Chapter 114

As the golden beast spoke the name of El Prigion, all the elves’ gazes converged.

It was only natural, for the huge beast that suddenly appeared and trampled Terato had called out the name of the World Tree, their mother and deity.

“Gal Dragon!”

“…It seems you have been quite excited. Big Monkey.”

“Is it Gal Dragon? Fantastic—ah! Araya!”

Saraswati, who was dazzled by the sudden appearance of the true form of Gal Dragon, momentarily lost strength due to the shock but quickly turned her head, recalling how Araya had been struck and flown backwards, hitting the city wall.

Pallas was already leaping in the direction Araya had flown.

“Are you going to interfere?”

“What’s more surprising is that I thought you wouldn’t.”

“Your era has already come to an end! You are merely dying!”

“You boast, yet here you are, feeling proud just because you have gained the upper hand at this one moment in all that long time.”

“You are being foolish. I can sense that you have not yet unraveled my magic!”

Terato swung at Gal Dragon, who was pressing down on him with its shoulder.

As the palm like a city wall connected, the huge body of Gal Dragon, which had been pressing Terato down with its sharp claws, staggered for a moment before falling away.

“With mere physical strength, what are you planning to do to me? It hasn’t been long since you barely managed to keep your life!”

Though a chunk of flesh from Terato’s shoulder was also torn away, he paid it no mind and threw a punch with all his might toward Gal Dragon.

Gal Dragon, too, released the breath that had once repelled Araya in response to the approaching punch.

“That breath from the past has left me with truly painful wounds and lessons.”

The flash of incredible power, which seemed capable of instantly annihilating mountains, strangely lost its strength upon reaching Terato’s body, becoming particles of light that began to scatter.

“Did I not tell you? Your power no longer works on me!”

Gal Dragon, who was gazing at the punch flying through his breath with a humiliating expression, began to move its massive wings.

Though not as gigantic as Terato, Gal Dragon’s body was immense beyond comparison to the ground, yet it was swift.

Dodging the giant’s punch that could ignite the very atmosphere, it cried out once more to the sky.

“El Prigion—still are you!”

“You are truly urgent. Why not add the weight of the years to your actions?”

“That is useless. Above all, Araya has been struck by the punch of this monkey.”

“My child. There is no way she would be defeated by something so trivial.”

In that instant, a warm breeze blew over the plains, filled with flames and black clouds, and suffocating dust.

“Mom?”

“…Mother?”

Saraswati and Anart stood with their mouths agape, sensing a certain energy.

An energy that should not be here.

“Do not stand there with such foolish faces, big girls who haven’t even gotten married.”

A wind of unknown origins filled the death-laden land.

The terrain, altered by scars, was horrifically transformed beyond recognition.

From that place, something enormous broke the ground and ‘bloomed.’

“…!”

The eyes of Terato, who had been engaged in a battle of nerves with Gal Dragon, darted toward the giant tree that revealed its immense presence across the battlefield that had now become a sea of flames.

“Hmm… I prepared as much as I could, but it is indeed difficult to fully extend my roots this far.”

“Is it the tree that created the elves that resided to the west?”

“Glad to meet you, giant of the north. It seems my child is indebted to you.”

Though it was less than a tenth of the true form, it still resembled a tree as massive as Terato.

Once more, a fragrant breeze carrying the scent of grass swept through the plains.

As the wind bearing the power of El Prigion touched the ground, distant lives began to bloom, breaking through the death-stained earth.

“…Oh… Great Earth Mother.”

“The deity… Mother Goddess has descended.”

“The deity has… the deity has not forsaken us.”

The name of El Prigion had already become one of the most famous names among humans, alongside Ul Kanadiel and Priegoss.

The humans, who had not yet realized it, saw the enormous and beautiful golden beast that had suddenly appeared rush toward the evil giant while calling upon the name of the Earth Mother. As the giant revealed a part of the world tree as large as itself, they began to chant and praise the name of the Earth Mother.

In the consciousness of the humans, it was but a brief moment.

The plains before the city wall, which had been rippling with death, were soon filled with lush vegetation bursting with life.

“Poor creatures.”

The will of the benevolent World Tree echoed over the plains.

As soon as the titan’s corpse, which had been born from the pool of Terato’s blood, was engulfed like a calamity, it sank to the ground wrapped in flowering vines.

And in the place where the titan had vanished, a great tree sprouted not long after.

According to Araya, it was about the time to drink a cup of tea.

El Prigion descended upon the plains of Pohelrn and, in mere moments, ignited the vast forest.

