How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 305

338. Where to Point the Sword (1)

Ernil Alfrens stared downwards, her expression tense.

The World Tree was already resonating with her.

All the information within it flowed into her, complete and unfiltered.

“They’re not easy to deal with, after all.”

Aileen too… and the others as well.

Not a single one of them lagged behind; they were persistently chasing after her.

Even so, she deliberately waited here.

Ernil Alfrens slowly turned her head to gaze at a specific spot.

She could sense it instinctively.

“…You’ve come? You’re fast, as expected. Just as I hoped.”

“Ernil…”

“You were the fastest, as expected, Sylvester.”

Sylvester was there.

She knew the moment he appeared.

And he was now…

“Holding a sword…”

Ernil glanced at the sword in Sylvester’s hand and gave a self-deprecating smile.

“The fact that you’re holding a drawn sword even when facing me, Sylvester… I can assume you already know, right?”

“…Yes.”

339. Where to Point the Sword (2)

Sylvester seemed to hesitate for a moment, his lips twitching. But soon, he took a breath and finally spoke, as if he had sorted things out in his mind.

“I realized that your goal is to keep growing the World Tree and cover this entire area… no, the entire continent.”

“I see… so that’s what you thought.”

She smiled bitterly.

In the meantime, another human arrived.

Cruise Elfament.

“You’re not denying it, Ernil Alfrens?”

Cruise decided to set aside the complicated issues and focus on what was in front of him, pointing the staff he was holding.

“Now is the time to question your intentions, Ernil Alfrens. Answer me.”

“You want me to answer that it’s true?”

At that moment, Ernil’s atmosphere turned even colder.

Not just the atmosphere.

The roots of the World Tree sprouted at her feet, writhing.

Ernil was now in a position to resonate with and control this World Tree.

And that meant acknowledging Sylvester’s guess.

“Why are you doing this…”

“Whatever the reason… it doesn’t seem like you came all the way up here to hear excuses, Sylvester?”

Ernil coldly muttered, pointing to her chest.

“There’s no point in hiding it, so I’ll tell you directly. If you tear out my heart, the World Tree’s control will be released. After that, you can wither it, move it, or do whatever you want with it.”

“Ernil! I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Don’t make excuses.”

She coldly pointed out.

“From the moment you came up here… from the moment you held that sword, you must have considered that possibility, right?”

As if she knew it all along, Ernil pointed out, as if she knew it all too well.

“You’re already prepared to kill me.”

“Don’t misunderstand! It’s just…”

“…Just the worst-case scenario?”

Sylvester couldn’t say any more.

Just as Ernil said, he had calculated it in the back of his mind.

The scenario she mentioned…

“Don’t get me wrong, Sylvester. I’m not blaming you for it. Rather, your thinking is natural.”

Ernil bitterly admitted.

“I’m already an evil that disturbs your peace.”

Then it can’t be helped but to eliminate me.

“I can’t understand, Ernil Alfrens…”

Cruise, realizing that Sylvester couldn’t respond properly, stepped in instead.

She couldn’t possibly be unaware of the strangeness.

“It sounds like you’re saying it’s natural to kill yourself.”

“Maybe? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’ll die willingly.”

“…That’s not what Kmelz Alfrens would have wanted.”

“…”

Her lips hardened at the mention of his name.

“If it’s because of that…”

“No. Don’t get me wrong. As for his matter, I have no intention of blaming you or Aileen for it.”

Ernil denied that it was the only reason.

It wasn’t a lie.

She truly didn’t care.

Her current actions were for a completely different reason.

“It’s all because I needed to, I decided to, and I’m doing it. Something I must do.”

“…You have no excuses to make?”

“How many times are you going to make me say it? I have no more excuses to make.”

Ernil took a few steps back, turning her back to the scenery outside, and shouted.

“If you want to stop this World Tree that’s still growing, you have no choice but to eliminate me. Remember that clearly and be prepared!”

“…If you say so.”

The hesitation disappeared from Cruise’s eyes.

“If you can’t bring yourself to do it, please step back.”

Cruise advised Sylvester to step back.

If he wasn’t truly determined, his presence would be a hindrance.

“…No, I’ll do it.”

Sylvester shook his head and stepped forward, pointing his sword.

“Now I have no choice but to do it.”

“…If.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t hesitate.”

