◆ Kingdom of Normitz – Rural Area ◆
“Now, finish it!”
At the command of one of the Three Sisters of Flowers, the plant monsters began their assault using various means. Petals fluttered down, only to be launched like blades with the force of a gale. A humanoid tree monster showered us with what seemed to be a highly toxic liquid, while employing earth-based magic and a plethora of attack methods. I really wish they would refrain from using that poisonous liquid. If it gets scattered across the fields, the crops will be ruined.
【The Death Flower unleashed a barrage of petal blades! Lua took no damage!】
【Junude cast Badge Stone! Lua took no damage!】
【The Venom Flower released a torrent of venom! Lua nullified the poison!】
Large rocks, petals, and venom. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s certainly not pleasant.
【Lua’s attack!】
In truth, plant monsters can be quite troublesome. There were similar flower-like specters in the Abyss Cave, but they excelled at inflicting Status Ailments and could regenerate from minor damage in no time. When I lacked resistance to those ailments, it was a real struggle. It’s easy to overlook them when you can win through sheer force. It’s only after being tripped up by a Status Ailment that you realize the danger they pose.
【Dealt 501,499 damage to the horde of monsters!】
But that was all in the past. Now, I can obliterate them without being caught. Sixteen monsters? A piece of cake. I might trample a bit of the field, but with a few swift steps, I can slash through them effortlessly. Sometimes I wonder if there are better ways to express that “swish” sound, but honestly, this is the only thing that comes to mind.
【Defeated 8 Venom Flowers! HP 0/620】
【Defeated 2 Death Flowers! HP 0/1020】
【Defeated 6 Junudes! HP 0/795】
“…! Huh, what?”
Just moments ago, the Three Sisters had been brimming with confidence, but now they were desperately scanning the area where the plant monsters had turned to dust. It seems they can’t see my movements either. If even the Twelve Demon Generals can’t manage that, it’s no surprise. Of course, Lafoule wouldn’t be able to either. She was pouting, her jaw jutting out, breathing heavily, muttering a slew of curses.
“Hey, aren’t you part of the Demon Lord Army? You’re one of the Twelve Demon Generals, right?”
“Don’t call us so casually, you little brat! Don’t you dare touch Lady Lafoule!”
“You better not think we’re the same as those weaklings from earlier, no matter what skills you used!”
“And the real fun is just beginning.”
One of the sisters raised her hand high, and it began to stretch into a vine, reaching for the sky. The vines intertwined, standing upright as they coiled around each other. But they didn’t seem to be setting anything up.
“Well, it sounds like the town is in chaos…”
Someone glanced toward the road leading to the town. Faint screams could be heard—more than just one or two, but a multitude. The panic was so intense that it was hard to tell whether the cries belonged to adults or children. There was only one possible cause for this situation.
“Ahahaha! It’s begun!”
“Could it be that the monsters are attacking our subordinates…?”
“Who knows?”
What I need to do now is clear: defeat the Three Sisters and Lafoule, then rush to save the townsfolk. That’s all there is to it.
“I’ve got a good idea, Tulip, Laventa.”
“…Understood, Sister Baara!”
After a brief consultation, the three of them transformed into vine forms, narrowing down and disappearing as if being absorbed into the ground. It took me a few seconds to realize they had escaped.
“Ahaha! Then you can die here!”
【Lafoule has appeared! HP 8,300/8,300】
Her arms had transformed into plant-like tendrils, branching out from her thighs like roots burrowing into the ground. Leaves adorned her shoulders like armor, and her body was entwined with a trunk-like form. It was an eerie sight that immediately conveyed her readiness for battle.
“Now, witness my power!”
【Lua’s attack! Dealt 484,910 damage to Lafoule!】
Lafoule has been defeated! HP 0/8,300
I don’t know what she was planning, but now is not the time to deal with her. I swung my sword with all my might, ensuring not a single leaf remained to regenerate. With Lafoule defeated, I could now head to the town and take care of the remaining minions.
“Lua-chan, I’m coming too!”
“Roel, stay here! If more monsters appear, those people will be in danger!”
“Y-You’re right… Okay! Just make sure to wipe them all out!”
