The once refined and elegant aerial courtyard of the Great Temple was now completely overrun by dense, tangled trees. Bursting with life yet utterly disorderly, the courtyard that had once embodied rational design and aesthetic balance had taken on a raw, primitive look.
"Can you see it?"
Kirschtaria stood inside the pavilion, gazing at the aerial garden, its twisted branches entwined like a primeval forest.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Hinako Akuta complained unhappily. "Xiang Wang really liked this courtyard…"
Peperoncino pursed his lips but didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand and aimed at a branch of moderate thickness. A blazing fireball shot out, struck the branch, and exploded.
The flames of divine thaumaturgy instantly ignited the natural trees. Within a ten-meter radius centered on the impact point, every branch and leaf, thick or thin, was burned away completely.
It was as if a whole section of the forest had been gouged out and erased. For trees, it was an astonishingly efficient form of "logging."
But almost immediately, the charred ends of the burned trunks began to tremble.
"This is…" Hinako Akuta stared in shock.
From the blackened branches that should have been dead, fresh green buds rapidly sprouted. They grew at an incredible speed, unfurling vivid leaves and sturdy new branches that filled in the missing space.
Though the overall shape had changed slightly, it felt as if the fire had happened years ago, creating a strange, disorienting sense of time out of place.
"See, Hinako," Peperoncino said grimly. "With just our strength, there's no way we can destroy these trees. They grow all the way from the land of the Interstellar City up into this courtyard."
"And that's not all."
Kirschtaria raised his wand and fired a blast of pure Mana. It pierced the protruding rock along the courtyard's outer wall, carving out a smooth-edged hole.
Then the stone began to shudder, as if it were alive, rapidly restoring itself. When it finished, the surface had become even more jagged and uneven than before.
It was as futile as the tale of Yu Gong trying to move mountains.
"…What is going on?" Hinako Akuta felt a wave of nausea.
Plants and trees were one thing. But even rocks and soil regenerating?
"This is the predicament the Great God Zeus now finds himself in," Kirschtaria said. "He deployed a Barrier to seal off the Interstellar City, cutting off all passage to and from the Great Temple. Once complete, Chaldea would be trapped inside, unable to interfere."
That plan consumed an enormous amount of Mana from the Fantasy Tree, but as long as it eliminated the threat, Zeus deemed it worthwhile.
However, the plan collapsed almost immediately.
Mountains and trees suddenly erupted from the land of the Interstellar City, forming towers tall enough to reach the Great Temple itself. The sealing Barrier became little more than a symbolic restriction.
Even worse, the Great Temple could no longer interfere with the lower world through extreme weather.
The Barrier had focused too much on blocking passage, and in the end, produced an unintended two-way result.
"It's practically a divine feat," Peperoncino said with feeling. "No… it really is a miracle. From what we saw before the Barrier fully closed, that person used power similar to Demeter's Noble Phantasm."
"Staying here with you was the right decision," Hinako Akuta said, now better understanding Kirschtaria's arrangement. "But… the final outcome probably won't be a good one."
With that, she turned and left ahead of them, making preparations for a final battle that could erupt at any moment.
"Now only Caenis remains," Peperoncino said seriously as he looked at Kirschtaria. "Even counting me, our available combat power is extremely limited. Demeter and Aphrodite, after losing Zeus, the last remaining Machine God, have already begun drawing directly on the Mana of the Fantasy Tree."
The Fantasy Tree of Olympus, Magellan, was the largest reservoir of Mana on the planet.
It was something originally meant for the Crypters to use. Kirschtaria had tacitly allowed Zeus to act as he did. Otherwise, Zeus sealing off the entire Interstellar City with Mana alone would have been enough to completely shatter their alliance.
"It doesn't matter. Zeus is an opponent I must face, but that doesn't change the fact that Professor Shiomi… no, that Chaldea is my greatest enemy," Kirschtaria said with a composed smile.
"Oh?"
"I have a feeling that the current Professor Shiomi has no interest at all in crossing blades with me anymore. He'll entrust this battle to the person he trusts most…" Kirschtaria's expression turned thoughtful. "Morgan, the Queen of the British Lostbelt, and Skadi, the goddess of the Scandinavian Lostbelt, are both top-tier Magi. My true opponent will likely be among them."
"There's also Queen Scáthach," Peperoncino added. "And I've heard that for some reason, the Grand Puppeteer, Touko Aozaki, is also on Chaldea's ship."
"If the focus isn't on magecraft combat, then it's possible," Kirschtaria replied lightly. "But that would be a shame. I was hoping to exchange magecraft with those who have surpassed the limits of human intellect."
As he spoke, he shook his head. "No matter what, the final battle must be reserved for the Great God Zeus. 'A battle that determines the future of the divine world'—that was the condition Zeus set when we formed our alliance."
"Hah…" Peperoncino let out a long sigh. "Then I doubt you'll get that chance. If you're tied down by Chaldea's great magus, even if Zeus manages a narrow victory over Mr. Shiomi, he probably won't have the strength left to turn the tables against you."
"A promise is a promise. I'll do my best to honor it, and so will he," Kirschtaria said calmly.
"That really is human of you," Peperoncino remarked.
"Of course," Kirschtaria replied, sweeping his gaze across the tangled trees and scattered rocks around them. "Without that, one couldn't possibly sit upon the throne of the 'God Who Rules Over Humanity.' To be honest, if there weren't battles that absolutely had to be fought, I would like to witness the clash between Zeus and that man myself."
"Either outcome defies common sense anyway… and what good would witnessing it do?" Peperoncino sighed deeply. "Or do you think Zeus can actually win?"
"Whether Zeus wins or Chaldea wins makes no difference to me," Kirschtaria said with a serene smile. "Even if I end up facing severe punishment from Chaldea, I don't believe what I'm doing now is wrong. Besides, there's something I want to properly ask that man."
"At this point, is there really any need to confirm it?" Peperoncino shook his head. "You already know the answer in your heart."
"Even so, hearing it from his own mouth carries a different meaning," Kirschtaria replied frankly. "You can think of it as resentment at seeing one's ideals reached by someone else first."
"Such youthful fervor…"
Peperoncino smiled knowingly as he offered that assessment.