The fairies belong to a special class of beings.
They are not bound by the physical body, which is no more than a mere vessel, and can directly interfere with the world through their souls.
Drawing upon their affinity with the five elements of nature and mana, they play a noble role in nurturing and preserving nature.
Fairies are spirits born from nature, similar to elemental spirits, but unlike them, they are the dominant species that controls the spirits.
They are leagues apart from the trivial, hybrid monster types.
[When did that story take place? Looking at us now, we seem no different from them.]
Such a mindset belongs to the past. To the fairies that inhabit this verdant forest, it was an irrelevant tale.
One of the fairies, Kali, shrugged her shoulders with a nonchalant expression. Her jet-black hair fluttered, and the dull multicolored wings on her back folded delicately.
[If we were to boast of being the dominant species, it feels quite pathetic considering we’re homeless and wandering... ]
[Don’t cut others off with your assumptions.]
[You’re the one who connected it... Anyway, stop with the strange thoughts and let’s move.]
[Ugh...]
Reprimanded by Kali, the fairy named Rio puffed out her lips. Her golden hair fluttered as the dull multicolored wings behind her flapped and pushed her forward.
Rio peeked her head out from the bushes, ensuring to hide her presence as best as possible, then carefully scanned her surroundings for any enemies before moving her wings.
[This way.]
Rio's innate power was of the Chloromancy type. Unusually, aside from her natural abilities, she had also developed her personal uniqueness. Additionally, she was adept at hiding and detecting traces, so she had volunteered to take on the role of leading the way.
[No problem, keep going.]
[Okay.]
Kali followed behind the group. Among the fairies, she was one of the more combat-capable ones. To prepare for any potential attacks, she kept a watchful eye from the rear.
Rio explored the front, filling the middle with fairies that lacked combat skills, and Kali brought up the rear.
With this formation, they continued to flap their wings steadily.
[Stay alert... Stealth!]
At times, when a monster approached, they swiftly hid in the nearby bushes at the signal, or dove into the earth or shot up through the dense leaves. The small size of the fairies made this quite easy.
[Ugh...]
[Some dirt went in my mouth...]
After the monster passed, they carefully extracted themselves and resumed their journey.
It was a truly desperate tactic to avoid combat. At the same time, because they were so cautious about every sound, their pace was slow.
If they had their way, they would have preferred to fly freely in the sky.
[But if one of us is caught, it’ll be the end for all of us.]
[Yeah...]
Unlike the ground, flying through the sky was too dangerous with no cover.
The group of fairies, who had spent the whole day avoiding combat, flew as far as possible, reaching a distant place by the end of the day.
That night, they gathered in the darkened foliage and had a modest meal.
The menu was a mix of various tree fruits.
Most of them were smaller than a human’s fist, but since the fairies were small as well, it wasn’t much of an issue.
[This is frustrating...]
[It can’t be helped. We can’t fight, right?]
Rio, chewing on a large tree fruit compared to her size, furrowed her brow. She was feeling frustrated.
Kali, receiving the sentiment, replied.
[Even if we win, it’s not really a victory. If we capture one, another horde might show up.]
[I know...]
Even a monster as weak as the one that passed could be taken down by Kali, and even Rio, though not particularly strong, could manage it.
Fairies, despite their lack of combat strength, still had their basic power based on their elemental affinities. They could unleash devastating attacks if they poured their magic into the environment.
The problem was, if a battle broke out, the fairies would be quickly surrounded by other monsters.
They could win against a monster like the one they had just encountered, but occasionally, they would face stronger monsters that they couldn’t defeat, even if they all attacked together.
Monsters, especially, viewed fairies as high-quality prey—living potions.
If their location were discovered and those kinds of monsters swarmed, it would be disastrous.
[Ugh, Rio, don’t imagine that! It’s terrifying enough for us.]
[Cowardly Rio, imagining things is scary... stop!]
