Primordial Soul's Rebirth

The veiled elf stood silent for a moment, still holding the vines that bound the disgraced elf.

Her expression remained unreadable behind the fine silk covering her face.

"Please," she said softly, gesturing with a graceful motion. "Follow me. The Guardian awaits."

Alex nodded, stepping forward with the others close behind.

They began ascending a winding path that curled around the roots of the world tree like a serpent's coil.

Ethereal lights danced along the bark, casting shadows in hues of blue and gold.

But curiosity stirred within Alex as he observed the elf.

He tilted his head slightly. "Why the veil?"

The question, innocent as it was, caused the group to glance at her in collective curiosity.

Even Seraphyra tilted her head with a puzzled blink.

The elf paused mid-step, turning her head just enough to glance back. Her amber eyes flicked over each of their faces, pausing a moment too long on Ann and Alice before she sighed.

"I was hiding my face," she murmured. Then, with a graceful hand, she untied the veil and let it fall.

Golden hair spilled like sunlight over her shoulders, and her face—delicate and statuesque—seemed almost unreal.

Her caramel eyes glowed faintly like the evening sun, tempered by wisdom and pride.

Her beauty was undeniable, regal, and ancient.

But the sigh she gave wasn't prideful. It was self-aware and tired.

"It's ironic," she said, her voice laced with resignation. "I covered myself to avoid complications. But here I stand among women far more breathtaking than I."

Seraphyra, ever direct, blinked in surprise. "I don't think so. You're very pretty."

Alice smiled softly. "Everyone shines differently."

Ann merely chuckled. "That's one way to put it."

Emberlyn also nodded, agreeing with the others' comments.

With that done, the group continued walking, but Alex frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the newly unmasked elf.

Something about her gnawed at him.

"Hmm..." he hummed, unable to pinpoint what it was.

Ann, walking beside him, caught the change in his expression. "What is it?"

She could feel his dilemma. The face he was making told her that he couldn't understand something. Even Alice noticed it, turning toward him.

"I feel like I've seen her before," he said quietly. "I just can't place it."

Ann raised an eyebrow in surprise before bursting into a light laugh. "You don't remember? She looks like Viessa. The legendary elf you punched back in my room when you stormed the human empire's castle."

Alex snapped his fingers in realization. "Ah, that's it! No wonder she looked familiar."

Violet, on the other hand, froze.

She turned sharply, eyes wide in disbelief. "Y-You've met Viessa?"

Alex nodded casually. "Yeah. Ann was imprisoned in the human capital. When I went to get her back, some people tried to stop me. She was one of them."

Her breath hitched. She looked down for a moment, swallowing hard. Then her voice came out, trembling. "Is she...?"

She couldn't complete the question, too scared to get a yes in response, but Alex, who understood what she wanted to know, shook his head.

"No," he said gently. "She's alive. She might be injured, but I didn't kill her."

Violet let out a long breath of relief, her eyes glistening.

"Thank you," she said softly. "She... always wanted to be the one to kill the Demon Lord. I suppose this is the reality check she needed."

"Well, probably," Alex nodded. "But if she were to come at me again, I can't tell what might happen."

Violet lowered her head, her fists clenched, but she knew she couldn't blame Alex.

He had spared Viessa even though she had attacked him, and that too when he hadn't done anything wrong.

She also knew he might kill Viessa the next time she attacked him, but what could she do?

Could she convince Viessa to stop pursuing her goal? Hasn't she always done that?

Would it be any different now?

'No. I have to stop her!' She gritted her teeth, her eyes bright with determination.

"Don't worry," she said, turning toward Alex. "She won't attack you again. I will make sure of it."

"Oh?" Alex, looking into her eyes, raised a brow before he shrugged. "Well, I don't really care."

Violet, at that response, didn't know what to say, so she just nodded, walking forward, and the rest followed.

The rest of the walk was filled with silence.

Violet led them through the winding paths of the world tree's root system, the terrain shifting beneath their feet like a living tapestry.

The air shimmered with ancient magic, heavy with the scent of blooming life and flowing mana.

They walked deeper and deeper until they stood before a chamber unlike any other. It was a vast, underground sanctum pulsating with life.

At its center coiled the immense form of Barbara, Guardian of the Black Tortoise Empire.

Her true body, majestic and overwhelming, rose like a mountainous landmass beneath the roots of the world tree.

Obsidian scales gleamed in the dappled light that trickled down through gaps in the canopy above.

Moss-draped horns curled like ancient antlers, and vines tangled themselves lovingly around her shell. She looked asleep, eternal, unmoving.

And yet, her presence pressed down on them like a divine weight.

Then a soft voice, clear and resonant, echoed around them.

"Emberlyn."

The phoenix froze while Violet bowed deeply and stepped aside.

Emberlyn took a hesitant step forward, tears already glimmering in her eyes. "...Barbara?"

