Chapter 575: Yggdrasil is sad.
The scene continued by alternating between Kael and Sylphie’s rest and the emotional disaster forming beneath the roots.
The small house remained silent while Kael and Sylphie rested together on the sofa, protected by a peace that seemed impossible after everything that had happened. Sylphie continued lying across his lap, partially covered by the thin blanket, while Kael slowly ran his fingers through her long white hair. Neither of them felt any need to keep talking at that moment. The important explanations had been given, the oldest wounds had been acknowledged, and now only the tangible presence both of them had waited far too long for remained.
Sylphie breathed deeply, already close to sleep, but still kept one hand closed around Kael’s fingers. Even unconsciously, she seemed to reject any possibility of losing him again. Kael watched the elf’s peaceful face, noticing small changes that had not existed before their separation. There was more maturity in her expression, a quiet strength that did not erase her gentleness, only made it firmer. A hundred years had left marks that could not easily be seen, but they were present in the way she breathed, spoke, and chose to remain close to him.
When Sylphie finally fell asleep, Kael rested his head against the sofa and closed his eyes. His own body remained exhausted from the crossing, the runes, and the absurd amount of primordial mana he had absorbed. Even so, for the first time in weeks, he managed to relax without imagining the next enemy, the next barrier, or the next impossible decision. Sylphie was safe. She was in his arms. At that moment, it was enough.
Far below that peaceful region, however, the situation was completely different.
Nidhogg and Elion stood before the sealed entrance to the Original Realm, watching the colossal roots that had once again closed off the path completely. Neither of them had received any news from Kael since Yggdrasil separated him from the dragoness, and the prolonged silence was beginning to seriously affect both of their patience. The fact that they could not sense his presence through the barriers only made matters worse.
Elion paced back and forth across a flat root, arms crossed and her face growing increasingly irritated. From time to time, she stopped before the entrance, touched the living wood, and tried to pierce Yggdrasil’s defenses with some perception spell. Every attempt ended the same way. The magic vanished before penetrating more than a few centimeters, absorbed by the structure of the World Tree itself.
"She is doing this on purpose," Elion muttered, pressing her palm against the barrier again. "That arrogant tree is blocking all contact just to make me worry."
Nidhogg sat several meters behind her, drawing symbols across the ground with one claw. Her expression had completely lost its usual domestic lightness. Black and golden lines formed increasingly complex circles around her, written in a draconic language so ancient that every word seemed to subtly alter the behavior of space.
"I do not think it is only to irritate you," Nidhogg replied without looking up. "She is also blocking my primordial perception, and that requires much more effort than ignoring a few observation spells."
Elion turned immediately, staring at her with clear offense.
"A few spells?"
Nidhogg slowly raised her eyes and examined the number of golden circles floating around the witch.
"Impressive and emotionally excessive observation spells," she corrected, returning to her work before the argument could continue.
The draconic symbols kept spreading across the flat root. Every new sequence increased the pressure around them, making the void between worlds vibrate and the smaller roots pull away instinctively. Nidhogg was writing enchantments designed to rupture dimensions, consume spiritual barriers, and open passages even through structures protected by primordial concepts. This was not a discreet rescue attempt. It was preparation for a controlled catastrophe, though the word "controlled" was being extremely generous in that context.
Elion recognized the shape of one of the runes and stopped pacing.
"Is that the draconic inscription for absolute collapse?"
"Not exactly," Nidhogg replied, adding another line to the circle. "That is the ancient form. It means absolute collapse, structural dissolution, and temporary loss of coherence between space, time, and causality."
Elion studied the design for several seconds.
"Excellent. Add two."
Nidhogg nodded with complete seriousness.
While the dragoness prepared a sequence of runes powerful enough to cause the partial collapse of a dimensional plane, Elion approached one of Yggdrasil’s smaller roots. The branch was as thick as an ordinary tree, though it represented only an insignificant offshoot of the original structure. She examined the wood for a few seconds, then placed both hands around it.
"Do you intend to ask permission before cutting that?" Nidhogg asked.
"I am already banned," Elion replied, beginning to compress mana around the branch. "What else can she do?"
