Dodging Rebecca’s fist, I threw out a counter of my own, striking her in the shoulder, causing her to tumble backwards a bit, but she didn’t relent in her assault, grabbing my wrist before I could pull it back, pulling me towards her before lifting me, throwing me over her shoulder. Twisting my body midair, I landed hard on my feet, twisted my arm and used the other one to grapple her, this time lifting her into the air and tackling her into the ground.
Panting for breath for a split second, I felt her legs wrap around my waist before dragging me off her, switching our positions instantly, with her on top of me, gripping both my hands tightly. Twisting my body side to side, I struggled to get out of her grasp until a voice rang out.
“Madam Rebecca wins this round. The score is 43-12 in favour of Madam Rebecca.”
“Good game.” Rebecca gets off me while offering me a hand. Taking it, I get back on my feet, slightly out of breath and bruised all over. Looking at her, she had fared a lot better than I had. Given her strength and durability befitting one of being a frontliner. Brushing myself off, I looked towards Maji who had been just sitting there watching us while keeping count.
“Come on Maji, I had her pinned for a moment there.”
“According to this book, you must have them pinned down for more than ten seconds, you held Madam Rebecca down for five seconds, My Lady.”
It’s been nearly six months since we ran into Jokestar and the General Team. We didn’t stick around for long, leaving nearly as soon as we could, but I had to wonder if anyone else I knew was still there. Morgana, Elise and even Cherry, while not good friends, I still had formed a friendship with them. Deciding to find out later, I sat down on the soft ground again and welcomed the Fairies that came over to us.
During the last few months, Rebecca and I had cleared just shy of fifteen Dimensions. None were really exciting and while they had some good items, they weren’t anything particularly special, at least for us. We did find a few books on various martial arts, though none of them had really suited either of us. Greyback had taught me how to read and speak the Spirit Language, which surprisingly hadn’t been difficult to learn. I had learnt the entire language within two weeks, a fact that Greyback didn’t seem shocked at.
“You too are a Spirit now, My Lady. Not only that, but you are the Spirit Queen, learning our language is of course second nature to you.”
I hadn’t honestly really gotten fully into the idea of being this ‘Spirit Queen’ yet. It felt strange that I’d been passed the title, yet other than the Fairies being their usual selves, nothing had really changed. I had yet to meet the Seer either, though according to Greyback their life was tied to the Spirit Realm, so they would cease to exist when the realm did.
Other than studying magic, Rebecca and I had honed our physical strength to their peaks. We began duelling each other due to a lack of other resources to train ourselves, and the results had been overwhelmingly positive. I didn’t have to hold back against Rebecca and she didn’t have to hold back against me since most of the damage I took went to mana instead. Of course, due to her strength being much higher than my inherent toughness, I didn’t last long when she went all out.
Overall, our strength has increased several fold since arriving here. I wasn’t sure if we were at the peak of Lvl 3, but we had started to understand, control and use our strength correctly, to the point where if that Void Legion Captain showed up again I felt confident that I would kill it within seconds.
"Right, let's go wash up. Maji, when is the ceremony?"
"In one day, My Lady."
I had become slightly nervous about this. Looking at the massive tree, Yggdrasil, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad that this massive tree would die. It still seemed so full of life as well, but according to Maji it barely held any life force now.
Heading to a small lake, Rebecca and I stripped down and washed the dirt and mud off. We had grown accustomed to wearing clothing once more. At first after returning to the Spirit Realm we had wanted to strip naked due to the clothing feeling uncomfortable, but we knew we had to get used to them again before heading back.
After washing up and letting ourselves dry, we got dressed once more before deciding to explore the Spirit Realm. I carried the egg that I had gotten as a reward with us as well. The ritual that Maji had told me about wasn’t complicated, at least for me. According to her, the egg hadn’t hatched due to a lack of energy and ownership thus the ritual poured in nature energy and my blood bound it to me, meaning when it hatched it would treat me as its mother rather than owner. Because of the ritual, the egg had changed to be green and black patterned and the name had become unknown.
According to Greyback, the forest had never been this empty before and after asking him why, he finally told me one of the answers I had come here to learn.
