Yggdrasil 

Gruesome deaths, despair.

Long, long ago, in the age of myths…

At the center of the world stood a great tree that soared so high into the sky it touched the clouds.

The Great Tree brought fertility to the earth and gave birth to a deep forest.

However, the great blessings bestowed upon the earth by the gods must be used properly.

One of the gods was sent to oversee this… Her name was Yggdrasil.

She faithfully upheld the gods’ rule: “To love all life equally.”

Trees, flowers, beasts, humans… She cherished everything that lived there.

The forest beneath the Great Tree eventually came to be known as the Primordial Forest by sentient beings.

Those sentient beings were none other than… Humans.

Compared to other creatures, they possessed few physical advantages.

But they possessed wisdom that no other creature had.

Aware of their own weaknesses, humans lived modestly in a corner of the forest, avoiding contact with other creatures.

However, a threat emerged to attack them.

Creatures that were once part of the forest’s ecosystem, transformed by the magical power overflowing from the Great Tree… Monsters.

They possessed sharp fangs and claws that their original forms lacked, and they hunted and devoured all living things as food.

And so, monsters were the natural enemies of humans.

“At this rate, humans might be wiped out before long… Is that, too, the will of nature?”

Yggdrasil treats all life equally.

She does not interfere with evolution or natural selection.

For if Yggdrasil were to intervene, the forest’s perfectly balanced ecosystem would collapse.

However…

“This is the result of power spilling forth from the Great Tree… Is it right to simply leave it as is?”

Yggdrasil gazed at the Great Tree with a complex expression.

The Great Tree and Yggdrasil, who protected it, sustained their existence by bestowing blessings upon the forest and gradually drawing strength from its creatures.

In other words, if the trees, plants, and creatures living in the forest were harmed, the strength returned to them would diminish accordingly.

“I want to do what’s right… if there’s anything I can do right now.”

With that thought in mind, Yggdrasil made her way to the site of the conflict.

The air there was thick with the grim aura of death.

Amid the ravaged vegetation, what had once been human flesh and blood lay scattered haphazardly.

“What a terrible sight… At the very least, I shall return them to the forest and let them become nourishment for new life…”

Yggdrasil raised the staff in her hand.

The blue gem at its tip shone so brightly it was almost blinding, and a vivid light radiated from it.

The light rained down upon the scattered flesh and blood, transforming them into nourishment for the earth.

This is one of the powers possessed by the goddess Yggdrasil.

By returning life to the earth, she converts it into strength for the Great Tree, revitalizing the forest’s life force.

“Please be reborn again… Hmm?”

Yggdrasil grimaced at the scent of blood wafting toward her.

“I shall go take a look.”

Following the scent, she found a wounded human.

“Oh… what a terrible wound… but it seems he is still breathing…”

Yggdrasil hesitated. Was it right to heal someone wounded in the struggle between the forest’s living beings?

But it was the Great Tree that had originally brought forth the monsters.

If that were the case, the answer was obvious.

“Grant him the breath of life…”

The staff glowed, and the man’s body was enveloped in light.

When the light finally faded, his wounds had healed, and he had fallen asleep.

“This is… the right thing to do. It had to be done.”

Yggdrasil regenerated the man’s body by bestowing a portion of her magical power.

All the while understanding that this violated the rules.

From the day Yggdrasil helped that man onward, the forest’s ecosystem underwent a major transformation.

Human civilization began to develop rapidly.

This was because a portion of the goddess’s wisdom had been passed on to humans through the magical power Yggdrasil had bestowed.

“I never imagined it would come to this… but perhaps humans and monsters have finally become equals.”

Humans acquired the wisdom to control fire.

They set fire to the monsters’ lairs, burning the forest along with them.

Furthermore, they developed iron-smelting techniques and began to don steel shields and armor that even the fangs and claws of monsters could not tear apart.

Sharp iron blades, crafted by repurposing this steel as weapons, effortlessly sliced through the monsters’ tough bodies.

In this way, humans established methods for fighting their enemies.

As civilization advanced, their lives grew more prosperous; houses that had previously been made of wood were replaced by stone structures, and when the areas where these houses clustered were enclosed by tall outer walls, towns were born.

Several hundred years later…

A great nation ruled by humans had been established in the forest.

The balance of power between humans and monsters had reversed, and monsters had become a species on the verge of extinction.

Since that day when she helped humanity, Yggdrasil had not interfered with the life of the forest even once.

However, the fact that that single act had distorted the forest’s ecosystem weighed heavily on her heart.

Better, richer, handier…

Human greed continued to grow without limit.

