episode_0353

Ether was not Nari’s exclusive possession.

It was once Lea’s power. Even before that, there were stories of demonkind with heteromorphic bodies wielding pure white light.

The Light Goddess Lumine sees into the hearts of her people through light, and the World Tree Gaia possesses a mana wavelength close to white aurora.

Eve, who has accumulated eons of time in a human body, also drew forth pure white mana upon seeing Nari’s sword. However, it was multi-attribute mana, not attributeless.

After accepting the demon god’s soul into her body, she truly became able to manipulate ether.

There are several conditions for awakening to ether.

To consciously perceive or physically sense one’s soul, the essence of their being. To possess a superhuman body, mind, or causality that transcends the laws of nature.

However, this is not absolute.

Even if all conditions are met, ether won’t instantly overflow from one’s entire body. The same goes for a single condition. This world is not a game, and ether awakening is not a quest.

That doesn’t make it entirely relative either.

Nari realized her soul came from another universe, possessed an extraordinary superhuman body, and met a certain number of conditions, instantly awakening with a flash.

Nari now fulfills all conditions. She far surpasses them.

It is both absolute and relative. Perhaps ether awakening is the process of truly adapting to this world.

Like a frog getting used to boiling water, slowly adapting to ether, the essence of this world, and upon reaching a singularity, freely wielding the pure white light.

Is it something achievable through human effort? Yes and no. Effort is necessary, but it’s not the only thing needed.

Effort, talent, time, luck. Nari, who connected her relentless training in magic, Valentine’s bloodline, two lifetimes, and everything else into one.

And, a heart that never breaks.

Ruru Valentine, having opened her eyes again in the vastness of space, thought so.

Considering the distance, the dark, burning star before her is hundreds of millions of times larger than herself.

And a tree has taken root in that star. Not a single organic leaf exists; its branches, extending like tentacles, end in raging flames.

A burning tree. Actually, there was no fire, but it felt that way to Ruru. Even in the vacuum of space, the heat was intense enough to scorch her skin.

『Gikigikik-chuchichit-』

With an incomprehensible sound, it drove its roots deep. It was as if a tree trunk was impaled into the universe. Ruru felt the heat intensify.

‘Absorbing heat… and releasing it even more intensely?’

It only takes the form of a tree. It is flame. No, closer to its essence. Combustion, oxidation, pure heat itself.

『Mamamamanmamajillae-』

Branches grew and spread in all directions. Ruru sighed softly.

And raised her staff. The Saint’s Rod, made from the branch of the World Tree. Pure white light began to blaze from Ruru along with the staff.

Ignoring the burning branches, they filled Ruru’s surroundings. The heat gradually scorched her clothes. It tightened its grip on her.

“Hooo…”

Ruru quietly exhaled. One branch snapped from her small breath.

Whoosh—

Simultaneously, Ruru’s magical hat began to burn slightly. The mutual burning of their parts resembled a close contest of firepower.

However, beneath the scorched hem of her skirt, Ruru’s bare legs were simply bright. As if unaffected.

It was Ruru’s own heat that burned her clothes.

She raised a finger.

“Combustion of the Origin.”

Seven-colored balls of fire appeared around Ruru. The flames engulfed the branches and blazed fiercely.

『Gugigigigit-』

Another incomprehensible sound. The branches extended even more violently.

Ruru clasped her hands together.

“Soul Combustion.”

Whoooooooooosh—

The tree and the entire giant planet were engulfed in flames. As if feeling pain, its massive body constantly twitched. The vibrations alone made her lungs tremble.

The flames also enveloped Ruru’s body. Her scorched clothes turned to dust and scattered, and a dress of pure white flame covered her bare skin.

“I didn’t think you’d be immune to this?”

With each step forward, the space turned white from scorching. As if climbing stairs, Ruru approached the tree’s main body.

Thump-

She placed a hand on the burning planet.

“White Flame.”

The multicolored flames erupted like an explosion, emitting a pure white light. The tree and the planet burned throughout space.

Whoooooooooosh—

Now, nothing was left for Ruru to burn.

Turning her head towards the next door, she laughed softly.

“…Amateur.”

. . .

Aspi felt her head clear.

It wasn’t just a feeling; her head actually felt clear. Like a perfectly calm plain, without a single cloud or breath of wind.

Her instincts, senses, and intuition sharpened. She neatly arranged her armor and sword, placed her hand on her chest, and bowed slightly.

“I am Aspi Lichtein, the sword and shield protecting Princess Narita.”

Then, the large octopus before her greeted her.

『My name is Hastur. I am the King in Yellow Robes.』

A remarkably polite octopus. Even though hundreds of thick, massive octopus tentacles extended from beneath the yellow robes covering its upper body, Aspi felt no immediate threat.

『Are you a gust of wind?』

“Yes. Just one of the winds my mistress will bring to this universe…”

『I see you intend to kill my brethren and family.』

Instead of answering, Aspi smiled and drew her sword, the Wind Spirit Sword, a sword of wind and soul. Now that she wielded both, the blade’s color had turned pure white.

『Let’s end this quickly. Fighting isn’t my hobby.』

“I will—”

Rustle-

Aspi’s hair fluttered in the wind as she took a stance. She immediately raised her eyes to defend, but it was too late.

