1512 - Extra Chapter: Isis Episode ~ ~ Past ④ ~ ~

1512 - Extra Chapter: Isis Episode ~ ~ Past ④ ~ ~

About a hundred years after Isis arrived at Kuromueina’s place, she stood in front of the World Tree, a huge tree right next to Kuromueina’s home.

From what she heard from Kuromueina, this tree used to be the size of an ordinary tree, but over the years, it has grown larger and has now become so huge that it almost pierced the skies.

Keeping a short distance from it, Isis spoke to this huge tree.

[……So…… Ein had made new clothes again…… and she had been complaining about it…… Saying that even though it’s practical…… It apparently wasn’t elegant enough…… It’s amazing…… how she can make a lot of things though.]

Ein, who aims to be the perfect servant, has acquired skills in various fields, including ones related to the creation of clothing. Of course, at their level, normal materials wouldn’t hold up during battle, so in the end, she was constructing them with magic power, but Ein says that the best way to make something perfectly is to try making the real thing.

However, it seems that she’s finding it difficult to create something satisfactory, as she repeated the process over and over again.

As she talked about this, Kuromueina came floating from the sky.

[I’m back~~]

[……Welcome home…… Is the battle in the west…… settled?]

[Unnn. I somehow managed to find a common ground for both sides. Well, the root of the problem still remains, so they’d probably clash with each other again…… Isis, you talking with the World Tree again?]

Kuromueina, who is called the Strongest in the Demon Realm, is often called as a mediator in complicated battles, and this time, she returned after taking charge of the discussion between two species that were in an intense conflict with each other.

After talking about it with a wry smile, Kuromueina asked while looking at the World Tree, Isis nodded her head.

[……Unnn…… I’m sure the World Tree…… being alone here…… is also lonely.]

[I see. Isis is very kind.]

Isis often talks to the World Tree like this. Of course, being a tree, she doesn’t get any response from the World Tree, but she often talks about what Kuromueina and the others were like.

Perhaps, because there are no other trees around, Isis could see the figure of the lone World Tree overlapping with the lonely her.

[But even so, I think it’s okay to not be that far away from it, right?]

[……If I get too close…… it might scare the World Tree.]

[I’m sure it will be fine. I’ve told you this before, but the World Tree has tremendous magic power. Besides, the World Tree is older than Isis, so it should be alright now that you can control your magic power to some extent.]

[……You…… think so?]

Even though she had an uneasy expression on her face when she heard Kuromueina’s words, Isis slowly approached the World Tree. Seeing her like that, Kuromueina pondered.

(Even so, she still can’t fully control that magic power huh. Magic power that can’t be blocked by barriers or Defensive Magic…… Isis’ magic power is clearly superior to normal magic power. Its nature is close to that of Gods’ Authority…… resembling Ein’s Time Magic. Did she do something again? Geez……)

In fact, at this point in time, the people Kuromueina called her family, including Isis, had something in common. That is, they clearly have some factor that separates them from the other inhabitants of the Demon Realm.

Ein has the ability to manipulate time, an ability much superior than magic, Megiddo has abnormal combat power and destructive impulses, and Isis has her peculiar magic power…… and she was convinced that Shallow Vernal, her half-body was involved.

Astounded at her half-body, who was experimenting on people as she pleases, she watched as Isis reached out to touch the World Tree.

[……A- Are you sure…… it will…… be alright?]

[It will be alright. Even if your magic is peculiar, Isis is a very gentle child. I’m sure the World Tree itself knows that.]

[……U- Unnn.]

Encouraged by Kuromueina’s words, Isis reached out to the World Tree. Just as her timidly stretched-out hand touched the World Tree, “a hand that came out of the World Tree” held Isis’ hand.

“……Yes, no matter what kind of magic power you have, I can feel your kind heart.”

[……Eh?]

In front of the startled Isis, the trunk of the World Tree moved and a woman with hair made of leaves appeared from within. Isis was bewildered, not knowing what had just happened, but the nearby Kuromueina nodded, seemingly having comprehended something.

[Are you perhaps the incarnation of the World Tree?]

“Yes. “Nice to meet you” is what I should say at a moment like this, yes? Thank you for protecting me since I was a small tree. I had already been conscious even back then, but I still didn’t know how to materialize my form, so my greeting was delayed.”

[I see, so that kind of thing happens huh. This is the first time I’ve seen a being that isn’t a Demon, but an incarnation dwelling inside a tree. However, I’m glad I got to meet and talk with you like this. What should I call you?]

Seeing a being like the woman in front of her was also a first for Kuromueina, as she looked really curious about her. Nevertheless, as Kuromueina looked at her with a bright smile, the woman smiled back.

“My name as a tree is Yggdrasil…… but I would also like to get a name from you like everyone else, so would that be alright?”

[Okay. Let’s see…… Then, how about Lillywood?]

“Lillywood…… is a good name. Well then, I will call myself Lillywood Yggdrasil. I am in your care hereafter, Kuromueina, Isis.”

[Unnn. Nice to meet you.]

[……N- Nice to meet you…… Lillywood.]

As for the extremely rare being like Lillywood, after later discussions between Kuromueina and Lillywood, it was decided to call her a “Spirit”, and Lillywood, the Spirit of the World Tree, became the newest addition to Kuromueina’s family.

Isis is very happy about the addition of a new family member, and perhaps due to their compatible personalities, she and Lillywood quickly became good friends, and it didn’t take long for Lillywood to become the one she’s closest in her family.

Every day is full of life. Indeed, every day is happy and joyful…… She should have gotten what she wanted. But strangely enough, deep down within Isis, there still remained an indescribable sense of loneliness.

And as such thoughts lingered in her mind, she often dreamed of the other Isis standing in the snowfield. The other Isis never said a word to her. Unless Isis herself called out to her, she basically just stood there for a long time…… However, at the sight of this other Isis, she felt an indescribable sense of unease.

Silent as the other Isis may be, it was as if she was saying…… “You still haven’t gained anything”……

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [It’s actually refreshing seeing this part of the past. When it comes to snippets of the past, there was only that arc when Alice came to this world and a little story about Kuromueina, so the order of encounters around here had been a bit vague…… And even though it feels heartwarming, there was still seriousness scattered about, that’s why I’m also satisfied. Stuff like this is good……]