**** (POV)

Ah. Today sure is a nice day. The birds are singing, the snakes are crawling, I just drained dry a small rank 5 weakling that dared intrude upon my territory. (︶ω︶)

There are always a few of those. One would expect them to know their place by now. Well, that is a fatal mistake, so they won't ever have the opportunity to learn.

In any case, the endless forest kingdom sure is peaceful.

I will probably keep my consciousness here for a while. Nothing should happen in the earth realm. At least not now. Until we can truly manifest there, we will lay low.

It is probably impossible for the representative to lay even lower seeing how she is becoming domesticated. *Sigh*

Oh well. Such is life. Reincarnation was a gamble. It did not pay off.

She should have known better.

Slow and steady wins the gods' wars.

PAIN! (×_×#)

WHAT?!

PAIN! PAIN!

What is happening?

PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!

Everything is peaceful…. the earth realm!

This is feedback from my clone!

Something is happening there!

As I check the situation there, I instantly notice something wrong.

Extremely wrong to say the least. That human is free. Moreover, I cannot sense the presence of the representative. Nor any of the younglings for that matter.

He …freed himself?

But how?!

This doesn't make any sense. At all!

I remember him taunting me. Something about me being big and weak? Something about his grandmother?

But he couldn't even escape my grasp at the time.

What changed? Weird. How peculiar.

Suddenly he charges towards me. (ง'ω')و

*RIP*

He claws at me and rips off some bark from my trunk.

How?! My defensive power is not that weak!

"What are you doing?! How are you suddenly able to pierce my defenses human?" ಠ_๏)

No answer….

*RIP*

He keeps digging into my skin. Ripping layer after layer.

He suddenly addresses me.

[Luna what's up with your robe?]

Wait who is this Luna? Is he not talking to me perhaps?

*RIP*

Why and how is he damaging me? This is not logical.

*RIP*

I cannot sense any magic coming from him.

None at all! (☉_ ☉)

Yet, his prowess is utterly real.

I try to swat him away but to no avail.

He pounces at me again, this time with even more vigor. (ง'ω')و

He pierces my outer layers deeply and reaches for my sap.

Then he starts drinking.

*SLURP*

"What are you doing to this divine being! Cease at once!" (ʘдʘ╬)

No matter how much I try to throw him off me he remains latched solidly.

[I don't want to drink. I don't want to drink.]

"Then fucking stop mortal! Just get off this instant!"

What is happening? Seriously?!

I can cope with the harm done so far, but how is it even possible?!

I notice something. His eyes are closed. He is asleep! How?!

Does he cultivate some sort of demonic technique that makes him stronger while unconscious?!

Then I simply need to wake him up!

"Wake up mortal! Hurry and wake up!"

[NOOOO!]

"What do you mean no!? You need to wake up this very instant!"

Time for a serious attack. I promised not to harm him.

However, this is self-defense. I offered him the opportunity to live longer.

He didn't cherish it.

I gather the mana. The surrounding trees, roots, branches form into massive glittering wooden spikes.

Coated with enough mana to skewer him completely. Enough spikes to turn him into meat paste.

An attack strong enough to end a rank 5. This is enough to contend against any current being in this world.

＃(◣_◢）＾ｏ―∈‥・━━━━━━━☆

*WHOOSH sound of countless projectiles darting toward the human*

*CLANG x200 sound of multiple collisions*

Bullseye!

What?! How?! 0_0

He is perfectly intact!

He reaches for my eyes. While not material it does helps with this body's vision.

Also tied to it is the vitality of this body.

*RIP Sound of immaterial eyes getting violently removed*

"ARRRGGGG!" X_X

IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH! IMPOSSIBLE!

THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!

[No, I don't want your eyes! Keep them! Keep them!]

"YOU FUCKING RIPPED BOTH OF MY EYES! HOW AM I TO KEEP THEM! I SWEAR ON MY VERY EXISTENCE THAT I WILL END YOU!" ┗(｀o ´)┓

I am angry. This is out of character for me.

This is ridiculous. So dumb.

I will have to use one of my lifesaving measures.

Right here and now.

On this seemingly worthless human.

