The monolith crystal cracked, releasing it's stored magic power and ending the Ascension of the elves spell. The sky, although the magic circle drawn under the moonlight, the blue color hue which was dispersing was incredibly wonderful.

"Hahahha! Finally! I am now a High elf king!!"

Pernicious proudly proclaimed, feeling the power coursing through his body, further increasing the previous amount he had since birth.

"Ooh!! Finally.... with this I am!!"

"I am....I am now a high elf!!"

"Uuooh!! Glory to the king of the high elves!!"

The elder elves soon followed. Their faces, painted with ecstasy and pride that their laughter's and cheers made a horrible sound. It was like the bellows of demons in the underworld, it did not felt pleasant at all.

Elfianna, looking at such sight, trembled. They have lost, the world will end with Pernicious ruling it.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, falling down on to her well endowed chest sliding down to the nearly exposed pink bud.

The Ascension of elves was complete. No one would help the now.

"SOOOORYAAAAA!!!*

" WHAT!?"

A flash of light came like a bullet, hurling towards the cracked monolith crystal. The roar of the person, who clenched his fist and delivered a finishing blow, turned the monolith crystal, made of pure condensed magic crystal, into mere chunks of rocks.

"We came just in time!!"

Katsuto stood there, fist held high like a champion who had won a match. A wide smile appeared on his rough face.

Koizumi, Minami, Edsel, Elyria and Durif came following suit.

"Your plans ends now, Pernicious!" Elyria said, demandingly. "The heroes are here to stop you!"

"Stop what?! You are quite too late, oh great Knight"

"!?"

White hair streamlining down to his back, blue eyes and four pointed ears. Transparent membranous wings sprouted out from his back with antlers like horns grew out from both side of his temple.

Pernicious daringly turned, smiling, as he had achieved his long dream of becoming a high elf king.

Elyria's eyes widened. It was not just one, but everyone of Pernicious's cohorts had the same appearance.

A terrifying sight. Elyria drew her sword to protect her Queen.

"Damn it.... we did not came early enough to stop them" Elyria looks down as she regretted not being on time.

"No, we came just in time" Koizumi said, wielding his spear and pointing at the city below.

Unlike Pernicious and the elder elves, there were no change in the city. The escaping elves just ran as monsters of misshapen shapes and sizes chased after them. Smoke rose as fires from buildings, caused by the chaos around the city. Tendrils grip out from the earth, capturing elves and draining them of their vitality until they withered and die.

The rest of the soldiers came to their rescue of course. But the sheer numbers of monsters were just too much. Added by the powerful and thick sizes of the protruding roots from the [World Eater], they were barely even doing anything.

Koizumi smiled, showing his pearly white teeth.

"That Kagami had already cut off the link.... probably"

Kyoushiro left them to their own devices. Since he was the only person that was being targeted, he took the chance to lead them away. There were not much roots growing out now, probably because by now, Kyoushiro was underground.

"Tsk...!" Pernicious clicked his teeth, annoyed by the insect that's preventing him to achieve his dream.

His cheeks twitched, his brows quivered and his shoulders trembled....

"DAMN YOU ACCURSED HERO!!!!"

"Wha—?!"

"Grant us steady and powerful protection! — «Aegis Shield»!!"

Pernicious burst into flight. Flapping his bug like wings and jumping off from the top of the tree. Minami immediately cast her skill to protect everyone from the gale caused by Pernicious' sudden flight. It was strong, debris and dust flew everywhere.

"Everyone! Let's follow him!"

"Yeah!"

"No, we won't let you!!"

When Koizumi instructed everyone to leave and follow Pernicious. The elder elves jumped at them, with nails sharp as knives, they clawed at them.

Minami's shield protected them. Even when the elder elves were powered up, they couldn't do much from a well equipped healer, that has nearly 5 digit stats value.

Their futile attempts were stopped immediately, Edsel's spells instantly reached them from behind.

"For my husband....!!"

A gale of spinning blades, added by a cold icy wind, freezing and cutting everything had enveloped the entire top of the tree. Edsel poured her magic, boosting the strength and power of her spell.

Branches froze and broke, the air cooled and prickly, a quiet storm raged on. Without a single word from their dying breathes, the elder elves instantly froze and turned to dust.

