My partner for this Last Dance was the Eyepatch Minotaur.
As the enemy leader, he was a more than suitable partner.
I had already cleared the field of every other enemy. Only this one Minotaur remained.
On our side, the casualties were just as devastating. More than half of the Bee Monster Army had been wiped out, and many of Madam Butterfly’s entourage had become butterflies that would never fly again.
I could never forgive this. I wasn't going to let anyone else lay a finger on my friends in the Forest Circle. I would handle their leader myself.
It seemed the Minotaur was just as furious about the loss of his subordinates as I was. His face twisted into a mask of rage, he charged toward me, brandishing his blazing axe.
That axe, imbued with Fire Magic, was a problem. How was I going to handle it? I pondered the question while hiding my mouth behind one of the axes I'd dubbed my "Feathered Fluffy Fan."
First off, it would be game over if that Flame Axe landed a direct hit. To prevent him from simply throwing it at me, I secretly planted dozens of Shield Briars just beneath the soil in front of me. Leaving a few in reserve, I launched a simultaneous attack with Briars from both above and below the ground.
The Eyepatch Minotaur generated a Flame Circle to block the Briars. A Flame Vortex rose up, surrounding him completely.
Ugh, I really was no match for fire. At this rate, my Briars would just turn to ash the moment I thrust them forward.
However, an axe should be able to penetrate that wall. I lightly tossed one of my "fans."
A sharp clank rang out from beyond the flames. Dammit—it sounded like he'd blocked it. In the meantime, I extended my vines into the surrounding area and recovered the two axes I had thrown earlier.
With that, I’d replenished my fans. These props would be my accessories for this dance. Well, I am a flower myself, but you know what I mean.
While I was busy admiring my Iron Feather Fan, an axe came whistling out from the center of the Flame Vortex. The Eyepatch Minotaur had thrown his axe back at me.
I immediately raised a Briar Wall, but the Flame Axe sliced through the Briars as if they were nothing.
"Eek!?"
I managed to block the incoming Flame Axe with my prop fan. An axe against an axe.
That was a close one. If I hadn't had my fan, I would have been split in two. Exactly as I thought: a fan really is a necessity for a ball. I’ll have to make sure I’m never without one from now on.
The Eyepatch Minotaur finally emerged from the flames. He had snatched up the axe I’d thrown earlier and equipped it. He must have applied magic to his new weapon as well, because it was already transforming into a Flame Axe.
I picked up the axe he’d just thrown at me, re-equipping my "fan."
Realizing that a projectile battle wouldn't settle this, the Eyepatch Minotaur began to close the distance. It seemed he wanted to finish this with close-quarters combat. Ignoring his intent, I threw my Iron Feather Fan at him again.
As expected, he swatted it away with his Flame Axe.
I had recently mastered the technique of hurlng items at my opponents. But I wasn't limited to just one kind of item. I had other things I’d taken from the Minotaurs.
Specifically, the spoils from the Scout Minotaur: the Paralysis Potion and the Sleeping Potion.
I’d snuck a vine around to his left side—his blind spot, thanks to the eyepatch—and hurled the two potion bottles together. Just a split second after the Eyepatch Minotaur deflected my axe, the two bottles came flying in.
Even the leader couldn't react to a follow-up that fast. The bottles smashed right against his helmet. They shattered on impact, spraying the Paralysis Potion and the Sleeping Potion into the air.
Now the Eyepatch Minotaur shouldn't be able to move.
The medicine seemed to take effect; he began to stagger. Good, this was my chance.
However, in the next moment, the Eyepatch Minotaur did something shocking. He pressed the blade of his Flame Axe against his own left arm and began to sear his flesh. The smell of burning meat wafted toward me.
Using the searing pain of turning his own body into barbecue to shock himself awake, the Eyepatch Minotaur regained his footing. As expected of a leader, he had incredible guts.
Before the paralysis could spread through his system, he pulled two small bottles from his pouch and downed them.
Ah, he’d used another Antidote. Those were likely specifically for the Sleeping and Paralysis Potions. My hard-earned plan had been ruined. I didn't have any more medicine on hand. What was I supposed to do now?
I glanced toward the fallen Minotaurs. It seemed we were thinking alike, as the Eyepatch Minotaur also began rummaging through his fallen comrades' pouches for more supplies.
As expected of a partner for the Last Dance. He saw right through me.
In that case, I decided to take what I could find from my end and directed my vines toward one of the bull monsters. I rifled through the luggage tied to its back. The Eyepatch Minotaur didn't even try to stop me. Did that mean there was no medicine over here?
The bull's packs were filled with nothing but food and water. Since they were carnivores, it was mostly animal meat.
Oh, wait. These are leaves. So even Minotaurs enjoyed their leafy greens?
No, wait—these weren't just any leaves.
Traum Grass. In this world, it was the base for Sleeping Potions. And this was Faul Grass, the raw material for Paralysis Potions. The potions I’d just thrown were made from these very plants.
I’d suspected that if they were planning to use medicine on others, they might carry the raw materials as spares. I didn't know if they’d brought them from their base or gathered them in the forest, but finding them was a stroke of luck.
I pulled the Traum Grass and Faul Grass toward me.
The Eyepatch Minotaur grunted, "Useless."
He was right. These were just raw materials; on their own, they wouldn't do much. Even if I forced him to eat the leaves, he’d only get a little drowsy and feel a slight tingle in his limbs. Without processing, they weren't viable combat items.
That's right—so I just had to process them! Inside my own body!
