The 4th Day of Sumrs Eve, Year 200 of the Royal Era
I surveyed the most recent battlefield from the top of the battlents, casually balancing on the tip of a spire. A variety of knights surrounded , oblivious to my presence. Willow was standing nearby, dressed in a formal gown with her coat of arms stitched on: a two-headed brown serpent entwined with a red rose. This was the sa coat of arms as the slaughtered soldiers I saw in my previous visions. She glanced up at occasionally, as if she couldnt believe that I was sohow hiding in plain sight. It was agreed between us that I would stay hidden, since seeing the Peerless Devil would cause a mass panic.
Willow was quick to reassure that only the most pious individuals would recognize , since Im not a hideous abomination, but you can never be too careful. A twin pair of moons were rising in the clear night sky. The faint light they provided illuminated the area like it was clear day to my eyes. Verlush is an interesting place, set in the midst of an endless sea of flowers. The roads set in this massive adow were covered in shortgrass that looked like artificial turf, and the city itself seed overrun with plant life. Every house and manor had flowers, climbing ivy, or grass growing on the walls or roof. Interestingly, there were no trees amongst the plant life, and all the houses were made from clay or stone. I would have pegged this place as an elven enclave or a dwarven settlent, not a human city.
However, the natural beauty of the scenery ended about 300 ters from the walls. The flowers that dotted the landscapes were turned into dried husks, demarcating a sharp line across the span of the invading army. The encroaching wasteland was a stark reminder of the Verlushs upcoming doom. 200 ters beyond that point a pile of corpses was stacked up around the vampire camp, forming a barrier of flesh and bone to deter any sallying forces from Verlush. An eerie mist covered the camp, obscuring the exact position of the enemy forces. This magical camouflage did nothing to hinder . My newfound power was coursing through , begging to be put to use. Such strength wasintoxicating.
An elderly knight approached the battlent, quickly moving up the steps to kneel before Willow. Baroness adow! It is good to see that you turned back from your foolishness! the knight exclaid. It is good to see you too, Sir Bark. Willow replied, showing a politicians talent for sidestepping unsavory topics. The sound of bat-like screeches quickly ended their conversation, as the soldiers on the walls readied their weapons. The vampiric horde marched forth, their crimson eyes flashing in the dark. Many of the n and won started trembling at the sight, feeling the instinctive fear that all prey experience before their predator.
Willow took the massive drop in morale as her cue. Warriors of Verlush, stay strong! We face an army of foul creatures bent on devouring us, but as long as we believe in ourselves we can prevail! Let us follow the example of the Redeers! Let us fight against the evil in this world! Let us reclaim hope! Willows voice rang out across the city, courtesy of a voice enhancent a group of mages cast on her. I could sense that they were not like wizards from the previous world, but they were still able to use magic. Fascinating. Maybe Ill look into that later. Willows speech did its job of restoring the flagging morale. WOOOAAAAAHHHHH!!!! The defenders of Verlush roared their defiance at the oncoming army. Well, sorry to invalidate all of the fighting spirit, but its ti I step in.
I started channeling mana, or whatever the hell this stuff was (Ill call it mana for now), feeling an oceans worth crash into as I funneled it into a spell I wouldnt have even dread of doing back ho. We feast on your corpses, we grow on your blood. Our roots burrow deep, unyielding as we bud. We are nature eternal, rising through hardships anew. A Fortress of Flowers that none shall get through. I finished my spell, feeling sothing that I would describe as a mana high as I cast it. Despite the monstrous amount of mana I poured into the spell, I barely feel tired. The screeches of the undead vampires and the yells of the Verlush army both cut off suddenly as the land around the wall started to buckle and heave as if there was a bucking bronco beneath it. The vampires faltered at the sight, coming to a halt at the edge of their created wasteland.
The land soon quieted down, although the keen observer would notice that the plant growth was far thicker than before. The vampires, after so prodding from the True Ancestor, started charging once more. They carelessly trampled over the plants as they continued forward. Then it happened. An endless number of roots burst from the ground, wrapping themselves around a multitude of vampires and pulling them beneath the earth. Loud squelching sounds were heard before an overgrowth of new plants burst from where the bodies went under. These new flowers extended their own roots and vines, ensnaring even more vampires and turning them into nutrients and fertilizer.
