The wings of light Priest Pandia unleashed were swallowed whole by the black point Hecate had conjured.
It was like a miniature black hole.
The world was truly vast. Until this moment, I’d had no idea such overwhelming power even existed. In the presence of these two, humans seemed like nothing more than tiny, insignificant specks.
──How well could I hold my own against them right now?
I took some pride in how strong I had become, and as I watched them, I didn't feel like the gap between us was completely insurmountable. Just as they could perform the impossible, I, too, was capable of the extraordinary. Precisely because I had become a plant monster instead of a human, my options had expanded—I could do things that would have been unthinkable back when I was a Saint.
"Well, Alraune? Surprised by the sight of my power?"
Hecate-sama puffed out her chest slightly as she asked. She looked for all the world like a child waiting for a parent’s praise after finishing a chore, and I knew exactly how to respond.
"I was stunned! It’s incredible what you can do... Hecate-sama, you’re amazing!"
"A lovely child indeed, to recognize my greatness. As a reward, I shall stroke your head further."
Wait, is this person... actually a bit of a pushover? She seemed to have a real soft spot for me, perhaps because I was a monster. Her physical affection was incredibly intense, though she did insist on treating me like a toddler.
Still, my appreciation for her power was genuine. And that only made me more curious. Who was Hecate-sama? How could she possess power that eclipsed even an Angel? How was she able to give birth to monsters?
As these questions filled my mind, Hecate-sama’s movements suddenly ground to a halt.
"Umu. I am a bit weary. In truth, I am utterly exhausted."
"Eh?"
Hecate-sama leaned her weight against me. What happened all of a sudden?
"This vessel is still young. It seems it cannot yet fully withstand the weight of my power."
"V-Vessel? Putting that aside, are you alright?"
"I am tired. I can move no more."
Hecate-sama buried her head in my chest. There was something undeniably childlike about her; she was almost... cute. Just as my impression of her was shifting, the familiar, sweet scent of nectar wafted from her hair.
──Wait, this scent?
"Hecate-sama, by any chance... are you using Saint Hair Tonic?"
"Saint Hair Tonic? What is that? I know not of it."
Whether she was being honest or not, Hecate-sama simply mumbled, "I am at my limit. So sleepy," and rubbed her face against my chest. I couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. Where had the aura of a supreme being gone?
Pandia-san, however, was not about to miss this opening.
"This is a fine opportunity."
Pandia-san raised her hands toward the sky. It was the same motion as before—she was going to use that magic again!
"Alraune-san, move away from Hecate at once. You will be caught in the crossfire."
"Even if you say that..."
I was a plant; I couldn't exactly run! Well, technically, I could abandon this body and teleport to another clone, but I couldn't just leave this person huddled against me to die.
Hecate-sama had called herself the "Ally of All Monsters." At the very least, she wasn't an enemy to the current me. Furthermore, she was the one who had brought the Mandrake into the world. In a sense, that Mandrake was like a child shared between Hecate-sama and me. I didn't know who she really was, but I didn't want her to die before my eyes.
──Besides, she looked exactly like Rufe.
She bore an uncanny resemblance to the Little Witch. If she died here, I felt like I would be haunted by the illusion that Rufe herself had been killed. For some reason, I could sense the Little Witch's presence emanating from her.
I couldn't abandon her. My intuition was screaming at me.
"Pandia-san, could you... please let her go?"
The only thing I could do was plead with her as a friend. I desperately hoped we could settle this peacefully.
"…………I see. So, Alraune-san, you truly have taken the side of the monsters."
Pandia-san looked down at me, her expression thick with sorrow. I had never seen her look so sad.
"When we first met, I sensed a Saint’s presence within you."
I remembered her saying something strange back then. Something about how "once one has fallen, only emptiness remains."
"I do not know your circumstances, nor why you turned from a Saint into a monster. But when we spoke, I saw that your heart was still human. That is why I became your friend... and yet..."
Hearing that confirmed it. Pandia-san had known all along that I was a Former Human Saint.
"Therefore, as your friend, I will say this one last time. If your heart has not turned to that of a monster along with your body, hand over Hecate."
