Chapter 268: [Freedom Dove] - Nerio’s part (20)
Susan’s voice rang out firmly, like a nail driven deep into the ground, shattering the hazy sheet of ice that cloaked their vision.
Cracks began to appear in the air, carrying the splintering sound of breaking glass, and from those fractures burst forth a blinding light.
Clang!
The porcelain vase finally fell to the floor, echoing loudly as shards scattered everywhere.
[Holy crap, that scared me! I thought this cheap show finally had sound effects, but it turns out it was Nerio.]
[So he finally decided to do something, huh?]
[Yeah, he decided to go to sleep.]
[I think Nerio still pays attention to what Thomas and the others said. This time, he definitely won’t do anything, even with Leonard here...]
[Has the day I’ve been waiting for finally arrived—Nerio siding with the monster! I’ve always wanted to see that!]
[He’s done that before too, though it was just a prelude to make the finale more interesting...]
[If he really sides with the monster, doesn’t anyone care about its morality?]
[Nope, gods can be good or evil. Even if he’s an evil god, I still like him, hahaha.]
[...]
The illusion shattered, and instantly, the proper form of the hollow tree revealed itself before everyone.
Faces protruded from the trunk—eerily, all the faces were identical, each twisted in pained screams, contorted so much it was hard to recognize their original features.
From the hollow, countless vines writhed and crawled outward. They bloomed with small violet flowers resembling lilacs, filling the air with a heady fragrance. Their beautiful purple covered a portion of the sky, but now the flowers were stained with fresh blood, a result of their attacks on humans.
"Bella, everyone, cover me! We must read the name carved on the tree!"
Luis shouted, then hurled himself forward without hesitation, as if rushing headlong toward death.
Bella’s candy warriors hadn’t even taken proper form yet; they formed a protective shield in front of Luis, blocking attacks from floor to floor.
The vines were overwhelmingly dense, almost blotting out half the sky. Even when cut, they grew back rapidly.
Even Bella was starting to struggle under the pressure.
Just then, tentacles suddenly appeared. They were long and sinuous, beginning to coil tightly around the vines, while the faces on the hollow tree seemed to emit piercing, ear-splitting sounds, their expressions twisted somewhere between fury and rage.
A relentless struggle ensued on both sides.
It wasn’t just Leonard’s mouth—his hands, legs, and entire body seemed to sprout tentacles as well.
Suddenly, he furrowed his brows slightly as a tug on the vines jerked him violently, causing his body to wobble.
The assimilation was weakening, and Leonard noticed it.
He stared intently at the writhing vines before him, saliva involuntarily spilling from the corner of his mouth, now torn through to his ear.
His body lunged forward, yet he did not relax his grip on the tentacles—in fact, he squeezed even tighter. The vines lashed and twisted in resistance, but it was useless.
The vines didn’t seem to possess much intelligence; they couldn’t perceive Leonard’s intent and continued to thrash in a desperate attempt to escape.
Splinter! Splinter!
Some of Leonard’s tentacles began to crack and snap.
Pain shot straight to his core, but Leonard no longer cared. He opened his mouth wide; the tentacles around it vanished in an instant, and his beak-like mouth returned to normal. At the same time, the restraints holding the vines disappeared.
They rejoiced wildly, surging forward in a frenzy, almost entirely engulfing the one who had dared to imprison them.
Before long, Leonard’s body was buried entirely, not a shred of skin visible.
Bella couldn’t help but scream, "Leonard!"
Even knowing Leonard’s power, this was a bit too much!
Grawwww!
Suddenly, countless screams erupted simultaneously, and the faces on the tree twisted in agony.
The flowers on the vines began to fall in a flurry, carried by the wind into the sky or dropping to the ground—beautiful beyond description under the sunset.
Many, many more vines suddenly appeared, spreading even wider, forcing Luis—still stubbornly pushing forward—to stumble backward.
The vibrant ribbons of color continued to envelop him, carrying a sweet, candy-like scent, yet it could not overpower the sudden, rank stench emanating from the hollow tree.
Countless vines twisted around one another, almost forming a cocoon. The writhing vines tore at each other violently, but it was already too late—the root had been lifted straight up!
Unlike normal tree roots, the uprooted base revealed a pair of gray, slick human legs, looking soft and limp as if the skin contained nothing but watery flesh with no bones inside. Beneath them lay a pool of black liquid, emitting a rank stench reminiscent of rotten eggs mixed with sewers, compounded by the putrid smell of long-decayed corpses.
The writhing vines finally parted, revealing Leonard’s proper form.
His arms had transformed entirely into vines, and from his neck to his cheeks sprouted small violet flowers, resembling those on the other vines. His eyes were blood-red, as if about to gush blood, and the countless wounds across his body began healing at a dizzying speed.
Those facing him looked cautious.
Only Susan stepped forward, smiling. "Leonard, are you okay? That was quite the performance."
The corner of Leonard’s mouth twitched, revealing sharp fangs that were far from friendly. Suddenly, he closed his eyes tightly and hurled the withered hollow tree toward Luis.
The hollow tree rolled toward Luis. By now, not only was the trunk withered, but the vines had also wilted, stripped of their flowers. The legs at the root cracked from the impact, releasing a gray-black viscous fluid that intensified the foul stench in the air.
Bella covered her nose and quickly stepped back—at least Luis was no longer in immediate danger.
Luis, however, seemed unfazed by the pungent stench surrounding him. He only frowned slightly and approached to inspect the letters carved into the hollow tree.
One name read Scarlet, the other was... Alex.
So, they really did have names.
"Hey Leonard, what the hell are you doing?!"
Damian suddenly shouted, snapping Luis back to focus. Looking up, Damian saw Leonard’s vine-arms curl into a sharp point aimed directly at his own carotid artery.
He seemed oblivious to his comrades’ concern, muttering, "Those who betray love do not deserve to live..."
[Someone, please listen to these words!]
Degenerate may need to hear this. Ever since that day, I still pity Asta.]
[Yes, Asta is pitiful...]
Because of his personality and abilities, Asta’s fanbase was not even inferior to Drake’s. Even now, many still remember him fondly.
[We should focus on the present. If Leonard dies, I’m done watching this damn show!]