A silence came after the spell Edsel used. Wind & Water combination spell «Icy Shredder»

"That spell.... Edsel? Is that you?"

Probably recognizing the spells that was used, Elfianna, healed and untied, looked over at the person who dressed weirdy. A woman she knows well in the past.

Edsel showed a smile and greeted he former employer.

"It has been a while your majesty"

"I thought you have died.... the reports said.... No, it is good to see you again"

Elfianna rephrased her words as she looked down at the place where the elder elves, her court of Wiseman, laid dead. With a sincere smile, Elfianna once more greeted Edsel properly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we need to get out of here. The monsters might come after us soon" Elyria interrupted for a bit and reminded everyone that they don't have much time. They were still in danger. Since Kyoushiro was tasked of destroying the tree, monsters might appear in droves while they are on top.

"Yes, we should" Elfianna agreed immediately.

"Katsuto, Minami, Elyria-san, please head outside the city immediately. Me and Edsel-san we'll chase after Pernicious"

Koizumi divided the roles. Leaving the Queen with the highest defense and vitality, as well as a master healer, she couldn't be anymore safe. What's more,it was safer outside compared to the city. This was an emergency, there was no helping that they'd have to leave the citizens behind.

"Once you guys got out makes sure to stay out. I don't know what will happen but Kagami is doing something"

"What make you say something like that?" Elfianna pondered worriedly, a bit confused about what Koizumi said.

"Well, Kagami became a Demon Lord. Looks like the Spirit was defending itself the moment Kagami stepped into the city"

"What?!" Elfianna exclaimed, her beautiful eyes, widened in shock.

"H-How did...."

"I'm sorry your majesty but we cannot stay her for too long. Let us move quickly"

Elyria suddenly stepped in. Because the vibrations of the tree was steadily increasing, it was now dangerous to stay there. Furthermore, human size bats were flocking towards them with great speed.

Elfianna saw them and nodded after. Edsel covered their backs, casting wind blades and icicles towards them.

"We'll leave him to you then"

"Don't worry Elfianna-sama, we'll bring back that blockhead even if we have to drag him back"

As they said their farewells, Katsuto's group immediately left. Soon after, Koizumi and Edsel came down from the top of the spirit tree after all the flying monsters were taken care off...

—

"Agh.... damn it, these thing is really ugly"

Deep underground, Kyoushiro stood at an opening where a large root had grew from. The space was large enough for a train to pass through and there was hardly enough light.

But regardless, he could see the [World Eater] properly. The large circular mouth with long and large tendrils of a tongue extending below, to where the mantle was. However, that part was brazenly cut off. The rest that was extending down was burned off by a powerful lightning attack. Right now, the beast was dripping weird colored saliva.

It was truly ugly, it had a smiliar face of a squid or an octopus but unlike the real ones, it doesn't have any eyes. Just fleshy lips and long and large tentacles.

"Well then, let's blast a hole right through you"

Kyoushiro muttered, suddenly covered with purple lightning crackling around him. A shades of dark mury mud appeared beneath his feet, crawling to the walls, as though enclosing everything in its darkness.

*◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼!!* Its long roar made the whole cave tremble. Kyoushiro made sure to strengthen the walls but, they wouldn't last long.

Kyoushiro jumped from the edge of the cut off path. He drew his black broadsword and slashed off the tendrils heading his way. Using his skill «Shadow Manipulation» Kyoushiro made wires and stuck each ends to the side if the walls, creating a foothold in mid air.

The tendrils then slither, with pointed ends and slimy base, it made it's way like a snake and head straight to Kyoushiro's heart, head and neck.

Once more, Kyoushiro swung his sword, emitting a red line as he swing haphazardly to tear through the attacking tendrils. Sword Skill Revise + Enchant — «Flame Blade».

The scent of burning rubber entered his nose. Kyoushiro's face cramped in displeasure.

"How foul...."

"Indeed it was" A voice came within the darkness. The irritating buzzing noise of a big came bouncing off the side of the walls, making a really disturbing noise.

"So you found me huh?"

"Heh, a pest like you doesn't mean much to a king like me"

Pernicious was there, silver hair, bug wings and red eyes. His skin was tanned and his nails were horribly long and sharp. Kyoushiro saw such sight above. His neck ached just by looking.

