Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 229

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 229 – I’m Just Ain

(…The final boss, huh?)

The final boss was a necessary part for bringing a story to a conclusion.

It was a very common story, but the answer to the question of whether it was really necessary was no.

“As a human with a little mysterious power, you must defeat the mighty demon king. You remember that, don’t you? Ah, what a clichéd story.”

The World Tree of Gluttony must know about Ain’s memories from his previous life. The fact that he deliberately uses the words “final boss” and “game” shows that he was trying to shake things up. After all, he insisted that he was Ain himself, so it was not surprising that he knew.

“…Well, let’s continue. Sorry, but I want to finish this quickly.”

When Ain turned his eyes to the edge of the flower garden, he saw that the scene was gradually collapsing.

There’s no need to put up with this kind of unsatisfying dialog. Ain readied his sword and stared at the World Tree of Gluttony―and then he put his foot down, closing the distance in one fell swoop.

“Oh, that reminds me―just before I lost consciousness, it was the right thing to do to use the ability I inherited from Marco. Because of that, I was cornered, and in the end, I had to hold back because of the remaining part of your consciousness.”

“Ah, that’s the best thing that could have happened…!”

“That’s why… I’m in a bad mood because I was interrupted. In other words, I have no intention of withholding anything from you.”

The World Tree of Gluttony effortlessly blocked Ain’s sword. It then smiled menacingly and grabbed Ain’s sword with the Dullahan gauntlet.

Then, the World Tree of Gluttony’s appearance began to change, and even its voice changed, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“This is the boundary between you and me. Now, be confused, be afraid, and tremble―the demon king of the World Tree proclaims. I will devour your empty shell…”

With his black hair almost reaching the ground, his face looked about ten years older than Ain’s. He also seemed to be a head taller.

His face was masculine and full of sex appeal, but looking into his eyes, there was an overwhelming sense of murderous intent.

His tone of voice had also changed, and he truly exuded the atmosphere of a demon king.

“Wha…!”

Ain was taken aback for a moment as the sword was effortlessly parried. Normally, it would not have been a big enough gap to worry about, but…

“Since you’re just a shell of me, please don’t show me such a pathetic figure~”

The other party was the Demon King. He was a Demon King who surpassed even the Succubus of Jealousy, Arche and was probably the most God-like being in this world.

Even if it was a battle in the spirit world, it did not change his strength.

“Kah… hah…!”

Ain was able to block the sword of the World Tree of Gluttony, but it was too heavy and too strong. It easily pierced through his defenses, sending a strong shock through his entire body.

He was blown away just like before and rolled over on the blue fire rose several times. But,

“Hah… kuh… don’t say that, you’re not a complete waste…!”

The World Tree of Gluttony felt a burning sensation on its cheek. It reached out with a blank expression and noticed the flowing black blood.

Ain had not only been toyed with but also dealt a blow of his own.

“Oh. Well done. Thanks to you, I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

However, compared to the damage Ain had suffered, the World Tree of Gluttony’s injuries were quite minor.

Although it received a single scratch on its cheek, it did not give Ain any advantage.

“…I don’t really feel good about you trying to imitate me.”

The World Tree of Gluttony had a separate self from Ain. Since it had a different personality, it didn’t really resemble Ain… which made sense.

However, its strangely calm and mature attitude irritated Ain.

“I’ll go first this time. Now stand up and hold your sword.”

Then, the World Tree of Gluttony disappeared. It appeared behind Ain, who was kneeling and healing his body and swung his sword down with a small movement.

“If you don’t give up, you should be able to catch it.”

“――!?”

It was too fast. Compared to Chris and… no, compared to all the strong people he had met so far, the World Tree of Gluttony was much faster.

The black mist clinging to the sword thickened, and it attacked, trying to rip Ain’s throat out.

“If I wanted to give up… I wouldn’t be wielding a sword anymore!”

Ain lifted the sword as if to use it as a shield, narrowly avoiding a blow.

“The World Tree of Gluttony…! My life so far is not thin enough for you to decide for me!”

Looking back, it was a life full of ups and downs. He crossed the sea, became a member of the royal family, and became a hero for killing the sea dragon.

He traveled around the cities of the continent, exploring and having many encounters along the way.

“I’m not going to give up my life for someone who’s only been alive for a short time!”

All these things were Ain’s precious possessions.

It wasn’t the thought of losing his life that Ain didn’t like.

“…I won’t give it to you. I won’t give you everything that is dear to me. I won’t give it to you!”

