Omniscient POV
Arsalan kept throwing fire at the tree, but nothing he did made the slightest difference. Normal flames couldn't burn it.
The fire refused to catch, and each spark was snuffed out on its own.
Eventually, Ars grew too tired to continue. He stopped throwing the burning papers, breathing heavily as smoke filled the air around him.
He coughed, but with the wind blowing, the smoke cleared quickly. Ars looked at the tree with an unreadable expression.
The air around it had changed. The tree began shedding lifeless leaves, and a somber feeling spread through the backyard.
The golden pattern on his chest started to glow faintly for the first time, and it felt as if he was truly connected to the World Tree. Ars could feel its emotions directly.
It was crying.
The papers crushed in his fist softened as he loosened his grip, falling quietly to the ground. His eyes grew wet, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
Did the World Tree not harm his parents? Had it really saved him? Why was it crying?
Ars didn't know.
He couldn't understand anything anymore.
He just didn't know what to do.
Why was he the only one who survived?
*
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*
Hiro came back soon with dinner. As soon as he entered, he smelled burnt paper and saw bits of charred scraps scattered around the house, blown there by the wind.
"Kid, why is there burnt paper everywhere? And why does it smell like fire? What did you do?" Hiro asked, staring daggers at Ars.
With his harsh expression and the way he was glaring, anyone would think he was bullying a child.
Ars didn't say anything. He kept his head down, trying to stay quiet, but Hiro only grew more annoyed.
"Hey, kid! Answer me! Did you play with fire while I was gone?!" Hiro yelled.
"No. I wasn't playing… I… I just tried burning... that tree," Ars said in a low voice.
Hiro froze for a moment, stunned into silence.
"You… you… What were you thinking?! Didn't I tell you to stay the hell away from that damned thing?! That thing is evil! You can't kill it no matter what! Do you think you're the first one to try? It might harm you in retaliation!" Hiro shouted, his voice rising with panic.
His breathing turned rough—he was far too agitated for an old man.
Ars kept his head down, saying nothing.
After a long moment, Hiro finally calmed himself enough to speak. "Let's just leave. I brought you here because of your grandma. But it seems that was a mistake. I'll hire someone to make my house habitable. You'll stay there for now."
He began packing the few belongings he had prepared for Ars earlier, ready to take him away. Hiro was paranoid, terrified the accursed tree might harm the boy.
"I'm not leaving," came Ars's voice from behind him.
Hiro turned around. Ars stood there, looking straight at him with eyes filled with determination.
"Don't be ridiculous, boy! You're coming with me," Hiro snapped.
"No! I will stay here!" Ars yelled, running into one of the rooms and locking the door.
"Oi, kid! Open the door! It's not safe here! You shouldn't have messed with that damned tree. Let's go!" Hiro shouted, trying to persuade him. But no matter what he said, Ars didn't budge.
In the end, Hiro left the food in front of the door and stayed for the night. He couldn't just leave a child to die, could he?
Ars wasn't going anywhere. Not until he got his answers.
And he would get them—one day, for sure.
*
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*
In the morning, Hiro received an urgent call from the hospital, so he rushed there. When he reached the cabin, he found Sumiko arguing with the doctor.
"As I said, I can manage now. So I will be going back to my house," says Sumiko.
"Komori-san, your condition isn't good. Leaving now will only shorten your life," the doctor replies.
Hiro walked in just as they were talking. "What's the meaning of this? Didn't you desperately try to survive before? So why do this now?" he asks.
"Don't you already know why?" Sumiko replies, her words making Hiro flinch. The doctor stepped back to give them space to talk.
"Maya may not be alive anymore, but what about the kid? Do you want to just leave him behind?" Hiro asked.
"He's the reason I need to do this," Sumiko said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Hiro asked.
"I… I won't live for long. I'm destined to die. I already wasted all my fortune. I should at least leave whatever little I have left for him. If I had known it would end like this, I would never have taken the treatment," Sumiko said, her voice heavy with emotion. Hiro didn't know what to say.
