Just like its name, the divine flame could scorch anything, even the divine.

In the face of such power, the demon’s body ignited instantly. Its chitin skin cracked, its exoskeleton dissolved, and even the inexhaustible vitality it had stolen from the World Tree became fuel for the flame.

KIEEEEE...

The creature shrieked.

What was this flame? How could there be such power?

Consumed by the fire and feeling its life burn away, the creature was struck with absolute terror.

Reinhardt silently observed it. For him, this was also the first time he had activated [All Scorching Inferno: God’s Ember].

As such, even he was witnessing what the fire did for the first time.

Under the divine combustion of the white flame, the grotesque body of the creature was already half gone.

Seeing that it was moments away from complete annihilation, Reinhardt calmly turned around.

His task here was done.

The parasite infesting this domain had been destroyed. And Cecilia could now revive the World Tree without any obstruction.

Just as he was about to exit this place, the creature, who seemed almost dead, spoke again.

"You... name yourself. To be capable of wielding divinity, you cannot possibly be a human."

It shrieked as the white fire consumed it. Yet its compound eyes never left Reinhardt.

"Did you achieve godhood? Or are you the reincarnation of one of the Seven?"

It seemed the creature had realized something. Although it could not fully comprehend the nature of Reinhardt’s power, it could clearly sense the trace of divinity within it. No wonder it had misunderstood him.

Be that as it may, Reinhardt did not correct the misunderstanding.

He slowly turned his head and met the burning creature’s eyes; no, the demon’s. He studied the other party carefully, trying to recall any information he knew about this creature.

The way it distinguished his divine power, the casual manner in which it referenced the Seven Gods... it was clear this thing was no ordinary demon.

Even among high-ranking abyssal entities and rulers, this one possessed knowledge and status far beyond its station.

"Even if you refuse to answer...I will find you."

Even as it burned, the creature managed to put what looked like a grin on its face.

"Do not think this is the end. When my real body awakens... I will find you. I am Beelzebub. Bearer of the seat of the Fourth Heavenly King, granted by the Great One himself."

Fourth Heavenly King? Beelzebub?

"You who destroyed my avatar, know this. Your time... is limited."

As the last of the embers extinguished, the voice also faded away.

The creature that had infested the roots of the World Tree for over a thousand years was gone, erased out of existence by the God’s Ember.

Reinhardt stood in place and looked at where the demon had been moments ago with a thoughtful expression.

The words the demon spoke at the end shocked him a little. Of course, he was not rattled by the revelation as much as by the threat.

Although he had guessed that his opponent wasn’t just any nameless demon, he had not thought it was one of the heavyweights of the Abyss, the Fourth Heavenly King.

It needs to be mentioned that Heavenly Kings above the Seventh Heavenly King’s status have not been seen on the continent of Valdonia for hundreds of years.

Their names had now practically become myth in the present day, and very few records of their existence remained.

Beelzebub... he tried to recall any information about the name, but came up empty.

It appeared that even the previous hero Reinhardt, did not know about the Fourth Heavenly King.

Making a mental note to research the upper-ranking Heavenly Kings, Reinhardt exited the tear.

Although those things still being alive could only be considered catastrophic news for the world, it was good news for Reinhardt. If they were coming for him, that way he would be able to take them out without needing to search for them in every corner of the world.

Outside, the spiritual domain had completely changed.

With the parasite gone and Cecilia’s song spreading all across the space, colors had once again returned.

As for the World Tree, it had grown from a sapling into a titanic existence.

A colossal tree, its trunk reached the heavens and its branches spread across the sky like constellations.

More importantly, this time the tree did not look like a projection, but something real that could be touched and felt.

What’s more, Reinhardt could see that the roots of the new World Tree were nourishing the roots of the dead World Tree and merging with them.

With how things were going, he was sure that before long, it would fully establish itself and become a new World Tree that supported this world.

.

.

Before long, the song was over, and Cecilia slowly came back to her senses. Her body swayed, and just when it seemed like she would collapse, a pair of strong arms held her before she could fall.

"Are you alright?" Reinhardt asked in concern.

Cecilia’s eyes fluttered open, and despite her exhaustion, she managed to put on a brilliant smile.

"I... did it."

Reinhardt nodded. For once, a genuine smile of joy appeared on his face.

"Yes, you did."

Perhaps it was because she was a High Elf, or maybe due to some unknown reasons, Cecilia understood how important the matter of reviving the World Tree was for Reinhardt.

Although she had said she was willing to give it a try, she had been inwardly very anxious. So when this whole endeavor was a success, she could not help but feel a great sense of accomplishment.

"Now you can move forward without worry."

He did not know what it was, but for some reason Reinhardt felt that Cecilia had changed. No, it should be more like she had become mature.

The aura around her felt ancient, as if the elf girl before him was not just an adolescent girl but someone who had lived for hundreds of years.

Quickly discarding the thought, he held the girl and thanked her sincerely.

"Thank you, Cecilia."

The girl’s face instantly flushed red, and heat rushed to her cheeks.

She lowered her head slightly and muttered something in a voice so quiet it was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.

....

In the real world, hardly any time had passed since Reinhardt and Cecilia were pulled into the spiritual domain.

No one knew what the two had encountered in the spiritual world. Yet the moment the World Tree revived in the spiritual space, the effects could be seen in the real world.

One moment, Cecilia had been standing there bathed in the emerald light of the Origin Seed. The next moment, the ground exploded.

BOOOOOOOM!!

A violent earthquake shook the training field; no, the entire city. The earth split apart, and crisscrossing cracks raced across the land.

And then, from the center of the rupture, a gigantic tree burst from the ground.

Its trunk surged upward like a rising mountain, and roots tore through the soil.

The scene, or rather the entire process, occurred so abruptly that even the holy and high-ranking knights stationed nearby had no time to react. They were all caught off guard.

That said, they were knights in the end. Years of training and instinct kicked in, and they hurriedly moved into motion.

"Form a barrier!"

"Protect the civilians!"

Holy knights rushed into position, forming a protective ring around the tree. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Though they were a step too late.

The roots of the World Tree had spread beyond the training grounds and toward the residential and commercial districts of the city, destroying numerous houses and blocks.

The commotion alarmed the entire Snowpoint City. Citizens and even those knights who were off duty rushed toward the training ground.

Before long, a huge crowd had gathered in the grounds, looking at the enormous tree rising to the sky with awe and shock.

The citizens who did not have the knowledge looked at the sheer size of the tree in disbelief, while the knights found it difficult to rein in their excitement.

The World Tree was finally revived.

Their commander’s plan had worked.

All kinds of reactions and emotions bloomed with the appearance of the World Tree. But for the two people standing at the base of the tree, none of that mattered.

Reinhardt looked up at the towering trunk and touched it with his palm.

"It looks like the World Tree still needs time to grow."

Although the tree before them was already enormous, it was still far from the legendary scale he had seen in the spiritual space.

In ancient records, it was said that the World Tree pierced the heavens and nourished the entire world.

Hearing his thoughts, Cecilia nodded gently.

"It is still in its juvenile stage. I will need to sing more songs to it."

She looked up at the young tree with determined eyes.

"But... I’m confident. I can nurture it into a true World Tree."