"Why now? Why this timing?"

I speak my thoughts out loud in a blind hope that someone, anyone, would answer my confusion. However, no answer came, not even the voiceless whisper of the [Demonic Tree] that I am bound to can give me an answer.

It had been a full day since Cecilia and the rest had set off, and during that time, I've been wandering the forest. Of course, my body is still bound to the tree, but having seen what all I could from Zero's memories, I had been unable to dream for these past three days. And so, unable to dream, yet unable to wake, I wander the forest as a phantom.

Having the time limit of roughly an hour to remain awake, I hesitate to have the tree force the connection between me and my body. I need all the time I can get for what is to come. Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. The Beastkins will take care of the situation here. In fact, I'm sure some of them are on their way right this instance. I'll leave this to them.

I return to the vicinity of the tree, there, my body, my avatar, Aurelius, sleeps. Beside him, sitting on a protruding root and staring emptily towards the sky, is a girl with a pair of spiraling horns, the Purifier. As always, her eyes are glazed and unfocused, as if starring into a dream. It has been said that she has no will of her own, merely a tool in humanoid form. That's what they say, anyways. Yet, there are times when she exhibits something akin to whims, wandering here and there seemingly without rhyme or reason. Then, there are the times when she would speak. 'End the cycles,' she said to me on two occasions. Where those her own words, or a message from someone else?

Leaving my thoughts in the back of my head, I turn towards the hurried gait approaching the throne room. More likely than not, it's a Beastkin messenger coming to report what was found near the entrance.

Since my body remains asleep, a fairy instead took the report in my stead. Upon being asked what to do, the silent voices of the World Devourer ask me the very same.

"Just have them take her to one of the empty rooms."

Still, I wonder what happened. What could possibly possess her to come all the way here? She shouldn't know the truth of the [Corruption], so why come here of all places? What in the world is she thinking, this princess? And what happened to Merida? Why isn't she with her?

Something must have happened, something terrible most likely. If she weren't found unconscious by the gates, I would like to question her myself. Then again, due to the [Corruption], I doubt she is going to understand me. It's going to take some time before the World Devourer's [Corruption] to overwrite that of the Holy Beast's.

Right now, I best focus on the task at hand. I'm taking a rather substantial gamble here, so I'm hoping that it all works out. If not, well, I suppose that I'm screwed.

***

Without warning, another guest appears before me. She came from above, from the sky, and with her giant white wings outstretched, she descended right in front of me accompanied by a whirlwind.

This is the first time we've met directly, but just from her powerful entrance and her dignified demeanor, I think I'd know who she is.

"You must be the Grand Keeper."

The blue eyes that were zoned in on the Purifier promptly turn towards me, scrutinizing every tiny detail that can be seen. I'm not entirely certain, but is she using the [Insight] skill on me?

"You are one of the Champions, the one who landed in the Beastkins' territory."

"The name's Aurelius."

"I have no care for what you call yourself. I am here only for one thing, the thing that had been stolen by the Keeper of the Beastkins and has been entrusted to you."

'The Purifier."

"Indeed."

Around the throne room, from the ground floor and the partially collapsed floors above, the elves are gathering, and amongst the leaves of the [Demonic Tree], fairies can be seen in flocks.

With these numbers, do I stand a chance? This is Seven we're talking about after all. The one who is capable of holding back an army and forced them to find another way around her. Then again, that was in the other world. In Elgardia, things are different, everything works differently here, so maybe that applies to psionics as well.

"Rest assured that I have no intention of using it against you. I plan to purify the remainders of the Keepers. I know it's not convincing after having killed the Keeper of the Faefolks, but believe me when I say that I had no idea what was going on back then. I was tricked, you could even say. However, having met with Oro and Corona, I now understand the situation and am fully willing to cooperate so long as you promise to get us all home."

"I will say this only once. Hand over the Purifier. Do not make me take 'it'."

As if what I just said had fallen upon some very deaf ears, the Grand Keeper, Seven, makes no attempt to respond or even comment on what was said. In fact, the look she is giving me seems to be akin to the look one would give to a fly buzzing about. Does she have no intention of hearing me out? Is diplomacy out of the window already?

"Maybe there's a misunderstanding here, but as I was saying before, I am perfectly willing to cooperate provided that-"

"Am I to repeat myself, Aurelius?"

Well crap, this is it then isn't it? I either hand over the Purifier or I do not. Should I just do it? I told the Bestial Champion that I'd show results, but not this kind of results. No, perhaps not yet. She trusted me enough, or at least, trusted in my plan enough to leave the Purifier here, in the care of one lone Champion on magical life-support, and this plan came to conception thanks to the information she provided me. In other words, if this fails, she's at fault too.

"Please wait! Your Highness, you can't go in there!"

With miraculous timing, a nostalgic figure barges into the ruined throne room. Even though it shouldn't have been all that long ago, her flowing gold hair, her bright brown eyes, her fluffy ears, they feel like a sight I haven't seen for a lifetime. From the info Oro and Corona told me, the princess is apparently the one who hijacked the summoning ritual, messing it all up in the first place. I am going to feel bad for it, but I am going to thoroughly grill the princess for information regarding that later.

"The Beastkin's princess, is it? Well, as much as I would like to deal with her, I have more important business today."

