Chapter 142.3

Chapter 142.3

[Part 3/4]

That's right. It was furious. This kind of humiliation was the first since gaining clear self-awareness.

For instance, she could understand falling into traps set by more powerful beings. Such things were not unusual in her long existence. That would have been fine.

The problem was that her opponents were clearly less powerful entities, and yet they outsmarted her and, even more insultingly, escaped effortlessly. It was truly humiliating, inconceivable, and unacceptable. It felt like everything she had achieved until now was being denied. The calamity youkai thought about this again and trembled with anger, shivering.

'Aaaaaah, dammit!! Goddamned!!?'

This was an uncontrollable outburst of rage. The calamity youkai was probably not specifying anyone in particular to curse, but it seemed as if that was her sole purpose, to curse relentlessly. The enormous, trembling shadow reflected in the twilight manifested the hatred within the youkai's heart, completely deviating from her original humanoid form.

The countless shining eyes in the darkness, their origin unknown, and the disgusting, overlapping cries created a horrifying atmosphere. Anyone who saw this blasphemous scene up close would most likely faint from fear. Monster - there was no other word more fitting for this creature.

...However, the true youkai did not particularly fancy this grotesque form.

'Dammit... dammit, return... return...!'

Suppressing the intense urge with fragments of reason, the monster gradually bent her body. She reduced and condensed her bloated body tissue, finally revealing her form to her dependent, returning to a human-like appearance.

"Ughhh, uuugh... unpleasant. Of all things, I had to imitate them...!!"

The Queen of Flytrap Grass still had a slightly muffled voice as she spat out her frustration. When she gained self-awareness, her form was already like this. The creature's appearance that had mocked her so thoroughly was similar to them, and this similarity had infuriated the monster.

In reality, the causality was reversed. In ancient times, exorcists dispatched by the imperial court had burned down this forbidden forest. Every creature in the forest had trembled in fear and fled from it. Immobile monsters had huddled in fear, praying for the storm to pass.

...And the form of the calamity youkai, instilled in her instincts, was derived from the terror of those exorcists who had passed by, trampling over plants without recognizing what it was. The fact that her appearance was modeled after one of the exorcists who had passed by, unaware of what they were doing, was something the Flytrap Grass never realized.

'Haah, haah, haah... damn. Annoying. Hateful. Infuriating... bastards. Don't think the same trick will work twice...!!'

Curses and curses. The Queen continued to spew curses relentlessly, but that wasn't all. In a sense, the battle with the servants had pushed this monster to a level of growth that set her apart from her previous self.

In her previous existence as a great youkai, as well as in her earlier, lesser form, the battle with the servants had given her mind an unprecedented stimulus. Her self-awareness, which had stagnated as a plant-like sediment, had become more intense, emotional, flexible, and cunning. The calamity youkai was now a different entity from what she had been just a day ago.

'Hehehehe. Remember this. Someday, I'll come to pay my respects. Many, many thanks to give...'

The calamity youkai laughed evilly like a true calamity youkai. It was particularly relentless. The humiliation she suffered would be repaid, not just in kind, but tenfold. She had recognized the individual. She wouldn't let them escape. She would chase them to the ends of the earth...

'That's right. That's right. That's what I should do!'

This was an idea it wouldn't have come up with in the past. She thought of a way to move herself, bound by her roots to a specific area. She thought of using her youkai spirit to change herself slowly. This was also a result of the monster's mental growth.

'Ahahaha!! Wait for me!! I'll catch up with you soon!!'

In the foggy consciousness that was almost fading away, she definitely felt the sensation of that servant's hand and...

"Servant!? Yes, where!!? Servant...!?"

With a body that still wouldn't move much, her feet were still submerged in the river. The princess shouted desperately, repeatedly, and with all her might.

"Servant, servant...!!?"

She called out while her paralyzed neck bent, lifting her body with trembling hands. The princess continued to shout, shouting in fear with an icy coldness spread in her chest.

"Could it be... I'm the only one who survived?"

The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't understand why. Was it because she knew she couldn't survive this situation alone? Or perhaps...

"Servant!? Servant!!? Answer me, damn it...!!"

She shouted, frustration building. At the same time, she wondered why she was addressing them by their title. What was that man's name? She suspected there was no response because she didn't call him by his name. Even though she knew it was pointless, she couldn't help but worry needlessly and regretfully.

She hadn't cared about it, so she hadn't bothered to remember his name...

"Servant!!? WHERE ARE YOU!!?"

Her final cry was more of a scream, and her face contorted. She was terrified, terrified of being all alone in this place. So she searched, searched, and searched...

"Huh...?"

Feeling a sensation at her feet, Aoi turned around and widened her eyes. Right next to her, almost submerged in the river, lay a dark figure. It was as they say, "The darkest place is under the candlestick." She was astonished that she hadn't noticed until now.

"Servant!? Servant!! Wake up!! WAKE UP, PLEASE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING SLEEPING...!!?"

She dragged her body to his side, slapped his shoulders, and shook them. She screamed at him. There was no response.

"But... he's breathing..."

He probably exhausted himself after pulling her out, and now his body was cold, his breath weak, like that of a baby.

"Even a servant, making me worry like this...!!"

Aoi sighed with relief and frustration, trying to cover it up. Then, she whipped his still largely immobile body, lifting the servant out of the water and rolling him onto the land, more like rolling than lifting.

Desperately, she pulled him up.

"If? If? Wake up, please..."