"Hah?"

Albel blinked at the elf girl who’d just berated him. *I didn’t do anything. Why’s she suddenly yelling?*

"You—you weren’t trying to assault me? To take my body?"

Alusa’s face flushed crimson as a ripe apple, glistening like dew.

"Are you feverish?"

Albel pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, then his own. Her temperature felt perfectly normal.

"N-no."

Alusa pressed her lips tight and shook her head firmly as his touch lingered.

"Then either the Holy Maiden infected your brain, or you’ve got paranoid delusions. Do I look like some demon who pounces on every pretty girl he sees?"

Albel rolled his eyes. *This girl’s got serious issues judging people.*

"Aren’t you?"

Alusa’s voice trembled as she countered weakly.

"Of course not!"

Albel roared in frustration. Sure, he was devastatingly handsome—but that didn’t make him some lust-crazed demon king! He was the *real* Demon King, not some cheap Night Demon King knockoff!

"Then what do you want?"

Watching Albel’s fury, Alusa outwardly shrank back but inwardly sighed in relief. *His reaction’s too genuine. I really did misjudge him.*

"Just asking for directions."

Albel spread his hands. His sweet little sister was waiting at home. That airheaded, beautiful Holy Maiden needed taking home as his wife. He didn’t want adventures—he just wanted to go home.

"Directions? So you really were teleported here?"

Alusa blinked. *Could he be telling the truth?*

"As if I’d willingly come to this godforsaken place."

Albel shrugged. Framed by that High Priest and the Holy Maiden, what choice did he have? He was desperate too.

"Don’t insult our elven sanctuary!"

Though unintentional, Albel’s words ignited Alusa’s fury. She glared, straining against her silver bonds as if ready to slap him.

"Fine, fine—whatever you say. But where exactly is this place? And how do I get back to the mainland?"

Albel raised his hands. No time for pointless arguments. He needed to leave.

"This is the Hidden Refuge of the Witherwood Clan—Lost Isle. We’ve lived here in seclusion for a thousand years. No human has set foot here since... ten years ago."

Alusa paused, then explained reluctantly.

"Ten years ago?"

Albel’s eyes narrowed. That timing was uncanny—the same year he’d clashed with the first Holy Maiden. Was there a connection?

"Ten years ago, the first Holy Maiden of humankind came here. She received the Forest Goddess’s blessing and sealed..."

Alusa trailed off abruptly.

"Sealed what?"

"N-nothing!"

She shook her head vigorously, refusing to elaborate.

"No wonder your secluded clan recognizes the Holy Sword. So that brat visited a decade ago."

Albel stroked his chin. The timeline fit. Back then, the first Holy Maiden had scoured the world, gathering allies to fight the demon clans.

"Yes."

Alusa nodded, relieved he hadn’t pressed further.

"How do I get back out? Do you have a teleportation array?"

Albel’s priority was escape. A ritual like the High Priest’s would be perfect. A millennia-old elven clan must have one.

"I’ve seen the village’s array, but no one’s used it in centuries. I can’t guarantee it works. Only the Elder knows."

Alusa shook her head. The sanctuary held a teleportation circle, but she’d only entered as a child for blessings.

"Any ports? Ships? Airships?"

Albel doubted the array. Traditional transport felt safer.

"No."

Alusa’s refusal was absolute.

"Then take me to your Elder. Now."

Albel rolled his eyes. The array was his only hope.

"I won’t lead a stranger to our village."

Alusa’s stance was unyielding.

"Al isn’t a stranger! He’s the former First Demon King of the demon clans!"

Alicia, hearing escape was possible, darted over and blurted out his secret.

"Demon King? You’re truly the Demon King?!"

Alusa’s face paled as she stared at Albel.

"Must you open your mouth?!"

Albel pinched Alicia’s cheeks, yanking them sideways. *Why does this idiot Holy Maiden always ruin my chances?*

"Waaah! Ow! That hurts!"

Alicia yelped, words muffled. She rubbed her stinging cheeks after he released her, pouting.

"I *was* the Demon King. But not anymore. Seriously, trust me."

Albel forced a smile at Alusa. The fragile trust he’d built was shattered again by this fool.

"I may not beat you—but I’ll never let you near our village!"

Freed from her bonds, Alusa nocked an arrow, aiming squarely at Albel’s head.

"Just hear me out! If I were really a de—" Albel froze mid-sentence. Thick smoke billowed from the forest behind her. Multiple plumes. "Fire! Over there!"

