Angel Monarch-Chapter 537: Rising up the Ranks

Bea’s glowing green sword connected with Yggdrasil’s light blue one. Sparks flew into the air as the wooden blades crossed paths.

The World Tree’s bright green eyes went wide as her weapon broke with a loud crack. She jumped backward, evading Bea’s followup attack and summoned another, much sturdier sword.

However, the magnificent woman continued her offense, without care for Yggdrasil.

She thrust her blade forward, and then just when the World Tree tried parrying it, the tip changed directions. Instead of aiming between Yggdrasil’s eyes, it stabbed cleanly through her sword-wielding forearm.

Blood trickled along the glowing green blade’s edge as Yggdrasil shrieked in agony. With her off-hand, she grabbed Bea’s blade, and after a powerful squeeze, the sword exploded into splinters.

Yggdrasil went on with her offence. Her eyebrows became twisted, full of hatred, as she slashed towards Bea’s neck.

In Bea’s off-hand a new sword appeared, and with great finesse, she raised her weapon. It connected with Yggdrasil’s sword, stopping the blade mere millimeters away from her neck.

Her knees bent as she ducked under the sword while guiding it higher. With all her power, Bea raised her right leg and kicked out Yggdrasil’s own.

The World Tree fell to the ground, but didn’t stay there. She rolled backward and jumped to her feet with surprising flexibility.

Bea didn’t attack immediately. Something else stole her attention for a moment, and soon she grinned at Yggdrasil. With small, calculated steps, she circled around the green creature wearing a light blue dress, a polar opposite of Bea’s blood-red one.

"So, Yggdrasil. You seem quite sane to me... Are you really under Madness’s control?"

Yggdrasil tilted her head, watching Bea’s every movement, preparing for the inevitable attack. However, once she stopped circling, the World Tree answered her previous question.

"Yes, and no. It’s complicated," she said, her voice even and serious. "The Seed of Madness bloomed in my mind, but as a powerful World Tree, I can ignore the bloodthrist and think clearly... Now answer me. How did you cut off my soul from that forest?"

She pointed towards the still-standing great trees a few hundred meters away. But, Bea soon disappointed her, as she shrugged and said, "No clue!"

"What do you mean?!" asked Yggdrasil, annoyance tinging her voice rotten.

Bea rolled her eyes and used the moment to glance behind herself. She then sighed and stared into Yggdrasil’s bright green eyes.

"I unlocked my third Heritage, which sent forward that wave of energy. However, I haven’t gotten a chance to test out my new power, so your guess is as good as mine!"

A thoughtful expression appeared on Yggdrasil’s face. She looked at Bea with narrowed eyes, causing a shiver to run down the magnificent woman’s spine.

An odd feeling appeared in Bea’s chest. As if all the physical barriers disappeared between herself and Yggdrasil. She felt utterly naked under her gaze, and that’s when she realized. The World Tree wasn’t staring at her cleavage... she was staring at her soul!

"That’s rude!" said Bea, while crossing her arms before her chest.

Yggdrasil sighed and shook her head. Whatever she found, it didn’t satisfy her curiosity.

"You’re weird," she said after a few seconds. "Your soul isn’t like mine. Even though we’re both World Trees, you’re different... Tell me. Where did you place your Seed?"

Bea didn’t want to answer, yet the burning sadness in her heart betrayed her thoughts. She unconsciously glanced at Sera’s corpse. It lasted for a mere moment, yet Yggdrasil noticed.

"What?!" she shouted, her voice a mix of shock and outrage. "You placed your Seed into a soul? Are you insane?! You know how powerful a World Tree’s Seed is?!"

With a raised eyebrow, Bea stared into Yggdrasil’s widened eyes. She was unaware of the reason behind the World Tree’s shock. While the World Tree’s Seed was certainly powerful, it didn’t warrant such powerful outrage.

"Yeah, it can supply Realms with energy, and helps create life."

"Wrong... So very wrong..." said Yggdrasil in a low, annoyed voice. A dry, humorless chuckle echoed through her lips as she stared into Bea’s greenish-gold eyes.

"We World Trees are connected to Life Herself. We don’t just create life in barren Realms!... At the dawn of time, before any species existed, Life created billions of World Trees, each an Empyrean carrying a single Seed...

"They sowed their Seed into the empty void, where most of our current Realms came into existence! All the Realms, every single one, was made from a World Tree’s Seed!... And you sowed yours into an Angel’s soul!"

On Bea’s face, understanding dawned. She finally realized why Yggdrasil seemed such deep hatred towards her.

"You think it’s wrong that I sowed my Seed into a person’s soul instead of using it to create another Realm? Let me guess, you believe every World Tree has an obligation to follow Life’s original will?"

