The Rebirth of Humanity

"Good. It seems she is still alive."

Fafnir's voice drifted calmly from atop his colossal throne.

His pitch-black eyes were fixed upon Isabelle, while his fingers tapped slowly against the armrest.

Tap...

Tap...

Tap...

He continued:

"After all, I still have an old debt with her—one we never settled."

His fingers came to a stop.

"So, the next time you see her, deliver a message from me."

A cold smile appeared upon his handsome face.

"Tell her to wash her neck..."

His smile widened ever so slightly.

"...and wait for this great one to come and cut it off."

Isabelle froze.

A heavy silence descended upon the summit.

Then, from among the representatives of the Lower Races, someone whispered:

"Does... does he really mean Griselda?"

The person beside him answered:

"Who else could he mean?"

"But he's threatening the Iron Maiden herself!"

"Lower your voice!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want Fafnir to realize that I even exist."

The man swallowed nervously and immediately fell silent.

Isabelle, meanwhile, continued staring at Fafnir.

She had to say something.

But what could she possibly say?

The man before her was calmly ordering her to deliver a message to one of the greatest ancestors of her race—

a message telling that legendary figure that he intended to sever her head from her body.

Isabelle opened her mouth.

"Emperor Fafnir..."

But before she could finish—

the ruby embedded in the center of the necklace around her neck suddenly began to glow.

A brilliant emerald-green light radiated from the gemstone.

Isabelle stopped.

"What is this?"

Vulcan immediately raised his head.

"There is energy coming from the necklace."

Gabriel studied the ruby carefully.

"It is not an offensive force."

Elena narrowed her crimson eyes.

"Then what is it?"

Gabriel did not answer.

Because a mature woman's voice suddenly emerged from the glowing ruby.

"There is no need for little Isabelle to deliver any message to me, Fafnir."

Everyone froze.

The voice continued:

"I heard everything you said."

...

No one moved.

Then Lilith spoke softly.

"Well... what an interesting surprise."

Vulcan turned toward her.

"You know who that is?"

Lilith smiled.

"I believe we all do now."

Vulcan stared at the necklace.

His expression changed.

"Griselda..."

Lilith said nothing.

But her smile widened.

Gabriel spoke next.

"It appears she has been listening to the entire meeting."

Elena narrowed her eyes.

"Through the necklace?"

"Apparently."

Isabelle stared at the ruby in disbelief.

"Since when have you been using my necklace to listen to us?"

Griselda's voice came from the gemstone.

"Since I learned that an important gathering was going to be held atop the Mountain of Beginning and End."

She paused.

"Though I never expected Fafnir to be the one who would make the meeting this entertaining."

An odd silence descended upon the summit.

Fafnir...

was staring at the ruby with a faint smile.

He knew that voice.

He recognized it instantly.

Five thousand years.

Five thousand years had passed since he had last heard that voice.

And yet...

he had never forgotten it.

"Griselda."

Then he laughed.

"Ha..."

The rulers exchanged glances.

Vulcan whispered:

"He's laughing..."

Elena replied:

"That isn't reassuring."

Vulcan looked at her.

"Why?"

She stared at Fafnir.

"Because Fafnir doesn't look angry."

Vulcan fell silent.

Then he asked:

"And that's worse?"

Gabriel answered calmly:

"Sometimes."

Fafnir's laughter continued for several moments.

Then he said:

"You old hag with those pointy ears..."

He paused.

"I never expected you to descend from a great warrior into someone who eavesdrops from afar."

The entire summit froze.

One of the Lower Race representatives whispered:

"He did it again..."

"What?"

"He insulted her."

"Has he lost his mind?"

"It's Fafnir."

"Ah..."

The man immediately fell silent.

Griselda's voice came through the ruby once more.

But this time, it was no longer completely calm.

There was a distinct chill in her tone.

And beneath that coldness...

barely restrained irritation.

"Fafnir..."

She paused.

"You ancient fossil."

Vulcan's eyes widened.

Lilith let out a soft laugh.

"I like her."

Gabriel glanced at her.

"Lilith."

"What?"

"Don't encourage them."

Lilith smiled.

"I'm not encouraging them."

Then she looked toward the glowing ruby.

"I'm simply enjoying this."

Gabriel's expression remained cold.

"That is precisely what concerns me."

Griselda continued:

"Even after five thousand years..."

Her voice sharpened.

"...your tongue has lost none of its bite."

Fafnir raised an eyebrow.

"And you haven't lost your ability to talk."

Griselda replied:

"Some things never change."

