Chapter 50: Scared of Death

-How could this be!

Duru Satal was utterly shocked at the scenes relayed through the Network of Consciousness connected to his subordinates.

Even though those administrators did not control all the monsters in this ancient forest, the vast majority of the subordinates within the Network of Consciousness he had spread over the past few years had been wiped out in an instant.

Except for that first clash with the Order of the Demon King’s Guard alongside the other administrators and their soldiers under Granviphra’s command, nothing like this had ever happened in all his long years of existence.

-Just who, who is that human! Why did he suddenly appear like this…!

Even if he spread the Network of Consciousness again and summoned other monsters, it was now impossible to change the situation.

That cursed and terrifying Brown Moss and plants were still devouring the earth before his eyes, and none of his soldiers could get past them to reach Granviphra.

-Where are Toquas and Hirde and what are they doing! If only those two were here, things wouldn’t have turned out like this!

Toquas and Hirde, who had suddenly vanished, left not a trace—at least, not anywhere his eyes and ears could reach.

Moreover, the soldiers that would have joined the all-out assault under those two had also scattered as if seizing the opportunity, not responding to his summons after their leaders disappeared.

No matter how many they were, in the end, they were just a herd of beasts forced to obey by strength.

There was no obligation to follow the orders of an absent leader, and nothing to gain from opposing Granviphra.

They only hid themselves in the darkness, hoping the wrath of the true ruler, who would surely return, would not be directed at them.

It was a basic instinct for those of the wild, but also the wisest course of action.

-Is this truly the end, then.

Duru Satal’s vast Network of Consciousness was filling with deep helplessness and despair.

After Granviphra and the other two administrators fell to the Demon King, even knowing the outcome, why had they chosen to submit to the Demon King?

It was the most primal and ancient instinct they had possessed since the beginning—the longing for survival and the fear of death.

It was solely because of that they clung to those fleeting moments, delaying the end, even though it was but a blink compared to all they had experienced.

Though, fortunately, the Demon King died and destruction did not come, now, in the end, the time left to him was truly less than a single instant.

He tried, knowing it was futile, to move his body with all his strength.

But his true form was a being whose essence was tangled, entwined roots of many trees.

There was no way he could move.

-Damn it!

A wave of aimless rage spread throughout the Network of Consciousness, but beneath it, there was an undercurrent of inescapable fear.

The sun was already rising, and before it set, Granviphra would likely complete the Hatching.

Then Granviphra would come for him.

Just as he had threatened when first forcing Duru Satal’s submission, he would cut away the roots that made him what he was, one by one.

He would turn him into an ordinary tree.

-No, no, I can’t let that happen.

Whether he had always been this way from the beginning, or what he had been at first, Duru Satal himself could no longer remember.

But now, he had no intention of returning to being an ordinary tree.

To be divided into pieces, losing consciousness and emotion, until not even a shred of self remained—those things were no longer himself.

-I absolutely cannot allow that.

A strange light spread between the trees above the ground.

With every tree it passed, the light grew stronger, and it was heading somewhere with such speed that it seemed almost perilous.

***

“This should be enough.”

Anak cut off the connected mana as soon as he no longer sensed any presences nearby.

There was no reason to maintain the situation now that the enemies had completely vanished from sight.

Moreover, with nothing left above ground to serve as nourishment, the Brown Moss and Anterami Betelgeuse would seek new nutrients, either heading toward him or burrowing deeper underground, which could eventually cause serious ground instability.

It was unlikely, but if they disturbed the bedrock where groundwater flowed, the ground could collapse at any moment.

The effect appeared immediately.

As soon as he cut off the mana, the moss covering the tops of the trees began to wither and soon turned to ash and disappeared.

Where the moss vanished, the white, dried surfaces of the dead trees were exposed.

Anterami Betelgeuse also instinctively extended new vines and roots toward the remaining Brown Moss or dug deeper into the corpses it was entwining, as if trying to squeeze out every last drop of sap, but in the end, all would wither and crumble into ash.

“In the end, the administrators didn’t show themselves. Still, it doesn’t seem like they’re planning anything else either.”

Anak was already convinced they had fled.

“How much time remains until the Hatching?”

Anak looked up at the sky, which was gradually growing brighter.

-Almost done. Just about half a day left.

At those words, a faint, strange smile appeared on Anak’s lips.

“Half a day until the Hatching. Reminds me of old times.”

He recalled the time he destroyed Anupkut’s last surface hatchery.

Back then, Anupkut tried to mass-hatch a new breed of Demon Insects to reverse his declining status within the Demon King’s Army.

Upon learning of it, he and his comrades launched a surprise attack on the final surface hatchery, with about half a day left until the new Demon Insects would hatch.

“Well, I was on the other side back then.”

In the end, just before the Hatching, Anupkut’s surface hatchery fell, and because of the danger of the new Demon Insects, not a single egg was left—they were all consumed by Medluf’s Flames.

As a result, the reinforcement of the Demon Insect Army, which had played a broad role in every battle, was completely cut off, and thereafter, the allied and resistance forces were able to gain momentum on each battlefield, little by little.

Had they left the hatchery alone at that time, the new Demon Insects would have been deployed to all fronts, and the allied front lines before the final battle would have completely collapsed, with most resistance fighters within the Demon King’s Army territory slaughtered.

–Duru Satal’s forces are likely almost gone by now. And if Hirde and Toquas really did flee, they won’t be able to launch any more attacks.

Granviphra was confident of victory, but compared to him, Anak was consciously trying not to let his guard down.