What he didn’t like more than anything was that everything he had spent his life building was being painted over by the Demon King, who had suddenly appeared.

Pushing his emotions to the limit, Ain swung his sword with more power than he had ever used before.

“…You’ve done enough to give birth to me!”

Then, for the first time, the World Tree of Gluttony was frightened. It was pushed back by Ain’s momentum, and for a moment, it did not know how to attack.

Ain’s sword sliced through the World Tree of Gluttony’s hair, leaving a new cut on its cheek. But…

“Then…! I, too, will show my respect for this pride!”

The World Tree of Gluttony, on the defensive, rose into the air.

“Receive my gluttony―my thirst!”

A black ball appeared in the sky where the blue sky had spread out. A fist-sized light appeared from the ground and flew toward the black sphere.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but I won’t let you do whatever you want!”

“I know that. But I’m not going to sit here defenseless either.”

“Then I’ll attack first――”

“No, I’ll attack first…!”

There was a reason why Ain had attacked so forcefully. It was because…

(No good. No matter what I do, my power is slowly dwindling. I need to defeat this guy quickly…)

His strength was gradually dwindling, his fatigue was increasing, and he was losing the ability to move his body.

If he didn’t avoid a prolonged battle, even if it meant overexerting himself, even the possibility of winning would disappear. While somehow managing to swallow his impatience, he launched an attack with the aim of landing a killing blow.

“Take thisssss!”

“…..”

His target was the neck of the World Tree of Gluttony. He drew his sword and targeted the area around the throat.

His senses sharpened as if in slow motion, and a trickle of sweat slowly ran down Ain’s forehead.

“Fufu. It was worth showing my respect.”

Ain’s desperation had paid off.

Ain’s sword plunged deep into his throat, and black blood began to flow.

After confirming this, Ain opened his eyes and calmed his ragged breathing. But the World Tree of Gluttony did not lose its composure.

Then, it gently held Ain in its arms.

“Hey… what are you doing…!”

By holding him, Ain’s sword was plunged even deeper.

Black blood spilled from his mouth, and even though he knew that the attack had definitely connected, the unwavering fear shook his heart.

“I will sing. This is the power of the World Tree born from this body.”

Ain tried desperately to escape, but the arm around his back would not move.

And then it finally began.

“This is the stream of power I originally wanted to use. There is a sadness that can only be shown in this world, but when the opponent is a shell that should show respect, then it doesn’t feel so bad.”

He spoke in a good mood. He happily looked up at the black orb and murmured with his mouth half open.

“――Pour down. My blessing.”

The sound of a keyboard instrument echoed around the room, making him think his ears had gone mad.

It sounded like a hymn, and the black sphere emitted a reddish-black light. …Then, like a chick hatching from an egg, it cracked open and finally swelled like a balloon, bursting with a loud bang.

“You… with your whole body…!”

Even as the reddish-black light spread out like an explosion, the World Tree of Gluttony continued to hold Ain lovingly in its arms.

“Let’s spend our last moments together―and besides, I’m a little grateful to you. Now, you empty shell, bask in the blessings in my arms, and go to sleep forever.”

“Stop…! I don’t want to die with you…”

Although Ain showed his strength in a moment of desperation, the World Tree of Gluttony used even the power of illusion to hold him back.

The two of them stood there, their expressions and attitudes in sharp contrast, but the reddish-black light eventually swallowed them both.

◇ ◇ ◇

The blue fire roses that covered the ground had changed.

They had completely dried up, their beautiful petals scattered in an ugly manner. The area where the two of them stood was especially affected, and even the ground had turned a dark reddish-black.

“My thirst is quenched, and I feel a pleasant sense of fulfillment.”

The World Tree of Gluttony muttered to itself as it dropped the mute Ain to the ground.

His hands trembled with joy, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

“This is what it means to become one. Isn’t it?”

He looked at Ain, who had fallen to the ground. But Ain did not answer.

“…There is no need to be so pessimistic. You should rest there for a while. I’m sure a wonderful world awaits you.”

As he spoke to Ain in a gentle voice, the World Tree of Gluttony began to move slowly.

“Well then, I must break the troublesome seal on its roots…”

The will of Ain’s main body had already collapsed. Thinking that he would leave this spiritual world and further increase his power, he continued to walk for a short while, but then he suddenly stopped walking.

“…Why?”

He stopped walking.

He looked at the edge of the world with a puzzled expression.

“It’s withered everywhere now…”

The Blue Fire Rose had withered without exception. And when he thought of the fallen Ain, the game was already decided.

