Chapter 100: Finally Leaving This Land
Running through the outskirts of the Fae Region, Roosell found himself in quite a dilemma. He was under constant assault while being heavily affected by the noxious gases produced by the trees. His biggest saving grace was the fact that the gases, trees, and insects were not nearly as destructive as they had been when the magic was first cast. But even still, it was truly a nightmare.
What's more, not only did he have to care for himself, but he also had to protect the small number of special tribesmen currently in suspended animation within the depths of his stomach. This was a dimensional transportation skill he had mastered at some point in his life, though he couldn't remember when.
It was also at this time that the force of demons, led by the Aetherium Demon Tribe, were going wild as they fought and smashed through many of the obstacles, be it the bloody trees, the insects, the gases, or even armies of those crimson-eyed warriors. Injuries and deaths slowly piled up, but they still persevered like a crazed horde.
"Hahaha!! This truly is quite the amazing experience! I thought we could get ahead much faster, but it looks like many of the others have already caught up. The magical influence is also gradually waning more and more, though it's getting tougher the further into the depths we go," said the Middle Stage Mortal Lord with a jolly yet sinister look on his face.
"That is for certain. Let's begin to make arrangements to utilize the grand devil arts spells soon. I'm sure that the others have already begun to make such plans. We must also continue to watch Roosell. I really do think that he may bring those guys over," said another Mortal Lord expert.
Devrak smiled in silence with a face devoid of emotion as he listened in on their conversation.
Back in the Celebi Forest Kingdom, orders had long been relayed to everyone that they were to make preparations for departure by simply staying within their housing units. A cloudy green smoke had filled the lands within the giant barrier, and no one was able to see what was happening outside of the barriers any longer.
In certain areas throughout the Fae Region, one or two giant tree roots with a dark gold and red color sprouted and surrounded those lands that had the much smaller-scaled barriers around them. In many locations, there were even those crimson-eyed warriors lurking within some of them.
There was a recently created place in a new area on a large branch slightly below the Fanged Elf Royal Palace. While compared to the many ridiculously large branches it was rather small, it was certainly large enough to contain a village fit for 1,000 people.
There were various nicely decorated buildings within the area, along with a mansion, gardens, chambers, guest villas, and so on. Maids, servants, and butlers could be seen moving throughout the area. This place currently didn't have a settled name, seeing that it was still new and under construction in some areas, but it was recognized as the Solman Estate.
In one of the buildings, in a certain room, seven individuals were having a secret meeting.
Seated at the head on one side of the table was Elton, wearing his now custom-made white martial arts robes with blue linings and different golden patterns. One pattern signified his status as a core member of the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect, and the other signified his Royal connection to the Fanged Elf Tribe of Celebi Forest City.
Sitting beside him on his left side was Shayleaf, who looked as if she was back to normal with her lovable features. There was a very slight difference in her demeanor, though, with a slightly more seductive air to her, although it wasn't easy for most people to notice it. She wore her usual green, white, and gold Elven garbs, and she had her circlet across her head.
On Elton's right side sat none other than Christy, who was acting as something of a moderator on both Elton's and the guests' behalf, though it was rather blatant that she was showing quite a bit of favoritism towards Elton. Her long gold and white hair flowed down her back as she sat in her white and gold martial arts robes. The gem in the middle of her forehead glowed with a faint light.
Seated on a mat away from the meeting table by a wall was none other than Zoro. He sat with his legs folded beneath him and his two Katanas resting on his lap with his eyes closed as if he were meditating. It must also be noted that beneath everyone's attire, the bandages from various injuries still lingered.
As for the guest who came to visit at this moment, it was none other than 4th Prince Hunter H. Helmsley. Sitting just a bit behind him were his two most trusted companions who had followed him all this time. His current strength was at the peak of Gold Tier 2, which astonished Elton and reminded him that Hunter was truly an incredible talent, no less than Elton himself, given his own circumstances.
"I must once again thank you for having this meeting with me, Sir Margrave Solman," Hunter said as he gave a slight bow.
"Ah, Your Royal Highness, I keep telling you that you really don't have to be so formal with me. After all, my title here is honorary…" Elton said with a slightly distraught expression on his face.