Pure chaos erupted amongst the Undead ranks at the sudden ambush. The Vampire mages were quick to try and burn away the plants, but they could not match the regeneration rate. The rank and file soldiers were hacking away at the roots and vines, desperately trying to avoid being consud. As the plants multiplied, their thods of attack did as well. Various thorny bushes were shooting their thorns like bullets, sweet flowers spread their pollen which then burst explosively, the number of ways that the plants were killing was both remarkable and growing.
There was a dead silence on the walls of Verlush as the defenders all just stared, wide-eyed, at the sight of the adow they call ho rising up against the invaders. The ones who ca to devour them beca the ones being devoured instead. Willows eyes kept darting to and fro, unable to decide whether to focus on or the massacre. The True Ancestor, a handso looking man with black hair and red eyes, managed to blast his way out to the wasteland. He crossed the threshold, along with so other subordinates, and I could see his palpable relief at reaching what he perceived as safety. How very wrong he was.
The flowers surged forward, reclaiming the land that they had been exterminated off with a thorny vengeance. The remnants of the vampire army tried desperately to outrun them, but the flora was relentless. The last to go was the True Ancestor, who managed to valiantly last until a blood red flower wrapped around him like a boa constrictor and popped his head like a champagne cork. His blood was quickly absorbed and crystallized, along with the blood of the rest of the army, and delivered to by the plants as they started growing up the side of the battlents surrounding the city.
The soldiers all hurriedly evacuated from the fortifications, watching in fear as the stone was crushed into dirt by the flowers. At this point, the wild rampage ended. All that remained was a low hedge of flowers ringing the city. However, I could feel that the power was not gone, rely dormant. Just as I had intended. And from the looks of the Verlush mages, they too realized that it was still there. I stood by Willow, admiring the see-through blood crystal that I would put to good use soon. What did you do? Willow whispered in mute shock. I granted you an indomitable barrier. This Fortress of Flowers will ceaselessly guard your precious city from all those who wish it harm. I have no interest in being summoned every ti you have an invasion after all. I replied calmly.
Willow smiled at my words, taking off guard. That was rather kind of you. The only thing that the agreent covered was protecting the city from this one invasion. You had no obligation to do anything more. Dont read into it. It was on a whim. I replied back, much to her amusent. She giggled at before muttering Tsundere from the corner of her mouth.
The contract seal on Willows hand glowed, reminding her of her own part of our bargain. She handed over a small vial, containing a liquid that I confird to be the Elixir of Life. The contract summoning ended, and I could feel myself being pulled back across ti and space to the mont I first left ho. I decided to do one last service for my summoner, as gratitude for the opportunity I have gained from her. I pressed my hand to her shoulder and simply willed her back into full health. Her figure filled out from her starvation, and the lines of worry on her face vanished, revealing a beautiful young noblewoman.
The legends about you really are false, arent they? She asked as she looked at her unblemished skin with unrestrained awe. Yeah, although its not like I care. I replied. And its true, I could care less that I am the equivalent of the evil deity in this world. I dont plan on coming here again any ti soon. I faded away from this new world to the sight of Willow mouthing Thank you at my vanishing figure.
The return trip was far more gentle than the initial trip, and I reappeared in front of Irene an instant after I had disappeared. The all-powerful feeling that I had in the other world faded as I returned to my ambient mana-starved ho. The mana that is here is like beef jerky compared to the succulent steak of the mana in the other world. I felt a profound sense of loss for an instance, before shaking it off to focus on Irene. I then rembered that she had kissed and confessed right before I had left. But that can wait for now. Irene, Ive found a way to cure Hikari. Her response was textbook Irene: she karate chopped my head and said About damn ti boss!
I clutched the vampiric blood crystal and the Elixir of Life in my hands tightly, having co up with a potential solution to Hikaris predicant. I just have to hope that she forgives for what I will have to do to her for it to succeed.
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