Yggdrasil clenched her teeth and growled in annoyance. She didn’t answer with words, but her actions spoke volumes about her feelings.

"You’re a dumbass!" said Bea while chuckling. "You truly believe Life cares? None of the Conceptual Beings care! I’ve multiple friends who spoke with Death and Fate. They don’t think and act within the realm of our thinking...

"Those Beings have moralities and desires way past our recognition. They hold more power than we could ever imagine! We’re basically ants in their eyes! Why would a God care about the actions of a mere ant?"

The expression that appeared across Yggdrasil’s face couldn’t be described with words. It held an impossible amount of hatred and malice. Her entire body trembled and was about to explode when a shiver ran down the World Tree’s spine.

Bea laughed again and glanced behind her back, at Jörmungandr’s destroyed head...

"You really should’ve paid more attention, Yggdrasil," said Bea while turning back towards the World Tree’s confusion. A wide grin spread across the magnificent woman’s lips as she spoke in a low, dangerous voice.

"A piece of advice before your inevitable demise... When a well-trained duelist begins a conversation mid-fight, don’t engage since they’re definitely preparing something nasty... You should’ve killed everyone. Even the unconscious people!"

The World Tree’s eyes went wide as she glanced towards Jörmungandr’s corpse. There, David lay on the ground with one hand touching the gigantic, broken head.

He gasped in pain as his purple serpentine eyes jumped around. His dark skin looked even scalier than usual as his powerful muscles flexed.

Suddenly, a white glow appeared across his entire body as a loud scream of agony echoed from his lips. A moment later, the white glow disappeared, and David stood up on shaky legs. Loud cracks resounded from his bones as he stretched his new, powerful body.

The newly created Stellar turned towards Yggdrasil and Bea. His purple eyes moved between the two World Trees, then landed on Sera’s corpse.

"No..." he whispered, sadness seeping into his voice.

"No! I won’t allow it!" he shouted in agony and reached out her hand, his palm facing the dark skies above.

A small dark serpent crawled out of his hand and grew to about one meter in length before disconnecting from David’s body. The serpent then twisted in midair until it found its own tail. Two small fangs glinted in the bright moonlight as the snake bit deep into its own flesh.

A wave of energy moved across reality, but nothing changed for a second... At least not physically...

However, as the energy reached Sera’s body, a hopeful glint appeared in Bea’s eye. She felt a distant feeling, a connection that she’d lost...

A small smile grew on Bea’s lips as she summoned a wooden sword and covered its blade in green energy. Yggdrasil did the same, but her energy remained light blue.

Both World Trees attacked each other, but just when the blades would’ve connected, a silvery layer appeared all over Bea’s sword. When the weapons connected, the sparks around the silvery sword turned into overpowering golden flames.

The light blue energy barely held out under the multiple elements. However, Bea didn’t stop. She kept applying more pressure, so Yggdrasil couldn’t escape the bind.

An entire second passed without either woman making progress. Luckily, with Sera’s slow resurrection, another person reawakened...

The night’s shadows grew deeper and concentrated around Bea’s sword. Its edge became much sharper, and a moment later, an indent formed on Yggdrasil’s weapon.

Bea grinned at the World Tree madly. She leaned in closer, applying even more pressure, until Yggdrasil fell to her knees.

A miserable, terrified expression appeared on her face. Within her bright green eyes, all the anger disappeared, leaving behind a single emotion... Despair...

The magnificent woman chuckled at the irony and felt a gentle hand touch her own. She glanced to the side and saw a pale woman with a perfect face other than a single scar appear by her side.

No words needed to be exchanged as they traded relieved, joyous smiles. Their expressions then turned serious as they turned back towards their foe, and Sera began pushing on the sword’s handle too.

Cracks formed on Yggdrasil’s blade as her despair grew heavier. They continued widening until a sound similar to glass breaking echoed through the surroundings.

"I’m sorry, Mother..." said Yggdrasil as Bea’s sword bisected the World Tree from forehead to crotch. It also created a kilometer-long indentation within the surface of Earth and sent a burning wave of explosion forward.

Yggdrasil burned bright, as all life left her body. Her last words echoed in Bea’s mind as they watched the World Tree scream in agony.

Long ago, Scarred Sera nearly killed Bea using those golden flames. Now she used the same flames to kill another World Tree.

Nearly an entire minute passed when Yggdrasil finally ran out of Essence and stopped moving. Bea felt the life leave the burned corpse and motioned for Sera to extinguish the flames.

Tendrils of smoke rose from the unrecognizable pieces of Yggdrasil’s body. Bea kneeled beside it, and with a slight tremble, touched the remains...

’Do you wish to evolve?’