Pernicious looked down grandly like a king, seeing the young man below as a pest, pestering him over and over.

The two stare at each other, both weapons on hand.

"Hey, your wife wanted me to let you off"

"Oh? Did she now?"

"Yeah...."

Pernicious sounded indifferent, like his wife and kids mattered nothing to him. His voice didn't so much quiver nor did he even asked why. What he merely said was pure sarcasm, as though he doesn't think of his wife, as his wife.....

"You're not going to stop all of this aren't you?" Kyoushiro asked, a bit disappointed at Pernicious's words.

"Of course not, not now that I am a king of elves"

"That's so? I don't see a crown anywhere"

"Ooh.... you've said it now, worm"

The air trembled, almost like the two were already fighting an invisible battle. There were no sparks nor amazing blast of explosions, the two were merely showing if their murderous intent.

Then, as the shaking continued, a dirt broke off from the wall.....

"DIE!!!!"

"........"

Pernicious shot his spell, a large fireball, at Kyoushiro. The ball of fire grew in size as it flew down in great speed. Kyoushiro held the handle of his sword tightly, then swung it and cut the fire ball in half.....

*Boooooom!!!* The bisected fire ball exploded beneath the foothold, blasting hot air upwards.

"Right, I'll bring you back alive.... without limbs just to be sure"

"?!"

Kyoushiro made his move. He bent his knees and lowered his center of gravity, foisting like a rock on a slingshot ready to fire.

"Hmph!!" Kyoushiro snorted, flying off towards Pernicious like an arrow. His broadsword in front, heading towards Pernicious head.

"Grant me protection from evil o light! — «Divine shield»!!"

As the tip of the sword came closer, a bright white transparent shield appeared before Pernicious. It saved him from being skewered by Kyoushiro's sword. Unfortunately however....

*What?!"

Cracks formed immediately, until the rest of the shield shattered like glass. "?!" Pernicious moved his head, dodging by hair's breathe, and barely managed to avoid getting killed.

Kyoushiro continued climbing in height, he did not stopped until he reached the mouth and the tendrils of the [World Eater]. Kyoushiro grabbed hold on one of its tongue, then without so much of a hesitation, he poured extremely deadly high amounts of electricity into the [World Eater]'s body.

*◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼!!!* The monster screeched in pain, burned by the high powered electricity Kyoushiro had used.

Electricity Manipulation — «Lightning Blow»

"W-What in hell is that?!"

Looking up from below, Pernicious exclaimed. His eyes fixed on the eyeless face of a monster. Green oozing blood dropped down from its gaping maw, scorched and melted due to the intense voltage.

A drop of cold sweat came down from his forehead. Pernicious trembled at the sight of the ugly beast.

"This? Well, isn't this your Spirit tree?" Kyoushiro spoke sarcastically, pointing at the roots— tendrils of the monster. Surrounding its mouth like hairs were tendrils then around those were large tentacles that extended to other places.

The walls it dug through were breaking off, probably because the [World Eater] was retracting its tentacles in order to save it from the danger.

*Dooo!! Booom!!!* The earth shatters and came the large tentacles, crushing the cave paths it had created by digging through the earth with its long tongues.

The cavern slowly collapses as the monster stood up.

"Tsk...." Kyoushiro clicked his tongue in annoyance. The monster was attempting to escape. It did not have much mind to stay in a place where there was someone capable of destroying him. The [World Eater] emerged and rose up from the earth, revealing it's true form.

*◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼—!!!" Its Loud and devastating scream bellowed loudly. The sky begun to show over the circular cavern, wrecked and crushed from the inside. The stars that shines above and formed a sea of sparkling diamonds, looked beautiful from where the two was standing on.

Kyoushiro sheathed his sword, before chasing after the running monster, but his steps suddenly stopped when he saw a skull inside the dirt.

"What the....."

They were human skulls. Not only that, ribs, femurs, backbones, fingers, arms, legs feet..... there were numerous. Almost thousands if not, hundreds of thousands. The other skulls that had animal shaped skulls, which were most like from the beastmen and demi-human race.

Kyoushiro frowned, his teeth gnashed and his fist tightly clenched.

"You guys are really disgusting....."

