In the middle of the forest, surrounded by withered trees, stood the camp of the skin hunters who intended to burn Ebony alive.
But standing before them was an enemy presence. He wore black leather clothes covered by a worn violet cloth hood that, once removed, revealed his identity—a dark elf with a cynical smile, ready to carry out his job.
"Easy, easy, I'm not here for trouble. It would be a shame if I ended you when there are so few survivors left of your kind," the pale elf said with a grin.
"Don't pretend you can win this fight, filthy elf… You're not welcome in this forest or any other, so get out before my people finish the job the humans couldn't," the leader of the hunters said, using her magic to amplify her voice.
"That sounds interesting. You say you can win? In that case, I imagine you've got a few hidden cards. That's tempting… But no, no, I was only hired to steal the necklace that girl is carrying." The elf pointed at Ebony with his finger.
The blonde was tied to a trunk in the middle of the skin hunters' camp, and beneath her feet the fire was beginning to spread through the green logs her captors had arranged to burn her alive.
"Emmm… (Damn it, this is bad, that elf looks like a psychopath. I don't sense much magical power from him, but I'm guessing he's dangerous… Either way, I'm going to burn to death if I don't do something…)" the blonde thought as sweat ran down her cheek.
However, at that moment, as she tried to focus, she began to notice that even though the fire was starting to surround her, it wasn't burning her at all. The temperature was rising, yes, but it caused no pain.
Just then, the necklace hidden beneath her clothes began to vibrate faintly, responding with the life energy contained within the magical crystal embedded in it.
"(Okay… This is interesting. I guess these idiots mistook my essence for the necklace's… Heh, this is perfect.)"
"I… I do have the necklace… But I was paid to deliver it, and it's my guild's honor to complete a job… sooo… I'll give it to you!" Ebony said with a relieved smile.
"Oh my, you're smarter than the owner of that tavern. That makes me happy. I won't have to slit anyone's throat then," the dark elf said as he calmly stepped forward.
The skin hunters immediately went on guard, raising their bows and readying their arrows.
"Relax, it's fine. Hey, pointy ears, how about you stay right there? We don't want any conflict, right? Better, umm… Hey, tribe chief, how about you take the necklace out of my clothes and hand it to this guy?" the blonde said in a friendly tone.
"As you wish… But hurry up. I don't have much patience," the pale elf said flatly as he crossed his arms.
The hunters' chief stepped forward and slipped her hand down the blonde's neckline, searching for the necklace hidden there.
Both of them looked away as they felt each other's skin, though the only one blushing was Ebony.
When she found the necklace, she pulled it out and, ready to hand it over, approached the black-haired elf.
However, with each step the white-haired girl began to hesitate. The necklace in her hands, set with a blue gemstone, started to glow—it was reacting to the heat of the bonfire.
Just a few steps away from the elf, the hunters' chief understood. The necklace was the one imprisoning a spirit. It wasn't the girl they were trying to free—it was the necklace.
Without saying a word, she stopped short and looked at her people, who instantly nodded, confirming what they all seemed to feel and think at that moment—the necklace was worth it.
"Mmmm… Damn it…" the elf muttered with a tired, disappointed sigh. He then drew his black sword, its blade thick and curved.
In an instant, the elf slashed, attempting to separate the chief's head from the rest of her body, but the woman tilted her entire body and managed to dodge the attack.
Every member of the tribe began firing arrows in a joint attempt to kill the elf, but with a wide grin he stuck out his tongue. On it was a reddish marking shaped like a serpent.
{{Dark Magic: Midnight Mist}}
Just centimeters before impact, the elf's body turned into a dark mist, allowing every arrow to pass through.
The mist was dense and heavy, so much so that it began spreading along the ground, covering it completely.
Immediately, the hunters' leader let out a whistle so sharp that everyone present understood the command.
With a leap, all the hunters moved away from the mist-covered ground and ended up standing on the branches of the trees—everyone except the leader.
With sharpened focus, the woman scanned the mist until suddenly the elf emerged behind her from that black gas as if it were a sea in which only he could swim.
With his sword, he once again tried to slice the white-haired woman's neck, but with a simple movement she dodged.
"Ha ha ha ha! Well done, that's how I like it! The prey must always fight back until the very end!" the elf shouted, laughing nonstop with a voice distorted by the magic he was using.
The instant he missed, the elf sank back into the mist as if his body were instantly swallowed, only to reemerge with another strike.
Slash after slash, he surfaced and submerged rapidly, but the huntress, far from fearing for her life, kept her face focused as she moved her body with delicate precision.
A deadly dance began to take shape in the middle of the hunters' camp. Meanwhile, Ebony, witnessing such a spectacle between monsters, could do nothing but scream.
"Just let me out already, damn it! You've already seen I'm not a fucking spirit! Let me go, you lunatics, then kill each other if you want!" she shouted desperately as the rising temperature of the bonfire began to take its toll, making it hard for her to think clearly.
Hearing the blonde's complaints, the black-haired elf couldn't help but laugh at her suffering—but that distracted him for a single second.
One second that the leader seized to land a firm strike in the middle of the psychopath's ribs.
{{Spiritual Magic: Bear Skin: Thunder Claw x3}}
The instant contact was made, an explosion of lightning born from the woman's fist blasted the dark elf several meters away as his body smashed through tree after tree.
"HA HA HA YES! That's it, that's it! Fight back, woman! I want to see how much your shitty people have for the human race to fear you!" the elf shouted as he rose from the ground, spitting blood from his mouth.
The elf, now ecstatic from the pain, began chanting a spell in the Dead Tongue, unleashing a torrent of violet magic that wrapped around his body—a language only the undead could speak, and of course, hybrids like him as well.