The battle ended up taking several hours despite the rate at which I was cutting down monsters like some industrial wood chipper. Though, it seemed like the monsters were specifically targeting me rather than mounting an offensive against the city, so I was thankful about that.

That said, due to the breadth of the battlefield, eventually it came to the point that the remaining monsters were just those that I had missed and were scattered around in small isolated groups. Rather than bombard them from a distance or rush them down and cause more environmental damage, I simply sprouted my wings and weaved my way between the trees leaving little more than gusts of wind in my wake. My scythe in my favourite configuration, the parts combined so the blades forming the outer edge of a circle, reaped the offending lives like grass.

In between cleaning up the last remaining groups of monsters, I checked up on the others. It seemed like Elli and Frigg's groups ended up being completely unengaged and were standing around bored. Harja looked especially annoyed, having not been able to close to melee against any monsters, but she did as she was asked and held the line to my surprise. I figured that she would've charged the enemy the second they got within sight.

It seemed my old prejudices caused by my initial impressions had still been going stronger than I thought. I felt a little bad about that and swore to stop treating her like some battle crazed freak always starving for blood.

Rather, I was the one starving for blood in reality.

While I had been able to keep my MP reserves nice and topped off, I had still been fighting for a few hours straight. I hadn't had anything to eat for a while. If I pushed myself too much more without a meal, my MP will stop regenerating soon and start to decrease instead.

But I still had some time before it got to that, and I'd rather quickly finish things off instead.

My final check was with the fluffballs and greater spirits high up in the sky, but all seemed normal there as well. In other words, much of the sky was covered in a rainbow of glowing lights without a trace of the normal day sky aside from the sky over the enemy rear lines. They were ordered to hold back from floating in that area just in case for the time being.

That said, the sun didn't fail to assault my eyes when I turned them that way. Even if the fluffballs blocked the damnable sun with their bodies, it didn't do a thing to lessen it's infuriating attacks as it was mainly done through the physical realm, not the magical.

I could only sigh and ignore that irritating fact and instead continue mopping up the remaining monsters.

So far, I had been ignoring all the people behind the monster army. Frankly speaking, a part of me was hoping that they'd just run away once I had done enough damage to the monsters, but even as I continued cleaning up the leftovers, they still hadn't backed off.

Rather, they closed their ranks and it looked like they were preparing to charge.

Towards me, at that.

The little glances I saw in between the trees clearly showed that they were closely following my movements despite how quickly I flew. And considering the way the monsters acted, most likely I was their target.

This did feel consistent with the previous attack years ago.

Though, that said, I would rather not kill any people if I had the choice, but that really depended on them, not me. I was entitled to self-defence, no matter what they thought.

I was especially wary due to the black spot in my [mana perception] near the middle of that troop formation. What that black spot was...obviously that cold iron sword I had faced before.

It was pretty much expected that they'd bring that damnable thing again, though this time I was prepared for it. No longer was I dependant on only my magic and my own body to attack, I had a weapon now, one that could resist the effects of that mana destroying metal.

Well, it wasn't like I actually understood the details of what it actually did nor how it worked. I just hated it with a passion for what it could do to my body.

Soon enough, I managed to get rid of all the stragglers and flew to the last concentration of enemies.

I had discarded the blood orb I had been using, as just maintaining it consumed the orb. Besides, I was flying over a small lake of fresh blood. If I needed any more, it would be quick enough to collect some, and that didn't take into consideration all the blood I had stored away in my pocket dimension. The blood that my body was covered in was all discarded as well. While it was enjoyable to be splashed with fresh blood, the moment it dried, the caked on blood felt pretty uncomfortable.

Aiming for the front and centre of the enemy formation, I landed, wings extended and my weapon at the ready.

My own mercy would be to allow them the first move. Though I would respond with a comparatively large degree of force if they still tried to kill me at this point.

I stood there a dozen or so steps away from the enemies, my eyes scanning them for anything they could try.

But despite my expectation, there wasn't any particular charge of mana, nor nobody raised their weapon any further than a basic ready stance. Even the short figure in full plate armour that was holding the cold iron sword in his hand hadn't adopted a proper ready stance.

Though, that said, I was pretty surprised to see just how many of the warriors here were elves, anger and hatred filling their eyes. That said, at least they didn't make a move to attack just yet. There seemed to be some hesitation amongst them.

(If that's the case, then maybe it's better I make the first move.)

"You have two choi...!"

"Are you perhaps...!"

But just as I was about to give them my ultimatum, a man in white robes took a step forward and spoke. A quick [scan] revealed him to be pretty weak, only level 31, with no notable combat skills at all. Not to mention the lack of any weapons as well. He certainly stood out as the odd one out, but that might've meant that he was the top authority figure for this contingent.

"Are you...perhaps...the new goddess?"

"Hah?!"

My jaw dropped like a rock, my eyes bulging so far out that I could swear they were trying to flee from this place.

