Auri's Diary - 4

That day came without warning.
By the time I sensed the bizarre presence and leapt to my feet, |it| had already begun.

The human civilization that had spread from the base of the World Tree to cover the entire island...
its light was being extinguished at that very moment.

As I debated whether to descend to the surface to check the situation,
a sickening terror ran down my spine.
There was no doubt about it—what I was sensing was the source of this disaster.

After burning most of the surface to ash,
it tore through the sky at a speed completely unbefitting of a living creature...
intent on bringing ruin to Sunreach.

I'd promised myself that I wouldn't lend my powers to short-lived mortals,
and yet I'm surprised how easily I broke that promise.
It just goes to show how much I've come to love this place…

...I didn't hold back.
I split lakes, shattered hills, sacrificed a massive portion of this land—
and even then, I lost.

That thing was feeding off the planet itself.
The more a creature's life force is deeply rooted in this world—like nature, or like myself—
the more easily its power is drained in its presence.
Before that beast, we are like helpless infants.

Had the battle drawn out any longer, it would've ended in my death.
If it weren't for their help…

In the face of death, the human children and their powerful Pals put their very lives on the line.
Because they fought to the end to seal the monster inside the World Tree, I am still breathing.

It's pathetic, really.
I, who am supposed to possess such immense power and live for eons...
am only alive right now because of their sacrifice.

...I have a duty to end this calamity, once and for all.