<<<What in the world was that shaking just now!?>>>

Struck by a violent impact that shook the giant tree that was his dwelling, Forest Spirit King Cocoririon finally stopped gazing at his beloved child Mishutire, and in a panic threw open the great door of his private chamber.

And then, the very next instant!

GRRRAK!! 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

THUD—THUMP!!

KAAAAAAH!!

RRRRRRUMBLE!!

RAAAAH!!

The extraordinary noise......the sounds of battle, which the great door had been blocking, violently battered the eardrums of Cocoririon, who had a form very similar to a human’s!

<<<What is this sound!? What is happening!? Answer me......Hasmooms!!>>>

Cocoririon reflexively covered both ears with his hands as he shouted at the small white mouse standing by the hollow’s wall......his errand servant, the mouse Medium Spirit Hasmooms.

Hasmooms popped up onto his two hind legs and lifted his face, his nose twitching as he looked up at his master Cocoririon with those round, beady eyes......

<<<......Who knows?>>>

Tilting his head cutely, he murmured that.

<<<“Who knows”!? “WHO KNOWS”!?” What do you mean, “who knows”! I ordered you to stand watch here!! Why don’t you grasp the situation!?>>>

<<<“Why,” you ask? What do you mean by that, Forest Spirit King?>>>

Even in the face of a red-faced, furious Cocoririon, Hasmooms stayed at his own pace.

<<<I was ordered to “stand watch” over this great door. Therefore, I have been “standing watch” over the door the entire time. It is obvious that understanding what is happening around us is not included in that order.>>>

<<<Aaaagh!! Enough!!>>>

Leaving Hasmooms to rattle off his mechanical view, Cocoririon sprinted to the hollow’s entrance.

And he cast his eyes toward the source of the battle sounds......the base of the giant tree’s roots.

There, fighting, was Akashitaru, the great spirit superintendent.

And......a grotesque human.

<<<......!!!>>>

Cocoririon saw that human and involuntarily swallowed his breath.

Clad in a pitch-black, ominous outfit, with countless tentacles writhing.

The sight was horrifying beyond measure, but that horror was not why he held his breath.

They were......far too strong.

First of all, it made no sense that they were almost completely avoiding the killing beams Great Spirit of Light Akashitaru fired.

They were beams of light, after all—those attacks advanced at the speed of light.

It should be impossible to “see and dodge” them.

And beyond that, the human would repeatedly seize openings and drive countless pitch-black tentacles into Akashitaru.

Akashitaru would move at once and escape the tentacles, but......after being struck by those tentle attacks, Akashitaru’s size was clearly reduced.

Meaning that human—

Was sucking Akashitaru......and eating Akashitaru.

What a hideous attack!

「RAAAAHHHH——!!!」

And then, the next moment.

The human, toward Akashitaru—who had been ensnared by ominous miasma and slowed, unable to move freely—shot forward like a bullet!

<<<Ah......!>>>

Akashitaru—

It looked like there wasn’t even strength left to simply dodge that charge anymore.

<<<Ah......>>>

A span of time that should have been less than an instant......stretched enormously inside Cocoririon.

That Akashitaru.

His right arm—the great spirit superintendent.

At this rate—

Cocoririon reached a hand down toward the battlefield beneath him to stop the pitch-black human’s rampage......

<<<......>>>

But.

He stopped that hand dead.

Because something flashed through his mind.

Spirit God Peereesyu’s recent......attitude.

That attitude that, oddly, seemed to care about Akashitaru more than about him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH——!!!"

And so, in the next instant—

The ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) fist of that evil human, wearing something like a pitch-black, jagged, spiked gauntlet, was not obstructed by anyone.

Akashitaru was pierced straight through, that round body—

And burst apart, scattering countless tiny particles of light......as they vanished.

<<<........................>>>

Forest Spirit King Cocoririon stood on the rim of the giant tree’s hollow, still concealing his presence, staring at the particles of light that had once been Akashitaru as they floated up toward him—and then winked out.

He simply stayed silent, unmoving.

At the base of the giant tree’s roots, the human who had slaughtered a fellow spirit relaxed their stance.

CLAP, the human clapped their hands, and bowed their head toward something.

Cocoririon looked down at that—

And simply stayed still, quiet, staring.

<<<......Forest Spirit King. A moment ago you said, “Enough.” In that case, it is correct for me to recognize that my mission is complete, yes?>>>

What shattered that quiet time was Hasmooms’s voice.

<<<Therefore, I would like to receive your next order. I am your errand servant, after all.>>>

Hasmooms, who had run from the great door inside the hollow to the rim, scurried around Cocoririon’s feet, asking for the next order.

<<<Your order. Quickly, your order. Your order. Quickly, your order.>>>

And then, the next moment—

Hasmooms was stomped underfoot by Cocoririon, bursting apart as he died.

<<<........................Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu......>>>

On the rim of the hollow that had become quiet again, Cocoririon let out a long, long breath.

When he swept his gaze across the Spirit Forest, there were no longer any of the spirits who were usually there in great numbers, so noisy it was lively to the point of irritation.

Only the beautiful shimmer of magical power the forest released, and an eerie silence, remained.

（The spirits......were wiped out?）

（By that human?）

（For what purpose?）

Still in the midst of confusion, Cocoririon’s mind continued to wander, searching for answers in order to understand the present situation.

And then—

（To eat them?）

（Why now, at this timing?）

（......This timing?）

（No way）

（No, so that’s it）

<<<That human......came to steal my beloved child......!?>>>

Until now, there had never been an incident where humans invaded the Spirit Forest and made enemies of spirits.

The Hyupuet Spirit Kingdom would never allow humans who did not revere spirits to approach the forest.

That country was not merely a farm.

Cocoririon had designed it to function as a breakwater.

And yet, now—at this timing—

A fatal invasion by humans had been carried out.

What that suggested was, in other words—

<<<Interference......from an opposing faction of Spirit God Peereesyu!?>>>

Surely, this situation did not have only shallow schemes from greedy, inferior lifeforms called humans behind it.

Without question, behind it, a god’s will was involved.

As proof, that human was strong beyond human wisdom.

And the reason for that was surely that they had been granted power by some god.

And Cocoririon was in the middle of learning love.

If he learned love, he could ascend to godhood.

......Peereesyu hadn’t said it like that, but......that was how Cocoririon understood it.

And if that was the case—

If Cocoririon ascended to godhood,

Then the power of the faction led by Peereesyu would surely increase tremendously.

After all, the excellent him would be ascending to godhood.

......There were gods who would hate that.

That must be what this was, Cocoririon thought as he clenched his teeth.

If he let that evil human be......

That human would probably kill his most beloved child, Mishutire.

To keep Cocoririon from ascending to godhood!

His beloved child—Mishutire!!

<<<I will not allow it......>>>

Cocoririon turned his palm toward the floor of the giant tree’s hollow where he stood.

And then, with a cracking sound......a thick branch, glittering like a jewel, began to extend!

That branch, twisting gently along the way, grew until it was about Cocoririon’s height, and then—

SNAP!

With that crisp sound, it snapped off at the base!

Cocoririon grabbed the branch and swung it around in a wide arc!

In other words, he had created the weapon worthy of a Forest Spirit King to wield......a staff!

<<<My beloved child......I will not let you harm her!!>>>

Even if there was a god behind them, Cocoririon had no intention of backing down!

For his own ascent to godhood......and for love, he would fight!

Filling his entire body with that fighting spirit......Cocoririon raised the staff into a high guard and leapt down from the rim of the giant tree’s hollow!

To smash apart the evil human’s head......

And the schemes of the gods behind them......!

......For that!!