21_'Tree of Life' in the 'Forest of the End'2

"What are you daydreaming about, Luti?" Etzio's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Ah, I'm fine," I responded hastily, realizing I had been lost in my own thoughts. And then, a few seconds later, it dawned on me... ...everything is unfolding just as the Dr.Ban predicted.

I suddenly thought about the 'Tree of Life,' how it's causing a collective, a rapid environmental change. At that time, the term 'mass extinction' seemed too extreme, but now, it doesn't seem too far-fetched.

I decided to review the documents on the 'Tree of Life' again, which had undergone several studies. Flipping through the pages, I stumbled upon an intriguing detail. The 'Tree of Life' from the "Forest of The End" doesn't perfectly mutate like our 'Tree of Life.' Photos from experiments were included. One depicted a palm cut with a knife and how the 'Tree of Life' from the "Forest of The End" repaired it.

It mutates its own body to seal the wound. However, the appearance of the 'Tree of Life' itself doesn't change. It's immediately apparent where the wound was inflicted. On the next page, a study showed the result of an experiment where an index finger was severed and observed how it was repaired.

The photo caught my eye instantly, prompting me to turn the page quickly. What appeared was a plant. They were entwined, forming the shape of an index finger. ...Could it be? I read through the results. The 'Tree of Life' from the "Forest of The End" cannot perfectly mutate, hence while it can fill wounds, it cannot replace parts of the body that are missing. At that moment, the 'Tree of Life' used nearby plants to construct the missing part.

I glanced at the photo again. The tangle of plants shaped like an index finger was all too familiar. A sense of dread washed over me. "Let's pause the discussion on the 'Tree of Life' for now. Next, we need to address those human-shaped plants that attacked us using the 'Spear Tree,'" Dr.Ban said, his voice cutting through the air as if it was aiming for my ears.

I looked up hastily. The Dr.Ban seemed somewhat reluctant. "...This is just speculation... but could it be the Gaveto tribe?" he said, echoing the thoughts I had just been harboring. "This theory would explain the presence of the energy maintaining the collective," he added.

I didn't want to contemplate what that implied. I looked around. My gaze met Etzio's, and it seemed he was thinking the same. The discussions had been ongoing. Had the Gaveto tribe truly gone extinct? Was Gracia the only one left? We couldn't conduct large-scale surveys on the surface, and then there was the existence of the 'Tree of Life.'

Until now, there had been absolutely no sign of activity from the Gaveto tribe. No harm inflicted. Therefore, it had been concluded that the Gaveto tribe was extinct. But... Etzio was visibly distressed. "Are they really the Gaveto tribe? What are the chances they aren't?" he asked, almost pleading.

Gracia alone had the power comparable to a natural disaster. And now, there might be several more of her kind. My mind was already in turmoil from the collective, and the weight of the possibility of the Gaveto tribe's existence pressed down on it even further.

The more we investigated, the less we understood, the more tangled everything became. Etzio seemed to have given up trying to comprehend, drooping his head. The Dr.Ban's expression conveyed an understanding of the inevitability.

A heavy, sticky silence filled the air, almost audible to the ears. Amidst this, Sheena, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. "It's ironic, isn't it? Plants that evolved as weapons to kill humans are now harmonizing, living as one entity." ──────────────────────────────────────────────────── I was absentmindedly gazing at the ceiling, focusing my attention on the music flowing from the record player. Today, as usual, I was listening to the "Ode to Joy."

レコードプレーヤーから流れる音楽に意識を集中させながら,私はぼんやりと天井を眺めていた.今日もいつものように「歓喜の歌」を聴いていました.

"You listen to this song a lot," Gracia remarked as she perched neatly on my crossed legs. "I like it," I replied. That piqued her interest, and she drew closer to the record player, listening intently. Wanting to hear better, she pressed her ear against it. "Careful, you'll hurt your ears," I warned, finding her earnest effort endearing, which made me chuckle. "...Gracia might be the one to shape the environment," the Dr.Ban's words suddenly resurfaced, causing my face to tense.

The 'Tree of Life' is on the brink of fundamentally changing the environment, and it's a plant. A plant that Gracia, with her immense influence over plants, is intimately connected to. Gracia is right here, yet she feels so distant somehow. Ever since the incident with the whale, I felt Gracia drifting further into solitude.

How would Gracia react to the collective? If those human-shaped plants truly were the Gaveto tribe, what then? If the collective continues to thrive, what kind of relationship would form between Gracia and it? Question after question emerged, each bringing along a host of others. Soon, my mind was brimming with question marks. After a while, I just observed Gracia's back. Then, I suddenly realized something.

A familiar sense of emptiness was absent from within me. After a moment of thought, I understood why. The collective, capable of fundamentally altering lifestyles, was turning what seemed like ludicrous fantasy into impending reality. That fact was distracting me from the emptiness.