.
It was nothing more than a MacGuffin, never even hinted at in any actual storyline.
Yet, because the elves in the Grand Library of Arboness constantly treated the prophecy with extreme caution, I had inadvertently memorized it over time…
Grrrrr!
As the three-headed black dog, its entire body wreathed in flames, let out a deafening roar, the elves fell into further panic, crying and screaming.
“T-That thing will burn the Sacred Tree!”
“Ahh, Lunias! What are we supposed to do?!”
“O divine one, please save us! Hear our prayers!”
The elves called upon the name of their goddess, wailing and praying in despair.
Owoooooo!
The black dog howled, and the flames on its body surged even more fiercely, quickly spreading to the surroundings of the Sacred Tree.
“N-No! The Sacred Tree… The Sacred Tree is burning!”
“Water! Bring water, quickly! Are there any living mages? Anyone?!”
“If this continues, the Sacred Tree will really collapse! We have to put out the fire, now!”
“No!”
Amidst the chaos, I tightly gripped the lightsaber I had retrieved from the library and shouted.
I lunged forward, standing off against the massive black dog, and shouted loudly enough for all the elves to hear.
“Putting out the fire on the Sacred Tree is useless as long as this black dog is alive! Focus all your efforts on defeating this monster!”
“B-But the Sacred Tree…”
“You don’t understand because you’re an outsider! The Sacred Tree means everything to us!”
The isolationist elves refused to listen easily.
I decided to push harder and shouted even louder.
“You’ll just stand there until you’re cursed again, helpless and burning to death, only to realize too late? Are you planning to repeat the agony of rotting away, bleeding out, and watching your entire race perish? If the Sacred Tree is more important to you than the lives of your families, friends, and loved ones, then go ahead and die for it! But if you want to save them, then stop hesitating and help take this black dog down!”
The elves flinched at my outburst, but the final blow came from Elfin.
“……Forget everything else. Focus on taking down that monster.”
“Elfin, my lady!”
“But the Sacred Tree…!”
“If we all die trying to protect the tree, it won’t mean a damn thing. This isn’t the time to argue about outsiders or traditions.”
Even then, the elves remained hesitant, bound by their passive, isolationist nature.
That was when Elfin completely lost her temper and screamed even louder than I did.
“So, what, you all just want to die here?! If your lives don’t matter, then why the hell have you been clinging to me for protection all this time?! If Grandfather were conscious, he’d say the same thing! And since he’s unconscious, as acting Elder of Arboness, I command you! Anyone who can fight, put everything you have into killing that black dog! And if anyone still refuses to give up on the Sacred Tree, step forward! I’ll personally throw you into that fire myself!”
Her thunderous order finally snapped the elves into action.
They flinched but hurriedly prepared for battle.
“Ravi, Elfin, Lenis. Can you fight?”
“Yes!”
“I’m… I’ve used up too much stamina… I might not be much help.”
“Haa… Haa… I-I’ve been healing people nonstop… I barely have any mana potions left…”
Aside from Ravi, the others weren’t in good shape.
I, too, was unable to use my Eyes of Truth any further today, meaning I couldn’t see the monster’s weak points.
But I had seen how that black dog was created.
Its burning body was undoubtedly formed from the same cursed mist that had engulfed Arboness.
Back at the goblin camp, the dark spirit had vanished the moment I activated my eyes.
And if this black dog was made from the same light-sensitive mist…
I swung my lightsaber down vertically at the black dog.
A blade of light shot forward at blistering speed.
The black dog’s three heads simultaneously unleashed dark crimson flames from their mouths, colliding with the light slash.
The clashing energies erupted into a violent explosion, sending shockwaves crashing against the inner part of the Sacred Tree.
“Tch… So it’s a much more complete creation than that dark spirit.”
“Alvis, is there no way to erase it like last time?”
At Ravi’s question, I shook my head.
“Not this time. And back then, the spirit had only consumed a few hundred goblins as sacrifices. But this thing… it’s fed on thousands of elves. It might even be stronger than Vector. Be on your guard.”
The three of them swallowed hard, recalling how helpless they had been against Vector.
I glanced at the howling black dog and quickly checked my remaining mana.
Maintaining the Lightsaber while using Judgment was possible at most twice.
This was not a situation where a prolonged fight would be advantageous.
Under Elfin’s command, the elves gathered as many capable fighters as possible, arming themselves with bows and magic.
A few strong warriors, like Elfin, summoned vines as they prepared for battle.
“Alvis, do normal attacks even work on that monster?”
“I don’t know either. I’ll draw its attention first, so you guys go for the flanks!”
Saying that, I unleashed another sword wave.
As soon as the three-headed black hound spewed flames, a magic circle formed at the tip of Lenis’ staff, and a bolt of lightning shot forward, clashing with one of the flames.
Boom!!
A thunderous explosion erupted in front of the hound’s head, momentarily halting the flames spewing from that spot.
Ravi was the first to charge forward.
Using the Bunny Tribe’s signature jumping ability, she leaped toward one of the hound’s massive heads and delivered a somersault kick.
Thud!
Although the creature’s body appeared to be made of fire, it seemed to have a solid form.
Ravi’s kick landed squarely on the hound’s jaw, causing the flames spewing from that head to cease for a moment.
“The attack landed! It has a physical form!”
“Good! In that case…”
Elfin began to move rhythmically, activating the ability of her boots.
Bright red berries on vines sprouted rapidly toward the hound’s central head.
As the flames from the middle head touched the berries, they exploded violently, causing the hound’s head to jerk back.
Those had to be Bomb Bloom berries, known to explode upon contact with extreme heat.
Since Bomb Bloom didn’t naturally grow in Arboness, it seemed that Elfin’s boots granted her the ability to summon any plant she desired.
“Now’s our chance!”
Constantly firing sword waves would drain my mana, so instead of another ranged attack, I decided to cut the beast down directly with my sword of light.
The elves of Arboness conjured wind magic behind me to boost my speed, and I dashed forward, driving my sword straight into the hound’s chest.
A crimson blaze burst from the wound like festering pus, immediately wrapping around me.
“Damn…!”
“Alvis!”
“Everyone! Protect the human swordsman!”
At Elfin’s command, the elf mages cast barriers around me and enveloped my body in a thin layer of water.
Thanks to their support, I could push my sword in deeper without hesitation.
The black hound’s burning flesh crumbled away upon contact with the Lightsaber.
As its fiery body was torn apart by the light, I noticed something deep within its core—a small orb emitting an intense blaze in all directions.
“That must be…”
It was likely the source of the curse sustaining this monster, the core of its power.
“Grrrr… Kraaahhh!!!”
As I thrust my sword deeper into the core, the black hound let out a furious roar, shaking violently.
Its sheer size sent Ravi and me flying backward, and the vines summoned by Elfin were all shattered.
“Ugh…!”
『A mere insect dares wield such an irritating power!』
The three heads spoke in unison.
Then, the beast reduced the intensity of its flames, trading them for an immense speed boost as it leaped into the air.
Using all four legs to run along the walls, the black hound began circling high above, weaving through the sacred tree of Arboness while keeping me at the center of its movement.
Elfin’s face turned pale as she shouted in alarm.
“…! E-Everyone, get out of here! The tree is going to collapse!”