The moss shifted gently, and Barbara's colossal eyes slowly opened.

They glowed with infinite depth, as though galaxies had been trapped within.

A low, rumbling hum vibrated the air around them—a sound like a heartbeat from the very core of the earth.

"You're alive," Barbara said.

Emberlyn dashed forward, dropping to her knees before the black tortoise. Her hands trembled as she placed them on the cool, earthen scales. "I-I thought I'd never see you again."

"So did I," Barbara admitted.

Her voice was gentle, like a lullaby, yet every word vibrated the bones in their chests. "When I saw Antares's last attack... I felt your presence vanish. I believed you had been taken from us."

Alex and the others stood in respectful silence, letting the reunion breathe.

Even Alice and Ann softened, their usual alertness relaxed as they watched Emberlyn weep freely.

"I survived," Emberlyn whispered. "Barely. If not for him..."

Her eyes turned back toward Alex, recalling how she could leave her empire thanks to him.

Barbara's gaze shifted, her enormous head turning slightly. She regarded Alex now with a clarity and solemnity unlike before.

"You are the Demon Lord," she said, not as an accusation but as a fact.

Alex stepped forward with a faint nod. "Alex."

Barbara's eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but in contemplation. "Your power... It is not bound by the laws that govern this land. Even I could not suppress it. That frightens me. But it also gives me hope."

Alex shrugged. "I'm not here to fight unless someone forces my hand. Emberlyn wanted to come here, and my women wanted to see this land."

Pausing for a heartbeat, he added, "And don't worry, I won't cause a problem unless someone gets in our way... If someone does, then, well, you saw what happens."

A rustle of leaves accompanied Barbara's low chuckle. "Yes. I saw. Vaelith was no small existence. And yet you erased him like ash in the wind. The element of destruction within you... It is pure. Even I dare not touch it."

Alice took a step closer, standing beside Alex now. Her gaze was firm, protective, almost daring Barbara to question him.

Ann stood on his other side, arms folded, watching Barbara with her usual stoicism. But there was a glint of curiosity in her golden eyes.

Emberlyn, however, was too shocked to notice those details. She couldn't believe how much Barbara had changed.

'She's laughing about the death of one of her citizens?'

She couldn't believe it was the same Barbara who had attacked Shirozan for frightening her citizens before.

'Well, I guess everyone changes,' she concluded.

Barbara, on the other hand, glanced at Alice and Ann.

"You do not need to worry," she said softly, her eyes glancing between them and Alex. "I will not stop you. I cannot. You tread a path no one can predict, Alex. But at least you are not alone, and that gives me comfort."

Then, her tone shifted—melancholic, heavy with age.

"I have been here, unmoving, for over a century. My body is the nexus of the barrier around Melanochelys. Should I so much as stretch a limb, the spell would collapse. The illusion of safety would shatter."

Her vast form shuddered slightly, more emotion than motion.

"Antares still waits, wanting to remove me, the only person who can give him a challenge." She paused, sighing heavily before she continued.

"His subordinates watch this empire, probing the barrier constantly, searching for weakness. If I move, they will come. And although I would defeat them, Melanochelys will burn."

Emberlyn looked down, fists clenched. "That bastard—I will kill him. He destroyed everything I stood for."

"I know you will," Barbara said, her eyes flicking to Alex.

Understanding what she meant, Alex nodded.

"One day," he said. "But not yet. I want to make sure when I go after him, he can't escape. I want to crush him, not challenge him."

Barbara stared at him for a long time, her eyes unreadable.

Then she nodded. "Wise. Arrogance would mean death. But I do not sense arrogance in you. Only resolve. When the time comes, I believe you will do what I never could."

Alice placed her hand in Alex's, her fingers interlocking with his. "And we'll be with him. Every step."

Ann, ever calm, added, "We aren't just bystanders in his story. We're part of it."

Seraphyra nodded hesitantly, feeling a bit out of place but not wanting to be left behind. "I-I'll help as well!"

Barbara laughed again, low and earthy. "You have a curious little family, Alex. Perhaps... this world still has hope."

Then her gaze softened, turning once again to Emberlyn.

"I am so glad you're alive, Ember. I wish I could embrace you with more than just words."

Emberlyn stepped closer, placing a hand gently against one of the great mossy horns. "This is enough. You were always here when I needed you. That hasn't changed."

The sanctuary fell into silence for a long moment, sacred and serene.

Then Alex asked, "So, what's next?"

Barbara's eyes closed slowly. "I don't know. You came here to visit and enjoy, so do that. I don't want to take away the time you could enjoy with your family."

Alex nodded at her before he turned to the others. "Since the owner of this land has permitted us, let's make the most of it."

The girls' eyes brightened at the mention of enjoying, and they quickly moved, not wanting to miss out on anything.

.....................

AUTHOR NOTE: -

There are still just three yeses...