Chapter 438

Chapter 438

Uron bit down hard on his lips.

He could not tell where it had all gone wrong.

A nameless man had appeared with the Black Queen at his house, and disaster followed.

His home—once a fortress—lay half-destroyed. His beastman underlings were either dead or gravely wounded.

Only his son, Nokan, remained—and Nokan, bewitched by the Black Queen, now sought his life.

All of it had happened in the span of barely an hour.

Beneath his house, his secrets lay hidden.

The place where Nokan had been confined, the remains of the children he had fed him, and countless other pieces of evidence.

If he failed to cover this, his reputation would be ruined beyond repair.

I cannot allow that.

Even if he died here, he could not let his disgrace be exposed.

His reputation had to remain intact.

Even at the cost of his life.

All because of that girl Brula…

She had been full of life.

He had taken many children, but none had been as vibrant and beautiful as Brula.

Yet Brula was a rose hiding thorns.

Innocent in appearance, but strong-willed, resisting him until her death.

So he had been forced to kill her quickly, unable to keep her alive long.

He thought that would be the end of it.

Her father, Derod, was nothing more than a recluse who communed with insects—no threat at all.

He never imagined such a man could touch him. But contrary to expectation, Derod had proved far more dangerous.

Using his insects, he had stirred all of El Harun and unearthed the truth.

And worse—he had stolen the Black Horn in his quest for revenge. The Black Queen had come in his place, vowing to avenge Brula.

Each step had flowed too smoothly, like a script written by the heavens to orchestrate his downfall.

Damn it! Damn it!

Uron’s eyes flicked left and right in restless motion.

As he spun schemes to escape, his eyes betrayed his thoughts.

Which let Zeon read him as clearly as an open book.

“A hopeless creature.”

“What?”

“Even now, you think only of dodging responsibility.”

“What do you know to spew such nonsense? What responsibility do I bear? You’re the one who dragged that monster into El Harun. You’re as much a monster as she is.”

“Ridiculous. Tch.”

Zeon clicked his tongue in disgust.

He had faced many inhuman fiends, but never one so self-centered as Uron—an elf who shifted every burden to others.

It was as if he had no conscience at all.

If he had even a shred, he would never have committed such deeds.

Just speaking to him was repulsive.

Better to silence him permanently—for the sake of one’s sanity.

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Around Zeon, countless fire missiles rose into the air.

“W-what?”

Uron’s eyes widened in shock.

He tried to raise a defense, but with one arm already severed by Nokan, he had little strength left.

Zeon’s fire missiles launched.

“N-no!”

Uron screamed, clamping his eyes shut.

At that instant, someone leapt into their path.

“To think a human dares harm an elf.”

ZZZHHHKKK!

A barrier flared, intercepting every missile.

The one who had shielded Uron was a noble-looking elven woman of middle years.

Uron’s face lit with relief.

“Hera!”

“Lord Uron, stand back. I will face him.”

The cold voice belonged to Hera.

She had leapt in at the critical moment, saving Uron’s life.

Behind her, ranks of elven warriors appeared.

And not elves alone.

Warriors of the Giant Dwarves led by Kelota.

Mages of the Zela, led by Taboaru.

Beastman fighters under Repo.

One by one, they poured into the battlefield.

They had come in haste and not with full force, but still—over a thousand awakened now stood assembled.

A formidable host, united in one place.

All save Hera turned their focus upon Neria.

Her hair, a writhing mass of snakes, marked her as the Black Queen.

“She really is the Black Queen.”

“Snakes for hair… hideous.”

“But she doesn’t look so strong.”

The ring of awakened muttered among themselves.

Then Repo pushed forward through them, stepping beside Riala, who had fought Neria until now.

“You’ve done well, human!”

“Took you long enough. I sent word ages ago.”

“We had reasons. From here, we take over. You and the humans withdraw.”

“What?”

“You cannot handle the Black Queen. Stand down.”

“Ghh!”

“Don’t you see your comrades fallen? Withdraw now, while you still can save some. Preserve your strength.”

Riala’s face twisted with shame.

The beastmen already looked down on humans. To show weakness before them was unbearable.

Never before had the Hall of Guardians been so thoroughly defeated.

She wanted nothing more than to refuse—but reality left no choice. If more lives were lost, the humans of El Harun would have no defense against the other races’ pressure.

Pride or not, she had to preserve what forces remained.

Riala nodded curtly.