Sumiko continued, "And I want to spend what little time I have left with Ars. I bet he needs someone by his side more than I need more days in a hospital bed. He's just a child after all. He shouldn't have to pay for my sins."
Hiro couldn't argue, nor could he convince her. Like grandson, like grandmother.
Another reason she wanted to leave was that the treatment would keep her bedridden and unconscious most of the time, not that things would be any better without it anyway.
Hiro sighed and stepped out to finish the paperwork for her release. But when he opened the door, he froze. Someone unexpected was standing just outside.
Gan'an Shinomiya (Kaguya Shinomiya's father), the head of the Shinomiya Conglomerates, one of Japan's leading conglomerates, is known even worldwide. Beside him stood his guard, Masato Hayasaka (Ai Hayasaka's father).
"What are you doing here again? Didn't you get what you wanted? Leave! Don't bother us again," Hiro said to Masato. He had met the man before.
Some time ago—before the plane crash—Masato had come knocking on their door, asking for the World Tree's sap to help his master, Gan'an, who had been bedridden for quite some time.
They had tried everything and even sought help from people with supernatural origins, but nothing could cure his illness.
Even magic wasn't omnipotent, especially with terminal conditions like the ones Sumiko and Gan'an had.
After failing to find a cure, they heard rumors about the World Tree, and Masato started visiting every day, begging Sumiko for its sap.
In the end, Hiro brought him some sap that had been collected long ago from Sumiko's house.
Normal people couldn't harm the World Tree, much less take anything from it—especially its sap.
Only someone from the Komori bloodline could do that without being harmed.
[A/N: Additional info — The Hayasaka family was once prominent, but lost their conflict with the Shinomiya family and was absorbed into it due to their exceptional bloodline.
Ai was born in the Shinomiya main house as a thoroughbred servant and received special education.
Like Kaguya, she grew up in an isolated world, although she's less sheltered. Ai's father is Kaguya's godfather, and her mother was Kaguya's wet nurse.
Gan'an's illness was curable, but Sumiko's had progressed too far to be healed by normal means.]
"Calm down, Komori-san. I'm not here to bother you. Gan'an-sama was truly cured, so we came to show proper gratitude," Masato said in a calm, professional tone.
Hiro looked at the man himself. Gan'an looked much better now. Hiro had seen the news about him suddenly collapsing. His skin had wrinkled, and the color of his face and even his eyes had begun to fade.
But now the glow had returned. His health seemed far more stable. Seeing that Gan'an had come in person, Hiro couldn't simply send them away.
He sighed and said, "Whatever you want to say, keep it short. We'll be leaving soon."
"We know. It won't take long," Gan'an said, placing a firm hand on Hiro's shoulder, his expression still fierce. Gan'an always carried himself with dignity.
Hiro raised an eyebrow at his comment about knowing Sumiko's discharge. 'Are they keeping tabs on us?' he wondered.
They entered the cabin to find Sumiko struggling to stand. Hiro rushed forward to catch her before she fell.
"What are you doing?!" he yelled, helping her back onto the bed.
"Don't worry. I was just checking my condition," Sumiko said with a gloomy smile. She had already resigned herself to her fate.
Hiro sighed as he looked at her. Then her eyes drifted to Masato and Gan'an.
"Did you need something else, Hayasaki-san?" asks Sumiko with a polite tone.
"No. As you can see, I have been cured, and it's all thanks to your generous help," says Gan'an, cutting Masato off as he was about to reply. Though Gan'an was here for his gratitude, his tone and eyes remained cold.
"Oh my, that's good. At least you were able to stand on your feet again," says Sumiko with some melancholy.
"It's all thanks to you... I heard about your daughter and son-in-law. You have my condolences," says Gan'an.
"It's just fate. They suffered because of the sins of an old, greedy woman," Sumiko said.
"Sumiko…" Hiro could only say as he looked at her, helpless.
