episode_0006

I became a replica of Alberto.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Why are you…?”

Shaela’s bewildered expression.

Quite a surprised look.

To him, it must have seemed like I was dying and Alberto was resurrecting all of a sudden.

Thud!

Immediately assumed a combat stance.

Ready to attack me right away.

“You!! What did you do to Muchan?!”

An enraged shout.

Is she getting angry on my behalf?

This is somewhat unexpected.

“Shaela. Stop. It’s me.”

“…What?”

“It’s me. I’m a plant.”

Swoosh~

Controlled the stem.

Enveloped the body that had become Alberto.

Even though I transferred consciousness, the main body is still the stem.

Naturally, it wasn’t too difficult to control the stem as I pleased.

“Do you still not believe it?”

“Uh… S-seriously?”

“I don’t seem to be an ordinary plant. As you can see, this is how it turned out.”

“This is insane! There’s no way this could be possible!”

“I told you. I found a way.”

“Really… It feels like defying common sense.”

“I’ve been feeling that way since I was kidnapped. Just go with it.”

“Will you really?”

“Anyway.”

If this works, then it’s possible.

I can command the AI on the spaceship.

I can return to Earth.

Finally.

“Hey. But… Can you put some clothes on first? It’s a bit awkward to look at you naked.”

“Oh.”

Come to think of it, this body is naked.

Even though it’s not a real body, a moment of embarrassment washed over me when I realized.

Swoosh!!

Extended the stem to wrap around the body.

If desired, it’s also possible to flatten and widen the stem.

After spreading it out as smoothly and widely as possible like a gown, wrapped it around with thin stems to secure it.

“Huh. Now you’re even making clothes out of stems?”

Ignoring Shaela’s comment lightly, I briefly checked the condition of my body.

Replica Alberto’s physical form.

Unfortunately, it’s weaker compared to the real one.

Half of the body feels like a plant.

If compared, I could probably mimic about half of Alberto’s level.

Fairly decent.

“Not bad. Let’s escape now. I’m tired of being here, even if it’s fake, with this body, I should be able to command the AI.”

“Okay. But where are we going?”

“Obviously, Earth…”

Pause.

Realized belatedly.

Shaela is the owner of a destroyed world. She has no home to return to.

However, whether she cares or not, she responded as if she had been waiting.

“Earth~ That’s your home world, right? I’ll owe you a favor there too. You might have already noticed, but I have nowhere to go.”

“…As you wish.”

There shouldn’t be a problem.

It won’t likely turn dangerous.

What’s wrong with going to Earth together? If we part ways there, that’s fine.

When we part ways…

Let’s think about it later.

“Alphas.”

[Did you call, Master?]

The AI mistook me for Alberto.

In other words, this monotonous life is finally over.

No need to hesitate.

Let’s go back immediately.

“To go to Earth-”

Beep!!

Frowned.

Before finishing the sentence, a strange beep sounded.

“The portal?…”

Simultaneously, Shaela and I looked at each other.

Out of the blue, a guest?

Of all times.

Ziiing!!!

Paaah!!-

A large round door rose on one side of the control room, forming a blue circle.

Swish!-

Hands and feet popped out.

“Alberto. How dare you make me come looking for you. I will ask you. Why was there no contact?”

Red hair.

Well-built physique.

A sword at his waist.

A man revealed himself.

Swoosh-

At a glance, he looks strong and stares at me.

With heightened senses, I could tell immediately.

An entity I can’t confront.

That’s the only way to put it.

Undoubtedly, a being much stronger than someone like Alberto.

Trembling sensations uncontrollably.

Fear seizes the body. Shaela’s pupils also tremble in confusion.

“Hmm? Something seems off. Alberto, have you developed a strange hobby or something? Wearing weird clothes… Why have you let that girl loose? Even if she’s weakened, she could be dangerous.”

​

The body of the fake Alberto.

The freed Shayella.

The man was suspicious of us.

​

The only fortunate thing is that the man mistakes me for Alberto.

If caught, I would be in deep trouble, but I decided to use this situation to my advantage.

​

I responded immediately as thoughts came to mind.

​

“…It’s a hobby. I’ve tamed this woman.”

​

“……..Hmm?”

​

The man’s eyebrows twitched.

