Of course, while Flower’s abilities are practically invincible, they aren’t truly unbeatable. The only reason I can’t deal with her is due to modern advancements; she hasn’t been engaged in a straightforward brawl with someone of my caliber, has she?
If I wanted her dead, it would be as easy as hiring a few beastmen to do the job. Assuming there’s no escort around, even this small number of troops would be sufficient.
Moreover, I could figure something out with modern technology. Didn’t I confirm that her powers don’t have a global influence? Her abilities extend only a few kilometers at most, and the military satellites that always hover above her are beyond the range of her powers.
Could she really block military lasers shot from satellites or dozens of tons of tungsten rods? I wouldn’t know until I tried, but there were plenty of means available to test.
‘Of course, she could potentially block these as they are artificial…’
In other words, using something that is neither artificially created nor naturally occurring is simple. Only such items would be free from her powers.
Coincidentally, I’ve come across a certain entity since arriving in this world. The Fairy Queen who created the Magical Girl and the World Enemy, the Devil who isn’t of this world, a guardian of space and time…
I pondered what I could control with my Earthly technology from among those that can’t be underestimated, mixing them together. It was chaos itself, with no way for me to predict what the outcome would be.
‘If she can block even this, then I’ll have to give up smoothly at that point.’
Well, if there truly exists a being beyond her control—what could she possibly do? The only option might be to self-destruct the planet.
No matter how villainous she might be, she certainly didn’t want to meet her end in such a manner. Perhaps a slightly happier conclusion would be preferable…
“—Let’s see how you fare. You rotten scoundrel.”
Grrr—!
From the rift in space, something with a ghastly face howled.
* * *
Clang—!
All the dishes and glasses crashed to the floor, shattering. Amidst the sharp glass shards, the woman responsible for this carnage casually picked up the next dish to throw.
No, to be precise, it’s more accurate to say she swept everything away. She was literally wiping the glassware and dishes off the table with her arm.
Only Bandaged Thug, who had painstakingly moved those dishes onto the table in response to her command, was watching the scene with a despondent expression.
“—Hah, hah—.”
“…Is it all over?”
“Over? No? I’m still going, so get me some more dishes.”
Flower declared while blooming with her signature smile. With a sigh, Bandaged Thug began to move his shadow-like hands to gather fragile items like dishes, glasses, and expensive wine bottles onto the table.
Upon seeing this, Flower swung her arm and shattered all of his dishes, causing expensive wine worth an average worker’s annual salary to flow out and stain the floor.
Confident in his sommelier-like knowledge and palate, Bandaged Thug’s mouth watered at the sight of the precious wine soaking into the ground.
“This is fun, really fun.”
“There aren’t any more dishes to break now.”
“I know. So what?”
Flower pouted angrily as she walked barefoot over the pieces of glass she had shattered. The sharp shards could tear into her skin and muscles, but she walked over them nonchalantly, as if it were impossible for anything to happen.
In truth, the moment her foot touched the glass, the shattered pieces crumbled away like cookie crumbs, disappearing from sight. Footprints began to appear in the shimmering lake of glass.
As she dirtied the lake and approached Bandaged Thug, she embraced him and leaned her neck towards him.
“Bite me.”
“…Didn’t we agree not to do this?”
“Bite me—! Damn it! Should I just die already!?”
“Okay, okay. I got it, so stop….”
Unable to withstand Flower’s threats, Bandaged Thug let out a sigh and slowly lowered the bandages to reveal his sharp teeth. Sharp enough to penetrate and pierce through flesh.
As his teeth pressed against the back of Flower’s neck, her body began to tremble. An ancient method devised by ancestors to ensure the propagation of their kind. An action that not only provided immense pleasure that would prevent the other from refusing.
Though the function of propagation had degraded, the ability to provide pleasure remained intact, and thanks to that, Flower was experiencing the full benefits. Dopamine, endorphins, and adrenaline were likely surging in her mind right now.
“Hahhh….”
An act more potent than actual drugs, yet without the addictive nature associated with narcotics. However, just because it lacked chemical dependency didn’t mean one couldn’t become addicted. Just look at Flower.
Because she turned a blind eye to the livestock industry that releases pollutants in the name of environmental protection, her gaunt physique resembled that of a drug addict who had already gone too far, and her behavior, clinging to me based on memories, was indistinguishable from that of an addict.
