Chapter 339: Evil God Subjugation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 339: Evil God Subjugation (6)
— Kaya, you will become an extraordinary Wizard.
— Because I’m your daughter?
— It’s not because you’re my daughter. It’s because you are destined to be.
The memory of that sunset-drenched sky was particularly vivid.
From her childhood, Kaya Astrea remembered the sight of the sun sinking below the horizon while cradled in her mother Historia’s embrace.
Historia had always boasted that Kaya would become a wizard of unparalleled greatness. To live up to that belief, Kaya had poured her soul into honing her magic.
Yet, her history of never being able to surpass Luce Eltania haunted her. She loathed her inability to be a source of strength for Isaac.
Perhaps that was why, at some point, a sense of defeat had taken such deep root within her that her confidence inevitably withered. The reason she had hidden those feelings was the memory of baring her raw emotions to Luce during the end of their first semester.
She had been truly wretched back then. Without Isaac, she would have been nothing more than a disgraceful loser.
— …It’s as if you’ve been blessed with the very essence of life. A terrifying talent.
The words of Rachnil the Iron Fairy lingered in her mind.
Kaya yearned for the power to help Isaac. For his sake, she was willing to do anything.
However, the sight of her tattered uniform served as a grim reminder of her reality. She lacked the strength to withstand even a single flap of the Evil God’s wings. The only thing she could truly prepare herself for was death.
She wasn't alone. The entire Evil God Subjugation Force felt the shadow of death looming over them as they faced the deity. Their fighting spirit was guttering out. Hope was only possible when even the faintest glimmer remained, but what lay before them now was pure, unadulterated despair.
“I’m sorry, Sir Isaac… This is all I can do for you…”
Whoosh!
Even as fierce gales buffeted her, Kaya maintained a wind barrier around herself. She clung to Isaac, desperately trying to protect him in her arms, believing it was the only contribution she could make. She tried tirelessly to mend his wounds with plant magic, but the remnants of the Evil God’s blackish-crimson mana stubbornly neutralized her efforts.
“Please… just let him recover…!”
Her voice cracked with helplessness, tears welling in her eyes. Even her specialty, healing, had failed her. She was powerless.
A wave of doubt crashed over her. If she could protect him by sacrificing her life, she would do it in a heartbeat. But how could she possibly stop that Evil God—that black sun that had descended with such majestic, terrifying brilliance?
Clang!
A clear, pure sound rang out like a sudden downpour.
As an immense pressure of mana descended, Kaya turned in shock toward its source.
“…”
Behind Dorothy, a vivid cluster of multicolored stars surged violently, and a massive magic circle began to unfurl. It was the 9-star starlight magic [Last Light of a Dying Star]—her most destructive ultimate spell.
The price was her very life.
“Senior Dorothy…?”
Beneath the brim of her witch’s hat, Dorothy’s eyes were chillingly cold. There wasn't a shred of hesitation. If Isaac had fallen, there was no other way. Dorothy was prepared to throw her life away to protect him.
She took off her witch’s hat and tossed it into the air. It drifted away, dancing on the wind. The ribbon tying her light purple hair came undone, letting her long tresses whip wildly in the gale.
Her body began to glow with a blinding light. The starlight magic coursing through her mana circuits swelled to the breaking point, as if she herself had become a living bomb.
“Dorothy, stop!” Alice shouted urgently, but Dorothy didn't even flinch.
“There’s no one else. I’m the only one left who can even try to do something about that thing.”
A faint smile played on Dorothy’s lips. Her mind was made up. If Isaac were to be defeated, she would land a decisive blow on the Evil God, even if it meant detonating her own existence.
“…”
Kaya witnessed Dorothy’s resolve. She grit her teeth, gripping her trembling arm to force it still. She calmed her ragged breathing with deep, steadying lungfuls of air. Her heart, which had been pounding like a trapped beast, began to steady, and the tremor in her eyes faded.
In moments like this, controlling the storm of emotions was paramount. If she remained stagnant, she would only be a victim.
Kaya focused, centering her mana. She recalled Isaac’s words.
— …I believe you have yet to reach your true potential. You still have room to grow explosively.
True potential. She didn't know what that meant. She didn't even know what potential she possessed. But if she couldn't realize it now, she would never accomplish anything.
It was now or never. Potential or not, she had to gather every scrap of her being and pour it out here.
Whoosh!
Kaya thrust the Armana wand toward the sky. She felt it—she finally understood her own power.
What is the true essence of plant magic?
Is it overflowing life force?
