On the church's side, bells were ringing, and preparations for war continued.
White armor was being donned, spells were being prepared.
And of course, Uriel stood at the forefront of all preparations. This war was vital for the Church to erase the Radiant Side of the world. He had obtained permission for war with great difficulty.
"How are the preparations going?"
"A great army has been gathered, my lord. Powerful swordmasters are arriving from all corners of the world."
"Good. This will be our rise. We will win for the God of War."
(Uriel did not believe in gods. It was commonly believed that the source of holy power was faith, but holy power came from the world itself, not from gods. You were either born with holy power, or you were not.)
"What is the current strength of our army?"
"We have more than fifty thousand soldiers, my lord. Primarily mage units."
"Summon Mael."
"Yes, my lord."
Mael arrived.
"Mael, since I will be the one opening the gate to the elf realm, you will lead the armies. I trust you."
Mael simply nodded.
---
Meanwhile, on the elf side…
Elves from all corners of the world were gathering. Elves were not a warrior society, but those who had left the realm and lived in the outside world were extremely powerful. They had seen blood. They had seen war.
Aeltharion continued the war preparations. Sacred weapons sent by Yggdrasil were being distributed among the people, while elves summoned from the outside world taught them how to fight.
Among those elves from the world was one whose power dazzled the eye—perhaps even stronger than Asmodeus himself.
Aerolas.
---
A violent wind filled the hall where Aeltharion stood.
The doors slammed open.
"MY KING! WE CANNOT WIN THIS WAR!"
The elves in the hall flinched.
Leaves falling from Yggdrasil froze in midair.
Aeltharion slowly turned.
His gaze was sharp, yet calm.
"What did you see, Aerolas?" he asked.
Aerolas's breath was uneven.
His armor was covered in dust, and for the first time, there was fear in his eyes.
"The church army… it's far larger than we anticipated," he said.
"This is not a campaign. It's a purge."
Whispers spread among the elves.
"The mage units outnumber us," Aerolas continued.
"They are forming holy circles. When the gate opens, it won't be only soldiers who come…"
He paused.
"Light will rain down upon the realm."
Silence fell.
Aeltharion struck his staff against the ground.
"With Yggdrasil here—"
Aerolas cut him off.
"Yggdrasil can be protected, yes," he said sharply.
"BUT it is the target."
The elves raised their heads.
"The church is not coming to cut down the tree," Aerolas said.
"They are coming for its roots."
Those words tore through the air of the hall.
---
Aeltharion took a deep breath.
"And the people?" he asked.
"Can they endure?"
Aerolas lowered his head.
"Elves are not warriors," he said.
"We protect nature… but this war is against nature itself."
Then he lifted his gaze.
"If not for the elves who have seen the world," he said,
"we would fall on the first day."
He hesitated.
"And if not for that boy…"
Aeltharion's eyes sharpened.
"Asmodeus," he whispered.
---
At that moment, the hall doors opened again.
Purple mana silently seeped inside.
Asmodeus entered the hall.
Aeris followed close behind.
Aerolas's eyes gleamed.
"So the prophecy was true," he said.
"This power…"
Asmodeus looked at Aerolas.
"You summoned me," he said calmly.
"Tell me what we will lose."
Aerolas stepped forward.
"If this war begins," he said,
"the elf realm will not survive."
Then his voice hardened.
"But we can save you, Asmodeus."
The hall fell silent.
---
Aeltharion spoke slowly.
"Five days," he said.
"We have seven days until the church opens the gate."
Asmodeus clenched his fist.
"Five days is enough," he said.
"As long as everyone knows what they are fighting for."
Deep down, he knew they could not win.
Unbeknownst to Asmodeus, Aeris carried an enchanted device that would teleport both herself and Asmodeus back to the academy if the battle was lost. That was why she remained calm.
Aerolas was uneasy.
For the first time.
"Then," he said,
"the elves will defend not only nature…"
"…but fate itself."
---
Far away, the church bells continued to ring.
And this time…
The elf realm would not flee.
Five days remained.
