40 Chapter 39: A Karmic Evening

Disclaimer: Apparently, the percentage of people that got copyright infringed in 2019 is as high as 26% and it climbed to 29% in 2020. I have no idea where those numbers came from but I read on Google so it must be right! So to avoid raising that percentage I hereby say I do not own Highschool DxD. I own the OCs and if someone out there uses my characters to raise the copyright infringement percentage then...Ichiei bless you.

Speech – "Hey, I'm Pierce."

Inner Speech – 'Neat'

Thoughts – 'I'm dead.'

Spells – "Jumon"

Flostenebris Castle

Maven floated down on top of one of spiral towers, allowing herself better view of the city. Fires were burning everywhere, soldiers from both the city and the invading ships fought in the streets. Squads of Flostenebris soldiers were shooting spells at the ships while also evacuating the citizens. With the barriers surrounding the city no longer present and restricting teleportation; soldiers teleported citizens out in large groups. Where? Maven had no idea but she had bigger things to worry about. She saw a ship charging up its front cannon to shoot upon the escaping citizens and she raised her staff.

"Cynhwysiant Gwynt!" A massive magic circle appeared in front of the ship and covered it in a wind barrier, the canon shooting it at point blank range. The wind barrier strained to contain the attack, distorting in shape but held and took a large chunk of the ship's front. Maven was about to cast another spell to shoot it out of the sky but another ship entered her vision. She pointed her staff at the new ship to intercept it before it can crash into the castle but a blur beat her to it.

Vargas flew by the vessel's side, sinking the Sword of Damocles into the metal hull and sliced it open. The Spirit Inheritor saw a bunch of Dark Elf soldiers inside, staring at him in shock and he smiled at them. Shooting a blast of light inside the ship lit up and exploded, smashing into a random building. Vargas and Maven nodded at each other before flying up to deal with the other ships. The Holy Sword User focused on slicing open the ships while the mage blocked any attacks directed at the city. Their assistance lightened the load of the soldiers but more kept coming through the open gate, filling in the spots for the ones they destroyed. As Vargas summoned his Templar Avatar in the air and landed it on top of a ship to wreck havoc, Maven blocked a sword that was meant for her face with a magic circle. With a snap of her fingers the owner of the sword combusted and turned to ashes but more Dark Elf soldiers flew in the air, surrounding her.

"This isn't your fight human, surrender and you'll be spared." A Dark Elf spoke, trying to sound genuine but Maven just raised a brow.

"Twnnel Trydan." A lightning wave flew out from Maven, hitting the Dark Elves and frying their armors. As they shook in agony, the mage waved her hand and sent them flying to the ground with a wind cannon. 'Did they actually expect that to work?' Maven shook her head at the negotiation attempt by the soldiers before a loud bang brought her attention downwards. Three Dark Elves stood in the street, they were wearing armors that were two meters tall and one had a hammer that was glowing from hitting a Flostenebris soldier through a building. She frowned when a large amount of Spiritual Energy started building up in the hammer. A quick wave of her staff and she switched places with the injured soldier, a barrier ready to block the blow.

She blinked when the hit caused a shock wave and nearly shattered the barrier. The Dark Elf staggered backward, seemingly shocked by how her spell withstood the attack. He made to retry but another Dark Elf in armor clasped his shoulder.

"Wait, she's one of the humans our lord warned us about." They became on guard after that with the one who spoke stepping forward. "Please, we do not wish to fight you. Leave this place and we won't fault you for the damage you've caused."

"You're the second person to tell me that but I don't believe it. What? Talien forgave us after everything we've done to him?" Maven was being sarcastic and wasn't expecting him to nod.

"He hopes you'll see reason and back off while you still can."

"...Let me give you the same answer I gave the last guy." The Dark Elf tilted his armored head.

"What was th-"

"Flammis Acribus Malestrom!"A firestorm flooded the destroyed city block, melting a number of concrete and steel on contact. Maven watched passively the affect her spell had on the architecture before turning around to handle another part of the city. She nearly missed the sound of the rubble being misplaced. Quickly flying up, she narrowly dodged the longsword that tried to cut her in half. A sword wave came out and traveled for a couple blocks before stopping. "Drych Dŵr!" A water mirror met the hammer of the first Dark Elf, causing his attacks to be redirected back at him. Watching him fly back, Maven saw the last Dark Elf calmly walk out of the flames. Besides a bit of soot there wasn't a scratch on any of them.

"This isn't ideal but we'll work with it." The Dark Elf said as he took out a halberd and met her gaze. "Take her in without killing her. Lord Talien will want to handle her personally." He ordered with full confidence, as if Maven had already lost the fight and his colleagues were of similar mindsets. Maven narrowed her eyes and subtly cracked her fingers, her annoyance as clear as day. She chanted when one got closer.

"Maulwurf's Schwörung." A magic circle appeared under the foot of the hammer wielding Dark Elf and he was promptly sucked into the earth. Not minding the sunken enemy (who was most likely a mile deep into Svartalfheim's soil) she turned in time to see a long sword coming to decapitate her.

A massive claw grabbing his shoulder stopped that plan dead. Maven's Roc familiar screeched as it lifted the Dark Elf into the air and flung him far way. Landing on his face, he didn't get the chance to stand before the Roc grabbed his leg and lifted him again. The final Dark Elf blankly watched as the familiar slammed it's catch against any building in it's way and carry it away without another word.

"...Fair enough." Gripping his halberd, it glowed a bright blue. Maven watched as he multiplied, five of him spreading out and pointing their weapons at her. She also moved and he stiffened as she also multiplied, creating even more clones then him. After a tense moment he sighed deeply. "Anyone ever tell you you're a show off?" A cheeky grin was his answer.

8 staffs then rose and his world became a sea of fire, lighting, and wind.

Back to Pierce

I've never seen someone almost completely drained of their life force up close before. Maven and Athena both stressed how dangerous it was to push your body to it's limit when powering a Forbidden Spell and sure, when I kill someone I can clearly sense their life force leek out like a broken faucet but...

"You look like shit." Talien's brow twitched at that. The Dark Elf King's grey skin was heavily wrinkled, he was hunched and his Chi was fucked from here to Olympus. It was a shadow of it's former self and looked like it struggled to hold together Talien's body (our beat down of the General probably didn't help either).

"Consequences of trying to attain greatness I'm afraid."

"More like rob it." I snorted and Talien chuckled.

"Yes, you would know something about that wouldn't you? How are my prized artifacts doing? They were quite a handful to get under control."