The World Tree of Gluttony thought this, but there was no sign of escaping from this spiritual world.

“Why? All that is left of my body is my will. If that’s the case, why can’t I escape from here?”

“The world of empty shells is dead. Then why…”

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer. Without understanding why, the World Tree of Gluttony turned around and looked in the direction of the fallen Ain.

“No way, you’re still――”

You haven’t died yet? The World Tree of Gluttony started to walk.

Then,

“…keh…guh…ah…”

Ain’s arm moved at the right moment, and Ain looked up.

His face had turned ashen, and he was bleeding all over. But Ain’s eyes were still full of determination.

“This is ridiculous. You’re joking, right? If this had happened in the outside world, it would have caused the entire continent to collapse…”

“Ha… haha… I’ve always been strong… you know…?”

Even in the spirit world, it was hard to believe that Ain would be able to endure this. Ain crawled on the ground, moving his body little by little, and looked at the World Tree of Gluttony with a half-smile.

“…I’ll give you my honest praise. No, I’m more moved by your pride.”

When the World Tree of Gluttony looked at Ain with applause, he immediately made the illusionary hand appear from his back.

“Therefore, once more. Once more… I’ll kill that consciousness.”

“Even in the end… from a distance, right?”

“You never know what might happen, do you? That’s why I decided to harvest this consciousness from here.”

“…What a pain… I’m sick of it. This overcautious caution of yours…”

He used his sword as a prop and dropped to his knees, but Ain’s body could take no more. Even as he lay there, he thought to himself, “Is it finally over?”

(Hmm… Haha. I see. I’m still alive because you’re still here.)

There were a few Blue Fire Roses left on the ground where Ain had collapsed. They were crushed, but their beautiful blue color was still intact.

He wanted to be with these flowers at the end. As he reached out and gently caressed them, he noticed that his pants pocket was bulging.

“…What’s this?”

He wondered if he had put something in there. When he reached in, he found…

“Raviolla-sama’s magic stone…? Why is it here…? I thought I left it at the castle.”

Picking it up, he felt the same warm feeling of happiness. Ain smiled and was glad that it was in his trousers.

He didn’t know why it was there, but he was thankful that he could enjoy a good feeling after all.

Then,

“Hey, Ain? It’s like that night, and I’m so happy.”

“…Krone?”

Suddenly, Ain heard Krone’s voice. Even her little breath reached his ears, and he felt as if she was sitting next to him.

“But if you come back, I’ll give you a kiss… I guess I shouldn’t have been so reserved, huh?”

“…Haha. You’re right; I guess you shouldn’t have been so reserved.”

“But if I kissed you there, it would have been hard to say goodbye to you, right? That’s why I held back.”

“I understand. I think I would have stayed in the end, too.”

Ain’s legs regained their strength. But it was only a tiny spark of light.

“So please, come back… Ain.”

Ain’s heart was shaken by the sad voice of the trembling crown.

His grip returned, his heartbeat quickened, and he stood up, clutching Raviolla’s magic stone.

“Sorry, but… it looks like I’m going to have to try a little harder.”

He was only pretending to be fine.

His legs were shaking, and he had almost no strength left to lift his sword. However, Ain stared at the World Tree of Gluttony.

“Ha-haha…hahaha…hahaha! I see, that’s how it is! The reason I’m strong is because you’re strong in the first place! It’s a very simple and easy-to-understand story!”

The World Tree of Gluttony waited for Ain to get up. It trembled at Ain’s powerful voice and beamed with joy.

It created dozens of illusionary hands and made them attack at once.

(…But I can’t do anything about it. At least I can swing my sword with all my might in the end…)

Just as he was about to put Raviolla’s magic stone in his pants… Ain suddenly remembered something.

He also remembered the power the World Tree of Gluttony had spoken of.

“So that’s it… I never thought…”

He stared at the magic stone with his eyes wide open. Then, the inside of the magic stone shimmered for a moment, and it felt like it was answering Ain. It was a clue—the only clue he had finally found.

“This is the end… Ain!”

Dozens of illusionary hands attacked him. If he could move forward a few more inches, he would be able to pierce through Ain, and this time, the battle would be decided… At that moment, when it seemed like the end was near,

“No, it looks like it’s not over yet.

“What… what was that just now?”

The illusionary hands disappeared, starting from the side closest to Ain, and in no time at all, everything had disappeared into the mist.

“Isn’t that what you said? I’m just… just Ain.”

A flame burned in his broken heart.

…Not yet. The man called Ain was not finished.

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