The root resisted for several seconds, but eventually yielded to a runic blade formed between Elion’s hands. The golden wood fell onto the platform, pulsing like a freshly severed limb. Small rivers of primordial sap ran from the cut, producing a sweet aroma that made Nidhogg raise her head immediately.
"Do not eat it," Elion warned.
"I did not say anything."
"You started salivating."
Nidhogg discreetly closed her mouth and returned her attention to the runes.
Elion gathered the branch and began the transformation. Golden symbols appeared around the wood, compressing it, twisting its structure, and reorganizing the mana currents inside. The branch became thinner, longer, and more resilient, gradually taking the shape of a staff. Smaller roots wound themselves around the main body, forming an intricate handle, while a red crystal appeared at the upper end.
When she finished, Elion raised the staff and examined the result with satisfaction.
"A weapon made from Yggdrasil herself to destroy Yggdrasil’s entrance," Nidhogg commented. "That is unnecessarily offensive."
"Thank you."
Elion spun the staff between her fingers and walked toward the circles Nidhogg had prepared. The two stood side by side, watching the sealed entrance as the surrounding mana began to gather. Nidhogg completed the final draconic rune, and the finished symbol produced such a deep vibration that her house, located several roots below, was probably shaking.
"When I activate the first circle, you strike the central barrier," Nidhogg explained. "After that, we will have approximately three seconds before Yggdrasil’s defenses try to erase us."
"Three seconds is enough."
"For you, perhaps."
"You are larger than continents."
"That does not prevent conceptual erasure."
Elion brought the staff closer to the main rune.
"Do not be negative."
They were about to begin the attack when the space before them opened.
The portal appeared without explosion or pressure. Reality simply separated, revealing a green and golden passage at the center of the entrance. Elion immediately raised the staff, while Nidhogg made all the draconic runes shine at once, preparing to attack anything that emerged.
Then Yggdrasil stepped through the portal.
Both of them froze.
The entity that emerged did not resemble the absolute sovereign who sustained countless worlds through her roots. Her red hair was disheveled, deep shadows surrounded her eyes, and the dress formed from leaves, flowers, and vines seemed to be dying. Petals fell as she walked, and several branches woven into the fabric were dry at the tips.
Yggdrasil took three steps outside the portal.
Then stopped.
Her shoulders were slumped. The posture that usually projected divine authority had disappeared. Even the golden light around her seemed weaker, as though the World Tree herself were emotionally exhausted.
Elion slowly lowered the staff.
"Are you all right?"
Yggdrasil raised her face.
Her eyes were full of tears.
Nidhogg slowly deactivated the first runes, keeping only the inscriptions capable of tearing reality apart in case this was some very strange trap.
Yggdrasil tried to answer, but her mouth trembled. She breathed deeply, clenched her hands against the leafy dress, and finally lost the little dignity she was still trying to preserve.
"W-why is dealing with teenagers so exhausting?!"
The question came out with a frustrated sob.
Elion and Nidhogg remained motionless.
Neither of them had been prepared for that.
Yggdrasil wiped her tears with the back of her hand, but more appeared immediately.
"It was a hundred years," she continued, her voice breaking. "A hundred years teaching Sylphie. A hundred years explaining cycles, roots, responsibility, divinity, and balance. I reorganized entire regions of the Central Realm for her. I built a house. Prepared special forests. Kept the flow of time stable whenever she had a crisis."
Elion began to frown.
Yggdrasil did not notice.
"I cared for her when primordial mana nearly destroyed her body. I spent decades helping her control every change. I taught her how to listen to the roots, how to heal forests, how to sustain ecosystems, and how to remain conscious before the collective will of nature."
Nidhogg watched the dry leaves falling from her dress.
Yggdrasil brought both hands to her face.
"And then that man appeared."
A vein began forming on Elion’s forehead.
Yggdrasil continued crying.
"One minute. It took only one minute. She saw him, forgot every trace of divine composure, ran to the door, and completely melted into a man’s arms as if the last hundred years meant nothing."
The vein on Elion’s forehead grew larger.
"She cried. She grabbed his clothes. She said ’my love’ in that completely helpless voice. Then she brought him into the house and started preparing food like a domestic wife who had spent the morning waiting for her husband to return from work."
Nidhogg glanced discreetly at Elion.
The witch was trembling.
