The update on 7/28 will be skipped due to writing deadlines. The next update will be on 8/4. Thank you for your patience.
A plant monster that swallowed Saint Iris whole.
By now, I had fully merged with that floral beast. Its consciousness was gone, yet I could still sense lingering fragments of its presence. That was why I understood, if only just a little.
That flower monster, once weak and insignificant, had evolved into an Alraune when I, a Saint, took over its form. And now, it was on the verge of obtaining a new power once again.
"Hecate-sama, what... exactly is happening?"
"I have dyed you in my colors. I could sense the unpleasant aura of that woman’s light clinging to you."
An aura of darkness began to writhe from Hecate-sama’s fingertips. It swirled outward, enveloping my entire body. Just like when she had transformed a petunia into a mandrake, I felt something massive flooding into my soul.
"I have granted you a portion of my power. I must give a gift to my dear child, after all."
It was an aura of darkness, the polar opposite of light. I felt a vast, terrifying new strength welling up within me. The power swelled all at once, and my body jolted as if an electric current had surged through my veins. As if responding to the stimulus, my corolla opened wide.
"Look, Angel! Behold this Alraune's entranced expression! She is utterly captivated by me."
The dark seed that had existed as a tiny speck within my body—the original power of the plant monster that had owned this form before I became an Alraune—vibrated. I felt that small, primordial spark bloom into something grand. The seed of that power burst open.
"The... power... I can’t hold it back...!"
The forest surged with life. The Alraune's Forest, connected to me through my root system, began to rustle and groan. The change was abrupt and absolute. The parts of the forest that had been destroyed rapidly regenerated, returning to their original state in seconds.
The transformation didn't stop there. The trees of the woods began to grow larger than ever before. Simultaneously, my own power as a monster pulsated with a wild, savage rhythm. I felt a violent, predatory emotion trying to seize control of my mind.
But just before I lost myself, my identity as a Saint stepped in to check the impulse. The light flower that had already bloomed within me stood its ground, acting as a dam against the darkness. My power as a Saint and this newly sprouted strength reached an equilibrium.
It was like Yin and Yang. Two opposing elemental forces were writhing together inside me.
"My body is so hot...!"
The dark magic energy flowed into my system, racing through my entire being via my leaf veins. It was a sensation similar to when I had absorbed the branch of the Big Sister Dryades and obtained spirit power. It felt like something foreign was rampaging inside me, but though it felt alien at first, it soon acclimated to my body. It was as if the light and darkness were mixing, neutralizing into a stable state.
As the internal chaos settled, I noticed the scenery of the sky had changed.
"Before I knew it... it became night!"
Aura of darkness overflowed from Hecate-sama, shrouding the sky in gloom. It should have been far too early for the sun to set, yet night had descended regardless. It was undoubtedly Hecate-sama’s doing.
Then, I noticed the change in my own body.
"Wait... the color of my flower is fading!?"
As the night deepened, parts of my body converted into dark magic energy. My pride-and-joy crimson corolla lost its hue, turning a pristine, ghostly white. That wasn't all. My human skin, which had remained pale no matter how much sunlight I bathed in, had changed to a healthy, sun-kissed wheat color.
"Could it be... my hair, too!?"
My hair, once light green, had turned pure white. I looked just like Hecate-sama. Moreover, since it was now the same hair color as the Little Witch, I felt a small spark of joy at our matching appearance.
As I stood there, stunned by my transformation, Hecate-sama looked at me with a triumphant smirk.
"That flower on your head is the symbol of your spirit power, is it not? I have dyed it in my color."
The red flower growing from my head had indeed turned white. Tanned skin, white hair, and a white flower. It meant I had truly absorbed Hecate-sama's power. I hadn't expected such a drastic change in my appearance, and the shock was overwhelming.
"The power of darkness grows deeper when night falls. Night is my domain; therefore, during the hours of darkness, you, Alraune, are now able to wield a portion of my power. How delightful, truly delightful."
So my body changed because it was night? That suggested I would return to normal once morning came. A flower that changed color between night and day... just like a Cotton Rose.