Kyoushiro knows what those are. Even without the use of his «Appraisal» skill, it was enough to know just what kind of corpses where buried there. They were Demon-Spawns, brutally murdered and buried under the tree as some sort of fertilizer.

It was a disgusting and cruel method of taking care of the dead. Kyoushiro's stomach churns in anger.

"They are mere insects like you with insignificant lifespan. Moreover. they are the spawn of the Demon god Avfritzed. Their life held no meaning, just dirt under the spirit tree"

Pernicious flew at the same height as Kyoushiro. His eyes, looked uninterested and bored at the sight of the young man, mourning for the dead.

"You are but an eyesore, black hero. I'll have you disappear now...."

"Try it if you can"

Once more, the two clashed. Kyoushiro leaped from the rubble and Pernicious swooped down from his flight. From claws to sword edges, sounds of iron clashing echoed. Sparks flew and streaks of light exploded.

Kyoushiro's broadsword swung diagonally, attempting to cut Pernicious from his head down to his left flank. Pernicious dodged, he inclined his head pull back his body.

Fire balls and fire tornadoes, whirlpools with sharp ice shards and Spikes from down below headed towards Kyoushiro.

Exhaling, Kyoushiro lowered his body, with stance drawing his sword from his left side, Kyoushiro unleashed four slashes in quick succession. The first slash cut through the fire balls, the second bisected the whirling fire tornadoes, the third slashes broke the ice shards and caused the whirlpool to collapsed, the last slashes deflected the spikes coming his way.

Sword Skill Revise — «Quick Draw - 4 Cuts»

"Persistent worm!!"

Pernicious, losing all patience as all his spells were torn asunder one by one, he woved one more spell. A high level spell that can only be used with enough magic power.

He took distance, making a few seconds worth, in order to safely cast his spell. Pernicious rose up from the sky, both arms raised, his wings flapped buzzing noisily.

"Come to me, Spirits of the night! I order you, fill this world with your starlight and burn everything!!"

The stars above flickered in response to Pernicious's chant. Then, as though a meteor was called forth, the stars that twinkled beyond space became near. The night sky, covered by numerous asteroids heading towards the planet in great speed, entered the atmosphere.

"Spirit King Magic — «Starfall»!!"

Ten stars now falls before Kyoushiro.

"Hahahahaha!!! Try and dodge this! Black Hero!!!!"

It was Pernicious's win now. With his spell, even the capital Yggdrasil will be destroyed. Overjoyed, a wide accomplished smile stretched widely on Pernicious's face.

However, was that truly the end? No one thought, but the sight of stars falling caused the faces of the elven civilians to lose color. That spell was something that only a few can use and if ever activated, it was enough to erase a mountain.

"That much huh?"

But Kyoushiro merely stood there, unwaivering. Although he lost the sword that can give him godly boost in exchange for the progression of his curse, he wasn't weak now. Not weak to rely on a power where a curse could devour his mind.

He was a Demon lord and a hero together, not by choice, but he was stronger than the average Joe.

"«Demon Lord's Aura»"

*DOOOOOOOOO—* The air tremble at the activation of a skill. Kyoushiro's body, covered in pitch black aura, growing from the deep recesses of his core, made the world know of his existence.

A golden flickering flame of a crown formed on top of his head, showing a kingly might.

"«Household Creation» «Darkness Manipulation»"

Kyoushiro did not stopped there. His murky aura crawled through the gaps of the rubble, slithering disgustingly at the corpses lying everywhere. Entering their sockets, cracks and holes, anything with a gap, the dark slimy thing possessed the dead.

Thus the dead rose from their graves, quietly forming and rebuilding themselves. Covered with dark luminescence, their bodies begun to glow an incredibly dark light.

This was Kyoushiro's Demon Lord skill — «Household Creation»

"Break"

Kyoushiro's hand was pointing at the stars falling from the sky. His spell «Darkness Manipulation» had different derivation that even he was surprised to know about. Unlike the Dark Lord Trause that uses his «Darkness Manipulation» skill to make use of gravity to crush and toy with his opponents, Kyoushiro was using his to its fullest.

On each of the falling rocks on fire, a black dot appeared. Swallowing those rocks, the black dot expanded until it's shape and power was that of a black hole. Nay, it was a black hole itself.

The starfall was immediately stopped by such things.

"All of you, dragged that tree back here"