Chapter 39: A Battle of Strength? Even Better.

I had my suspicions.

At first, when Seria said she would handle things alone with her father, I thought about trusting her and waiting.

But for some reason, I had a bad feeling. So, I decided to follow her.

If she found out later, she might resent me for it. But what could I do?

I was worried sick—there was no way I could just sit back and do nothing.

And as expected.

“Tch, I came just in case…”

Not only did that so-called father ignore his daughter’s words—

“But I never expected him to be this stubborn.”

—He even ordered his subordinates to take her away by force.

“You, who are you?”

As expected, Seria’s father furrowed his brows and questioned my identity.

I answered him without hesitation.

“You know me, don’t you? I’m Strawberry Ssangssang.”

“So, you’re the smooth-talking charlatan who seduced my daughter.”

Judging by his tone, it was obvious that he had at least monitored me to some extent.

However, he wouldn’t have been able to uncover any of my personal information.

That’s why, even when looking directly at my face, he had no idea who I was.

“Enough of that. How about you let go of her right now?”

“I have no obligation to obey an elf woman.”

He didn’t even flinch upon realizing I was an elf.

He must have encountered a few elves in his business dealings.

More importantly, he was incredibly arrogant.

“They say a pup doesn’t fear the tiger…”

Surprisingly, those words came from him.

And they were directed at me.

“Heh… amusing. That’s not something I’d expect to hear from a brat who hasn’t even lived a hundred years.”

“Oh? That’s unexpected. I thought long-lived races like elves didn’t care much about age. But now, you suddenly want to play the wise elder?”

Then, he clicked his tongue and gave a curt nod.

“What are you waiting for? Take her.”

The moment I saw that—

“Take your hands off her.”

—CRACK!

“Urgh…?! Aaargh!”

“My…my hand…!! Aaagh!”

—CRUNCH!

The more they resisted, the more the fingers of the men in black suits began to twist unnaturally.

Their agonized screams filled the air as their fingers bent in directions they never should have, muscles tearing and veins bursting—creating a gruesome sight.

“Kyaaah!”

Seria, who witnessed it up close, gasped in shock and shut her eyes tightly.

I felt bad for her, but I couldn’t stop now.

As the men writhed in pain, their mangled hands trembling—

“Move.”

With a simple wave of my hand, I sent them flying off the building.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!!”

Ah, of course, they wouldn’t die.

Yog-ssi was down below.

She would catch them.

I never had a taste for meaningless killing.

Legal battles are a hassle, after all.

“O-O-Onee-san!”

“It’s okay, Cecilia. I’m here now.”

Freed from her restraints, Seria ran to me in a panic and hid behind my back.

Seeing this, the man inhaled deeply, exhaling rough, angry breaths as he clenched his teeth.

“Cecilia. Come here. Now.”

“No. I’ve already made my decision.”

“You would truly turn your back on me… to stand beside some mere elf woman?”

“You took away my will to live… But she gave me a reason to keep going!”

“Elves are lazy, filthy, and vile creatures. They have nothing but time and money. You need to realize that to that woman, you are nothing more than a mere plaything.”

Well, he’s not entirely wrong.

Many elves have indeed fallen into such decadence—

A race that abandoned the prosperity of its kind, choosing instead to hide in the shadows, indulging in comfort and luxury for their own personal ease.

Even if he says that, I have no argument to refute it.

“But! She is different!! The memories I’ve built with her—I trust them!! More than anything, she has done more for me, worked harder for me, than anyone ever has! Even more than you, Father!!”

“Se… Cecilia…!”

Seria’s father seemed the most shaken by those words.

The muscles in his cheeks twitched, and he began to growl like a feral beast.

“So this is how you choose to act… In that case—”

His eyes flickered with magical energy, a menacing glow radiating from them as he continued.

“I will personally remove that elf from your side.”

This man—he’s not someone I can reason with.

Most people, if you talk to them enough, you can reach some sort of resolution.

