Chapter 7.1

The cicada’s cry resounds throughout the world Part 1

「Will you die Yggdrasil?」

「Yes.」

「The star, will it fall?」

「Yes.」

「You will just accept it?」

「Yes.」

「For all living beings on this star only you will die?」

「Yes.」

「When is it?」

「In seven days.」

「Is there no other way?」

「 . . . I’m sorry.」

「Why?! Why you?! Why should you be sacrificed?!」

「Because I, to be in this place, was born into this world.」

Chapter 7: The cicada’s cry resounds throughout the worldEveryone, can you see it? Its brightness has increased and it glitters.

Among the light of the stars, the ascending figure, can you see it? (Wagner)

Gari Gari with the sound the form slowly took shape. I was already accustomed at using my nails.

I understood very well the characteristic of a tree. Where was it hard and where soft? What should I take note of? I gradually learned this art.

Three days had already pa.s.sed since that day.

Although I was clumsy but I continued sculpting the totem pole very day and I became used to it.

Favorable. Everything was advancing smoothly.

There was one problem, that was the model.

「What’s wrong? Why aren’t you smiling? Harpy, I want to carve your laughing figure.」

Harpy tried to force a smile, but her cheeks were twisted painfully and the lovely smile like an apple wasn’t shown.

There was no other way, I could only recall her smile from my memories. Because I want to make the best totem pole.

「The world tree is very sad.」

Those cold hard words were thrown at my back while I was sculpting.

「Ohh Nyuju? That’s great. I just completely finished the image of harpy today. Next I intend to carve you. Tomorrow, will you come here?」

「I said that the world tree is very sad!」

「Is that so . . . then please tell her that there is no reason to be sad.」

Giritto, the sound as if two stones were rubbed together.

It seemed the sound was coming from the pretty girl’s mouth who was gritting her teeth.

「You should say it yourself! You do this every single day! Why?! . . . why won’t you meet the world tree?!」

「 . . . it’s decision of a weak man. I decided that I won’t meet her until the last day.」

After that day I didn’t meet Yggdrasil.

The summer sun shone down and my throat KaraKara. From the water place I was drinking water.

Yggdrasil was in the direction of the rocky mountain to my back. The huge rocky mountain completely hid my body from the world tree.

Yggdrasil couldn’t see me here and I couldn’t see her from here.

「On the last day, will you meet her?」

「Ah, I promised.」

「 . . . do you think that’s alright?」

「I will keep my promised without fail.」

Nyuju’s eyes looked at me as I answered dignified. Nyuju glared at me and grinded her teeth again and then disappeared in the direction where Yggdrasil was.

If I turned around I would see Harpy who I asked to laugh to be crying instead.

Nyuju the next model, the following day she didn’t come.

Five days had already pa.s.sed since I last saw Yggdrasil.

The red star had become so big that other creatures beside a dragon could see it. The remaining time was only a little.

Before my eyes, Fasolt, Fafner, Geeko, Lamia, Harpy and Nyuju were stacked up on their necks.

「Fumu. It’s nearly finished.」

The smiling faces of everyone was piled up. But recently no one had shown these smiles to me . . .

My friends all had beautiful smiles. Therefore I carved the smiles of everyone I liked.

Though she was no good, but she was my friend. I turned to direction of my nest and said.

「Ahh, I’m thirsty. Should I drink water?」

And after about three minutes I went to the drinking fountain in front of my nest.

The drinking fountain was directly dug up from the ground my Geeko himself and a large amount of water sprung forth and because the water was bubbling like carbonated water the bottom couldn’t be seen.

Fresh natural water could be drunk anytime, it was a wonderful drinking fountain.

The cold underground water that sprung forth would surely quench your thirst.

By the way, the lizardman race couldn’t breathe underwater.

So at most they could hide in the water for five minutes.

While waiting for a while a white head floated up.

「Fumu . . ., you were still here? Lizardman miko.」

「I was thirsty. My lord.」

I sculpted the face of the lizardman miko. While she was sitting on a rock she showed me a cool smile.

When a model cooperated the work was also progressing. GariGari, GariGari, the form was made in a moment.

「 . . . you aren’t smiling properly.」

「My lord just has to tell me to laugh. It would be the greatest pleasure in the world.」

「 . . is that so, I’m the object of your worship.」

I remembered Nyuju’s fanaticism towards Yggdrasil when she woke up.

She would anything if ordered. She would even die with pleasure if ordered.

The one worshiped and the worshipper, what was their relations? Friends, could you call them that?

I continued to silently carve the totem pole.

「My lord. What are you thinking about, this trifling me wouldn’t be able to guess it and I have to right to say this either . . .」

The model who had remained silent suddenly opened her mouth.

「I believe in you. Everything you do is correct.」

「Is that so . . .」

I didn’t understand the meaning of her words. However the blind belief and fanaticism, I could feel it.

「 . . . however, only this time, would you allow this woman some selfishness . . .」

The lizardman miko who didn’t move while smiling, suddenly prostrated herself pressed herself on the ground.

