I’ve Reincarnated into an Elf

Chapter 15

This is about 20 minutes before Eldmir lost consciousness.

Gah!

Normally, spirits don’t get hurt. They’re not affected by most physical force, and injuries from weapons rarely affect them either.

That’s because they are usually composed of natural elements, using their spirit form as a body.

But if the weapon has some magical properties or if the opponent is already at an extraordinary level, things are different.

And when the attack comes from someone as powerful as a Warhammer, everything changes.

The Warhammer’s double-headed axe struck Atir.

It didn’t cut with the blade, but he was hit with the flat side, so he didn’t die, but it still caused injury.

Ugh… It’s been 200 years since I’ve fought this fiercely.

“Looks like you’re a spirit that’s been around for at least 200 years. Ka Hran will probably be even more pleased than I thought.”

Shut up, trash. Do you think I’ll become your offering?

Atir growled fiercely, but the Warhammer ignored him.

“The thrill of hunting a raccoon is surprisingly satisfying!”

The monster laughed and swung the double-headed axe again.

Atir burned his spirit form to appear somewhere else, trying to hold on by using his powers, but he couldn’t keep this up for long.

He needed to find a way to defeat this monster.

Damn…

Once again, he barely dodged the incoming axe, shooting out flames, but the moster laughed and swung his axe, extinguishing the flames Atir sent out.

The monster’s monstrous strength effortlessly put out the fire, and Atir cursed under his breath.

Crazy. That’s no monster. That’s a master of monsters.

“Yeah. I’m the monster of monsters!”

…You brainless monster.

“Hahaha! You raccoon guy sure has a mouth on you!”

Shut your mouth, you beast!

Once again, the flames and the axe collided.

The light flashed, and the heat was so intense it could melt metal, shaking the forest.

Usually, Atir’s flames didn’t burn anything he didn’t intend to, but now, in his desperation, he was burning everything, including his beloved forest.

His teeth clenched, he roared in frustration.

Yaaaah! Just die, you damn monster!

“Heh. You think I’ll die from that lukewarm fire?”

The monster, even with his entire body burned, laughed and taunted Atir.

The flames Atir shot not only set the forest on fire but also heated the monster’s weapon, burning his whole body.

But still, the monster didn’t die. He just mocked the flames, saying they weren’t hot enough.

“By the way, you’re quite slippery. You’ve got some fight in you, I thought you’d be an easy target, but you’re making this hunting more interesting. Heh.”

You mad bastard.

Atir felt chills seeing the monster smile despite being in such a state.

That last strike had drained almost all his energy. He could no longer burn his spirit form, and he barely had enough strength to shoot out another flame.

Even though that was supposed to be his finishing blow, it hadn’t even come close to threatening the monster’s life.

He was just wounded, his life still burning strong.

“My name is Dkagya! I’ll swallow every last bit of the flames you throw at me!”

The orc, Dkagya, growled as his footsteps shook the ground with every step.

His presence was like a terrifying storm to the forest.

Damn it, you just won’t die.

Preparing his last flame, Atir was also ready to sever his contract. His death would be a huge blow to his contractor’s mind.

Even if severing the contract didn’t eliminate all the damage, it would at least minimize it somewhat.

So this is how I end, huh? As a wild spirit.

A bitter feeling filled Atir’s chest.

But even so, he was ready for death.

Even if I die, those kids won’t be harmed.

If he couldn’t take his heart, he’d at least take one of his legs.

That way, no matter who the monster was, he wouldn’t be able to chase the others down in the forest.

You think you’ll swallow my last flame?

Angry flames blazed at Atir’s lips. He roared as his whole body burned, his flames rising like a mane.

His body was on fire.

Let’s see if you can handle this!

With a fierce charge, Atir threw himself into the monster, who took it all in with wild enthusiasm.

With his yellow teeth bared, the monster grinned with pleasure.

“Ka! Glory to Ka Hran!”

Dkagya’s life could be summed up by a single word: battle. His life had been stained with blood from countless fights.

His birth was a celebration for battle, and his entire life was a grueling ordeal dedicated to combat.

Everything he did was a ritual for his god, the prosperity of his race, and his own honor and glory.

His entire legacy was built through battle, and his reverence for combat was both his belief and his faith in serving his god.

