* * *

<<<GREAT SPIRIT OF BEASTS-DONO, HAS BEEN KILLED IN BATTLE!!!>>>

The gray Armor Medium Spirit knelt on one knee and screamed amidst the shining flowers.

<<<<<<<<<............>>>>>>>>>

The great spirits who received the report while surrounding the tree stump that served as a table... however, were very calm.

As expected of great spirits, one might say.

<<<Gauugabu has passed, has he?>>>

The Great Spirit of Light muttered transcendentally, in a monotonous voice.

<<<Ksuksu... That child was, after all, a beast... an idiot.>>>

The Great Spirit of Flowers laughed mockingly, shaking the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) sake in her cup.

<<<Hmph, it's because he jumped in without thinking.>>>

The insect-type great spirit snorted shortly, not bothering to hide his irritation.

...These great spirits, in their long lives, have come into contact with "death" more times than they can count.

Naturally, their sense of ethics and their view of life and death are different from humans.

The death of one of their comrades.

There are no immature ones among them who would be flustered by such a thing.

The great spirits calmly, quietly continued to exchange words.

To them, it was as if the death of the Great Spirit of Beasts, Gauugabu, was an insignificant event.

<<<However... Gauugabu's combat ability was supposed to be the highest among us great spirits.>>>

<<<The great spirit, praised by our king as the 'Guardian Beast of the Forest'... that was Gauugabu...>>>

<<<Ksuksu... A human who can defeat such a child? ...I wonder if we can win...?>>>

...However.

Although they didn't show it in their attitude, all the great spirits were, to be honest, panicking.

When the Great Spirit of Beasts, Gauugabu, impulsively jumped out of this flower garden, they thought.

'Well, he'll probably win'...

And yet, to hear a report of his defeat in such a short time, as if the battle description had been omitted.

It was truly a miscalculation of the highest order.

<<<...It can't be helped.>>>

And here.

The Great Spirit of Flowers placed her cup on the tree stump and stood up quietly.

<<<Ksuksu... I'll go next. I... the Great Spirit of Flowers, Atorikonabuto.>>>

And she declared that, laughing bewitchingly.

<<<...However, Flower. If you fight...>>>

<<<Yes, a section of the forest will die out... Ksuksu...>>>

Smiling, the Great Spirit of Flowers made a single flower bloom on her fingertip.

From that deep blue flower, a single, transparent drop of liquid dripped onto the tree stump.

And then, from where the drop fell, a creepy sizzling sound was heard, and the surroundings turned purple, and furthermore, began to melt.

It was a powerful poison, imbued with various effects by magical power...!

<<<What will bloom around me from now on is a flower garden. A flower garden so vast that the human cannot escape, Ksuksu... a flower garden of deadly poison. The human will be helpless, and will die just by smelling the scent of these children.>>>

Saying that, she smiled ecstatically, scattering the petals of the blue flower that bloomed on her fingertip into the wind.

<<<If you do that, then, as expected... quite a bit of the forest will die.>>>

<<<That's why I've been holding back this power. But now is not the time to be so stiff, Great Spirit of Light.>>>

<<<............>>>

<<<Ksuksu... Later, will you be scolded by the Forest Spirit King-sama with me? Please?>>>

Finally, with a cute smile that suited her girlish appearance.

The Great Spirit of Flowers turned her body into countless petals and disappeared from the spot.

She had teleported to the location of the enemy.

A single petal, dancing softly, fell onto the cup she had left behind.

And that sake... in an instant, was dyed a deep blue.

◇ ◇ ◇ 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

<<<Great Spirit of Flowers-dono, has been killed in battle!!!>>>

...The breaking news a few minutes later was this!

<<<...She's been done in.>>>

<<<...She's been done in.>>>

The two remaining great spirits let out heavy sighs.

<<<By the way, Flower... despite looking so close to a human girl, she was mercilessly killed... does the enemy have no human heart?>>>

Furthermore, the insect-type great spirit was horrified by the enemy's merciless slaughter, and involuntarily shivered.

<<<I don't know. I don't want to know the psychology of humans.>>>

While looking at the insect-type great spirit, the Great Spirit of Light said that, as if spitting.

<<<If you don't know, then how could I possibly know. After all, you have wandered the world and formed friendships with various humans, haven't you?>>>

<<<............>>>

<<<A spirit, and yet, at one time you protected a country as a general, and at another time you assisted an avenger and stood up against evil... I don't know where they heard it from, but the lesser spirits love your saga.>>>

<<<That's a long time ago... Now, I'm just a retired old man.>>>

The Great Spirit of Light, for certain reasons, dislikes humans.

Therefore, she has some thoughts about the career of the insect-type great spirit, who has gotten along with humans quite well.

Involuntarily, her tone becomes sharp.

The insect-type great spirit smiled wryly at the youth of the Great Spirit of Light.

However.

<<<...You can run away, you know?>>>

The words of the Great Spirit of Light that followed... were not sarcasm, but were certainly filled with her feelings, wishing for the safety of the insect-type great spirit.

<<<This forest is not your hometown. You are different from me. You don't have to risk your life to fight for this forest, do you?>>>

<<<No... I won't run. I can't forgive the enemy who ravaged the forest and slaughtered the youngsters.>>>

However, the insect-type great spirit said that and shook his head.

<<<And I am grateful to the Forest Spirit King-sama. He gave me, who is so human-like, a final resting place... I must repay that debt.>>>

And the insect-type great spirit stood up quietly.

He has three pairs of legs.

With one pair of legs, he stomped on the ground.

And with the remaining two pairs of legs... four arms, he drew the four swords he had at his waist.

Four-sword style... it's a terrifying combat technique that he wields, a technique that humans cannot easily imitate due to physical limitations...!

<<<I have neither a huge body nor poison. However, I have the techniques I learned from my friends.>>>

ZAN!

ZAN, ZAN, ZAN!

...While speaking quietly, he wields four flashes of divine speed, faster than the eye can see!

Parari, and.

The petals dancing before his eyes scattered, cut into small pieces.

<<<I will surely defeat this cruel foe!>>>

BUBUBU!

Transparent wings deployed from the back of the insect-type great spirit and began to move at high speed!

And then his body floated softly into the air...!

<<<I'll borrow your technique, Jiro-san...!>>>

Finally.

After quietly muttering to his long-dead, old friend.

The insect-type great spirit flew out of the flower garden!

------

【Jiro-san】

A person who seems to be a reincarnated person who was once active, mentioned in Arc 13 *(Chapter 232)*.

After a fierce battle, he destroyed the dark organization 'Dark Dragon'.

The foolish act of "being destroyed by an enemy who had grown through those battles, as a result of underestimating the enemy and deploying forces sequentially" is called the 'The Mistake of the Dark Dragon' in this world, Ardyst, and this story is still being passed down in the dark society of Ardyst.