If so, what is the appropriate price for such power?
…It, too, had to be life.
Kaya offered up her own life force as fuel.
Fwooooosh!
As if responding to her desperation, the plant mana spun violently, emitting a brilliant light from her wand. A massive, verdant magic circle followed, blanketing the sky. It was a masterpiece of intricate, complex patterns.
Even Dorothy, poised for sacrifice, along with the rest of the Subjugation Force and the demons, turned to stare at the sky. A singular mana, different in nature from anything felt by living beings, rippled through the air.
Everyone recognized the true nature of that power instantly.
“This is… life force?” the Archwizard Charlotte muttered to herself.
It was an overwhelming abundance of vitality.
One of Kaya’s eyes turned a vibrant green, while the other shifted to the crimson of the Ravenous. The two personalities had finally unified their strength.
“Kaya…!”
Her mother, Historia, fighting on the land bridge, looked up at the verdant circle and cried out.
All the flowers and trees that had withered in the winter chill suddenly bloomed in a magnificent, impossible spring. However, Kaya’s body buckled under the violent pulsations of the mana.
“Kuluk…!”
Blood sprayed from her mouth, but she didn't care.
Ah… I see. I understand what I am now.
Only then did the truth click into place. The potential Isaac had seen in her was deeply tied to the memories of her lost childhood.
Historia, who had been infertile, had sought the help of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, alongside her husband Gerald Astrea. Sylphia had cured Historia’s infertility by extracting reproductive cells from the couple and creating a flower seed.
The fairy’s condition was that the child born from the seed would become a kin of the Emerald Fairy. A child born of such origins would surely possess exceptional talent.
The covenant was sealed. The Astreas planted the seed in a pot, and over time, a green sprout emerged. Around that time, Historia became pregnant with their cherished first daughter, Merlin. A few years later, the plant in the pot finally produced a bud.
When the flower bloomed, a tiny, lovable baby emerged from within. Historia named her Kaya and called her "Thumbelina," for she was no bigger than a thumb. Kaya grew, and by the age of five, she looked like any other ordinary child.
But she had been born from a flower, blessed with the very essence of life. Kaya was destined from birth to reach the pinnacle of plant magic. Becoming a kin of the Emerald Fairy wasn't a coincidence—it was an inevitability.
The blackish-crimson flames spreading across the battlefield were devoured by the surging life force. Silence fell. The pure, intense vitality from Kaya’s wand expanded instantly, filling the heavens and earth, making the very air vibrate.
The majestic magic circle radiated a dazzling brilliance. The verdant mana, saturated with life, surged skyward, piercing the firmament.
Booooooooom!
The mana coalesced into the form of a glowing, mystical tree trunk. This life-filled energy was unfazed by the heat radiating from Angra Mainyu. The trunk reached beyond the clouds, piercing through Angra Mainyu and expanding its domain. It branched out in every direction, forming lush clusters of radiant, vivid leaves.
Majestic green mana filled the world. It was a legendary magic that only Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, was thought to wield.
The ultimate plant magic, [Yggdrasil], had manifested in the world.
Whooooosh!
The black sun the Evil God had conjured in her right hand was enveloped by the verdant mana and dissipated. The countless eyes composing the Evil God’s black dress squinted in displeasure as the power of [Yggdrasil] burrowed into the demon, countering its destructive force. Like a lethal poison to the profane, it consumed its enemy, unleashing an unknown trial to shatter their mind.
For a moment, the Evil God felt her consciousness being dragged toward an abyss. [Yggdrasil] poured its full weight onto her, its effects momentarily potent.
The Evil God opened her piercing eyes wide and glared at Kaya. Mephisto, who acknowledged no one but Isaac as a worthy adversary, now clearly recognized the girl.
[You were born with the blessing of life… How irritating.]
Mephisto narrowed her eyes. Angra Mainyu, pierced by the branches of [Yggdrasil], spewed fire and howled in agony. While it wouldn't kill the beast, the penetration of pure life force—the antithesis of its nature—inflicted immense pain.
“What is that tree…?”
The Subjugation Force stood in shock. Dorothy withdrew her starlight magic and looked up at the verdant boughs soaring into the heavens, her face pale with astonishment.
Sssrrrr.
Around Kaya, a cradle of mana formed, enveloping Isaac. Vivid, mystical flowers bloomed within the sanctuary. The verdant mana flowed from the cradle, erasing the remnants of the blackish-crimson corruption, while silk-like petals fluttered down to sweep over Isaac’s wounds.
