The Other Side of the Tree

Lowell looked at Frieren was already sitting on the grass with Fern.

"Frieren, it's your turn."

Frieren looked up, her emerald eyes blinking. She was still holding the half-eaten Mercury Pudding jar in her hand, the little silver spoon hovering in mid-air. Then, she smiled and casually patted the grass on the other side of her.

Freya immediately smiled, trotted over, sat down next to her, and gently rested her head on Frieren's shoulder, nuzzling her contentedly.

Hehe~

Fern glanced at Freya, who was standing right next to Frieren, then looked at herself. Her pale purple eyes paused for a moment, and the corners of her lips pursed slightly downwards.

But the next second, that slight curve loosened. She didn't say anything, but simply shifted her body slightly, getting closer to Frieren, and quietly rested her head against her other shoulder.

Lowell watched this scene and smiled.

"You two keep talking," he said, tilting his head towards the massive trunk of the World Tree, "I'm going to check things out on the other side."

Fern raised his eyes.

"The other side?"

"Hmm." Lowell nodded, his gaze fixed on the area shrouded in a thin mist behind the giant tree. "The answer is probably on the other side of this tree."

He paused for a moment, as if talking to himself, or perhaps explaining something.

"That woman— the Vain Witch —said, 'Someone will tell you the answer, Ende.' I guess she wasn't referring to Freya, but to this place itself."

He turned and walked towards the giant tree.

The boots made almost no sound as they stepped on the soft grass. The closer one got, the more imposing the presence of the World Tree became. A faint milky-white halo flowed across the smooth, dark brown surface of its trunk, like a slow pulse. Looking up, the incredibly lush canopy spread out high above, its emerald-like leaves layered upon each other, extending into the soft light at the edge of one's vision.

Lowell went around to the other side of the tree trunk.

The scene here was no different from before. The same boundless grassland, the same hazy mist, the same absolute tranquility. But the air seemed more stagnant, carrying an indescribable weight, as if it had been accumulated over countless years.

He walked forward.

After walking about a hundred meters, the fog gradually thickened. It wasn't a thick fog that obstructed vision, but a soft, almost living, milky-white halo that silently spread from the ground, from the air, and even from the roots of the World Tree that penetrated deep into the earth.

Then he saw it.

The meadow ahead was no longer flat. There stood a huge, almost transparent crystal. The crystal was more than two people tall, with a smooth, mirror-like surface, but inside it seemed to contain flowing, ever-changing light and shadow.

Lowell walked up to the crystal.

He raised his hand, his fingertips stopping just before touching the crystal's surface. It wasn't hesitation, but a feeling—no need to touch, a connection had already been established.

The light and shadow inside the crystal begin to flow, condense, and take shape at an accelerated pace.

They were blurry and ancient images.

What first appeared was a pure, breathtakingly empty space. There was no sky, no earth, only soft light. Then, the silhouette of a woman emerged from the light. Her eyes were closed, her long, pure white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her face was serene and compassionate, and she radiated an aura of creation and love.

Goddess.

She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling upon the birth and annihilation of stars. She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly touching the void.

The light differentiated.

A portion condensed, transforming into countless tiny, warm points of light—the rudiments of the human soul. The other portion settled, becoming deep, dark shadows—the original prototypes of the Demons.

The Goddess gazed upon both of them. Her lips moved slightly, and a silent command rippled across the scene.

The shadows began to change and take shape. They grew appearances similar to humans, but with horns on their heads. They were supposed to be pure, indistinct shadows, but the Goddess gave them the function of "containers".

Scene change.

Demons roamed among the nascent human settlements. They did not hunt, but stood quietly, opening their mouths—not to bite, but to "absorb." Wisps of black, viscous negative emotions, representing "pride," "Gluttony," "envy," "wrath," "sloth," "greed," and "lust," drifted from the humans and were absorbed into the Demons' bodies.

Demons who absorb negative emotions will have a faint glow as they "digest" and "solidify" the darkness, then return to silence. Humans who have lost some of their negative emotions will have peaceful expressions, cease arguments, and become genuine smiles.

At that time, humans and demons maintained a silent balance.

Demons are purifiers, containers of shadow, and guardian angels who prevent the excessive accumulation of humanity's dark side from causing the world's collapse.

The Goddess in the picture watches all this from afar, her eyes showing a faint sense of relief, but deep inside, there is a trace of unspeakable worry.

The image on the crystal began to become unstable, flickering and distorted.

Time flies by. Humanity multiplies, civilization is established, and emotions become increasingly complex, generating more and more negative emotions that are becoming increasingly intense. The "darkness" absorbed by the Demons gradually exceeds the limit to which they can safely "solidify".

