Chapter 304: Nature Shall Reject Thee
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 304: Nature Shall Reject Thee
Nevida. That crazy bitch! Why is she here when she should be off planting her seeds somewhere else! It's not your time to show up yet!
Contrary to her internal screaming, the Regressor squared her shoulders and replied brazenly.
“I figured The Human Regime would have a druid, but you're a bigger deal than I ever imagined. A druid with horns on her head even without transforming… only one name comes to mind. Am I right?”
She knew, but she pretended she didn't. Acted as if she'd only just figured it out. Even before an absolute being, the Regressor spoke as if to test her. Such bravado.
Nevida, for her part, seemed unconcerned that her identity had been revealed. She was more interested in the Regressor’s identity.
“You collapsed the Abyss and took a Divine for yourself, then burned all the seeds and roots I had planted in the Military State… When I heard the news, I thought you a deliberately crafted harlot.”
“What? A harlot?”
“But you do not seem like a harlot. I apologize for my mistake in ever thinking you one.”
Ah, right. That madwoman called the Saintess a harlot, didn't she? She kept calling me a harlot out of nowhere, interfering every time I tried to get a relic of the Divine…. If I didn't have this mask….
The Regressor barely resisted the urge to touch her own face. She fed on the fear welling up from the depths of her heart and pushed forward with even more audacity.
“I won't forgive you just because you apologized. You villain!”
“However, two Divines, perhaps more… How curious… Not even the filthiest harlot could monopolize such power…”
“Enough talk!”
How about it? Curious, isn't it? Strange? Unexpected? Makes you want to be careful, right? Because you don't know what sharp thorns I might be hiding!
Her bravado was on par with mine, or even greater. I read my opponent's thoughts and foster misunderstandings without ruffling their feathers, but the Regressor bets her life even in the most disadvantageous situations, pushing back with an innate rebelliousness.
It wasn't recklessness, nor was it foolishness. It was a survival method discovered after dying several times, a method for someone whose only way out is forward. The Regressor tensed, ready to spring forward at any moment, ostentatiously thrusting Chun-aeng and Jizan before her.
“Draw your sword. I don't want to fight an unarmed opponent!”
Look! It's Chun-aeng and Jizan. You might ignore Chun-aeng alone, but what about this? This is Jizan! You can't just ignore Jizan, can you? You have to be on your guard, right? You won't be so quick to pull out that damn branch of yours, will you?
…Meanwhile, her inner thoughts sounded like some chump making a worthless bluff.
Well, even if it was a bluff, the hand the Regressor had shown was plenty threatening. Chun-aeng crackled, as if responding to her emotions. Jizan was silent, but its presence grew heavier by the second. Wielding two Divines, the Regressor certainly looked like a world-defining powerhouse.
…However, her opponent was…
“A bird's eyes may be sharp, but their depth is shallow. You should not believe all that it chatters while perched on your shoulder. Its song is beautiful, but it is as light as its feathers.”
Nevida hummed in a rhythmic cadence. It was the song of the druid. My body relaxed on its own at the sound of nature, a sound that had existed since ancient times.
But the Regressor only grew more tense. Her grip on Chun-aeng and Jizan tightened.
Tch! Here she comes! Stay sharp, Shei! If you miss it… you die!
Nevida extended her left hand. I don't know when it appeared, but a small branch had sprouted from the floor, piercing through the ground in a perfect position for her to grasp. Nevida snapped off the branch and, holding it like a staff, walked toward the Regressor.
One step, two steps. Acknowledging the presence of two Divines, she showed no sign of fear as she closed the distance to three paces.
Now!
At that same moment, the Regressor slammed her twin swords down.
The attack began almost the instant she moved. Two streaks of light, one dark and one bright, fell toward Nevida’s face. One sliced through the wind, the other crushed the earth.
Against the two Divines and their overwhelming presence, Nevida simply held up the branch at an angle.
Chun-aeng descended upon the leafy end of the branch. The leaves tore before it even made contact. The root end blocked Jizan’s trajectory, but it was no match in thickness or weight.
It was a reckless attempt, like trying to stop a storm and an earthquake with a piece of straw.
And yet.
“—Little World Tree. Bloom.”
A forest cannot be assailed by a storm, and its deep roots hold the very earth in place.
From the ordinary-looking wooden staff—a nondescript branch that looked like it had just been picked up from a nearby hill—roots and boughs quietly extended. A tangle of fine roots grasped Jizan, and newly sprouted leaves embraced Chun-aeng.
There was no sound of impact. The leaves that had suddenly bloomed enveloped the space, and the long roots clutched the ground. Because of this, Chun-aeng and Jizan were locked in a momentary stalemate with a single branch.
