“Fuse with me, hero. Let us swallow the world whole,” the World Tree offered.
Just as the Tree started to ease up on Ein, he noticed that the prince had been left completely paralyzed for a brief moment. In an instant, hundreds of Phantom Hands descended upon Ein—he didn’t even need to turn around to sense the attack. A tendril shot out to grab one arm, and another Phantom Hand restrained the other. The blue fire roses by his feet froze, and the ice crept up Ein’s legs, cementing him in place.
The World Tree of Gluttony pointed his dark blade at Ein’s throat as he awaited the crown prince’s reply.
“You’ve been so wise up until this point.” The World Tree sighed deeply. “It would be so baffling to see you make the wrong choice now.”
“I’ve grown up since then,” Ein replied.
The silver wind that enveloped his body caused the Phantom Hands to dissipate into the air and the ice grasping his feet began to melt under the silver flames, freeing him from his shackles. Ein grabbed Ishtar and held it horizontally in front of him.
“But,” Ein paused as though to remind his foe of an important fact, “you should know that I’ve always been stubborn!”
He roared angrily as he stepped forward, closing the gap between the melancholic World Tree and himself. Ein’s godlike speed was impressive, but unfortunately, he found himself easily parried by his enemy. If speed was all he needed to eke out a victory, it would’ve been easy; Ein gave a wry smile, knowing that it’d take much more than that. The World Tree chortled as he easily parried the crown prince’s attacks.
“Not bad at all,” he said. “The mere thought of understanding you on a deeper level brings me inexplicable joy. I can’t help it. This doesn’t feel bad at all!”
Ein grunted in surprise.
“And look!” the World Tree cackled gleefully. “I’m crossing blades with you as I speak!”
“And what of it?” Ein growled back.
The crown prince had never faced such a peculiar enemy before. The World Tree’s swordplay was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Every aspect of the World Tree’s being gave him a slight edge, causing Ein to grit his teeth in frustration. The World Tree wielded more power and speed than Ein could ever muster.
“Ah, that expression! That voice!” the World Tree shouted. “In our time together, I’ve seen so many sides of you! But not once have I seen such desperation and hatred on your face before! Never!”
“As long as you got the idea, it was worth it!” Ein exclaimed.
“That just entrances me more! It’s so endearing!”
The clash of cold steel grew faster with every swing, but only the World Tree was increasing his ferocity.
“I’ll pierce your body with your own sword!” the World Tree shouted.
Ein lost his composure and went down on one knee, crushing the blue fire roses beneath him. The black blade was aimed straight between his brows and his limbs were restrained by a series of jet-black tree roots, giving him no chance of escape. Yet the crown prince’s piercing gaze was sharper than the steel pointed at him.
“Did you think it’d be that easy?” Ein asked.
“I hoped so,” the World Tree replied.
“Then you should reevaluate your assumptions.”
Once again, the blistering silver wind erupted from Ishtar and burned through all the roots in the flash. Even though the black blade was quickly parried after that, its wielder smiled through it all.
“Don’t you dare get cocky, World Tree of Gluttony,” Ein warned.
The World Tree shivered, and his lips quivered with delight. As Ein rose to his feet once more, the air around him only intensified.
“I’m not gonna let this end,” Ein said.
“And yet an end will come,” the World Tree replied. “It may sadden you to think about, but everything shall inevitably come to an end.”
“Yes, an end will arrive...when you’re dead.”
“Ah, you’re just so endearing!”
Their swordsmanship stood on equal ground. Ein might have fallen short in other areas, but things weren’t so simple. The World Tree intuited his situation and expressed joy at Ein’s valiance, but the eyes that gazed upon Ishtar contained a hint of loathing. For the first time, the World Tree expressed an emotion similar to frustration before his lips curled up into a conniving grin.
“But this isn’t as bad as I thought,” he said.
“What do you mean by that?” Ein asked stiffly.
He should be the one with the disadvantage. There was no doubt about it in his mind. As long as Misty and the other legendary heroes prowled about the capital, the World Tree would be almost certainly distracted. He had more than just the fight to worry about. And lucky for him, Ishtar proved to be extremely effective against the Demon Lord.
“I’m afraid there isn’t a solid foundation to that confidence of yours,” Ein said.
“If you’re curious, take a look around,” the World Tree replied. “The world is destroyed.”
As Ein glanced at his surroundings between clashes, the plains which he thought continued on endlessly were starting to be swallowed by the darkness. The blue skies were no exception. The corner of the world was shrouded in darkness.
“So, are we standing in the only place I’ve got left??” Ein asked.
The World Tree smiled and pointed his black blade at Ein. “That’s right. It’s all you’ve got. You can say that these are your final moments. Ever since you let me take charge, your soul was gradually being sucked away. The growing darkness is proof of that. When it covers the entire world, I will truly have fused with you.”
“I don’t care. I just need to defeat you, that’s all.”
Ein raised his hand and summoned his silver wind, but it was parried so easily. The wind roared as strongly as before, but the World Tree seemed to relax ever so slightly.
“I recognize your power more than anyone in the world,” he said. “Filled with unrelenting courage, you never give up. I’m well-read when it comes to your perseverance.”
The World Tree hadn’t been toying with Ein until now, but it was clear that the situation had shifted in his favor.
“Yes, the hero king’s powers are troublesome, but above all, I find your spirit to be the biggest nuisance,” the World Tree said, referring to Ein’s determination and resolve. “But now it’s only a matter of time. Soon, we’ll become a single being and then we can roam the world...and consume everything in our path.”
He spoke with confidence, implying that he wielded enough power to break Ein’s unrelenting spirit. The World Tree revealed very little with his words, but Ein could easily imagine that his foe had a powerful move up his sleeve. Something so overwhelmingly powerful that the crown prince would be forced into submission. What’s he planning? He doesn’t want to just destroy this world. He has something else in mind.
This artificial world was a manifestation of Ein’s consciousness. Should this world disappear, it would mean that his own sense of self had crumbled away. The world around him was being destroyed as they spoke and his power was gradually being sapped by his enemy.
“You must’ve had powers that you couldn’t use because I’ve retained my consciousness,” Ein surmised. “And now, you’re slowly learning how to use them.”
“Oh, how I find you so dear!” the World Tree said. “Just how deeply do you understand me?”
“It’s not like I want to. I’m only doing so out of necessity; don’t misconstrue my motives.”
“That’s but a minor detail. I only wish to have your understanding. The process of how you came to that epiphany is none of my concern.”
Every word that escaped his lips irritated Ein to no end, but he had no time to be bothered by it. As time passes, the gap in power will only continue to grow. As he witnessed the world around him slowly being lost to the darkness, the prince took a deep breath or two to calm his racing heart.
“I’ll end it here,” Ein declared.
“Yes. Let us become one and put an end to it all!” the World Tree crowed.
Ein wanted to believe that he could still handle himself and that he had some time left. If he didn’t, only the path to defeat remained. He gripped Ishtar tighter than before and firmly took a step forward as a mocking cackle reached his ears.
“It’s all going well,” the World Tree said. “I can feel my power growing.”
The tree stepped back and outstretched his arms like a pair of wings. A dark gust of wind sprang forth from his body, overwhelming Ein.
“Oh, how comfortable this is! I feel like I might burst with ecstasy!” the World Tree shouted.