A cold light flickered in his aura as he said that.

It is said that the aura emitted by masters who have reached a high level of skill contains their inner thoughts.

Aura is not simply a weapon for cutting.

It is also a face that represents the user’s feelings.

There was no doubt.

From now on, he intended to treat that girl as an evil person.

“If you say so.”

Cruise didn’t say anything more and allowed Sylvester to step forward.

“But I can’t allow you to act alone. The situation is already…”

“I know. I have no right to. …I’m asking for your help.”

Cruise nodded lightly, preparing to use magic at any moment.

Ernil also anticipated that the two would attack and prepared to face them at any time.

She was still standing still, watching, but that was enough.

Here, she was always prepared and could do anything.

Rather, she had been waiting for them.

“Come… Sylvester!”

As she gestured, tree roots shot up from all directions, surrounding and protecting her as if responding to her will.

“Let me tell you, I have no intention of dying willingly. …If you want to stop me, you’ll need to come at me with the determination to kill me, giving it your all.”

“…I know!”

Sylvester gritted his teeth as if screaming and charged straight ahead.

Cruise didn’t say anything else and immediately unleashed a barrage of countless projectiles with her magic to provide cover.

She didn’t expect them to be perfectly in sync, and she didn’t know his tendencies well, so she intended to support him by unleashing the most powerful attacks possible.

“Don’t expect me to match every signal. Deal with it on your own.”

“I don’t care.”

Sylvester replied curtly and focused only on the tree roots extending directly in front of him.

He had already grasped the troublesome characteristics of the World Tree.

It would be dangerous to drag out the battle.

‘Should I cut as little as possible and jump in?’

As he braced himself, the tree roots shot out sharply, aiming for him.

Thicker than his torso, the sharpness of the tree roots could tear through ordinary steel.

Sylvester met them by holding his sword forward.

“…You’re trying not to cut them if possible.”

Ernil noticed and muttered calmly.

When the tree roots and the sword collided, unbelievably, blue and red sparks flew.

However, the roots were not cut.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t cut them.

Sylvester deliberately used the aura of his sword to deflect them smoothly.

After deflecting them, he charged forward, avoiding the pursuing roots using his aura without cutting them.

“…And.”

For attacks that he couldn’t deflect.

“I’m counting on you, Cruise Elfament.”

“…I’ll try my best.”

Cruise unleashed her magic, plunging a scorching white flame ball into that spot.

“You only have one chance. It won’t work next time.”

“I know.”

Faced with the rising heatwave, Sylvester deliberately jumped into it.

It was a close call.

“Kuh…”

He felt like he would evaporate from the scorching heat at any moment, but he barely endured with the aura he had wrapped around himself.

Huh!

Then he unleashed the Lightning Flash Sword.

Releasing the pressure of his suddenly surging power and lightning energy, Sylvester shook off everything and landed in front of Ernil like a falling thunderbolt.

“…So, you’ve come.”

“…”

Sylvester silently swung his sword.

Ernil also swung her arm to meet it.

The bark of the World Tree, which was wrapped around her arm, blocked his aura.

Clang!

“…Such a troublesome tree.”

“Ah, yes. It was once our pride.”

She shouted as if it were something to be proud of.

“This is our home!”

The way she swung it was similar to a sword. What’s more…

“…Ugh?!”

Instinctively sensing danger, he took half a step back, and a flash of light that barely grazed past left a faint line below Sylvester’s neck.

It was quite sharp.

“…Swordsmanship?”

“Something I learned from someone in the past. Well, it’s a story that has nothing to do with you.”

Somehow, the swordsmanship itself looked familiar, but he couldn’t afford to think about such things leisurely now.

It was quite a close call.

Sylvester abandoned all hesitation and wrapped his sword in lightning energy, unleashing it even more fiercely.

Kwarururururung!

As if a storm was raging, flashes of light and sharp gusts of wind swept through the entire area ahead.

“…You’re serious.”

Ernil calmly blocked it, planting the sword of the World Tree’s root she was holding into the ground.

Then, dozens of giant trees shot up, blocking Sylvester’s storm of lightning strikes.

Of course, the giant trees were also shattered and broken by the power of the sword energy.

“…”

Sylvester gritted his teeth silently and jumped up.