'Hey Pierce, can you be a doll and use me when you're going to take his head off. I would really appreciate it.' Tyrfing said. The Demon Sword never did get over being sealed by the Dark Elf.

'I call his heart!' Talien shook his head in amusement.

"I'd much rather have my head and heart for this next part if you will?" The Dark Elf waved to the seat once more and I gave a dignified response.

"How about you suck my-" Elijah's whimper cut me off as the blade against his neck drew blood and I sighed. "If it's all the same to you, I'll stay standing."

"Very well." Talien reached over and grabbed a bottle of alcohol, pouring himself a glass. I stood there as he swished the liquid, the sounds of fighting outside getting louder every passing second. I observed the maid holding Elijah. She looked like any other Dark Elf (which is probably how she got so close to the ward) and nothing stood out about her aura. She didn't seem particularly powerful or dangerous but there must have been a reason for her to be here, right?

'Maybe the princess was just too lazy to hold the knife.' My thoughts brought my attention to Edith who was playing with her hair like a bored child in a waiting room. "You let them in here." It wasn't a question but she nodded anyway.

"I did." I frowned at how nonchalant her tone was.

"Those are your people being attacked and killed out there." Edith quirked a brow.

"And?"

"...You grew up here, these people sweared loyalty to your family and...you just don't care?" I was the last person to talk about caring for random people that aren't close to you but her father and sister loved this place and she's helping a hostile force burn it down? Forget Ymir's Breath, now that's cold.

"It's the way of life, there's nothing without a price."

"What are you trying to buy?"

"That's enough." Talien spoke up, stopping Edith from speaking anymore. He stared straight at me before leaning on his chair. "You are an anomaly boy. You've grown far faster than anyone in recent years, so much that you've bested others who were born to be above others. Who've been raised and taught to be stronger. That kind of power, that kind of talent, can quite frightening to lesser beings. It frightens them so much in fact, that they give it a name. Do you know what that name is?" He stared at me and when I gave him a blank look, he answered.

Monsters.

My brain took a second to process what he said and when I saw the expectant look on Talien's face I did the only rational thing I could think of.

"...Hrng...Hrn-hahahahahahaha." I laughed. I laughed a lot. I never took my attention off of Talien but I did need to wipe a couple tears from my eyes after the fact. It was only when I got it all out of my system did I see the Dark Elf King's expression darken. "Oh you cannot be serious...You are? Oh...well now I really don't feel bad for laughing because that's a joke."

"What are they offering you exactly? Hm? They ask you to go out, fight their battles for them-

"Considering Zeth made it so they can't."

-What can they offer for killing a God?"

I wasn't taking the guy seriously after he offered me a way into Zeth's army but he did raise a good question. What would I ask for if I do kill Zeth? The bragging rights for killing a God were the main reason I agreed to do this but something actually substantial and physical would be nice. Then again, the Olympians have trained me and given me a range of resources to help build my strength so that could be seen as the reward. It was kind of ironic actually, Zeus gave Zeth the power to be his successor and now they're giving us the power to end the Monster God when he got over his head. It all comes full circle.

"Zeth could give you everything you could ever dream of. Wealth, women, authority, power. Join him in destroying Olympus and you can built anything you want on it's ashes. You could be a God." Talien, finished with his pitched, let out a breath and waited for my answer.

"Okay." I shrugged, getting a double take from Talien. He narrowed his eyes, looking me up and down before nodding.

"Good." I stepped forward and reached out my hand.

"Shake on it?" Giving a bright smile, I waited patiently for the suspicious Talien to slowly take my hand and grasp it tightly. True to his title, the Ultimate-Class Dark Elf immediately noticed my intentions when he couldn't let go but Tyrfing appeared in my other hand and the tip was made it's way towards Talien's forehead.

This is the part where things started got...weird. In his half a second of struggle, Talien's foot inadvertently smacked against the table and the goblet full of alcohol flew up, it's contents flying everywhere. A couple drops ended up in my eyes. Hissing from the alcohol entering such a sensitive spot, I missed Talien by inches and he fell to the ground (at least I crushed his hand before letting go). Noticing how the others in the room weren't expecting such a situation, I activated Touki and Chi Burst to the maid holding Elijah.

That's when I tripped on the same cup that Talien dropped. A charged up Tyrfing fell to the ground and destroyed the floor, making us fall to the lower level. Levitating before falling all the way down, I saw how Elijah was released in the confusion and I lowered myself to help the Dark Elf.

"You've made a mistake." I raised my head to see Talien flying above, Edith and the maid behind him. "You will regret refusing my-"

"Oráð Sǫgn!" A magic circle appeared over our heads, black sand flew out and surged towards the three Dark Elves. The parts of the wall touched by the sand eroded away and it covered the three hostile Dark Elves in a ball. Ulf, one of the generals left behind to watch the city, walked up to us with a squad of soldiers and waved his hand. The black sand pulled back to expose not a trace of either Talien or Edith. "Was that the princess?" Ulf asked with a frown and I gave the general an odd expression as I helped Elijah up.

"You ask that after casting a deadly spell?"

"It was fifty-fifty really." He shrugged. "I knew Elijah has the king's authority and she wasn't supposed to be around here so I took my shot. Speaking of, was that…"

"The princess has betrayed us and allied herself with Talien." Elijah said, feeling better after I gave him some of my Chi and he stood up. "We can deal with that later. We must focus on evacuating the citizens and soldiers for now."

"We're already on it. We've got most of the civilians out but we're being overrun. We may need to let Hersíða go." Both Dark Elves scowled at the thought but ultimately agreed the people took precedent. Elijah chose to go ahead with Ulf to command the troops with the general telling me that the others were in the fight outside. Thanking him for the heads up (even if I could already sense them doing so from my position) I waited for them to walk away before I stared up at the former floor with a frown.

'What in the hell just happened?' I tripped. On a damn cup. Me, whose fought against master class fighters, whose dodged attacks that move at the speed of literal wind and lightning? All to have a couple drops of alcohol to block my vision and allow someone like Talien to get away. 'Nope, still doesn't make sense the second time I think about it.'

I'm definitely not living this one down anytime soon for sure. Yet a nagging feeling stayed with me, as I should I know what happened but I couldn't figure it out. It was maddening to say the least.

