"I can feel it… This is my sister's aura… There's no doubt about it!"
Nahida looked toward the gigantic tree and spoke with excitement, her eyes shining with a mixture of joy and anxiety.
Leon followed her line of sight, directing his gaze toward the immense body of the World Tree.
With his extremely sharp perception, he could clearly sense a Dendro elemental power.
It was weak—very weak.
In terms of quantity, it even surpassed Nahida's, but in quality…
The difference was striking. If he had to describe it, it was like comparing a massive tree that was contaminated and rotting with a young sapling—pure and full of vitality.
"Don't worry."
Leon spoke calmly.
"I'm here. I'll record the coordinates first."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Nahida blinked, confused.
"It's just a habit of mine." Leon smiled faintly. "Having only one access key is… far too dangerous."
He then raised his hands, his fingers curved like claws.
In the next instant, he made a sharp motion through the air.
CRACK!
A crisp sound, like glass shattering, echoed through the space.
Before Nahida's wide, completely shocked eyes, the space around the World Tree was literally torn apart.
Leon clapped his hands, satisfied with the result.
"Perfect. This way, next time I can come here on my own… even without the Gnosis."
As was widely known, the World Tree could only be accessed through the Dendro Archon's Gnosis.
It was the key to that space.
But now, Leon had created a new entrance—his own shortcut.
This way, even if he were to lose the Gnosis one day, he would still be able to precisely locate that space and access it through the spatial rift he had just created.
This was definitely not something simple.
Yet for him, it had been done with almost absurd ease.
Over the years, Leon had become extremely proficient in spatial manipulation.
If he wished, he could even replicate effects similar to those of a certain weapon capable of tearing space on a large scale.
"Alright."
Leon took a step back.
"I'm done here. You can go see your sister."
"Yes!" Nahida nodded firmly and ran toward the tree.
A figure rested beneath the World Tree.
A woman of indescribable beauty.
Her long white hair fell gently around her body.
Her face was as perfect as that of a goddess.
There was no doubt—she was the Archon who came before Nahida.
Even Leon fell silent for a moment as he observed her.
He had always appreciated art and beauty, but at that moment, he felt as if he were standing before a masterpiece created by the gods themselves.
An existence so beautiful it could make anyone forget to breathe.
"Sister!"
Nahida ran toward her.
But in the very next instant, her expression changed drastically.
"I-Is this… this corruption… it's so severe…!"
Her body trembled.
The Archon's skin was covered with thin scales.
It was the same symptom seen in victims of the chronic illness Eleazar in Sumeru.
A clear sign of corruption by the Taboo.
And it wasn't just her—the World Tree itself was also contaminated.
Although her life was not in immediate danger, if this continued, the outcome would be inevitable.
Just as it had happened with Apep in the past, she would lose her sanity and spiral into madness.
She had managed to delay the process by isolating herself there and falling into a deep slumber.
But she was already at her limit—her time was running out.
Slowly, her eyes opened.
They had a four-leaf clover shape, identical to Nahida's.
Seeing the two side by side, it was easy to imagine how similar they were.
"You've finally arrived… Nahida."
"Sister…!"
"Ah…"
She smiled gently.
"You brought an unexpected guest."
Her eyes turned toward Leon.
"Is he your friend?"
"...Yes." Nahida nodded. "A very important friend."
The Archon's voice was soft and gentle.
Like a calm song echoing through the world.
She showed no surprise at Leon's presence.
She simply raised her hand and gently stroked Nahida's head.
The gesture was as beautiful as flowers blooming.
"Hello." Leon stepped forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you. With all due respect… your condition is not good."
"Yes…" She let out a soft laugh. "That's… a kind way of putting it. In truth… I believe there is no cure left. But… it doesn't matter."
"Since you've come all this way."
She looked at her own arm, the scales shimmering uneasily.
Even while smiling, it was clear she was suffering.
The pain she endured was something an ordinary person could never withstand.
The curse she bore was thousands of times more intense than that of any other victim.
The fact that she could still speak was, in itself, a miracle.
"It's not impossible." Leon replied calmly. "I've dealt with curses like this before. If you do as I say… the rest can be handled."
He fell silent for a brief moment.
"Erase yourself from the World Tree."
"..."
For a moment, silence filled the space.
Then the Archon blinked in surprise.
And shortly after, she smiled.
"You are truly intelligent."
Her eyes shone with admiration as she looked at Leon.
"Yes… that's exactly it. I have already erased all the corrupted branches of the World Tree."
She turned her gaze to the colossal tree behind her.
"By doing so… more than 90% of the curses disappeared from reality."
The World Tree was the absolute record of everything that existed.
But when affected by something abnormal, it too became corrupted.
That was the true meaning of the Taboo.
She had used the power of the Gnosis to delete these corruptions directly at the source.
But something still remained.
"You yourself were affected." Leon said seriously.
"Yes…" She sighed. "And that is the biggest problem. I cannot interfere with myself through the World Tree." Her voice carried a sense of helplessness.
"I can alter anything else… but I cannot erase myself. Even if I try… my existence will still be recorded as knowledge." She closed her eyes briefly. "And that includes… the curse."
Leon nodded slowly.
He understood.
Above all, the World Tree was an absolute recording system.
Even if someone erased their own existence, the act of erasing it would still be recorded—and because of that, the world would continue to remember.
She could never be completely forgotten.
"I understand…"
Leon murmured.
The solution was clear—someone from the outside would need to do it.
Someone who could interfere with the World Tree and completely erase her existence—past, present, and future.
The goddess opened her eyes again, her gaze calm and resolute.
"May the world… forget me completely."
---
(End of Chapter)