"That trick won’t work."

Alusa kept her arrow trained on him, refusing to look away. *He’s distracting me.*

"It’s true! Look!"

Alicia pointed frantically at the flames.

"That’s... our village!"

Alusa turned—and her blood ran cold. Flames engulfed her home.

Without a glance back at Albel, she sprinted toward the burning village.

"Follow her!"

Albel grabbed Alicia’s arm. He couldn’t lose his only way off this island.

Alusa flew through the trees—elf-swift. Albel, half-demon, matched her pace. But Alicia, human and exhausted, lagged far behind.

"You’re such a burden."

Albel doubled back, hoisting Alicia onto his shoulders. He couldn’t close the gap on Alusa, but at least they wouldn’t lose her.

"And yet you’re stuck with me."

Alicia grinned, Fire Drake perched on her head. Warmth spread through her chest. *He didn’t abandon me.*

"Help! The Aberrations are awake!"

"Pain! I don’t want to die!"

"Someone save us!"

Alusa skidded to a halt at the village edge. Flames devoured homes. Grotesque, tree-like monsters with twisted faces chased screaming elves.

"Gleaming Firefly Arrows!"

Alusa loosed a volley. Silver shafts pierced the nearest tree-demons, binding them in shimmering cords. They thrashed wildly but couldn’t move.

"Telka! What happened?"

Alusa herded fleeing elves to safety, then knelt beside a wounded male elf.

"Alusa... you’re back. The... the Aberrations... revived."

Telka gasped for breath.

"Impossible! The Holy Maiden sealed them ten years ago!"

Alusa refused to believe it—yet the carnage was real. *Why now?*

"Alusa—the Elder’s at the Sanctuary! Protect her!"

Telka pointed weakly toward the sacred grove.

"Come with me!"

Alusa reached to lift him—then froze. His belly had been torn open. Intestines spilled onto the moss.

"I’m... done for. Go! To the Elder—now!"

Telka’s shout tore at his wound. His body went limp.

"Telka!"

Alusa screamed his name. Her childhood friend—gone, just because she’d been on patrol today.

"Damn it! Damn it all!"

Tears streaming, she raced toward the Sanctuary. Elf corpses littered her path. She shot silver cords to bind every tree-demon she passed—but couldn’t kill them.

"Lunar Wheel!"

At the Sanctuary gates, tree-demons surrounded the sacred altar. Alusa blasted a path with arrows and charged inside.

"Elder!"

Only a dozen elves remained alive on the altar. Half the village was already dead.

"Alusa... you’ve returned."

The ancient elf elder, supported by others, approached her with a gentle smile.

"I’m sorry! I failed to protect everyone—!"

Alusa collapsed to her knees, sobbing. *If only I’d checked the seal today. If only I’d been here when the attack started...*

"Child, rise. This isn’t your fault. It’s fate."

The Elder lifted her up, stroking her hair. Today’s tragedy fulfilled the prophecy foretold a decade ago. Was fate truly unchangeable?

"ROAR!"

Tree-demons shattered the Sanctuary barrier, encircling the altar. Elves wailed in despair. Only Alusa stood firm, arrows flying to slow the horde.

"Forgive this old body, child. I’m useless now."

The Elder watched Alusa fight desperately. If only he were ten years younger—he could have activated the teleportation array.

If the elf clan perished like this, how could I face my sisters in the afterlife? Even a glimmer of hope—I had to ensure the young tribesfolk survived.

"Grand Elder, it's all my fault. If only I were stronger..."

Alusa's bow, "Artemis," could unleash endless arrows, but her stamina was fading fast. Sweat poured down her brow; she wouldn't hold on much longer.

Her hands finally failed to lift the bow. The silver arrows ceased. An endless tide of Treefiends began advancing.

"I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. I failed to protect the village."

Alusa collapsed to her knees, gazing at the pitch-black horde. Resigned, she closed her eyes.

Yet what came next wasn't the Treefiends' fangs and claws, nor the agony of being torn apart. Instead, a savior-like whisper reached her: "Ragnarok."

Alusa opened her eyes. A blood-red flash swept past, and the sea of Treefiends vanished instantly—as if they'd never existed.

As the horde dissipated, Alusa dimly saw Albel. One arm held Alicia; the other raised a longsword glowing blood-red. He stood like a hero.

Alusa's strained nerves snapped loose. Darkness flooded her vision, and she collapsed limply to the ground.