A distant explosion that shook the castle brought me out of my musings. I flew up; exiting out of the window I entered through earlier and got a bird's eye view of the current situation. The city was burning with countless bodies littering the streets. Many I saw were either wearing the uniform of the Flostenebris soldiers or the invading Dökkálfar. That didn't mean the fighting was over as explosions and collapsing buildings were still occurring.

"Jade. Denki." I called forth both of my summons, the dog Yokai floating to my left while the Moon Hare rested on my shoulder. I also summoned Tyrfing and Dáinsleif to my hands as I gained the attention of the dozens of Skíðblaðnirs flying in the air. "Ferro Corpus. Kappi's Afl. Ventus Ambulate." Some of the ships charged up their front cannons and fired as I poured my magically enhanced Chi into my Demon Swords.

Then I slashed diagonally. A sword wave of ice and power sliced through their spells and reached them in an instant. The five closest ships (along with whatever unfortunate soldier was flying nearby) were frozen solid before their icy remains were pulverized. Like a light shower, the particles washed over their companions and they stared silly at the destruction of easily hundreds of their own.

I was just getting started.

"Go nuts." Both summons shot off at the command, firing ice and lightning at any soldier wearing the Dökkálfar uniform. I zoomed through the air and started wildly slashing at any enemy I saw. Dozens of Dark Elves fell at my every swing with some grouping together and trying to defend with conjoined Magic Circles but one charged up blast of my Demon Swords easily destroyed them. As my body count started grazing the quadruple digits and bodies fell out of the sky, the Dark Elves started retreating in groups. Watching this I made to pursue but stopped when I felt a strong aura approach me.

And it was approaching me fast. Quickly turning, I blocked an armored fist with my swords and a shockwave went outward. I didn't budge.

"Damn, you really are tough! No wonder he warned us about you." A Dark Elf in green armor said, rolling his wrist. His armor was heavily modified with gauntlets that looked far bigger than regular ones and had Nordic Runes on it. "Can I keep his body after we're done?"

"…I don't even want to humor that with a response." A woman in red armor floated down, three others in yellow, black, and blue also joining them. "Just take him down for now, we can talk about your sick hobby later. "The Dark Elf in red armor said as she pulled out a rapier and they started to surround me. I watched them with an amused smile.

"Okay, I have got to ask. What are you guys called?"

"We're the Vægher Corps and we're the damn best soldiers in the Dökkálfar faction!" The Green Dark Elf proudly said before frowning when he saw my twitching smirk. "Do you find something funny?"

"No, no, no! Not at all. You guys are very intimidating believe me." Though if they start making poses and cause random explosions to appear behind them I will lose my shit. "But unfortunately, we are on opposing sides so we should get to fighting."

"Oh yeah, that's tru-" I rushed the Green Dark Elf, slashing at his head but a black shield blocked it. The Dark Elf in black armor struggled under my swing and the others reacted, their attacks forcing me to retreat. Ducking under the Red Dark Elf's rapier and the Blue Dark Elf's spear, I couldn't counterattack as the Yellow Dark Elf started shooting glowing arrows at me and forced me to Chi Burst away.

"Hanzki Veizla!" The Green Dark Elf madly barraged me with punches. I parried them, slashing at his midsection and cutting a large chunk of his armor. Before I could continue my advantage, I was besieged by multiple other attacks and had to block them. Fighting the Vægher Corps was trickier than I thought. One on one I could easily take them out with my superior strength and speed but they worked in synch, never allowing me to fight them alone for too long. That and the fact that their armor apparently repaired itself if they hanged back and rested for a couple seconds; this fight was starting to get on my nerves.

'Might as well check on the others.' Choosing to play it defensively, I blocked their attacks seamlessly as I scanned the city with Chi Vision. There were few civilians left at this point, the soldiers having made quick work of it and the sections of the city the Dökkálfar soldiers were attacking holding no citizens. Vargas was facing squadrons of Dark Elves and decimating them singlehandedly while Maven was man handling a Dark Elf with an impressive aura (though it was dwindling fast). Leaning my head to the left as a glowing arrow shot by, I decided to stop using my Chi sparingly and poured a large amount into my Demon Swords. I intended to end this.

"Pull back." That was until the Red Dark Elf spoke and my opponents retreated together. I blinked at the act and flew after them.

"Hey hold on! Don't think I'll just-" A chill ran up my back. I stopped, looking up to see hundreds of the ships plotting out the sky. They were all at the same height, neatly organized in a circle and thousands of Dark Elves floating in the center. Tens of thousands.

'I've got a bad feeling about this…' I slowly nodded at Dáinsleif's comment as every Dark Elf raised their hands and started to chant. Waves of Spiritual Energy filled the air and slowly transformed into a massive Norse magic circle that was the size of the city.

"Pierce!" Maven yelled and I flew to the mage, Vargas already next to her. I called for Jade and Denki as the city sized magic circle grew larger and brighter until it appeared to be daytime. I watched in awe, Maven quickly creating a magic circle under us to teleport away and no sooner did she, the magic circle activated. A gargantuan amount of energy rained down and Maven's spell got us out in time before it impacted the ground.

Even as we entered a different space to escape the spell, the effect was still felt as the dimension itself twisted and Maven barely got us to the other end before it collapsed on us. As we hit the grassy field under us and I caught Maven who exhausted herself after keeping the teleportation together, one thought went through my mind.

'Albion, Ddraig…you guys are either the bravest beings in DxD for facing the Three Factions at the height of their power or the dumbest.'

Then I remembered the Three Factions had millions of supernaturals on each side and the majority of their leaders were still alive at the time.

I had my answer.

Same Time, Førál

The mayhem in the Tardálfar capital was starting to die down. While a couple ships were still intact and outmaneuvering Alva's troops to the best of their ability, they were met with a quick death when the queen herself intervened. The Dökkálfar troops in the palace were also being defeated and were on the defensive.

Yet said General of the invading force didn't appear worried. She continued to face both of her opponents with the same drive and skill she always had, if not with a little lag between bouts. Powering Dwarf made armor was physically taxing for anyone.

"Ergo Radius Solaris!"

"Terebro!"

Sabel jumped over the crescent wave of sunlight Adrian shot at her but that left her open to Aindrea's drill spear. She was sent flying back and landed gracefully even as her armor slightly cracked. Parrying both of their follow up attacks; she left large cuts on their arms with her twin blades and dodged back when Aindrea's spear tried to pierce her leg. Adrian shot blasts of sunlight at her as she blocked Aindrea's attacks, nailing the General in the head.

While the attack didn't do any damage, the heat behind it caused the Dark Elf to grimace and she slapped Aindrea aside to charge at the Emissary.

