Killing intent flooded the air around him.

As expected of an elven strike force capable of moving freely beyond their borders—their presence was as sharp as knives, each breath like the prick of a finely honed dagger against his skin.

I knew they’d come eventually...

But he hadn’t expected them this soon.

Hadn’t Bellaruna said that just convening the council and selecting who to send outside the kingdom would take time?

Ludger wondered if he had been foolish to believe her words, but the more pressing question lingered—

They hadn’t come to the capital; they had followed him here, to Rederbelk, right into Royal Street.

That much he could accept.

But why were they targeting him?

“Do you need something from me? You’ve mistaken me for someone else—I haven’t done anything to cross the elves.”

He tried speaking first, just in case there was room for negotiation.

No answer came.

From under their green, hooded cloaks, their eyes glinted coldly, filled with disdain.

It wasn’t a professional soldier’s silence; it was contempt.

Right... elves were known to loathe and look down on humans.

Elves were born with far more than humans—

Long life, beauty, affinity with nature, talent in magic and spirit arts...

Their bodies were so light they could walk across fallen leaves without leaving a trace.

They called humans short-lived or inferior beings.

In their isolated kingdom, that arrogance had only deepened.

“Well, then.”

There was no avoiding this fight.

Ludger sighed and drew his staff, the one adorned with the raven insignia.

The instant it left his hand, an arrow shot at him from behind.

Whsst!

It was a precise ambush aimed at his blind spot, but Ludger was already aware of it.

He tapped his staff lightly on the ground, and earthen walls shot up.

Thunk! Thunk!

The arrows buried themselves deep, vibrating violently.

Ordinary arrows would have snapped on impact. These had sunk in to the fletching.

Faster than bullets and far more destructive...

These were no ordinary archers—only elite elves could shoot like this.

The arrows are imbued with energy, too.

There was no doubt. Whether it was wind magic or spirit power, each arrow carried dense rotational force, cutting through the air with no resistance.

This is worse than dealing with gangs with guns.

Guns could be silenced with a single Silence of Fire spell.

But archers like these were a different problem altogether.

And there are melee fighters as well.

Ludger tilted his head back, and a thin sword sliced through where it had been.

Quiet and fast.

The strike came before he could even raise a defensive spell.

They knew exactly how to fight a mage—never give him time to cast.

The elven warrior, wielding twin blades, pressed forward. His arms crossed and swept outward in a flurry of relentless strikes.

Ludger almost evaded but changed his mind. Dodging would only prolong this.

He raised his staff.

The elf sneered.

A mage? Trying to fight a swordsman in close combat?

Clang!

Twin swords crashed against Ludger’s staff.

The elf tried to cleave him down, only to frown at the resistance he felt through the blades.

In the next instant, Ludger pulled a swordstick from inside the staff.

The elf instinctively leapt back before his eyes could even process it.

Shnk!

His hood split neatly in half.

Landing, the elf reached up and touched his forehead, realizing just how close he had been to death—one heartbeat slower and his head would’ve been cleaved open.

His eyes trembled as if to ask—

A mage... with a weapon like that?

Ludger clicked his tongue, disappointed.

“Tch. I thought I could take one of you out with that.”

It had been a near-perfect ambush, exploiting their assumption that he was just a mage.

But the elf’s natural reflexes had saved him.

Infuriated, the elf’s face flushed with anger.

“Attack all at once!”

The archers unleashed a barrage.

Their rate of fire rivaled machine guns.

Ludger fired his grappling gun, shooting into the air. His body soared upward to the rooftop.

The elves, startled for only a second, quickly regained their composure. Experienced fighters, they sprinted up the walls—silent as cats, using windowsills, pipes, and ladders to launch themselves skyward.

As they reached him, swords drawn, they saw something terrifying.

Ludger’s body was swallowed by shadows.

Shuuaaa...

His form condensed into a single black dot and vanished.

“Where—where is he?!”

“Where did that short-lived one go?!”

The airborne elves looked around in confusion.

Their keen senses should have found him instantly, even if he hid—

But there was nothing.

Then—

—Power surged beneath their feet.

Their eyes widened in panic as they looked down.

In the alley below, Ludger stood, spell aimed at them.