​

[Hey! What are you doing right now!!]

​

Simultaneously, Shayella’s telepathy reached me.

In Shayella’s hand, she clenched a strand of mine, allowing us to communicate discreetly.

​

‘We’re going to deceive him. Join in.’

​

However, that wasn’t the issue.

​

[You should use honorifics!! Can’t you see he’s a superior like Alberto!!!]

​

‘What?….’

​

A sense of discomfort arose.

The man calmly gazed at us, but I felt a strong anger emanating from him.

​

“How amusing.”

​

Chilling.

​

This is life.

My whole body stiffened like stone.

An intentionally displayed aura crushed me.

​

Feeling light-headed.

​

A mistake.

I must quickly make amends.

Fighting is absolutely futile.

​

“I’m sorry! I seem to have lost my composure for a moment. Please forgive me.”

​

I immediately bowed my head.

​

But it was too late.

No, I was wrong.

The man’s face became even more furrowed.

​

“This is odd. Normally, instead of seeking forgiveness for a mistake, you would offer a bribe… Are you really Alberto? You seem strange, and the atmosphere is quite different from usual.”

​

“…I am indeed Alberto. I was momentarily flustered and lost my composure. If there is anything you desire-”

​

“No, it’s not necessary. Just take care of it yourself.”

​

“…Yes?”

​

Unintelligible words.

Simultaneously, the man’s figure vanished.

​

Thud!!

“…Ugh!!?….”

​

A short scream followed.

​

I quickly turned my head.

From behind, a sword pierced through Shayella’s abdomen, emerging out.

​

“Shayella!!….”

​

“Alberto. Indeed, something is strange.”

​

The man chuckled.

Standing behind Shayella with the sword embedded in her, he scrutinized me.

​

“Do you have feelings for the spoils after all?”

​

Squelch!!

“Ughhh!!!!”

​

The man deliberately twisted the blade.

Shayella endured the pain without resistance.

​

A strange feeling.

It was odd.

Shayella was an entity unrelated to me.

It was just a momentary cooperative relationship; there were no emotions beyond that. However, when the man stabbed Shayella, a sense of frustration surged within me.

​

A slight affection.

Unreasonable violence.

I couldn’t handle it.

Provocation from the unreasonable man.

​

A complex anger momentarily overwhelmed reason.

​

I want to kill him.

I want to kill that man.

​

Kill-

​

[Stop!!!]

​

Shayella noticed my thoughts and halted me, as if to say not to do it.

Struggling to endure the pain, she stopped me as if to prevent me.

​

[Fool… He’s on a different level than Alberto. No matter how hard you try, you can’t beat him. Endure. Just endure. I’ll handle it somehow.]

​

‘……..’

​

I couldn’t reply.

I could only watch silently.

The sight of Shayella enduring pain and apologizing humbly.

​

“Please, forgive me. I am nothing but a slave to Alberto.”

​

“Hmm?… This isn’t the reaction I wanted. Have you truly tamed this insane goddess? But if you had tamed her, you shouldn’t ignore me.”

​

Slash!!-

“Ugh!!….”

​

The man twisted and withdrew the sword, a malicious action meant to unsettle.

​

Despite this, Shayella endured.

She glared at me as if to say not to intervene.

Why does he look at me as if I should trust him?

​

Am I weak?

​

“Heh heh… Alberto, can’t you control your expression?”

​

“…I apologize.”

​

“Ah~ You should be apologizing. Who brought you here? You haven’t sent what was demanded, and now you’re even showing anger?”

“……….”

“Tell me. How did you end up like this? You’re not the type to be so weak-willed.”

“That’s-”

“No, I get it. It’s because of that woman.”

Thunk!!-

“………!!”

Her eyes widened involuntarily.

It was an unexpected moment.

Shaela’s head, severed by the man’s sword, flew off.

As Shaela’s eyes, now lifeless, flew away without a word.

Thud.

And hit the ground.

What’s this?

Did I see it wrong?

“Shaela?…..”

Is she dead?

Really?

This anticlimactic?

Numerous questions swirled in my mind, and even though I knew the answer, I couldn’t easily comprehend it.

Telling me to stay still.

Saying he would do something about it.

Thud.

Shaela’s headless body collapsed.