".................."
My friend or Hecate-sama. If I were asked which was more important, I would choose Pandia-san, my long-time friend. But it wasn't that simple.
Friends were important, but I had a family to protect now. I thought of the White Bird who had saved me when I was all alone. Since then, Rufe and I had shared everything. I was determined to protect the Little Witch, no matter the cost.
So, I’m sorry, Pandia-san. I can't abandon this woman.
Because I can feel Rufe within her.
The scent of her hair confirmed it. It smelled of the sweet shampoo I had made from my own nectar. And yet, she claimed not to know what Saint Hair Tonic was. Then there was that cryptic word: "vessel." I didn't understand the mechanics of it, but I had a hypothesis—Hecate-sama and the Little Witch were one and the same.
The Little Witch loved that shampoo. If this body belonged to her, the scent made sense. It also explained why I had mistaken Hecate-sama for her when she first arrived. But the clincher was the basket Hecate-sama was carrying. It was the same one the Little Witch used every morning to collect eggs.
The circumstantial evidence was overwhelming: Hecate was using Rufe's body.
I had never heard of magic that could possess a person, but for an extraordinary being like Hecate-sama, it didn't seem impossible. If she were killed here and Rufe never returned, the guilt would destroy me. I would never stop regretting it.
I had to protect Hecate-sama. At least until I knew for sure where Rufe was.
"I'm sorry, Pandia-san. I have a reason... a reason why I must protect her!"
It was heartbreaking to realize that mere differences in position were forcing friends to fight.
"But Pandia-san, you're important to me, too! So please, just withdraw!"
"…………It pains me to strike a friend, but I have no choice. This is for the sake of all humanity."
With those words, my last hope withered. A massive pillar of light descended from the heavens, and once again, the enormous Angel's Wings materialized, spanning the entire sky. The legendary Light Magic, Angel's Wings Embrace (Umarmung Engel), was about to fall.
"At the very least, this will destroy Hecate’s physical form. It should be centuries before she can manifest again."
Pandia-san’s eyes were filled with an unshakable resolve. She was truly going to kill us.
"Pandia-san, stop! Please!"
"Alraune-san, I am an Angel. For the sake of my Lord God, I must cast aside all personal feelings. That is the nature of my kind."
I knew that was the case, but I hadn't expected it to come to this. Even if this body was vaporized, I likely wouldn't die—my consciousness would just shift to another clone. But Hecate-sama was in genuine danger. I didn't have the strength to stop that spell on my own. I needed her to block it like she had before.
"Hecate-sama, please! Do the thing you did earlier!"
"Impossible. I have no strength left."
"You're joking, right?"
"I am not. This body has reached its limit."
She really couldn't do it! We were completely cornered!
The Angel's Wings slowly descended, accompanied by the deafening roar of the forest being crushed under the pressure. We were out of time. I had to do something!
"If I use the Dark Vault (Schwarzes Loch) again, this body will shatter. I cannot allow the vessel I worked so hard to manifest to break so soon... However, I have another idea."
Hecate-sama sat up. Her hair fluttered, and that sweet scent of the Little Witch tickled my nose.
"It is for the sake of protecting this body. Very well—I shall share my power with you, Alraune."
"Your power?"
"This body can no longer move, but if I use the last of my reserves, it should suffice. I shall grant you my blessing. Use it to protect me."
A darkness like the midnight sky began to ooze from Hecate-sama. Just as it had when the Mandrake was born, an Aura of Darkness enveloped me.
"You use light energy to draw out the strength of plants, claiming the Spirit Power as your own. But you have yet to master your nature as a monster. Therefore, for your sake, my lovely child, I shall give you a helping hand."
As the Aura of Darkness wrapped around me, a strange sensation surged through my entire being. I could feel my monster half crying out in triumph. It was hungrily accepting Hecate-sama’s power.
"You are lucky, Alraune. In the last thousand years, those who have received my blessing can be counted on one hand."
A staggering amount of Power of Darkness—the kind that could turn ordinary plants into monsters—poured into me. Something new was stirring. My Monster Power was finally awakening.