The shattered fragments of the trees paused in mid-air for a moment, then chased after Sylvester as if pouring down on him.

Sylvester dodged the fragments, striking those he couldn’t avoid with his sword.

Kiiing!

He only struck one thin fragment, but he felt a weight as if he had struck a huge lump of iron.

‘Is this the power of Ernil now…’

He trembled and relentlessly searched for a way to break through.

“This… an opening.”

But if he retreated here, there would be no next chance.

“Cruise Elfament!”

However, Cruise was also in a fierce battle against the roots of the World Tree.

She wouldn’t have the余裕 [room to spare] to easily help him.

That’s why Sylvester asked for another method.

“Sweep everything away with your magic! Leave nothing behind!”

“…Are you out of your mind?”

She understood his intention and was horrified.

He meant that since he couldn’t break through by aiming one by one, he should eliminate everything at once with a powerful attack.

Of course, Sylvester would also be caught in the attack.

“I don’t care! I can’t even reach her like this!”

“…I take back what I said about you being a cool-headed type. You’re more reckless than Aileen. You’re completely insane.”

However, she didn’t want to admit it, but she didn’t have any other brilliant ideas either.

The more she spammed her magic, the more it would be blocked by the World Tree’s root’s resistance.

She had to end it as quickly as possible.

“Don’t regret it.”

As requested, Cruise drew out a large amount of magical power and poured it all into a formula for attack.

“…Now, deal with it on your own.”

Immediately, extreme light was poured down.

The power was enough to shatter and evaporate the tree roots at once.

However, the backlash demanded a considerable price from Cruise as well.

‘I can’t hold out any longer with this…’

She used her remaining strength to retreat, focusing only on evasion.

Meanwhile, in the midst of being swept away and evaporated by the magic that Cruise had unleashed.

Ernil barely managed to escape from the tree bark that had been formed into the shape of a flower bud.

“…Such a reckless thing to do.”

She had enough power to defend herself from the moment the magic came.

Of course, she would be chilled to the bone if the same attack was spammed, but that would be impossible.

“…Then.”

As she turned her head, Sylvester, who was battered and bruised, was striking down with his sword from a point that was out of her sight.

He must have been planning this from the start.

He approached again, taking advantage of the gap where her vision was obscured due to her focusing on defense.

“It’s a futile attempt. More than anything, how long can you last like that?”

“I don’t care. There’s no going back.”

Either way, if he couldn’t settle things, there would be no next time.

Sylvester ignored even the pain that was gnawing at his entire body and swung his sword.

Sasa sasa sasa [onomatopoeia for slicing sounds]!

Ernil barely parried the sword energy that was extending with trajectories and speeds that were difficult to follow with the eye.

Tree roots stretched out from the ground like tentacles to bind him, but Sylvester didn’t care and advanced forward.

Beyond barely grazing him, several roots lightly pierced his arms and legs, but he ignored them.

‘Just a little more!’

And finally, the end was in sight.

Clang!

A rough sound rang out, and the wooden sword that Ernil was holding spun in the air and flew off to an unexpected place.

Even if she had learned swordsmanship, her basic inner strength couldn’t match Sylvester.

A gap appeared for a moment.

“…Like this.”

Sylvester took a firm step forward and extended his sword, putting his weight on it.

The only gap was in front of him, where Ernil’s heart was.

And if he extended this sword, it would reach.

‘There’s no other way…’

A gap created desperately, though it was unfortunate.

Even if he wanted to aim for another spot, it would be meaningless.

That was the only place.

That’s why he didn’t hesitate.

He squeezed out his strength in one go, and tried to extend his sword, squeezing out his voice.

Ernil said nothing.

“…”

She just stared at his eyes silently.

It would be too late even if she wanted to say something.

His sword would pierce her even faster than that.

“…Huh?”

“…This?”

To state the result first, Sylvester’s sword did not pierce Ernil.

No, it didn’t even reach her.

It was blocked.

Not by a part of the World Tree, nor by a defensive technique she had deployed.

By the hand of a human.

The person who suddenly descended and intervened recklessly grabbed it.

“…What’s late? You bunch of idiots. It’s quite a sight to see you just standing there watching.”

“Aileen…?”

He muttered blankly.

The one who intervened by grabbing the sword was none other than Aileen.

“Alright~ this is as far as you go, you stupid fools.”