But this one—

He holds power, and he intends to flaunt it.

“Seria, stay somewhere safe for now.”

“Huh? W-Wait a moment! Onee-sa—”

I teleported her to Yog-ssi’s side.

The moment Seria’s father realized she was no longer beside me, he smirked as if things had turned in his favor.

“Hahaha! So, elf, it seems you have quite the aptitude for magic. I suppose, as a long-lived race, it’s only natural for you to possess some measure of power.”

“Glad you understand. But first, if we’re going to fight, let’s make sure we don’t bother anyone else.”

—Snap!

I lightly snapped my fingers, deploying a barrier spell.

In an instant, the two of us were sealed inside a separate space.

Now, there was no one else here but us.

“Elf, do you even know who I am?”

“Hmm… Salthéon Artemis, Chairman of the Red Spear Group.”

The Red Spear Group started as a mercenary guild, growing into a powerhouse over time.

Since it was originally a mercenary organization, its leader had to be exceptionally strong.

As a result, Red Spear wielded significant influence in wars across various kingdoms, hiring out its forces for battle.

Now that large-scale wars had declined, Red Spear shifted its focus toward magical combat sports, investing heavily in competitive duels.

Their athletes continued to achieve impressive results.

When I first heard Cecilia’s full name, I was baffled.

After all, she was just a regular human.

Who would have thought her family wasn’t ordinary at all?

She was the daughter of a famous mercenary guild leader.

Not exactly something you’d expect.

Beyond sports, Red Spear also conducts extensive research in magical technology, further solidifying its status as a growing corporate giant.

Up until recently, its chairman was determined through an absurd meritocratic rule—

Only the winner of the company’s internal martial arts tournament could take the position.

However, the current chairman, Salthéon, abolished that long-standing tradition in favor of a system that emphasized strategic leadership and corporate achievements.

That is probably why he wants Seria so badly.

Even if that’s not the reason—

Women always have other “uses.”

“Don’t tell me… You’re planning to marry off Seria to someone, aren’t you?”

“If Cecilia refuses to take my position, yes. I won’t live forever. One day, I will need a successor. For that, she is essential. I cannot hand her over to some random outsider just because she doesn’t want the role.”

“Hah… You really are a selfish man who only cares about his company. A child is not your tool.”

“You, an outsider, have no right to interfere!!”

Normally, a few phone calls, some threats, and a bit of pressure would be enough to make someone back down.

But this man—

He’s the type who takes immense pride in his strength.

However—

I actually prefer dealing with people like him.

Because—

Fools who believe only in their strength—

Just need to be crushed.

“Come at me.”

“Arrogant wretch!!”

Of course, Salthéon was strong.

Back in the days of the Gate War, this man in front of me was one of fewer than twenty individuals to reach S-rank.

For reference, an S-rank individual is someone capable of not just destroying a single Gate but wiping out an entire city with ease.

That was precisely why I had created this barrier.

Without it, the surrounding area would have been reduced to ashes.

—Whoosh…

A massive pillar of fire surged toward me.

I casually waved a finger through the air, and with a flash of light, the flames evaporated into nothingness.

“Nullification magic? Hmph! Very well! Then, how about this?! Try nullifying this one too!”

He clenched his fist and immediately gathered an enormous amount of mana.

As expected from the infamous chairman of the Red Spear Group, he wasn’t some refined long-range spellcaster.

—Fwoosh!

His fist ignited with raw magical energy.

The moment he launched himself off the ground, the terrain beneath him collapsed, flames blooming in his wake.

Salthéon bared his teeth in a vicious snarl and threw a series of devastating punches, each one infused with overwhelming power.

I didn’t dodge.

I simply raised a shield, standing my ground.

“A flimsy barrier like that is useless against me!!”

—Sizzle!

His mana compressed further.

That was a Shield Breaker—a technique designed specifically to shatter magical barriers.

—CRASH!

His fist tore through my barrier, smashing it to pieces as his blow hurtled toward my face.

