I was Alraune, a giant plant monster girl.
Having grown the Rafflesia blooming beneath my bulb to kaiju proportions, I stood my ground against Big Sister Dryades, who had undergone her Divine Tree Transformation.
My original Alraune body sat small and nestled atop the Rafflesia, which had swelled until it was larger than a baseball dome. Based on appearances alone, I felt like I could have been a villainous creature from an old anime or a kaiju movie. I remembered seeing beautiful women fused with monsters in those stories; both Big Sister Dryades and I fit that description perfectly now.
I’d often heard that growing giant was a "lose flag" in those scenarios, but I wondered what happened when both the hero and the villain grew to massive proportions.
Regardless, blooming such a massive Rafflesia caused a thick cloud of yellow gas to billow from my body into the sky. In nature, a Rafflesia emits a putrid stench when it flowers. It uses that odor to lure flies, which then carry its pollen to facilitate pollination.
However, as a maiden, I couldn't allow such a foul stench to emanate from my own body. If I did, Little Witch would surely call me "stinky" and refuse to come near me again. I was resolutely opposed to such a fate!
Consequently, I had used selective breeding to modify my Rafflesia, transforming the rot into a lovely, floral fragrance. Since I could even modify my own biology like this, my body really was quite convenient.
The moment a Rafflesia blooms, it scatters its scent into the surroundings. Thus, this Modified Rafflesia unleashed my own personal floral perfume. With a heavy whoosh, the yellow gas surged into the sky. I felt like a significant amount of transpired nectar had leaked out along with the scent, but I figured it was fine. Everyone would surely prefer a sweet aroma over a foul one.
By the time my flower had fully opened, my attack had already begun.
The branches of the Divine Tree that had been veiling the sky withered, crumbling into tatters as they fell. Seeing this, Big Sister Dryades glared at me, her composure breaking into a panic.
"My branches... they’re withering! Princess, just what have you done!?"
I hadn't done anything particularly special. If I had to put it into words, I suppose I was simply borrowing a bit of her body.
In reality, the Rafflesia—famous for its massive flowers—is a parasitic plant. Specifically, it is a holoparasitic plant, much like the dodder. It lacks leaves and stems, and it doesn't even perform photosynthesis. A Rafflesia grows solely on the nutrients it drains from its host.
Normally, Rafflesia species parasitize plants in the grape family. However, when I had predated upon one, I used selective breeding to ensure it could parasitize other types of trees as well. In blooming this Giant Rafflesia, I was doing exactly what its smaller counterparts did.
Beneath the soil, I had burrowed thin, thread-like parasitic roots into the root system of the Divine Tree. By draining the light energy from the Hero's Helmet and simultaneously siphoning the Divine Tree’s own nutrients, I had managed to grow this large.
Big Sister Dryades’s branches were withering because I was draining her dry. Even the buds that had been on the verge of blooming now looked shriveled and weak.
The Divine Tree’s nutrients were quite delicious. Thank you for the meal!
"This sensation... you’re draining my power through the roots, aren't you? You certainly are capable of some clever tricks."
"I. Am. Honored. To. Receive. Your. Praise."
Big Sister Dryades had been so preoccupied with her own growth that she hadn't noticed my tiny parasitic roots. I had taken full advantage of that oversight!
"Fine then! No matter how much of my power you steal to grow, I am the Dryades who rules over all plants! There is no way I will lose to a mere plant monster!"
Branches resembling the arms of a giant reached out from the Divine Tree. To counter them, I used Plant Generation to create massive Gajumaru roots. I used the giant Gajumaru to execute a tightening attack, coiling around the Divine Tree’s limbs.
"It seems our strength is equal. You truly are a terrifying Alraune."
Equal? No, I was actually being pushed back. It seemed I still lacked the raw power necessary to truly rival the Divine Tree. I needed more...!
I squeezed every drop of light energy I could from the Hero's Helmet within me. At the same time, I used the Rafflesia to greedily guzzle down the Divine Tree’s nutrients. This sudden surge of growth caused the Gajumaru to swell further. Now as thick as the Divine Tree’s main trunk, the Gajumaru crushed Big Sister Dryades’s branches.
"Just how far do you intend to grow!?" she screamed.