At the heart of the vibrant forest, a sacred tree that had accumulated wisdom over many ages suggested to the undisciplined king of the giant.

“How about returning now? Even with my scant insight, it seems this situation is not favorable for you.”

Terato frowned at El Prigion, which was as high as he.

“Let us return to the north. If we do, we will pursue no further. Let us each do our best to cultivate this star in our own domains, just as we were once wished for amid chaos.”

“…Nonsense.”

Terato lightly dismissed El Prigion’s words.

“You are being boastful. I can see it. You have brought only a part of your body here, have you not?”

Glancing between Gal Dragon, who was watching him from afar, and El Prigion, Terato grinned mischievously.

“A being that must fight with its powers sealed. And one that can only use a fraction of its strength. It was quite an impressive appearance, but what is there that I need to fear?”

“You, too, seem not to be in perfect shape after having been defeated by my child.”

“This is nothing. Nothing at all.”

To demonstrate his vigor, Terato, unfazed, lifted his enormous foot to trample Pohelrn.

The arena of Pohelrn trembled once more.

“…This won’t hold out for long.”

Saraswati’s face stiffened.

“Is that so? The negotiations are over. Gal Dragon.”

“…Understood. Can you hold out?”

“My dear children are fulfilling their roles in there, and as their mother, I cannot just stand by.”

In that instant, Gal Dragon moved.

Because its original form was golden, its afterimage resembled that of a lightning strike.

“Ugh—!”

Gal Dragon slashed its claws, grazing Terato’s body and pierced into the inside of Pohelrn.

It seemed to be concocting something.

Believing that the arrogant Gal Dragon would not turn its back on him for no reason, Terato reached for the disappearing Gal Dragon’s rear, but—

“You have something to discuss with me.”

“Tree…!”

“Just as your name is Babel Terato, my name is El Prigion.”

From the body of El Prigion, branches as thick as half Terato’s forearm reached out and bound Terato’s body.

“Do not you dare speak to me about the trouble you caused my children!”

“How bothersome!”

Terato growled and pulled at the branches that bound him.

Just as yet again, a battle of titanic beings, beyond human comprehension, was about to commence.

“U… uh…?”

Without even slowing down, the colossal golden beast soared, causing everyone on the city wall to scream and shut their eyes.

But when the anticipated shock did not occur, and upon opening their eyes, they found that a single elf cloaked in gold had suddenly appeared where there was none.

“Bat girl. Child of Araya.”

“…Yes.”

“Eh?”

Gal Dragon, having transformed into a human form, called for Alia and Saraswati. Upon hearing their responses, it declared:

“There is no time. We must move.”

“Huh? Ehhh?”

With Alia quietly following along and Saraswati causing a commotion out of confusion, Gal Dragon pulled them both and suddenly transformed back into a dragon to fly toward the Grand Temple.

When Alia seemed to be dragged away by Gal Dragon, Priegoss attempted to stop her but, upon seeing Alia quietly shake her head, he bit his lip and stepped back.

“What is it…? What is it…!”

“…Araya.”

As Gal Dragon flew toward the Grand Temple, he glanced down at the building where Araya had been struck by Terato’s punch.

There were a few humans, and Pallas, the blood kin of Araya, was looking after the seemingly unconscious Araya.

However, even having been exposed to that terrifying punch, it seemed Araya was not as badly injured as one might expect.

‘Thank goodness.’

As he thought that inwardly, Gal Dragon suddenly became surprised that he had such a thought and shook his head.

‘…El Prigion. Unnecessary words.’

Blaming the confusion on El Prigion, Gal Dragon swiftly moved Alia and Saraswati to the Grand Temple.

“Ex-Eugh!”

“…Why are we here?”

Saraswati, who was flung down, and Alia, who landed softly, both looked at Gal Dragon with puzzled expressions.

“I am controlling the toy you made.”

“…Is it Deus Ex Machina?”

“Ridiculous, but it is indeed a fitting name every time I hear it.”

“Embarrassingly, the current Deus Ex Machina is…”

“Right! That is—!”

“I will handle what you are worried about. However, the rest is for you to take care of. Blood kin of Araya. Right now, El Prigion is buying time against the big monkey, but it cannot hold out for long. I will assist you as little as possible and join El Prigion to confront Terato.”

Seeing the seriousness in Gal Dragon’s eyes, Alia hardened her face and nodded.

“…Understood. What should I do?”

“First, we head to that Room of Worlds. There is no time. I will explain in detail as we go.”