“Mother Earth and the Sky God… Heh. How excessive. It is far too presumptuous a power for a single human to wield.”
Seeds scattered behind Nevida’s feet, and sprouts burst forth. An echo rang out from among the trees that had already grown to her waist. Nevida’s presence, which had felt so subtle, now completely filled the space.
As her two swords were caught by a single tree, the Regressor gritted her teeth.
“You…!”
To swing, one must first pull back. The Regressor retrieved Jizan. The sword, free of inertia, tore through the roots with its sheer weight and created distance. The Regressor tried to step back for a moment.
Just then, she felt a sharp pain in her foot.
“Ugh!”
The instant Jizan was pulled back, Nevida’s foot shot out and stomped on the Regressor’s. Vines knotted themselves under her crushing foot.
Nevida, now right in front of her, whispered with a smirk.
“You don't want to fight an unarmed opponent? How absurd. Since when did you start assigning value to a fight?”
“Gah!”
It won't come loose…! The knot of vines…!
At a distance where their feet were touching, the battle took on a completely different aspect.
Nevida’s fist flew toward the Regressor’s face. Before the Regressor could even register it, the Qi Art etched into her body moved first.
Heavenly Counter Domain.
The ultimate defensive Qi Art, which the Regressor had found at the end of her regressions, proved its worth. She dodged the lightning-wreathed fist by a paper-thin margin. At the same time, she swung Jizan to counterattack…
But it was only an attempt.
Thump.
Nevida’s left foot tapped the hilt of Jizan. The sword couldn't extend. Having nullified the Regressor’s intent, Nevida opened her other hand. It transformed into a bizarre shape.
Once, humans had envied the beasts. In a time when tools and technology were scarce, humans used the weapons of beasts—their hides and claws—as their own, and worshiped them to gain their strength and abilities.
Druids were shamans who followed such ancient beliefs. Heretics who took animals as their faith and obtained their power.
Among them, the primordial druid Nevida embodied the power of the strongest beast.
Bestia, White Crane.
Nevida’s hand changed its form. From a human hand with five straight fingers and blunt nails, it transformed into the four-taloned, wide-splayed foot of a bird. The grip of a winged beast said to be able to crush even rock expanded in an instant.
So fast…! Chun-aeng!
Squelch. Blood splattered. The blow, which defied human anatomy, was so fast that not even Heavenly Counter Domain could completely evade it.
Instead, by pushing her own body into Chun-aeng’s compressed space, she barely managed to prevent her entire shoulder from being torn off. A large chunk of flesh was still gouged out by the massive talons, however.
Nevida was slightly impressed by the Regressor’s response.
“Not bad. This is clearly not something borrowed from an unexperienced future… but a karma you have built yourself through countless experiences. Are you truly certain you have no connection to the Sanctum?”
“Tch, hmph…! So smug!”
Instead of answering, the Regressor slammed Jizan into the ground.
“Terra Firma Arts, Ground Shift!”
Grrrnd. Jizan dug into the concrete floor, becoming a rake that violently scraped the ground. The Regressor pulled hard on the embedded sword.
Even now, tree roots were spreading from beneath Nevida’s feet. The roots of the Little World Tree, which had been stealthily expanding their territory underground, were now judged by their original master, Jizan.
The tree roots caught on Jizan were all dragged out at once. The painstakingly extended roots and vines snapped strand by strand, and the ground itself heaved as if caught in a net.
The ground, after the Ground Shift, was now no different from a dirt field. Severed vines were scattered on the floor, and a slanted tree was trying to straighten its branches. The Military State's headquarters, once a land of concrete, had been transformed into a land lush with soil and trees.
This was a true world-shaking event. The terrain had changed just from two people fighting. Thanks to them, I had to roll around on the ground just to survive.
Though she could have pressed her advantage, Nevida stopped her attack. The Regressor, instead of clutching her injured shoulder, showed it off even more, as if to declare that such a wound didn't even count as an injury.
“Planting seeds? An interesting little trick you were pulling. But how about this? As long as Jizan is here, this land won't bend to your will!”
Hah, hah. Thank goodness for Jizan. If I don't keep her in check, she'll turn the whole area into a forest…! If she uses Green Magic with the environment in her favor, I'm done for…!
If the fight continued like this, Nevida would undoubtedly win. Both the Regressor and Nevida knew this. However, because of the Regressor’s bravado… or perhaps because of the skill she displayed while fighting, a conflict arose in Nevida’s mind.
…Let's see. There is much to gain if I fight and win. But it is also clear what I stand to lose if the fight drags on. In that case…?