“It’s over!!”

Of course, I had no intention of dodging.

Instead, I lightly pressed my fingertip against his incoming fist, gently redirecting it to the side.

“Wha—?!”

—BOOM!!

Unable to withstand the force of his own momentum, Salthéon was thrown off balance and crashed violently into the ground.

“You damned wench!!”

But it wasn’t over yet.

Beneath my feet, a magic circle had already begun to glow.

From it, a brilliant pillar of fire erupted upward.

—KAAAAA-BOOM!!

“Hahahaha!! What do you think?! That is an ultra-high-temperature flame spell! It will incinerate you completely, leaving not even a speck of ash behind! No matter how powerful you are, there’s no way you can—”

“It’s warm and cozy.”

—Step…

I leisurely walked out of the inferno, stretching my neck.

Seeing me unharmed, his face contorted in shock, but he quickly composed himself and resumed his relentless assault.

—BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

His movements were as relentless as a wild beast.

A relentless barrage of hardcore attacks mixed with high-tier magic rained down without pause.

“Why… Why won’t you fall?!”

Sweat began to form on his forehead.

“How… How is this possible?! Even if elves are long-lived and skilled in magic—”

Well, I suppose he had a point.

Most elves had long since abandoned the pursuit of magic, choosing instead to live comfortably and indulge in luxury.

Their magical prowess had significantly deteriorated over time.

“If that’s the case!! I will show you the greatest spell of my lifetime!!”

He soared into the air, raising both hands as he began to gather every last trace of residual mana in the area.

It looked exactly like those Spirit Bomb techniques I had seen in Dragon Ball.

Damn… Now that’s what I call a finishing move.

“…”

I simply crossed my arms and watched in silence.

Maybe my indifference irritated him because he gritted his teeth and redoubled his efforts, pouring every ounce of mana he had into the spell.

—Fwoosh!

The condensed mana compressed even further.

—Fwoosh!!

And compressed again.

—Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!!!

As time passed, the immense energy became even more tightly packed—not just stored, but amplified.

—Crackle…

Eventually, all that power shrank down into a small, dense orb of black energy that fit in the palm of his hand.

“Oh… This one’s actually pretty strong.”

If that orb hit the ground,

It would obliterate this entire city.

In other words, that spell alone might be powerful enough to shatter my barrier.

“Hahahaha!! Turn to dust and disappear!!”

Gigantic Nova.

That was the name of the spell he had just cast.

The tiny black sphere slipped from his hands, descending toward the ground.

And of course—

I was standing directly beneath it.

‘Hmm… There’s no way I can just let that thing hit, right?’

If my barrier shattered, it would be a problem.

Even if it absorbed most of the impact, the residual force would still cause some damage outside the barrier.

The weakened impact wouldn’t be enough to reach Seria, but it seemed Salthéon was convinced that I had safely teleported her far enough away.

He was so sure of it.

Well, whatever.

—Shhhhh…

The dark sphere continued to fall.

The moment it touched me, it would unleash a catastrophic explosion, leveling everything in its path.

But—

—Tap…

I lightly touched the sphere with my fingertip.

And then—

—Pop!☆

Like a soap bubble, it vanished into nothing.

It was absurd.

Gigantic Nova—compressed ten times over—was a large-scale annihilation spell.

The moment it made contact, it was supposed to instantly detonate and reduce everything to nothingness.

Judging by the strength of that elf’s barrier, I figured I’d need a spell of this magnitude just to land a solid hit on her.

‘With a barrier that strong, there’s no way Seria would be affected outside of it.’

More importantly—

I never once considered that the elf had left Seria within range of the attack.

Even if she was close, I had no doubt that the elf would instantly teleport to her side and save her the moment the barrier collapsed.

That’s why I cast the spell with confidence.

And yet—

—Tap…

With nothing more than a light touch from the elf’s finger—

The supposedly unstoppable spell disappeared, as fragile as a soap bubble.

