The Kabbalah Tree of Life

"No… no need!" Realizing her attack was completely ineffective, the tiny fairy immediately softened, forcing a pitiful smile that looked worse than tears. "Is there any other… service you'd like? I can offer it all… free of charge!"

"But weren't you just demanding Achievement Points?" Kaguya's bright smile showed off her white teeth.

Though she didn't quite understand why the little fairy's impressive attack had ended up with such lackluster results, the dazed look on the fairy's face suggested that she didn't know either, so asking about it was likely pointless.

As they say, "Justice may be late, but it never fails to come." This little system had often exploited and deceived her, costing her a good number of Achievement Points. It was time to collect—with interest. And given how utterly pitiful she looked now, Kaguya couldn't resist taking a little revenge.

With that thought, Kaguya cracked her knuckles, the joints giving off a crisp, intimidating sound as her expression turned cold and menacing.

"Since you're such a valuable customer, there's no charge. Perhaps you're curious about the Dragon Veins chakra in your body?" the tiny fairy babbled, her face full of flattery.

Just giving in like that? This little thing was practically spineless. Where's your dignity?

Seeing her so cute and subservient, Kaguya's urge to mess with her subsided. But the fairy's words did pique her interest; she'd long wondered about the true nature of that powerful yet somewhat ominous energy in her body.

"Well then, spit it out. But if I catch you trying to deceive me…" Kaguya didn't finish the sentence, letting a subtle, meaningful smile spread across her face. The smile alone made the fairy's expression turn uneasy.

The tiny fairy pulled herself together and, after clearing her throat, began to explain.

It turned out the Dragon Veins chakra was a manifestation of the Earth's very essence, holding a vast concentration of its energy. Yet, this energy was not pure—like anything in nature, it had both a positive and a dark side. And the so-called Dragon Veins chakra was actually its dark side, a type of malevolent power. Compared to it, even the evil contained within "All the World's Evils" was relatively mild. Dragon Veins chakra, or perhaps more aptly termed "dark energy," was interlaced with an ancient and mysterious force. This unknown energy was so complex that even the tiny fairy couldn't fully identify it, but it was undeniably ancient and incredibly potent. That might explain why the system fairy's attack had failed so spectacularly against Kaguya.

"So that's it?" Kaguya asked, somewhat disappointed. "Nothing more?"

"That's all," the tiny fairy answered.

Kaguya sighed. This explanation offered her little new information.

"Oh, well," Kaguya said, her disappointment clear. "Is there a way to get rid of this dark energy in my body?"

Though the energy had helped her in many situations, no one likes carrying a ticking time bomb. Kaguya certainly didn't want to end up in a life-or-death situation where it would detonate inside her body. After all, she still had plenty of loved ones waiting back home—she couldn't let them all become widows.

"Um… well, I don't think that's possible," the tiny fairy hesitated, her voice dropping.

"What do you mean?" Kaguya lifted her up, her face menacing.

"Ah! N-nothing," the fairy stammered. "I-I mean…"

"What exactly?" Kaguya's tone grew ominous. "Spit it out, or I'll skewer you, pluck your feathers, and roast you like a little sparrow."

"Aaaah! No, please, don't roast me!" The tiny fairy trembled, her little limbs flailing in terror, her eyes tearing up.

"Then tell me," Kaguya said impatiently, "How do I get rid of it?"

"But… there really isn't a way!" the fairy squeaked, almost in tears, but then her face suddenly lit up. "Oh, wait! You still have that crooked tree, don't you? You could use it to filter out the dark energy."

"Crooked tree?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow. Did she mean the God Tree? Kaguya didn't want to admit it, but she remembered she'd already merged with it ages ago.

"Sorry, but that 'crooked tree' has already merged with me." Kaguya's face grew darker.

"Oh!" The fairy's eyes widened, then she clasped her hands, scrambling to apologize. "I-I didn't realize your tastes were so… unique—I mean, so refined… I mean—"

"Are you mocking me, little thing?" Kaguya's face twitched, her tone growing even more dangerous.

"Of course not!" The fairy hastily waved her hands in denial. "I'd never dare."

"So what's your solution?" Kaguya huffed. "If you don't come up with something, I'll go ahead and roast you. I've never tasted sparrow before, but I'm curious."

"This is just too much!" The tiny fairy's eyes filled with tears, her voice wavering with frustration. "How could I have a solution to something like this? I'm no miracle worker!"

"Is there truly no other way?" Kaguya asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I guess I'll just roast you, then."

With a snap of her fingers, a ball of flames appeared in her palm, radiating intense heat.

"Wait!" the tiny fairy cried out, "I just thought of something!"

"Oh?" Kaguya's eyes narrowed with interest.

"Yes, yes!" The fairy clapped her hands, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "If we could use it, the Kabbalah Tree of Life might just work!"

"Kabbalah Tree of Life?" Kaguya frowned, feeling that she had heard this name before.