“Fine. We’ll pull back here. But beware—the Black Queen’s strength is beyond imagining.”

“Hah! In the end, she’s only a snake. And snakes are prey to us beastmen. Watch now—see how we butcher the Queen of Serpents.”

CRRACK!

Repo cracked his knuckles, striding toward Neria.

At his side, Kelota advanced, hefting a massive battle-axe.

He leveled it at Neria.

“Surrender, Black Queen. You have no chance.”

“A dwarf, are you?”

“Mind your tongue! We are Giant Dwarves.”

“Right. Stunted dwarves.”

“Ghh!”

Kelota’s face twisted with rage at the taboo word, spoken without care.

Neria only smiled, amused.

A dwarf, however large, was still a dwarf.

No matter how their size or strength grew, they could not escape the limits of their race.

Every being bore the boundaries of its species.

Unless, like her, it ceased to be that species at all.

As Kelota shook with fury, Repo stepped up.

“Black Queen! You die here. On this ground—”

“I wish it were so. Reeking beast!”

“What?”

“Your stench is so foul it makes my head ache.”

“Ghh!”

First Kelota, now Repo—both mocked.

From the rear, Taboaru spoke.

“Do not waste words. The more you speak, the more her forked tongue ensnares you. Mages—attack!”

The Zela magi, already prepared, unleashed their spells.

BOOOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

A storm of light and flame, like a fireworks display, rained upon Neria.

That was the signal.

“Uwooooh!”

“Kill the Black Queen!”

“End it here!”

Beastmen and Giant Dwarves charged with thunderous roars.

KWA-KWA-KWAAAANG!

A tide of attacks crashed upon Neria.

She did not evade—she took them all.

Fire missiles tore her flesh.

A dwarf’s axe drew blood.

Frost sealed her skin in ice.

Blades sliced through the serpents on her head.

Her body was whipped back and forth like reeds in a storm.

Muscles ruptured. Blood sprayed.

But still—she did not fall.

Even under blows that would have pulverized an S-rank awakened, she stood unbroken.

Seeing her fail to strike back only emboldened them.

They drove their assault harder.

KWA-KWA-KWAAAANG!

El Harun shook as if about to collapse.

“Hahh… hahh…”

“Is it over?”

Panting, the awakened stared at where Neria had stood.

Flames and smoke veiled her.

The ground was a wasteland, unrecognizable.

Not even a monster beyond S-rank could endure such a bombardment.

Victory seemed certain.

But Kelota, Repo, and Taboaru did not relax.

Something felt wrong.

The Black Queen cannot fall to this.

She had endured without striking back once.

Yes, their storm had left her no opening—but to accept it so passively was unnatural.

And then—

SSSSHHHHH.

A chilling hiss slithered through the smoke.

Repo shouted.

“Stay sharp! Something comes!”

Through fire and smoke, forms emerged.

Long, black bodies like ropes.

Kelota’s eyes went wide.

“Snakes?”

Forked red tongues flickered.

But there weren’t one or two.

SSSSHHHHK!

Thousands. Tens of thousands.

Snakes poured from the haze.

“Insane!”

“How many are there!?”

It defied all reason.

Neria had been alone.

Zeon was her only companion, and he was locked against Hera.

No aid could have come.

“Where did so many snakes appear from?”

“Wait—”

Then Kelota remembered a line from the Black Queen’s legend.

---

—From her blood, children shall be born…

---

The Queen’s children were snakes.

These serpents had been birthed from her blood.

Kelota understood at last—why she had accepted their blows without resistance.

Her wounds had spilled blood upon the ground.

And from every drop, snakes were born.

SSSSHHHH!

Tens of thousands of snakes, tongues flickering, surged toward the awakened.

Some bore wings.

Flying Serpents—known as

Bisa.

SHRIEEEEK!

They streaked through the air like missiles, sinking fangs into awakened throats.

“GYAAAH!”

“Khkk!”

Screams rang out.

Those bitten blackened in an instant, dead where they stood.

The Bisa had injected venom.

“Damn it! Guard yourselves!”

The true battle was only beginning.

SSSSHHHHK!

Then, through the flames, a colossal figure emerged.

Neria.

But no longer as before.

Her upper body remained human.

Her lower body was serpent.

And from her brow jutted a single black horn.

The Black Horn.

Returned to its rightful place.

This was the true form of the Black Queen.

Neria spoke.

“My children—bring ruin to El Harun.”