“What’s that punk babbling about from the get-go?”
As soon as Ser aimed to attack Laila, their face twisted in surprise and they halted.
“Why are you all staring at me like that? I have no parents. Don’t think anything weird, okay?”
“Huh? No parents? Um… what? Weird thoughts? Not really…”
“Forget it. Whether my parents exist or not doesn’t matter right now.”
Rubia, flustered by Ser’s unexpected answer, stammered and fidgeted.
Ser clicked their tongue and shot a glance back at Laila.
Hahaha! Ain’t that the truth? Just because you’re my descendant doesn’t mean I’m your parent.
But Laila didn’t care about such gazes. With a relaxed demeanor, she sat on Yggdrasil.
But… you all know we, the so-called Monster of the End, aren’t your average monsters, right? So please, don’t stare at me like that. I want to have a chat with you too.
The atmosphere around Laila was distinctly different from the other Monsters of the End we’d encountered. We were left in a daze by such an extraordinary presence.
Haven’t you already spoken with others? If they disregard an old thing like me, thinking I can’t communicate, it would sting a bit…
As Laila’s sulking expression caused the leaves of Yggdrasil around her to droop,
“Don’t change the subject. We still need to continue the fight to quench Noah’s thirst—”
Ah, right. I missed that one. Don’t worry about it.
Thwack! Laila’s finger snapped, and simultaneously, a flower burst forth from the ground, attaching to me and completely stripping away the impulse of thirst I was barely holding back.
Now, we can talk comfortably, right?
“…Eh?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What the…”
We were left speechless at the sudden bloom of the flower and its power.
And again.
Thwack! Laila’s finger snapped.
Hmm, up close, you girls are even more beautiful. Each of your traits shines. Splendid, splendid…
Our bodies were suddenly pulled towards Laila.
“Noah!”
With Rubia’s shout, hot Divine Power enveloped us. From the bodies of spirits surrounding us, destructive force erupted.
I too gripped Frey—
Crack!
Sorry for scaring you. It’s been ages since I faced anything other than that lizard. Sad I can’t see up close, but it can’t be helped.
I couldn’t swing.
I couldn’t even properly draw it.
Before our actions could continue, Laila’s incomprehensible power erased everything.
Having pulled off such an unbelievable feat, Laila smiled casually as if it were nothing.
For now, I have no intention of fighting you. Testing you isn’t something I’d do. So, I swear by the Yggdrasil that forms my essence.
Her voice grew slightly heavier.
The words were like a declaration of something.
The energy flowing from Laila seeped into Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil responded. Its roots swayed. New branches sprouted. Leaves unfurled. The greenery thickened and shook violently.
I, Laila, will not antagonize you until our conversation here ends. Furthermore, if I like your answers, I shall grant you dominion over my life or death.
Boom! A colossal wave erupted from Yggdrasil. An absolute realm, without a flaw or weakness, enveloped the area.
“…A contract?”
Oh? Just like my descendant, huh? Yes, this is a contract I created myself. So, what do you think? As a descendant, between your contract and mine, which do you find superior?
Ser trembled slightly, looking aghast as they glanced around.
“What are you, really?”
Hehe. My identity, huh… There are many terms to describe me.
Founding deity. High Elf.
Fountain of Life. Tree connecting the worlds.
Pioneer. Primordial Wizard.
Guardian. Savior.
Beginning.
Now, I’ve fallen to a mere monster, losing my true name, but I had my share of a splendid life. So, have I answered your descendant’s question? If so, I’d like you to come a bit closer.
Still maintaining a calm tone, Laila spread vibrant flowerbeds where we stood.
If there’s anything you’re curious about, I will answer anything. You who’ve come this far have the right to know the truth of this world. If there’s something you don’t know, I’ll make sure to enlighten you. Likewise, you have the qualifications for this.
The leaves of flowers swung lovingly, inviting us as the Milky Way glinted above them.
The dreamlike scenery, unlike the sky we’d seen until now, loosened our tension.
