020: The Final Push I
Immense.
Way too strong.
Just what is she?
Her white flame is a level above the plant's.
No.
It's way more than one level.
Her power is enough to swallow the universe whole.
Just what the hell is she?
When I arrived at the base of the golden tree, she was waiting for me.
The ground of the area was torn up with the roots of the massive tree.
Built upon those roots was a marvel throne which she sat on.
Her hair and clothes and skin were all pure white.
The essence of purity itself.
Which is ironic because she's anything but pure.
Her hatred for me runs deep in her heart, and I don't even know why.
"So you've finally made it here, huh?"
She said to me.
I could feel her presence.
It was similar to what I did while fighting the plant, but this is much stronger, and she's doing it without even trying.
How intimidating.
Her mere presence is causing me to shake.
My whole body is shaking with fear, but I am not scared.
I am surprisingly calm.
A week ago I would have had a heart attack when faced with this, but now I'm different.
I can't quite put my finger on what caused it, but I'm no longer fazed by insurmountable walls.
Because I feel like I've learned how to find a way around them other than just climbing over.
"WELL?! ARE YOU GOING TO RESPOND?!"
She screamed.
"I don't think he can respond, he's too dumbfounded by your supreme power."
The wolf said.
He sat to her right, like a loyal dog.
It truly displayed her power that someone I was barely able to fight earlier today was sitting at her feet.
"No, I was just marveling at the beauty of this place."
I responded.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, shitty man."
The child responded.
Well damn.
It was worth a shot.
I'm certain of it now.
The red string wasn't leading me to the tree, but to her.
The red string's other end was loosely wrapped around her, and it tugged my right hand so hard that it almost pulled it off.
This is my destiny.
To meet this child.
But what am I supposed to do if she hates me?
Did that crappy old lady think this through or what?
She's probably cackling to herself right now.
"Well, not quite."
The old lady said as she watched me from her hut.
"It's not that I'm cackling, I'm just excited to see what you'll do next. Go, boy, I have laid out the path, you just have to follow it. This is yet another trial you must pass on your road. Win over the stubborn ruler, that is what you must do now. I know you can do it. You must do it, for the red string of fate will make sure you do."
"You've finally made it here, but so what? You cannot defeat me."
The child said.
"I don't want to fight you."
I responded.
"Bullshit."
She replied.
"I'm serious. I didn't want to fight any of you. I just wanted to go home."
"If you want to go home then why did you come here in the first place?"
"I didn't mean to come here. I don't even know how I got here. I just woke up here."
"You're a filthy liar."
The butterfly said.
She was on the left side of the child.
Her rainbow-colored wings sparkled in the sunlight.
"You know for something so beautiful, you're quite nasty."
I said to her.
"Have you ever spoken to a beautiful woman? All of us are like that."
She responded.
"I have, however, I've only ever spoken to one beautiful woman, and she is possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever met, so don't diss all beautiful women like that."
"Wow, good for you, you do have a love life. So what's her name?"
"And why do you want to know? I thought you didn't like me."
"I don't, but I love romance, so tell me, who is it?"
"That doesn't matter."
"But it does."
"Enough. Such trivial matters are not important right now."
The child interrupted.
"Ah, why do you hate fun so much?"
She asked the child, but the child ignored her.
"You know, kid, you're pretty observant."
The wolf said.
"You pinned down the butterfly almost perfectly, but you were slightly wrong. Not only is her personality hideous, but her looks are also too."
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
The butterfly responded.
"I said you're hideous."
"ALRIGHT YOU WANNA FIGHT?!"
"BRING IT ON! I'LL BITE RIGHT THROUGH YOU!"
"OH YEAH?! WELL, I'LL POISON YOU AND LAUGH AT YOUR DECAYING BODY AS YOU SLOWLY DIE!"
"OH YEAH?! WELL, I'LL…"
"ENOUGH YOU TWO!"
The child interrupted.
"Now is not the time for your silly games."