The Grand Keeper barely turned around to look at the princess as she enters with guards chasing behind her. Instead, her focus lies mostly on me as she awaits my decision, the decision to comply or to rebel.

Looks like this is as far as I get. I can somewhat tell that her patience is at its limit. She won't wait any longer to take action on her own and brand me an enemy. I can't have that. I need her power to send the others back. If she brands me and all those siding with me as enemy, then it's all over. In that case, she can have the Purifier. I can always get 'it' back later. With this failure, I probably won't have the Bestial Champion's support either. Most likely, she'll try to keep the rest from returning to our world as per Nine's orders. With the loss of the Purifier, she'll want as many Champions fighting on her side. As for how she plans to get them to align themselves with her, I'm sure Nine has a trick or two up his sleeves for that. Well, not that it matters. I'll fight them, the Grand Keeper, the Bestial Champion, anyone who gets in the way of the others getting home, everything else can come after they've been returned.

"Of course, take 'it', if that's what you wish. I am not your enemy."

Coldly, the Grand Keeper nods. To me, it doesn't feel like she trusts me at all, but that's fine. So long as I don't antagonize her, I doubt she'll refuse to send the others home. This plan though is a failure. It may be hopeless but I best think of something to salvage this on the Bestial Champion's end. Perhaps I can still work something out.

Feeling rather disheartened, I turn towards the princess who had barged in. It's been a while since I've seen her and perhaps, just a little, I want to be comforted. Of course, that's not possible. Thanks to the [Corruption], she probably can't even understand me nor will she hold anything but enmity for me.

I regret it the instant I gaze into the princess' eyes. They were cold, sharp, and full of hostility. I knew that, I knew, but I suppose I wasn't prepared enough for it. However, something isn't quite right. With my [Insight], I realize that the angle of her gaze isn't quite directed towards me. No, she's glaring at the Grand Keeper instead.

The Grand Keeper, as if sensing something off, stopped in her tracks just as her hand was about to grab the Purifier.

"Impossible..."

Whispering with a trembling tone, the Grand Keeper, for the first time since appearing before me, is showing an emotion aside from that of stoicism. Instead, her face now shows shock and utter disbelief.

A light came from the princess, a light that burst forth above her open palm. From the light, a book emerged, no, not just a mere book. This is, don't tell me...

"That [Relic], where did you get it?"

But the princess does not reply. Instead, from the book floating above her palm, she produces a flat rectangular object, and object far too familiar to me. It is a [contract], however, unlike the ones I'm used to, this one feels rather sinister for some reason.

"[Duplicate]."

With the command from the princess, the [contract] splits into two, then four, then eight. And as I wonder what is going to happen next, she gives her next command.

"[Overwrite]."

In that instant, the [contacts] take flight towards the guards around the princess, melding into them. At first, nothing seems to be happening to the guards other than abject confusion, however, within less than a moment, their bodies begin spazzing out, and I do not mean that they're convulsing, no. Instead, it is more akin to the noises and static on a broken television, and rather than being on a screen, it is happening to a person's body.

"As if I'd let you!"

The Grand Keeper rushes forward, her aim being the princess. For just a moment, I thought about stopping her, but I'm still too shocked to react. Too many unexpected things had happened so suddenly that I'm not sure if doing anything is the right move.

"And so, come forth. Diablos!"

In the end, the Grand Keeper did not make it in time. Before she is able to reach the princess, dark figures got in her way. These dark figures, their skin are like obsidian and their bodies malformed in all sorts of ways with some being extremely lean and slender while others disproportionally bulky. Some have wings and long claws, some have massive jaws, and some others have more eyes than I am comfortable with counting. More importantly though, most importantly, these... They are the same ones, aren't they, the same [Demons] I encountered, the first ones I encountered upon being summoned.

Despite her way being blocked, the Grand Keeper did no alter her course. With her wings carrying her forward, a blade of light is formed in her right palm. I do not know of this skill, at the very least, it's not a player skill in Elysium Online.

"Nine!"

With a shout, she cuts apart two of the [Demons] in her path.

However, the princess... That is the princess, right? Her expression does not change. In fact, there had been no emotion on it at all since she entered the room.

"Too feeble... It seems that even with [Overwrite], weak vessels have their limits. Then..."

As the Grand Keeper cuts down yet another two of the [Demons], the princess draws out another contract.

"Come forth, Aras."

The moment the name was spoken the princess' hair turns white, a side effect of mana drain. It should be something exceedingly uncomfortable to experience, to say the least, but she just stands there, apparently feeling nothing at all.

In the sky, clouds split, revealing a collection of stars in the skies above despite it being day time. From the stars, a massive winged creature descends. Should it spread open its wide wings, it would easily rival the length of a bus. I know that even though it's still high up in the sky, not because I've scanned it with my [Insight], but because I've read the measurements on the official website of Elysium Online. I didn't just happen to read such a trivia either. I searched it up. At that time, I had wanted more info on the creature whose [contract] I have just obtained. One of the Celestial Beast, the [Celestial Eagle]. I remember what I named mine. It was Aras. It was called Aras too. So why, why does the princess have that [contract]? Why is she able to use it? And those [Demons], why are they here? No wait, I saw them, how they came to be. The princess called them, she turned the Beastkins, her own subjects into them.

Back then, back at that village... And even before then, my lost [contracts], the ones lost during the summoning, was that you? Were those your doing all along?

***

End of Chapter 76