A giant tentacle extended toward Aspi’s head. She barely dodged by twisting her head, but a portion of her earlobe was severed, spraying crimson blood.

Rustle-

This time, Aspi’s armor skirt swayed. She hastily tried to move, but a large tentacle was already wrapped around her body.

『It’s over.』

Creak- Crunch-

The tentacle twisted, constricting Aspi’s body. Her muscles tore, her bones twisted, and she was crushed by the tentacle.

Slash- Scrape-

Then, the tentacles encasing Aspi were sliced and fell away piece by piece.

『…What did you do?』

“I cut your tentacles.”

『How did you—without even swinging your sword—』

Swish-

Hastur stopped speaking and quickly retreated. He looked at the cross-section of the severed tentacle. Pure white light filled the cut, making it impossible to tell how it was severed.

“Let’s finish this.”

The Heart Sword. A sword that cuts with the heart. That was the true nature of the attack that cut Hastur.

Aspi, still unfamiliar with the Heart Sword, could only cut a few of the lower tentacles. It was enough. The restraints were released, her wounds healed, and she was ready to strike Hastur with full force.

“Farewell.”

Aspi launched an attack. Her hair fluttered again in Hastur’s wind, but the approaching tentacle was already severed.

Flutter-

This time, Hastur’s yellow robes fluttered in the wind.

Lichtein’s extreme endurance, resolute will.

Tentacles and the hem of the robes were torn to shreds. In his fading consciousness, Hastur saw something.

In the middle of space, a door similar to his ancestor’s burst open, and a human woman shrouded in black mist appeared.

Cradling an octopus-shaped mermaid in her chest.

『Kukuk… You met a more miserable end.』

Hastur closed his eyes contentedly.

. . .

“Bye!”

“Nice to meet you, Nyx.”

Aspi sheathed her sword and laughed. Then, she looked at what Nyx was holding. It was an octopus doll, slightly different from Hastur.

“What’s that?”

“Cthulhu! It’s so cute, I’m carrying it around.”

Cute? Its appearance was quite distorted, but somehow, the more Aspi looked at it, the cuter it seemed.

“I’m an octopus~ A dreaming octopus~”

Nyx held Cthulhu’s tentacles one by one and swung them back and forth. Seeing tears welling up in the octopus doll’s eyes, Aspi looked away slightly and smiled wryly.

“Seeing you here… did you meet everyone else?”

“Yeah! But… everyone got scarier…”

Even as she spoke, Aspi couldn’t take her eyes off the octopus doll.

She had heard it from Eve, she thought. The Great Dreamer, Lord of the Deep, Cthulhu. As strong as Hastur, whom she had just cut down, and a representative figure of the “Ancient Ones”.

Since such a being had become Nyx’s doll, she wasn’t sure who exactly was scary.

Nyx gently squeezed the doll’s cheeks and created a black door behind her.

“Let’s go!”

“Where to?”

“To see Nari!”

Aspi followed Nyx without a word. Considering their newly acquired power, there would surely be no difficulties.

Meanwhile.

“Kyaaaack!!”

Tier ran. Because she was scared.

“Kyaaaack!!”

Newfound power? She didn’t care. You don’t need a strong opponent to feel fear.

Numerous insects were chasing Tier. Of course, they weren’t just insects. They were larger than Tier.

Many legs, many eyes, and much fur. Just looking at them made her nauseous, so Tier squinted her eyes tightly and ran desperately.

“Kyaaaack!! Hack-”

Thud-

And if you run without looking ahead, you usually trip and fall. Tier fell, face-planting somewhere in space.

“Oww…”

She winced in short, sharp pain and got up. When Tier opened her eyes again, a large insect’s face was right in front of her.

“Kyaaaack!!”

She quickly backed away. But she bumped into something and couldn’t go any further. She slowly lifted her head, and another large insect’s face was there too.

“Kyaaaack!!”

She grabbed her head, curled up, and hugged herself tightly. She waved her arms desperately, begging them to stay away. But when an insect’s antenna touched her fingertips, Tier wailed.

“Waaaah… Go away—!!”

Halt-

As Tier screamed, the insects stopped moving. They turned their heads and left in the opposite direction.

Tier, who had been trembling violently, slowly got up as the surroundings quieted. She saw the retreating insects’ backsides.

Flick- Swish-

And above them, hundreds of daggers rained down like hail.

“My… you’re so afraid, what are we going to do?”

“Yu, Yuri…!!”

Appearing in a maid outfit was not Sesco, but Yuri. Tier hesitated when she saw her, but Yuri, who had noticed everything, spread her arms and smiled.

“Were you scared?”

“Ye, yes…!!”

“I’m not your sister… but if it’s okay with you, I’ll hold you for a little while.”

Tier ran to Yuri, eyes and nose streaming. When she hugged her, she realized that something was soft and sticky, unlike Yuri’s chest.

“Dreaming octopus~”

What Tier was hugging was an octopus doll. Yuri and Aspi sighed and shook their heads.

Realizing that what she’s holding was an octopus, Tier screamed out loud once more.

“Kyaaaack!!”