About twenty years before we arrived in this world, an infestation started. At first it wasn't bad, manageable by humans and their technology. They had weapons similar to ours, so the first few Husks that appeared were swiftly dealt with and it was thought that was the end of it.
But half a year later the Spirits felt something. Destruction had laid its eye on this world, it was a feeling Greyback describes as the moment he thought he would die. Every living being in the world felt this state, one that gave them the same feeling; like it wanted nothing more than their deaths and more.
Greyback said that if it's revealed this stare came from a God he wouldn't be surprised. But the end of the world started at that moment. The feeling disappeared and in the next moment the previous Spirit Queen screamed in terror, a scream so loud and powerful it shook the realm. At first, they had thought she became afraid of the stare, but it wasn't.
She screamed because the World Soul had become afraid. While attempting to calm the previous Spirit Queen, she had been muttering about how the world is doomed to die, that ‘they’ had been found. From there, nothing that she had said made sense to them, only mutterings about ‘they’re coming’ and ‘if the world dies, so does all of creation.’
They hadn’t understood what she meant by that, but after learning about us, Greyback theorised that whatever had found them intended to destroy all worlds, including ours, starting with this world. Recalling the text that we had first received when arriving in this world, what he said aligned with it.
After another month, it all started, the end of the world. Black obelisks dropped from the sky one day, all of them falling towards any town or city of the humans. Strange magic emitted from the obelisks, with Husks and monsters appearing from tears in the sky near them. Unbelievably strong monsters like the Dragon we had found laid waste to the lands while Husks chased down any living being.
At night, the locations with obelisks would surge with mana, creating hundreds if not thousands of Husks to appear throughout the area, giving survivors next to no hope of escape or rest. Eventually, the Realms of the Magical Races were laid to siege. Magical Races were races like the Spirits, Elves, Demons, Minatours and various more. At this point, the Spirit Realm had become a safe haven, nearly half a million Spirits of different types had resided here, all of them seeking the protection of both Stella and Yggdrasil.
The assaults on the Spirit Realm had been easily repealed without the Spirit Queen’s intervention. The Spirits fought as one, easily dealing with wave after wave of Husks that had come from the towns or cities. Eventually they even found and accepted help from humans who had stumbled across the Spirit Realm, though it only amounted to about ten in total. But as with the rest of the world, this resistance too would fall.
It happened one night when a massive black and white obelisk slammed down in front of the Spirit Realm. Emerging from the tears in the sky around it was a singular beast, a beast so powerful that its mere presence was more than enough to cause death for those too weak. Its presence alone caused the Spirit Queen to act, to ensure the safety of the Realm.
They fought a battle so devastating that the surroundings were no longer habitable. It wasn’t only the Spirit Queen, Yggdrasil also fought, empowering Stella. Meanwhile countless monsters, evolved forms of Husks and more continuously flooded the barrier to the Realm, the after effects of the Queen’s battle finally breaching an opening.
The moment that the barrier collapsed, Yggdrasil became weaker. Stella, who had become exhausted, knew that either they fell at that time or would fall at another time. They needed time, more than anything, for the chance of a reemergence. Thus, Stella decided to use her trump card, as well as her final ability.
Living Forest. Sounds like an interesting name for a forest thriving with life, but when it comes to the name of the spell, it’s horrifying. Simple, yet it gave time. As a final act, Stella transformed into her true form, something that Greyback said he still can not describe to this day, and used Living Forest.
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Three parts existed to this spell. The first part hundreds, thousand, millions of roots bound those she considered an enemy, all the roots springing up from the very earth. The second part is when the roots impale and lay hundreds of seeds within the enemy. Lastly, Stella used all of her lifeforce to feed these seeds, imbuing them all with a bit of time magic and her very life essence.
The battlefield within a minute turned from a bloodbath with hundreds of corpses to a massive forest, the seeds erupting and using both Stella’s lifeforce and the blood and flesh from her enemies to grow into trees, plants, flowers and more. An abomination on nature, one that previously may have caused great shame to the Spirits who wore closely attuned to nature to know their Spirit Queen caused it, but it never did. All Spirits understood why, they knew without the sacrifice they would not have had time to prepare a generation to save their world.
