Oh Hunter My Hunter

Two men trudged through an alien landscape once Earth, now a twisted echo of what it had been. Plants, animals, and insects that did not belong had taken root, reshaping the world into something foreign and unnatural. Each step felt uncertain, the land itself unpredictable, as if at any moment they might stumble into some monster's jaws or be ensnared by an oversized carnivorous plant. Yet, the world remained eerily still, its creatures skirting their path, repelled by the immense pressure radiating from Tobi and the god he harboured.

Amias was grateful for this respite, though not entirely at ease. He could feel the pull of something unnatural, the tree looming in the distance. It was godly and breathtaking in its sheer divinity. Its bark was porcelain white, its leaves a plethora of colours, shifting and shimmering as though made of stained glass. And then there were the fruits, luscious, plump, almost glowing with an irresistible allure. The longer he looked, the stronger the hunger grew, an aching need clawing at his insides. He wanted, no. Needed one.

"I don't know if I can do this… that fruit looks really good," he muttered, half in a daze.

Tobi turned to him and, without hesitation, grabbed his shoulder, giving him a sharp shake. The world snapped back into focus. Tobi sighed. He felt like a guardian at the moment, watching over Amias, but once they retrieved the fruit, his role would end.

Why had he been unaffected by the tree's influence? It was simple really; he had a god residing inside him. His mind and body had long been strengthened beyond human limits, though the presence burned within him like a raging furnace. If not for his experience, he would have collapsed under the god's crushing weight long ago.

"Damn it! What the hell is this tree? A devil? A tree devil?" Amias cursed, rubbing his temples. Why did it have such a hold on him? He knew why. The fruit of the gods resided there and drew him like a siren's song. But knowing that didn't make resisting any easier.

"So… how exactly are we getting the fruit, Tobi?" Amias asked with an awkward laugh, trying to mask his unease.

"We're going inside the tree," Tobi said casually.

Amias blinked. "Inside? You're joking, right? Absolutely not. No way in hell."

Tobi met his gaze, unfazed. "It's safer. If you can't see the fruit, you won't be lured in by it. Besides, if we try to climb, there's a high chance you'll fall to your death and if you don't die from that and reach high enough, those snake-like branches will probably kill you," he said bluntly.

Amias hesitated, his stomach twisting as another body tumbled from above, vanishing into the abyss below. He had been trying not to look, not to count how many had fallen by this point and what if he ended up one of them?

"Can we help them?" he asked, forcing himself to meet Tobi's gaze.

Tobi exhaled, considering. "If we get the ambrosia quickly enough, maybe you can save a few. But it's not guaranteed we'll get it at all. Besides, I don't actually know how this tree works; I've only seen them in my past life. Never climbed one."

Amias felt his chest tighten. "So this is all just a gamble, then."

"Essentially, yes," Tobi admits.

It was absurd. This whole thing was madness. But he had no choice Tobi wouldn't be stopped, and Amias had nowhere else to go. Together, they pressed on, each step making the call of the tree more unbearable. The glow intensified, each fruit glistening like forbidden treasure. Amias gritted his teeth, willing himself to look away.

Then his feet faltered. His head swam, and he reached for the tree.

A burst of heat snapped him back. Tobi had set his own arm ablaze.

"Wh-What was that for?!" Amias gasped, stumbling back from the flame.

"To keep you focused. Don't look at the tree."

The fire flickered out as quickly as it had come, leaving only the ghost of heat on Amias's skin. He panted, trying to steady himself. His body was screaming for the fruit. Every step forward drained him as if he were suffering from withdrawal. His legs grew weak, his mind sluggish, until he finally collapsed against Tobi, barely able to stand on his own. Without a word, Tobi let him lean on him, dragging him forward with him.

"S-Shouldn't your clothes have burned?" Amias mumbled, desperate for anything to distract himself.

"I had spares before I fought the god."

"Oh…"

They continued in silence. By the time they reached the base of the tree, Amias barely noticed the corpses littering the ground or the putrid stench of decay that clung to the air. He didn't even see the people still climbing, their fingers clawing at the bark in desperation, only to plummet seconds later. He saw only the glow. The golden hue. The promise of something more.

The tree loomed, massive and ethereal, its bark seemingly untouched by time. Every leaf shimmered like sacred glass, casting an otherworldly radiance that beckoned him forth. He could see it, an unmistakable path up, guiding him toward divinity. His legs moved on their own, his hand reaching out.

Then Tobi raised his hand.

The air crackled.

A deep, guttural groan rumbled from within the tree, followed by the sharp scent of smoke. Fire erupted along the bark, a great inferno consuming a section of it in a violent blaze. The flames devoured their way inward, carving an opening just large enough for the two of them.

Tobi turned to Amias. "Hold your breath."

Then he dragged him forward, straight into the smoke. The world blurred, and before Amias could even comprehend what was happening, darkness swallowed him whole.