「Please, I beg of you, don’t throw away your life! Please, I beg of you! The reason is that I love you. Please! I beg of you!」

After the lizardman miko had said that she then sat on the stone again while smiling.

Her body was lightly dirtied with soil.

To her wish I could only remain silent.

I only progressed with my work.

The sixth day. The totem was nearly completed.

I only had to decide what I should carve on the top.

Taiki Yggdrasil.

I will carve her figure on the top of the totem pole.

I relaxed and imagined her beautiful figure which towered in the sky.

Yearning, desire and respect, I poured everything into the last sculpture and finally finished it on the sixth night.

. . . however, something was still unsatisfactory even though it was completed.

Suddenly I had a funny idea.

At Yggdrasil’s trunk I carved a small protrusion there.

This should be sufficient.

By adding the figure of a dragon that clung to the taiki like a cicada, the totem pole was completed.

On the morning of the seventh day I woke up before the night faded.

The red star wearing the big circle of the moon shone ominously.

The last day.

First of all I went to the rocky mountain.

The black mountain I was asked to do something about by Fasolt and Fafner. It was the rock that wasn’t even slightly damaged a week ago.

I took aim.

I took a great breath and mixed the air with magic inside of me. The sound that was born from the echo in my stomach rose by several hundred times.

This was my original roar.

「MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!」」

The roar smashed into the rock mountain.

After the cloud of dust disappeared, what reflect in my eyes was the rock mountain that was smashed to pieces.

One week ago, my body was fat but I had completely recovered now.

It was only natural. Because for these seven days I hadn’t eaten anything.

My stomach which violently carved sap, only sometimes had water.

I never lost to the temptation of the sap because I never met her.

「Amazing . . .」

When I turned around to the voice I saw Nyuju looking up at me.

What a relief. Because of the fight last time I wanted to meet her again at the end.

「Nyuju, I have a request.」

I told my wish to my friend.

「Take care of Yggdrasil. Because of me she surely will be sad.」

「That request, don’t tell . . . , dragon . . . ! You!」

「Nyuju. Stay healthy.」

I was going to fly away after my last words but a high pitched voice like that of a wildcat stopped me.

「You . . . weren’t you just born?! Hadn’t only three weeks pa.s.sed since you were born?! Why, why?!」

As for Nyuju’s words, I didn’t understand their meaning.

Because,

「Isn’t living three weeks already more than enough?」

(TLN: He had lived 3 weeks as a cicada so for him 3 weeks are like a whole life already)

My destination at the end had been already decided. I returned here after seven days.

When I touched Yggdrasil’s trunk a torrent of words and feeling flooded me.

「Ahh! Ahh!! It’s true! You really came! Roommate-san!」

Even though we didn’t live together anymore she still called me roommate.

「I came to say goodbye. Yggdrasil」

「Ahh,ahh,! Roommate-san! Thank you! For coming! For meeting me at the end! For saying goodbye! Thank you! Really, thank you!」

Far from blaming for not meeting her, Yggdrasil instead said thanks many times.

「Ahh! You’ve become so much thinner! For the last time, please drink as much as you like! Till you are full! To your heart’s content!」

My empty stomach had been almost drawn towards the sweet smell of the sap but I endured it.

「I don’t need the sap」 Yggdrasil’s euphoria suddenly cooled down and she asked 「Really?」 with a trembling voice.

「The promise, I kept it.」

「Promise . . .?」

「Didn’t I promise? I would show it to you without fail when it is completed.」

I thrust the totem right beside Yggdrasil’s trunk.

「I finished it at the last minute. How is it? Isn’t it good? The totem pole that I made. I had received instructions for making it.」

Yggdrasil was silent for a while. Though she didn’t have eyes I understood that she was staring at it.

「That . . . will you show me the other side? I want to firmly imprint it in my memory.」

I slowly turned the totem pole that I held in my hands.

The totem pole turned round and round, another round, after finished the third round Yggdrasil said 「It’s alright now.」 and I stopped.

「Roommate-san . . ., to tell the truth . . , what on earth should I give as thanks?」

Yggdrasil’s usual calm air turned into a gentle one.

「After knowing you for three weeks. I was really, really happy.」

From Yggdrasil’s words I felt more than words could express.

「I’m really glad that I got to know you.」

「Me too. Yggdrasil」

「Therefore roommate-san」

「Therefore Yggdrasil」

Yggdrasil’s and my voice overlapped.

「「I will definitely protect you」」

Yggdrasil was surprised to hear exactly the same words from my mouth.

My wings began to flap.

「Wait! Roommate-san . . .」

Yggdrasil couldn’t talk if the trunk or roots weren’t touched.

Therefore her voice didn’t reach me who was flying in the sky. The wingless Yggdrasil couldn’t catch me.

I noticed that I hadn’t said goodbye, but it was fine already.

I rapidly flew towards the sky with the help of the dragon’s magic power.

Daybreak was already here but the star shone brightly.

At the center of the great summer triangle.

I flew straight at the red star that shone ominously.