"Because of you, I regained my normal life. I never leave a debt unpaid. Is there anything you want? Ask anything, and I'll do it as long as it doesn't go against the Shinomiyas," Gan'an said, his expression serious.
"I don't need anything," Sumiko said immediately.
She had already relied on the World Tree too much. 'It must be karma,' she thought. She didn't want Ars to carry more of her sins.
"Are you sure? Don't you have a grandchild? Considering your condition and the fact that he has no one else, wouldn't you say he needs help now more than ever?" Gan'an asked.
Sumiko paused. He wasn't wrong. She didn't have much money and wouldn't live long. Hiro had his own responsibilities.
How long could an old man like him look after Ars? What would happen if both of them were gone?
Her resolve not to use the World Tree suddenly felt weak. Surely the World Tree wouldn't mind if she used it one last time—for Ars, its Guardian? Her thoughts began drifting in that direction.
Sumiko then started discussing her requests with Gan'an. Hiro noticed how strange it was for someone like Gan'an to push her to accept help.
He already suspected that a businessman like Gan'an was definitely up to something. It was probably not anything good.
*
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*
At the same time, somewhere in Tokyo, Oko Shinomiya (Kaguya's eldest half-brother) paced restlessly around a hotel room.
Bald, in his early thirties, and dressed in his usual traditional kimono, he stomped across the floor in frustration.
On the sofa behind him sat his younger brother, Seiryuu Shinomiya (Kaguya's second-oldest half-brother), Oko's loyal lapdog.
A few years younger, wearing a hat, pants, and a shirt with a tie, and had the look of a villain—someone who, based on appearance alone, could easily be mistaken for a kidnapper, more often than not. He sipped his drink calmly as Oko marched back and forth.
"What's taking him so long?!" Oko yelled, frustration boiling inside him.
Everything had been going perfectly while their father was bedridden. As the eldest and the rightful heir, Oko expected to take control of the entire Shinomiya estate.
It was only natural—only his to inherit.
He had simply been waiting for that old geezer to die in his sleep.
But now, that same old man was walking around like nothing had ever happened.
No words could fully describe the mix of rage and disbelief Oko felt. So, the baldy kept stomping his feet on the ground.
Seiryuu, however, was used to this. He kept quiet, knowing better than to provoke Oko during one of his episodes.
If Oko's complexes were triggered, things could turn ugly fast—and that wouldn't be good for anyone.
Soon, the hotel room door opened, and a man in a business suit stepped inside. Oko felt a surge of happiness at first, but it quickly vanished when he saw the man's condition.
He was breathing heavily, his arm wrapped in bandages. Squinting, Oko asked, "What happened? Did you get it or not?"
The man snapped at him, glaring fiercely, sending a shiver down Oko's spine. Even Seiryuu froze, his hands stopping mid-motion as a glass slipped from his grip and shattered on the floor.
His body trembled in fear. The man held up his hand and slowly removed the bandages, revealing it. The flesh was badly charred, as if struck by a high-voltage current.
"What happened?" Oko asked, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.
He had never felt such dread from a mere look before. Maybe contacting someone of unknown supernatural origins had been a mistake.
But what could he do? The History Compilation Committee had refused his request, and, frankly, his father would have found out if he had sought their help.
Oko had still tried, initially bribing some of their associates, but not only had they rejected his request, but they had even warned him against taking any action.
"What happened to your hand?" Seiryuu asked, breaking into Oko's thoughts, which were tangled in the gravity of the situation.
The man sighed, rubbing his charred arm. "It got fried by that damned tree. You never told me it was that dangerous! I couldn't even get close to the house!
There was a barrier around it. I didn't even notice it until I was stopped. When I tried breaking through… this happened," he said, showing his burnt arm.
"So, you didn't get any of those miracle saps?" Oko asked, clearly displeased.
The man snapped, shouting, "I wouldn't have even taken the job if I'd known what it was! No wonder the History Compilation Committee was hiding its existence. It's a dangerous being. But I still got the information you wanted," he added, handing over the data he had obtained from his sister at the Committee.
He had never imagined Japan was hiding something like this for so many years. Perhaps even some Campiones weren't aware of it.
And even if they were, they couldn't use it—that was the truly frightening part about the tree.
"You will pay for fixing my hand. I'll send you the account number. Deposit the money before tomorrow," the man said, turning to leave.
"You didn't even complete the job, and now you want money?!" Oko shouted, anger flaring.
The man unleashed another surge of his power, sending a bolt through Oko. "Listen, my dear young (?) master! You think messing with us is child's play?
You people without any magical heritages are nothing without your money—and now you're saying you won't even pay? Are you messing with me?!"
Oko fell to his knees, gasping for air at the sheer threat of the man. The man paused, giving him space to breathe.
"I expect quick payment. After all, you wouldn't want your father to find out what you've been doing behind his back, would you?" he said, turning to leave, leaving Oko's bald head burning red with anger.
"Oh, and a fair warning," the man added over his shoulder.
"I don't want you doing anything foolish before you pay. Don't try to harm the kid. Read those papers carefully before making a stupid move. After all, it took a lot of effort to get this from those stuck-up HCC," he said, and he wasn't even exaggerating.
Unspeakable things had happened whenever someone tried to target the Guardian of the World Tree.
Some might assume the Tree itself was the guardian, acting alone, but the Guardians had their own duties.
And the time to fulfill the work of a Guardian was approaching. The World Tree had been preparing for thousands of years, and it would not let anyone interfere with its plans...
Oko and Seiryuu steadied themselves, but Oko soon unleashed his frustration, destroying objects around the room.
"Damn it! How dare he threaten me! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!..." he yelled, before finally calming down.
But after reading the documents carefully, both Oko and Seiryuu broke out in cold sweats. Oko thought for a moment, then made a decision.
"Call that girl we sent to the youngest (Kaguya) a few years ago to spy on her," he said to Seiryuu.
"You mean Masato's kid?" Seiryuu asked.
"Yeah. That one. She'll do," Oko replied, plotting his next move.
If he couldn't strike Ars directly, then he would...
*
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*
Sumiko and Hiro had arrived at Sumiko's house after completing all the necessary procedures.
"Baa-san! Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?" Ars asked, noticing her condition.
It was clear she didn't look well—her breathing was labored, and her complexion was pale.
"Don't worry, Ars. Baa-san's fine. The doctors said I could come home," Sumiko replied, offering a gentle smile.
"But you don't look fine to me," Ars said, glancing at Hiro for confirmation.
Hiro remained silent, aware of the boy's thoughts but lacking the heart to answer.
"Don't worry about anything, Ars. I'll be fine. Soon, someone will come to take care of both of us. For now, let's just get inside," Sumiko said as they entered the house. Ars followed quietly behind them.
That night, Ars stayed in his grandmother's room, talking with her late into the night. She shared countless stories—many about his mother that he had never known, as well as tales of the World Tree and the Komori clan.
The next morning, someone new had arrived at their house. Ars woke to find a pair of blue eyes looking down at him.
She had a beautiful face framed by blonde hair, styled in a neck-length bob. She wore a long-sleeved blouse with an ornamental collar, and, with the colder months approaching, a coat draped over it.
"Hello~! You must be Arsalan-kun. Can I call you Ars, as your grandma does? Pretty please?~" the woman said, smiling cutely at him.
"W-who are you? What are you doing in my room?" Ars stammered.
"Who, little old me? I'm Hayasaka Nao. Nice to meet you, Ars-kun~. You can just call me Nao. Don't add any 'ba-san' (aunt) or I'll get mad, okay?~" she said, mischievously poking his nose with her finger. Ars froze, stunned by her forwardness.
Before he could react, Nao scooped him up in her arms and carried him out of the room.
"W-what are you doing?! Let me down!" Ars protested, his face burning with embarrassment. He was nine! He wasn't a child to be carried like this… or so he thought.