"Brother Elly. You are now considered a member of our Crimsonroot Royal Family, so do not lower yourself too much," Shayleaf said with a slightly stern expression as if she were declaring a law. After that, she reverted back to her usual easygoing expression, which made Elton slightly break out in a sweat.
"She's right, Elton gege. You are also given the utmost grace by my Aka Boshi no Tengan clan," Christy said with a smile as she looked towards him.
Elton once again broke out in even more of a sweat. He just could not understand what exactly it was that he had done to be given such favorable treatment from these two women… No, honestly, he did know to an extent, but it was just too surreal.
"Hahaha, you heard your women, Sir Margrave. Now then, let us continue where we left off," chuckled Prince Hunter.
Elton, on the other hand, wanted to retort when he heard the phrase "his women," but seeing that the two in question accepted it, he decided to just let it be.
"As the future King of Brawlmanica, I have various things to think about and so many obligations to fulfill. One of the most dire things at hand for me right now is dealing with the various factions and uprisings, as well as once again stabilizing our country.
Thanks to the Revival of the Great Brawlman Sect, I was able to once again reestablish certain foundations that were being ripped apart by the Fighting Brawlman Sect. The Great Brawlman Sect's revival was also thanks to the aid of the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect for the most part, as well as the Soloman clan once again stepping in to aid us once more as per the agreements of our elders around two centuries ago.
The Soloman clan, though, has not really been that reliable for a long time, though they play the part on the surface. So I've come, staking my honor as Prince, asking you, Sir Margrave, and even you, Her Highness Shayleaf, for your support."
After saying all of that, Prince Hunter bowed his head, which astonished his two followers who tried to get him to raise his head and not show such signs of weakness, but he persisted.
"Ah, no, wait! Your Royal Highness, all of this isn't necessary! And in the end, as things currently stand, it's not like I can do much…" replied a slightly flustered Elton, once again thinking about the growing weight on his shoulders.
Prince Hunter cut in as he once again reaffirmed his decision.
"I'm not simply asking of these things knowing of your current situation, but I'm placing a bet on the future. It's not just you, but it's also those around you, as well as their future prospects."
Upon saying that, Prince Hunter glanced at both Shayleaf and Christy, who both confidently smiled and nodded as if only truth was being spoken. Afterwards, his eyes landed on the sitting Zoro for a moment.
Elton sighed as he finally relented. "Alright, Your Royal Highness. We have a deal, but also don't really rely on me too heavily…"
"Hahaha, excellent! Then that's how we will do things. I have another request as fellow members of the White Star Radiance group, though. It's about the Night's Light Devouring Church."
The moment Prince Hunter uttered those words, Zoro's eyes flashed open with murderous intent. Elton looked forward at Prince Hunter with a serious expression on his face. Christy had a face of indifference while Shayleaf had a slightly confused and curious expression.
"What about those guys?" Elton asked with raised eyebrows.
"I have recently given orders to expel those people outside of the Kingdom of Brawlmanica. Among them, only certain individuals shall be pardoned, such as anyone in the White Star Radiance group.
My request is simple: for the next four years, whenever possible, help us to get rid of those people. There are also two other factions that I will give you details on that we've grouped together for expulsion. What do you say?"
As Elton was preparing to think about how to answer this request, he looked over at Zoro, who was currently laced with killing intent and fighting spirit.
Without thinking about anything else, Elton gave his answer. "Then I will follow your arrangements, Your Royal Highness."
Prince Hunter nodded and then changed the topic for a bit.
"Hmm, you know what? How about this. I will refer to you as Sir Elton, and you can just call me Prince Hunter, like in the past. It truly is a bit tiring with these formalities after all…"
Elton just laughed as he nodded in agreement. They then had lighthearted discussions over a meal.
Elton called Ramiro, Amberleaf, Kageha, and Kuroha over, who were all the only ones readily available at this time, as they were close by anyways.