Now, military force and engineering were no longer merely tools to repel monsters; they could also harm other living beings and the forest itself.

Even sentient beings were sometimes oppressed and treated like slaves for the sake of profit.

It was behavior befitting a ruler.

They were unwilling to shy away from harming others or destroying the forest… These selfish humans seemed terrifying to Yggdrasil.

“Was I really right?”

No one answered Yggdrasil’s muttered words.

If the forest continues to be damaged and left to ruin like this, Yggdrasil might lose her power before long.

The blue gem at the tip of her staff, a symbol of her power, has lost its vibrant luster and is beginning to cloud over.

“Protecting the Great Tree and this forest… that is the only reason for my existence…”

Thinking of the forest’s life, Yggdrasil shed a single tear.

“If only these days would end soon…”

Before long, the conflict between humans and monsters came to an end.

The king of monsters, an extraordinary being possessing immense power even among his species, was slain by human soldiers.

The monsters, who had been united under their king’s will, became nothing more than prey to be mercilessly hunted.

“Monsters, too, were distortions of life. Now that they’ve been destroyed, peaceful days will return to the forest once more…”

Was it the Great Tree’s distortion that started it all, or Yggdrasil’s arrogance? The days of pondering this and wallowing in sorrow are finally coming to an end.

“To restore the forest to its former state…”

Yggdrasil looked up at the Great Tree.

“The Great Tree has also lost a great deal of its magic… How long will it take for it to recover…?”

She, too, had lost most of her own power.

How could she restore the forest to its former beauty?

There was no time to wallow in sorrow.

She must look ahead and guide the forest toward a better future, even if only a little…

“…?”

As if to interrupt Yggdrasil’s thoughts, a malevolent presence was drawing near the Great Tree.

“Humans, venturing this deep into the forest…?”

As if to drive away the bewildered Yggdrasil, humans armed with swords and bows appeared.

“This great tree is the very source that spawned the monsters!”

The man who appeared to be their leader declared this, raising his sword high.

“If we cut it down, true peace will surely come to the forest!”

As if following his lead, the humans raised their swords.

At the same moment, a shrill, piercing war cry rang out.

“How foolish…”

Just how twisted are humans, after all?

A quiet despair began to take root within Yggdrasil.

Standing before the Great Tree, the humans raised massive hammers intended to bring it down.

It would be impossible to fell the Great Tree even with flaming arrows or weapons.

But with that, they might be able to inflict small wounds on it little by little.

The humans truly intend to bring down the Great Tree.

“All hands, prepare to attack!”

Yggdrasil stood in the way of the humans as they readied their weapons.

“Wait a moment. This Great Tree is the forest itself. To harm it is wrong as a being of the forest’s life… Don’t you even understand that!?”

Seeing Yggdrasil suddenly appear, the humans flinched.

But that lasted only a split second.

“Is that a monster imitating humans…? No way! Kill it!”

What began as a small murmur gradually grew louder.

“”Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!””

Malice reigned supreme over the scene.

“…N-no…”

Despair filled Yggdrasil.

Even so, she wanted to believe in the life of the forest… That faint hope was what kept her from giving up at the very last moment.

“…Shoot!”

An arrow pierced Yggdrasil’s chest straight through.

“…Ah… Sto-“

Another arrow, and then yet another, pierced Yggdrasil.

“Ugh… I have no choice…!”

Yggdrasil caused something like a vine to sprout from the ground and fended off the arrows.

She thrust it forward in front of herself, using it as a shield.

“I have no intention of harming you with this. Humans, such actions must stop-“

Even so, the humans’ attack did not cease.

Please give up already… That thought was severed by a silver blade that pierced the vine.

“Hah…”

Yggdrasil was terrified by that unexpected action.

At the same moment, the vine severed the human’s arm along with the silver blade.

“Guh… Gyaaaaaaa…!?”

Such a scream could not reach Yggdrasil now.

Driven by Yggdrasil’s terror, the vine went berserk, rampaging as it devoured the human.

“Ah-“

When the vine was pulled from the body riddled with holes, the human was already dead.

A red liquid spread from his corpse, flowing all the way to Yggdrasil’s feet.

When she gently touched it, a familiar red stained her fingertips.

“I-I just took a life of the forest…”

Yggdrasil finally realized what she had done.

She had harmed what she was supposed to protect, what she was supposed to cherish.

“Ah, ah, ah…”

The humans were thrown into a panic by the death of their comrade.

However, Yggdrasil’s actions had unwittingly given them a clear justification to treat her as an enemy.

