The Hero’s Disciple Has Returned

Sera tried everything to save the world. She really thought of every method she could think of and tried every method she could.

One of them was the World Tree.

A being close to a god

She might be able to do something.

That’s what she believed.

But it was a very big misunderstanding and misconception.

She was certainly close to a god, but she was only close, because of that. As a result, she lacked ‘omnipotence’ from ‘omniscience and omnipotence’. Befitting a being close to a god, she had the power of ‘omniscience’, but she lacked the most important ability of ‘omnipotence’. Therefore, in the end, she was merely an omniscient being.

There was a time when she believed that even with just ‘omniscience’ without being ‘omnipotent’, it could be a sufficiently great power. But Sera soon came to realize that this was a big misconception.

Being ‘omniscient’ was ultimately the same as being unable to do anything because of being omniscient.

She can know everything past, present, and future. As a result, for her, the present and future are merely determined. She knows best that what she knows will proceed as is and reach the conclusion accordingly.

If she foresaw the destruction of the world, she just knows it. Nothing more, nothing less. If she foresaw a future where the world would be ruined by the Demon King, that’s where it ends for her. She doesn’t think beyond that about how to deal with the Demon King, how to fight, how to win. Because the moment she foresees it, it all becomes a finished story for her.

In the end, Sera had no choice but to give up on receiving cooperation from the World Tree. It wasn’t an easy decision for Sera. No matter how little help she was, she was the only one who could understand her, the only one capable of understanding. No matter how powerless she was to her, she was the only one in this world who knew her truth and could share conversation and understanding, making her that much more attractive to Sera. But an omniscient being is only omniscient, never deviating from that. She always just stayed in that place and met her end.

Therefore,

Sera couldn’t understand.

“The World Tree’s barrier…”
“My lord, can’t you do something with ‘Anti-Aura’?”

Although she had no intention of returning to her sanctuary until she had grown sufficiently into a woman, Sera immediately rushed over after hearing William’s urgent report, who suddenly appeared through spatial magic. And as William reported, the World Tree’s barrier was trapping Jade.

“This can’t be…”

If the World Tree was the only one who understood Sera, then conversely, it could be said that Sera was also the World Tree’s only one who understood.

Unable to do anything because of being omniscient.
Unable to do anything but despair because of regressing.

The two had a strong sense of kinship, a very similar commonality in that they felt despair and cursed what others would evaluate as advantages or strengths when looking at them.

That’s why it doesn’t make sense.

Because at this moment, the World Tree should be in a period of despairing, saying there’s nothing she can do after foreseeing the future of the Demon King.

For such a World Tree to be doing this in front of Master…

‘I don’t think the World Tree would do this with malice, but…’

Even so, what kind of intention is it to trap someone else’s Master like this?

Sera finally drew her sword and tried to cut that barrier with ‘Anti-Aura’. Because no matter if it’s the World Tree, she shouldn’t be able to withstand the power that blocks and annihilates everything. It was possible because she didn’t have the power of ‘omnipotence’.

-Oh my, oh my. Sera is still so impatient.

At that moment, something like a hazy form appeared like a soul. It was familiar to Sera and Riel, so Riel urgently called out.

“Mo-Mother! What on earth is this about?!!”
-Ah. Riel. I’m sorry. You must have been surprised by my sudden intervention. I felt the need to have a conversation before bestowing the blessing.

Sera, who had been glaring at the World Tree, intervened.

“Give Master back.”
-Oh my. You’re not calling me sister?
“Give Master back while I’m asking nicely.”
-Sigh. How did our sister end up going astray like this? She used to be such a cute child who would say ‘World Tree! Please lend me your power!’ every time we first met.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk as if you were the direct party involved when you’re not. It’s unpleasant.”

That’s right.

The World Tree is omniscient.

Therefore, she knows the things Sera experienced in infinite regressions. But that’s just ‘knowing’.

She didn’t directly experience, directly feel, or directly empathize. She just knows that such things happened. She certainly doesn’t vividly remember all the emotions that were in there. That was the real reason Sera ended up distancing herself from the World Tree. A case where being half-baked becomes more hurtful, that was exactly what the World Tree’s omniscience without omnipotence was to Sera.

-…Yes, I can see how this would feel hurtful to you. But please know that I’m not doing this with any malice. Although I might feel like slightly different beings to you each time, to me, they’re all the same me.
“I’ve had enough of that talk. Give Master back right now.”
-Oh my. Is it okay to treat me like this? What if I decide to bestow an ambiguously mediocre blessing instead of the really good blessing I was going to give?
“Why did you do this in the first place? Isn’t this the time when you should be locked up in despair after foreseeing about the Demon King?”
-Yes, the me of this time always foresaw the same thing, always saw the same ending, and always despaired in the same way. This time too, I foresaw the same thing and saw the same ending.
“Then why are you doing this?”
-Hmm. Because I’m worried about my sister’s taste in men?
“…Shall I burn you down to the roots?”
-Ah, it’s a joke, just a joke. Don’t be like that. It’s all for Jade’s good.
“…Mr.”
-Hm?
“Call him Mr. Jade. Don’t call him by name as if you’re close.”
-…….