It was a kind of obsession, a trauma that had built up slowly over time.

Having spent so long among the outstanding, he always, consciously and unconsciously, aimed for the most perfect result with all variables eliminated, but without Lowell or his other companions by his side, it was an almost impossible task.

The gap between reality and his ideals was gradually, bit by bit, pushing Anak to his limits, and so he forced himself to remain tense.

“……!”

Suddenly, sentences appeared in the air.

Anak’s gaze was fixed on one side of the forest, where a strange light was rapidly approaching them.

–Satal, desperate, it seems. To stretch his thoughts this far.

Yet even at the sudden light, Granviphra showed no sign of surprise or tension.

His voice and tone were calm, but filled with a cruel sneer.

-No need to worry. He has no ability to control an outstanding synchronizer like you. Of course, neither she nor your contracted Summoned Beasts are at risk. And at such a distance from his main body, the most he could manage with his Network of Consciousness would be conversation. He probably just wants to plead.

Anak erased the sentences he had inscribed in the air.

He trusted Granviphra’s words, but if he was wrong, there was a risk that another Summoned Beast could be controlled.

The light shot toward Anak, but was blocked by the activated barrier before it could reach him.

After hesitating for a moment, the light quickly changed direction and enveloped one of the wolves, vanishing as if it had seeped inside.

Anak, through consciousness synchronization, ordered the wolf to move away from the egg.

With the contract seal already engraved on its soul, there was no chance of the wolf being controlled by anything else, but he took precautions just in case.

As expected, the wolf obeyed his command.

It withdrew from the egg, and through the wolf, another consciousness was transmitted to him.

–I am Duru Satal. One of those who guard this forest. Human, why do you interfere with us?

Duru Satal was trying hard to appear imposing, but as a summoner, Anak could feel only his desperation beneath it.

“It’s not the best timing to meet, but my name is Anak. I am one of those who, together with the Hero of Light Lowell and other companions, defeated the Demon King in the last war.”

He greeted with full courtesy, but in truth, Anak was enjoying the sight of Duru Satal being shaken by his introduction.

“I am here to lend what little strength I have because Lord Granviphra requested help. Is that what you wanted to know?”

Duru Satal felt deep anger and humiliation at those shameless words, disguised as a polite question, but he forced those feelings down.

He already knew well that his opponent could read his emotions and consciousness, and that the other was enjoying his agitation.

-…First, I offer my thanks for saving this land from destruction.

Now, Duru Satal was not speaking with a voice, but with pure consciousness.

Thus, there was no intonation or tone, but the emotions mixed in with the consciousness were far more revealing than any voice.

Anak was certain that if he had spoken aloud, it would have sounded as if he was grinding his teeth and forcing the words out.

-But this is, after all, a matter of this forest. Please, withdraw.

“I’m afraid I can’t just stand by and let someone who fought the Demon King fall at the hands of those who aided him.”

Duru Satal wanted to bite his throat and face with a beast’s fangs right then.

His opponent’s attitude was highly intentional, looking down from above—not just confidence, superiority, or mockery, but a kind of provocation.

-I am ashamed of that as well……

“Besides, Lord Granviphra has promised me considerable reward.”

-Reward… you say?

-Under my witness, you traitors will form a master-servant contract with this one.

Suddenly interrupted by Granviphra, Duru Satal’s consciousness wavered as if about to snap.

He had desperately tried to prevent the Hatching for his own safety, but his fear of Granviphra was that overwhelming.

Even before he became this kind of being, when he was just a collection of separate, ordinary trees, Granviphra had already been imprinted on him as the ruler of the forest.

-…It has been a long time, Lord Granviphra.

-Indeed. Only now do you greet me. I wondered if you had lost not just your loyalty, but even your manners.

Granviphra’s voice was heavy with a predator’s killing intent.

Duru Satal, agitated by that intent, could not speak.

Even when he finally managed to respond, his consciousness trembled with fear and desperation.

-But a master-servant contract—do you mean to subject us, who have guarded this forest for thousands of years, to a mere human!

-Your pride was lost the moment you abandoned the forest’s defense!

-We had no choice! Even if we had fought to the end, we would have all died to the Demon King anyway! It was far wiser to preserve our lives and wait for the right time to strike back…!

-Don’t talk nonsense!

In the face of that overwhelming will, which seemed ready to swallow his entire consciousness, not just Duru Satal but even Anak had to struggle to hold onto his senses.

-If you had even the slightest intention of that, you wouldn’t have cowered in hiding ever since! Don’t insult me with cowardly excuses!

Granviphra’s rage engulfed Duru Satal’s entire Network of Consciousness, and Anak, facing the ancient being and true ruler’s fury, for a moment recalled the day he first confronted the Demon King.

He had deliberately kept his connection to the Network of Consciousness faint, so if he felt this much, he wondered how it must be for Duru Satal and the other monsters connected to him.

He even thought that this time, they might sever the connection out of fear.

-What would you know!

But contrary to his expectations, Duru Satal confronted Granviphra’s anger head-on.

It was reckless courage born of fear, desperation, and helplessness, but still, Anak was somewhat surprised by Duru Satal’s unexpected action.

-What do you know, who have never known true death! Do you mean to force death upon us, when for you, death is only a wait for rebirth!

Anak quietly watched Duru Satal.

It was not entirely wrong.

For one who, after death, simply waited to be reborn from the egg, death could never carry the same weight as it did for others.

But soon, a bitter sneer appeared on Anak’s lips.

“Truly, you say whatever comes to mind.”