The Cotton Rose is a flower that changes from white in the morning to pink in the afternoon and crimson at night. My transformation was the exact opposite, going from crimson to white, but the principle felt the same. Regardless, it was a refreshing change of pace.
"But other than my looks, what else has changed?"
One thing was clear: my monster half was hyper-activated. My lower bulb, in particular, felt incredibly energetic! It seemed my fundamental performance as a monster had simply leveled up.
Until now, I had defeated powerful enemies by combining my plant-based abilities with my light magic as a Saint. After absorbing the Big Sister Dryades and obtaining spirit power, my performance as a plant had been pushed to its limit. However, the monstrous capacity of this body—originally just a common flower monster—had never been that high. Beyond having a digestive solution that could melt most things, I hadn't possessed any standout monster traits.
But that latent power had finally awakened.
"As expected of the Alraune I chose. The dark magic energy has settled in without repelling."
"What would have happened if it had repelled?"
"In that case, your body would have likely burst into a thousand pieces. My power cannot be contained by an ordinary monster."
I might have died?! I shot Hecate-sama a look. She hadn't mentioned a single word about it being that dangerous!
"My dark magic energy is powerful, but difficult to master. Whether you end up as a half-baked amateur like Vergissmeinnicht or manage to truly wield it is up to you."
She likely meant that even the Big Sister Dryades hadn't been able to master the full extent of this power. If that was the case, I certainly wouldn't master it here and now. I would just have to do as much as I could.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The roots beneath the soil swelled, bursting through to the surface. Vines and roots blanketed the ground, and the greenery of the forest surged with new growth.
"I don't understand... even though it's night, power is welling up more and more...!"
As a plant, I was usually weak at night since I couldn't perform photosynthesis. My power normally dropped significantly after sunset. And yet, right now, I felt as full of energy as if it were high noon. Even without sunlight to fuel my aura of light, I found myself able to use Plant Generation without any limit.
"With my current self, I might actually be able to stop Pandia-san's magic."
Pandia-san’s Angel's Wings Embrace (Umarmung Engel) was a colossal light magic spell capable of erasing entire sections of the forest. To oppose it, I had to match it with equal mass. I channeled my overflowing power through my roots, propagating it throughout the entire forest.
Pandia-san, however, was not about to wait for me to finish. Spreading her divine wings, she looked down at me from high above.
"You cannot stop my Angel's Wings Embrace (Umarmung Engel) simply because your color changed!"
The massive wings descended from the heavens, closing in to envelop the woods. In her previous attack, a portion of the forest had been gouged out of existence. The explosive roar of that disaster had echoed for miles.
And yet, this time, there was no sound.
The forest was not being shredded or burned by Pandia-san’s attack; it remained completely unscathed. Even as those terrifying wings drew closer, the forest was wrapped in a haunting silence.
"What... what is the meaning of this!?"
Pandia-san’s flustered voice was the only thing echoing through the trees. The difference from the previous attack was undeniable. As the angel's wings drew closer to me, passing through the canopy, they were visibly shrinking in size.
"Could it be... the plants of the forest are absorbing the aura of light from her spell?"
As a Former Saint, I could absorb light magic through my plant body. However, that had always been limited to my main Alraune form. When she had used the Angel's Wings Embrace (Umarmung Engel) before, the trees connected to my roots were outside that protection. My peripheral plants hadn't been able to absorb light magic.
But now, I was easily absorbing her magic using the entire forest as a conduit. I could feel every single tree as clearly as if they were my own fingers. I could use the forest better than I ever had before.
My potential as a monster had improved, and because of that, my plant-based abilities as a Former Saint had evolved as well. The dark magic energy had served to strengthen the light magic energy!
And yet, this power of darkness had only shown me a fraction of its true capability. Just how strong had I become?
At the very least, I knew this much. Even if my opponent was an Angel, and even if that Angel unleashed a light magic spell of legend—
"In my forest, light magic no longer works!"
Cotton Rose: A member of the Malvaceae family. It is known for changing color throughout the day. It starts white in the morning, turns pink at noon, and becomes red at night before withering. It is called "Sui-fuyou" (Drunken Hibiscus) because the color change resembles a person becoming intoxicated.
Next time: White Alraune.