The two of them backed off as if they were scared of her.
I don't blame them.
She reminds me of my mom when she's angry.
Is she like this all the time?
She must suck to hang out with.
"Tell me, if you really did come here accidentally, then why come to this place?"
That's a good question.
And one I don't really want to answer.
How will she react if I tell her about the red string?
I can't even begin to imagine how much more complicated that might make things.
"I'll explain it to you, my lady."
The flytrap grew out of the ground in front of me.
It was so sudden that I almost fell backward
"The lady in red sent him."
He said to her.
"WHAT?!"
"The lady in red, who's that?"
The wolf asked the butterfly.
"I have absolutely no clue."
The butterfly responded.
"Wow, way to be useless."
"Well, maybe you should have known it in the first place."
"WHY WOULD SHE SEND THIS BOY HERE?!"
The child screamed.
Why is she so agitated?
I can only assume this "lady in red" is that old lady, but why is she reacting like this?
Is this "lady in red" that big of a deal?
I just thought she was a shitty old hag.
Is she really that important?
Maybe I shouldn't have called her a shitty old hag.
I would like to repent my sins.
Please forgive me, shitty old hag.
"I don't know why she sent him, but shouldn't that be a sign?"
The plant said to her.
"A sign of what?!"
"We should forget our past grudges and use this boy in the war effort. It is our only chance of winning."
"Are you trying to tell me to allow a human among our ranks?"
"We have 13 more years until the foretold end to the war, if we don't let go of our grudges against the humans, then we can never stand a chance."
War?
What war?
What are they talking about?
"Still, I refuse to use humans."
"WHY?! THE DARK SIDE IS USING HUMANS, AND WE DON'T STAND A CHANCE IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO! STOP BEING SO STUBBORN!"
"AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO?! NO ONE IN THIS FOREST WANTS TO BE IN CONTACT WITH HUMANS!"
"Actually My Lady, I think I agree with him."
The wolf said.
"WHAT?!"
"As much as I hate to agree with that smelly mutt, I too believe we should ally ourselves with the boy."
The butterfly said.
The child was taken aback and took a moment to settle her nerves and think.
"Fine then, I'll ally myself with him, but only if he passes the test that I assign to him."
She said.
"So you've finally come around? Good."
The God of plants said.
"I never said I agreed with you, I merely said I'm willing to hear you out, but only if he can defeat the wolf."
"But My Lady, you know he cannot defeat me."
The wolf responded.
"Don't worry, just go easy on him and let him live."
The butterfly said.
"I wouldn't recommend that. If you don't use all of your power in this fight, then I will kill all four of you myself."
She's not joking around, huh?
"Now fight."
"But, My Lady…"
"Do you have wax in your ears? I said fight."
"Yes, My Lady."
The wolf bowed his head as he submitted to her.
He turned on me and bore his teeth.
His ferocity was much more intense than the last time I saw him, but I too had grown in strength.
He charged, but I was prepared.
If I want any chance of defeating him, I have to call upon the energy I used against the God of plants.
That flaming red energy.
With my brand new move, Red Intimidation.
I sent out a field of my energy into the atmosphere.
It increased the pressure, and set anything weak on fire.
The red energy poured out of my body and surrounded it like I was the base of a flame.
The wolf backed off.
"If this is how it has to be, then I won't hesitate to defeat you."
I said to him.
"Yeah, neither will I."
"However, after I beat you, I hope we can still be friends."
"Ha, sure kid, but only if you can beat me."
At the same time, inside my body, Asol was watching the battle intently.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE CAN DRAW OUT 5% OF MY POWER ON HIS OWN AFTER ONLY EXPERIENCING IT ONCE! THIS KID IS A GENIUS, THAT'S FOR SURE!"
As he watched the fight, a small amount of red energy approached next to him.
It took the form of the old lady, and it stood there to speak with him.
"YOU'RE…"
"It has been too long, My Lord."
She said while kneeling before him.