Chapter 9

Celestia Zalduna, a beautiful and captivating Elf woman, but too serious and difficult to approach or engage in conversation with if you're a stranger she doesn't know.

She was born and raised by her loving parents, who granted her every wish. However, she didn't often ask for things from her parents.

Her father was a Marquess, a noble one rank below a Duke, and her mother was a high-level Adamantite adventurer.

According to what she heard from her father, he fell in love at first sight after being saved by her mother from a monster attack, and without much ado, he proposed to her the next day.

Yes, even though her father was a high-ranking noble, titles were useless in front of mindless monsters.

In short, after her parents got married, they lived a peaceful and tranquil life and were blessed with a child, none other than Celestia Zalduna.

However, it didn't last long...

On that day, precisely when Celestia was about 40 years old (40 years and above is still considered a child for Elves), and just as she received a longsword as a birthday gift from her father, a tragedy occurred.

Her mother was said to have died on her mission to the demon continent. According to her mother's surviving friend, she saw Celestia's mother and her other companions surrounded by demons just as she ran away from them.

She didn't actually see what happened because she was too terrified and didn't want to die at that moment, but what she knew for certain was that all of her party members were surely killed in the merciless demon onslaught.

Upon hearing that, Celestia's father was filled with rage. Although he knew he couldn't physically harm the adventurer who delivered such dreadful news, he still unleashed his anger, with his fury overflowing in his heart.

And because her mother's friend knew that he was indeed at fault for abandoning them all due to his selfishness, she allowed the father to continue assaulting her. Even with his face bruised and bloodied, she still let the husband of her friend continue to strike her.

As for Celestia, upon hearing what the person said, she still couldn't believe it and kept pressing them to tell the truth. However, that was indeed the reality—her mother had passed away, leaving behind only her father and beloved child.

Celestia continued to cry, cry, and cry loudly in her father's embrace that day. Hatred, anger, and vengeance—negative emotions filled her heart, all directed towards the demons. She vowed that one day she would personally kill those demons with her own hands.

* * *

Swing!

Swing!

Slash!

The battle between Belial and Celestia had just begun, and at that moment, Belial received another wound on his cheek from the Elven woman's sword technique.

"Is she really the same person as before?" Belial questioned in his mind, perplexed by the rapid increase in the Elf woman's power before him.

However, before he could find an answer to his own question, Celestia attacked him again, continuing her sword technique.

Swing!

Swing!

Thrust!

As the third attack, a thrust, aimed for his chest, Belial quickly leaped and twisted his body backward.

But Celestia didn't stop there.

"Aghh!"

With an angry shout and the green energy intensifying on her sword, she gripped it with both hands and swung it forward, aiming at Belial.

Swiiingg...!!

The attack in the form of a green crescent moon flew directly towards the young man with strength and terror.

"This is bad." Belial knew that the attack coming towards him was not an ordinary one that he could face head-on.

However, it didn't mean that he couldn't do anything about the attack:

"Yes, this is really bad, but... Absorption."

Fwusshh...

The attack was instantly absorbed into the crimson black hole in Belial's palm. Yes, he absorbed the attack and turned it into his own energy.

However, Celestia still didn't stop, even though her breathing became heavy. With her growing anger, she charged at Belial once again. However, this time, her attacks were reckless and haphazard.

Perhaps she became like that due to using abilities that strained her body, and as it appeared, her sanity had also faded.

But...

Swing!

Swing!

Swiiing!

Swiiiing!

Belial easily dodged all the attacks and immediately grasped the Elf woman's head.

"That's enough. It's boring to fight someone who has lost their sanity like you." Belial gripped the Elf woman's face with his right hand. It seemed that he was starting to grow tired of this foolish battle.

"Grrr..." Celestia, whose mind was blank and only filled with the word "Kill" in her head, growled under the young man's grip.

"Sigh... You look like a rabid dog right now." Belial shook his head, not knowing what was going on in the mind of the Elf woman in front of him that made her lose her sanity like this.

"Let's see." Curious, Belial attempted to read the Elf woman's memories using his ability.

Shing...!

Instantly, his hand gripping the Elf woman's head was enveloped in a mysterious blue aura.

"Power of Mind."

This was the ability Belial acquired from consuming and absorbing the renowned Demon King Adimen, known for his power of brainwashing and manipulation.

If this power were possessed by someone vile, they would undoubtedly brainwash any women they encountered and command them to serve them for a lifetime. And yes... That was what Demon King Adimen did to the female demons in Gehenna.

However, Belial didn't care about that. It was up to the demon to use their power however they pleased. Besides, the female demons who became his sex slaves looked repulsive and terrifying.

* * *

Queen Dotorea was currently shocked, confused, and terrified by what she saw in front of her. Yes, she had arrived at the location where her knights were supposed to be in danger according to her assassin. And indeed, what she saw before her was enough to confirm the information provided by her assassin. She witnessed all the knights from her kingdom lying on the ground—some unconscious, some groaning in pain while clutching their stomachs or chests. Her knights appeared battered and bleeding.

Not only that, there was one more thing she saw, and it was the human mentioned by her previous assassin. The human was currently standing, holding a blood-red sword. And what shocked her the most was what the human held in their other hand.

They were gripping the head of one of her knights. Although Queen Dotorea couldn't see the face of the person being held, she knew who it was just by looking at their hair color.

"That... That's Celestia Zalduna!"

She certainly recognized Celestia because the girl's father often brought her to the palace during meetings with the nobles. Queen Dotorea saw potential in the girl and immediately requested her father to make her one of the kingdom's knights.

Yes, her father and the Queen were that close (as friends) to the extent that the Queen dared to ask her daughter to become a knight of the Queen. So, since her father didn't feel comfortable rejecting her friend's request, he agreed but with the condition that the Queen promised to watch over and protect her daughter well.

The Queen agreed as well, but it seemed like... that promise had been shattered due to this incident.

"All of you! Attack that human!"

Queen Dotorea suddenly became filled with rage, recalling all of this. Especially seeing her knights being harmed like that, she couldn't accept it and immediately ordered the group of Adventurers, Knights, and Magic Casters to attack the human in front of her.

"Yeah!"

All of them, especially the Elf race Knights and Magic Casters, felt the same as what the Queen felt, and they began to attack with their strongest abilities.

On the other side, Belial, who had regained his consciousness, was shocked by the sight of all of them attempting to attack him.

"Stop, or I'll break her neck."

He immediately turned Celestia's body around to face forward and firmly held the Elf woman's head with both hands.

Silence...

They all stood still, instantly angered by what Belial was doing, but they didn't take any action and remained in their positions. Judging from the expression on the young man's face, they knew he wasn't joking with his threat.

"Ugh... What do you want...?"

Queen Dotorea felt the same as everyone else, but like them, she couldn't do anything. If she ordered her assassin to secretly attack the young man, Celestia might also die. So she couldn't take that action, which would be extremely dangerous for Celestia.

In response to the Elf's question, who seemed regal, Belial said, "Get me out of this damn forest. If you do that, I will release this woman."

"Fine, if that's what you want. But before that, let go of the woman first." Queen Dotorea tried to outsmart the human.

However...

"Do you think I'm that stupid? You're probably planning not to let me out of this forest and instead kill me after I release this woman, right?"

"..." The young man accurately guessed her plan.

"Tch, in that case, the negotiation is off." Belial began to move his hands, ready to break Celestia's neck.