"Regia Solis." Adrian placed his sword in front of him and chanted. A shining yellow bubble covered the area around the Emissary, the marble it touched instantly turning to ash. Sabel was half inside the bubble and immediately backed off when she started to feel her armor soften.

'His attack is able to melt Dwarven Steel!? What the hell are these brats!?' Granted, she saw that spell made the Emissary ragged and stepped forward when the bubble disappeared.

She barely reacted in time when she felt a large amount of Spiritual Energy come from behind her.

"Equus Belli!" She blocked the illusionary hooves of a horse as it kicked her and the force sent her flying outside the hall. She smashed through one of the few walls still standing, dragging across the ground and leaving a long trail. Her twin blades were lying shattered on the ground. "She was annoying." Aindrea said as he rested his spear on his shoulder and Adrian regained his breath.

"Don't lower your guard. She's most likely still alive."

"Hm." Aindrea nodded and they watched as Sabel stood up from among the rubble. They raised their weapons as she lowered her posture before charging them. Without her blades, the General punched at the two but they dodged her flimsy attack easily. His sword shining in a dense yellow aura, Adrian successfully slashed through the armor's defenses and cut off her arm. Not one to be outdone, Aindrea hit the General's chest in the same spot multiple times before it fully went through.

Sabel fell to the ground and they watched as the now destroyed armor slide open. They were shocked to see it was empty inside.

"What?! But when did she-" Adrian didn't get to finish as the armor remains started to shine. Aindrea tackled the Emissary to the side as it exploded and took half of the hall with it. Hiding behind a wall, Sabel felt the shockwave nearly topple her cover and sent the rubble flying across the city.

'Tough little shits.' The Dökkálfar General clicked her tongue when the dust settled and she saw both members fine if not a little frazzled. She knew she couldn't hold off things any longer. Running down the hall, she narrowly dodged Tardálfar troops roaming around and made for her destination. Even when she saw the members of her own army being overwhelmed and killed Sabel didn't stop. 'What the hell happened? He should have been done by now!' Grimacing internally since this whole operation depended on the original objective being complete, Sabel came to a courtyard with a two story house and high walls.

"Stay still damn you!"

"Why would I?!"

"Because you're a sick man who needs medical help and most likely a neutering?"

"Exactly!"

"No! No, not exactl-stop aiming for there!"

Safe to say, this was not what she was expecting to come to. Sabel blankly looked at the fight currently happening between the companions of the Emissary and her agent. Halvar did his best to dodge the deadly yet oddly clumsy attacks of the Shadow Yokai. While the Dark Elf was a competent combatant in his own right, the Yokai far outstripped him in the physical department but couldn't bring it to full use for whatever reason. Her blond haired teammate tried to help by limiting Halvar's movements with the placement of her barriers around the battlefield.

Only they seemed to help Halvar since more times than not, the Shadow Yokai would smash headfirst into a poorly placed barrier and give the Dark Elf some breathing time. Both women were very confused by the situation (though it quickly turned into annoyance for the Yokais'). Prying her eyes from the battle, Sabel's eyes wandered over to see the king and princess of the Flostenebris Kingdom watching the whole thing.

Along with her prize, cowering slightly behind them. Her eyes narrowed, she made her way around and silently crept up on the observers. They didn't notice her approach and she reached out to grab the child.

"Aarrghh!?" Sabel staggered back in shock, the invisible barrier around the three turning visible after her attempt. Eldon and Emma jumped in surprise, the princess holding the girl closer.

"Who are you?" Samantha frowned and turned around to meet the new arrival, Melissa still focused on the slippery silver haired Dark Elf.

"Stjnsámr Koma." Sabel waved her hand and black smoke shot out of the magic circle on her hand. It shot towards Samantha in the form of a snake but was stopped dead by a yellow barrier.

"Prismatis Sursum." The snake tried to wrap around her shield but it was trapped by a see through cube. It tried to hit the walls but its effort proved fruitless and Samantha levitated the cube higher in the air before dropping it on Sabel. The General jumped out of the way as the cube hit the ground and made a large crater. Motioning her hands, the cube opened and Sabel watched in shock as her own spell attacked her.

"Halvar!"

"Yeah I know! Vicissim sors Dei!" Halvar chanted but no magic circles or flashy spell came into existence. All Samantha got as a warning was a surge of Spiritual Energy blanketing the area before Sabel's spell once again attacked the healer. Surprised at the turn of events, Samantha was even more shocked when she failed to cast another protection spell and got hit head on.

The healer screamed as her arm was bitten and started to rot. She was forced her to take out her Sacred Gear Saint Chapter to try and negate the poisoning before it spread further. Melissa sensed her friend's predicament and planned to help her but was charged at by Halvar. Slashing at her with his sword, Melissa blocked his blade but her daggers broke under the swing and left a nasty wound down her torso. Both Dark Elves retreated back after their onslaught.

"That was it?" Sabel said disappointingly as Havel breathed heavily and rested on one knee.

"Hey, I used up the majority of my energy getting through the palace and they aren't weak themselves." They watched Melissa and Samantha regain their bearings, the healer already fixing her arm from the rot while the Yokai's Chi stopped her bleeding. "I think this is a bust boss." Halvar said and Sabel glanced at the trio in the corner before scowling.

"It appears so." The General rubbed her spatial ring and a golden tablet appeared in her hand. Channeling her power into the tablet, a crack in the air formed in front of them. The crack showed a world full of nothing but colors and before either member could stop them, they hopped in the crack. Melissa ran forward seeing the crack start to close but Samantha reached out to stop her.

"Don't. We have no idea what's on the other side and it could lead right into Talien's camp. Let's regroup with the others." While a part of Melissa wanted to chase after them she knew that it was too dangerous to go alone. Watching the crack finally close with a glare, Melissa winced when she saw black flakes fall from Samantha's arm. She looked unfazed (though her face was paler than usual).

"Here." Melissa gingerly laid a hand on her arm and channeled her Chi, lacing it with Senjutsu for added effect. While Samantha already healed the wound, the Chi lifted a great deal of the pain left behind.

"Thank you." Samantha nodded; breathing easier now and Melissa waved her hand. Gathering Emma and Eldon (and their new tag along), they made their way back to the main hall and found a group of Alva's soldiers waiting for them there. They led them to a tall building which looked untouched by the attack and saw it the throne room of the Tardálfar Kingdom. Melissa saw Adrian and Aindrea standing off to the side and planned to call them when-

"Mom!"

