Chapter 119

“Hey? Answer me.”

Palas ignored Eremai, who was staring at him with a confrontational look, and examined Atira.

In his eyes, there lingered a trace of anger that almost lost precious kin due to a slight difference.

“Atira. Why are you here?”

“…I’m here to help. You can see that, right? Demis, Elmony, and the Forest Guardians all came as well. A High Elf like me can’t just stay in a safe place alone.”

“Even though you don’t know how to fight properly. In a place this dangerous…”

“Even if I can’t fight, I can heal the injured children.”

Atira bit her lip tightly.

Palas didn’t miss the sight of elves who had already become corpses at the end of his gaze.

Instant death.

No matter how excellent Atira’s healing magic was, she couldn’t bring back the dead.

“Anyway, step back. I will handle this.”

“But…”

“I won’t tell you to go back. Still, you shouldn’t be exposed to danger when you have no fighting power.”

He then turned his back to Atira and faced the giant.

Palas’s eyes quietly burned with anger as he looked at the colossal sword that loomed over him like a tree.

Blood stained the sword.

If they hadn’t fought among themselves, that blood must definitely belong to the elves.

As if to prove that, there were three horrifically slain Forest Guardians near Atira.

When Palas looked at him, Eremai spoke again.

“Are you acquainted with Araya?”

“She’s my sister.”

Eremai whistled at those words.

“The woman behind you too?”

“…”

“Guess so.”

Eremai let out a ruthless laugh.

“Good to know. I thought being her brother you’d be a monster like that girl. Luckily, you seem different.”

“Do you know Araya?”

“Of course. I’m the kind of person who thinks of her dozens of times a day.”

‘…It’s a grudge.’

Palas felt an indescribable emotion and anger in Eremai’s eyes.

“I don’t think you have the ability to meet Araya and live.”

“…Surely, blood ties are blood ties? Annoyingly good-looking and rude. Very much alike.”

“Atira.”

As Palas quietly urged, Atira nodded and disappeared into the forest.

“It’s a bit regrettable. I wonder what kind of expression that girl would have made if I had just killed her.”

“That won’t happen.”

An aura surged from Palas’s body as he quietly took a stance.

“I don’t know the reason, but I realized you are a dangerous being for my family. I will exclude you.”

“…You also use strange powers like that girl.”

Eremai’s expression turned serious.

After both held their breaths.

Boom—!

A tremendous sound resonated.

“…What the hell.”

An elf’s small fist crushing even the city wall swung by the giant.

Though they collided, it was Eremai who was pushed back significantly.

Palas also took about five steps back, but given his size, it was evident that Eremai was fundamentally more pushed back.

Palas and Eremai frowned without exception.

As if they hadn’t expected to be pushed back even slightly in a contest of strength.

“Ah— surely not an ordinary guy, huh?”

In an instant, Eremai’s feet grew swift.

It wasn’t head-on.

But the sword dug into the ground, sweeping up, then swung towards Palas.

The soil, stirred from the deep earth, created a cloud of dust that obscured the view.

Then, shifting his steps, he swung the great sword towards Palas’s direction.

“Even if you close your eyes, your presence is too clear.”

“Puh-ck—!”

Eremai staggered and quickly stepped back.

“…Guh.”

He touched his right rib area.

There were no traces on the leather armor he wore on top.

Yet inside his ribcage and intestines, something throbbed.

He felt something starting to ooze from his mouth, and it was blood.

“Damn,” Eremai muttered under his breath.

“You’re sturdy. I meant to kill you.”

“…What the hell do you little pointy ears eat?”

Even being so small.

He spat out blood alongside saliva and steadied his posture again.

“Ever since I left the village, nothing good has come my way.”

“…What a coincidence. The same goes for me.”

“Oh really? Maybe we have a bit of a connection?”

“That is absolutely not the case.”

Palas moved.

As if he were leaping through space.

Though he had been wide awake, he was suddenly in Eremai’s face.

Startled, Eremai pulled back the sword he was holding and laid its blade flat to block his face.

Bam—!

“Kak—!”

The massive force of the struck blade directly covered Eremai’s face.

When the distance widened, this time a metallic taste came from his nose.

“There’s absolutely no connection between our minds.”

As Eremai fought to keep his balance, he did not miss the sight of the dead elves.

His nose bled from both sides, and though he looked grotesque, he smiled as if he understood Palas.

“Yeah, really. If there was something we had in common, it would only be the desire to eat each other, right?”

As Eremai gritted his teeth, his muscles tensed.

Boom—!

Even a simple leap shook the ground.

The speed of a titan’s massive body was hard to believe.

A sword swung with full force.

It sliced through the air like it was immune to atmospheric resistance.