Greyback had led me to see this Living Forest, but at the last moment the avatar of Yggdrasil had blocked us, telling me that the battlefield still held magic that is beyond me, and if I were to go there it would have an adverse affect on me. Deciding it best to not see it, Greyback finished by telling me of the after effects of the battle.
There were no more attacks on the Spirit Realm after that point, nor elsewhere in the world. It’s unknown why, they could only concede that the majority of the world had perished, and according to Yggdrasil, that much was true, with over 99% of the population having been killed, turned into Husk or had committed suicide.
The Spirits eventually departed from the Spirit Realm, all seeking out survivors of this world or attempting to bring life to it once more. The world then settled into a strange peace, where Husks roamed, cities and towns were death traps and everything fell into a cycle. Where there was creation, death and destruction would soon follow. Then, we arrived.
“We still don’t understand your arrival, but we can only thank Gaia that you are here. Without you, all hope would have been lost but now the Spirits can rebuild, hope can reform.”
Remembering Greyback's words from that time, I pursed my lips and shook my head. While we had been ahead of the difficulty for this world, just hearing what had happened to Stella, who would’ve been far more powerful than I at the time, I had to wonder if we could truly overcome whatever force had set its eye on this world. By the sounds of it, the possibility of it being some type of God couldn’t be denied.
“Hey, Bek?”
“Mm?”
“I love you.”
“Mm, I love you too, Ruby.”
***
“Did Stella really used to wear this?”
“Not these exact clothes, they are styled after hers.”
“They’re rather…luxurious.”
“We used the last of our material, My Lady.” Maji hands me a pair of long, black gloves. Pulling them on, I turned to the mirror and looked at my new outfit.
Made out of very fine material, I wore a long dress that is black in colour with deep red frills. Long, black gloves came up just past my elbows along with a pair of heels that felt uncomfortable, though I couldn’t fault the shoes, I barely wore heels even in our world. It was nice and loose, especially around the legs, allowing easy movement. My hair is tied back, recently washed, with a hair ornament pinned in the bun at the back. The ornament had a pair of wings at the top, the symbol of the Spirit Queen.
“So this ceremony is to officially make me the Spirit Queen?”
“Correct, My Lady. While we refer to you as the Spirit Queen, you are all but a ‘candidate’ at the moment, but since you’ve already been chosen and passed the trials, this ceremony will instil the power of the Spirit Queen to you.”
Looking at the mirror, I looked at my eyes. They had changed slightly, with a hint of green within the red. They were much sharper and had a commanding look to them, surprising even me.
“Say, Maji? Where are the rest of the Spirits? Greyback mentioned they spread around the world.”
“I’d say they are in hiding, waiting for your awakening and presence to be felt. Most Spirits departed from the realm because they feared being found as a group, wiping the Spirits out would have been an easy feat. By spreading out, they hope that they can survive until the Spirit Queen has revived.”
“So they’re cowards who hid rather than help the Spirit Race?”
“Yes, but you can not fault them. Us Spirits are not used to combat and what many experienced back then scared them for life. We are used to living in peace, using our magic for entertainment, not for killing. While one such as you who has known battle may see them as cowards, we see them as afraid, not wanting to use their magic for battle.”
Nodding, I understood what Maji meant. Storing the mirror back into my ring, I stretched and looked around. We were in a clearing some distance from Yggdrasil. After the ceremony, we would be leaving the Spirit Realm as it will start to collapse and not only that, but Jokestar had arrived at the meeting location a few days ago and with the condition of those who were weak, we couldn’t afford to wait long.
I take the sight in as we walk, Maji leading the way there. No Spirits appeared, no Fairies that would usually come over to me and sit on my shoulders and head. I knew where they were though, and we were heading straight there.
“Nervous, My Lady?”
“Not exactly…no, I suppose I am a little, but I’m more saddened that such a place is about to disappear.”
“The forest will live, but it will no longer be safe nor will it allow us Spirits to be empowered. Once we leave, it will be up to you to build a new home for us.”