"Ara~. Are you embarrassed, Ars-kun? But you can't just sleep all day. A healthy young boy needs enough protein and vitamins to grow properly. Otherwise, you won't get tall, you know~. So, let's eat," Nao said cheerfully, carrying him down to the dining room on the first floor.
The table was filled with fresh, healthy food—nothing like the store-bought meals he had eaten with Hiro the other day. Sumiko was already seated at the table.
"Baa-san, why did you leave your room? Are you okay?" Ars asked, hurrying to his grandmother after Nao set him down.
"Don't worry. Hayasaka-san helped me get here. Now, sit down. She prepared all this for you," Sumiko said, gesturing toward Nao, who simply smiled.
Ars looked between them and asked, "Who is she, Baa-san?"
"She'll be coming here once every day from now on to take care of both of us. And starting tomorrow, two nurses will also come to help me with daily activities," Sumiko explained as Ars took his seat.
"Take a bite, Ars-kun. I won't accept anything less than compliments~," Nao said, handing him a plate and joining them at the table.
Ars put a spoonful of curry rice in his mouth, and it instantly melted on his tongue. It was delicious. Nao and Sumiko exchanged smiles, happy to see him eating well.
Ars had been through so much, so Nao had prepared something special for him, even if it was a bit heavy for the morning. Before long, Ars had finished his meal.
His daily life slowly began returning to normal. A week later, the officer who had met Ars in the hospital came again. He had already visited once to check up on him, but this time, it was to inform him about his parents.
Their bodies had been found, and it was clear they weren't in a condition a child should see. But Ars insisted, and he saw their dismembered remains.
After that, a funeral was held. The bodies of the other passengers had also been recovered.
The whole nation was in mourning, and reporters began gathering in front of Ars's house again.
But after Gan'an took action—thanks to Nao informing him—not a single reporter ever appeared there again.
And those who blamed Ars or approached with ill intent couldn't get close to the house because of the barrier.
To normal people, it simply felt like getting lost or forgetting what they were doing, never realizing a barrier existed.
Life continued like this. Sumiko's condition worsened. Two nurses took turns caring for her completely.
Ars learned more about the World Tree and the Komori bloodline as his bond with his grandmother deepened.
Sometimes, he would stare at nothing, or at the massive tree, touching it to feel what he had felt that day.
He was progressing—his senses sharpening.
The world was starting to look different to him.
He was beginning to see things he couldn't see before.
Even the invisible barrier was becoming clearer.
And as it did, he felt a presence around him. Something told him someone was always there, watching him.
One night, in front of the huge World Tree, Ars finally shouted into the cold, silent night.
"Come out! I know you're here! What do you want?!"
He yelled like that for days. Nothing happened.
But on the sixth night, just as he was shouting again, Ars felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Stop making noise, kid. How long will you keep doing that? It's annoying. People will start calling you mad," a woman's cold voice said.
Ars turned around but saw nothing. Still, he could tell—whoever she was, she sounded beautiful. A sweet scent drifted in front of him.
"Who are you? Why can't I see you?" Ars asked.
"Who am I? … I am… Saber."
The mark on Ars's left hand glowed a deep red.
[A/N: How is the chapter? Leave a comment and a review. Add this fic to your collections and donate as many power stones as you can.
This fic really needs all the support it can get. It gives me motivation to see all your support.
Should I gender-bend Bell or not? If I don't, then Freya/Syr will be hounding him, Bell will be hounding Ais (not that it matters), and Hestia will also be after him—and my Bestia matters!
Maybe I should let Ars join Demeter's familia, but I like Hestia more. Demeter is more of a side character who doesn't really matter.
It looks like the timeskip will need one more chapter. I tried to finish it here, but even at 4,000 words, it still isn't complete.
Please leave your thoughts on the fic in the comments and review. After all, it's a lot of work for me to write, at least.
WebNovel shadowbanned all my pictures, and I still don't know why. I uploaded them again on Discord, so check them out.
Ars's main power will be Perfect Replication.
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