I am Alraune, a plant-monster young girl.
I was currently locked in battle with Dora-ko, the Dragon Dryades, to protect the Sanctuary. After taking a direct hit from her water laser, I used my innate plant powers to fully regenerate.
Plants might be rooted in place, but in exchange, they possess a staggering regenerative ability that animals could never match!
"Have you... started to appreciate... plants... just a little more?"
"What are you...? I don't care how much of a plant monster you are—regeneration at this speed should be impossible."
Truth be told, I was once a Saint. If I combined a Saint’s light magic with the restorative properties of a plant, a feat like this was easy.
"But you’re just a monster in the end. You can’t possibly regenerate forever, can you? Double Ultra-high-pressure Water Cannon (Zweifachwasserschneidemesser)!"
Twin water lasers erupted from the dragon’s maw. Once again, my body was sliced into pieces.
However, by utilizing Super Recovery Magic, I restored my physical form in an instant.
It was futile. As long as my roots remained, I could come back again and again.
That said, Dora-ko was partially right; I couldn't actually regenerate forever. Thanks to the rain, I had plenty of moisture for growth, but the lack of sunlight was a problem. At this rate, the light energy stored within me would eventually hit zero.
To conserve as much stamina as possible, I consumed my own severed remains. Thanks to that, I felt a small surge of power return to me.
Eating myself was a little off-putting, but I didn't have the luxury of being picky. Besides, perhaps because I had become a plant, such things didn't feel nearly as "wrong" as they would have when I was human.
"Alraune-sama—!"
Fairy Kiri’s voice echoed from above. Looking up, I saw Little Witch—back in her human form—floating alongside Kiri while clutching a large bag.
"What is with that human? How can she fly despite being a mere mortal?" Dora-ko muttered in wonder. After a short pause, her mouth curled into a crescent-shaped smirk. "I see. They’re your companions. In that case, I have no reason to let them live. Ultra-high-pressure Water Cannon (Wasserschneidemesser)!"
"Little Witch, get out of there!"
The water laser streaked toward her. This was bad; if someone as small as Little Witch took a direct hit from that, she wouldn't stand a chance. Her life would be snuffed out in a second!
In response to my warning, Little Witch’s form distorted. She shifted from a human girl into a white bird. Thanks to her smaller profile, she managed to pull off an emergency evasion just as the laser zipped past.
Thank goodness. I thought my heart was going to stop. Well, I didn't actually have a heart since I was a plant, but the sentiment remained.
"Alraune, I brought the stuff!"
Because Little Witch had transformed into a bird, she dropped the bag she had been carrying. It hit the ground and burst open, sending a flurry of yellow feathers fluttering through the air like golden snow.
"What are those feathers supposed to be?" Dora-ko asked.
"This is... my... nutrition."
I used over a dozen vines to snatch the feathers from the air. These belonged to Corona Garuda-Hraesvelgr, the Golden Birdman of the Four Heavenly Kings. After I defeated him, I had asked Kiri to pluck his feathers for me. I’d been saving them to sell later, but I decided to use them now.
After all, these feathers were saturated with the aura of light magic.
Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.
"Don't get cocky just because you ate a few feathers," Dora-ko sneered.
Oh, but I was definitely getting cocky, Dora-ko. Right now, I was fully charged with light magic. This was more than enough to trigger a growth spurt.
I was in such a good mood that I even shouted a catchphrase for my transformation.
"Honey Prism Power, Make Up!"
I was transforming into my adult form!
My roots grew thicker and longer. In response, my bulb swelled and my leaves turned a lush, vibrant green. Red petals unfurled vividly around me. Even the human portion of me—the pistil—began to mature. My young body stretched out, taking on the proportions of a girl. My chest began to curve, gradually gaining roundness.
But sadly, the growth suddenly ground to a halt. My modestly budding chest stopped well short of being "large." It remained the chest of a child.
"I’d say... I’m just over... ten years old."
It seemed I hadn't quite reached adulthood. I was essentially in the middle of my secondary sex characteristics. Compared to the time I had taken several direct hits from the Golden Birdman’s ultra-high-level light magic, the energy from the feathers was much lower. Consequently, I couldn't reach the same level of maturity as before.
Still, going from a young girl to a pre-teen meant my body was larger and my roots could reach much deeper into the soil. I quickly fashioned a vine bra to cover my chest. At this age, being completely naked was simply too embarrassing.
Dora-ko stared at my magnificent transformation, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"That growth speed... it’s not natural for a monster. Just what are you, Alraune?"
"I’m... just... a flower."
I wasn't a Saint anymore, after all. I was just a plant monster.
Well then, now that I’d finished my transformation, it was time to go on the offensive. My upper body only had a bra and my lower half was bare, but I chose to wear a sailor suit in my heart.
"I am the Beautiful Girl Warrior, Sailor Alraune! In the name of nectar, I will punish you!"
"It’s useless even if you’re bigger! Double Ultra-high-pressure Water Cannon (Zweifachwasserschneidemesser)!"
Before Dora-ko could fire her lasers, I produced a Teppou-uri Machine Gun. I had been secretly growing it under the cover of my transformation. I won the quick-draw.
Zupopopopopon!
Countless seed bullets tore through the air toward her. Dora-ko, a beat late, fired her lasers to intercept the seeds instead of aiming at me. Even so, I had the advantage in sheer volume. Over a dozen seeds managed to pierce the dragon's iron-hard hide.
"These seeds don't even sting!"
"Don't... get the wrong idea. The real show... is just beginning."
There isn't just one Beautiful Girl Warrior, you know.
The seeds sprouted simultaneously. Yellow roots forced their way into the wounds, gouging into the dragon's flesh. The bulbs swelled, and tiny flowers bloomed from them.
A garden of Child Alraunes had bloomed all over the dragon.
"Mama—" "Morning—" "What's this? A dragon?" "It's so blue!" "Tastes watery." "Let's take... all the nutrition... from the meat—" "Dragon is yummy—"
The parasitic roots of the Yellow Vampire—the Dodder—began to consume the dragon's body. I hadn't been able to do this against the Golden Birdman, but my current Child Alraunes were strong enough to parasitize even a dragon!
"What is this?! They’re everywhere... what did you do to me, Alraune?!"
"I’ve decided... you’re going to be... the fertilizer... for my children."
Dora-ko’s face twisted in horror. I suppose she didn't like the idea of being drained of her nutrients and turned into a meal.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Dora-ko and I both turned toward it, and the Child Alraunes followed our lead, their eyes all fixing on the source of the noise.
Five humans emerged from the shadows of the trees. They were a party of adventurers, and their faces looked strangely familiar. When I saw one girl in particular, I screamed in my heart.
Nina!
Apprentice Saint Nina was standing right there.