The kings were left dumbfounded by the swift sequence of events where I obliterated the monsters in an instant. Roel’s casual remark about wiping them all out and my easy acceptance of it probably left them bewildered as well. Sure, I could wipe them out, but I had no idea how many there were. The Three Sisters were definitely a cut above the rest, so I needed to prioritize taking them down, starting with locating them.
“Is that girl really a human…?”
Just before I took off running, I thought I heard the king mutter something rude, but I was used to that by now.
◆ Kingdom of Normitz – Town Square ◆
【The Venom Flower has appeared! HP 620】
“Uwaaaaa! What the hell is this? A cute girl turned into a monster?!”
From the frantic state of the scruffy-looking man, I could roughly imagine what had happened. I stood in front of a man who was frozen in fear, unable to move, and swiftly dealt with the monster.
【Dealt 514,720 damage to the Venom Flower! Venom Flower has been defeated! HP 0/620】
“Ah, th-thank you…?”
His words were so disjointed that they barely resembled gratitude, but I didn’t mind. I couldn’t linger here any longer.
“It’s dangerous, so you should head to that field over there. It’s safe there.”
“Are you an Adventurer? And I’m not an old man, I’m twenty, you know!”
I brushed off his irrelevant information and leaped onto a rooftop. Just looking out from this two-story house didn’t give me a clear picture of what was happening. If only there were taller buildings, but unlike the Kingdom of Avangarde, this place had a somewhat antiquated feel, and some houses looked like they were just draped with large cloths.
I couldn’t tell if they were poor, but overall, it didn’t seem as clean as the Kingdom of Avangarde. This country only had a cluster of inn-like buildings at the entrance, surrounded by fields, fields, and occasionally houses. It seemed like if I searched this area, the rest would be easy.
“Where are the Three Sisters…? Ha!”
I accidentally jumped too high, almost able to see all the way to the distant Kingdom of Avangarde, but thanks to that, I spotted the location of the Three Sisters.
There they were in the square, attempting to kill the very people who had cheered for them. The three were surrounding a man, wrapping him up one by one with tendrils sprouting from their arms. It was disgusting, and I couldn’t bear to watch, but I couldn’t just stand by and let them scream for help.
“Why are you doing this, Baara-chan?! There has to be some trick to this, right? Let him go!”
“Oh? Didn’t you say you wanted to be bound and trampled by me?”
“To lust after Sister Baara is quite the ugly pig. Stay like a pig and be easy to eat.”
“Ku ku ku…”
“Take this!”
As I descended vertically from a nearby building, I slashed at the tendrils that had ensnared the fat man. When I caught him as he fell, I felt something sticky. Sweat.
The moment I caught a whiff of the sour smell, I dropped the man I was holding. I felt bad for the short scream he let out, but I hoped he would take a proper bath next time to avoid such situations. I should also make sure to bathe without being lazy.
“Oh my, have you already caught on?”
“I’ve already defeated Lafoule. If you surrender…”
“Do you think we would?”
Despite my declaration of having defeated Lafoule, the Three Sisters wore smug smiles, brimming with confidence.
And just like the plant monsters I fought in the fields, these three began to transform before my eyes. Baara’s body morphed into a thorny stem adorned with roses, while Tulip’s form became a slender stalk, her head splitting into four parts that turned into petals—a massive flower resembling pursed lips.
Laventa transformed into a flower monster covered in countless petals, while Baara twisted her thorn-covered stem like a rose serpent. They had fully embraced their monstrous forms and were ready to battle me.
【Thorn Queen Baara has appeared! HP 2,570】
【Sucking Flower Princess Tulip has appeared! HP 2,240】
【Fragrant Flower Maiden Laventa has appeared! HP: 2130】
“Not all beautiful things have thorns; rather, it’s the thorny things that are beautiful.”
“I will drain every last bit of you.”
“Sleep, embraced by the fragrant flowers.”
With its thorn-covered tendrils writhing, it began to stretch and contract. Just as I thought it wouldn’t involve the townsfolk, a fiery arrow pierced through Baara’s red petals. Baara shrieked as the petals ignited. The flames extinguished quickly, but judging by the way Baara’s serpentine body writhed, it had taken quite a toll.
An arrow engulfed in flames—whose skill could that be? Were there adventurers besides us…?