“This is nice….”
“…You should start focusing soon.”
“Focus? On what? How do I cope if I manage to focus?”
Flower let out a chuckle as she spoke. Tax audits, criminal charges for dozens of violations, police running around to obtain warrants for her arrest, public opinion turning against her in an instant.
For Flower, the head of an environmental protection organization, there was nothing she could do. In front of a major corporation that had genuinely revealed an intention to kill her, her organization had transformed into a mere child’s play area.
The only thing she could do was cling to the remaining comrade left and suffer from the pleasures he provided…
“You must do something. Anything.”
“What should I do…? Should I engage in terrorism? Occupy a city and fight to the death? Kill people and start a war?”
“If that’s all that’s left for you to do—.”
“Are you insane, really?”
Flower burst into laughter after breaking away from Bandaged Thug. In her state of ecstasy, he seemed even more deranged than she felt.
To suggest killing others just to save myself? Was that something an environmental protector would do? That wasn’t the way of someone who cared for the environment.
“Enough. I might as well turn myself in.”
“If you do that now—.”
“I know. Public opinion is bad. I’ve earned plenty of grudges here and there. If I’m unlucky, I might never get out.”
It wasn’t the appropriate thing to say while grinning, but Flower was overly calm. Bandaged Thug respected her decision as he observed her.
Stealthily—he brought over two hidden glasses of wine and offered one to Flower. Upon seeing him, Flower began to chuckle again.
“You just shattered everything earlier, right?”
“I hid them because I couldn’t bear to waste them. Since it’s the last one, have a drink.”
“…Well, sure, for the last time.”
Normally, she wouldn’t even touch a drink like this, but—Flower gulped it down to commemorate the end.
And what then? She engaged in acts she would normally avoid, celebrating the last. Starting with sleeping with Bandaged Thug.
Sleeping with sharp things embedded on top and bottom was truly a flood of pleasure she had never experienced in her life. It would be an experience she would never forget…
“I’m sorry.”
Flower whispered an apology to Bandaged Thug, who had followed her this far out of love, yet ultimately couldn’t fulfill her desires, before drifting into sleep.
Hoping that this happiness would last forever, if only for a moment.
—Grrr…!
“Gah—!?”
Waking up, Flower trembled as she touched her body. She was shaking so greatly that even the deeply sleeping Bandaged Thug noticed something was off and began to wake up…
“What’s wrong?”
“N-no. No… Don’t… Please…”
“Flower?”
“I-I don’t want to. No… I have to stop it. I need to stop it.”
“Flower. Calm down—.”
Ignoring Bandaged Thug’s words, Flower immediately dashed outside the covers and began to get dressed, running off somewhere.
Wondering where she was headed, Bandaged Thug followed after her, realizing she was running towards the eternal tree in the center of N City.
“Flower?”
“I must go there, I have to.”
“Flower! Why are you—!”
Without responding, Flower reached out her hand towards the eternal tree. Instantly, roots and branches supporting the city below began to wrap around her body.
As her body slowly ascended, police officers chasing behind her quickly emerged and aimed their weapons at her.
“This is the police! Stay still!”
“You are charged with seventy counts of criminal offenses including embezzlement….”
However, regardless of what the police said, Flower focused solely on wrapping her body with the tree’s roots and branches. Before long, she had completely sealed herself inside the heart of the eternal tree.
Even in a sealed environment, Flower continued to tremble.
—Grrr…!
“Eeep…!”
She was simply terrified of an incomprehensible something.
* * *
[Breaking news. Recently, Flower, head of the environmental protection organization who committed seventy counts of criminal offenses including embezzlement, has initiated a terror attack in N City…]
[The association’s Heroes have deployed to apprehend her—]
[Citizens of nearby cities are urged to evacuate as soon as possible…]
A little while later, I received news that Flower had carried out a terror attack. However, I was neither surprised nor disturbed.
Because I had known in advance.
“I knew it would come to this.”
I was aware that Flower was the kind of person who could easily initiate a terror attack.
As I clicked my tongue while watching the news, I pondered.
‘By the way… what happened to that thing I created?’
I had gone through the trouble of sending it out, yet I hadn’t received any feedback about it.
Wondering when it would return, I leisurely enjoyed my coffee.
With the calm demeanor of an Evil Scientist.