"Eleanor!" The child they saved ran passed them and tackled the High Queen in a tight bear hug, one Alva returned. Melissa looked to Samantha and saw the healer was also surprised by the identity of the child. "Are you okay!? Where were you!? I asked Calder if he knew but he said he couldn't reach your guards."

"T-they all d-dead. B-Bale, uncle Hagan…Kari…" Eleanor started to cry into her mother's chest and Alva held her tighter, lovingly stroking her head.

"Okay, it's okay. I'm here, your fine." Alva waited a moment for her to calm down and raised her head to look at the others. "I'm safe to assume you saved my daughter?"

"T-They did." Eleanor answered for them. "They saved me from the b-bad man and fought off the scary lady."

"Scary lady?"

"Dark Elf, short black hair, bloodthirsty grin." Melissa described Sabel under Alva's confused gaze and watched the Elf Queen's face hardened. "I'm going to assume you know who that is."

"So that's where she went." Aindrea idly said and Adrian rubbed his chin in thought.

"So this entire attack was to get your daughter?"

"It would seem so." Alva said, stroking her daughter's hair in a calming fashion.

"But what for?" Melissa asked with a frown. "I mean, your daughter is very important but what were they expecting? To use her to make you pull out of the war? That wouldn't wor-"

"It would." Alva bluntly said, causing the others in the room to go silent. "Even if it meant leaving the other kingdoms or my own to a hopeless battle against Talien, if it meant Eleanor would be safe then I would do it."

"…"

"…"

"…Oh." Melissa awkwardly got out and rubbed the back of her head uncomfortably with the others sharing the sentiment. Adrian glanced at the soldiers and noticed that they didn't flinch or waver at the fact their queen said she would sacrifice countless for her child, no matter if they were her own. Talk about loyalty.

"No." Eleanor surprised everyone in the room when she spoke up; staring up at her mother with a firm look in her eyes though it turned shy when they turned to look at her. "I-I don't want a-anyone to die for me anymore."

"…I can't promise that sweetie." Alva said with a fond but tired voice and Eleanor shook her head.

"Then…then you can at least try, right? Please?"

"…" Alva smiled and pulled her daughter into a tighter hug, saying something quietly in her ear. Melissa could have picked it up with her enhanced hearing but chose not to seeing it was a personal moment. The happy grin Eleanor sported after the fact said enough. "Eldon."

"Yes?" The king of the Flostenebris stepped forward at her call and Alva stood up, striking a regal form.

"You've done something most with my status would consider trivial but it was not for me. And for that my former promise holds true."

"You mean…"

"Yes, from here on, my army along with myself will fully support the Svartálfar Faction in this war. No matter how it turns out, the Tardálfar army will always be allies with you all."

"T-Thank you Queen Alva!" Eldon, in a very unkingly like manner, kneeled to Alva in gratitude and was quickly lifted back to his feet by said queen.

"You're not my subject Eldon there's no need to kneel. Image how those old bastards would react if they saw this." Alva chuckled and Eldon sheepishly nodded. The others smiled at the scene. They knew Alva's help would be tremendous against Talien and there was even more support in the form of the other Dark Elf rulers. Things were starting to look u-

"Hm?" Adrian felt his communication ring vibrate and rubbed it to see Pierce was calling him. He blankly stared at the ring for a couple seconds before ultimately sighing and picking up (against his better judgment). "What happened?"

"…Why do you think something's wrong?" Pierce said in a slightly low voice and Adrian sighed again.

"Because we just defeated an invading force, got a couple ancient kingdoms as allies and everything seems like it's going to be okay?"

"Oh…then yeah we lost Emma's kingdom and most likely the wall separating Northern and Southern Svartalfheim."

"…"

"…"

"…Sigh."

Back to Pierce

"…I think that went well." I told Vargas as Adrian said they'll talk later before hanging up. I stood outside a large tent, inside was a passed out Maven with Denki and Jade watching over her. The place she originally teleported us was a random plain in Svartalfheim and I had to contact Elijah to have someone collect us.

We were soon found by a couple soldiers and they teleported us to the edges of the Flostenebris Kingdom to enter its neighboring kingdom, the Fraráð Kingdom. Elijah was waiting for us in the temporary camp given to the survivors and we planned to regroup with the others shortly.

"If you say so." Vargas shook his head in amusement and stared at the large number of Dark Elves walking around. All were soldiers since the non combatant citizens were relocated to the major cities and even then, they were being slowly transported to safer areas. "This place is going to be the frontlines of the war now that the wall is destroyed."

"Yeah…" I said solemnly. We learned from the scouts that there was a massive hole on the wall and it looked to be done from the inside, most likely done by Edith's faction. Talien's army was marching here as we speak. "It's going to get messy." Vargas snorted.

"What else is new?"

I smirked at the Spirit Inheritor's words before a commotion in the camp drew my attention. I frowned when I sensed Elijah's aura in the middle and approached to see the advisor arguing with the Flostenebris prince. I got close enough to understand that they were arguing about Eric's leadership over the defending army.

Or his lack thereof.

"Ulf! Arrest this traitor for his blatant disregard for my authority!" Eric yelled at the Dark Elf General while pointing to Elijah but Ulf didn't even spare him a glance, instead commanding his men to assist the Fraráð soldiers in protecting the main road. "Ulf!?"

"I do not follow your orders." Ulf coldly said and the Prince's face grew a bright red.

"I am the First Prince!"

"You were the first prince, right before his majesty took away the privileges associated with the title or are you forgetting that?" Eric shook in rage at Elijah's words and I found myself laughing at the smug smirk the advisor said it with.

"And who are you to laugh!?" Eric turned around, getting close to my face and snarled.

"The name's Pierce and even before you lost your status I still would have laughed at your sorry ass, so back up before you get hurt." I "kindly" suggested with a smile and Eric in a moment of raw stupidity (I sensed it coming a mile away), punched me in the face. I didn't bother dodging and just channeled a bit of Chi to the area he aimed at. I blinked when my Touki didn't even flicker and Eric fell back while holding his fist in pain. 'Wow…that was pathetic' His little sister could punch harder.

"Take the prince to get his hand healed then get him off the battlefield. We don't need him running around." Elijah instructed and two soldiers dragged away an indignant Eric while Ulf left to make more preparations. Emma's advisor turned to me and bowed. "Thank you for not retaliating. Explaining to his majesty why his first child was killed by his savior would have been an unpleasant affair."

