The Author's POV

The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut through with a knife. Waylan's smile vanished in an instant, leaving behind a stoic expression devoid of any emotion.

His clear eyes began to cloud over, and in just a matter of seconds, they turned pitch black. But upon closer inspection, they were much more than just a dark void.

As I gazed into his eyes, I could see the reflection of the entire cosmos staring back at me.

The swirling galaxies, the shining stars, and the infinite expanse of space were all contained within Waylan's eyes.

"Is this your answer?"

Waylan's voice boomed across the room, carrying with it an ancient quality that made the powers within my body tremble.

I felt a sudden pressure crash onto me, and I struggled to keep my footing. Despite the weight bearing down on me, I refused to falter and stood my ground.

"Even after I conceded and allowed you to work with us, you still choose to work against us?"

Waylan's gaze was cold and unforgiving, and I knew that I was in deep trouble.

"Arrogant."

He spat, and the cosmos within his eyes began to expand, slowly creeping up the walls of the room.

I watched in seriousness as the stars and galaxies began to envelop everything around me, slowly but surely.

Even in the face of such overwhelming power, I remained composed/

"Arrogant, huh?"

I managed to gasp out, struggling against the immense pressure that threatened to crush me.

"Would knowing that I'd get disposed of after serving my usefulness count as me being arrogant? …Rather, instead of arrogant, shouldn't you be saying something along the lines of self-aware?"

I was no fool.

The information that Ryan had sent me coincided with everything that I had managed to figure out myself, and I knew that Waylan wasn't someone who'd spare someone that had lived up to their usefulness.

He couldn't fool me, and I knew that he needed to die, regardless of whether he'd eliminate me after.

'He needs to die regardless.'

I thought to myself, my resolve hardening with each passing second. His existence was something that needed to be eliminated to have any chance at the third cataclysm that was soon going to come.

"Self-Aware?"

Waylan looked at me with a calm expression, musing over my words very carefully. It wasn't long before he shook his head.

"You're the last thing from self-aware. If you were self-aware, you'd know which side to join."

found myself in a cosmic background filled with stars

on nothing at all. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and I

"Are you surprised?"

my reverie, pulling me back to reality. I turned to face

I'm surprised. Where have you brought

managed to send me here, I never felt a thing, unlike when

that you can't tell where we are considering that

through me, and the white glow that emanated from his

important is

his hand

join

***

Boom―!

over the world. The ground began to shake, and the mountains were pushed down to the ground. The entire area was filled with the sound

and hordes of dark humanoid creatures rushed out of them as quickly as they

Don't spare any of

"Arkhh!"

tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of elves who were standing on the ground behind

Spells and arrows flew in the air, impaling many of the demons that were rushing their way, but that proved

the blink of an eye and continued to charge at the humans. Even if they succeeded in killing

screams that were heard throughout the area gradually became higher pitched,

In the distance.

"What a pitiful sight."

that was plastered across Jezebeth's face was not consistent with the compassionate words that came out of his

so many have

shook his head in

from him were two elven figures. An elderly one and a younger one, both

stared at Jezebeth

turned his gaze and

at all. Is this how things normally work with

but Jezebeth was unconcerned by this development. He was enjoying the

and although he had seen this scene many times in the past... He knew... that this was the very last time he'd see this

was for this reason that

that the

His expression remained one of contentment

mind five… Four,

the

still a bit too

two Protectors. While he had both hands behind his back, his hair was blowing in front of him, and

Swoosh!

move, and their silhouettes began to blend in with the surrounding area.

neck, showed no sign of holding

of insignificant size, and at the same time, the carefree expression

above her staff. A terrifying fluctuation burst forth from the magic circle, spreading across the