The first change has occurred.

After absorbing an excessive amount of "hatred," a Demons's body began to tremble uncontrollably. It lowered its head, looking at its mouth, which it had used to "absorb," and then at a human arguing not far away.

It walked over.

It no longer absorbed; instead, it pounced and tore at them.

The image flickers and shatters violently here, like a jigsaw puzzle being broken up. Countless fragmented scenes flash by rapidly:

More Demons began to Imitation, changing from "absorption and purification" to "preying on flesh." They discovered that directly consuming the flesh and blood of humans carrying strong negative emotions could "process" that darkness more quickly, even though this method was brutal, twisted, and caused them to be gradually devoured by the darkness themselves.

They have forgotten their original mission. They only remember that "prey" can alleviate the pain caused by the accumulation of darkness in their bodies. Their language ability has degenerated from being used for communication and guidance to being used as a tool for deception and trapping. Their handsome appearance has solidified from an "approachable form" that attracts humans to confide in them to a trap of temptation.

The purifier has fallen into predation.

The guardian angel, through the long passage of time and overwhelming darkness, was twisted into a demon in the eyes of others.

The image of the crystal slowly freezes on the final scene.

The Goddess stood on a desolate land. Before her lay humans and Demons locked in a fierce battle, their blood staining the earth. She closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her cheeks and dripping into the soil.

Her lips moved slightly, and this time, a faint, distant sound, as if traversing eternity, reached Lowell's ears:

"I bestowed upon the Demons race the duties of angels, but I never expected them to gradually forget their mission..."

"I hope that humans and demons can coexist, not out of mercy, but because the two are fundamentally one..."

"Demons are the embodiment of humanity's shadow, and humanity is the reflection of Demons' light..."

The sound gradually faded and disappeared.

The Goddess's figure became transparent, eventually transforming into countless points of light that rose into the sky and vanished. She seemed to have exhausted her strength or fallen into a deep slumber.

All that remains is this world, and this race that should have been interdependent, yet has reached a point of no return.

The light and shadow of the crystal faded, and its smooth, calm surface returned to reflect Lowell's silent face.

He stood there, motionless for a long time.

The wind rustled through the drooping branches of the World Tree, bringing a distant, lingering sound. The scenes from those ancient images— the Goddess's compassion at creation, the Demons' initial duties, the gradual distortion and alienation over the long years, and their eventual, inevitable collapse—slowly settled and pieced together in his mind.

He raised his hand and rubbed his face, the movement a little heavy, as if trying to squeeze those overly heavy images out of his mind. Then, he exhaled a long, silent breath, which dissipated in the warm air without even forming a wisp of mist.

"... I see."

He spoke in a low voice, his words particularly clear in the silence.

"The riddles of the Vain Witch... 'Ende's answer'... doesn't refer to a specific person, but rather to this forgotten 'Origin Memory'."

"The Goddess desired coexistence, because the Demons was originally her 'other half' created to balance humanity. It's just that this experiment... or rather, this 'system,' collapsed under the weight of time and excessive burden."

He turned around, his back to the crystal, his gaze fixed on the depths of the mist, as if he could penetrate this space and see the world outside, a world of constant war and mutual hatred between humans and demons.

"It is said that angels are ugly to scare away demons, while demons are beautiful to lure people into the abyss."

He slowly repeated the famous quote, then shook his head, a very faint, unsmiling smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"But what if the abyss is a place of purification, and sweetness is an allure of redemption?"

"Demons prey on humans and hunt souls... It's never been some kind of 'evil nature.' It's just a pathetic, unstoppable distortion of their functions after a system malfunction. The vessel for purifying negative emotions, due to overload and amnesia, has turned itself into a parasite that needs to devour its host to survive."

"Why has Discal always longed to coexist with Human race? Why has Macht always longed to understand human emotions? Why is Solitär so fond of studying humans? Why is Aura interested in humans? Ah... I understand now. It's probably because Demons have lived long enough and are powerful enough will always vaguely hear that primal call deep within their bones. Even though they themselves may not understand what that voice is saying."

The true demons are not among the Demons, but in the darkness of the human heart that has not been confronted. The true angels are not in Aureole, but in the courage to face their own shadows.

"That's probably what the Goddess is hoping for."

After saying this, he stood quietly for a while, just looking at the hazy fog in front of him. Then, as if he had finally put aside the things churning in his mind, he turned around and walked back the way he came.

Then he turned around and walked back the way he came.

From the other side of the meadow, the sound of conversation drifted over softly.

"... So, Master is really completely under Frieren's thumb." Freya said with a laugh.

"No, I didn't." Lowell's voice came from the direction where they were approaching.