I’m an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
Right now, both my heart and vines are burning with flaming passion.


The flames from the axe had caught onto my vines.
The fire crawled toward me like a lit fuse, counting down the last moments of my life.

If the flames reach my real body, I’ll burn up and crumble into ash.


The eyepatch minotaur had given me his final ultimatum: he’ll spare my life if I let him keep me as a dessert and a pretty houseplant to toy with.

Naturally, I refused to spend my days pouring nectar for a minotaur.
I’d rather fight alongside my Forest Club until the very last spark of my life goes out.

Since he’s waiting for my answer after giving that ultimatum, the eyepatch minotaur had let his guard down.

And luckily for me, he’s just watching instead of charging in.
With the minotaur not taking any actions, this is my chance.


I glanced toward Lady Butterfly.
Looks like her scales worked. The cow-type monsters were still paralyzed on the ground.

And the minotaur beside it had his hand clamped over his mouth in order to not inhale in any scales, which means he can’t move much.

Isn’t this a perfect chance for a dance with me?

Taking advantage of the eyepatch minotaur’s carelessness, I rushed to Lady Butterfly’s aid.

Thorns shot out from the ground and clamped onto the arms of the minotaur covering his mouth.
I tagged Lady Butterfly out. Now it’s my turn to dance with him.

But if the hostess dances with only one bull, the other gentlemen might get jealous, so I extended thorns toward the eyepatch minotaur and the other one as well.
I’m thoughtful like that.

Now then, shall we take a step together?
Please remove your hand from your mouth. Otherwise, how am I supposed to admire your handsome face?

My, Mr. Minotaur, you really do have quite a bovine face.
For such a sturdy bull like you, allow me to present you with a secret invitation.

If you find me to your liking, we can slip out of this ballroom later, just the two of us.

A man-eater bloomed from the thorns restraining his arms, and I had it deliver his invitation directly into his mouth.
It looks a bit like poisonous pollen, but that’s simply my style of invitation.

The minotaur thrashed, and I pinned his limbs down with more thorns.
You dance rather roughly, don’t you? I do think a few lessons would help.

As I walked him through the ABCs of ballroom dancing, his eyes rolled back and he began foaming at the mouth. I took that as his polite way of saying thanks.

Seems he decided against sneaking out of the party with me after all and wandered off to a different world entirely.
Looks like my invitation got rejected. Shame.


The eyepatch minotaur charged toward Lady Butterfly, cutting through my thorns.
Is he trying to dance with me next, or is he trying to save his subordinate?

For such a distinguished leader, I send a special barrage of invitations straight from the flower crown of my true body.

The eyepatch minotaur raised his flaming axe, creating a ring of fire around himself.
All the poisonous pollen burned away in an instant. Fire really is terrifying.

In that opening while he was occupied, I had the paralyzed Ereshteia, struck by Lady Butterfly’s scale, inhale a cloud of toxic pollen, kindly escorting him out of the ballroom.
Good. That makes four left.


It seems the female knights have made progress too.

Thanks to the bee’s furious assault, the last cow-type monster had fallen.
Now the only enemies left are two minotaurs and one Ereshteia.

While the minotaur was busy dancing with the bees, I sent an invitation to the other Ereshteia, who was already dying after being stung.

Go on now. Join your friends.
That way no one has to be lonely.

Already wounded by the bees, the Ereshteia didn’t last long and left the ballroom at once.
Only the two minotaurs remain.

But the female knights had taken heavy damage too.
Several bees lie fallen on the ground, painting the earth yellow.

Grrr.
How dare they harm my knights.
Unforgivable.

But reality is just as unforgiving too.
Looks like my time is almost up.


The brambles that served as a fuse had almost burned away, and the flames reached right before me, my true body at last.

Looks like this is the end of the ball.

What a shame.
I wanted to keep dancing with everyone.

Being burned to death is not a pleasant way for a plant to go.
I wanted to bloom beautifully in this forest for a little longer.

The eyepatch minotaur swung his flaming axe, scorching the bees.
One by one, they crumbled into black ash and left the ballroom.

I really cannot forgive him.

At the very least, I have to save everyone somehow.
But to do that , I have to save myself first. What am I supposed to do?

The eyepatch minotaur turned his axe toward Lady Butterfly and the others.


——Right!
The axe!


I’d completely forgotten because I’d become a plant monster, but there were no rules saying plants can’t hold weapons.

I’d simply never seen a flower wielding a sword or spear, so the idea never crossed my mind.

I glanced toward the spoils taken from the scout minotaur.
I had kept his belongings safe.

With my vines, I lifted the newly acquired axe.

Hmm. Looks like I can hold it.
I figured I could since I’m actually pretty strong.

First, I have to destroy the timer.
I chopped off the burning thorns at its base.

Good. No more worrying about me burning up.

It feels almost too simple, but this should extend my life a bit.
Weapons really are amazing. Truly the tools of civilization.


And this axe could still be useful as a weapon.
Though as a former saint, I have no idea how to wield one properly.

Which leaves throwing as my only option.

After becoming an Alraune, I’ve been passing the time by ripping off nearby tree branches and tossing them at targets.
So, I’m a bit confident in my throwing skills.

I picked up the axe that dropped when I defeated the minotaur with Lady Butterfly. Two axes.
I hurled them at the two remaining minotaurs simultaneously.

The eyepatch minotaur guarded expertly.
As expected from the leader.
But his subordinate was different.

Busy swatting at bees, he took the axe right to the head. His helmet flew off.

Blood trickled from his scalp, but the helmet spared him from fatal damage.
That’s fine. As long as he falls to the ground, the rest is easy.

Poor thing. He must have danced so hard he gave himself a concussion.
I should help him quickly.

A vine sprouted beside him, blooming into a man-eater.
I sprayed poisonous pollen deep into his throat.
There, now he can rest peacefully.

Around him laid nearly twenty bees, shredded by the minotaurs.
Many more were still burning too.

Several of Lady Butterfly’s attendants were also in a pitiful state, with their wings scattered on the ground.

Nectar dripped from my eyes.

We all knew from the start that we were at a disadvantage.
Still, I wanted all of us to survive.


——This is unforgivable.
I’ll take revenge for everyone in the Forest Club.

Only one enemy remained.

The bees and butterflies were battered and exhausted.
I cannot let any more of them be lost.

Ms. Bee, Lady Butterfly… please rest now.
I’ll face that bull myself.
Just watch over me from there.



The last remaining minotaur turned toward me in surprise.

He’s glaring at me like he’s complaining, as if to say, ‘An Alraune throwing axes is absurd!’
Or perhaps he disapproves of a lady swinging axes around at a ballroom dance.

Allow me to clarify.

At first glance it may look like an axe, yes, but this is actually a dance prop.

It’s a fan. Can’t you see?
It’s flat and spreads out like feathers. Clearly a fan.

You know how at fancy balls, noble ladies sometimes carry fluffy feathered fans?
This is that.

Don’t you see? This is an iron feather fan.
And if the hostess of the ball says it’s a fan, then a fan it is.

I plucked the axe… I mean, the feathered fan from other minotaur I knocked out and brought back to my body.


How does it look?
Does it suit me?

I open the iron feather fan in front of my face, hiding my lips.
Then I offer the most bewitchingly terrifying smile I can manage.

Now then, dear leader.

Shall we begin our final dance?

***

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading.
It has been nearly three weeks since I posted the first chapter. I’ve been able to keep going thanks entirely to everyone’s support. I’m truly grateful.
Now that I have a little more energy, I plan to post twice again tomorrow. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Next time: The Last Dance