The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

40 – The Saintess Was Shaken by the Word “Slave.”

Yes, it did seem a bit strange.

The World Tree’s attacks couldn’t just end with hitting with branches and roots.

Of course, that alone would create horrific results for ordinary humans, but considering its immense power, it was far from enough.

And indeed, that wasn’t the end.

Franz’s gaze suddenly turned to a single flower that had bloomed.

A dark red flower that was ominous to the extreme.

In the center of that flower, where the stamen should be, there was something in the shape of a human.

But it couldn’t be seen as human, as all the blood vessels in its body were visible and its eyes, nose, and mouth were blocked.

…This is driving me crazy.

Franz felt a shiver run down his spine.

The Demon King and the demons at least had somewhat understandable appearances.

Even the monsters were just a bit disgusting, but not overly repulsive.

But this was pure horror.

Sticky, unpleasant red liquid dripped down, and a mysterious lump of flesh that looked like a human popped out of the flower. If this were a game, it would definitely have a gore label.

8th Circle? 9th Circle? No, perhaps even higher.

In contrast, the shield protecting this side is merely 5th Circle.

Of course, the structure and the transformation of the runes have dramatically increased its effectiveness, and the output of mana has been raised to make it even stronger, but can it block that…?

Well, probably not.

Unless it miraculously grazes off like a bullet deflecting off a helmet.

Naturally, such a miracle did not occur.

At the center of the flower, something in the shape of a human grotesquely opened its mouth wide, and condensed mana was fired straight out.

The mana shot in a straight line, heading precisely towards Franz and his party.

It was almost like a sharpshooter’s skill, as if the zeroing was done perfectly.

But the attack never reached Franz.

After all, wizards are not ones to rely on miracles.

Snap-.

As Franz snapped his fingers, the hemispherical shield disintegrated into pieces.

The disintegrated pieces then moved in unison, layering themselves in the path of the mana beam shot by the World Tree.

Soon, the first shield collided with the mana beam.

Crack-.

The shield shattered instantly like glass hit by a bullet.

As expected, one shield alone was not enough.

But if there were two layers, three layers, countless layers…

‘It can be blocked.’

The mana beam, which had been piercing through the shields with tremendous force, lost its power and disappeared at some point.

Even though it was a 5th Circle spell, the fact that two-thirds of the hundreds of layers were blown away showed just how powerful it was.

However, one drawback was that unlike the first shot, it took time to recharge.

At this frequency, it seemed possible to block it sufficiently.

Having blocked the World Tree’s attack, Franz turned his gaze to Justia.

‘This will take a while.’

Justia was fervently praying, but since the World Tree was so massive, it seemed to contain a considerable amount of dark mana.

Increasing the output would shorten the time, but the burden on Justia’s body would be too great.

So, it was impossible to guarantee how many hours it would take.

But thinking of it the other way around, it meant that if they could hold out for a few hours, they could somehow manage, so the situation wasn’t entirely bad.

Of course, this is assuming the current situation remains unchanged.

However, it seemed our World Tree had no intention of letting things slide.

“Franz, look, look at that…!”

Hera pointed to the branches of the World Tree, and Franz followed her finger with his gaze.

There was a flower bud.

A flower bud identical to the one that had fired the mana beam.

The moment he saw it, Franz sensed that something was wrong.

If that damned flower had fired a one-time beam and withered away, it would be one thing, but the one that had fired the beam earlier was still alive and well.

That meant the more flowers bloomed, the more beams they would have to block.

But that was just the beginning.

As the flower buds began to form one by one, soon the World Tree was in full bloom.

Have you ever seen humans hanging from tree branches?

The World Tree had become an indescribably horrific sight.

It made one think that perhaps this place was a living hell.

Maybe it would look beautiful from the Magic Tower.

Because it was too far away to see in detail.

Is this what they meant by comedy from afar, tragedy up close?

‘Just in case.’

Franz took out the half-remaining elixir from his bag and placed it on the ground.

It was what Justia had left after drinking it at the social gathering.