It was the very essence of his life.

So, it was no surprise that he couldn’t help but enjoy his first battle of this kind. His first fight against a spirit.

It was another significant moment in his saga, another fresh start in his life.

“WWWWWWWRRRRRR!!!”

A terrifying roar erupted, shaking the forest. It had the overwhelming force of pure violence behind it.

In the midst of that roar, Atir struggled to hold onto his flames. His body was on the verge of going out, yet it wouldn’t end in such a pitiful way.

At least I’ll take one of his legs.

He was ready to sever the contract. The moment his body collided with the enemy’s leg, the contract would end, and his long life would finally come to a close.

It’s been fun, Esiria. And… I hate to admit it, Eldmir, but you too.

Thinking of those two faces one last time, Atir finally launched his body forward.

With an explosive sound, his body shot out like a bullet, and as he rapidly closed the distance to Dkagya, he closed his eyes.

That was the moment.

Atir.

A faint flicker of consciousness still lingered, and a wave of awareness spread through him.

What?

Rest for a while.

The consciousness quickly became a will that took over his body. It was rare for his contractor to assert their control, and Atir couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly to himself.

The flame he poured his all into was snuffed out without a fight, and his body withered away. Finally, his time had reached.

Well, mind-linking is that kind of ability. It’s definitely got side effects, but still, the fact that you can feel each other is a huge advantage.

Especially when it comes to the relationship between elves and spirits.

The place we’re in is on the outskirts of the World Tree Forest, in the southwest. Actually, it’s closer to the west.

When I think about how our village was at the far southern edge, it feels like we’ve come quite a way, though we’re still pretty close to the outskirts.

The little ones still have a long way to go, though. They’ll need to head northwest, walk out of the forest, and keep going for a while.

But anyway, we were saved by the protectors of this village.

Well, actually, there were protectors from dozens of villages, but the closest village to where I collapsed happened to be this one, so we were guided here by their protectors.

Thanks to that, I managed to save my life just in time.

Even though I was in a state that barely resembled a human, I got back to my normal self with the help of the healing magic from the spirits and elves.

“When can you summon Atir again?”

I suddenly changed the topic, and my mother looked like she was thinking it over carefully.

“Probably not for at least a week… He’ll need time to recover, considering the energy he used up while risking his life.”

“Even though you asked him to, I’m surprised he’d risk his life for the beastmen.”

That rebellious spirit had gotten so close with those kids?

I tilted my head in curiosity, and my mother gave me a warm smile.

“Atir risked his life for you, Er.”

“…Why am I involved in this?”

I asked with wide eyes, and my mother gently took my hand where the bandage wasn’t wrapped, speaking softly.

“He knew how much those kids meant to you. I don’t know exactly what you were thinking, but he knew you were counting on them. That’s why he went that far.”

That…

I lost my words for a moment, but then I just laughed and shook my head.

“No way. That rebellious spirit went that far for me? There’s no way he thought that much about me…”

“….”

“Wha—”

“What?”

“…Never mind.”

If he was going to do that much, he could’ve just talked to the other spirits and helped me make a contract. Damn him.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and asked,

“By the way, did you finish explaining everything to the villagers? I don’t think this village, being one that isn’t really used to interacting with beastmen, would be too hostile…”

“Hm.”

My mother seemed to be thinking it over again, then she furrowed her brow and sighed.

Then she gave an unexpected answer.

“They wouldn’t even listen. When I begged them, saying that I had made a vow with my son to protect them, they only stopped trying to kill them after that. They were probably really mad since they thought the kids were the reason the monsters invaded the forest.”

“Ugh…”

Oh no.

I couldn’t argue with that. Still, I was surprised that the elves got that angry over the kids.

“Maybe when I’m fully healed, we should just run away with them in the middle of the night.”

At that, my mother looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“Make some sense, will you?”

“No… It’s not totally unreasonable.”

The cats’ stealth abilities had already been proven when they escaped from the monsters with Teia, and even though the protectors might track us, once my body is healed, I’m confident we can slip away and escape unnoticed.

The only issue is the speed. But if we take advantage of the night, we might have a chance.

Yeah. A chance.

…Well, at least a chance.

“Doesn’t make any sense.”

I decided to quietly reflect on myself.