I am Alraune, the plant monster girl.
Nina and I had connected heart and soul, becoming one. To neutralize the miasma, my plan was to use my experience as a former Saint to manipulate Nina’s body and unleash super-high-tier Light Magic.
It might be a little painful, Nina, but please bear with it.
The Dodder tendrils sank into Nina’s arm, and blue flowers blossomed from her skin. At the same time, Nina’s body went limp, as if she had suddenly fallen into a deep slumber. In her place, a strange sensation surged through my mind—my consciousness was circulating through Nina’s entire body.
It seemed my parasitism was a success. We had fused!
Using the Dodder and the blue Forget-me-nots, I was essentially controlling Nina via a wired connection. Because the Light Magic was so complex, I had to operate her manually rather than relying on an automated process.
That said, the consciousness of Nina, the Apprentice Saint, was still right there beneath the surface. She was likely aware of everything, feeling like a passenger while a third party piloted her body.
Regardless, it had been a long time since I’d been in a human body. I tried raising my arms. It felt good. Next, I tried to move my legs.
──Wait, hold on. How did walking work again?
Since the sensation of plant roots had become more natural to me than human legs, the very concept of "feet" had vanished from my mind. I focused on my legs as if I were extending roots and... oh! I could walk! I was actually a little moved.
As I was testing out Nina’s body, a mysterious scent wafted toward me. As an Alraune, my sense of smell had always been weak, but with Nina’s body, I could smell everything to my heart's content.
It was a clear fragrance, the first I had smelled so vividly in over a year. It was an incredibly thick, sugary aroma. For some reason, it seemed to be coming from right next to me.
Yes, an unnervingly sweet scent of flower nectar was drifting off the "me"—the Alraune—standing right beside Nina.
────Wait, you’re kidding, right? Do I really smell that much? Am I constantly scattering this much sugar into the air?
The space around the Alraune smelled of nothing but cloying nectar. Moreover, for some reason, whenever I caught a whiff of it, it felt as though a jolt of electricity surged through Nina’s brain. My very core felt restless, as if I might start trembling at any second. If I let my guard down, I felt like I would be able to think of nothing but that nectar.
Perhaps Nina’s body was particularly sensitive to scents. It was quite strange.
Just as I was practicing the brainwashing techniques with the blue flowers, Drink Bar’s voice cut through the air. "The miasma is coming!"
Oops, this was no time to be savoring the novelty of being human. I channeled light energy from my Alraune body through the Dodder and into Nina. Nina’s mana reserves began to swell. To cast super-high-tier Light Magic, no amount of mana was ever truly enough. I pushed her capacity to the absolute limit of what her body could withstand and leveled her staff.
Big Sister Dryades, watching us with narrow eyes, spoke up.
"I had the member of the Three Spirit Beasts who was disguised as the Priest investigate just how much skill that Apprentice Saint girl has. I already know that no matter what Light Magic you use, it will be utterly useless."
"You... won't... know... unless... you try," I replied through Nina’s mouth.
I had intended to sound confident, but I accidentally spoke with the same cadence I used as an Alraune. Habits are terrifying things, especially since I was perfectly capable of speaking fluently in Nina’s body. Because of that slip-up, Big Sister Dryades—who had heard me speak many times—reacted with suspicion.
"Hmm? That way of speaking just now...?"
It seemed she hadn't realized I was the one pulling the strings yet. That made this an even better opportunity!
Now, Nina. It’s time for our first joint task. Let's show the Saint's true power to this Spirit Princess of the Four Heavenly Kings!
I concentrated all our power into the staff, and a massive Circle of Light manifested around Nina. Energy so dense it made the air vibrate leaked from the ring. Nearby, Drink Bar shuddered. "What incredible mana..."
Then, Big Sister Dryades's bewildered voice reached my ears. "Just what do you intend to do...?"
"I shall show the Spirit Princess... the Saint's true power."
The Circle of Light vanished as if undergoing atomic decomposition. In that instant, the world was enveloped in a shroud of pure white.
"Heiligenschein!"
The Divine Halo of Light expanded outward. From the sky, it must have looked like a colossal, radiant crown forming on the earth. Everything within that circle was purified, decomposed by waves of holy light. The vortex of miasma was vaporized in an instant. The air that had been choked by the "Advent of the Deadly Poison Sea of Trees" was wiped clean.
The Light Crown continued to expand!
A section of the Dryades' Forest, which had become a toxic wasteland, vanished into the light. The Child Alraunes who had been absorbed into the sea of trees were released, their souls ascending to heaven. By erasing the corruption, the Dryades' Forest began to return to its natural state.
Rest easy, my children... I will have your revenge. I promise.
My target was the Spirit Princess, who was still trying to hide in her Safe Zone. The Heiligenschein collided violently with the barrier of the Hero's Helmet. The two opposing forces of light clashed, throwing off sparks of pure energy.
"No way. The helmet... it’s cracking...!" Big Sister Dryades's panicked voice echoed.
──Crack!
The barrier protecting her shattered into pieces. We did it! The combined Light Magic of Nina and myself had broken the protection of the Hero's Helmet!
Hmph. Well, Big Sister Dryades, how was that? I hope you enjoyed the secret technique of Light Magic, "Heiligenschein."
Perhaps the technique looked familiar? The Golden Birdman of the Four Heavenly Kings used it once before, but it was originally my technique. He must have seen it while he was stalking me and tried to imitate it.
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, the Heiligenschein finished its activation. It was a shame; I was so close to a finishing blow. But the opening was still there. Time to follow up!
"Glanzstrahl!"
A massive beam of light erupted from Nina. The Huntsman Spider tried to leap away, but dodging a high-speed light spell was no simple feat. As expected, the Glanzstrahl tore through the spider. Only a portion of its back remained as it crashed to the ground, along with the Ancient Tree that served as Big Sister Dryades's main body.
Immediately, Big Sister Dryades pulled an egg from the tree. "I still have plenty of legs!" she shrieked, hatching a Spiderling from the shell. She was already trying to find a new host to parasitize.
I won't let you!
The moment I tried to move Nina's body, she coughed up a spray of blood. The human frame I was piloting suddenly felt like lead.
Ni—Nina!!
Are you okay? I must have pushed her too hard; her body couldn't withstand my power anymore.
"Spirit Magic: Forced Life Manipulation (Diktator)!"
Taking advantage of our collapse, Big Sister Dryades forced the spider to grow instantly.
"I wondered what would happen when my 'Advent of the Deadly Poison Sea of Trees' was defeated and my barrier broke, but what a shame. I’m free to move again."
I wondered if it was really wise for her to be gloating so leisurely. She was clearly still shaken, and it seemed my Light Magic had damaged her hearing. If it hadn't, she surely would have noticed the roar approaching from the sky.
Two fangs plummeted from the heavens, slamming into the growing Huntsman Spider. Countless shadows swept over the ground.
Seeing them, I almost cried out in shock. I managed to swallow the words so Big Sister Dryades wouldn't notice, but it was hard to stay silent. After all, the figures appearing before me were old friends.
The Huntsman Spider was snatched up by a giant bee monster.
"Where did they come from!?" Big Sister Dryades screamed, finally looking up.
Calling them "they" is a bit rude, don't you think? Those are my precious friends. I had a feeling that with the scent of my nectar drifting so far, they might come to find me just like they used to.
I was so happy to see them again. There was my Lady Knight, Hachi-san, and Madam Butterfly along with the other Tefutefu. The old members of the Forest Circle were all here.
The gang’s all back together. The Forest Circle is revived!
Next time: Alraune vs. Dryades - Part 6.