Asmodeus dropped to his knees.
The ground was still warm.
Soil that smelled of ash, all that remained of the elven realm.
Before him stood a single grave.
In truth, it was meant for thousands.
But it was impossible to dig a grave for each of them.
He did not carve names into the stone with the tip of his sword.
Because the names never ended.
Silently, he took out a small, withered flower from his pocket.
It was the kind elven children used to grow in their gardens.
He placed it on the grave.
"Forgive me," he said in a low voice.
"I was not strong enough to protect you."
The wind blew.
The ashes rose into the air.
After all, thousands of elves had perished.
Not only warriors…
But singers, children, and elders who carried ancient knowledge.
When Asmodeus stood up, there were no tears in his eyes.
Yet something inside him had quietly broken.
---
Meanwhile, in the elven realm—
This command left all the soldiers in shock.
Yggdrasil was the World Tree.
If it were to fall, the world would lose not only its balance, but its future.
"THIS ORDER IS INVALID!"
Uriel lunged at the messenger.
Holy armors clashed, mana tearing through the air.
"Who are you to defy my command?" he shouted.
The messenger did not move.
"This is the direct order of Pope Malachor," he said coldly.
"Abandon the elven realm."
Uriel wanted to respond.
But the words caught in his throat.
The weight of the Pope still pressed heavily upon the Church.
Holy authority was heavier than any sword.
---
From afar, a mysterious man watched the elven realm burn.
As the flames rose to the sky, his gaze remained calm.
"Everything is going according to plan," he said.
"The child is growing stronger."
---
The moment Asmodeus returned to the academy, Azrael summoned him.
"Did you obtain the branches of Yggdrasil?"
Asmodeus had no reason to lie.
"I did."
Azrael's eyes gleamed.
Those branches meant not only power, but permission.
"Then," he said slowly,
"I will give you the map of the island."
Asmodeus shook his head.
"No.
I am not strong enough to enter that place yet.
And… I still have time."
A faint smile appeared on Azrael's lips.
---
Asmodeus wanted to test how strong he had become.
He stepped forward.
"Azrael," he said.
"Would you spar with me?"
Azrael paused.
He did not want to harm Asmodeus before going to the island.
But he truly wanted to see his strength.
"I will hold back," he said at last.
---
The forbidden training ground opened.
It was a place where mana was suppressed and magic was tested in its rawest form.
The runes on the walls trembled.
Azrael did not move.
"Begin."
Asmodeus made the first move.
His sword came down like lightning.
Azrael deflected the blade with a single finger.
The ground collapsed.
Asmodeus was thrown back, but remained on his feet.
The seal within him trembled.
The second strike was faster.
But Azrael stopped it—
Or so he thought.
Asmodeus drew a hidden dagger from his other hand.
At the last moment.
Azrael stepped back.
"Good," he said.
"But not enough."
In an instant, he appeared before Asmodeus.
The blow to his chest did not break bones, but stole his breath.
Asmodeus dropped to one knee.
He stood up.
The essence of Yggdrasil echoed through his veins.
The pain did not retreat.
It deepened.
He launched one final attack.
This time, Azrael did not stop the blade.
The strike landed.
Azrael's armor cracked.
The arena fell silent.
Azrael stepped back.
"Enough," he said.
The match was over.
"It is still too early for the island," Azrael said.
"But now… you are no longer completely weak."
---
That night, Aeris was making preparations in her room.
According to what Yggdrasil had told them, they would first go to the Dwarven Realm.
Humans were not welcome in the Dragon Realm.
Asmodeus did not want to take Aeris with him, fearing she might be harmed,
but he could not enter the Dwarven Realm without her.
The seal of the Dwarven Realm belonged to Aeris's family.
At that moment, Aeris was not examining her armor,
but maps.
Ancient symbols marking the Dwarven Realm.
Asmodeus entered the room.
They sat without speaking.
The faces of their elven friends would not leave their minds.
"We lost them," Aeris finally said.
"Not just their bodies… the entire elven realm."
Asmodeus lowered his head.
"That's why the Dwarven Realm," Aeris said.
"The rune there."
Asmodeus did not know what the rune truly did either.
The elven rune had allowed him to use nature magic.
And they were not going to the Dwarven Realm for just one rune.
Perhaps they could strengthen Excalibur as well.
Something weighed heavily on Asmodeus's heart.
Aeris still had not told him her true identity.
But he understood her.
After all, Asmodeus himself had never spoken of his family or his true identity to Aeris.
---
Meanwhile, the mysterious man was reporting to the one they called the king.
"The elven realm has fallen, my lord.
There is a high probability their next destination will be the Dwarven Realm."
"Then it is time," said the man called king,
"to test the strength of the child from the prophecy."
Exactly one month later—
RELEASE KERBEROS INTO THE DWARVEN REALM.