Thank you all so much for waiting! (ノ◇≦。)
I’m Alraune, a plant monster girl.
I was currently in the middle of a battle against the Witch Queen and her forces, who were laying waste to both the forest and the city.
The Witch Queen had mentioned that she had hidden witches within the city as well, claiming the streets would be a sea of fire at any moment.
No matter how much the Little Witch—who could fly through the sky—tried to help, there was a limit to what one person could do. That was why I had to lend a hand.
My roots permeated the entirety of Tower City. I had already pinpointed exactly where the suspicious individuals were hiding.
"Found... you."
I sprouted Venus Flytraps throughout the city and began capturing the intruders.
One after another, the traps clamped down on the attackers, restraining them. As long as I kept the witches pinned, the Corporal, Drink Bar-san, and the others in the city would surely be able to handle the rest.
In this life, I had humans I could call dependable friends. I was no longer the creature I used to be—back when I was feared by adventurers as a mindless, man-eating monster!
Perhaps finding my internal monologue strange, the Witch Queen tilted her head as if she had discovered something amusing.
"Nyahaha, Crimson Flower Princess-chan. What did you find, nya?"
"It has... nothing... to do... with you."
"Saying it’s none of my business is so cold. But if it’s unrelated, then I suppose that’s fine~"
With that, the Witch Queen looked up at the sky significantly.
Just as she had said, fires had been set in the city, but if the Little Witch used her black magic to call down the rain, the flames would be brought under control. I could leave the city to her and the others.
That meant all that remained for me to do was defeat the enemy before my eyes.
I had already captured all the witches who had been disguised as animals in the forest. Only three remained: the Witch Queen, her Assistant, and the skinhead man.
My cousin, Vol-nii, had told me to leave the Witch Queen’s Assistant to him. Newbie Saint Nina was currently dealing with the mercenary-like skinhead man. If I could repel the Witch Queen while those two bought me time, the tide of this battle would surely shift in our favor.
That said, despite her cute cat-ear hat, the Witch Queen radiated an aura of intimidation that was unimaginable given her appearance. I felt a pressure even greater than that of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"It’s been since the time Dryad Vergissmeinnicht-chan was defeated that I’ve played with you like this, Crimson Flower Princess-chan~. I wonder how much you’ve grown? Will you entertain me?"
The Witch Queen’s pure white hair floated upward softly. Simultaneously, the environment surrounding the forest transformed in an instant.
"Nyahaha! First, as a greeting: Storm Magic, 'Downpour'—Nassauer!"
A localized torrent, as if a bucket were being overturned in the heavens, assaulted the forest. Water was a gift to a plant, but this was a volume that threatened to cause a flood.
"Next, Storm Magic: 'Ice Rain'—Graupel."
The chilled rain transformed into shards of ice in the blink of an eye. The forest’s movements ground to a halt, as if we had suddenly plunged into an ice age.
However, for someone who had defeated a Frost Golem, an attack of this level was trivial. Using the power of the Skunk Cabbage to generate my own heat, I then utilized the Rockrose's ability to ignite myself.
I created bonfires around Vol-nii and Nina, who looked frozen, and used just enough firepower to melt the ice on the trees without starting a forest fire!
"Ice magic... does not... work... on me... you know?"
"So it seems~. In that case, Crimson Flower Princess-chan, do you know about this, nya?"
The Witch Queen lightly lifted her cat-ear hat with her index finger and smirked.
"When flames are born, the flow of air changes, you see?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. Centered on the Witch Queen, a swirling wind began to rise.
"Witches who fly freely through the sky are well-versed in the laws of the heavens."
Tree branches snapped and splintered, soaring into the air. The wind gradually intensified into a tornado, swallowing everything in the vicinity.
"Don't tell me... an updraft!?"
"Oh my, you're quite knowledgeable for an Alraune. Then do you know what’s about to happen next, nya?"
Before I knew it, dark clouds had blotted out the sun. A massive cumulonimbus cloud had formed directly above the forest.
"Isn't this... a bit... too big...?"
I had never seen anything like it. It was a sight I had never experienced during my time as a Saint or in my previous life as a high school girl.
