Every eye present turned toward the Door of the Sanctuary.
The figure that emerged was Big Sister Dryades.
With one hand resting on her hip, she cast a slow, sweeping gaze over our faces one by one.
"Well, now. To think you'd all gather here with such gormless expressions. I wonder whatever is the matter?"
"Why, are you, here?"
"Asking why? How cold. I, for one, am delighted to see you again, Alraune Princess."
Big Sister Dryades’s slimy gaze washed over me. It left me with a deeply unsettling sensation.
"Not only did you dispatch my subordinates at the Royal Castle, but you even managed to defeat the strongest of the Three Spirit Beasts—the dragon. You truly are the princess I took you for."
"Your subordinates, were defeated, yet, you are, quite, calm, aren't you?"
"The Three Spirit Beasts can always be remade. As long as I remain unharmed, I can simply culture more and create new Artificial Spirits."
It seemed Big Sister Dryades lacked even a shred of affection for her own clones. I wondered why she couldn't understand the feeling of love, especially when the Child Alraunes were so incredibly adorable.
"More to the point, I want you, Princess. I have never seen such a unique Plant Monster. If it’s you, I’m sure you could even join our side."
"I am, honored, by your, praise."
"That aside, how did you get all the way here? Surely Lord Glühschwanz didn’t send you personally."
"I, flew, here, myself."
"While flying plants aren't unheard of, I hadn't realized the Princess possessed such a talent. Moreover, you’ve grown so much; you look just like your late mother, the previous Alraune. Though, I suppose it’s only natural for you to look alike, being the same species."
"…………What, do you, mean?"
"Did you really think I hadn't noticed? I’ve never seen a Plant Monster besides the Princess who could turn into a seed and hop from body to body. Even a spirit couldn’t manage a feat like that."
I was genuinely shocked. Big Sister Dryades had known all along that I had regrown from a seed into a Young Girl Alraune.
"Since, when, exactly...?"
"Ever since I invited the Princess to my room back at the castle. You might be able to fool the other dimwits, but such tricks won't work on me, a spirit of plants."
She had feigned ignorance this whole time, all while trying to entice me to join her.
"I had a feeling the Princess might chase me all the way to the forest, but to think you actually came to see me—I truly am a lucky woman."
A chill ran down my spine at Big Sister Dryades's seductive smile. It was frightening, like being sized up as prey by a predator.
As we spoke, Fairy Kiri interjected.
"Just how did you get inside the Sanctuary?"
"It has been a long time, Kiri. Have you been well?"
"Eschen Frau-sama shouldn't be able to enter the Sanctuary, and yet...?"
"I’ve discarded that name... I am Vergissmeinnicht now. Well, since I only gained entry to the Sanctuary thanks to you, Kiri, I suppose I can tell you."
Big Sister Dryades clapped her hands twice.
In response, dozens of fairies flew out from the Door of the Sanctuary. The multicolored spirits swirled around her in a frantic dance.
"While Kiri, the leader of the forest fairies, was away, I took the liberty of brainwashing your little subjects."
"N-no... that can’t be..." Kiri stammered, looking utterly stunned.
Her reaction was understandable. Inside the mouths of the cackling fairies, Blue Flowers were visibly blooming.
"I manipulated the fairies into making the sister inside open the door. Then, using those same fairies, I planted flowers in her and brainwashed her as well. This forest is already mine."
A green dryad manifested on a tree near Big Sister Dryades. It was the Younger Sister Dryades, the mistress of this forest. She appeared to be completely under the control of the Blue Flowers.
Big Sister Dryades caressed the younger sister’s face with unsettling gentleness.
"My hateful little sister is finally in the palm of my hand. I wonder exactly how I should kill her."
Witnessing the brainwashing of the Dryades of the East Forest, Kiri collapsed to the ground in despair. "How could this happen...?"
The Sanctuary had already fallen. We were too late.
"I’ve been monitoring the Princess’s movements from within the Sanctuary. Now that the Three Spirit Beasts have served their purpose as bait to gather all these nuisances, I suppose it’s time to start the spring cleaning."
In the next instant, the sound of rhythmic breathing echoed from the depths of the woods. Innumerable eyes fixed upon us.
A horde of trolls had surrounded the forest before we even knew it. There were roughly three hundred of them. I found it hard to believe that such a massive group had approached without me sensing them at all.
"With my Spirit Magic, erasing one's presence is child's play. With these numbers, even the Princess won't be able to use her nectar to save every human turned into a troll."
"You, were watching, the nectar, weren't you?"
"Of course. Watching trolls revert to humans... honestly, I still find it hard to believe my own eyes. That is why I’ve decided: after I’ve dissected the Princess and investigated every inch of her, I will have you breed and fuse with my own clones. The result will be Modified Plants that far surpass the Three Spirit Beasts!"
Ugh... the mere thought was horrifying. The idea of being forced to breed as Vergissmeinnicht's lab rat was more than I could bear. I absolutely refused to be caught.
I reflexively tightened my vines around myself. Just then, a single human emerged from the troll horde. He was a man dressed in the Priest's Clothes of the Church.
"Vergissmeinnicht-sama, the trolls have been assembled as ordered."
"Well done. You are the last of the Three Spirit Beasts; I have high expectations for you."
Nina spoke up, her voice trembling. "The Priest was murdered... that Dryades has taken over his body!"
I hadn't expected the final Spirit Beast to be a human. Between trolls, dragons, and humans, they were certainly a diverse bunch.
The Priest Spirit Beast, currently inhabiting the weakest-looking human body, turned to the trolls and screamed.
"Now, you trolls! Devour these humans!"
The massive horde began their charge toward us. One of the adventurers let out a blood-curdling shriek. We were hopelessly outnumbered. While the Little Witch and Kiri could fly away to safety, Nina and the others stood no chance of survival.
I prepared to unleash my Teppou-uri Machine Gun to pelt the trolls with Nectar-filled Seeds, but Green Vines suddenly coiled around my own, throwing off my aim. The brainwashed Younger Sister Dryades had launched an attack against me.
Vergissmeinnicht smiled with calm composure.
"My sister and I will be the Princess's opponents. There’s no way I’d leave you unattended, not when you have the strength to defeat Oin and even the Four Heavenly King Garuda-Hraesvelgr."
So, she even knew about my victory over the Golden Birdman of the Stalker Four Heavenly Kings. Unlike my previous enemies, it seemed she wasn't going to make the mistake of underestimating me. It was enough to make me want to scream—though perhaps with a bit of pride.
"If you surrender now, I'll allow that Apprentice Saint and your white-haired human friend to live. In exchange, those two will spend the rest of their lives serving as Plant Seedbeds."
The Little Witch flinched. She looked terrified by the Dryades's words; her hands shook, and her face crumpled as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Actually, it might be amusing to use those two as seedbeds and fuse them with you after you've bred. You seem to be such good friends; don't you think sharing your very lives would deepen your bond?"
This was no joke. I cared for the Little Witch and Nina, but I didn't have the slightest intention of turning them into nutrients.
"I, will not, surrender!"
"Is that so? Then I shall gracefully turn you into my puppet!"
As Vergissmeinnicht spoke, a scream erupted from behind me. The trolls had reached Nina and the others. Turning back, I saw someone sent flying by a troll’s club. A heavy thud resonated through the ground, vibrating up through my roots.
The battle against the Four Heavenly King, Big Sister Dryades, had finally begun. It was the first plant-on-plant confrontation since the battle with Man-eater.
Next time: Battle for the Dryades' Forest.