Chapter 321: Yggdrasil’s True Identity

“H-How did it turn that way…”

((Ah? You didn’t hear? I just told you to kill that elf with the huge sword for your final test.))

Hoho~.

So we’ve come to this.

((Well, that old guy over there looks quite strong too. You with the huge sword, you can kill him too, you know?))

“What!?”

Dairon stepped away from me in a fluster.

He saw me crush oricalchum right in front of him, so I understand his reaction, given that such a guy would aim for his life.

“Do you want the body of an Elf?”

((I’m fine even if it’s not an elf. What’s important is that it’s strong. I want a body that can freely move. That’s why I need a body that can endure when I transfer my consciousness into it.))

“... Is that so.”

“E-Ernol, d-don’t tell me, you —”

When I raised Hakoku, Dairon also touched the sword on his waist.

He had something he needed to protect, after all.

However, the current me didn’t have anyone to protect.

It’s fine even if I die.

Actually, I wanted to die.

That’s why I stabbed Hakoku on the ground.

“Dairon, kill me.”

I raised both my hands, signaling my readiness to accept his attack.

“W-What the heck are you talking about!?”

((You’ll be the one to die?... That’s more favorable for me (ore), then.))

Oy, oy you’re referring to yourself as ‘ore’ instead of ‘watashi’, y’know?

No longer pretending as Yggdrasil, are we?

Well then, I’ll go along with you for a while longer.

“Dairon. You are the person who will unify all the elves, and you will be the king. I need to die for the sake of the elves’ future.”

“.......”

Dairon wordlessly unsheathed his sword.

“Ernol, I’m sorry…I…”

He raised his sword, then —

He aimed at Yggdrasil.

“I won’t kill you!”

(( — Huh!?))

A cry of surprise rang out from Yggdrasil.

A slash attack flew from Dairon’s blade, inflicting a small wound on the gigantic Yggdrasil’s trunk.

“I’m Dairon Alheim. I will be the king of the elves! I’m not a scum that will hurt my own race just because of a tree’s enticing!!”

Thank goodness…

((...Heh, is that so. You don’t need Yggdrasil’s fruit, then. ))

“I’m going to snatch that from you with my own power.”

Thank goodness Dairon is a good guy.

“Ernol, sorry for dragging you into this! Hurry up and run away from this place right now!”

((You think I’m gonna let you go? Everything under these branches are under my control. You, the guy who thinks he’s gonna be the elf king, I’m gonna take your memories and make them feed for Yggdrasil. You large sword wielder, I’m going to make you my host.))

Ahh…

I’m so glad the guy who took over Yggdrasil is such a scum.

Thanks to that —

I can scare the hell out of Yggdrasil with all my might.

Soryuu-sama’s mana was still flowing underneath me.

I released that mana into the air nonstop.

My entire body’s status was frozen, so I could release much more at once.

In just a few seconds, I managed to extend that mana over the entire area of the Woods of Yggdrasil.

I changed the entirety of that into flames.

(( —!?!?!?))

“T-This is…”

Yggdrasil was dumbfounded, while Dairon was absolutely shaken by the scene before them.

The forest that surrounded Yggdrasil was ablaze in raging flames.

I set that fire.

This forest was unnecessary for the original Yggdrasil, after all.

“Hey, Yggdrasil.”

I also wrapped my entire body in flames as I walked towards the tree.

((W-W-What the heck is wrong with you!? Y-Y-You’re the one who did this!? M-My forest!!))

“Yeah. You didn’t want to hand over that fruit properly, so…You’re the one at fault here.”

My flames turned the evil woods into ashes in just a matter of seconds.

The fire no longer had anything to consume, so it gathered around me.

***((W-What’s happening… Why can an elf like you handle fire like that!?”

The elven race were favored by wind and water mana, and it was very difficult for them to have the aptitude for fire magic.

Even if the one inside this body was me, Halt, Soryuu-sama still adjusted the transformation ability of his mana, so that it would be easy for me to manipulate it.

“I’m Ernol. The Elf of Flames.”

I gathered all the flames to my right hand.

My right arm was wrapped with the flames that had been extremely condensed, it could instantly melt scarletite.

“I’m going to punch you with this now.”

((!!!))

Yggdrasil shook violently.

One more push, I guess?

“Hand that fruit over.”

((W-Wait! Wait a sec!! I can only bear one fruit once every millenia.))

“You got one now, right? It’s been a thousand years since you last bore fruit this year, so that’s why I went here to get the fruit.”

((T-That’s —))

“What now? Don’t tell me, you don’t have any?”

Alright, what will this guy do now?

((...I-It’s a demon.))

“Huh? Demon, you say?”

((Y-Yeah, a demon. A demon came and he got my fruit. That’s why I don’t have any now.))

Hmmm.

So that’s what happened.

“... Really?”

((Did you understand now!? Everything’s the demon’s fault!!))

“Yeah, I got it. If you don’t have the fruit, then —”

I made the flames on my right hand blaze up as I walked towards Yggdrasil.

“It’s fine even if we burn you.”

(( —!? W-Wait! Waitwaitwaitwaiiiittt!!!!! S-S-Stop, don’t come here!! Go away!!!))

“But you’re useless without your fruits, aren’t you?”

((J-Just get as many leaves as you want! You can even get my branches!! That’s why don’t come near meeeeeeeeeeeee!!!))

The roots bursted out of the ground and attacked me, but I used the flames on my right hand to shake them off.

((Stop, stopstopstopstop stooooopppppppp!!!!!))

“I don’t need your leaves, branches, and even your roots. Give me the fruit. Show me…your worth. If you don’t —”

I drew closer to Yggdrasil, until its trunk was only an arm length away from me.

“Then go burn.”

This single statement was the most effective, apparently.

Something jumped out of Yggdrasil.

At the same time, countless red fruits fell on my feet.

Alright!

Getting Fruit of Yggdrasil — success!

By the way, the thing that had been ejected from Yggdrasil had the figure of a human.

“Grr, Ugh, I-I won’t forgive you —”

He clearly expressed bloodlust towards Dairon and I, so I touched him with my right hand.

The flames on my right hand — flames that would never burn out, only consuming the things I specified — set that humanoid thing ablaze.

“GyyyaaaaaaAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

Yeah, he’s the enemy, but I couldn’t help but feel pity for him. Having an all-too-excellent regenerating ability could be a curse.

They wouldn’t die easily.

Sorry, but the current me didn’t have the ability to easily obliterate you.

I stared at the flames until that demon was thoroughly consumed by the fire.

“Sigh. It ended. Dairon — oh.”

When I looked at Dairon, I saw the Sword of Exorcism — Hakoku — sticking out of the ground.

“.....”

Anyway, I decided to just pretend I didn’t see it.