[What? No! It wasn’t my imagination!]
Rio jumped in shock from the loud reactions around her.
She had imagined such a thing, but it hadn’t been this over-the-top.
But the others were obviously teasing her, using her reaction to have fun at her expense.
While Kali was essentially leading the group, Rio also played a significant role in guiding them, but she wasn’t exempt from such jokes.
Fairies, as a species, were innocent and full of playful energy. If the situation wasn’t so dire, all the fairies would have been happily smiling and enjoying peaceful days.
[If only the King were here...]
If they had a ruler, a king, things would be different.
At the thought of this, Rio mumbled, and the faces of the other fairies around her turned solemn.
Fairies were such a peculiar species.
They were indeed talented, but in terms of raw strength, most fairies were not powerful. In fact, when compared to other species, they were on the lower end of the spectrum.
But from the knowledge Rio carried, the fairies of the past didn’t live such a miserable life.
They had once numbered far more than nine, filling the skies to the brim.
They didn’t wander around in desperation like they did now. They had a homeland, a place to call their own. They had been able to defend their territory from powerful invaders.
...That was only possible because of the King.
The King had birthed them, bestowed blessings upon them, erected barriers to protect them from invaders, and created knights and soldiers to defend them.
It was all the King’s power.
But after the King disappeared, the fairies grew weak.
Their blessings vanished, their knights and soldiers disappeared one by one.
Time passed, and they couldn’t defend against external threats, scattering across the world.
Eventually, they found themselves in a situation like the one now, living in a confined space.
[Forget it, just forget.]
Kali’s voice broke through the gloomy atmosphere.
She took a large bite of a fruit with a cold, indifferent expression.
[There’s no king. Even if there were, they wouldn’t be able to help us. So forget about it. We need to survive with our own strength.]
Her words were harsh and cold, but no one objected. Everyone nodded gloomily.
None of them had ever seen a king. They had never lived in the Fairy Kingdom.
They had been born here, in this confined space, and the only knowledge they had of kings and the Fairy Kingdom came from stories.
It was like a fairy tale.
They had heard that there was once a paradise like that, but no one really believed it.
Even if they did, it was now a fiction, something that no longer existed.
[Ugh...]
Despite all that, Rio still held onto a tiny glimmer of hope.
She wondered, in a dream-like way, if perhaps the King might return, gathering the scattered fairies together, bringing an end to all this suffering...
[...Warning!]
Her tiny hope was dashed when a sharp, bitter sense of danger hit her.
She lowered her head quickly.
The fairies, including Kali, dropped to the ground in a swift reaction.
Rio’s face turned pale as she recognized the familiar feeling of the monster closing in.
That monster had started hunting the fairies obsessively some time ago.
It wasn’t special.
Fairies were always in danger of being attacked, and this monster was no different.
What made it different was that this particular monster was an unusually strong one in this space.
It also seemed unusually adept at tracking the fairies' traces.
They had no choice but to move, staying on the run to avoid detection.
Even though they had flown tirelessly the whole day without rest.
Rio pressed her trembling hands against her mouth to stifle the sound.
Kali and the others remained silent, holding their breath and hiding their presence.
They were fine. They had been detected a few times before, but never caught.
Fairies were very skilled at hiding their presence.
They could adjust their mana to blend in with nature, making it impossible for hybrid monsters to detect them.
It was a power that, while exhausting, had saved countless fairy lives in dangerous situations.
The monster couldn’t destroy the surrounding environment.
If it did, it would damage the very bodies of the fairies it sought to devour.
So, like usual, it would probably move on.
The presence stopped.
Right nearby.
[Run!]
With that, Kali stretched out her arms.
She pulled out the remaining mana in large chunks.
The mana surged into flames.
Rio, pale and wide-eyed, and the other fairies followed suit, each extending their hands.
The mana turned into wind, pushing the surging flames forward.
Fwoosh! The fire immediately engulfed the monster.