With her branches shattered, I moved on to the main trunk.
Gajumaru Tightening Attack!
...No, it was too solid. I wouldn't be able to deal significant damage immediately unless I hit it with something harder.
In that case, I would extend a giant vine and lash it against the trunk with everything I had! By utilizing centrifugal force, I could multiply its destructive power many times over. I generated a long, thick vine and wound up for a massive horizontal strike.
CRASH!
Wait... I felt the vine hit something just now. Immediately after, the sound of something shattering echoed from the direction of Tower City behind me.
I looked back and realized, to my horror, that the Goddess Tower—the city’s landmark that had stood there moments ago—was gone.
H-Had I... really just done that?
I extended a vine toward the site of the tower and managed to snag something long and heavy. Dreading the truth, I pulled the object into the forest. Held within my vine was the upper half of the tower, still wreathed in flames.
What was I going to do? I had destroyed the Goddess Tower!
Goddess, I’m so sorry!
I was a former Saint, yet I had committed such a disgraceful act. I was fairly certain that in the long history of the Church, I was the only Saint to ever accidentally demolish the Goddess Tower.
As I clasped my hands together in a silent prayer of apology to the Goddess, Big Sister Dryades spoke up, her voice laced with bewilderment.
"What is the meaning of this? That is the prayer of the human Church. Why would a mere plant monster like you know that? More importantly, why would an Alraune be praying to the Goddess Tower in the first place?"
Ordinarily, a common monster wouldn't pray to a monument of the human faith. My behavior must have looked incredibly bizarre to her.
"I. Saw. Humans. Praying. And. Learned. From. Them."
Even as I offered that excuse, she seemed to be deep in thought, barely listening. Then, as if a realization had struck her, she continued.
"No matter how much energy you absorbed by eating a Saint, I don't believe a simple plant monster could master the Hero's Helmet so completely. Furthermore, you manipulated that apprentice Saint to fire high-level light magic... and then there's your identical appearance..."
Her expression shifted as she reached a sudden conclusion. She stared intently into my eyes.
"Princess... could you actually be Saint Iris herself?"
"......Hehe, I wonder."
I gave her a seductive, mysterious smile and glanced down at the Treant and the younger Lady Dryades on the ground far below. Since Big Sister Dryades and I were both giant, our voices shouldn't reach them. This conversation was for our ears alone.
"As. Long. As. My. Heart. As. A. Saint. Remains. Within. Me. I. Cannot. Let. An. Evil. Spirit. Run. Wild."
"So you really are Saint Iris... but why has a Saint become an Alraune!?"
I wanted to know that myself. It wasn't exactly a career choice I’d made. Still, compared to simply dying, I was grateful that my life had been preserved, even if it was as a plant monster.
"Saint Iris, what is your goal?"
My goal? Well, that was simple.
"To. Spend. A. Quiet. Plant. Life. While. Photosynthesizing."
I had died once as a Saint... as a human. I understood that this body was now entirely plant-based. Having reincarnated as a seed so many times, I was certain I could never be human again. And while being unable to walk was inconvenient, I had grown fond of this body. I had even found a family-like circle of people who loved me because I was an Alraune.
"In that case, won't you join me after all? If you love plants so much, let’s wipe out the humans and build a Kingdom of Plants together."
"I. Love. Humans."
It was true that a human had betrayed and killed me. That betrayal was the reason I was a monster now. Even so, I still loved humans like Little Witch and Nina. I would never walk the same path as Big Sister Dryades, who sought to exterminate humanity.
I had revealed my identity because I had made my choice. It was a declaration that I would end her existence here and now.
"You. Know. My. Secret."
Therefore, I couldn't let her leave. If the Demon King's Army or the rest of humanity found out that Saint Iris was still alive—and that she was now a plant monster—it would cause nothing but trouble.
Big Sister Dryades, it's too late for regrets. My secrets are expensive. As payment for this revelation, I’ll be taking everything you have.
Rafflesia: A parasitic plant of the Rafflesiaceae family. Primarily found in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia. When first discovered, it was feared as a "man-eating flower."
The long battle between the two was finally reaching its climax.
Next time: Alraune vs. Dryades - Part 9.