Here is Chapter 100 Part 2: Finally Leaving This Land fully reformatted with clean paragraph spacing and proper structure, preserving your exact wording while enhancing readability and presentation:
Much later, nearly into the early morning, Roosell, riddled with injuries, stood before a huge, red glowing tree. Right above the tree was the giant flying magical vehicle with its large platform, surrounded by the now almost destabilized barrier. Much further out was a huge, blood-ridden demon army, many of them injured, utilizing some sort of powerful demonic formation.
The skies within that area hummed with a heavy, suppressive might as purple essence energy continuously wrapped around and smashed into the Elven barrier. Many of the experts aboard the flying vehicle looked at the vast demon army with grim expressions. Even now, numerous demons' lives were being sacrificed by their leaders to fuel this deadly formation.
Roosell looked on with indifference, shaking his head. The faint seal on his head vaguely glowed as he looked around in astonishment at the actions taking place. He couldn't help muttering to himself:
"These fools really followed me here to do this… Are they just that foolish? Why haven't they noticed 'that'."
Devrak appeared next to him with a slight smile on his face. As he spoke,
"Ah, my good friend Roosell… Or are you perhaps my disciple? Or are you perhaps… Master?"
Roosell glanced over at Devrak before once again turning his attention to the giant tree in front of him.
"Is this idiocy your doing?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
Devrak gave an extremely wide smile before saying,
"Hehe, you could say that overall. Partway through the game, I decided to completely flip the chessboard and start anew, and so far the results have been interesting."
"Sheesh, you've always been a schemer, and it seems that will never change," Roosell replied.
"But I only learned from another incredible schemer myself, ya know?" Devrak sneered.
"No, I don't want to be grouped with the likes of you who schemes for entertainment… Whatever. The fact that you're here with me now, with that group standing over there in that spot, means that you're making an extremely risky life-and-death bet right now," Roosell said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Honestly, I came to you to confirm if I made the correct decisions. If it was any other version of you, I would have completely fled as far away from here as I could without question. But seeing that it's YOU, I feel as though I made the right call. After all, a Master can't just abandon his disciples and his grand-disciples and some of their bloodline, right?"
Roosell sighed heavily upon hearing this but didn't respond as he looked at the red glowing tree.
It was at this time the barrier surrounding the flying magical vehicle was destroyed, and waves of magic and Ki attacks from both sides exploded as they slammed into each other. The lands shook heavily from the explosive pressure. The Grand Demonic Formation once again fully activated as bursting waves of demonic essence were unleashed once more to deliver an all-mighty blow.
It was at this moment that suddenly Matriarch Sunflowria and the four Fanged Elf Grand Elders all wove a hand sign each. The three phantom-like Elves also wove a hand sign, and the entire magical vehicle seemed to completely fade into the skies as if being transported into another dimension. The Demonic Formation's attack completely missed in the process. But that wasn't all that happened…
Suddenly, it seemed as if the world became still as all of the trees and the mist throughout this entire area suddenly melted into a huge green and red liquid. The liquid was hot and spread everywhere like a huge, raging river.
At the center of it all, there was only one tree that did not melt. It was the giant tree that was beneath the flying magical vehicle, and also the same tree that Roosell had been watching the entire time.
Devrak, upon watching things escalate so quickly, felt all of his hairs stand on end as he began to shiver once he felt the magnitude of this power.
Many screams and shouts could be heard. Many of the demons tried to escape, but they were forcefully dragged back beneath the river to drown and be broken down as nutrients.
Suddenly appearing from the trunk of that giant tree was a face, and then shoulders, and finally two arms. This person looked to be none other than Farraleaf.
"Ahh, Farraleaf, my friend… I'm glad to see that you're alive and well," said Roosell with a slight smile on his face.
"You… Roo….sell… That young man….From That time…. Is still alive…" Farraleaf said with unfocused eyes as he watched Roosell, speaking with large, deliberate pauses.
"Yes, I have brought these fools here today as tribute, along with… this scheming disciple of many, and I guess my grand-disciples and some of their friends. As well as my own, hidden within the space in my body," Roosell said as he nodded and smiled, while also looking at the pitiful state of the proud man Farraleaf.
