Chapter 5

Belial is currently still on his journey through the Great Forest of Megálos. So far, he hasn't found anything interesting, only unique flora and fauna along the way.

At that moment, he realized something was wrong, and he instantly stood still, gazing up at the sky covered by the dense canopy of trees.

"... I have the Power of Sky, why am I walking?"

He was truly foolish. He had forgotten something as simple as this, or maybe it was because he had stopped using that ability, whether in Gehenna or in this world. Yeah, that must be it.

"Damn it...!"

'Power of Sky.'

It was an ability Belial acquired from devouring the Demon King Bahamut. This ability allowed him to sprout a pair of demonic wings from his back, and with those wings, he could freely soar through the vast and high sky. The limits of this ability depended on Belial's energy, Demonic Energy, which had now transformed into Mana Energy.

He named it "Mana Energy" to make it sound cool.

"This must be because of devouring millions of demons, my intelligence has dulled. Yeah, that's it! Damn those demons, their cells must be trying to merge with my brain cells!"

He was just making excuses, it couldn't possibly happen. Belial only devoured them with his Absorption, he didn't literally swallow and digest them, so it was impossible for their brain cells to merge with his.

And if he thought about it again, he was now in a different body, so how could that impossible thing happen? Belial was just trying to justify himself to avoid looking foolish. And who was he even trying to show it to? He was all alone in this vast forest.

"Haish... Damn those damn demons."

This young man still refused to admit his foolishness.

"Alright, don't think about it anymore, let's just focus on getting out of this damn forest."

He became serious, his legs positioned like he was about to leap. The young man, Belial, exclaimed in his mind:

'Power of Sky + Power of Acceleration.'

Swish...

A pair of dark wings resembling bats emerged from his back, transforming his appearance into that of a humanoid demon, enhanced by his red eyes.

Brakk!!

He leaped incredibly high with a slightly terrifying force, causing the ground beneath him to crack in a spiderweb pattern.

At the height, the strong wind swept through, tousling his hair and accentuating the handsome face of the young man who was currently sporting a small smile.

"This is truly beautiful..."

Belial enjoyed the view of the vast forest stretching around him. There was also a wide expanse of grassland surrounding the large forest, as well as lakes and rivers flowing through its lands. And there was one thing that surprised the young man:

"That... That tree is freaking huge!"

Yes, he saw a giant tree, like the ones in fairy tales. The tree was incredibly massive, even piercing through the clouds.

In comparison, the tallest buildings or towers on Earth would pale in height and grandeur compared to that tree.

And the super-duper-gigantic tree was located right in the middle of this vast forest. It turned out that during his journey, Belial had only reached about one-fifth of this forest.

"I admit, I was indeed foolish for not using this ability earlier."

Finally, the young man acknowledged his slight foolishness.

Kwakk!!

Suddenly, a bird the size of a small child flew in front of him. The bird had a quite unique appearance, with red feathers, a large and long beak, legs like a stork, and a tail like a peacock. Yep, truly a fantasy bird.

However...

Swing!

"This is truly a fantasy world. Even the birds are incredibly fantastical."

It was such a pity for the fate of the bird that flew in front of the young man. Despite its relatively large size, it was instantly killed with a single swing using Belial's Power of Sword, and now it would become his meal:

"Absorption."

Fwuph...

A reddish-black hole from Belial's Absorption appeared in the palm of his hand and instantly swallowed the strange bird, which was already in Belial's grasp.

"No changes."

Well, actually, he did feel a change, but as usual, because it was as tiny as a speck of dust, he didn't consider it a significant change.

He pondered for a moment before shouting loudly:

"Freedom, I'm coming!"

At an incredibly high speed surpassing the speed of sound, Belial flew straight in the opposite direction of the massive tree in the middle of the forest.

From his ecstatic smiling face, it was evident that he couldn't wait to see the outside world. And without realizing it, he uttered a word in English.

The ecstatic-looking young man continued flying straight at an extremely high speed, utilizing the Power of Sky combined with the Power of Acceleration. Unbeknownst to him, something transparent appeared in front of him.

"Eh?"

Plak!!

In the end, Belial crashed into the transparent "wall," and he lost consciousness due to the strong impact on his head. He fell back into the depths of the Megálos Forest.

* * *

"Yggdrasil."

Yggdrasil is the World Tree that stands tall in the middle of the Megálos Forest. With deep roots and branches that reach towards the sky, the life energy flowing through this tree grants power and blessings to the surrounding nature.

Under the shade of this majestic tree lies a kingdom that has stood for hundreds of millions of years, known as the Glorieux Kingdom. This kingdom bears witness to the power and life that emanates from Yggdrasil, making it a spiritual center and a force that influences the fate of the kingdom and its people.

The Glorieux Kingdom is led by a wise and peace-loving Elf queen. This queen is highly respected and valued by her subjects for her leadership that prioritizes wisdom and justice. She is known as a figure who can govern with gentleness and wisdom, setting her apart from the previous queens.

The beauty of this Elf queen is truly captivating. Her golden hair cascades elegantly, her naturally red lips resemble cherries, her long and enchanting eyelashes, and her eyes radiate emerald green light. All of this is complemented by her caring nature and a heart full of love.

The Wise Elf Queen: Glorieux eta Dotorea, that is the queen's full name. This name reflects the wisdom and splendor that emanates from her. As a wise leader, she strives to maintain a balance between the kingdom and the mystical power flowing from Yggdrasil, allowing her realm to prosper and thrive under the legendary tree's protection.