“Kuh… Gah…!!”

This wasn’t just a spell passed down for decades.

It was a magic that had been refined and perfected over centuries, passed down through generations of his bloodline.

A spell cultivated through the research and mastery of countless predecessors.

And yet…

It was erased—

Just like that?

No—how?!

“!!”

A voice echoed from behind him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The elf who had been on the ground was now suddenly right behind him.

‘I didn’t even sense her presence!’

But the moment he realized it—

—BOOOOM!!

“Khaaaaah?!!!”

His body was instantly slammed into the ground, blood spewing from his mouth.

—THUD!!

He wasn’t given a moment to react.

The elf, who had dropped onto him like a meteor, stomped down mercilessly on Salthéon’s face.

His skull was forced into the ground, causing the entire area to sink under the pressure.

“Gah… Kuaaaah!! Ghhhaaah!!”

“This is the difference between you and me.”

“I-Impossible…! How… How is this kind of power…?!”

“Human arrogance is truly frightening. It blinds you from making rational judgments.”

“Damn it! An elf with this much strength… still existed?! This is absurd! This is like—!”

“Like the ancient elves of centuries past?”

“Khuh…!”

For the first time in his life, Salthéon felt fear.

A terror he had never experienced before, now swallowed him whole.

Perhaps it was because this was his first time facing such an overwhelming force,

That fear felt even greater.

The elf, looking down at him, gave a cold, amused smile.

“For someone like you, breaking your company would be too kind. This will be much more satisfying.”

After all, even if his company was destroyed,

He had enough wealth and experience to rebuild it.

Connections? Those wouldn’t be an issue either.

So instead—

The elf thought of something far more terrifying for him.

And proceeded to execute it without hesitation.

“W-What are you—?! Khuh! GAHHH!!”

Still stepping firmly on his head to keep him from escaping,

The elf lowered herself, placing her right hand on his back.

The moment her slender, pale hand touched his skin,

It slowly sank into his body—

As if it was being absorbed,

Until her entire wrist had disappeared into his flesh.

“Khuh?! No… No way?!!”

“You understand, don’t you? Yes, I’m going to destroy what you’ve spent your entire life building.”

“N-No! Not the circles! Anything but the circles!!”

“Oho, you have up to the Ninth Circle, huh? As expected of the leader of the prestigious Red Mercenary Corps.”

“No—stop! Stop! Not my circles! Please, anything but—!!”

A magic circle is the very foundation of a mage’s power.

It forms near the heart, and if one can locate and grasp it—

—CRACK…!!

“Gyaaaaaaaaah!!”

—BOOOOOM!!

It can be destroyed.

For the record, when a magic circle is shattered, the pain is unimaginable.

Not a physical pain—

But a mental agony so severe that no amount of painkillers or magic can alleviate it.

What’s worse—

The pain is so intense that even unconsciousness is denied.

Since there’s no physical damage, one cannot even die from the shock.

“What’s wrong? That was just one.”

“Hhhkk… Kghhh…!! N-No… It can’t be…!”

The elf curled her lips into a wicked grin.

“Do you think you’ll still be able to stand proudly in front of your daughter… after becoming just an ordinary man?”

“N-No! Please…! I-I…!!”

—BOOOOOM!!

“Tch, stop making such a fuss. This is nothing compared to the pain Seria went through because of you. Got it?”

And then, the elf grabbed another magic circle.

“Hhhkk… Ghhhaaaah!! P-Please, f-forgive…! Fo—!”

“Forgive you? What a joke, you idiot.”

—BOOOOOM!!

And so, one by one, the elf meticulously destroyed each of his magic circles.

By the end of it,

Salthéon Artemis, the chairman of the Red Spear Group,

Had lost every last circle.

Reduced to nothing more than a powerless commoner.

The screams that echoed from within the barrier—

Were so harrowing that they could be heard even outside.

And later—

This day would be remembered as the birth of a new urban legend.

The Wailing Man.