She was dead. A feeling of discomfort and disbelief surged within me at how pitifully and senselessly it had ended.

Really?….

If it was going to end like this.

What does it make me, the one who saved you?

“Hahaha!!!! Alberto!! Did you think I’d see that expression on your face!!! Ridiculous. The one who saw life as trash!!”

Silent, suppressed anger wells up.

But I must endure.

I must think rationally.

The man has no intention of killing me.

Rushing in would be foolishness.

If the man retreats, an opportunity arises.

Remembering the guilt, I must engrave it in my heart and strive to survive, even if alone.

Recoil.

My body acted on its own.

For some reason, I couldn’t contain myself.

For the first time since becoming a plant, I failed to control my emotions.

“Dieeeee!!!!!”

Yet I didn’t hesitate.

Since I’ll regret whatever I do anyway.

Whoosh!!-

I focused my emotions.

A powerful force filled my fist.

My whole body relaxed as if trembling.

I may not know martial arts, but right now, my punch could rival Shaela’s.

I delivered a blow with all my might.

However.

“Tsk. Choosing death in the end, huh.”

Thunk!!-

His sword slashed horizontally first.

I felt my body split into two from below the ribcage.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop.

To prevent my fist from twisting, I adjusted my upper body and struck his face.

“Hahaha!! Fooli-”

Crack!!!

“Gahh!!!?”

A powerful impact.

Simultaneously, my body plummeted diagonally.

Thud!

Rolling down.

Ironically, it was where Shaela’s head lay.

I met her empty gaze.

Turning her eyes back to the man.

Thud.

His broken neck from the recent attack.

Seemed to have recovered as if nothing had happened.

Ah….

I don’t know.

How should I kill him?

I can’t kill him with the same attack just now.

I want to use poison, but there’s no opportunity, making me frustrated.

“This crazy bastard. If you’re going to die, die gracefully. How dare you!!”

Wham!!!

He trampled over my fallen body.

Pain is fine.

It’s just disgusting.

Barely regaining my composure, I held onto hope.

He doesn’t know I’m a plant.

Rushing recklessly won’t work; I must play dead and wait for an opportunity.

Bang!!

Thud!!

He pummeled the presumed corpse for a while.

Whoosh-

Has life left my body?

Consciousness forcibly returned to my body.

“Ugh… annoying.”

The man, having released his anger, sighed and looked around. Fortunately, he didn’t pay much attention to the stem clothes holding Alberto’s body.

He stood still, gazing at our bodies before speaking.

“AI. Connect to the disposal site. I’ll temporarily take charge here.”

[Executing command.]

Chiiing!!

Boom!!-

The portal vanished and reappeared.

The man then grabbed Shaela’s body and head, tossing them towards the portal with a swift motion.

Confusion sets in.

Where is that place?

Where are we being thrown?

No time to think.

Squelch.

He proceeded to pick up Alberto’s torso with his right hand and his lower body with his left.

Seems like he’s going to throw me there too.

If you remain still, you will be thrown into the trash heap; if you move, your identity will be exposed, and you will die.

You must make a choice.

Whether to pass by pretending to be dead like this,

Or to confront the bastard head-on.

My answer is….

The latter.

“Goodbye.”

Swoosh~

Now is the only chance.

At the moment when he tried to throw his body, he moved the lower part of his clothes and wrapped around the man.

Rustle!!

“Hmm?….”

Complacency and loopholes.

The lower part successfully wrapped around the guy.

Struggling as if squeezing him out, he forcefully exhaled a toxin.

Shriek!!!!!!-

“Aargh!!!!!”

A satisfying scream.

Even such a monster suffered from the poison.

However, the melting speed is significantly slower than Alberto’s resistance.

It might be difficult to kill him with just this.

Above all.

“Back off!!!!”

Kwaaah!!!-

A powerful force was unleashed.

Most of the surrounding stems burst.

It’s okay.

Since my main body is on Alberto’s upper body.

As soon as he burst the stem, this time the main body’s stem also moved along.

Chyaaaah!!!!

Numerous strands erupted into flames.

Filling one room and still having plenty left.

Countless stems rushed towards the man.

“Where!!”

Swoosh!

Zhwazhang!!!

The man, who was brushing off the remaining poison, belatedly raised his sword to strike.

