741 – Awakening (side: Treant)

『Aro-dono… Don’t do it, please fall back…』

I call out to Aro-dono, but she doesn’t spare even a glance in my direction.

“Sorry, Treant-san.”

Aro-dono whispers, looking straight ahead. She closes her eyes and steadies her breathing, then fixes the Magic Beast King in front of her with a glare.

“[Darkness Kaleidoscope]!”

The three Aro-donos dissolve into a blur. Each of them multiply, tripling into nine beings.

Repeated activation of [Darkness Kaleidoscope]…! I certainly didn’t think she could pull off as many as nine clones.

With this, they might be able to manage something against the Magic Beast King. That’s what I thought but… Looking at Aro-dono’s cornered expression as she flies, I realise that there’s no way it would be that simple.

As it is, Aro-dono’s mana reserves are already depleted. There’s no way she has enough left for any flashy attacks. This is probably just a show of strength.

Out of those nine, probably only two that have enough mana. The rest are mere decoys.

『A cheap trick.』

The Magic Beast King swings its four arms. One Aro-dono, and then another is swatted to bits without mercy. With no time to evade or even activate magic, one by one, they’re dispersed into motes of mana.

“[Fog of the Dead]!”

Three of the Aro-donos activate the [Fog of the Dead] skill next to the Magic Beast King’s shoulder. A heavy fog floats up, obscuring its vision. However, in the next moment, the three of them are dispersed into mana from the swings of the Magic Beast King’s arms.

The fog they put all their effort into casting is meaningless, and one clone, then another is dispersed. Looking at this scene, my guts churn at the possibility that the actual Aro-dono could be crushed in the next moment.

The eighth clone is smashed in an instant. The last remaining Aro-dono raises a hand towards the Magic Beast King’s head.

“[Gale]!”

She shouts. A giant tornado bursts towards the Magic Beast King.

『Against my hide, this level of magic is meaningless.』

The Magic Beast King thrusts a hand through the tornado, scattering it and boring through Aro-dono’s chest.

Her body falls apart, dispersing into mana.

I stare blankly with wide open eyes. Aro-dono was… killed…? My mind goes blank from the shock. I try to move my body, but with both my HP and MP gone, my body doesn’t budge an inch.

『…This sensation… It’s not the original body?』

I gasp in surprise at the Magic Beast King’s utterance.

Right next to the Magic Beast King’s face, countless bats appear under the cover of the dense [Fog of the Dead]. Immediately, the bats gather around each other, forming into Aro-dono’s shape. In her hand is a large gleaming ball of purple light.

『The tenth Aro-dono…!』

I finally realise the intention behind her [Fog of the Dead]. The bats are the result of the walpurgis’s [Black Bloodbats] skill. It’s similar to [Darkness Kaleidoscope], but it actually allows her to turn her own blood into bats and fly.

After splitting into nine bodies, she sent one into the Magic Beast King’s blind spot, using [Fog of the Dead] as cover to create another [Darkness Kaleidoscope] clone. She then used [Black Bloodbat] to divide her own body into small bats, slipping into the dense [Fog of the Dead].

It’s a physical blind spot created by the heavy fog and her positioning, and she reinforced it by playing on the notion that there should be nine bodies.

Letting the last clone fire off the biggest [Gale], she used the opening afforded by the piercing of the [Gale] to close in.

“This is the last of my… magic power!”

She slams the [Dark Sphere] into the Magic Beast’s wide-open eye. Unlike its sturdy hide, its eyeball should be vulnerable… That was the strategy that we struck with first… and failed to manage.

The Magic Beast King’s eyeball bleeds, covered in red blood and throbbing with veins.

“AaAaAAh!”

It clutches its eye with one hand.

『To think that you could land a blow on me…!』

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The Magic Beast King’s enormous body stumbles.

『But, this is farewell, warrior.』

The injured eye of the Magic Beast King opens wide. It slams a fist into the limp Aro-dono as she falls, smacking her towards the ground.

“Aguh!”

Her body thuds into the ground, bursting mercilessly into bits of flesh.

『Aro-donoo!』

『To have got in one good shot at the end… Impressive.』

I stare at Aro-dono’s corpse in a daze. This time for sure, Aro-dono is dead. Or so I think. However, light runs across her remains, and she returns to her original form in the next moment.

『S-she’s still alive…』

As long as she has mana, she will not die. It looks like she still barely has enough to reconstruct her body.

However, she can only stare up dumbfoundedly at the Magic Beast King’s enormous body, so large that it must blanket her vision. Neither of us have enough energy to even move our bodies.

『A troublesome nature. To think that I must torment the defeated.』

The Magic Beast King’s hand slowly reaches out towards her.

At this rate, she’ll actually be killed.

I have to do something. I have to…!

No matter how much strength I put into it, my body no longer moves. What can I do with my current MP…? I can’t think of anything no matter how much I rack my brain…

[Soothing Drop]… [Gravity Compression]… [Fairy Hex]… [Clay]… [Gravity]… [Decoy]… [Statue]… [Wood Counter]… [Heat Ray]… [Woven Armour]…

No matter how many times I think it over, nothing will change the situation we’re in.

I am, I am, I…

『…Say, Treant. No matter how many times I look, I don’t see [Final Evolution] in your skills. Perhaps it’s because of that Fruit of Wisdom you ate all that time ago. You might be able to evolve one more time, but since we don’t know what might happen, don’t do it haphazardly.』

Master-dono’s figure appears in my mind.

Final Evolution… How could I have forgotten?

I can’t move my body properly anymore. I can’t use a single skill at all.

But, even so, I might be able to evolve.

『You’re Treant-kun, right? Only divine skill holders can evolve to become Legendary.』

The face of the Hero we met in Ngai Forest, Miia-dono, appears in my mind.

『It’s not that there aren’t any special exceptions, but even if you somehow forcefully evolve to Legendary, you’d get the God of Destruction status condition. Once that happens, there’s no saving you. Your maximum HP would gradually fall as your body is worn down. You should bear that in mind.』

Miia-dono, I don’t care even if that happens. Compared to helplessly watching Aro-dono be tormented to death here… I’d much rather face death.

I only have one wish. Not for a passive form… I beg for a stronger one.

It’s not that I wished for the ability to go on the offensive. Master-dono, Aro-dono, Atlach-dono… I simply want the power to protect everyone around me. I wish to be able to fight to protect, even when attacking becomes a necessity.

【Title skills [Eater of the Fruit of Wisdom] and [World Tree] have achieved congruence.】
【Title skill [Tree of Insight] has been acquired.】
【Title skill [God’s Wisdom] has been acquired.】

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A voice I’ve never heard before rings out in my mind.

『I don’t know who that is, but… Please, give me strength! I won’t regret no matter what I have to offer up!』

I yell with all my strength. A bluish-white light starts overflowing from within my body.

Power roars through my body. I can feel myself swelling up together with it.