This continues from the perspective of the Little Witch, also known as the White Bird.
I am Rufe, the witch.
Today, the humans were going to kill me just for being a witch.
It all started when a villager caught me transforming into a bird. It was a careless mistake. I thought I had been so careful to avoid being seen, but I must have let my guard down that day. The Alraune had finally grown attached to me, and the desperate urge to see her as soon as possible had clouded my judgment.
Because of that momentary lapse, I was captured. If I had been just Rufe the village girl instead of Rufe the witch, I might never have suffered like this. But I wasn't a village girl; I was a witch.
Even though I was just a child, my white hair gave me an eerie appearance. Apparently, that alone was enough for them to denounce me, and the villagers had been suspicious of me for some time. One of them had followed me and witnessed the transformation.
A human turning into a bird is an impossibility for them. "That makes you a witch," they declared, and I was immediately restrained.
I hated this body for being a witch. But more than that, I hated the humans who threw stones at me while calling me a monster. They pulled my hair and slammed me against the ground. They even stuffed pebbles into my mouth, mocking me, saying that if I was a witch, I should be able to eat stones.
They acted as if it were okay to do anything to me because a witch isn't human. It was cruel. Aside from the fact that I could use Black Magic, I was no different from any other person.
That was when I realized I could never forgive humanity. Until then, I had considered myself a human who happened to be a witch. But in that moment, I was forced to understand that I was not one of them. No matter what I did, they would never let a witch into their circle. I hadn't hated anyone enough to want to kill them since the monkey monsters murdered my parents.
A high-ranking mage and soldiers arrived from the Royal Capital. A man who appeared to be the Mage Leader inspected me, and I was eventually led out to the village square. Waiting for me there was a Crucifixion Stand, a cross thrust into the earth. I was to be burned alive on it.
I only managed to escape because the mages didn't know Aerial Magic existed. They seemed to believe that a witch couldn't fly without a Broomstick. Or perhaps they were just overconfident, assuming I couldn't fly unless I transformed into a bird.
Seeing an opening, I floated vertically into the air and fled toward the forest. However, that mage was one step ahead of me. He had placed a Marking on me, and I was heartlessly recaptured. I felt the staggering difference in our power; the mages of the Royal Capital were truly on another level.
In the end, it seemed I was destined to die as a witch. If only I could have seen the Alraune's face one last time. I wanted to give her one last proper watering...
Then, suddenly, disaster struck.
The sun fell from the sky. The intensely glowing object wasn't the sun, however, but a giant Dragon. Its entire body was wreathed in flames—a mystical and terrifying Dragon with a brilliantly shining tail.
The Dragon fired a Beam. The trees, the houses, the villagers, and the soldiers were all blown away by the light. Nothing remained in its wake.
I heard the Mage Leader scream, "Is it the Demon King's Army?!"
I see. So this was a Demon King's Army Dragon. That meant it might have come for me. For some reason, I am also being targeted by the Demon King's Army. They don't try to kill me, but I know that if I were taken, it wouldn't end well. It was terrifying.
While the mages were occupied fighting the Dragon, I managed to slip away from the battlefield. I didn't understand how the Demon King's Army knew where I was; it hadn't been long since the villagers discovered I was a witch. Regardless, escaping was my top priority.
That was when I saw it. The forest was on fire.
I was terrified for the Alraune. With a fire of this scale, that Talking Flower would surely burn to ash. I stopped running and headed for the river instead. I had hidden a bucket there beforehand, intending to use it for watering her later.
I transformed into the White Bird. Gripping the bucket, I raced to the Alraune’s side. As I feared, she was caught in the flames.
"You can't burn!" I thought. "Not after I finally found you."
Still in my bird form, I poured water over her. Thank goodness, I made it in time. I managed to extinguish the flames.
In exchange, however, the Alraune seemed suspicious of me. A bird putting out a fire with a bucket is an absurd sight, after all. But even if she ended up hating me for it, it was better than her burning to death. I knew I had made the right choice.
I was just relieved she was safe. I hate the idea of being burned; it's the one thing I fear most.