“Long time no see, Rua!”
That voice was familiar. It wasn’t the one who shot the arrow; it belonged to her older sister. The polite and measured tone belonged to the eldest of the Three Sisters, who had never truly bowed to the malicious Gametz Trading Company.
【Mai has unleashed Arrow Fire! Dealt 319 damage to Thorn Queen Baara! HP: 2251/2570】
“Yes! Arrow Fire hit! It’s super effective against plant-type monsters!”
Mai’s bright and cheerful demeanor shone through. Behind her, a small girl, Mi, hid in the shadow of her sister. The fledgling adventurers I had met in Queemil were now standing here, delivering a blow to Baara right before my eyes.
“Why are you three here?”
“We stopped by on our way back from a request. But then we saw the chaos and couldn’t just ignore it.”
“Ugh, you wouldn’t believe how many creepy flowers attacked us on the way here!”
【Mai Level: 30 Class: Light Hunter Rank: B】
“You’ve gotten stronger… but a Light Hunter, huh?”
“I was aiming to be a Sniper at first, but I kept failing the bow guild’s tests… So I thought it might be better to hone my skills on my own, haha…”
Now that I think about it, there are independent guilds for each class, and if you pass their tests, you can advance to a higher class. Maybe I should aim to become a Sword Master too. Still, Mai’s unique class as a Light Hunter sounds pretty impressive. I can’t keep being just a Swordfighter forever.
“Enough chit-chat, you two. Those three are likely the bosses of the plants. Rua, could you leave this to us?”
“You guys? I think it might be tough…”
“Don’t worry. I don’t feel like we can lose to those three, and you’re the only one who can wipe out the monsters rampaging through the town. Now, hurry up!”
“Really? I can trust you, right?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t just stand by and watch that exchange. The alluring sweet scent released by Laventa undoubtedly contained the effects of Status Ailments.
“You think you can win just by listening quietly? Shall I plant the seeds of a Venom Flower inside you while you’re still alive?”
【Fragrant Flower Maiden Laventa has released a Sleep Aroma!】
“Mi, please!”
【Mi’s Safety Rain! The party is now protected from Status Ailments once!】
【Mi Level: 29 Class: Medical Rank: B】
The droplets released by Mi, who nodded silently, fell upon the three of them. Upon closer inspection, they looked like droplets but were actually shimmering particles of light. They enveloped the three and then vanished as if absorbed. I had never seen magic like this before.
“It… it doesn’t work?! Could it be resistance?”
“I can see right through what plant-type monsters excel at.”
“Indeed.”
Mai spoke on behalf of Mi. She still hid behind her sisters, but her fighting spirit was evident. The frail girl who had once wet herself in front of monsters was nowhere to be found. All three of them could fight. They showed me that. Mai silently conveyed with her eyes that it was okay. I understood; they wouldn’t say they could take down all three with a single blow. For now, I would trust them.
“Alright, but please be careful. That Baara seems to have some poison hidden in her thorns, and she’s hiding small insect monsters in the shadows of her leaves. Her range is wide, so she’s probably the main attacker. Laventa focuses on Status Ailments, and I’m not sure about the Tulip, but don’t get caught by that lip-like flower part.”
“Y-yes, understood… That’s impressive. You figured all that out without even fighting…”
“Ba-Baara! She’s reading our moves!”
“Hmph… No need to panic. But it does sting a bit that my Aburabeetle was seen through…”
“You should have kept that hidden until the end, Baara?!”
“Ah…”
While I watched the flustered three, I dashed into the town. I had said I would leave it to them, but I was genuinely worried. From what I could see, even ten B-rank adventurers wouldn’t be enough to handle those three. I understood the feeling of getting a bit too confident after becoming a little stronger. I had suffered for it before, and there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again.
“Alright, I’m counting on you!”
Feigning confidence, I decided to check in on them at full speed. If I ran hard enough, I could circle around this town in just a few minutes, even while taking down monsters. I sincerely hoped they wouldn’t die as I headed out to exterminate the grotesque flower monsters thrashing about everywhere.
“Ai, are you really okay?”
“Of course! Now I can fight for real.”
