Fastest Hero

The battle raged on, Velisara Nath weaving through the relentless attacks of the shadow elves. Her holy light flickered and danced with every movement, repelling their dark magic and arrows. Though she held her own, the sheer number of enemies made it difficult—especially since she had to protect Olivia in her arms.

She leaped high, twisting mid-air as arrows shot toward her from multiple directions. With a swift motion, she swung her glowing branch, deflecting the deadly projectiles. But even with her skill, only having one free hand made things much harder.

A sharp laugh echoed through the battlefield.

"Hah! I see it now!" the shadow elf leader sneered, watching her movements closely. "You wield two weapons, don't you? How unfortunate… You can't use both hands because of that child."

His grin widened, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.

But before he could press his advantage, something shifted.

The elves around her suddenly hesitated, their attacks slowing. Then, their eyes snapped toward the east side of the forest. A strange silence followed—a moment of unnatural stillness.

The leader's expression darkened. His voice carried through the battlefield, thick with disbelief.

"Someone… someone slaughtered them all!" His grip tightened around his sword. "Every last one of them—gone! But who could possibly—?!"

His rage boiled over, and without hesitation, he lunged at Velisara. She barely managed to block the attack, but the sheer force sent vibrations through her arm, her feet sliding back against the ground.

Then, at the same time, the other elves loosed a volley of arrows.

Velisara gritted her teeth. She was locked in a clash with the leader, unable to dodge. The arrows were coming too fast—she wouldn't be able to deflect them all.

Then—

BOOM!

A roar of flames erupted through the air. A volley of fireballs collided mid-flight, incinerating the incoming arrows before they could reach her.

A split second later, a sharp gunshot rang out.

The shadow elf leader's body jerked violently as if struck by an unseen force. He skidded backward, his feet dragging across the dirt, barely managing to stay upright. His gaze snapped toward the source of the attack.

Velisara followed his line of sight—

And there, standing with a smoking firearm in hand, was none other than Mr. Smith.

His cold, piercing eyes locked onto the shadow elf leader, the barrel of his gun still aimed at him.

"Don't you dare lay your filthy eyes on my queen," Mr. Smith growled, his voice dripping with menace.

The shadow elf leader snarled, his violet eyes burning with rage.

"Re! Malakas! How dare you fire that pathetic weapon at me?! Do you even know who I am?!" he roared.

Mr. Smith exhaled sharply, unimpressed. "Fanabla."

Without another word, he shot forward like a bullet, closing the distance between them in an instant. The surrounding elves, seeing their leader under attack, immediately sprang into action to intercept him—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A rapid volley of gunfire echoed through the battlefield. Before the elves could react, several of them collapsed, their bodies dissolving into purple mist before they even understood what had happened.

Confused and alarmed, the remaining elves turned their heads toward the source of the gunfire—

A girl stood there, gripping a rifle-like weapon with an eerie calmness.

It was Mr. Smith's daughter.

The elves snarled and fired arrows at her in retaliation—

But Velisara was already moving.

With a burst of speed, she appeared between the arrows and the girl, deflecting every single projectile with her glowing sword. The golden light from her weapon left shimmering trails in the air as she moved, a barrier of divine power between the elves and their target.

As she landed, she gently set Olivia down beside Mr. Smith's daughter, her expression steady and reassuring.

Then, her gaze locked onto the shadow elf leader, who was still engaged with Smith.

"You," Velisara said, her voice echoing with power. "Now, you will witness the strength of a true hero—the one chosen by the gods."

A brilliant golden aura erupted around her, crackling with raw divine energy. Her long hair lifted, flowing as if caught in a celestial wind, strands shimmering like molten gold.

Olivia's breath hitched at the sight. "Mother…" Her voice trembled. "Thank you for protecting me…" Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Velisara looked back at her daughter, her fierce expression softening into a warm smile.

"Your mother is far more powerful than you can imagine."

Then, in the blink of an eye—

She vanished.

A golden flashstep.

She reappeared directly in front of the shadow elf leader. His sharp reflexes kicked in, but—

SLASH!

A devastating arc of holy light sliced through the air.

Fast. Too fast.

Even the shadow elves, known for their incredible speed, could barely register the attack.

The leader tried to retreat, but he was too slow—

A deep gash tore across his chest. A searing pain erupted through his body, and for the first time, his expression shifted from arrogance to shock.

The shadow elf leader gritted his teeth, his violet eyes flashing with fury.

"Tsoúla! You are a hero! I can't go easy on you!"

Velisara smirked, twirling her glowing sword effortlessly in her hand.

"When were you ever going easy on me?" she taunted. "Just admit it—you're too slow. You shadow elves may pride yourselves on your speed and mastery over shadows, but…"

Suddenly, she was gone.

A whisper brushed against the leader's ear from behind.

"…You see, I may be female, but I am the fastest hero in history. No one has ever surpassed me, and I doubt anyone ever will. Earlier in the battle, I held myself back for my daughter—I didn't want to risk injuring her."

His blood ran cold.

Instinctively, he tried to jump back—

But it was already too late.

As he moved, his body—his entire being—split apart.

For the first time, he realized—Velisara had already cut him down.

A sickening realization struck him as his vision blurred, his form dissolving into shadow.

When…? When did she even swing her sword?!

His thoughts raced. I just made a mistake by moving… If she is the Hero, then the one who massacred our forces in the jungle must be…

A sudden chill of fear gripped him.

"…A new Hero? Or… the Demon Ki—"

Before he could finish his thought, his body fully disintegrated, his final words fading into the wind.

Velisara stood still, her golden aura flickering around her. She let out a slow breath, her focus shifting.

She turned her gaze toward the eastern side of the forest.

She could feel it.

Something—or someone—was coming.