Her thoughts translated into action quickly. But her judgment, by comparison, was as slow as a crawling turtle.
It was like watching someone with fast legs run back and forth. Not because she was stupid, but it seemed she had too many criteria for assessing value.
Perhaps this was an opening. I shouted out.
“That’s it, Shei! Just buy a little more time! If you drag this out, you might just win!”
“What do you mean, buy time? I'm settling this here and now!”
You idiot! I'll lose if this drags on! The best I can do is bluff my way into an escape! Stop just talking and do something to help!
Talking is helping. You have an opening now. I shouted again, matching the Regressor’s intensity.
“You have backup here! Ria! Provide support!”
“Hmph. Forget it! I don't need that kind of help!”
The Gunmaster? I thought she collapsed earlier, is she conscious? Then call her, quick! I need every extra hand I can get!
No, she wasn't conscious. She was so drained of Qi she probably couldn't move a finger.
But it had another effect. It made Nevida consider the possibility of a sniper or support. The primordial druid wouldn't fear a mere sniper, but…
What Nevida was wary of wasn't a sniper, but Maximilien’s death.
Hmm. If he were dead, it would be another matter, but if he is still alive, I must save him. I must honor his service in finding the King. Even if I attend to the King's physical body now… His Majesty will only truly return when all people cry out for him.
Nevida finished her lengthy deliberation. Sliding backward, she straightened her clothes and bowed.
“Your humble servant, Nevida, shall take her leave. I shall await the day we meet again.”
“You think I'll let you run away! Skyblade Art, Dragon Slayer!”
Not in a hurry, are you? I'll put some half-assed power into this, so if you're going to piss off, do it quickly!
Chun-aeng drank in the wind and elongated. As expected, a half-hearted swing of the Skyblade Art was blocked by the branches and leaves of the Little World Tree. The Regressor wasn't too disappointed, since she knew it would happen.
“To commemorate our brief encounter, I shall demonstrate a small trick.”
However, Nevida’s next action must have been quite disappointing for her.
Nevida grabbed her own horn and twisted it. Contrary to its sturdy appearance, her horn snapped off easily, as if it were made for that purpose. When it was on her head, it was clearly a horn, but once in her hand, it looked like a small, half-grown sapling.
“O, ancestral tree that birthed and raised all things. A surviving descendant from your countless branches calls upon your roots.”
Nevida dropped the sapling to the ground. Tok. The sapling touched the concrete floor and simply… seeped into the earth.
Seeing this, the Regressor flinched, ready to bolt at any moment.
No, I can't. I can't react! If I act like I know, she'll wonder how I knew about [that]! But why, of all places, is she using [that] here?
…Perhaps it was to show me.
The Divine.
“Realize, o beasts. The source from which you came.”
After Nevida’s incantation was complete.
All the sacks of Chimera Beans for military rations in the State's headquarters began to stir at once. If a logistics officer had been nearby, they would have tilted their head in confusion.
The Chimera Beans were so tasteless that even rats cursed them, but the nutrients they contained were abundant enough to support both households and armies. In the Military State, rations were handled with more care than weapons, and the Chimera Beans harvested from all over the State were gathered in great quantities at the headquarters…
And all at once, those nutrients exploded.
The components called nutrients are a green gunpowder. Humans are slow-burning furnaces that walk around after putting that fuel in their bellies. They adorn eating and living as noble acts, but their essence is the same as other beasts, crawling insects, or even smaller… creatures invisible to the eye.
No matter whose stomach it is in, the same firewood is burned with the same flame. There is no difference whatsoever, save for scale.
Know thy source.
Unique Magic, Tree of Genesis.
The Tree of Genesis, which holds the source of life and birth.
Known to some as the Tree of Corruption… the Unique Magic of a certain druid.
Though the Divine was named, it had not yet become everyone's, for it was still alive. The great source would only listen through him.
Green explosions erupted everywhere, accompanied by screams. It devoured everything that could be nutrition, created a new axis, and extended outward once more. It was as if earth dragons were sprouting up everywhere and birthing young.
Having created a disaster-level situation with a single move, Nevida dusted off her hands and collected Maximilien. Once a decision was made, there were no regrets. She strode purposefully and entered the wide-open knot in the tree.
Before the knot closed, Nevida gave me a small bow.
“Well then, farewell.”
The Regressor did her best until the very end. Waving Chun-aeng above her head, she yelled at the top of her lungs, thoroughly incensed.
“Don't run away!”
Hurry up and get lost!
Fortunately, Nevida seemed to have heard the Regressor’s inner thoughts. After the tree closed, she vanished deep into the earth.