The space where the sword passed was swept away as though it simply vanished.

“Huff—huff!”

Eremai, gasping for breath, felt his body turning red like Terato.

In the sweltering air, Eremai became a small storm pressing upon Palas.

“…Damn that eye.”

Even just passing it once would crush a body made of flesh and bone with the force of the storm at its center.

Yet Palas’s green eyes remained calm.

As serene as the waters of a clear lake on a summer day.

There was no fear at all.

‘Like that girl, Araya.’

The look as if he wasn’t even worthy of being a fighting opponent.

“Raaah—!”

With the last breath drawn from his lungs, he swung with all his might.

The force was so powerful that even the trees that didn’t touch the sword were entirely cut down by the aftermath.

Eremai likely thought it was the best slash he had ever made in his life.

But no matter how powerful the strike was, it had to land to mean something.

Palas, glancing at Eremai’s slash, dodged it as he had at the start, slipping away like an eel.

“Huff—huff.”

Seeing Palas retreat, Eremai gasped for air heavily.

The pain was like lightning clouds wracking his lungs.

“…Damn.”

On this side, he was squeezing out every ounce of strength to attack, while on the other, it remained as effortless as before.

‘…Did I touch something I shouldn’t have?’

As he regretted that, he simply laughed.

‘Damn. Can I live my entire life suppressing this? I know that because I’m weak, I won’t be able to take revenge on Araya directly. But at least I have some scrap of a chance here, right?’

If only he could at least kill that girl who fled earlier.

Eremai cast a sidelong glance at the place where Atira had disappeared.

‘…Well, it’s too late anyway.’

Since he started fighting this handsome elf that resembled Araya, the elf presence he had faintly sensed nearby completely vanished.

As if he could handle something like himself alone.

Whatever kind of elf this was, it seemed to be an elf trusted quite a lot by the other elves.

‘Well, since you said you were Araya’s brother, it’s only natural that you’re no ordinary one. So, what now?’

“If you just keep dodging like that, do you think you can beat me? Come fight me properly.”

Eremai provoked as he contemplated his next move.

“Did it look like that?”

The initial anger was gone, and as he looked at Palas with a calm gaze, Eremai swallowed.

‘…Damn, he really is good-looking. All the other titans look like they’re carved from boulders.’

“Of course. Cowardly little bastard. If you’re tough, come at me.”

Eremai now held the sword firmly, smiling combatantly.

It was a hunch.

He didn’t think the provocation would work.

But something colossal seemed to looming upon him.

“I remember.”

Yet Palas unexpectedly spoke something out of the blue.

“A giant who lost comrades against Araya in front of the castle.”

“…Ha. It’s an honor that you remember poor Titan. You were there, weren’t you?”

“Is seeking revenge against the elves and my brother’s threats your motive?”

“…It’s a revenge of sorts, but my father also has some unnecessary greed.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“I think so too. There hasn’t been anything noteworthy in the last hundred years.”

The air around them shifted.

Eremai felt a shiver run down his spine in an instant.

Despite no change in appearance, he merely assumed a strange posture.

Palas’s body was suddenly by Eremai’s solar plexus.

Palas’s outstretched fist touched Eremai’s solar plexus.

A small palm compared to his gigantic body.

Wham—!

Without a sound, the vortex of immense power swept through the forest.

◈ ◈ ◈

“Huff—huff.”

Palas gazed at the giant lying on the ground, coughing up blood.

Even if his insides had turned to mush, there was tremendous vitality.

That said, the breath wouldn’t last long.

“…If this… exists… then… why didn’t you… say so from the start…”

“Being immovable is an important lesson. If you can’t control your mind, you can’t wield power properly.”

“What… is… that…?”

The giant laughed, choking on his blood.

“Ah… how ridiculously… empty…”

The despondent giant looked up at the sky, then glanced at his own face, asking,

“Hey.”

“What is it?”

“Are you… a man? …or a woman?”

“…Have you lost your mind now that it’s time to die?”

“Hurry.”

After frowning for a moment, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to entertain the nonsense of someone about to die.

“Man.”

“Oh…”

The giant muttered, ‘It’s a relief, but also a bit disappointing.’

What is there to be relieved about?

But soon the giant seemed to lose interest in himself and stared blankly at the sky.

He could feel life gradually slipping away from his body.

“Beryl… that bastard… I need to… kill him…”

With those final words, the light faded from the giant’s eyes.

Palas, witnessing the cold words of a dying giant, turned quietly and left with a calm face devoid of pain or sorrow.

Around him, the sounds of the giant’s cries and the presence of elves could be sensed everywhere.

He had to move. He didn’t want to be an incompetent bystander.

As a gentle breeze blew, Palas vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the giant’s corpse in the devastated center of the forest.

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