The flower cradles began to cover Kaya’s fallen allies one by one, mending their broken bodies. The fresh, vibrant beauty of the scene stood in stark contrast to Kaya herself, who was drenched in her own blood.
This was the secondary effect of [Yggdrasil]: the healing magic, [Floral Haven].
Isaac’s vitality returned as if time itself were reversing. He slowly opened his eyes.
“…Kaya?”
“Sir Isaac! Are you alright?” Kaya cried, her voice cracking as she fought back a sob.
The life force surged through his skin. As he lifted his head, the massive tree piercing the sky dominated his vision.
“[Yggdrasil]…”
The tree of life that created trials to shatter the minds of enemies. Its secondary spells were equally peerless. As an enemy’s power, it was a nightmare; as an ally’s, it was the ultimate salvation.
“…Thank goodness.”
❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ 「Back Story — Thumbelina」.
Kaya Astrea, born from the flower of life, had fully awakened the true essence of the plant element. Her [Yggdrasil], elevated to a level far beyond what was seen in the game, was grander and more powerful than Isaac had ever anticipated.
Fwoooosh!
Isaac rose to his feet, unfurling three pairs of frost-rimed wings, and took his place beside Kaya in the air. Multicolored petals, surreal amidst the apocalypse, fluttered around them like a spring breeze.
“Thank you. I let my guard down. You saved me.”
“…Didn’t you already know? That I would do this.”
Kaya, already at her limit, trembled as if from a deep chill, staring at Isaac with blurred eyes. She was certain Isaac had foreseen her making this massive tree bloom.
“Perhaps,” Isaac answered calmly.
Sensing her condition, he took her hand. Together, they glared at the Evil God.
“Sir Isaac.”
“Yes.”
“…I love you. Please… survive, no matter what.”
Isaac smiled.
At that moment, blackish-crimson flames engulfed the sky once more.
Fwoooosh!
The Evil God unfurled five pairs of flaming wings and swooped toward Kaya in a terrifying charge. But Isaac would never allow her to get close.
Whoooosh!
In the sky, ice mana swirled violently, forming a half-moon of frost that radiated a mysterious halo. The ultimate ice magic, [Ice Moon].
Isaac froze time, closed the distance to the Evil God in a heartbeat, and swung his right hand, which was brimming with condensed frost. The 5-star [Frost Explosion] collided with the Evil God’s flame shield.
Boooom!
A freezing shockwave swept the area, followed by a violent explosion of steam. However, the impact never reached the island below.
By then, Isaac’s domain, [Realm of the Eternal Glacial Palace], had already confined them both.
A faint ice palace materialized behind Isaac. Once again, he and the Evil God stepped into a deathly realm of raging cold. At its center, the ice moon radiated its mystical light.
“Who are you aiming at? Your opponent is me,” Isaac said nonchalantly.
Kaya was a human born with the blessing of life. According to the message Dorothy had left in the first loop, Kaya could have become a vessel for the Evil God. If the Evil God were to claim [Yggdrasil] as her own, the resulting catastrophe would be unimaginable. That had to be prevented at all costs.
“The end has already begun…”
As Isaac regained his composure, he noticed black orbs appearing all over the world. As seen during the Trial of Sandstone, the mere existence of the Evil God signaled the end of all worlds. Earth would share this fate.
Fwoooosh!
Half of the [Realm of the Eternal Glacial Palace] transformed into a fiery inferno. The Evil God’s domain, filled with blackish-crimson flames and obsidian structures, clashed with Isaac’s.
Domain Expansion: [Black Nest].
Blackish-crimson flames roared high, showcasing the majesty of the Evil God. Isaac lightly stretched, warming up his body, and turned his gaze toward the flame-clad deity.
“Round two. Let’s go.”
Whoooooooosh!
Isaac released the absolute cold of the [Ice Sovereign] from his entire body, his three pairs of blue wings flaring wide. Simultaneously, a colossal iron gate of immeasurable size appeared high in the sky.
Screeeeeeech!
The iron gate groaned open, releasing a wave of absolute zero. A being that had transcended life and death revealed its crimson glow through several eyes. In response to the cold, blackish-crimson flames erupted like a solar flare.
The space had become a death zone where anyone other than Isaac or the Evil God would perish instantly upon entry.
Wiiiiiing!
Countless magic circles aligned in the air.
Whoooooooosh!
Isaac extended his right arm upward, commanding a sun of ice.
Fwoooosh!
The Evil God extended her right arm, conjuring a sun of darkness.
The two beings clashed once more.