Protecting Yourself

The giant Roses Ent had summoned moved as if to separate everyone and cut off their coordination.

"Looks like they're not going easy on us just because we're not fighters."

Yohane and Orleans were no exception.

A massive blue Rose, twice Yohane's height, crept closer with its vines writhing like tentacles.

The vines were covered in thorns. If those vines struck them, they'd be seriously injured.

"Orleans. Cover your mouth with this."

"Yes, sir."

He handed Orleans a handkerchief soaked in holy water, and both of them pressed it to their mouths and noses.

The Rose was scattering visible clouds of pollen, so they took precautions to avoid inhaling as much as possible.

The Rose before them was no ordinary flower.

Since they didn't know what might happen if they breathed in the pollen, they did this to avoid slowing down Azu and the others.

Yohane selected one of his several bags and slung it over his right shoulder.

This bag was packed with various small tools and magical implements.

He'd sorted them out thinking they might be useful for supporting Azu's group.

"Appearance aside, roses are plants, so fire should work."

"One can only hope."

He reached into the bag and pulled out a small magic stone.

A disposable type with pre-stored magic.

He threw one experimentally at the blue Rose.

The magic stone contained an explosion spell, and it activated the moment it struck one of the vines.

A bursting sound rang out, and the shockwave reached them.

A moment later, a viscous liquid splattered everywhere.

He reflexively raised the arm holding the handkerchief to shield his face from getting any in his mouth.

The liquid began smoking and dissolving his clothes where it touched. The smoke had a chemical smell.

He hurriedly threw off the splattered outer garment. Watching the sturdy soldier's coat made of thick leather dissolve was terrifying.

He gulped involuntarily.

Still, this was something the two of them had to handle on their own.

Azu and the others were fighting too.

"Don't let the liquid from the Rose touch you! It's acid. It'll dissolve you!"

He shouted as loud as he could to warn the others.

Hopefully they heard.

As for the magic stone's effect, it had only blown off a single vine.

And a new vine was already regenerating to replace it.

"So this is what happens if you blow it apart carelessly. Can't use explosion stones much, then."

"But it did slow it down."

"True enough."

As Orleans said, the Rose stopped moving while regenerating the vine.

If they were careful about the splashing sap, they might manage somehow.

"Let's borrow this one's power. Can you hold it off?"

"I'll try."

When Orleans held out her hand, the Fire Elemental appeared.

As the priestess of the Fire Elemental, Orleans always had it nearby; she couldn't control it, but she could ask it to lend its power.

The regenerated blue Rose crept closer.

Its movements were slow, but its size meant they didn't have much time if they did nothing.

He pulled out a new magic stone from the bag.

Since Orleans was concentrating and couldn't move, he needed to stop the Rose without injuring it, to avoid splattering liquid.

What he pulled out was one containing earth magic.

He threw it and hit the base.

All that practice throwing stones in his spare time had paid off.

The magic activated, and several stone pillars erupted, piercing the Rose and halting its movement.

But the Rose was too strong; it tried to force its way through, and cracks began spreading through the pillars.

Even so, it was enough of a delay.

"Burn that."

At Orleans's direction, the Fire Elemental took aim, converting the surrounding mana into a massive ball of fire.

It was even larger than the fire spells Alexia often used.

The fireball slowly drifted away from the Fire Elemental toward the Rose.

Several vines lashed at the fireball, but the instant they touched it, they burned away.

The temperature must have been immense.

The Rose monster tried to twist its body to evade.

But it couldn't move much, and the fireball gouged away roughly half its mass.

This way the liquid evaporated instead of splattering, and the effect was tremendous.

But being a plant, it kept moving even after losing half its body.

They could see that the parts scorched by the fireball had carbonized and couldn't regenerate.

Seizing the opportunity, he pulled magic stones from the bag and hurled them at the Rose in rapid succession.

The Rose took heavy damage and convulsed, extending a vine toward them.

Even so, just when he thought they could finish it, the quartz beneath his feet cracked.

It had sent a vine underground to reach them.

"Sir, watch out!"

Orleans body-checked him, knocking him aside.

The vine shifted, and Orleans's left leg was caught.

Thorns pierced her flesh, and he could see blood flowing.

"Orleans!"

Realizing she'd shielded him, he almost threw the magic stone in his hand but stopped himself.

In this position, it would hit Orleans too.

The Fire Elemental seemed unable to act immediately after expending its power.

But seeing Orleans injured, it was clearly furious.

If something happened, it might go berserk.

Beyond that, the thought of something happening to Orleans, who had protected him, sent blood rushing to his head.

He dropped the handkerchief covering his mouth and nose, pulled a machete and a large towel from the bag.

Then he brought the machete down on the base of the vine gripping Orleans.

He held the machete in his right hand and wrapped the towel around his left to block the liquid from splattering onto Orleans.

The vine was tough, but repeated swings drove the blade deep.

Liquid sprayed and ate through the towel. If he took too long, the towel would dissolve completely.

Some splashed on his face, bringing a burning pain.

Still, he kept swinging the machete and finally cut through.

Orleans's left leg was freed and she slipped down.

He hurriedly threw aside the towel and machete and caught her.

On her pale left leg, bruises had formed where the vine had wrapped around her, and blood was flowing from thorn wounds, but fortunately, none of the injuries were deep.

He let out a relieved breath.

The Rose monster had stopped moving, apparently exhausted.

Good thing it hadn't been worse.

"Thank you, sir. But your face is hurt… You didn't need to get injured for my sake."

"Don't say that. A man has to look cool at times like this."

He was always the one being protected, so he was genuinely glad he'd come prepared.

Meanwhile, it seemed Azu and the others had finished off all the Roses too.

He pulled out bandages, disinfected Orleans's left leg with holy water and antidote, and began wrapping it.

It was just first aid, but it would do for now. Hopefully it wouldn't scar.

Orleans treated the burns on his face.