Yggdrasil took a deep breath, trying to control her sobbing, but continued speaking with growing frustration.
"A hundred years creating a goddess, only for her to abandon all dignity the moment a tall red-haired man walks through the door."
"THAT MAN IS MY SON!"
Elion’s shout tore through the roots.
The newly made staff shone with such intensity that part of Nidhogg’s runes dissolved by reflex. Yggdrasil immediately shrank her shoulders, eyes widening at the unexpected explosion.
Elion pointed the staff directly at her.
"You are talking as if Kael were some random drifter who appeared at her house! He crossed the Original Realm, faced your absurd illusions, and nearly used Chaos Fire to reach Sylphie!"
Yggdrasil blinked rapidly.
A tear ran down her cheek.
"You are yelling at me."
"Because you are belittling my son!"
"I am emotionally exhausted."
"THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE!"
Yggdrasil started truly crying.
Not a silent and dignified cry. It was open, disorganized, and deeply embarrassing for a primordial entity. She covered her face with both hands while her shoulders shook, and new leaves began falling from her dress as though the entire World Tree were entering an emotional crisis along with her.
Elion stopped shouting.
The witch kept the staff pointed at Yggdrasil for several seconds, but her expression gradually changed from anger to absolute confusion. She clearly had not expected the entity to respond that way.
Nidhogg watched Yggdrasil crying.
Then looked at Elion.
Elion looked at Nidhogg.
The two remained like that for several seconds, communicating only through the equally lost expressions on their faces.
What do we do?
Neither of them had an answer.
Nidhogg was the first to try something. She approached Yggdrasil cautiously, as if dealing with a wounded creature capable of destroying universes by accident. When she stood before her, she raised one hand and lightly touched her shoulder.
Yggdrasil cried even harder.
Nidhogg withdrew her hand immediately.
"That made it worse."
"I noticed," Elion murmured.
The witch rested the staff against the ground and approached as well. Her irritation still existed, but it was now mixed with genuine discomfort. Elion knew how to face armies, kings, dragons, and cosmic entities. A World Tree crying from maternal exhaustion, however, was far beyond her usual competencies.
"Stop crying," Elion said, trying to keep her voice low. "I was not trying to hurt your feelings."
Yggdrasil lowered her hands and revealed a deeply wounded expression.
"You threatened to destroy my entrance using a staff made from my own branch."
Elion looked at the weapon.
Then at the severed root.
"That happened before you appeared crying."
"Is that supposed to make it better?"
"No."
Nidhogg sighed and opened her arms.
"Come here."
Yggdrasil looked at her suspiciously.
"You eat my roots."
"This is not the time."
"For you, it is always the time."
"Probably, but right now I am offering a hug."
Yggdrasil hesitated for several seconds before finally approaching. Nidhogg wrapped her arms around her carefully, avoiding the absurd force she normally used in hugs. Even so, the difference in size caused Yggdrasil to partially disappear against the dragoness’s body.
Elion watched with her arms crossed.
"You are coddling her."
"She is crying."
"She trapped my son in a war illusion."
"You tried to bombard her realm with nuclear magic."
"That was a long time ago."
Yggdrasil raised her face from Nidhogg’s chest.
"I can still feel that crater."
Elion looked away.
"You need to move on from the past."
Nidhogg pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.
Yggdrasil continued crying for several more minutes, complaining about Sylphie, Kael, teenagers, reincarnated people, young divinities, and the absolute lack of respect everyone showed for the effort of an entity responsible for sustaining worlds. Elion and Nidhogg simply listened, both still unsure how they had gone from an apocalyptic invasion attempt to an improvised emotional support session.
When Yggdrasil finally began to calm down, Elion offered her a small bottle of wine pulled from some private dimensional space.
Yggdrasil looked at it.
"Does this help?"
Elion nodded with complete certainty.
"It helps you endure children, grandchildren, lovers, dragons, and cosmic responsibilities."
Nidhogg raised an eyebrow.
"You are offering alcohol to the World Tree herself?"
"I am offering emotional survival."
Yggdrasil took the bottle.
Nidhogg watched the two of them for several seconds before fully deactivating the apocalyptic runes spread across the root.
At least for now, the entrance to the Original Realm would survive.
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