Fafnir smiled.

"Indeed."

Silence returned.

Then Griselda spoke again.

"Now..."

Her tone changed.

The mockery disappeared.

Her voice became serious.

"Now that you have returned..."

Everyone's eyes turned toward the ruby.

"Come to the place where we fought."

Isabelle froze.

Teresa lowered her gaze slightly.

She knew things had reached the point of no return.

Griselda continued:

"Let us settle our old debt."

Fafnir stared at the ruby.

Then he smiled.

It was a smile that made several representatives of the Lower Races instinctively step backward.

"I'm coming, Griselda."

His eyes gleamed.

"Prepare yourself."

His voice deepened.

"I'm going to grind you beneath my feet."

The response came instantly.

"I'll be waiting, you bastard, Fafnir."

Then she continued:

"And when we meet..."

She paused.

"...you'll find out which one of us will be the one doing the trampling."

One of the Lower Race representatives whispered nervously:

"They're talking as if they're going on a casual stroll..."

The person beside him stared at him.

"A stroll?"

"Yes."

"Their battle could erase this mountain."

"True."

"It could spread destruction across the continent."

"True."

"We could all die."

The man paused.

"...True."

The two immediately fell silent.

The emerald light within the ruby faded.

The connection was severed.

Everyone continued staring at the necklace.

Vulcan finally asked:

"Is it over?"

Gabriel answered:

"The connection has ended."

"No, I mean..."

Vulcan looked toward the place where Fafnir stood.

"...is it really over?"

No one answered.

Because the answer was obvious.

Nothing was over.

It had only just begun.

Fafnir rose from his throne.

His black robe shifted with his movement, its crimson edges catching the dim light against the throne's black stone.

He turned toward Thorinn.

"Thorinn."

The War King stepped forward.

"Yes, my lord."

Fafnir said:

"Take care of this meeting."

Then he added:

"I have an old debt to settle."

Thorinn smiled.

"Do you require assistance?"

Fafnir looked at him for a moment.

Then answered:

"No."

He paused.

"This is my debt."

Thorinn nodded.

"As you command."

Eleanor stepped forward slightly.

"My lord."

Fafnir turned toward her.

She said:

"Griselda is not the same woman she was five thousand years ago."

Silence.

Fafnir looked at her.

Then smiled.

"Neither am I."

Eleanor smiled faintly.

"I knew you would say that."

Thorinn chuckled.

"Honestly, I was expecting something even more arrogant."

Fafnir slowly turned his gaze toward him.

"You want something more arrogant?"

Thorinn froze.

Then immediately bowed.

"No, my lord."

Eleanor laughed softly.

For a brief moment, even some of the tension surrounding the summit eased.

But the silence soon returned.

Fafnir raised his eyes toward the horizon.

The place where Griselda awaited him was far away.

But to him...

distance meant nothing.

"Five thousand years..."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"It is time to finish what we started."

He took a single step.

And suddenly...

he vanished.

There was no explosion.

No flash of light.

Not even a noticeable distortion in space.

He had been there a moment ago...

and now he was gone.

As though he had never existed in the first place.

Thorinn and Eleanor remained behind the throne.

Thorinn looked toward the six rulers.

Then he said:

"Well..."

He sat down on the seat reserved for humanity.

"Let us continue the meeting."

But no one answered.

The six rulers were still stunned.

Isabelle finally spoke.

"Griselda..."

She looked down at her necklace.

"She was listening the entire time."

Elena said:

"And now she is going to meet Fafnir."

Vulcan added:

"If the two of them are evenly matched..."

He fell silent.

Gabriel answered:

"No one knows."

Lilith smiled.

"But I'm certain the meeting will be entertaining."

Gabriel looked at her.

"You're the only one who seems happy about this."

Lilith laughed softly.

"Because I'm the only one who understands the value of watching two genuine legends reclaim the memories of their past."

Teresa...

said nothing.

She continued staring toward the direction in which Fafnir had disappeared.

Then she whispered:

"I hope it doesn't end the way it did the first time..."

Thorinn heard her words.

He looked at her.

But he said nothing.

Because everyone now understood one undeniable truth.

Somewhere in Gandalia...

Fafnir was on his way to Griselda.

And somewhere else...

Griselda was waiting for him.

After five thousand years of silence...

the old debt had come back to life.

And no one knew which of them would still be standing when their encounter ended.

Two legends.

Two ancient enemies.

And a power whose limits no one knew.

The world was about to witness...

a confrontation from an age everyone had believed had died five thousand years ago.

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