"Don't mention it." I waved away his worries and Elijah nodded gratefully. "So what's the plan?"

"Honestly, we need to keep this point until the rest of the armies arrive. We believe Talien will take other routes to the kingdoms but this will be his main path."

Elijah walked to a nearby table and it showed an overview of Svartalfheim. A large continent with many lakes and natural barriers, a large portion of the lower half was marked with the Dökkálfar sigil. A long road cut down the middle and in the way was three kingdoms. The Flostenebris Kingdom, the Fraráð Kingdom, and at the very end of the continent, was the kingdom of the Tardálfar royal family. The road branched out and led to the other kingdoms in the realm as well.

"So it all starts here." I said

"Unfortunately." Elijah sighed and I patted his back. I was about to retreat back to the tent to check on Maven but a Dark Elf walked up to us and requested to speak. "You're permitted."

"My lord, there is a situation at the barracks that General Birger says you'll want to see."

I locked eyes with Elijah and we followed the soldier to the barracks. As we approached a stone building with many soldiers surrounding it, I paused when I felt the aura inside.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me…" Elijah looked at me in confusion and we entered to find Birger patiently standing on the side. "Who had the time save him in that mess?" He saw us and stood up to greet us but my words caused both Dark Elves to pause.

"Who? Who was saved?" Elijah asked and Birger gave a wry smile.

"It'll be easier to show you." We were brought deeper into the barracks by the general and came to a door guarded by multiple Sealing Spells. Waving his hand, the magic circles shifted and the door opened to show a decently lit room with a chair and a single inhabitant. The former highest ranking General of Flostenebris and the elf that was instrumental in its fall, Deublyg Göfugr.

"Birger." Elijah said the tone in his voice colder than when he spoke to Eric. "Explain."

"I came to give information." Deublyg simply said and raised his magically shackled hands. "I mean you no harm."

"All you've done is harm!" Elijah wasn't having any of it and took a step forward. I grabbed him by the shoulder and gave Deublyg an interested look. He wasn't lying.

"What kind of information?"

"I know what Edith's greatest weapon is." That got my attention. While Elijah still wasn't willing to forgive the Dark Elf and told him as much, Deublyg shook his head. "I'm not here to forgiveness. This is purely for the benefit of Flostenebris."

Getting a couple more chairs (though I chose to keep standing) we waited patiently as the former General told us a story. A story of a young boy living his entire life for a single cause, the betterment of his people. He toiled, fought and protected what he cared for and for a very long time, he was content with that. But growing up on the stories of a time where Elven kind reached its peak, a time where Gods and Monsters made way for them, the boy dreamed. Dreamed of how he could be the reason for them to reach that height once more.

Rising through the ranks, the boy found himself in a place that countless admired and envied but he knew better. It was a place of stagnation. He couldn't do more than what his king desired and his king felt no need to improve that stagnation. More time passed and yet, the boy was no closer to fulfilling his dream.

The war changed everything. While war was something many feared, he saw it as a chance for a true ruler to rise and unite all of Elves against a common enemy. When his king came to him and told him his plan to build an alliance with the kingdoms, the boy thought this was it but nothing happened. The kings still chose to lie on their hollow thrones while a vile traitor to his kind ravaged his motherland. The boy had no choice but to watch it and found nothing he did could change the suffer-

"Stop, just stop." I raised my hand and the former general stopped. I rubbed my eyes and sighed. "Look, I think I can speak for everyone here and say we don't care about your misplaced notion of patriotism. Especially that last part, it was frankly hypocritical. We have a day at best before things get hectic so hurry up and get the point." Honestly, saying we had a couple hours was being generous but I was staying hopeful.

"…Very well." Deublyg lowered his hands as he was telling his story with gestures (to both Birger's and Elijah's discomfort) and spoke about the time right before his defection. Edith had approached him for a talk and what she had to talk about stunned the general. "She wanted my help in acquiring the throne of Flostenebris and using the war to gain control of all Svartalfheim."

"A bit ambitious ain't she?" I asked and Deublyg chuckled.

"That was the same thing I said."

"Yet you still helped or else Eldon wouldn't have gone missing." I frowned when he nodded. "Why?"

"Tell me Mr. Pierce, do you know how it feels to have everything you've ever done and accomplished not satisfy you?"

"…Can't say I have."

'Though in his defense, he is pretty young.'

'And easily entertained.'

"I will melt and re smelt both of you." I glared down at my storage ring and Dáinsleif snorted.

'You said that last week, you need new material.'

"As I was saying." Deublyg spoke up, regaining our attention. "I was in a dark place on my standing and that partly influenced my decision but it still wasn't enough for me to jump ship. Edith knew as much and convinced me that she was in possession of a certain weapon. This weapon in the past has changed the course of entire wars and could even affect supernatural armies."

"This sounds ridiculous." Elijah muttered and I internally agreed with the attendant. If such a weapon did exist then it wouldn't end in the hands of a princess like Edith. It sounded like it belonged in the hands of the faction leaders or the Gods. The only thing that came to mind resembling what he described was…

"Hold on." I furrowed my brows and turned to Deublyg. "This weapon, did it have a name? Have you seen it?"

"No, she didn't show it to me but she did allow me to experience its power first hand."

"What happened?"

"It's…difficult to describe." Deublyg said and gained a thoughtful probably to reminisce on the event. "We had a spar and she told me not to hold back. I naturally still did but I found I struggled to throw a proper punch or spell. They would all miss or backfire and kept happening no matter how I went about it. It was like-"

"Like all your years of fighting and battle experience didn't exist." I finished for him and he nodded. I started to pace, my moving form being watched by the other Dark Elves in the room. Everything Deublyg just said, what happened back the castle with Talien and before, they gave me an idea on what the weapon Edith had but I had to be sure. No longer caring about his threat level, I stood in front of the former general and asked if there was anyone else with the princess the day of the spar.

"There was. She brought a female and male attendant which I found odd since I've never seen them before and Edith sent the other guards away but I thought nothing of it." I described the maid I saw earlier today and he made a surprised face. "Yes, that was who with the Princess at the time. You've seen her?"

I didn't answer, nodding to the others and we left the former general in the room. Watching Birger seal the door, Elijah turned to me and asked if I knew what the weapon was.

"I can't say for sure but I have a damn good guess." I said as I remembered how in Issei's era, there was a human who acquired two separate Sacred Gears that originally wasn't his and used them in the Azazel Cup. "Gentlemen, I hate to say this but it seems we're dealing with a Longinus." Both their eyes widened.