"…Heh… Hehehe… Is that so? Whatever business you have going on, I will not allow you to implicate my descendants, but since you have offered up such sacrifices, I will aid you one final time, but you will also be under a powerful blood oath restricting all of your fates from being intertwined with the Elves of Celebi Forest Kingdom… Also, I would like to make one thing perfectly clear… The future Vessel Guardian of my Fanged Elf clan will reserve the right to kill anyone of you if they deem you a threat. Take that for what you will…"
All of them fell silent. All of the people that came with Devrak were filled with fear and doubt as to whether any of this was worth it. Even Devrak himself was full of uncertainty…
Roosell, on the other hand, stated,
"I agree to all of your terms and conditions. In the first place, I personally don't even have ill will towards the elves, and for such a price to once again regain my freedom and memories, breaking free of this seal, how could I not take this chance?"
Farraleaf smiled and then replied,
"Excellent. Step into this tree. By the time you wake up, you will be out of this place and wherever Sunflowria or any of those others wishes to release you."
Roosell didn't utter another word as he walked into the tree.
Devrak was still very hesitant, but he knew time was winding down, so he decided to take the gamble.
"You all, I will leave the choice up to you all whether to take this gamble and join me in this opportunity. I'm going."
And just like that, Devrak also walked into the tree, completely disappearing from their sights.
Many were still extremely hesitant, but slowly but surely, most of them found the will to also walk into the tree and take this bet. Only a handful of them still couldn't make up their minds on whether to take this gamble, but regardless, time was already up.
The blood river evaporated and was absorbed into the giant tree. Afterwards, the giant tree shone with an incredibly bright, blazing green and red light before it vanished.
There were a small number of demons that survived the bloody baptism of the blood river, but their injuries were horrific, and they were on the brink of death. The remaining followers of Devrak looked around at such a horrible sight before attempting to flee back in the direction of where the Daemon region was located.
What they didn't notice was that a number of patches had appeared on their bodies and were starting to spread slowly as it ate away at their vitality…
Back on the reappeared Magical Vehicle, a small red and green tree appeared in Sunflowria's hands with a barrier surrounding it. She nodded, and then the Magical Vehicle took off at a rapid speed back in the direction of the Celebi Forest Kingdom.
It also goes without saying that besides Sunflowria, none of the experts on board saw the things that happened after disappearing into that space temporarily.
Finally, later in the morning, the sun had long since risen. The streets were vacant, and everyone was sitting in whatever housing structure was available. No one inside the barrier felt it, but a massive earthquake had struck and seemingly destroyed many of the lands within the Fae Region.
Many areas were completely uprooted, and hundreds of thousands of tiny magical spells would appear from time to time. When it all ended, all of the World Trees, certain kingdoms, and mountains all completely went missing. The bloody, gas-ridden trees still plagued the lands, even filling the missing areas in a far greater number than what was originally first seen on the surface.
Many hours later at night, in front of a certain area near the dimensional gate, there were fifteen giant flying magical vehicles, and they were being intercepted by twenty opposing giant vehicles. Once certain credentials were verified, they were all able to completely pass through without hindrance.
Christy, Erica, Amberleaf, and the others had already reluctantly gone back to their families and clans for the time being. Shayleaf, on the other hand, was unofficially pledged to him in advance, as her family happily and tearfully told Elton to take care of her, much to their shared embarrassment.
Elton and Shayleaf, unlike most of the others, were currently sitting in a small room by the window in the main flying magical vehicle together.
"Ah… So I am finally back… So many things have happened," said Elton as he looked at the somewhat familiar scenery with nostalgia.
"Ooohh!! So this is Brother Elly's homeland!! Hmm, cool! Eh, I think? Why does it look like a warzone?" asked the excited Shayleaf, while also feeling slightly let down by the immense damage.
"Ah, remember, there was a widespread war just before I entered your world, you know. Haah… I even suspect that there is still a major war taking place," Elton bitterly sighed at the thought.
"Hehe, it doesn't matter, Brother Elly, because from now on, we will face this world together for as long as we live. We are the future White Star Radiance Sect!! Doesn't that sound nice?!" Shayleaf said with a giggle.
"!!! Shhhh! Please tone it down a bit, Shay," Elton panicked as he covered her mouth, to which she just laughed even more.
"I pray that our adventures never end," whispered Shayleaf.