“Let’s go.”
As I stared blankly at the scenery, Rubia’s voice filled with conviction snapped me back to reality.
“I think it’ll be alright. Plus… I have questions to ask.”
“…I understand.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I held Rubia’s hand.
Ser, still glaring at Laila with narrowed eyes, chewed at their lip and nodded.
“It bugs me, but I also have things I wish to know… so I’ll follow Rubia’s lead.”
As if she read Rubia’s thoughts on how to cross the flowerbed before us, Laila smiled softly and gestured.
Thank you for believing in me, Shaman. You can walk on those flowers. They won’t wither or break.
“…Got it.”
The moment Rubia took her step,
I followed along, hand in hand with her.
Soft, bouncy, and fluffy—a bizarre sensation I’d never felt before tickled my toes.
With every step, a fresh fragrance burst forth.
It was like a fabric softener that releases stronger scent when you rub it…
And so, slowly. Walking across the long Milky Way, we sat on the chairs Laila had prepared for us.
Those chairs, too, were made of soft, bouncy, and fluffy flowers like the flowerbed we just crossed.
It’s been so long since I’ve had a chat with such lovely girls. Hehe, I’m quite nervous.
Wiping her face with both hands, Laila took a deep breath and stretched out her hand.
Let’s start with a handshake.
First up was Rubia.
Without hesitation, she accepted the handshake, but her body trembled ever so slightly as she grasped Laila’s hand.
Next was Ser.
With a fierce grab, Ser clasped Laila’s hand and bit down with a snap.
Finally, it was my turn.
After a moment of hesitation, the instant I gently held the tips of Laila’s fingers,
Unexplainable memories flooded my mind.
For no reason.
With no goal.
From since the beginning.
An endlessly perfect being.
But now, completely transformed into something else.
The Sun God.
The original sin of ‘Lilith’.
A piece torn away before her demise.
That piece’s image was distinctly etched in my mind.
This is the truth of the being you seek.
Still wearing a serene expression.
How does that sit with you? Looks like quite a shock. If you don’t quite understand, feel free to ask, I can explain in words too.
No, the calm and detached look on Laila’s face allowed her to smooth out her hair that sprawled on the ground as she smiled.
“What’s the name of that Sun God… no, what is that existence?”
An unfathomable entity.
A formless ‘god’ flowing in from the ‘outside’.
Something that cannot exist.
The Nameless One.
It’s gone. That being has lost its true name, lost its existence.
Laila’s gaze turned towards Rubia.
For a god, a true name is everything. It encompasses all that being is. Yet, the ‘Nameless One’ that swallowed Lilith has lost its true name. No, it was made to lose it.
By the Sun God, Lilith.
To thwart the unknowable being until the very end, everything was sacrificed, and that fragment bore her true name. It contained all of her.
And then, it was hidden. Existence was concealed. Fate was deceived. Yet, it was found out.
In a world that faced annihilation countless times.
In an endlessly repeating world due to the End.
Burdened with the fate of protecting the fragment of a god.
Taking on the weak remnants of Lilith’s will, it became inevitably strong.
It sought out a fated race.
The shortest-lived.
The most historically weak.
The most fragile.
Humans.
“Why… was it the weakest humans among so many races who bore that fate?”
Breathing shakily, Rubia spoke with a tinge of resentment in her voice.
I don’t know. However, I think it relates to the original sin she forged. Hmmm… I have a guess stemming from my long life about that original sin. Do you want to hear it?
With hair flowing like water, Laila extended her locks and looked at me with a peculiar smile.
Lilith must have possessed emotions unnecessary for humans. Emotions that a perfect being shouldn’t hold. That’s my speculation.
Those emotions might be—
Love, compassion. A fleeting impulse. Forever unknown.
My previously halted gaze returned to Rubia, carrying a deeper question.
Are the emotions inherited by the being true feelings, or mere fabricated emotions? I’m exceptionally curious about that.