I regretted even letting this man speak at all. I could only feel that something incredibly troublesome was heading towards me like a freight train, and my feet were already chained to the rails.

Picking up my jaw from the ground, I scanned through the crowed once again, only to realize that beyond the animosity, I saw signs of conflicted emotions amongst many of the ones here. It made me realize that my biases had tainted my first impression of these people, though that didn't mean that they weren't still a threat.

"Okay...what are you talking about?"

Putting a few fingers against my temple I asked the white priest-like man against all my instincts. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't just wipe these guys out or run away just because I was dreading what would come next. Not when it wasn't something particularly bad for the commonwealth, even if it was probably something quite terrible for me personally.

"Your unparalleled beauty, your magnificent wings, your wondrous outfit, and your one of a kind weapon, there's no mistake, you are the goddess that had shown herself to all the dungeons fountains of the world!"

(That fucking thing again?!)

I seriously wanted to punch my past self, and keep punching until every bone was turned into mush. That one mistake, when I was just fooling around due to nostalgia, just couldn't stop ruining my life!

But suppressing all of those thoughts, I straitened my back and responded.

"I think you're mistakened. I'm not some goddess, just a vampire."

"Impossible! No vampire possesses wings such as yours, and that weapon of yours is entirely unique! I have never heard of anyone using a weapon like it, nor I imagine anyone else here!"

I got several nods from those words even as I retracted my wings and put my weapon away, fully knowing that it was far too late to even try that.

"Ahaha...I see. No wonder we failed so badly. It's so obvious now. We tried to kill a god."

A woman fell to her knees as tears ran down her cheeks. Her hair was a mess, she had dark circles under her eyes, and her arms looked dangerously thin, but even through that I could tell she was once a beauty.

(Wait a sec...)

I recognized her. I've seen her before, though not like she currently was.

Beside her, the dwarf with the cold iron sword, when I thought about it, I recognized him as well, as the elf with bloodshot eyes. They all looked different to varying degrees, but they were the survivors of the previous assassination attempt.

My guard instantly shot up at the realization, but against all expectations, the dwarf simply tossed the cold iron sward to the side, in between us. He then took his helm off.

"I think our mission's void now. I didn't realize it until now, but this vampire's the same as the statues. It's so obvious with those wings and that weapon. Only the divinity can sit on the seat of god, not some Demon Lord."

"I...no...I mean..."

Things were going out of control. Everyone was lowering their weapons. Some looked at me with reverence, holding their hands in prayer like the man in white, others looked away with expressions filled with frustration.

I had no idea what I could do to fix things. I didn't want to be revered. I wasn't some god. I just someone who messed up a few times. Pretty badly at that.

"No! I refuse to believe an evil vampire can be a god!"

As I was distracted, a figure burst out from the enemy lines and grabbed the discarded cold iron weapon. It was the elf with bloodshot eyes.

I pulled out my weapon and readied it, prepared to intercept her attack with my scythe's adamantium blade.

She took one, two steps while dragging the weapon. But then she fell to her knees, her breath becoming ragged.

According to my [mana perception], almost all the mana in her body had been sucked up by the weapon in only a couple of seconds, a terrifying reminder of the horrors of that metal.

The elf stayed there, hate and anger filling her eyes, yet unable to move. And I could imagine why.

Elves were like the fairies. They were half mana-based lifeforms. That meant that they were dependant on mana to maintain their lives. Having that mana sucked out in this way must've been quite painful. Just continuing to hold that weapon must've felt like falling through a hole in an arctic ice sheet, both freezing and drowning at the same time.

It wasn't as damaging as for us vampires, but in a sense it was worse, as the pain was prolonged.

I couldn't help but feel pity for this elf, so consumed by whatever hatred she had for me.

Though of course, that didn't mean I wouldn't defend myself. I had every right to protect my own life, regardless of what reasons anyone had to try to kill me.

The elf took a deep but ragged breath, and forced herself back onto her feet. Her entire body shook as she took another step towards me, slowly raising the weapon over her head.

At this point, even using my weapon felt like overkill. There was no way this woman could make an effective strike. Just side-stepping would be enough even if she managed to get within range of me.

I wasn't fond of killing someone so defenceless, but I couldn't help but feel that it was the only option. At this point, it was probably closer to mercy killing.

Letting out a slow sigh, I tightened my grip on my weapon, ready to strike this elf down the moment she stepped into range. This would be the last chance I give her. There was no way my intent wasn't clear, even without me having to say anything.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

I raised my weapon, in preparation to finish her the moment she walked within range.

"Don't you dare hurt Master!"

But against all expectations, a third party interfered.

"Wha...?!"

The elf looked even more stunned than me at the sight of Claret placing her body in between us.

"Don't you dare hurt Master!"

"A...a greater spirit? Move! I have to kill that evil vampire!"

"I won't! Master is kind to us! She's a vampire, but she treats us really well! Master, and my Master before, both vampires and they both treated me better than anyone else!"

I was forced to scratch my cheek at that resounding endorsement. This stupid familiar of mine, though I loved her all the same.

"But...she's a vampire! They're evil, and eat spirits!"

"Master feeds us, and she plays with us! All the time! None of us had ever been hurt by Master! We all love Master!"

And as if on cue, I was instantly surrounded by an entire army of fluffballs, blinding me with the sheer density caused by their numbers. But unlike how they usually acted, they weren't rubbing their bodies with mine or having fun. They pressed themselves against me, like they were using their bodies to shield me from all sides.

"Even the little ones..."

A few moments after hearing those faint words, there was the sound of a dull clang followed by a thud.

Following the presences, I felt that the elf woman was being dragged back by one of the others. The cold iron sword was left behind.

While the actions of that elf left a bitter taste in my mouth, I was quite thankful that Claret and all the fluffballs were able to end things peacefully. At least for the time being.

"Hey, I think that's enough now you guys."

The fluffballs relaxed their guard a little, enough for me to move without worrying about hurting any of them. Dispersing enough so that I could properly see my surroundings, I noted that the cold iron sword really was fallen to the side and that elf had been dragged back to the others.

It seemed like she had lost consciousness.

I didn't like her at all, but that didn't mean that I wanted her dead. So seeing her like that was a bit of a relief. I only hoped that with her giving up here, it meant that she wouldn't try anything in the future.

Putting away my weapon, I reached out a hand.

"You guys too. Come over. I'll see if I can find a way to set you free."

Words of shock and anger rose out from the elves, but I ignored them. They weren't the ones I had business with.

However, against my expectations again, the fluffballs that came with the elves, all weirdly bloated to one degree or another, refused to come over. Rather, they stuck themselves closer to their masters.

The reason why they were bloated, I heard, was due to being overfed. They were basically just fat. But for spirits, being fat didn't have the same connotations as for other living beings. It was a mana reserve which they could use to use more powerful magic.

Basically just another indicator of them being used as tools as far as I cared, as they were a pretty peaceful species in the first place.

However, despite being used as tools, they ones here didn't want to be released from that life. A bunch of the fluffballs that came to my rescue even drifted over, bobbing and weaving in front of the other fluffballs.

But in the end, they came back looking a little sad. Though that was easily fixed up with some patting.

Being faced with this evidence, it seemed like I once again had to fix up my biases. Maybe what the fairies told me wasn't entirely the truth. Maybe it was exaggerated to some degree, knowingly or unknowingly.

I would need Claret to talk to those fluffballs later on to get a clearer picture of how the elves treated them. As happy as the fluffballs were living in the commonwealth, it might not have been right to take them away from their original homes.

That said, returning them wasn't exactly a good idea either. It was one thing if they wanted to go back to where they came from, but it wasn't like we were forcing them to stay. Though, I would have to reevaluate things to make sure that was completely true.

It was quite possible to force others to do what you want without realizing it. To even make them think it was what they wanted.

(Ugh, life is hard.)

There was so much I needed to worry about. And I was hungry as well.

"Umm...your worshipfulness..."

(Oh god, this problem still existed.)

I looked over to the man in white as he kneeled ahead of the rest of the people he came with, his hands held together in prayer.

"We profusely apologize for our arrogance, and beg our goddess for forgiveness."

(Oh man. Here we go again.)

"Look, I said it before, but I'm not some goddess. Just a vampire."

"That may have been true, and forgive me for my imposition, but it is true that it is your visage that graces each and every dungeon of this world, is it not?"

"Erk...well, from the ones I've seen at least."

I didn't like where this was going at all, and while I wanted to stop it while all my being, I couldn't help but feel that lying here would only bring even more problems down the line. At the very least, it wouldn't get me out of this problem anyways.

"Then there is no doubt! Your origins aside, you really are our goddess! For only a god may preside on the thrones marked in every dungeon!"

(Ugh, I knew things would go this way.)

"There's no way that is definite, right? I mean, isn't there a chance that you might've, umm, misread your scriptures or something?"

I knew what I was saying was the sort of thing that would set a religious fanatic on fire, complete with a tank of nitroglycerine, but I needed to find some way to deflect this entire line of logic, preferably in a way that would last.

"Well, if it is our goddess that says so, then it is possible..."

(Aaaand it went the exact opposite way I was hoping it to.)

"However, ever since the god of heaven created our world, only his figure stood upon the sacred sites that marked every dungeon floor. 'Though over a thousand years in the past, his visage no longer graced us. While I do not pretend to know what conspired in the heavens in the meantime, it was yourself that had finally graced our world now! To have blessed the ever faithful, and show us the true way the divine imagined of us!"

(Ah...fuck.)

In the end, all I could do was deal with the immediate situation. The issue of this remaining army, and how the nations they represented connected with the Hourai Commonwealth.

I had Claret go back and go get the other leaders along with a small contingent of guards for everyone just in case.

In the meantime, I cleared up the area a little and made space for negotiations to happen, even if it was all preliminary things for when we would talk to the political representatives of each nation.