“Justia, if you feel like you’re going to die, drink it.”

He felt a bit sorry even as he said it.

Giving her the elixir like a battery and using her as a purification shuttle.

Still, the guilt seemed less this time since she had followed him directly.

It was then.

Mana began to gather from all directions, signaling the start of the real battle.

“Hera, can you take care of the roots and branches?”

There were already dozens of flowers in bloom.

In such a situation, he didn’t want to worry about the roots and branches as well.

He could do it if he had to, but it would require that much more effort.

“I will accomplish it even if it costs my life.”

“Don’t go that far. Tell me when it seems impossible.”

“…At times like this, trust me. Am I not your slave?”

Hera’s words caused Justia’s voice, which had been reciting a prayer, to waver.

Saying such things in this situation…?

No, perhaps it was because of this situation that she said it.

Franz was dumbfounded but decided to let it slide.

Trying to understand the incomprehensible would only give him a headache.

“Alright, I’ll trust you. Make sure you succeed.”

“Understood…!”

With Hera’s words, faintly filled with joy, the battle began.

Beams of light poured down like rain from the sky, and roots surged up from the ground.

Snap-.

As Franz snapped his fingers, a hemispherical shield formed.

It was to prepare for the possibility that the red liquid might splash and melt their flesh.

Franz’s eyes quickly scanned the overall situation.

The total number of beams was 108, and their directions were…

Franz grasped the total number of beams, the direction each beam was fired, and any potential variables.

And then, immediately,

Snap-.

He snapped his fingers.

Simultaneously, magic circles were drawn in the paths of all the mana beams.

It was a magic that applied teleportation.

If blocking them all was too much, he could just return them as they were.

Soon, the mana beams passed through the magic circles in their paths and emerged from other magic circles.

As a result, the mana beams collided with each other,

Boom-!

With a tremendous roar, they simultaneously vanished.

In his heart, he wanted to redirect the paths of the mana beams straight to that ominous flower, but doing so might cause significant damage to the World Tree.

So, well, this was the best he could do.

Still thinking it was easier than dealing with an intelligent demon king, Franz snapped his fingers once more.

It would have been nice to move a bit more leisurely, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity to gather mana with the flowers.

Snap-.

A crisp sound echoed as a magic circle was drawn in front of a total of 108 flowers.

And then, from the magic circle, flames burst forth, starting to burn the flowers.

Screeeech-!

The human figure at the center of the flowers screamed in agony, writhing in pain.

Franz turned his eyes away from the grotesque sight.

It was enough to make him feel nauseous.

It was then.

“St-stop it…!”

A heavy and majestic voice, as if crafted directly from a heartbeat, resounded.

Franz lifted his head towards the source, and through the split trunk of the World Tree, he could see someone’s figure.

Given the circumstances, it must be….

“Gruen!”

Sure enough, Hera, who had spotted him, shouted loudly.

He was indeed the culprit behind this incident.

The elf who had cooperated with the cult and committed suicide in front of the World Tree.

“H-Hera… Please stop…! I-I will protect this forest…!”

“Look with your own eyes! Is this truly the action of someone who wants to protect?!”

“Then are you saying we should just stand by and do nothing?! Even as elves are kidnapped and the trees of the Great Forest are cut down?!”

“Th-that is….”

Hera couldn’t easily respond to his words.

After all, the responsibility for such problems lay with the leader.

And at this moment, the leader of the elves was Hera, so she must have felt guilty.

“As expected, Hera, you are a hypocrite. A hypocrite who wants to protect but does nothing!”

“No…! What I mean is…!”

“If you insist on stopping me, I won’t stand idly by either.”

Gruen, who was wedged between the trees, stretched his arms forward.

And then, pushing against the sturdy tree trunks on either side, he began to emerge.

Franz quietly prepared his magic as he watched him.

To attack the magical girl, it had to be the moment she transformed, and to attack the boss, it had to be during the appearance cutscene.

Otherwise, you’d be a fool.