[Surging Flames]

Fwoooosh!

A massive pillar of fire roared upward, swallowing them whole.

Even agile elves had no way to dodge in midair.

Ludger narrowed his eyes as the flames dissipated.

The elves were singed, robes scorched, but alive.

Spirits...

Indeed—

Wind and water spirits hovered around them, forming a protective barrier.

“So, you don’t fight alone either.”

The elves scowled at his ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) remark.

Did they really need spirits against a mere short-lived human? The thought was humiliating.

Ludger ignored them, shifting his attention.

The melee fighters were in the air, but the archers were still on the ground.

Through his raven mask, his sharp gaze swept toward the archers.

Sensing danger, the bow-wielding elves retreated.

“Fall back!”

“Keep firing!”

They loosed arrows while moving, but Ludger didn’t bother dodging.

Ater Nocturnus swirled around him, shadowy arms swatting arrows from the air.

He darted forward, closing the distance instantly.

“You—You’re keeping up?!”

The elf gasped, panicked, and fired again.

The arrows shattered against the shadows.

Grinding his teeth, the elf summoned a spirit.

A translucent bird appeared.

“My friend! Strike him down!”

The spirit did not move.

“My friend!”

Again, nothing.

The elf’s eyes widened. The spirit... was trembling.

Is it... afraid? Of a human?

But there was no mistaking it—the spirit was frozen in terror.

Shnk!

A blade of shadow pierced the spirit, instantly dispelling it.

Ludger was already standing before the elf, who turned pale.

“H-How... how can a mere human—?!”

“If you wanted to use a spirit against me, you should’ve summoned at least an intermediate one.”

Ludger grabbed the elf by the throat and lifted him effortlessly.

“Y-You damned short-lived—!”

The others shot arrows, but Ater Nocturnus batted them away.

Panicking, the archers summoned their spirits. But every spirit flinched, refusing to move.

Behind his mask, Ludger’s eyes curved like a crescent moon as he laughed.

“Step aside.”

A delicate voice cried out.

Suddenly, roots burst from the ground, wrapping around Ludger’s legs.

“A druid, huh?”

Elves were born with spirits and trained with swords or bows.

But some, gifted in manipulating nature and magic, were revered as druids—

Elven mages and priests.

The druid extended her arms, and the roots climbed higher, binding Ludger’s body.

“Short-lived one! Release my kin at once!”

As if you didn’t come here to kill me.

“Fine. I’ll release him.”

Ludger tightened his grip, enhancing his strength with mana.

Crack!

The elf’s neck snapped, and his lifeless body fell.

Turning to the druid, Ludger asked calmly—

“I released him. So, who’s the short-lived one now?”

“Y-You... Die!”

The roots squeezed with enough force to crush steel.

But Ludger only yawned.

With a flex of his limbs, the roots tore apart.

The druid summoned a giant flower, scattering green powder.

Strength drained from Ludger’s limbs, while the elves around her seemed revitalized.

She smirked as Ludger staggered.

“With that body, you can do nothing—”

Bang!

Her head snapped back as a hole bloomed in her forehead.

The elves stared in shock as her body collapsed.

“Talked too much. Didn’t expect this, did you?”

Ludger lowered his black revolver with a smirk.

A mage using a sword was strange enough—

But a mage pulling a gun?

With the druid dead, the massive flower withered, and the green powder dispersed.

“Kill him!”

Recovering melee fighters leapt from the rooftops.

Ludger didn’t even look at them.

“It’s time. Come out.”

The elves frowned, confused—

Then a storm slammed into them.

A massive figure moved faster than sound, barreling through them.

A whirlwind ripped through the alley, tossing the light-bodied elves like ragdolls.

If Ater Nocturnus hadn’t pinned Ludger to the ground, even he might have been blown away.

“Quite the flashy entrance.”

Ludger turned around.

A massive beastkin stood there, long white hair fluttering.

Though still bulky, his presence now radiated power.

“Phantos.”

The beastkin turned his stoic gaze to Ludger, eyes blazing with a warrior’s hunger.

“Leave the leader. Kill the rest.”

Phantos bared his teeth in a rare grin.

That was exactly what he wanted to hear.