"W-Which one?" Elijah asked and I grimaced.

"The most mysterious and bullshit Longinus in existence, Telos Karma."

3 Hours Later, Edge of the Fraráð Kingdom

I stood atop the fortress wall as war horns and shuffling happened behind me. While a far cry compared to the great wall created by the combined kingdoms with its lackluster height and little protection spells, it would suit their current needs.

"That is a lot of Dark Elves." Vargas commented, gripping his Sword of Damocles tightly. "Talien gathered this many in single a year? Christ…"

"Wrong religion." Maven said.

"Oh shut up."

I glanced at the two with a smile as they bantered before refocusing on the approaching army. I couldn't get an exact estimate considering they in tight formation and I didn't want to be bombarded by that many hostile auras at once with Chi Vision, but Elijah said there should at least be 1 to 2 million Dökkálfar soldiers approaching.

"And that's just the Vanguard." Ulf walked up next to us with a squadron. He looked to the thousands of other Dark Elves standing on the wall and frowned. "We're severely outnumbered."

The general wasn't wrong. Even with all the soldiers from both the Flostenebris and Fraráð Kingdoms, the most we had on our side was 100,000 soldiers. Granted, while a great deal of the former's army was heavily impacted in the attack and the latter was busy gathering more soldiers from its other cities, it didn't change that fact the current situation wasn't favorable.

"Then it's good we just need to hold out then huh?" I said and Ulf grimly snorted.

"If we can even do that. 1 to 10 ain't the best odds."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that." I waved my hand at his worries and padded Maven's and Vargas' shoulders. "Don't let his flat face or her droopy hat fool you, these two can easily take on 10,000 each." Vargas' brow twitched and Maven picked at her witch's hat.

"...Is that so?" Ulf wasn't convinced.

"You bet! As for me you ask?"

"I didn't."

"Why I could face these guys myself but I don't want to steal all the limelight so I won't take too many. You're welcome."

"…Your friend is quite odd." Ulf tilted his head and said to the others.

"You have no idea." They both sighed. The general shook his head in amusement and the sea of soldiers parted to allow Elijah through. I quirked a brow when I saw him garbed fully in armor and a sword on his waist.

"Are you sure you want to be on the front lines? I doubt anyone would get mad if you stayed back. You're the highest authority until Eldon gets here after all."

"There's still Birger and Ulf here if I perish. We need every able body to hold the line." Elijah shook his head. Seeing Ulf nod, I shrugged and crossed my arms as the Dökkálfar army marched closer. They soon came close enough that I could clearly see that every enemy soldier was equipped with armor and weaponry of higher grade than what our side possessed. A benefit of their enslavement of the Dwarves.

'So we're outnumbered and outgunned because why not.' I thought as Ulf yelled out and our soldiers raising their shields in preparation for the sudden barrage of spells from the enemy. Magic circles appeared on their shield which morphed together to create a massive magic circle that blocked the attacks. Violent explosions hit the circle, causing intense rumbling but the barrier held. "Here they come…" Not deterred by the failure, the front Dökkálfar charged forward and I formed a large Chi Sword before hurling it at the soldiers.

"Fire!" Numerous spells followed my construct and they hit the charging soldiers head on, killing a number of them. Yet it was like a drop in an ocean as the bodies were run over and I activated Touki as they came within a hundred meters of the wall.

"With me men!" Ulf yelled and raised his sword to the army. "Fight! For your family, for your kingdoms!"

"For Svartalfheim!" I leaped off the wall, creating a crater on landing before running at the enemy with Vargas and Ulf alongside thousands of roaring Dark Elves. The collision of the two armies rang out across the field as steel and bodies clashed.

The first Dark Elf I met, I punched him square in the chest and felt his entire body crumble under the strike before flying backwards. The dead soldier flew with such force that the soldiers behind him fell like dominos. Punching every Dökkálfar soldier I could see (though making sure I didn't hit my allies by accident), my blows instantly turned the soldiers to mash and some were too injured to stand after being flung by the shockwaves.

Leaving a path of carnage and death, Vargas was controlling his side with countless holy attacks and Templar's. Maven rained down her patent elemental magic on the enemy and helped when she saw a section being overrun.

'I should be far enough.' Grabbing a Dökkálfar soldier and flinging him to his comrades, I noticed I was cut off from my side and completely surrounded by the enemy. Summoning Jade, I activated Advent of the Jade Warrior. "Pleistocene Epoch!"

The Dokkalfar soldiers didn't have time to react before a massive orb of green Chi slammed down on them and exploded outward. The blast covered a decent portion of the battlefield and when the dust settled, hundreds of frozen Dark Elves remained.

"You got to commend their bravery. I would have turned tail and ran." I floated high in the air and grinned downwards as the soldiers not frozen over flew up to fight me. "But that could just mean their stupid…Yeah I'm going with that one." Taking out Dáinsleif, I blitzed through the air and sliced any Dark Elf in my way to pieces.

As a rule usually followed in war between supernatural forces, the main force doesn't take to aerial combat if they could avoid it. Unless you're a part of the Three Faction where they all have wings at birth and are trained to fight in the air, most supernatural beings prefer to fight on the ground especially against a stronger opponent (if you're running away then that's another story). Not to mention that formations to conjoin magic spells are much harder to complete when in the air where positions constantly shift.

"Lēpæ Einheri."

"Skarpr Skína."

"Argh!" I quickly closed my eyes as a bright light flooded the area yet when I closed them, the light still blinded me. I was hit with a scorching attack Advent thankfully able to negate the flames and I successfully caught a blade heading for my neck. I opened my bloodshot eyes and glared down at the now visible Dark Elf in grey armor.

"How-" I slashed at his head and he quickly dodged, turning invisible once more.

'I can still sense you dipshit.' I internally snarled but left him alone as I noticed the new arrivals. The Vægher Corps had returned, along with even more members and colors. 'Do they just pick a random color and expect the newest member to paint their armor that color? Talien sure knows how to pick them.'

"Stēna Atseta!" They chanted together and a large barrier engulfed me. I tried to Chi Burst away but the invisible Dark Elf from before attacked me and I had to deflect the strike. The barrier closed and I found myself inside a realm full of nothing but colors. It kind of reminded me of the Dimensional Gap but more orderly.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this." The Green Dark Elf said and hitting his knuckles together charged at me. I effortlessly dodged his barrage of blows and slashed at his unprotected neck. Just as it was about to land, the Black Dark Elf suddenly appeared in front of me and blocked my swing. My eyes widened as I realized he didn't move and actually teleported to do so.