Surprisingly, the fierce energy swiftly cut through even the distant stems in one blow.

It’s okay.

He regenerates.

Shurrrk!!

“What!?-”

Being slashed doesn’t kill me.

I regenerate even when cut, and the separated stems can move as desired.

So.

Chop!!

Shriek!!!

“Aaargh!!!!!”

Placing the slashed stem against his eye and melting his pupils with the toxin.

“Damn you!!!!”

Koong!!!

Once again, a huge shockwave erupted.

The stems that were about to attach themselves to his entire body burst again.

“Aaargh!!!!!”

There is a chance of victory.

He cannot see ahead.

First, he safely retreated the main body within the stem and, from a distance, created a sharp stem spear.

Swish!!

Threw it at the man.

Thud!!

“Ugh!?”

Skin already melted.

The stem spear pierced there.

Again, with the toxin.

Shriek!!!

“Aaargh!!!!!”

Kwoong!!

Kwaaah!!!!-

A violent force bursts forth.

Even from a distance, it feels like being blown away.

Zhwazhang!!!

The man swung his sword wildly in all directions.

Dozens of surrounding stems fell apart.

The sword’s edge even grazed past his main body.

The sword cut deep into the ship’s wall.

Knowing that one wrong hit could kill him, he did not move.

He simply waited to calm down.

Phook!!

“Ugh!?”

He launched another attack with a different stem.

With melted eyes and weakened skin, the man exhausted himself leaping around, expecting attacks at any moment.

“Where are you!! Die!! I said die!!!”

Every time he tried to calm down, he was attacked again.

The man, glowing alone, grew tired.

Ah….

Regret sets in.

It was worth a try.

I should have done this earlier.

Then Shaela wouldn’t have died.

Although the stems are drying up and withering, it’s just a matter of killing and absorbing the man.

I could have won.

I am not weak.

Because I am not human.

Realizing that, I became more daring.

Shoock!!

Ggooook!!

“Ugh!!……”

He grabbed the man’s throat with a stem.

Squeezed his windpipe with the toxin.

Shriek!!……

“Ugh!!… Stop!!……”

Kwajik!!

Whether the man bursts the stem or not, he ignited a new one.

He can create more stems since he is melting and absorbing the ship’s floor.

Shwooook!!

Grabbing ankles.

Holding the waist.

Squeezing the neck.

Throwing stem spears.

Relentlessly melting with the toxin.

“Stop, please!!! Hey… I don’t know who you are. Okay. Let’s talk for a moment-”

Shalak!!

“Ugh!!?”

No matter how much the man bursts the stem, he extended new ones towards him.

Repeating this endlessly, as his senses began to blur and he grew dizzy.

“Please… now….”

Thulssuk.

Finally, the man fell to his knees.

30% of his body had melted away.

His bones were exposed, his face contorted grotesquely.

“Who in the world… dares to do this to me…”

Ssshh.

He was coiled like a snake by that figure.

Unaware of what was happening, he was tightly bound by the stem.

Squelch!!

Ssshhhrrr!!

Releasing venom, pressing down on his whole body.

Feeding on the melting flesh through the stem.

The withering stem regained its tautness.

“Gghh….”

A faint scream escaped, but soon, silence fell.

The man was dead.

It’s over…

The tension loosened.

Self-loathing and intoxication flooded in.

He could have defeated the man.

He realized it too late.

Just…

Feels like he’s dreaming.

But there was no time to savor the victory.

[Warning. The portal left unattended will deactivate automatically in 10 seconds.]

The sudden voice of artificial intelligence.

His mind went blank for a moment.

What about Shaela then?

Ssshh!!!

Realizing it, he moved instantly.

Coiling the bodies of the man and Alberto with the stem, he crawled at maximum speed towards the portal.

[7… 6… 5… 4….]

Barely made it to the front.

However, doubts arose.

Is passing through here correct?

Why am I moving impulsively?

I can return to Earth alone, can’t I?

Why am I trying to follow Shaela?

Isn’t that guy already dead?

[2… 1….]

Rationally, I shouldn’t cross the portal.

But the countdown to the end swept away reason.

Swish!!

Realizing it, I was crossing the portal.

Shooosh~

Thud!!!

Crashed somewhere in a landfill.

It was all gray there.