Intense wind and rain slammed into my body with the roar of a typhoon. Then, the pitch-black cloud, large enough to swallow the entire forest, connected with the tornado.
"Nyahaha! Storm Magic, 'Storm Disaster'—Turbulenz—is complete~!"
Along with strikes of lightning, countless tornadoes descended from the sky. A surreal, apocalyptic landscape spread out before me.
"To think... you used... my flames... to create... a storm."
I had been played.
The Witch Queen knew I would survive being frozen. Predicting that I would produce flames as a countermeasure, she had manipulated my very movements to her advantage.
"I’m a witch who has lived for a very long time, so I know all sorts of things~. Even so, I’m curious as to why a plant like you would know about updrafts."
The Witch Queen questioned me as she slowly drifted upward using Levitation Magic.
"Tell me, Crimson Flower Princess-chan, who exactly are you?"
Sharp tornadoes flying in from above forcibly uprooted the trees. Since every plant in this forest was connected to me, it felt as though my own body was being torn to pieces. It was terrifying.
While watching parts of myself—the trees—be swept violently into the sky, the Witch Queen continued.
"An irregular power exceeding that of spirits, a recovery ability greater than a Saint's, and knowledge that shouldn't be possible for an Alraune... At the very least, you aren't just a normal monster, are you?"
"I am... just... a plant... monster."
"It’s impossible for a mere plant monster to give the Witch Queen this much trouble. That’s why I’m certain now of your true identity."
Could it be? Had my identity as Saint Iris been exposed?
I felt the illusion of a heart thumping wildly against my ribs as I waited for her next words.
"That appearance and those abilities... you obtained them all from Saint Iris, didn't you?"
My name hung in the air. I desperately suppressed my vines to keep them from twitching.
"Crimson Flower Princess-chan, aren't you the plant monster that ate Saint Iris?"
The Witch Queen fixed me with a sharp, piercing gaze. She spoke with absolute conviction.
"You stole Saint Iris's knowledge and power and evolved into an Alraune. Am I wrong, nya?"
The Witch Queen's deduction was technically accurate. It was true that I was the plant monster that had consumed Iris. However, she was wrong about one fundamental thing.
While a plant monster had indeed eaten Saint Iris, I—the Alraune—was Saint Iris herself.
"I don't... know... what... you're talking... about."
"Are you playing dumb, or do you just not understand? Either way, it’s fascinating. An Alraune that ate Saint Iris and stole her power—I haven't seen such a rare material in hundreds of years."
The Witch Queen licked her lips like a cat, looking at me as if I were a mere object.
"Calling me... a material... isn't that... cruel?"
"No matter how strong you are, the fact that you're a plant Alraune doesn't change. To me, you're just a material. Even so, to think the sample of Saint Iris I gave up on back then would fall into my hands like this... this is the peak of a witch's joy~."
The Witch Queen laughed, miming the motion of stirring a large pot.
"After all, Saint Iris was a monster with power comparable to the first Saint. Even if it was necessary to ensure her death, I thought it was a waste to kill her just like that."
"......Just... like that?"
Something snagged in my mind. The way she spoke... it sounded as if she had been there at the end.
"Do you... have some... connection... to Iris's... death?"
"Nyahaha, I’m not telling~. But I will tell you this much."
The Witch Queen pointed to her right eye with a boastful smirk.
"I saw it. I saw the scene of Saint Iris being miserably devoured by a plant monster with these very eyes."
My vision blurred.
In that moment, the roar of the storm seemed to vanish, replaced by a deafening, hollow silence.
Everyone, thank you so, so, so, so much for waiting for this update!!
I am truly sorry for the delay m( )m
A lot of things piled up at once, and I feel terrible that it took so long to get the next chapter to you. I’m going to do my best to update regularly from here on out (｀・ω・´)
I’m aiming for at least one update a week, so please stay tuned.
Also, thank you so much for all your support for the manga! Thanks to you, Volume 3 was released on March 23rd!!
The fact that I can continue to share the world of "Plant Monster Girl Diary" is entirely due to the support of all my readers.
Thank you again. I’ll keep working hard on the updates, so please continue to support the series!
Next time: The Witch Queen and Saint Iris.