I chomped down on the Traum Grass and Faul Grass. It was time for a little Selective Breeding.
I separated the toxins from my own poison pollen and fused them with the components of the Traum Grass and Faul Grass.
Plant Generation: complete.
To test it out immediately, I released a cloud of blue pollen at the Eyepatch Minotaur. This was Sleeping Powder. Immediately after, I blew out a cloud of yellow pollen—Paralysis Powder. It had the same effect as Madam Butterfly's Scale Powder.
The powders swirled around the Eyepatch Minotaur, but he swung his axe, creating a Flame Vortex to burn the particles away.
I suppose a direct, head-on attack wouldn't work. We were getting nowhere like this. If we kept this up, we would stay in a stalemate, and thanks to his Fire Magic, I was actually being pushed back. The fact that he could use my weakness against me gave him the upper hand.
If I didn't make a move soon, I was going to be killed.
Fortunately, I still had three of the Minotaurs' axes on hand. Since I had plenty of blades to work with, I decided to try a little trick.
I threw one of the modified axes. Once again, the Minotaur blocked it. This was the third time we’d had this exact exchange.
The Eyepatch Minotaur stepped out of his Flame Vortex, holding the axe I’d just thrown. He was now dual-wielding. I thought he might throw an axe back at me, but instead, he held onto both. It seemed he had chosen to arm himself rather than use them as projectiles.
Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize that this was the crossroads of fate.
Suddenly, the Eyepatch Minotaur dropped one of his axes. His arm began to twitch and convulse. The leader stared at me, his lone eye asking why.
The reason lay with that new axe he’d just picked up. I’d wrapped the handle in Briars that secreted a paralytic poison. Since I could now produce Paralysis Powder, I had simply generated Briar thorns with the same effect. I’d wrapped those Briars around the handle and then used another axe to cut the vines so they stayed attached.
By throwing the briar-wrapped axe toward his blind spot, I’d completed the trap. Between the angle of his eyepatch and the obscuring Flame Vortex, he hadn't noticed the thorns on the handle. The moment he gripped it, the thorns pricked him, and the poison took hold.
Even if he had noticed the Briars, I figured the thorns would have stuck him the moment he tried to strip them off. The result would have been the same.
That was the third time I'd thrown an axe, but as they say, the third time's the charm.
Let's end this. Without his axes, he couldn't maintain his Flame Vortex.
While the Minotaur was reeling from the paralysis, I fired Sleeping Powder from my Corolla. At the same time, I sprouted Man-eaters from the Briars on all sides of him to spray even more poison pollen. Two types of debilitating dust crowded around him.
The Eyepatch Minotaur tried to reach for an Antidote, but unlike before, his arms were too paralyzed to grab the bottle.
Come to think of it, the Ball wasn't over yet. I had to lead my partner properly at the very end.
I used my Paralytic Briars to firmly lock the Minotaur's arms in place.
"Now, let's put away that bottle. Eating or drinking during a dance is simply not done, you know."
He didn't seem to have the strength left for magic, either. He was staying conscious through sheer willpower, but he could no longer resist.
The Eyepatch Minotaur's arms slumped.
"Oops, partner. Before you go, there's something I need to ask."
"What... is your... business... in the forest?"
I needed to know why the Demon King's Army was here. As the Lord of the Forest, I couldn't afford to be ignorant of their goals.
"……No business... in the forest. We just had... a job to do... further ahead."
"What kind of job?"
The Eyepatch Minotaur didn't answer. Instead, he let out a roar with the last of his strength. His right arm burst into flames. He’d used Fire Magic on himself.
I couldn't believe it; just because he lacked a weapon, he was burning his own body. Once he saw the flames were rising, he whispered a final few words.
"Lord Glühschwanz... forgive me……"
And with that, the Last Dance between me and the Eyepatch Minotaur came to a close. The Ball was over.
Phew.
I managed to survive somehow. That was truly dangerous. I’d actually resigned myself to death for a moment when the fire started. The compatibility was terrible, and he was a formidable foe. I hadn't expected Fire Magic to be such a massive threat.
Still, I'm glad he was a warrior. If he had been a mage-type Minotaur specializing in spells, I wouldn't have stood a chance. If he’d just kept lobbing fire at me from a distance, it would have been over instantly.
Wait... fire?
Come to think of it, his right arm was on fire at the end... oh no. Oh no, no, no!
This is an emergency! That Minotaur really went and did it at the very last second!
The fire from his arm has ignited a nearby tree! By the time the flames consumed the Minotaur's body, the tree next to him was well and truly ablaze.
You have to be kidding me. I can't believe it. He really did try to get one last shot in. He knew that if he burned the forest, I’d go up in flames too.
What a horrible way to end a fight. He was the worst dancing partner ever!
This was the true closing of the Ball. The beginning of the end.
It wasn't just the first tree; the branches of the neighboring tree were already starting to catch. If this keeps up, it’ll be a chain reaction. And if that happens, there's only one future waiting for me.
The forest is going to turn into a wildfire.
This is bad. This is really, really bad! If the forest burns, I can't escape! I'm a plant! I can't walk!
So please, stop! Go out! I'm going to burn too!
You, tree! Don't you dare catch fire! Hang in there!!
Aaaaaaaaah!! It spread! It’s spreading!
What am I going to do? I’m going to be turned into charcoal...!
There will be two updates today. If you found this work interesting or want to support the protagonist's struggle, I would be very happy if you could support me with a bookmark or a 5-star rating. Your support encourages my writing!
Next time: The forest burns.