“Slay the evil monster! Avenge our comrade!”

“”Woooooo!””

The humans drew their swords and charged toward Yggdrasil.

Contrary to Yggdrasil’s will, her vines continued to kill the humans, driven by her despair.

“U… u, a…”

Struggling to hold back something surging from the depths of her body, Yggdrasil desperately covered her mouth.

It was as if it were her last line of defense…

“…Huh?”

As if mocking her desperation, Yggdrasil’s hands dropped limply to the ground.

She stared in puzzlement at her arms, which had rolled to her feet.

Ah… She realized.

So this is evil…

“Ah, ha… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Yggdrasil finally understood what she was supposed to do.

Preserving the peace of the Great Tree and the forest was her given duty.

Yggdrasil gazed at the humans, her body still limp and lifeless.

A twisted grin spread across her face…

Faced with that strange sight, the humans couldn’t tear their eyes away from the beautiful yet eerie figure of Yggdrasil.

“…Heh.”

In the next instant, Yggdrasil’s body was enveloped in light.

At the same time, the ground began to shake violently.

“Wh, wha…?”

The humans could do nothing but watch as the scene unfolded before them.

Faced with the colossal monster, the humans cowered in fear.

They feared what lay beyond their understanding… Ironically, it was the very same emotion she herself had felt.

“…Heh.”

The monster… or rather, the new Yggdrasil flashed that twisted grin once more.

Her ominous yet captivating form was the very embodiment of the monsters the humans spoke of.

“Yikes!”

Their eyes met.

Yggdrasil licked her lips affectionately.

In the next instant, a spiked vine pierced through that human.

“One.”

The human was already dead.

His corpse returned to the earth as it was.

As if drawing nourishment from it, a brand-new sapling sprouted from the spot.

“Aha.”

Yggdrasil gently stroked the sapling.

The humans stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

“Two.”

A human who had been staring in shock was transformed into a sapling.

Three, four, their numbers dwindled.

“”Waaaaaah!!””

The humans turned their backs and fled in unison.

But Yggdrasil paid them no mind at all.

“It’s okay… because we’re all part of the same life.”

She smiled broadly… Looking delighted.

“Hehe, there’s no point in hiding. The pain lasts only a moment. Once we become one, we can all stay together forever.”

The humans who fled, the humans in the town, all were in Yggdrasil’s grasp.

She ruled over the entire forest.

The trees, the flowers, the beasts, and even inanimate objects.

Everything bared its fangs at the humans.

What had once been a land of abundance for humans had turned into a death trap with no escape.

“I cherish everything… yes, to protect the forest as it should be.”

Yggdrasil poured her love carefully into each and every one.

The humans who had been killed, and the forest creatures that had killed them, all returned to the earth.

As if to say that this had always been the way, they sought to become one.

“Hehehe… Now then, all living things that dwell in this forest. Please accept my love. And let us become one, and live on together forever.”

That, precisely, is what it means to love equally.

The duty and the rules bestowed upon Yggdrasil.

Eventually, the life of the forest returned to the earth.

In the forest enveloped in silence, Yggdrasil suddenly realized.

“There was still one that hadn’t become one yet, wasn’t there?”

Yes, there was only one life remaining in this forest.

“Ahah-“

Yggdrasil’s massive form began to melt into the great tree.

The life form that heard that final voice did not exist.

The Primordial Forest, from which all life had vanished.

Only the rustling of the trees echoed on and on.

There stood a great tree that seemed to pierce the heavens.

It stood majestically, as if looking down upon the dense, lush forest.

At its base, two shadows gazed up at the tree.

At first glance, they appeared human in form, but they were clearly something else.

With hair like the green leaves of the trees, skin like wood, and eyes like fruit… They looked as if they were the final form of humanity.

They were exchanging words, making sounds like the rustling of leaves.

After a while, they clasped their hands together, bowed as if offering a prayer to the tree, and then ran deep into the forest.

They made their way through the dense foliage without hesitation, until they reached a rock wall riddled with countless holes.

When they tapped the rock lightly, shadows began to emerge one after another.

Those shadows were humanoid figures of various shapes.

As the rustling of leaves echoed through the area once more, the shadows reacted, producing sounds as if they were singing or praying.

A song of life – vivid, fresh, and yet powerful.

Before long, it spread out, enveloping the entire forest.

It was as if it were speaking directly to the forest itself.

The repeating cycle of life begins to mark a new era.

The Great Tree and the forest will remain there, unchanged, forever.

They will continue to bestow abundance and protection, equally and sincerely.

As long as life continues to sprout there.