"Wait, you bitch!"
"I’ll never forgive you for this!"
"My, my! Oh, my little princes, chasing after us so fervently... I’m simply delighted! I love a passionate invitation, but I really wish you’d tone down the violence!"
Meanwhile, Cyan and his group, who had rushed out after Naruru, had finally caught up to her just as she reached the Treant.
Casting aside their usual heroic pretenses, Cyan and Egos cornered her in a fit of rage. However, Naruru remained perfectly composed, likely thanks to the trump card she had prepared.
As the Cooking Club members readied themselves for the coming battle against the colossal monster, Naruru liquefied her body once again and slipped inside the Treant.
"This is the Perfect Form of this Magic Armor Beast! An Ultimate Being, born from a Treant that has gorged itself on Slimes brimming with Magic Power, now guided by my own brilliant intellect! With this, I’ll crush you all and take back my Ideal World!"
"What 'Ultimate Being'?! A Magic Armor Beast with nothing but your pathetic brain added to it is obviously going to be easy to take down!"
"You'll pay for toying with us! We’re going to see you judged once and for all!"
By using her Slime powers to merge with the Treant, Naruru was now able to pilot the Magic Armor Beast at will. Cyan and Egos screamed at her in fury.
The two leveled their weapons—a Spear and a Great Axe—and launched a counterattack against Naruru as she lashed out with thick, whip-like branches.
"Se-yah! Taah!"
"Hmph!"
Cyan unleashed a rapid-fire succession of sharp Thrusts, parrying the incoming branches. Egos swung his massive axe, hacking them away.
Though their personalities were self-centered, their high Status and Weapon Aptitude—granted as reincarnation bonuses—allowed them to overwhelm Naruru. They spoke to her with newfound confidence.
"What’s wrong? Is this the best your Ultimate Magic Armor Beast can do?"
"This wood cuts nicely. I’ll chop you into pieces with my axe and turn you into kindling!"
"Impressive! I knew my princes had to be strong! ...But don't. Get. Cocky!"
The giant face manifested on the Treant's trunk distorted into something resembling a smile.
Cyan and Egos felt a prickle of unease at her overconfident attitude, and in the next instant, a massive shock rocked their bodies.
"Gwah!?"
"Guh!? Wh-What!?"
The tree branches that Egos had hacked off with his axe just moments ago—the ones that should have been cleanly severed—had regenerated.
Caught off guard by the impossible development, the two took the full force of the blow as if they’d been struck by logs. As they were slammed into the ground, Naruru laughed uproariously.
"How is it? When you take a Treant’s natural vitality and gorge it on a massive swarm of Slimes, then pour overflowing Magic Power into it, you can do things like this!"
"Tch...! So nickel-and-diming it with minor attacks is useless because it just regenerates."
"It doesn't matter. It still has plenty of weaknesses."
No matter how many branches they hacked off, or even if they dealt minor wounds to Naruru herself, the damage was instantly mended by the replenished Magic Power.
Realizing that chipping away at it was meaningless, Cyan and Egos prepared to strike at another weakness... but Naruru had used a wicked cunning that far exceeded their own to prepare a countermeasure.
"Ufufufufufu...! I know what you’re thinking! You’re planning to unleash Flame Attribute attacks, aren't you? It's true that if you burn my entire body, my Regenerative Ability won't mean a thing. But tell me... looking at this, do you still think you can burn me?"
"Ah...! A-Aaah!?"
With a heavy rustle, Naruru pulled back the leaves covering the upper part of the Treant's trunk.
Presia, who had been watching the battle in suspense, let out a scream of horror at what was revealed.
Fee, who had finally reached the clearing after chasing the others, was left speechless by the sight. A choked voice finally managed to squeeze from his throat.
"Sh-Shiroi...! No way!?"
What Naruru had displayed was Shiroi, the only villager who was still missing.
As Fee and Presia reeled from the shock of seeing the boy bound to the Treant’s body, limp and unconscious, Naruru cackled with evil glee.
"Ahahahahaha! How’s that? Can you still burn me now? Go ahead if you want! I won't stop you! But if you do, this brat will burn to a crisp right along with me!"
"Y-You coward! Release that child!"
"Ahahaha! Like I’d ever do that! Well? What are you going to do? What are you going to do!?"
Having employed a malice that went beyond mere low cunning to set up her insurance, Naruru spoke in a taunting, sing-song tone.
As long as Shiroi was being held hostage, they could not use Flame Attribute attacks. To do so would be to burn him alive as well.
The tactic of accumulating damage was useless, and the tactic of striking its elemental weakness for a quick kill was now off the table.
As Presia, Fee, and Hao seethed with rage, gritting their teeth in helpless frustration... Cyan and Egos looked at each other. Without a hint of hesitation, they uttered something unthinkable.
"...Too bad for you, you bitch. We aren't falling for that kind of blackmail!"
"I feel for the kid... but we're burning you anyway!!"