One More Time: Rebirth

Elenor looked at Irina and smiled at the young elf, her smile was so beautiful that even the other female elves felt their hearts beating a beat faster. Though most of the elves felt comforted when they saw that smile, the others felt fearful since they knew what that smile indicated. Irina also knew that when Elenor smiled like that it meant she was about to do something.

The last time Irina saw that face was when she challenged Elenor in a direct battle and was defeated soundly. Even though Irina was the only one of the younger elves that knew what that expression meant she didn't back down and continued to glare at her. 

"Very well Irina, you and anyone that doesn't like to follow my orders in being courteous to our guest, tell me now."

The moment Elenor spoke those words most of the elves that were only a few centuries old sided with Irina.

When Elenor saw that she couldn't help but sigh in her mind. Even if she enforced her will at this moment, this reckless young elves wouldn't listen. But if she allowed them to do what they want to do then, that would mean they're going to antagonize the reincarnation of the strongest mortal soul.

Among all the people she has met in her long years of being alive Elanor knew of no being that was worst to antagonize than the strongest mortal soul. Just thinking about that vicious smile of his as he eyed his prey sent shivers down Elanor's spine. 

'It is better to slap a deity than to pick a fight with the strongest mortal soul.' Elenor remembered the words the spirit of the forest told her. No matter what the reincarnation, he will always reach the top and on his path, there were only two things those he saved and a pile of corpses.

'... When dealing with the strongest mortal soul, I should not expect that things will go the right way. It's possible that if he gets pissed he could annihilate us all. I could sacrifice the young ones to him, but if I do that then...' Elenor looked at the young ones again, and then she looked at Irina. 

If the elven race had the ability to procreate as fast as the humans she would have cut off the arm and save the body. She would gladly sacrifice the young ones but with the current state of her race that might mean extinction. So with those thoughts in mind, Elenor spoke to the young elves. 

"So that's the position the young ones wish to take. You have chosen the extinction of our race because of your pride." When the elves heard what the elven queen had to say they all shivered. The thing that made it worse was the calmness in which she said those words. 

The older generation finally understood why the elven queen told them to be as polite as possible. There was only one being in the entire world that could threaten the whole elven race despite its weakening. They all remembered that vicious smile of his and shivered. 

On the other hand, some of the elves of the younger generation felt that something was wrong. Some of them weren't idiots blinded by pride. 

"What do you mean?" Irina asked while looking at the frightened expressions of the elders. 

"One of the humans coming to this forest has the strength to crush us underfoot." 

"Hmph, do you think you can trick me? How can any being especially a human crush the mighty elven race while we are being protected by the great spirit of the forest." 

"This human has done it before." When Irina heard Elenor's answer she couldn't help but sneer at the elven queen. 

"You must know the stories of why we have been pushed to this one forest."

"Wasn't it because of the humans of long ago. Humans are weak now compared to that time. So why don't we take back what we used to have and more?!" The younger elves' eyes shone with ambition and pride when they heard Irina's declaration. Ever since they were sent outside to witness what the world was like they saw the weakness of humans, and the imbalances of the demons. They knew that their race was better than the other two, then the question came why should they be the ones punished like this? Why were they the ones that needed to cower back in fear and hide? 

When Elenor heard Irina's outburst she started laughing. Elenor's laughter echoed throughout the forest. Her laughter was so pure and childish that it was like she heard the funniest thing in the world. 

"What's so funny?" Irina asked as she continued to glare at Elenor. 

"You're funny, the ones who recorded that incident are funny. Even I'm seeing myself as a joke right now. The stories that have been passed down to you, the records that have been written in the human kingdoms that you have read, all of them are a joke." 

Irina stopped laughing and smiling, she then looked at all the elves with a dangerous look on her face. 

"It was not the ancient human armies that made our race fall back into this forest. It was one single human that did all that. He all by himself massacred our armies. He all by himself had pushed us during our golden age into the brink of extinction. He did this with nothing more than a halberd at hand charging right through. If it wasn't for the sacrifice of my mother the former elven queen, then you and I won't be having this conversation as all the elves would've died on that day." 

"There is no record of that happening. You could be saying all these simply because you don't want me to fight with the humans." 

"So you're calling me a liar? Hahaha, foolish and naive child. You can ask any of the elders here and they would tell you the same. As for the records, the humans would never record that they almost lost and it was a lowly commoner that save them."

"Alright... let's say that what you're saying is true, why are you sure this human has the same strength as that human from back then?" 

"It's because the one coming to our forest is the very person that forced us into this situation."