Reincarnated Into A World Of Elves As The Only Man-Chapter 39: Seven Alignment

She circled the chamber slowly, her fingers trailing along the ancient stone. The blue light followed her movement, casting elongated shadows across the floor.

"The seals were designed to be unbreakable," she said, her voice echoing in the vast space. "But the First Queen, in her wisdom or perhaps her desperation, bound them to the heavens themselves." She gestured upward, though the ceiling remained hidden in darkness. "Every time the seven moons align in perfect harmony, the seals weaken. Just slightly, but enough."

Eren’s heart quickened. "The seven moons’ alignment..." His mind flashed back to a conversation with his sister before everything changed. "My sister told me that I wasn’t the only one born when the seven moons aligned. She said there were other elves born during that time too."

Elena nodded, her eyes widening slightly at this confirmation. "The alignments are rare and powerful moments when the barriers between worlds thin. Those born during such times often manifest unusual abilities—connections to elements that should be foreign to them." Her gaze lingered on him. "Like you. But others may have been granted different gifts... or curses."

"So these seals," Eren pressed, "how much have they weakened already?"

Elena’s expression grew grave. "With each alignment, the seals fracture further. The forbidden magic leaks through like water through cracked stone, slowly but persistently. The Great Three’s influence grows stronger with each passing."

"When will they break completely?"

"After three more alignments," Elena replied, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper. "In approximately ten years’ time, the final seal will shatter. And the Great Three will walk among us once more."

Eren stood motionless, absorbing the weight of her words. "So I have ten years for the war to start."

"Less," Elena corrected. "Once freed, the Great Three will waste no time resuming their conquest. The war will begin the moment the last seal breaks."

Eren paced the chamber, his footsteps echoing off the ancient walls. The task before him seemed impossibly vast—seven kingdoms to unite, fourteen elemental powers to gather, all before an ancient evil broke free to consume the world.

A thought occurred to him, and he turned to Elena with a calculating gaze. "This TUNA ritual... does it specifically need to be with queens and commanders?" He kept his tone casual. "What if I perform it with a random woman from any kingdom? Would I still gain power without going through the stress of convincing royalty?"

Elena’s eyebrow arched slightly, the first hint of amusement crossing her features. "Yes, you can perform TUNA with any woman in any kingdom who is willing," she replied, emphasizing the last word. "But you won’t gain elemental power from them."

She moved closer, her voice dropping as if sharing a secret. "Instead, you would unlock their sealed potential. Some kingdoms believe you can transfer elements to others through the ritual—but never to a Queen or her Commander. Their connection to their elements is... different."

"I see," Eren murmured, digesting this new information. The dynamics of this world were more complex than he had initially assumed.

A sudden thought struck him—a question that had been nagging at the edges of his consciousness since his arrival. "If this is all about saving and uniting kingdoms," he said slowly, "then why would my mother keep this a secret from me? And why did she suddenly start treating me like a monster sometimes, then act like a caring mother at others?"

Elena’s expression shuttered, becoming unreadable. "I have no answer for that particular question," she said carefully. "But what I do know is that some kingdoms will see you as a destroyer rather than a savior. A threat rather than a hope."

’Does my mother see me as a threat?’ Eren wondered. ’Or is Elena not telling me everything?’ The question burned in his mind, but he pushed it aside. His mother would have to answer for herself when the time came.

"You should be aware," Elena continued, drawing his attention back, "that the TUNA ritual isn’t solely for pleasure." Her eyes were serious now, calculating. "Some Queens or Commanders may require challenges to prove yourself worthy—to demonstrate that you are strong enough to bear their element."

"What kind of challenges?" Eren asked warily.

"Some might challenge you to battle," Elena replied. "Others might demand you complete a deadly quest. The ritual is sacred, and none will enter it lightly."

Eren exhaled sharply, frustration evident in the sound. "I’m trying to save entire kingdoms—an entire world—and I have to jump through hoops to do it?"

"TUNA is by the will of two," Elena said firmly. "It cannot be taken, only given. Remember that, Veilwalker."

A cold resolve settled over Eren as he considered his path forward. His gaze returned to Elena, assessing her with new eyes. "So when am I performing my first TUNA?" he asked, his voice deliberately neutral. "Am I starting with you? What are your demands?"

A flush of color rose to Elena’s cheeks, the first genuine sign of emotion he’d seen from her. "No," she said quickly. "Not yet."

"Why not?" Eren challenged.

Elena’s composure returned, though the color lingered in her cheeks. "With your current body, I’m not certain you could survive a complete TUNA ritual. You might die in the process."

’Is she underrating me?’ Eren thought incredulously. ’If only she knew how women were always eager to be with me in my past life. I guess this Queen has no idea that the prophecy chose me for a reason. That’s probably why they brought me here in the first place.’

"So what am I supposed to do then?" he asked aloud, trying to keep the frustration from his voice.

Elena’s lips curled into that same cool smile he was beginning to recognize. "You start training your body and soul."

She approached him, circling slowly as if evaluating a prized warhorse. "Each ritual will permanently change your essence," she explained. "The combining elements will create new abilities within you—powers beyond what any single kingdom can wield."

Her hand lifted, hovering just inches from his chest but not touching. "With each TUNA, you become less your original self. The elements will reshape you, body and spirit."

Eren felt a strange chill at her words. "And what happens when I’ve collected all fourteen? What will I be then?"

"Something new," Elena answered, her voice soft with something that might have been awe or fear. "Something unprecedented in our world’s history." She stepped back, her gaze intense. "The growing connection to each kingdom through their rulers will transform you into a living bridge between realms that have been separated for centuries."

The weight of destiny pressed heavy on Eren’s shoulders. Not just a visitor to this strange world, but potentially its salvation—or perhaps something else entirely. The possibilities stretched before him like an uncharted sea.

"I hope you are ready, Veilwalker," Elena said, breaking the momentary silence.

Eren squared his shoulders, meeting her gaze with newfound determination. "Sure I am."

Elena’s smile deepened, revealing something predatory beneath her regal exterior. "I guess you’re ready to pay the price after all."

The blue light in the chamber pulsed once, as if in response to his declaration, and Eren couldn’t shake the feeling that some cosmic bargain had just been struck—a contract written in starlight and sealed with his own unwitting consent.

’Ten years,’ he thought. ’Ten years to master fourteen elements, unite seven fractured kingdoms, and prepare for war against ancient enemies that haven’t walked the world in centuries.’

His fingers traced the air where Elena’s hand had hovered near his chest, wondering what it would feel like when the first element took root inside him—what parts of himself he would lose in the process of becoming whatever this world needed him to be.

The stone door began to grind open behind them, admitting Commander Maria once more. Her sharp eyes took in the scene, lingering suspiciously on the distance—or lack thereof—between her Queen and the stranger.

"Your training begins at dawn," Elena said, stepping away and resuming her regal bearing as if their intimate conversation had never happened. "Commander Maria will see to your physical conditioning. I will handle the more... esoteric aspects of your education."

Eren nodded, watching as Elena glided toward the exit. Just before passing through the doorway, she paused, looking back over her shoulder.

"Rest well tonight, Veilwalker. It may be the last peaceful sleep you enjoy for the next decade."

The door sealed behind her with a finality that echoed in the chamber. Commander Maria remained, her posture rigid, her expression unreadable.

’And so it begins,’ Eren thought, gazing up at the statue of the First Queen, her stone eyes witnessing yet another Chapter in her world’s tumultuous history. ’One kingdom, one element, one ritual at a time.’

He only hoped that when the seven moons aligned for the final time, he would be ready for whatever awaited on the other side of broken seals and ancient prophecies.