Chapter 9: The Moment of Truth
“Those mushrooms look dangerous, don’t they…?”
As Yuzuki-san murmured, her gaze fixed on the poisonous mushrooms sprouting from the mossy gaps beneath the trees, their red and black mottled patterns stood out ominously.
“Yeah, definitely…”
I’ve heard that some mushrooms can cause skin rashes just from touching them, and considering we’re in the Otherworld, there’s no telling if a mushroom monster might appear.
“There are so many types of poisonous mushrooms on Earth too, so maybe we should just avoid them.”
“…You’re right.”
I gently took Yuzuki-san’s hand, leading her deeper into the Forest as we continued our search for food. Unlike our aimless wandering until yesterday, we were now actively looking for edible items, and it didn’t take long to spot various fruits and mushrooms.
“Oh, look! There’s some fruit over here!”
“Really?”
I reached out and picked up a golf ball-sized fruit. This time, it came off the branch easily. Unlike the last fruit, which seemed glued to the tree no matter how hard I pulled. Now, what about this one—
“Ouch! That hurts!”
I quickly shook the fruit off, slamming it against the ground.
“Are you okay!?”
Upon inspecting my hand, I noticed bite marks. Thankfully, there was no blood, so I felt a bit relieved.
“W-What kind of fruit is this…?”
As I examined the fruit that had fallen to the ground, I noticed a gaping crack in it, revealing a jagged row of teeth-like structures inside. After a moment of stillness, the mouth snapped shut.
“Ugh, that’s disgusting…”
Yuzuki-san stepped back, her face pale. I poked it with my toe, but it didn’t react. Perhaps it only responds to direct contact. Not that I wanted it to open its mouth again.
“Hmm…”
Holding the staff I had borrowed from Yuzuki-san, I channeled my Magic Power into its tip. It was decided that I would wield the staff since it was better for me to use the Flash spell in a pinch. I had also learned a basic fire spell that could ignite dry branches.
“Fire!”
Unable to contain myself any longer, I shouted with excitement.
“W-What are you doing…?!”
My stomach had been growling for a while now, and the sudden bite from the fruit was infuriating. I needed to teach it a lesson about what it meant to be eaten.
“I thought it would be fine if I cooked it first.”
“No, no, no! It just tried to bite you!?”
Yuzuki-san desperately tried to stop me, but I was beyond reason. A delicious aroma wafted through the air, and I was determined to eat this fruit no matter what.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll taste it first. You don’t have to force yourself to eat it.”
“That’s not the issue here!”
What was the issue, anyway? This was the Otherworld. A fruit that bites might be a common occurrence. After all, there are carnivorous plants on Earth too.
“See? It smells amazing now.”
“That’s why…!”
As we bickered, a loud crack echoed from the fruit I was roasting over the fire. It seemed the skin had split open, releasing a sweet-smelling steam into the air. I could have sworn I heard a gulp from Yuzuki-san, but I chose to ignore it.
“Is it ready yet…?”
Perhaps swayed by the aroma, Yuzuki-san fell silent. I extinguished the flames and secured the staff to my belt before picking up the steaming fruit.
“Ouch!”
Surprisingly, it didn’t bite me anymore after being cooked. As I slowly peeled back the skin, the upper half revealed a fluffy white fruit, while the lower half was a dark, crumbly mass. The black part seemed fragile, and most of it crumbled away as I peeled it.
“Oh no, what a waste…”
I brought it closer to my nose and inhaled the sweet, enticing scent.
“Are you really going to eat that?”
Yuzuki-san asked, her tone filled with concern, but I was beyond the point of no return.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
With that, I took a big bite. As I chewed, the rich sweetness and aroma exploded in my mouth.
“This is amazing…!”
I swallowed and tossed the remaining half of the fruit into my mouth. I felt a pang of guilt for not asking Yuzuki-san if she wanted to try it, especially as she looked at me with envy, but it was too late now.
“W-How is it…?”
Just as Yuzuki-san asked cautiously, I attempted to swallow the fruit in my mouth.
“Ughhhhhh!”
Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of nausea hit me, and I couldn’t help but vomit everything up. What was this…? I felt incredibly sick. Could this fruit have been poisonous?
“Are you okay!?”
The nausea was so intense that I collapsed to the ground. Yuzuki-san desperately rubbed my back, but I was in no condition to appreciate it.
“Ughhh…”
Even after emptying my stomach, the nausea didn’t subside. This was bad… For now, I felt nothing but queasiness.
“Mizumoto-kun, hold out your hand!”
As I struggled against the nausea, I extended my hand. Before I knew it, Yuzuki-san had pulled the staff from my waist and conjured Water. She helped me rinse my mouth and gulp down the water. But the nausea still lingered. I continued to alternate between drinking and spitting it out until I finally began to feel a bit better.
“Ha… ha… I’m feeling a lot… better now…”
“Thank goodness…”
As I replied breathlessly, Yuzuki-san pulled me close, her eyes glistening with tears. But this was not a good sign. There really was nothing edible around here. Even as I felt her warmth, despair loomed right beside me.