Sorting

The fire spear left Alexia's hand and accelerated instantly, shooting straight at the Ent.

The Ent turned from Finn to face the fire spear, pointing her sword at it.

Her sword transformed into a rose and grew rapidly, engulfing the fire spear.

But that wasn't enough to stop it.

The spear pierced through the thick trunk and drove into the Ent's chest.

Its momentum didn't end there; it pinned her to the wall.

Alexia confirmed the hit and closed her right hand.

That was the signal. The fire spear burst, and flames like hellfire consumed the Ent's entire body.

The tremendous heat reached the surrounding plants, and the garden paradise caught fire.

Finn rolled one of her remaining explosive balls in her right hand as she moved to Alexia's side.

"Think that did it?"

"Who knows. That spell was close to my maximum in both power and heat, so if it didn't work, we're in trouble…"

"That looked like it could take down a Dragon, though."

Footsteps echoed.

The sound of high heels on hard ground.

They cut off their conversation and turned toward the still-burning flames.

A figure emerged from the fire.

It was the Ent, with a gaping hole in her stomach.

Her left arm was nearly torn off too, and she'd clearly taken serious damage.

But a smile still played on her lips.

"Wood feeds fire. Given that nature, fire is a bad matchup for me. By rights the difference in power should mean you'd never stand a chance, yet look at me."

The Ent ripped off her dangling left arm and tossed it aside.

Her movements were sluggish, and perhaps due to the fire, regeneration hadn't started.

Finn and Alexia exchanged a glance and charged at the Ent again.

This time, with no vines to block them, Finn's daggers and Alexia's battle-axe reached the Ent.

The Ent coughed up blood and staggered.

Her neck and heart had been struck simultaneously.

Just when it seemed over, the collapsing Ent grabbed Alexia's shoulder with her right hand.

The grip was impossibly strong for someone on the verge of death.

A bad feeling washed over Alexia; she dropped her battle-axe and tried to pry the hand off with both arms, but it wouldn't budge.

"Really, I could have ended this much sooner, but Oscar would lecture me for it. Not showing enough respect to warriors who've overcome trials, he'd say. So I humored you."

"… What are you talking about?"

"I gave you your moment in the spotlight, and you got the thrill of almost beating an Apostle, right? That's enough."

Red mist poured from the hole in the Ent's stomach.

Finn and Alexia were swallowed up by the mist almost instantly.

The mist swelled outward like it was expanding, soon obscuring where Yohane and Orleans had been.

Azu saw Yohane reflexively shield Orleans.

Finally, it reached Azu and Elza.

Azu instinctively held her breath and crossed her arms in front of her face to brace herself.

The red mist passed through her and, after a moment, returned to the Ent.

"—?"

She could tell from the sensation on her skin that the mist had cleared.

But nothing had happened to her.

Azu opened her eyes, puzzled, and standing there was the Ent, completely unharmed.

Her dress was torn and skin exposed, but there was no trace of burns.

She had fully recovered.

Had that been some kind of healing skill rather than an attack?

Looking around, everyone except Elza had collapsed.

None of them showed any sign of getting up.

She rushed to Yohane's side and checked his face.

His breathing was weak but present. She felt a wave of relief.

However, red marks like rashes had appeared all over him.

Orleans was the same.

She couldn't see them from here, but given that Finn and Alexia weren't moving, they likely had the same symptoms.

(Why just Elza-san and me? Because we were farther away?)

Puzzled by being unaffected despite touching the red mist, she raised her sword.

The fight wasn't over.

The Ent summoned vines and wound them around herself, transforming them into a new dress.

Then she cupped a hand to her mouth and blew toward the fire still burning from the magic.

Alexia's magical flames, which had seemed like they would burn forever, vanished in an instant.

It didn't take long for the fire to go out completely.

Azu put potion and antidote in her own mouth, then transferred them to Yohane's by mouth-to-mouth.

But his breathing remained labored. It had no effect.

"Elza-san! What was that? Master and Orleans-chan have strange marks… The medicine isn't working."

"It's poison. A special brew made by the Rose Witch. It slowly eats away at the body until death. No human can cure it."

"No way! I'm completely fine, so why—"

"That's because…"

"Because it only works on humans."

The Ent strolled leisurely toward the frantic Azu.

Out of place in its elegance.

"Today's humans are pretty strong. So let's get to the main event, shall we? But I don't like dragging things out. So I've added a time limit. Defeat me in time and I'll give you the antidote."

"…"

Azu gently laid Yohane down and rose unsteadily.

Then she raised her face.

The color in Azu's right eye shone more intensely than ever before.

"I just have to beat you? Then let's hurry. Master is suffering."

"Indeed. Let's begin."

The moment the Ent created a new sword and raised her guard, Azu dropped low.

She used every muscle in her body to spring forward.

The quartz she stomped off of shattered to pieces as if hit by an explosion.