I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
Right now, I was in the middle of a dual emergency: my vines were currently on fire, and a moth monster was trying to eat me.
Wh-what was I supposed to do?
Even though I was facing a life-threatening crisis with my burning vines, I never imagined when I first started the fire that I’d end up as a snack for a giant Fire Moth!
Which would happen first? Would I be consumed by the flames, or would I be eaten by this light-loving Fire Moth?
This moth monster, the Nachtfalter, was massive—its wingspan looked to be at least three meters wide.
Perhaps because of its size, it reminded me of the kaiju movies from my previous life. Out of all of them, the moth monster had always been my favorite.
And yet, here it was, raining scale powder down on us. How rude!
It seemed the Fire Moth saw us as nothing more than prey.
But I had to protect the Little Witch and show her that I was a dependable older sister!
The scale powder fell like rain.
However, I was fine.
After all, I was a plant. Since I didn't breathe through lungs, the powder had no effect on me.
Behind me, however, were two people who very much possessed lungs.
The Little Witch and the Fairy began to cough violently.
The powder likely had some kind of toxic effect on humans. I had to defeat this thing quickly, or the two of them would collapse.
Unlike the Little Witch, who was cowering with teary eyes, the Fairy was actually trying to fight back.
"Take this—!" she cried.
She threw something that looked like a small pebble at the Fire Moth. It was likely something she had picked up along with the eucalyptus seedling.
However, a mere pebble couldn't even scratch the Nachtfalter. It just plopped onto the ground near me.
As expected, the Fairy was completely unreliable in a fight. I had to handle this myself.
Wait, I had an idea!
Since my vines were already burning, I might as well put them to good use.
I swung my flaming vines to incinerate the scale powder in the air. I was slightly worried about a dust explosion, but the powder didn't seem concentrated enough for that.
With the air cleared, it was time to strike the main body.
I slammed my burning vines against the moth. Because of its massive size, it couldn't dodge in time and took a direct hit.
The fire from my vines immediately spread to the Fire Moth's wings.
The creature began to panic as its wings ignited. I certainly understood the feeling; after all, I was currently in the middle of a self-incineration crisis myself.
"Good day to you, Sir Fire Moth," I thought. "Since we both happen to be on fire, I do think we should try to get along."
Looking at the flaming moth, I felt a strange sense of kinship. I decided I would give it even more of the fire it loved so much.
As a token of our new friendship, I invited the Fire Moth to a dance.
I used my vines to gently hold its body.
"Now, let us share a passionate, burning dance together!"
Just because we were engulfed in flames didn't mean I was performing the Atsumori. This was a simple forest, not Honnoji Temple.
To help the fire along, I sprouted eucalyptus leaves on my vines. With that extra fuel added to the fire, my dance with the Fire Moth reached its fiery climax.
However, it seemed the Fire Moth burned out much faster than I did.
Having lost its wings, the creature plummeted to the forest floor. It must have grown tired of dancing.
To lie down on the ground in the middle of a ball... how unladylike of you, Sir Fire Moth.
Honestly, how helpless.
I decided I would tuck the Fire Moth in with a blanket of flaming vines. It had come all this way because it was drawn to the fire, after all. The least I could do was cover it with a warm Fire Futon to soothe its fatigue.
Perhaps the warmth of the Fire Futon was comforting, because the Fire Moth finally stopped moving.
It appeared it had gone to its final rest.
"Please, sleep peacefully."
With that, the problem of the "summer insect flying into the flame" was solved.
The only problem left was the fact that I was still on fire.
"I'll carry you to the river right away!" the Little Witch shouted, running toward me.
I was currently a Bucket Alraune. Since I was mobile, even while burning, I could still be extinguished.
That said, after my little dance with the Fire Moth, my vines were producing a terrifying amount of fire. The flames were already threatening to reach my bulb.
In hindsight, adding those eucalyptus leaves—known as the Gasoline Tree—just to defeat the moth might have been a bad move.
I hadn't used just one vine to restrain the moth. To wrap around a creature that large, I had used about ten.
Now, instead of one burning vine, I had ten separate fuses leading straight to my body. Thanks to the eucalyptus oil, the flames were at their peak intensity.
At this rate, I would burn out long before we reached the river.
As a young sprout, I was much smaller than my previous form, and I would turn into a pile of ash in no time.
I never thought I’d be killed by a fire I started myself. In a way, it was even sadder than the time the Flame Dragon Lord burned me.
If only I still had the Minotaur’s Axe, I could have chopped the vines off right now. But the axe had been melted by the dragon.
I looked around desperately, wondering if there was anything that could serve as a blade.
That was when I noticed the object on the ground. It was the pebble the Fairy had thrown earlier.
A pebble couldn't cut through vines, though. If it had been a larger stone, I might have been able to use it as a tool, but...
—Ah.
I noticed the Fire Moth had completely burned out. It was nothing but pitch-black charcoal now. I wondered if I was about to follow suit.
"Alraune!" the Little Witch cried, reaching out to hug me.
"No, don't!" I thought. If she touched me now, she’d be caught in the flames too.
Even if I tried to fly away, we’d likely both be engulfed in the sky. I couldn't let her get hurt. It was fine if I was the only one who burned.
I used my remaining vines to wrap around her, gently pulling her away from me.
"Alraune, don't burn!"
Her scream pierced my heart.
"I don't ever want to see you burn again! If you disappear... I don't want that! Please, don't leave me alone...!"
I saw her break down in tears at the edge of my vision.
It was okay. I didn't intend to burn up here. I still had one last resort.
Yes, in an absolute emergency, I could always perform self-pollination.
By using the power of the Banksia, I could turn back into a seed and escape the fire.
Of course, it had only been a few days since my last pollination. I was still just a sprout. I really didn't want to use this move until I was older.
Actually, to be honest, I didn't want to turn into a seed ever again. As a former Saint, the idea of pollination was... well, a bit much.
Still, pollination was better than dying.
Steeling myself for a second pollination, I readied my vines.
That was when something caught my eye. It was that pebble again—the one the Fairy had thrown.
At first glance, it looked like a normal stone, but looking closer, the shape was quite peculiar.
—Wait.
I think I recognized this "stone." In fact, I was certain it wasn't a stone at all.
I reached out with a vine and grabbed the object that was currently mimicking a rock.
I could choose to burn up, or I could choose a second pollination and start my life as a young girl all over again.
But then, I thought of a third option.
Thank you for reading. Next time: I shall molt.