"My guards failed. My children failed. And you… are running inside my queen's castle."
He looked at the remains on the ground without any emotion. Raising his hand, space bent around his fingers.
"I am honestly tired."
Enrico took a step forward, the lines of fire trembling around him in the presence of someone who had reached the ninth circle. Malik took another step forward. The ancient elven symbols on the walls bent, like subjects bowing before an almost divine elf.
"You look at me as if you already know me."
His green eyes rested on Enrico, and beyond the boy appearing quite calm, he saw in his eyes that the boy in front of him recognized him, even though he had never gone to the human world many times.
"That is curious."
At that moment, memories from his world when he read the original story came to Enrico's mind, who, even appearing calm, was still sweating a little due to the presence of the person in front of him.
"What a troublesome guy."
Lying on a somewhat old bed, Saul read his favorite story. He was seeing the appearance of one of the main enemies of the Elf Arc.
Malik was not just any antagonist. In the original story, he was known as the Guardian of the Green Twilight — one of the four elves who had survived the Great Dimensional Rupture. A ninth-circle capable of entering the top five humans if he were on the continent.
"He's very hardheaded."
He followed that princess because he firmly believed that this was the path his brother should have taken years ago. Even so, he had to follow his brother because he was the eldest and the strongest. The good thing for him was that his brother died of an illness, and one of his daughters followed the same beliefs he had always held. And because of that, he wanted to reach the tenth circle.
In the story, Malik had been the general who led the defense against the human invasion centuries ago. It was he who sealed portals, sacrificed entire forests, and executed traitors — including members of his own family according to his beliefs.
"Good thing they weren't alone."
Thanks to someone from the elven world, they managed to fight him in the original story. Someone who followed Elaris would help whoever was against Malik.
"He…"
Enrico was sweating more, but he let out a small smile before becoming serious again. Malik slightly tilted his head.
"Interesting… You are not afraid like the others. You look at me like someone who already knows my history."
His green eyes narrowed sharply and the pressure increased, making Lyria sweat and Galahard grit his teeth.
The pressure increased a bit more.
It wasn't abrupt — Malik didn't need that. It was as if the world itself was testing who there had the right to keep breathing. The lines of fire around Enrico compressed, grinding like heated metal.
"Fear?"
Enrico replied, his voice far too firm for someone standing before a ninth circle. He needed to buy some time, so he had to think of something quickly.
"No. I just know how to recognize when someone has already lost a long time ago."
For a brief instant, the corridor seemed to freeze. Sicra's eyes widened, Galahard held his breath, and Lyria felt her heart almost leap out of her chest.
Malik smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. Nor an angry one. It was the smile of someone who had just found something unexpected, and Enrico knew exactly why.
'He likes to prove his beliefs right when someone disagrees. He might even be irritated by the failure of the guards and his children, but he can't resist crushing his opponents' ideas.'
"Lost?"
He repeated with his own mouth, taking another step forward. The ground crystallized beneath his feet with ancient green symbols. Along with a wind around him and mana birds.
"Explain why you think that."
Enrico took a deep breath, as if he were just having a conversation — but inside, every second was counted. He didn't want to reveal information, so he would use what had been shown in that place.
"You talk about failures as if they were others'. The guards'. Your children's. Those who died just moments ago. But you never talk about the greatest failure."
"What do you mean?"
"The wrong choice."
Malik seemed like he wanted to start laughing, but he restrained himself impressively, because this boy was being entertaining. To him, Enrico was so young and so stupid.
'He must think I'm stupid… well, I'm just buying time.'
"In what kind of choice did I fail?"
"The wrong princess."
'…He's buying time.'
Sicra, at a distance, had begun to realize Enrico's actions. She didn't know why, since it was impossible to escape from that place, but she would trust the heretic in front of her.
"And why would that be the wrong choice? Would it be the different ideals of the two? Or the level of prodigy—"
"Why are you saying all this? It's obvious that the one who will win this battle for the throne will be Elaris."
Malik's face faltered a little. He had thought this would be a discussion of ideals about which side was right or something similar. Meanwhile, Enrico's smile grew when he saw a magic circle appear beneath his feet and a voice coming from the circle was heard all around.
"Hahahah, you're right, boy."
Malik noticed the magic circle beneath his feet and realized what had happened. Pointing forward with his fingers, but the four opponents disappeared. Recognizing that the power and speed of the magic circle were from another ninth circle, Malik snorted.
'I have to say, he's still the same, always watching for people who might go to Elaris's side.'
But honestly, what he found interesting was the boy Enrico. He seemed to know more than he had shown at that moment, and besides that, he was certain that those words about Elaris's victory were not entirely true.
'He has some other reason to be on her side… I'm sure of it.'