"Haaaaaa!!!" Freya yelled as she descended from the tall cliff, plunging straight for the Demon Beasts beneath.
Thick clouds of purple smoke filled the area, and even someone as powerful as her would fall within five minutes.
Was this also her optimism, or...?
Regardless, she refused to give in to the creeping fear that plagued her.
Being alive for over a hundred years was nothing especially spectacular to an Elf, but... her life had been somewhat full, hadn't it?
If it was for the sake of her comrades, Freya knew she would gladly give her life in a heartbeat.
Still, was her sacrifice going to be in vain?
Five minutes.
That was all she could buy for everyone.
It sounded like a cruel joke, but... that was the unfortunate reality she had been saddled with.
"Your opponent is meeee!!!" Her voice got the attention of the monsters who were already planning on leaving their barricaded prison.
>BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!<
The barrage of flames that she sent their way was a nice welcome present, causing several of them to burn thanks to the intensity of her strike.
Now stopping their giant bodies thanks to the annoying interference of a single Elf, the beasts glared in Freya's direction.
"GURRUUUUUU..."
A mix of Monsters and Demonic influence were the beings who stood before Freya; The Demon Beasts were ruthless and complete savages.
Unlike Elves who had more refined methods of using Magic, they simply used brute force to decimate their enemies.
"Keukk!" Freya could already feel the effects of the Miasma hitting her body.
She had used Mana to protect herself, but the thick Miasma had already damaged her protective layer.
'I need to make it stronger... so I can last longer!' Freya stiffened her expression and returned the glare of her enemies.
"Come!" She said, summoning her Spirit Blade.
A sword forged with her Mana and the environment's energy—using materials from the World Tree as a catalyst—only a few had the privilege of holding such a weapon.
The blade's power ran through Freya's body, and she felt a huge spike in her abilities.
"GURAAAAA!!!" The three hundred monsters lunged at her.
'If I don't deal decisive hits, they'll keep healing!'
Fatal strikes were the only things she had to achieve.
>VWOOOSH!!!<
She leaped into action, allowing the little Mana around her to carry her body as she glided through the air.
Elves utilized the aid of surrounding Mana in any endeavor they did.
With only Miasma pervading the area, Freya could only rely on her own Mana Pool—making her unable to fight with all she had.
Still, complaints were useless in battle.
What she had to do hadn't changed.
"Hiyaaaaaa!!!"
With beautifully fluid motions, she cut down her first Demon Beast with her blade, quickly lunging toward the next one.
Wasting no movement and ensuring her goal was the immediate deaths of her enemies, Freya killed the second one, and then moved to the third.
However...
>BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<
A dark pulse of immense power pushed her away.
Her body was assailed by shock and the immediate invasion of Miasma.
'N—no!!!'
Her Protective Layer had vanished, allowing the negative energy to seep into her body.
It was rapid and completely unexpected.
Freya's green eyes bulged upon realizing that the effects of her corruption were far greater than what she had expected.
Of course, it would be!
Compared to the first time the Demon Beasts invaded, the Miasma density had risen to an unprecedented amount.
"Guark!" She coughed out darkened blood and felt her body turn against her.
At this rate, she wouldn't be able to last three minutes.
Even in that period, Freya was completely powerless—unable to mold any Mana to defend herself.
Before she got a proper grasp of her bearing, her eyes spotted the hulking Demon Beasts.
They surrounded her, outnumbering her line figure three hundred to one.
She could see the utterly wicked gaze they gave her, as well as their malevolent grins.
She was powerless, unable to resist.
And then—
>POW!<
"Arrghh!" A kick directly to her stomach sent the Elf flying into the air.
Her armor—which had already been corroded by the Miasma shattered apart, leaving her bare skin completely open to the harsh embrace of darkness.
The time left toward her death shortened drastically.
Still, if that was all, then perhaps Freya would have been able to die a somewhat uneventful death.
However, the Demon Beasts were not so merciful.
>POW!<
Yet another hit—this time, a punch—was sent to her bare face, causing the white-haired Elf to cough out more blood and groan in agony.
>BOOOMMM<
She crashed upon the dark, corrupt ground.
A place that once bustled with life and exuberance was now withering away... thanks to Miasma.
"Puak!" More darkened blood, spilled out.
At this point, Freya had completely lost all her hope and optimism.
She, a mere shell of her former self, was now completely wasted.
Not only had she received external injuries, but the internal situation of her body was far worse.
'The poison has spread everywhere...'
In a few seconds, she would be dead.
Even then... the Demon Beasts would not let her be.
Her death would be anything but peaceful. Still, they could have at least left her to rot away.
But, no!
The hulking figures surrounded her once more, ready to resume their barrage of hardcore punches and kicks until the Elven body was nothing more than a broken toy—a useless lump of meat.
These sadistic beings were that depraved.
'I'm... so sorry.. everyone...' Freya's thoughts trailed as she realized her fate.
Pain!
Unbearable agony seared through her.
Yet, all Freya could think of were her comrades... and her family.
Her mother. Her father. Her two brothers. And, she couldn't forget... her annoying cousin.
Freya's end was near—no, it had already arrived.
So, just as she was taught—she accepted it wholeheartedly.
Even if she didn't want to, the Elf realized that letting go was the only path to relief.
Regrets assailed her, but... she had done all she could do.
'Maya... everyone... I leave the rest... to you...'
However, even in the depths of her despair, something crept up from within her.
—Her unfading optimism.
'Reinforcements... please...'
It could have been a death wish, but, Freya prayed with all her might.
'... Help us.'
That was her final duty, as the First Princess of the Elf Kingdom.