【Ai Level: 33 Class: Berserker Rank: B】
“I don’t want the person I trust to see me fighting seriously. Especially not Rua…”
◆ Kingdom of Normitz, Northern Town ◆
【Death Flower defeated! HP: 0/1020】
“Th-thank you… um, what should I do… how can I…?”
The woman caught by the sinister flower monster’s tendrils was in a daze, unable to escape. Most people were struggling to comprehend the sudden turn of events, which was entirely understandable. So, I decided to take her to the field where Roel was. If I could have Roel protect the townsfolk there, I could fight with peace of mind. But it was impossible to save everyone in the country, so I needed to wipe out the monsters as quickly as possible.
“Phew, I’ve taken down quite a few, but… how many more are left?”
“I’ve taken down almost all of them; it’s super gross!”
A silly voice echoed from nowhere. I shouldn’t be happy that I had almost defeated them. After all, that voice belonged to Lafoule, the one I thought I had defeated.
“L-Lafoule?! You’re still alive?”
“Ahahaha! Seriously, you thought that would take me down? You must be joking! There’s no way I’d die from something like that! You’re such an idiot!”
Where are you? Even if I called out for her to show herself, it would be pointless. In fact, even if I told her not to come out, she would appear immediately.
――――RUMBLE
The ground trembled as if the entire country was shaking.
Then, fissures began to appear everywhere. Giant roots emerged from the ground, sweeping away houses. They were dark brown roots, so large they could crush a building with their width. Multiple roots danced up from the earth as if performing a root dance.
“Did you complete the End?”
“Huh? You looked dumb from the start, but you really are an idiot. I’ve received plenty of reports about you, Flash Strike Girl Rua. Dridon and Zeech were even dumber for underestimating a dangerous brat like you. But I’m different. I didn’t just complete the End; the answer has been clear from the beginning.”
From the very beginning. This scene is the answer. Lafoule had been completed from the start in this country. She had burrowed deep underground, spreading her roots.
“I could either suck up the nutrients around here to prevent crops from growing or stretch my roots all the way to the Kingdom of Avangarde. I was torn between the two.”
Even after becoming an enormous monster, Lafoule’s tone remained unchanged. Her voice was that of a girl, but her appearance was monstrous. Her massive body was too large to be contained in a single glance.
“I can’t just let you underestimate me, can I? We’re going to show you the true power of plants! Honestly, I think we’re among the strongest of monsters. After all, you guys escape the heat by cooling off and warm up inside when it’s cold. You’re trying to flee from the environment. But we’re different. We endure through any harsh conditions, weathering rain and wind. We sprout even by breaking through stones. Plants and we, the Demon Lord Army, have always done that. There’s no way we’d lose to you filthy humans.”
A flower emerged from the center of the town. Its petals, stained like blood, stretched out, rivaling the size of Avangarde Castle. Lafoule, the Flower Tower, loomed large like a sinister symbol of the town.
“What I want to say is that you really get on my nerves, Lua. Let’s settle who’s on top right here and now. The Neo Demon Lord Army’s Plant Master Lafoule is one of the coolest among the Twelve Demon Generals, and I have no intention of losing. ‘Strong roots’—that’s what determines everything in battle, and I’ll teach you that. But it’ll cost you your life.”
【Bewitching Great Flower Lafoule has appeared! HP 33,000/33,000】
That quiet challenge felt directed not just at me, but at this town. No, it seemed to encompass the entire world.
【Venom Flower HP 620】
A flower that contains deadly poison from root to stem. It is said to have transformed into a monster after blooming in a toxic swamp. It has the habit of instantly killing its prey with its poisonous nectar and planting seeds in their corpses. Recently, it has also been confirmed that it can mimic forms that prey would find appealing, making it even more dangerous.
【Death Flower HP 1,020】
This monster mimics the appearance of a beautiful woman to lure in its prey. Humans who become lost in the forest often fall victim to this creature in a state of confusion. Additionally, it can drop its petals to appear soft and harmless before turning them into blades to reap the lives of its victims.
【Junude HP 795】
A wooden monster shaped like a woman. Despite its frail appearance, it possesses an unexpectedly high level of magical power. It is said to be the manifestation of the grudges of women who met untimely deaths, though this is not confirmed. It can also disguise itself as a human woman, making it a troublesome foe when it descends into human settlements.