The mutilation done is already enough to block my advancement to the next rank for a few centuries. That is being optimist. Maybe block it forever.

[Are there laser-raptors too?]

This technique of his is truly perfidy.

Nonsensical.

The power.

The process.

His ramblings.

All of it.

I will end it all now. I reinforce the link with my main body.

It may be for only an instant, but I call upon the power of a rank 8 existence.

So much power.

Filling this body to the very limit it can sustain. After this I will have to fall into a deep and long sleep.

I will get my revenge. He has gone too far. Way too far.

"I will show you the ultimate power! I will show you what it is like to face a being such as myself! Born from a divine entity. A demi-god incarnated. I will vanquish your soul and make sure nothing remains of it."

[What god?! That's obviously bullshit!]

He is still rambling…. what?!

His eyes are…opened?!

Is he awake?!

"Hey! Can you hear me? No! Actually ….it is too late. Far too late. You are about to die. What king? You will disappear from this world. Completely. Utterly. For you have crossed me."

[Stop it! He's almost dead! He's on our side! Stop the torture!]

What?!

"Pleading mercy, are you? Or is this some sort of remnant of a soul protecting you? Some defensive measure perhaps? No matter. No mercy shall be bestowed upon you. No second chance. Nothing can save you. This is the end. Definitive and unavoidable."

*RIP *

He keeps destroying this body

Last ditch efforts of a dead man.

[How are you so calm while going trough this?!]

"CALM! WHO IS!? HOW ARE YOU SO CALM IN THE FACE OF YOUR UPCOMING DOOM?!"

( ﾉ ಠдಠ)ﾉ︵┻━┻

Unforgivable. Truly.

I need not to get riled by the likes of him.

This will all be over.

With this one attack.

I let loose all the power I've been accumulating all this while.

▇ ▅ █ ▅ ▇ ▂ ▁ ▁ ▅ ▃ ▅ ▅ ▄ ▅ ▇

The entire forest shakes.

The ground trembles.

The air is heavy.

The mana palpitates.

The creatures lose consciousness.

Their very being shaking like a leaf.

Every last bit of mana spent squarely and surely hits my target.

He twitches.

Wait.

WAIT?! THAT'S IT?!

HE FUCKING TWITCHES!

HE IS FINE?! (*◕Д◕*)

Who am I? Where am I? What is this situation?

This is a nightmare. Nothing is real.

IMPOSSIBLE.

"HOW?! HOW?! HOW?! IMPOSSIBLE! HOW?! HOW?! HOW?! IMPOSSIBLE!"

He reaches for his neck. In his hands is an iron sword hilt.

No blade. I freeze.

My instincts are telling this thing is scary.

What is it? No idea.

The human. Can he be called human at this point?!

The demon.

[You know what? You deserve it. Enjoy your next life to the fullest! I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines!]

I have a bad feeling about this.

A really bad feeling!

What is this feeling?

I get it. Fear. ( ⁰д⁰ )

True and primal fear.

Something I have never felt before.

Not even in the previous god wars.

There was pain. There was sorrow. There was anger.

There was struggle. There was victory and defeat.

Many kinds of emotions.

But never fear. Ever.

Not until this very day.

I know what I have to do. It is very clear to me now.

"MY KING I'LL SERVE YOU WITH MY ENTIRE BEING! PLEASE SHOW MERCY TO THIS SAPLING THAT HAD EYES BUT DIDN'T RECOGNISE M…."

The king tilts his head upward.

Even then he is looking down on me. ( ￣^￣ )

I am nothing compared to his glory.

Nothing at all.

I deserve death.

Dead I shall become.

From the seemingly innocuous hilt appears a giant flaming blade.

It is made of pure energy.

The purest of energy.

It makes me realize how blind I was.

With a tiny minuscule lineage from a divine tree, I was able to tower above others.

In front of me is a blade made of it.

Unadulterated divine energy.

[Let there be fire!]

He swings towards me.

Not toward this body but toward my real self.

I doubt even a real god would survive that.

This is the end for this foolish rank 8 tree.

Reincarnation was the right call after all.

*SLASH*

Darkness.

⎧ᴿᴵᴾ⎫