For the elves, that time stretched like a lifetime.
Under Yggdrasil's shadow, time bent, and nights were shrouded in heavy mist. The ancient tree's leaves trembled not only with the wind, but with the approaching danger. A deep rumble rose from its roots, echoing through the heart of the forest.
For the first time in the elf realm, horns sounded instead of bells.
The sound was unnatural.
But necessary.
---
Young elves drew their bows with trembling hands.
Their fingers were unfamiliar with bowstrings, but their eyes were resolute.
Elves from the outside world stood behind them, barking harsh commands.
"Don't break your stance."
"Don't hold your breath."
"Don't think about running."
These words did not belong to elf tradition.
But now, they did.
---
Aeltharion stood on the terrace closest to Yggdrasil, gripping his staff tightly.
"Five days…" he murmured.
Aerolas approached quietly.
"Yggdrasil has already begun to awaken," he said.
"Its leaves are darkening. This is not a defensive reaction."
Aeltharion closed his eyes.
"It is preparation," he said.
---
Asmodeus stood alone at the edge of the forest.
His purple mana was no longer concealed.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Aeris watched him.
"The elves are afraid of you," she said.
Asmodeus did not turn.
"They should be."
Aeris stepped closer.
"And you?"
Asmodeus paused.
"I," he said,
"am afraid of myself."
Purple light flared in his eyes, then receded.
---
On the church's side…
Uriel knelt at the center of the sacred hall.
But this was not a prayer.
He pressed his hands to the floor.
The holy symbols carved into the stone filled with blood.
"World," he whispered,
"I call upon you."
The mages stepped back.
"The gate will open on the fifth day," Uriel said as he rose.
"No matter what."
Mael remained silent.
But his eyes never left the point where the gate would open.
---
The second day passed.
The first wounded appeared in the elf realm.
Those who fell during sword training, those burned during spell practice…
For the first time, elves became acquainted with pain.
But no one retreated.
---
The third day.
A branch of Yggdrasil broke.
No one had touched it.
Aeltharion knelt.
"This is a warning," he said.
"The balance is being strained."
Asmodeus stood before the fallen branch.
Aeltharion raised his head.
"Not yet."
---
The fourth day.
The church army reached the borders of the elf realm.
The land darkened.
The sky grew silent.
Uriel raised his staff.
"Tomorrow," he said.
"The world will change."
---
The fifth day approached.
Elves slept with their weapons.
Aeris never released her sword.
Asmodeus did not close his eyes.
And Yggdrasil…
Though unable to intervene, prayed for the elves to win.
---
The fifth day.
Dawn rose over the elf realm with blood-red light.
Yggdrasil's leaves had completely darkened.
Its roots stirred deep below, yet the ancient tree still could not intervene.
It only watched.
And prayed.
Elf ranks were formed.
Disordered.
Incomplete.
Weak.
But they did not flee.
Young elves looked upon the battlefield for the first time.
There was fear.
But there was no escape.
Aeltharion planted his staff into the ground.
"Today," he said in a low voice,
"elves will learn not how to die, but how to live."
---
At the forest's edge, the air.
Holy circles formed.
Light seeped down from the sky.
White-armored armies appeared.
Uriel stepped to the front of his forces.
He raised his staff.
"Elven realm," he said,
"you will be purified."
Mages raised their chants.
Mana thickened.
The earth groaned.
---
Within the elf ranks, Aerolas stepped forward.
Green mana wrapped around his body.
"Be ready," he said.
"The moment the first light falls—"
He did not finish.
The guardians of the elf realm had been completely annihilated.
---
Asmodeus stood at the rear.
Purple mana screamed around him.
He took a step forward.
The earth recognized him.
Aeris held her breath.
"Now?" she whispered.
Asmodeus did not answer.
---
Uriel lowered his staff.
The spell circles flared.
The sky was about to split.
Elves drew their bows.
Mages raised their hands.
The world held its breath.
And at that moment—
Everything stopped.
The light did not fall.
The arrows were not released.
The mana did not discharge.
The war was about to begin.