Using the Teppou-uri Machine Gun, I fired a volley of Lion-killer fruit directly into Beast Ogre Mantiger’s open maw. In an instant, his mouth was choked with the spiked fruit.
"A gift, from me to you," I said.
"Gah! Seeds like these... I'll just pull them—ow! They're hooked! I can't get them out!?"
Mantiger struggled, his fingers clawing at the fruit, but it was no use. He couldn't remove them. And for good reason; once a Lion-killer fruit took hold, it stayed.
The fruit's thick thorns were equipped with barbs like fishing hooks. Once they pierced flesh, they were nearly impossible to extract. In a sense, this plant was the natural enemy of even the strongest predators.
The attack usually began when a lion stepped on a fruit on the ground, causing the thorns to dig into its paw. When the beast tried to use its teeth to pull the fruit free, the barbs would sink deep into its mouth instead. Every step and every bite only drove the needles further in. Unable to eat or walk, the lion would eventually starve to death. That was the origin of its name.
Even the "king of beasts" could fall to a plant. By using the predator's struggle to spread its seeds across the land, the plant proved itself to be remarkably cunning.
"If I can't pull them out, I'll just blast them away with the Beast King’s Roar!"
Mana began to coalesce around Mantiger’s mouth once more. It seemed he intended to blow the fruit out—and me along with it. But his efforts were in vain.
"I believe I told you," I reminded him calmly. "These particular Lion-killers are a special breed."
"Wh-what is this?! This plant is draining my mana!?"
These were no ordinary seeds. I had infused them with the Spirit Power known as "Energy Drain." Just like the Mistletoe I had once planted in Witch Queen Kirke’s eye, these plants thrived on mana.
They were siphoning his power directly through the thorns embedded in his flesh. No matter how much mana he tried to gather for his roar, it was all being swallowed up. In fact, I was more than happy to take it all for myself.
"My power... it’s being sucked dry...!"
"I've selectively bred these to absorb mana," I explained. "And the more they drink, the larger they grow."
Through Energy Drain, Mantiger’s mana flowed into the fruit. Nourished by his life force, the Lion-killers expanded. The thorns lengthened, tearing through his skin and gouging deep into his flesh. Having mutated into a form far more lethal than their original state, they had become Manticore-killer fruit.
Mantiger’s face twisted in agony as the plants grew inside him. "This thing... it won't... get it... off me..." he wheezed.
"I decline. You were going to eat Kiri, after all."
And the beast-ear race. I was certain that countless others had already fallen victim to his gluttony. I couldn't allow such a monster to go unpunished.
As a side note, these Lion-killers were actually found by my junior, Amazoness Treant. I wasn't sure where she’d discovered them, as they didn't typically grow near the Dryades’ Forest, but I had more pressing matters to attend to. Amazoness Treant was still waiting outside with the carriage, and it wasn't fair to keep her there too long. I decided to wrap this up quickly.
"Beast Ogre Mantiger-san, you tried to eat my friend. I cannot forgive that. Now, you’ll pay the price."
"Who cares about a stupid fairy?!" he snarled. "And those beast-ears are just slaves! They exist to be eaten by me!"
"You say that because... you've never known what it feels like to be eaten," I said softly.
But I knew. As the Saint Iris, I had been betrayed by my own junior. I had been maimed and fed to a plant monster. I could still vividly recall the terror of being dragged into that gaping maw by relentless vines.
Of course, I was the one on the other side of that equation now. And I intended to let him experience exactly what I had felt.
"Mantiger-san, you think you're the predator here. You're naive. The forest is home to things far more terrifying than you."
I plunged my vines into the earth, connecting to the Alraune Network. Drawing on the nutrients stored within my massive root system, I initiated Plant Generation.
The roof of the Great Tent suddenly ripped open. A massive shadow loomed over the interior.
"Wh-what is that monster!?"
"How rude. This is merely my darling Venus Flytrap."
Since my current potted form was only child-sized, my own monster-mouth—my "lower mouth"—wasn't large enough to swallow him. This giant, tower-like flytrap would serve as my substitute.
"I don't care how big it is! I won't lose to a damn weed—"
"It's time for lunch. Please don't struggle."
Dozens of yellow parasitic roots erupted from the ground, lashing around Mantiger and piercing his skin. This was Dodder, a plant known as the "Yellow Vampire." I drove over a hundred of them into his body.
Stripped of his nutrients, Mantiger shriveled instantly. He was completely neutralized, his body becoming a limp husk. Now, it was time to eat.
"...So this is it..." he whispered. "The power of the Alraune who killed a Four Heavenly King... I should have camped... much further away..."