'No, it's not just that.' I tried to overpower the shield wielding Dark Elf like before but he didn't budge.

"Hata Gjósa!" The Red Dark Elf charged at me with her rapier. It glowed and I hurriedly leaned my head to the left as it pierced through my Touki, cleanly cutting off the top portion of my ear.

'She couldn't hit that hard before…' I flew back to get some space but they teleported around me. I parried their attacks the best I could, tanking the blows that weren't too powerful. I used Sword Fury and swept the area but failed to hit anything. They were already on the opposite end of the barrier.

"Not so tough now are you?" The Green Dark Elf said smugly. The sentiment was shared amongst his teammates as they stood relaxed. I rolled my neck and chuckled.

"I remember now why I hated you the most. You were such a bitch the first season they needed to give you another color every new show to keep you relevant. Boy was that a mess."

"…"

"…"

"…What?"

"Nothing." I shook my head and took a deep breath as I gathered the Silver Mana in the surroundings. At this point, for my 1st and 2nd Order Strengthening Spells, I didn't need to create a magic circle and could directly strengthen my Touki with Silver Mana. The Green Dark Elf scuffed when he saw my Touki change color.

"I'm going to end this. What a letdown." He charged up his gauntlets and charged at me with the plan to cave my head in. Dodging, his teammate was ready for my counterattack and teleported in front to take the blow.

Imagine his surprise when the blow never landed. Instead, I quickly stored Dáinsleif and grabbed the top of the shield.

"Arghhhh!" The Black Dark Elf screamed in pain as I wrenched the shield away along with his hands. The Green Dark Elf tried to help and sent a blast of energy from his gauntlets but I Chi Burst away. Storing the shield in my Storage Ring when I couldn't bend it, I expertly dodged the next series of attacks and caught the spear handle of the Blue Dark Elf.

"So you can't teleport when you're being held, good to know." I gleefully said and grabbed his neck. Whatever material the Dwarves used to create their armor wasn't as strong as the Black Dark Elf's shield because it was crushed under my grip (it did require some effort however). I tossed aside his corpse and turned to see the other members of Vægher now keeping their distance, no longer as enthusiastic to face me. "So…whose next?"

I widely grinned when none of them moved.

2 Hours Later

Maven sweated as she matched hundreds of magic spells from the enemy. Willing the elemental forces in the air to her side, the mage obliterated an entire squadron of Dökkálfar soldiers with their own spells. A large smoldering crater was left where hundreds of Dark Elves were prior.

'But it's not enough…' Maven breathed heavily. She looked over the battlefield and saw how the Svartálfar soldiers were slowly losing ground. The number of casualties on the other side was actually much greater than their own, mainly thanks to Vargas and the elite members of both Kingdoms, but…

"We may need to fall back." Elijah as he landed next to her, his armor having a number of large cuts and blood patches. "We're going to be overrun."

Maven bit her lip, looking upwards to see the rainbow bubble Pierce was trapped in. The fact it wasn't taken down yet meant he was probably alive and, most likely, kicking ass. She observed the sea of Dökkálfar soldiers still remaining and steeled her eyes.

"I'll give as much suppressing fire as I can when your men starts retreating. It should give them plenty of time to escape." The mage said and Elijah's eyes widened.

"A-are you sure?"

"Not really…"

"…" Elijah nodded and went to alert the other generals of the plan. Maven stroked the crystal on her neck, fondly staring at it before clenching her fist. She really hoped this worked.

Maven slowly floated upwards, her hands cupping her necklace. Dozens of Magic circles appeared and revolved around her. Her Spiritual Energy spiked and flooded the area. Those with basic knowledge of magic felt the shift and turned to look at her.

"Fall back!" Ulf's command vibrated across the battlefield. The soldier on their side immediately complied and turned to run. The Dökkálfar were surprised at the sudden turn of events before commencing to chase them. A chaotic energy of iridescent colors flowed from Maven's necklace and entered her magic circles. They shimmered and shook as the energy inside peaked and…

"Squalent Abductis De Mundo." A massive blue beam slammed into the Dökkálfar's troops, erupting in a grand explosion. The explosion rocked the entire region and over three thousand soldiers caught in the blast instantly turned to dust (even those who brought up their defenses in time).

The silence was deafening as deep hole remained and the armies slowly turned to look at the flying Maven. The mage equally shocked and turned to stare at the women who suddenly appeared next to her. She was incredibly beautiful, wore battle armor and had a staff.

"Sorry to steal your moment." Alva winked at Maven, causing the mage to stutter and blush, before laughing. "Seems like we're late to the party. How about we liven things up?"

"Yes your Majesty!" Thousands of Dark Elves yelled and lifted their hands to fire a barrage of spells. To the scared stiff troops of the Dökkálfar, every spell hit true and thinned the horde. "Forward!"

They charged with resounding speed, the spells never stopping and the first ones to meet the reinforcements quickly falling under their blades. The initially retreating Svartálfar soldiers gained a second wind and joined the battle with increased vigor. The enemy was being pushed back.

"…Phew." Maven sighed and landed on her feet, swaying slightly. She felt a pair of arms steady her and she looked up to see Melissa smiling at her.

"Sheesh, leave you guys alone for a couple hours and you're brought to the brink of collapse. I'm surprised Mave."

"We did leave her with Pierce."

"…Fair point."

Aindrea, Adrian and Samantha came to their side, Vargas joining them shortly. The Spirit Inheritor didn't look worse for wear. Slightly exhausted but the few patches of blood on his armor he said weren't his own and the occasional cut wasn't serious. Not that it stopped Samantha from giving her significant other a once over to be safe. From the happy smile on his face, Vargas didn't mind.

"Where is Pierce?" Adrian asked, not seeing him anywhere.

"He's in that barrier fighting a group of Dark Elves." Maven said and pointed to the rainbow bubble in the sky. "We should-"

Just as she was about to suggest helping him the barrier dissolved and a number of bodies fell out. Pierce held the limp body of a female Dark Elf in red armor and spit out some blood before tossing it away.

"Finally! God they were annoying! Alright, who else wants-" Pierce abruptly stopped when he noticed the Dökkálfar army was retreating for the hills and the others were staring up at him in a deadpan. "…I missed something good didn't I?"

The deafening roar of the first battle won by the Svartálfar troops echoed across Svartalfheim.