♧♧♧

Why is she here?

It was a difficult question for the World Tree to answer.

Because she saw the hero who had fallen into despair regain hope and strive to save the world? Of course, that’s not entirely untrue. After all, the World Tree knew well through ‘omniscience’ how terribly the hero had fallen into the swamp of despair. So when she saw her picking up the sword again, escaping from that swamp of despair, the World Tree couldn’t help but be surprised. After all, even the World Tree couldn’t escape from that swamp of despair.

But the biggest reason was probably…

The birth of a being that surpassed her omniscience.

That was Jade.

A noble choice made by a master hoping for his disciple to survive

That was special in itself, but that noble choice felt so special to the World Tree in that it was a ‘result she couldn’t foresee’. The World Tree knew through omniscience what the hero wanted, but because that omniscience had foreseen that ‘the hero cannot obtain the second aura heart’, she couldn’t give any help.

Yes. According to her omniscience, the hero should not have been able to obtain the second aura heart. And that was proven by Sera’s numerous failures. In those numerous regressions, Sera was never able to obtain the second aura heart even once. Therefore, she shouldn’t have been able to obtain it in the future either. Thus, her omniscience should have been completed without failure this time as well.

Jade had broken that.

She attempted contact with Jade to find out how this was possible

And as a result, the World Tree could understand.

The moment she saw that brilliant light of his soul, she couldn’t help but realize.

That this amazing human man had, albeit temporarily, 『touched the power of ‘omnipotence’.』 Because of that, he was able to deviate from her ‘omniscience’.

While omniscience is just omniscience, omnipotence is omnipotence. No matter how much omniscience was done, it was natural that when omnipotence intervened, gaps would appear and results deviating from omniscience would occur there. After all, omniscience ultimately exists to support omnipotence. It could be said that omniscience being overturned by omnipotence was a natural conclusion.

‘Among human emotions, the emotion of love is truly special. I thought so, but… To think that a master’s affection for his disciple, a master’s desperate desire to help his disciple somehow would cause ‘omnipotence’ to arise. …This must be a very exceptional… Only Jade could do this.’

Being born with a brilliant light of soul, the world would have bestowed all sorts of trials to corrupt that soul. He must have been frustrated countless times, despaired countless times, resented God and cried out countless times. But despite all that, the man did not become corrupted. It would have been easier if he had become corrupted… He didn’t. Even though it would have been comfortable if he had despaired and let go of everything… He didn’t. And finally, he gave his most precious thing for his disciple and earnestly cared for his disciple.

‘At this point, wouldn’t it be more correct to say that ‘omnipotence’ responded to him rather than he touched ‘omnipotence’?’

The saying commonly used by humans, ‘If you pray earnestly, God will respond,’ might not just be a vain hope of humans but actually true. It was a result that made her think so, even though she knew best through omniscience how nonsensical that was. What Jade had achieved was truly tremendous enough to make an all-knowing being believe in something she knew was nonsense. It was to the extent that the expression ‘miracle’ would not be out of place, literally.

The numerous miracles that humans talk about, they were all just products of coincidence when viewed through the World Tree’s omniscience… But for what Jade had achieved, the World Tree could find no expression to use other than miracle.

‘…I shouldn’t let Sera know about this. No, no one should know.’

Her omniscience had already been shattered.

But there is no being who can know that.

Even the Demon King can’t know. Although he is certainly closer to a god than anyone, he doesn’t have omniscience. Then, in this world, the only one who knows that her omniscience has been broken is herself alone. And this will become the poison that will strangle the Demon King’s throat. Because the Demon King will be optimistic seeing her looking as if she’s frightened.

Omniscience also acknowledges his victory and he will soon be able to become a god. The future where the hero’s sword is plunged into the neck of the Demon King who is arrogant like that…

Even without using omniscience, it seemed to be clearly drawn in the World Tree’s mind.

‘Demon King, be arrogant. Come to burn me in your arrogance. I will gladly burn and perish in your flames. Laugh to your heart’s content, believing in your victory by killing me. Although your victory does not exist in that future, laugh like a clown knowing nothing. Because there will be nothing at the end but your blood. Go on, enjoy a moment of happiness to your heart’s content and then fall into hell. I will welcome you with a smile, gladly.’

The World Tree smiled with genuine happiness.
Just as the World Tree is a mother to elves

For her, elves were her children.
If a way to save those children could be created through her death
That was not pain but a blessing for her.