"You thought you were safe because you were at the edge of the forest," I said. "A mistake, I'm afraid. This entire region is my territory."
The Giant Venus Flytrap lowered its head into the tent. Its twin leaves swung open wide, then snapped shut around Mantiger with a sickening crunch.
"To a... plant... me..." he gasped, before the sound cut off.
I retracted the Giant Venus Flytrap into the earth. It would digest him slowly beneath the soil.
"I hope you enjoy the sensation of being dissolved. It really is quite frightening."
With the nuisance dealt with, the crisis was over. I had Kiri back; I just needed to grab the Mandrake and get out of here.
"Ah... but Rufe is still out cold, isn't she?"
I looked back toward the center of the tent. Katze-san, the princess of the beast-ear race, was staring at me, her eyes shining with adoration.
"Could it be... are you the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune-sama? The one who defeated the Beast King Marticoras?!" she asked breathlessly.
"Yes. That was me."
"I had no idea! Please, forgive my rudeness, nyan!" Katze-san immediately dropped to the floor, prostrating herself before me.
Every other beast-ear girl who had rushed in from outside followed her lead, bowing their heads in reverence. I was a bit bewildered.
"Every beast-ear knows the name of the Crimson Flower Princess who slew our arch-enemy, nyan!"
Their homeland had been destroyed by the Beast King centuries ago, and they had been oppressed ever since. By killing Marticoras, I had apparently become a legendary hero to them without even realizing it.
"But we heard the Crimson Flower Princess was much, much larger, nyan..."
"I can change my size at will," I explained. Mantiger had made the same mistake. In nature, those who are deceived by appearances often pay a heavy price.
Katze-san and her people raised their hands in celebration. "Now that Mantiger is gone, we're free! We finally have our freedom, nyan!"
"What will you do now?" I asked. "Are you going home?"
"Our home was destroyed long ago, nyan. We have nowhere to go..."
They had been living as slaves under Mantiger's heel because they had no other choice.
"There's no place for us in this world, nyan..." Katze-san said sadly.
"...In that case, would you like to live in my forest?"
Alraune's Forest had grown large enough to accommodate a hundred or so residents easily.
"Is that really okay, nyan?"
"I have plenty of land. In return, I'd ask you to help me with my work."
"We will, nyan! We'd be honored to help, nyan!"
Managing the forest and preparing Saint Nectar was mostly all I did, but with more hands, I could probably start a new business or two. I could also help them find work in the Tower City later.
And so, the beast-ear race became part of Alraune's Forest. I'd been wanting more people to help manage the ever-expanding woods anyway; I hadn't even realized there was an enemy camp this close.
As they cheered, I noticed several beastmen lying injured from the previous skirmish. They were still alive, so I decided to show some mercy.
"As a gesture of friendship, have some of my nectar. This will heal your wounds instantly."
"Thank you, nyan! Everyone, come drink the Saint Nectar!"
I had defeated the villain, secured a new home for the beast-ear girls, and rescued my friends. All that was left was to head back to the carriage.
"Wait, what about these beastmen?" I wondered, looking at the ones knocked out by the Mandrake's scream. They were Mantiger's subordinates, but it felt wrong to just leave them for the flytrap. Hopefully, they’d just go home once they woke up.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Heavy thuds echoed as something large approached.
"Reinforcements?" I wondered, tensing up.
The entrance to the tent was suddenly blocked by a wall of shaggy black fur. Something tore through the top of the tent, forcing its way inside.
"Sorry I'm late, kuma! I was looking for a lost beast-ear child, kuma!"
A giant bear stepped into the light—no, a Bear Beastman. He was massive, nearly as tall as Bear-papa.
A small beast-ear child was perched on his shoulder, hugging his head. "Thanks, Unky!" the child chirped.
"It's only natural to help those in need, kuma," the Bear Beastman replied bashfully. They seemed to be on remarkably good terms.
"Huh? Where's the Beast Ogre? And why is everyone on the ground... wait, this smell!?"
The Bear Beastman's nose twitched. He stomped toward me and leaned down, his eyes wide.
"This sweet scent... is this Saint Nectar, kuma?! I-I want some... I can't stand it, kumaaa!"
It seemed that regardless of their species, bears were all the same. Was every bear a nectar-obsessed weirdo?
But this one was different. Instead of trying to lick me, he said something I never expected to hear.
Lion-killer: A plant of the Pedaliaceae family found in the arid regions of South Africa. Its fruit possesses thorns extending in four directions, each tipped with short, sharp barbs. In English, it is known as the "Devil's Claw."
Next time: The Saint Nectar-loving Bear Beastman.