The fiery bush didn’t escape unscathed either, as the powerful fire consumed everything in its path.
The fairies shot out from the burning bushes, their wings fluttering as they fled in the opposite direction of the monster.
[Heeek!]
[Ugh...!]
The explosion behind them made their bodies jerk from the shock.
The vibrations felt like their insides were being crushed, and two fairies fell to the ground.
[Hurry!]
There was no time to wait for them to recover.
A few wind spirits, too weak to carry many fairies, rushed to help lift the fallen ones.
Rio and Kali quickly picked them up and spread their wings again.
[Hiiik...!]
At that moment, Rio accidentally turned her head and made eye contact with the monster.
Its large, elongated head reared back.
Its enormous jaws were lined with sharp teeth, and though it was barely visible in the dark, the fire reflected off its black scales.
The monster’s enormous, bright yellow eyes locked with hers.
‘Ugh...!’
Rio’s heart dropped.
That terrifying creature was hunting them.
Grinding her teeth, she pushed herself forward with a gust of wind.
The explosion didn’t stop at one.
As the monster’s roar echoed through the night, more monsters began to gather.
‘Ah...’
Her ears rang.
The feeling of all the approaching monsters overwhelmed her.
They were all coming toward her.
Rio, without realizing it, opened her mouth.
How had they been discovered? She had tried her best to hide all traces. Even if she tried again, it would be futile. Once they had been detected, there was no escaping it...
Rio, without realizing it, opened her mouth.
How had they been discovered? She had tried her best to hide all traces. Even if she tried again, it would be futile. Once they had been detected, there was no escaping it...
“Gah!?”
[Rio!]
As she was flying to evade the monsters swarming from all directions, a sudden shock struck Rio’s body.
Her body was flung away and slammed against a thick tree trunk.
Rio, clutching the fairy in her arms tightly, swiftly twisted her body to avoid a fatal blow.
Thud! Her back collided with the tree, and her vision blurred.
Her weakened body rolled helplessly along the tree’s roots.
The sound of her name echoed in her mind.
Rio, in a daze, desperately fluttered her wings.
Flight was difficult.
The familiar, dreaded presence was approaching once again.
Rio squinted her eyes.
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Her blurred vision cleared, and the giant monster’s gaping maw became all too clear in front of her.
Her small size made the scene feel like the dark sky itself was descending upon her.
In this slow-moving world, the scene appeared shockingly vivid.
Death was closing in with clarity.
[...Gah, help me...]
At the sight, Rio unconsciously cried out for help.
From whom? Rio herself didn’t know.
From Kali? Teo? Riu?
Or from that monster? From a fellow fairy, wherever they might be?
Perhaps even from the King, the long-hidden hope she had in her heart?
She didn’t know the answer.
This might just be her last desperate attempt before death.
It wasn’t a thought-out action; it was just instinct, a desperate cry.
Thus, she activated her unique ability recklessly, calling out to every possible being for help.
But the monster didn’t stop.
It snapped its massive jaws shut.
[No!!]
The screams of many voices rang in her head.
Its jaws closed, and a gust of wind struck her body.
A strange sensation swept from the top of her head to her feet.
Rio quickly closed her eyes, bracing herself for the brief pain that would soon follow.
The monster’s mouth snapped shut.
A harsh sound echoed.
‘...Huh?’
It wasn’t the usual sound of flesh being torn or chewed.
Instead, the sound of metal scraping against metal rang in her ears.
Rio blinked in surprise and quickly lifted her head.
‘Huh...?’
In front of her, she saw something extraordinary.
The monster’s jaws, which had been about to clamp down on her, were now held firmly in place by a pure white hand. It had gripped the monster’s jaws tightly, and the force was unyielding.
A vast amount of life energy filled the body, as it was connected to the earth itself, and a fist extended out.
And then...
‘...Wings?’
The owner of the white hand spread three pairs of wings that sparkled with multicolors.