The fire was out, but the danger hadn't passed. The forest fire was still spreading, and worse, the Dragon was flying this way. It seemed it had spotted me. I had to leave immediately, but what about the Alraune? She was too large for me to carry while flying.
I didn't want to... it was a bitter, agonizing choice, but I decided to flee alone. I felt terrible, but I was the one they were hunting. She might actually be safer if we weren't together.
Thinking it might be the last time we ever spoke, I finally addressed the Talking Flower. I told her a Dragon was coming and that she had to hide. If she could stay out of its sight, she might have a chance.
"Talking Flower, you have to survive. If you do, I promise I'll come back to water you."
If she didn't burn, I would return. I didn't know if I would survive either, but if there was even a slim chance of a future for us, I would draw water for her. For my precious Alraune.
As luck would have it, I managed to outrun the Dragon. When the fire finally died down, the forest had been transformed into a scorched wasteland. Not a single tree had been spared. It seemed impossible for any living thing to have survived those flames.
Even so, clinging to a faint hope, I returned to the spot where she had been.
The Alraune was gone. In her place sat the charred remains of a massive heap. My Alraune hadn't made it after all...
Just as I was sinking into despair, I spotted a tiny flower atop the blackened soil. I floated closer, and to my amazement, the flower was the Alraune. A tiny, adorable young girl was growing right out of the blossom.
The Alraune, who used to look older than me, had turned into a child! Why? How could she have become a child? And such a tiny one at that?
She was so incredibly cute.
To my immense joy, the Alraune remembered me. She even waved a Vine to greet me. I was overwhelmed with happiness just to see her alive. And now that she was so small, I felt a powerful Protective Instinct welling up inside me.
I was finally able to have a real conversation with her. Being this close to the Talking Flower felt like a dream. I confessed that I wasn't really a bird, but a witch. A witch is an enemy of humanity, just like a monster. That meant I could be an ally to a Plant Monster like her. I told her I wanted us to stay together.
Happily, the Alraune accepted. Now, this Alraune was mine. And her Nectar was mine, too...
That's right. She let me taste her Nectar, and it was staggeringly delicious. I had never tasted anything so sweet and wonderful in my life. I felt as though my very brain were melting. Before I knew it, I was asking for seconds.
There was nothing wrong with that, right? After all, she was my Alraune now.
The Alraune began to cry—perhaps she wasn't fully used to her new form yet. Even her tears were made of Nectar; she really was a flower through and through.
Then I noticed her eyes were gold. At first, I simply thought they were a beautiful color, but after tasting her Nectar, my perspective shifted. Her eyes were the exact color of her Nectar. They were Nectar-colored Eyes.
She looked so delicious...
Just looking into those eyes made my entire body ache for more. A primal Nectar Lust surged through me, and my mouth flooded with saliva. The Alraune possessed truly bewitching eyes.
Once the initial rush of the Nectar subsided and I regained my composure, I felt even more certain of my love for her. I would take responsibility and raise this child myself. I would give her all the water she could ever need. I had made a promise, after all.
Then, I had a brilliant idea. I decided to use my bucket as a makeshift flowerpot. That way, I could carry her with me wherever I went. Now that she was so small, flying with her would be easy.
The young Alraune seemed to weep with joy at my suggestion. She must have been so happy to finally leave that spot after being stuck there for so long.
"I'm so glad, Talking Flower. From now on, you'll stay in this bucket, and I'll take you everywhere."
The Alraune is a Plant Monster. She won't shun me for being a witch, and she won't attack me like I'm a monster. Flowers are better than people. They aren't human, so I know she'll never betray me.
Until now, the Alraune had been my emotional support. But from today on, everything changes. We will support each other, both mentally and physically—one girl and one flower, living as one. I am going to live my life with the Alraune!
I resolved right then to be the Alraune's older sister. I will raise this tiny, precious girl back into a magnificent flower. She is already my family. I couldn't possibly abandon such a small, lovely, sister-like flower, could I?
It had been a year since my parents died. My lonely, isolated life as a witch was finally over. I had found a family to walk beside me. I had found someone so precious that I was willing to give my life to protect her.
I could feel my heart thumping with excitement. The spring of my life had finally arrived.