“I hope you don’t mind technology then. I don’t think I can build such a large forest while working with machinery.”
“Such things will not be of concern for us. As long as we can continue to follow our Queen, we will be satisfied.”
“I hope you’re not looking for a peaceful life. To save this world we’re going to have to fight. A lot.”
“And we are prepared. Those Fairies never once denied your call for help, did they?” Thinking of those words, I nodded. “They too wish for the world to heal. Now, we have nearly arrived.”
Looking up, Yggdrasil came into view as the opening it sat in came into view. There, thousands of Fairies were waiting, far more than I could possibly count. The sun, which was setting in the background, turned the sight of Yggdrasil and the Fairies into one of beauty.
The Fairies all floated about, forming a path of sorts towards the base of Yggdrasil. Maji stopped walking and gestured for me to continue.
Breathing in as to steady myself, I continued towards Yggdrasil. The Fairies glowed as I passed them, creating a rather breathtaking sight, as if welcoming me. As I approach Yggdrasil, I see Greyback and Rebecca standing to the side, with Greyback showing a rather rare respectful look. My eyes met Rebecca’s who gave me a small smile and turning my attention forward, I saw the avatar of Yggdrasil. Approaching her, I stood before her as she looked me up and down.
“Good, you’re in peak condition.” Turning towards the tree, Yggdrasil looked it up and down before turning back to me. “This ceremony is nothing more than a formality. Come, we will begin the ritual and once complete, you will have awoken as the Spirit Queen.”
Following her, we approached the base of the tree and laid a palm on a certain part of it, Yggdrasil closed her eyes as a small whisper of Nature Magic spread from her hand. A hole slowly opened, showing a path towards the inside of the tree, different from the path that led to the bedroom we had used before. Without a word, she continued and I followed, walking down the dark path into the tree.
“Before we arrive, I want to tell you that I do not believe you are prepared to lead the Spirits. No, I do not believe you can lead them at all. Do not mind my words, for I am an existence bonded to the previous Spirit Queen, I do not believe any existence can lead other than her.” Turning, she looked at me with that expressionless face. “However, because she willingly passed the power from her core to you when you assimilated the Seed of Yggdrasil, I will accept that you will be the next Spirit Queen.”
As she finished speaking, we arrived in a damp small room. In the middle are lines of roots coming from the ground and roof, and in the middle is a soft, pulsating green liquid-like substance. I could feel an extraordinary amount of energy coming from it.
“The last of my energy runs through these roots. The green energy there is the last of my lifeforce, meaning if this is taken or corrupted, I will be killed.” Turning to me, she continued. “Reach out your hand and absorb it. Within my life essence is the essence of Stella. While it won’t grant you power, it will awaken the power of Domain within you, or at least the embryo of it.”
“By doing so, your life will end, will it not?” Suddenly feeling a bit hesitant, I met the avatar of Yggdrasil’s eyes.
“Yes, but that is the course of nature. Plus I am already dying, regardless of what is done my life is forfeit. From the moment of Stella’s death, my own death had begun. I have used a lot of my life to plant the seed within you and now you’re taking the last of it, it’s that simple.”
“Thank you.”
“Do not thank me, thank those Spirits, they are the ones who chose you. I simply decided to support them, not you. You are however allowing me to finally be with Stella once more, and that is all I have wanted all these years. I’ve never cared for the Spirits, the only reason why I care for them now is because of Stella. I sheltered them all these years to ensure their survival, because it was her final wish. Now, they will become your responsibility. The essence you receive from me today, feed it to the sproutling in your home, it will help it’s growth and will create a bond between you and it. Keep in mind that from that day onwards, your life will be tied to it, like how Stella and I were bonded.”
The avatar starts to fade as it looks at me one last time. “Don’t fail, Ruby Piper. Save this world, save it for all those that live and have lived. Bring it back to its glory days.”
She soon disappears completely, and as the last whisper of her does, I turn my attention to the roots in the centre. Reaching out a hand, I slowly touch the life essence of Yggdrasil and start to absorb it.
Life Essence of the Mystical Tree, Yggdrasil, is being absorbed.
You are now awakening the true power of the Spirit Queen.