28 There’ No Way an Eldritch can be this Cute, right?

[ Great Jura Forest, Dwelling of Treants ]

In one of the many Treant-house—Treant modified into treehouses—several individuals gathered around a bed, with the person lying on it being their Lord and Saviour Je-*Cough!* Aria Echidna Tempest.

Indeed, it was Aria, who had suddenly passed out for unknown reasons. Even now, Ramiris who was in the room couldn't find the cause, the only hypothesis she could come up with being something spiritual or mental related—something that frustrated her even more, as those were the domains she was strong in.

The Elemental Queen shifted her gaze to Aria's subordinates. Their current state was not the best, the High Elf, Ramiris didn't know what she was thinking, but her dull eyes were sending shivers down her spine.

And she wasn't sure if she was hearing things, but she swore that at one point, Elaine muttered something about a last resort, which she called a blasphemous act, in which she would kill Aria and then herself, and meet each other in their next lives.

That was a whole can of worms that she didn't want to touch, but she did make sure to keep an eye on the High Elf just in case…

As for the wolf named after the Beast of Ragnarök…

"Mother…" Fenrir who had made himself as small as a kitten whimpered and licked her face, air of despair and depression around him was palpable.

Just a few hours ago, his Mother had told him to enjoy life, and now here she is, unconscious, her state unknown. How could he enjoy life if the person who makes him happy and lives for is not there with him…

'What if she never wakes up? Impossible!' Fenrir immediately rid himself of such thoughts, his mother was the strongest!

Throughout Heaven and Earth, She alone was the Honoured One!

'Huh?' The black-white wolf was confused at why he thought such a thing, but he didn't have time to think about why, as the moment he had finished that thought, a bright light emanated from her back, catching everyone's attention.

The three Dryas sisters, Ramiris, Fenrir, and Elaine stared in bated breath and curiosity, noticing a tattoo beginning to spread all over her body….

Arms, legs, neck, back, even her face wasn't an exception, however as quickly as they appeared, they rapidly disappeared, or rather receded, back to her back where it first came from.

Following the phenomena, one of Aria's fingers twitched, it was a faint movement, barely noticeable, but it was something that Fenrir and Elaine immediately noticed, making them lean in closer.

Suddenly, Aria's eyelids fluttered, and her eyes slowly opened, but strangely, Ramiris and the Dryas' who expected Elaine and Fenrir to immediately jump the Echidna, stared at her in confusion and doubt.

The Elementals soon understood why though, as when Aria sat up, the gaze that swept over them was familiar, yet strange, as if their was someone else other than the Echidna scrutinising.

"So, aren't you guys going to jump in joy?" The joking tone of Aria quickly cut through the previous tension, and her loyal companions barrelled into her,

""Mother / My Lady!""

"Mhmm." The Mother of All Monsters hummed, patting them as she turned to Ramiris and the Dryas', "How long was I out for?" She asked, as the two hugging her looked like the world was falling apart, so she prepared herself to hear some outrageous numbers.

The Elemental Queen stared at her silently for a moment, making Aria gulp slightly, surely it couldn't have been worse than she imagined, right?

Sighing, Ramiris answered, "It's only been four hours,"

"I see four hundred—wait," The Echidna paused, "Did you just say four hours?"

The Fairy Queen just nodded with a curious expression. "Why did you think four hundred years passed?"

"Let's just say I was in another plane of existence," Aria nodded sagely to herself, she definitely wasn't disappointed that an event straight out of fiction didn't occur.

Like a thousand years passing and her finding the world being engulfed in flames, and she returns being the only overpowered individual remaining.

'Return from the Eldritch Realm; I am the Strongest in the Apocalypse.' The Echidna could already imagine how the story would go, she would just bitch-slap all her problems away.

A young master? Make him a eunuch.

A jade beauty? Add her to her harem.

A talented commoner? Take them as a disciple.

A unoccupied land? Make it her kingdom.

"Does it have something to do with the strange feeling that I keep feeling whenever you look at me?" The Fairy Queen's question made Aria snap out of her fantasies, and the other's in the room perk up, as even though they didn't say it, the weight of her gaze now seemed unsettling.

Something that the Echidna noted, as her eyes trailed along the the Dryas', the unease from them was clear. She looked down at Elaine and Fenrir, they seemed fine.

'Cthulhi?' The only possible explanation for what happened was it, her or him. Now that she thought about it, the Star Spawn didn't even have a gender—

[Aria?]

A voice echoed in Aria's mind, interrupting her thoughts with a suddenness that nearly made her jump in surprise, the only reason she was able to maintain her composure was because it wasn't too long since she heard this unique voice.

'Cthulhi?' Indeed it was her resident Eldritch friend, whose realm she had just left, after staying their for days, catching up with Maya and accompanying their new friend.

The unmistakably childish, androgynous, oddly slow-speaking with a strange cadence that seemed innocent yet somehow ancient could only belong to It? Her? Him?

[Yes… Aria! It's…fun…talking…like…this…isn't it?]

Aria's surprise quickly melted away in front of the eldritch that she, for some reason, found cute. 'As long as you're happy.'

[Hehehe~]

Even its laugh is cute!

[Aria…I like…your thoughts! They're like…colorful…balloons!]

Another critical hit!

"Echidna, are you talking to someone with Thought Communication?" Ramiris asked, taking note of the expressions that Aria didn't bother to hide.

Tilting her head with a smile, Aria replied, "A friend, a very cute friend. Umu!" She gave a closed eye nod, and Fenrir who heard her words wanted to pout, but as if Aria read his thoughts, he was assaulted by another round of petting.

"So…This friend of yours is the cause of you falling unconscious, and is also watching us at this very moment?" Ramiris asked, everything now adding up.

The Echidna nodded at her first question, before tilting her head in confusion at the second, 'Can you do that Cthulhi?'

In response to her question, she could feel it nod in her mind as it answered in that oh-so-cute voice,

[Yes, Aria! I can see... through... your... eyes! Ramiris' hair... looks like... a nest… of… baby birds?... and Fenrir's... ears... are... big... like... pancakes! Hehehe~]

Aria couldn't help but burst into laughter at Cthulhi's observation, the innocence and randomness were endearing.

Seeing the doubtful look of the Dryas and Ramiris, the Echidna just grinned, "Fenrir, your ears are now compared to pancakes, and Ramiris, your hair is a bird nest."

The Elemental Queen deadpanned at her words, but Aria saw the obvious amusement in her eyes.

As for Fenrir, he was indignant. He of course knew what pancakes were thanks to the inherent memories Aria gave him upon birth, and to have his ears compared to such a thing was an insult!

Though the anger disappeared as quickly as it came, as a wave calmness washed over him when Aria's fingers ran along his fur.

[Hehehe~ Fenrir... is… cute... like… a fluffy... cloud… floating... in… the sky!]

Aria blinked at its words with only one thought in her mind, 'There's no way an Eldritch can be this cute, right?'

*****

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter