* * *

Let's go back in time a little.

Falweasel, who was tormenting and playing with Luctoria, trapped in a 【Wind Membrane】, had also been affected by the effect of Myogoshugo's 【Mass Command】, which had driven the many medium spirits into a frenzy.

【Mass Command】 is a special ability controlled by a general, and Falweasel, being a mere medium spirit, could not resist Myogoshugo's order to 'form a group and avenge our comrades'.

However, unlike those in the flower garden, he had a little bit of free will left.

That was because he was far from the 【Mass Command】's activator, Myogoshugo... and because he was an individual with a strong sense of self, although it may not be a praiseworthy personality.

That's why he clicked his tongue many times before heading to Emi's location.

After all, he had to interrupt his fun of bullying Luctoria and go to battle.

However, I say again, a mere medium spirit like Falweasel has no way of resisting 【Mass Command】.

It can't be helped.

Thinking that, he glanced at Luctoria.

Luctoria was lying in the 【Wind Membrane】... and was no longer moving at all.

<<<Ah! While I was distracted by the old man's command, she died!>>>

Falweasel, thinking that, turned bright red with anger, and repeatedly shouted a stream of unbearable insults in the direction of the flower garden where Myogoshugo was supposed to be.

He had been watching so intently, and yet he missed the very moment of her death!

He felt that all his hard work had been ruined.

<<<...In that case, I have no choice but to quickly kill that so-called enemy of my comrades, and return before the soul leaves the body!>>>

When dealing with a hero's vessel, it takes time to take their soul.

It's not something you can just slurp down in one go.

After carefully extracting the soul, there are many things to do, such as cutting it up and decorating it with magical power to make it more delicious.

In other words, to eat Luctoria's soul and then go to the enemy of his comrades... that's a no-go.

It takes too long.

By the time he arrives, the enemy will have been defeated, and he will be treated as a useless person who didn't do his job...

Falweasel recognized himself as a smart and quite excellent medium spirit.

His mind was different from the others.

And yet, to be subjected to an unfair low evaluation for a single flaw.

He hated that.

<<<Well, a delicious soul should be much more delicious after being patient!>>>

Convincing himself that he was a smart, wise, and clever spirit who could be patient for long-term gains, Falweasel released the 【Wind Membrane】 that was holding Luctoria.

Because this technique cannot be maintained if the distance is too great.

<<<Now, prepare yourself, enemy of my comrades! I, the strongest beast-wisdom medium spirit Falweasel-sama, will make you a blood sacrifice! Kikikikiki!>>>

Saying that and laughing happily, Falweasel twitched his nose.

And he smelled the magical power remnants of the Whistle Medium Spirit, pinpointed the enemy's location, and.

Falweasel started flying towards that place... slowly and leisurely, humming a tune.

There's no need to rush to be the first in line.

He'll just wait for the right time, secretly join the others, and take the best parts.

After all, Falweasel is smart, wise, and clever, so he can live this way!

...By the time Falweasel was thinking such things, Luctoria had already completely slipped from his mind.

◇ ◇ ◇

...And so.

By the time Falweasel arrived at the scene... the decisive battle between the army of medium spirits and the enemy had already begun.

Or rather.

The medium spirit army was being overwhelmingly trampled.

The medium spirits, their reason blown away by the power of the 【Mass Command】 activated at close range, bravely attacked the enemy, but.

The enemy paid no mind to their attacks.

And the enemy carelessly released its fists, kicked with its feet, and swung something incomprehensible... something like a dark black tentacle.

And one after another, it turned the medium spirits into scattered fragments.

And those fragments, using an incomprehensible organ at the tip of the tentacle... it ate.

Yes, it ate!

It was preying on them!!

Spirits!!!

Seeing that, Falweasel!

...Immediately jumped into a nearby hollow tree.

His brilliant mind had instantly calculated the strategy he should take.

Now is not the time to challenge that thing, he thought!

A plan.

A plan is necessary.

To defeat the enemy.

Because they can't do that, the idiots are charging in without a plan and dying.

The smart, wise, and clever Falweasel is not like that!

Well, if you ask if he has that plan, he doesn't have it right now.

But if he waits, it will surely come to him.

Because Falweasel is smart, wise, and clever.

He's definitely not hiding because he's scared.

This trembling is the kind of thing called a warrior's tremble.

Ah, but the effect of the 【Mass Command】 is hateful.

He can't leave this place!

An existence like himself can demonstrate its power by devising strategies in the rear...!

In other words, the reason he can't defeat that enemy is because of that old man!

◇ ◇ ◇

While he was inwardly cursing at his incompetent superior, all the medium spirits other than him were defeated.

Then, the Great Spirit of Beasts, Gauugabu, arrived.

Gauugabu is strong.

But he's an idiot.

That's why he should help here.

With his own wisdom, he will support that idiot!

He thought so, but.

In the end, Falweasel didn't move.

That was, well, what was it.

Because Gauugabu was a great spirit, higher in rank than Falweasel.

Gauugabu, a great spirit of higher rank, would not listen to the advice of a mere medium spirit like Falweasel, no matter how smart, wise, and clever he was!

It's a waste of time!

He has no choice but to wait and see!

Falweasel trembled, gritting his teeth at the constraints of the strict hierarchy in spirit society, which hindered his appropriate actions!

And while he was trembling, the large tree Falweasel was hiding in was blown away by the aftermath of the battle, and he was able to take a considerable distance from the center of the battle.

And after laboriously rolling the fallen large tree with the power of wind and poking his head out of the hollow, Gauugabu had already been torn to pieces.

(AAAH!! Why did you go and die on your own, you idiot!!)

If that Gauugabu had fought for a bit and realized he was at a disadvantage, he would surely have listened to the advice of the wise Falweasel!

That was when Falweasel should have been active!

Then that Gauugabu would surely have won against the enemy!

And yet, Gauugabu died without putting up a fight.

Even though Falweasel is here!

What a spineless guy!!

Falweasel, still hiding in the hollow of the fallen large tree, continued to silently curse the useless, oversized creature.

◇ ◇ ◇

And then, this time, the Great Spirit of Flowers, Atorikonabuto, appeared with a sneering "Ksuksu" laugh.

Petals that had flown from somewhere on the wind gathered softly and formed a doll, and before he knew it, she was standing before the enemy.

...Falweasel had always disliked that strange elegance.

To begin with, this Atorikonabuto hardly ever works.

She just laughs "Ksuksu" and hides behind the other spirits, and doesn't try to fight against external enemies.

At least, Falweasel has never seen Atorikonabuto fighting.

To be honest, Falweasel thought that Atorikonabuto was useless.

He thought she was just a someone who had lived for a long time, accumulated power, and become a great spirit.

And yet, because Atorikonabuto is a great spirit, she is a being higher in rank than himself, so he had to bow to her... in other words, Falweasel disliked Atorikonabuto.

Poking his head out of the hollow of the tree and thinking such things, Falweasel was staring intently at Atorikonabuto, but.

At that moment, by chance... his eyes met Atorikonabuto's.

Atorikonabuto opened her eyes wide in surprise for a moment, but immediately smiled again... and suddenly, with herself at the center, she generated a blizzard of flowers in a swirling motion.

An incredible wind!

So strong that it easily rolled the fallen tree Falweasel was hiding in!

Falweasel, thinking that his insolent thoughts had been seen through and he had incurred the wrath ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) of the great spirit, shrank in the rolling hollow of the large tree and trembled.

After a while, the wind stopped.

When Falweasel poked his head out of the hollow to check on the situation outside.

The scenery before his eyes had completely changed.

The tree Falweasel was hiding in had been rolled by the wind, so it was outside the range, but.

In the area around the enemy and Atorikonabuto, where they had been facing each other... a blue flower garden had been born.

Seeing that scene, Falweasel thought!

(No, no, no! What are you doing, making a flower garden! Fight!!)

While indignantly staring intently, he saw that Atorikonabuto had already been torn to pieces like Gauugabu, and the last fragment was being eaten by a black tentacle.

When all of her was preyed on by the enemy, the beautifully blooming flower garden rapidly withered and rotted away.

(And she lost too!?)

That someone was useless after all.

Falweasel turned his long-held suspicion into a conviction.

◇ ◇ ◇

And furthermore, as Falweasel continued to hide in the hollow of the fallen large tree, the Great Spirit of the Myogomyogoshugo, Myogoshugo, finally appeared, he said.

As far as Falweasel could see, Myogoshugo was fighting quite well.

He launched a surprise attack, skillfully used four swords, and even released some of the half-dead medium spirits who were trapped in the tentacles, increasing his forces.

But he lost.

He lost.

(What's with 'a splendid fight'! Don't praise the enemy!)

That old man is drunk on himself.

That's why he can say such lines.

He's always been like that, but to be like that even when he dies is beyond saving!

(ANNOYING OLD MAN! HURRY UP AND DIE!!)

While glaring at Myogoshugo, who was disappearing into the night sky as particles of light, Falweasel continued to curse inwardly with all the insults he could think of.

And.

Before he knew it, in this place, there was the human, the enemy of his comrades, and.

...himself, hiding, alone.

(Y-Yikes!? That human, she's killed three great spirits now!? Yikes!?)

At this point, Falweasel finally realized his own peril!

After all, the human enemy is a super-dangerous creature that has defeated the great spirits, the cream of the crop of this Spirit Forest!

If such an opponent were to discover his own existence...!?

(They’ll eat me in one bite! D-Damn it! I can't stay in this dangerous place any longer!)

And thinking that far.

Falweasel suddenly noticed that the haze-like thing that had been clinging to his thoughts had disappeared.

Myogoshugo had been defeated, so the effect of the 【Mass Command】 on Falweasel had been broken.

In other words, the order to 'avenge our comrades' was canceled... and at this moment, Falweasel became free!

(H-H-Hyaaaaaaaaa!!!)

The next moment, Falweasel jumped out of the hollow of the large tree and ran with all his might!

To avoid being noticed, he suppressed his voice, and to avoid standing out, he didn't fly, but slid along the ground!

...Completely turning his back on the human, the enemy of his comrades!

(I'm the adorably smart, wise, and clever genius strongest beast-wisdom medium spirit Falweasel-sama! In other words, I'm in charge of brain work! Being treated like a spearhead or a cannonball is out of the question! Losing a valuable asset like me would be nothing but a loss for the Spirit Forest! That's why... I'll retreat for now! It's a strategic withdrawal!!!)

While continuing to fully affirm his own actions, Falweasel ran.

Fortunately, whether he wasn't noticed, or whether they weren’t interested...

The human did not pursue him.