And within the kingdom, there is currently an Elf woman whose face is the only visible part of her. Her body is protected by a complete suit of armor, covering everything from her chest to her legs, all adorned with silver armor with green patterns. This Elf woman is incredibly beautiful, but an air of unapproachability emanates from her serious and reluctant-to-be-disturbed expression.

She is a knight of the kingdom.

The woman is heading towards a certain place. Although she has other matters to attend to, due to this special summons, she is obliged to confront it and make her way to the gathering place of the knights.

"...!"

'What's going on? Why are almost half of the knights summoned to gather like this?'

Upon arriving at the designated location, she was slightly surprised to see many of her fellow knights gathered there.

"Oh, Celes, you're here too."

The name of the female Elf knight is Celestia Zalduna, as mentioned by her friend when they saw her and called out to her upon her arrival.

Her friend calls her Celes because they have been close since childhood.

"Yes. So, what's actually happening?"

Celestia is curious about the current situation, where almost half of the knights have been called to gather, so she decides to ask her friend.

Her friend, Isolde, also an Elf female knight like Celestia (yes, because only Elves exist in this kingdom), shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't know either, but it seems to be a serious matter. Just look, almost half of the knights have gathered here. Let's wait for a serious announcement from the queen."

Isolde is right, they still don't know what the issue is, and the queen who requested their gathering has not yet arrived.

"Hmm."

Celestia simply nods while touching her chin, trying to think about the possible serious problem.

'This woman can never relax, can she?'

Isolde looks at her friend who appears serious, smiles wryly, and can only sigh. Celestia has always been like that, her serious demeanor never fades since childhood.

The two of them are childhood friends. However, they don't have any special relationship; they are just true friends since childhood.

...

Honk!! Honk!!

Suddenly, the sound of trumpets echoes through the air. The knights, who are currently in the palace courtyard, immediately direct their gaze towards the palace. The resounding trumpet sound is coming from atop the royal palace, where their queen resides.

The trumpet sound signifies the arrival of their queen. Usually, the queen would appear on the palace balcony, just like any other king and queen.

Ever since their queen ascended the throne, their culture has become similar to that of humans. However, the difference lies in the trumpets they use, which are made from Dragon horns.

All the knights, including Celestia and Isolde, quickly kneel in respect as they hear the resounding trumpet sound, welcoming the arrival of their queen.

On the other side, the doors to the palace balcony open, accompanied by her two personal guards. The Elf queen, The Wise Elf Queen: Glorieux eta Dotorea, steps out from the rather large door by standard measure.

Radiating an aura of wisdom, Her Majesty Dotorea walks to the edge of the balcony.

"Your Majesty."

The knights immediately bow their heads with utmost respect as they see the majestic figure standing above them. In their eyes, their queen is an extraordinary and wise figure, her wisdom shining like a bright light.

And with the use of amplification magic on a small disc-shaped Magic Crystal, Her Majesty Dotorea begins to speak with a voice full of grandeur, honor, and elegance that reverberates throughout the entire palace:

"Oh, knights of my kingdom, I have gathered you all here because there is an issue detected with the protective magic of our forest." Her voice fills the room with a majestic presence.

The knights, including the highly curious Celestia, become puzzled when their queen informs them that there is a problem with the protective magic of their kingdom.

Celestia thinks, "Yes, this is a very serious problem," recalling the importance of the protective magic.

The magic in question is a Tier 10 Magic known as the Absolute Divine Protector. It is said that hundreds of millions of years ago, the ancestors of the Elves activated this magic to protect their race from threats and isolate them from the outside world, especially from the Demon race.

The magic possesses incredible power and is almost impenetrable. Even the Arch Demon, considered the strongest demon at that time, could not breach this absolute protection.

However, Celestia's thoughts become chaotic and panicked when she realizes that this absolute protector is facing issues. The same feeling is shared by Isolde and the other knights gathered at the location.

They begin to feel worried and think irrationally, connecting this problem to the possibility of the resurgence of the Demon God from a hundred million years ago seeking revenge against the Elf race.

Their thoughts oscillate between panic and confusion, ultimately linking the issue to the existence of the Demon God.

(A: You're mistaken, the Demon God only exists in Gehenna, hahaha. However, in this world, who knows...).

Observing the expressions of confusion and panic on the faces of the knights (as they were not wearing their Helm Armor), Her Majesty Dotorea blinked with a touch of bitterness, yet maintained her enchanting beauty and aura of wisdom.

Her Majesty Dotorea continued her speech:

"Be calm, my knights. This issue is not as significant as you imagine, and it has no connection to the resurrection of the Demon God or anything of the sort." As if aware of the thoughts crossing the knights' minds, Dotorea smiled gracefully. "It is merely a small crack in our protective magic, posing no danger to us. This issue can be resolved by utilizing The Wood of Life left by our ancestors. So, calm yourselves, my brave warriors."

"Oh, long live Her Majesty Dotorea!"

Upon hearing Her Majesty's words, the knights began to feel at ease and praised their queen, cheering and calling out her name.

However, Celestia and Isolde did not join in the cheers like the others. They simply praised their Majesties from the deepest corners of their hearts, filled with utmost respect and sincerity.

'The Wood of Life.'

It is a leaf-shaped carving made from the wood of the World Tree, Yggdrasil. The sculpture is a Mythical Item that holds an abundance of Tier 10 Magic: Absolute Divine Protector. For hundreds of millions of years, the item has been passed down from generation to generation.

Currently, the Mythical Item rests in the hands of the queen standing on the palace balcony, with a wise smile. She is The Wise Elf Queen: Glorieux eta Dotorea.

None of them, whether it be the knights, Celestia, or Queen Dotorea, are aware that the problem they refer to is caused by one person, none other than Belial, who is currently unconscious with a slight bloodstain on his head.