"Yes! It's an ancient tree, a truly exceptional one," the tiny fairy babbled, talking so fast her words tumbled out like a waterfall. "It has extraordinary energy and even possesses the power of inversion, which can convert negative energy into positive. Across numerous layered worlds, it's one of the most crucial items."

Hearing this, Kaguya remembered indeed reading about such a tree, likely in Date A Live. However, the anime only covered part of it—the most essential details were in the light novels. Yet she had never been one for light novels, so she had skipped reading it. Still, she was aware of the Kabbalah Tree of Life as a significant element within the series.

"But why do you seem so proud just because of that?" Kaguya asked, bemused.

"Ah, so you do know it," she said, nodding thoughtfully. "But tell me, how exactly do I get this 'tree'?"

"That's where I come in!" The tiny fairy wiggled her fingers with a smug look. "Just let me go, and I'll tell you."

"Well? Go on." Kaguya narrowed her eyes. "Or should I just eat you?"

For some reason, Kaguya felt an odd satisfaction seeing this little fairy all flustered and upset.

"There's no need to be so harsh," the fairy replied, her face turning pale as she sighed pitifully. "All you have to do is select Date A Live as the next world. I'll check… Yes, here's a mission for it."

A glowing screen appeared in front of them, faintly showing a few lines of text outlining the mission's details.

"Mission World: Date A Live. Mission Rank: C-Rank. Mission Objective: Capture all Spirits. Reward: 100 Achievement Points."

"Capture all the Spirits?" Kaguya murmured, glancing at the fairy. "So, does that mean just kissing them like in the original?"

"Not at all," the fairy shook her head, lifting her dainty finger with an air of self-importance. "It's not that simple. If it were just kissing, that wouldn't complete the mission."

"Oh?" Kaguya's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Then what does it take?"

"As the word implies, to 'capture' means… well, to claim their… virginity," the fairy replied matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?" Kaguya nearly choked on the air she hadn't inhaled, utterly flabbergasted. "Their… virginity?"

"Yes, is there a problem? Or was I unclear?" the fairy replied innocently before sighing, "Figures that a primitive being wouldn't understand even something this simple."

"I don't know about primitive," Kaguya's expression softened into a chilly smile. "But I do know that if you keep this up, you're going to find yourself plucked, skewered, and slow-roasted."

"N-No! I was just kidding!" The fairy forced a strained smile, backing down.

"You must be mistaken," Kaguya said, scrutinizing her closely. "There's no way a mission would be so utterly… shameless. Don't tell me you're trying to get revenge?"

"Absolutely not!" the fairy protested, her expression panicked as she struggled to defend herself. "I'd never do that! Look, it's right here… in the mission text…" The look on her face made it seem she would swear an oath if she could.

Seeing her sincerity, Kaguya refrained from pressing further. However, an idea struck her, and she gave a small, thoughtful nod. "Wait, aren't you the system?"

"Oh, no, I only issue missions here. I'm not the system myself," the fairy said, shaking her head.

"Issue missions? You mean… you work here?" Kaguya asked, raising an eyebrow, growing more curious by the second.

"Yes," the fairy nodded. "I'm a system spirit! My job is simply to issue missions."

"So then, what is the system exactly?" Kaguya wondered aloud, her interest in the mysterious system only growing. Just what sort of entity had such vast power?

"This is all I know," the fairy replied with a helpless shrug. "I've been here since my 'birth'… Oh, wait, you're running out of time! If you exceed the system's maximum stay limit, it'll start deducting Achievement Points."

Kaguya realized pressing further would likely yield nothing and staying here any longer would only be a waste. Better to enter the next world quickly.

"Fine," she said with a nod, "I'll accept the mission."

The fairy hesitated, her face flushing slightly as she stammered, "Um… could you let go of me first?"

It was only then that Kaguya noticed she had been clutching the fairy by her wings the entire time. She loosened her grip, and the fairy gave a sigh of relief as she gently rubbed her wings before glancing up at Kaguya, cheeks still faintly pink.

"Alright, then. Let's begin," she said, fluttering into the air with a light beat of her wings.

"Yeah, hurry up." Although Kaguya had just finished one mission, she knew it wasn't time to relax yet. Who could feel at ease with a ticking time bomb in their gut, ready to explode?

The fairy pointed her tiny finger at the air, and a soft light filled the empty space of the realm, weaving threads of luminescence around Kaguya, wrapping her tightly. With a final burst of brilliance, her body vanished from the space.

Even though she'd entered several worlds by now, this time felt different. In the hazy dimness, a strange energy seemed to permeate the surroundings, making her feel drowsy, as if she were half-awake.

In the midst of her daze, countless fragmented scenes poured into her mind, playing like a movie reel, overloading her senses to the point of near-collapse. Just before she passed out, she thought she glimpsed several beautiful girls.

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