「Shiro-san, are you alright? Shall I help as well?」
「Hm? I am fine. This is not an opponent who will catch me off guard. Besides, this is a precious chance to show lord my good side. I will let you step aside for this one.」
「I see. I wanted to show Itsuki-san my good side too, though. Very well, I will leave it to you.」
「Hmm. Makacelorin.」
Did she really like that phrase?
Come to think of it, makacelorin is a vegetable, and Shiro did not even eat it.
She had frowned and stuck out her tongue with an “Eh” face after taking just one bite…
She tapped her shoes to check the fit and took out a knife, swinging it lightly. Yet, from the elbow down, it vanished completely from sight.
She stretched her body with a groan, jumped several times on the spot, then looked up and turned toward me.
「Shiro. Be extremely careful, alright?」
「Hmm.」
「Please! Be extremely, extremely careful!」
I deployed an Invisible Jail, covered it with soil to make it obvious, placed Shiro on top, and carried her toward the Xeno Hakuidori.
If Shiro stepped in too hard, it would shatter, but I had prepared multiple Invisible Jails directly beneath it, so the safety measures were perfect.
「Hmm. Well then, I am off.」
Shiro said it lightly, as if she were just going out to play, but that would only make Ielo-san anxious…
Indeed, 『A-Are you sure, Master-sama!』 he pressed me, looking worried as if his earlier casual statement at home about the Spirit Tree being fine had been a lie.
Well, this trouble arose in a situation where she might not be able to create clones, after all…
But Shiro said she would be fine, so she will be fine.
I was not worried in the least.
Since Shiro said she would be fine, she would absolutely be fine.
※※※
「～～♪」
I found myself humming a tune.
Oops. Carelessness is forbidden.
I must approach this with the same tension I feel when facing Kukuri.
Carelessness creates laxity in the heart, which becomes a fatal opening.
If I made a blunder by showing such an opening and told Kukuri about it, she would surely say…
『Eh? You were careless against a Xeno Hakuidori… I see. I thought you had grown considerably, but it seems you still have not shed your childish nature. Fufufu. Shall I lower the difficulty level for you?』
She would mock me like that.
I must avoid that…
Besides, I cannot afford to fail under any circumstances.
Subjugation should be easy, but I must destroy the magic stone without burdening the Spirit Tree.
If I fail, not only will I fail to show my master my good side, but I will also make my master bow their head in apology.
That alone is unforgivable.
Therefore… I will go all out from the very first move.
「!」
Oh, the Xeno Hakuidori stopped eating and became alert to its surroundings.
That was close.
It would be easier if it just stayed quiet as it is, so please remain like that.
As lord’s Invisible Jail lifted Shiro to the same height as the Xeno Hakuidori, Cyan and her companions looked surprised at the sight.
There were wounds here and there, bleeding.
The Xeno Hakuidori did not seem to be attacking, merely deflecting, but being struck and blown away by those large wings would certainly cause injuries.
「Huh? Shiro-chan?」
「Hmm. I came to help.」
「Um, but this is the Guardians’ job…」
「Hmm. But, it is an emergency? Ielo said it would be bad if too many leaves were eaten.」
「Ah… yes. That is true… Well then, Shiro-chan. Could you help us?」
Hmm. Of course.
I do not intend to make the presumptuous mistake of stealing their work, but this is an emergency, so it cannot be helped.
「So, what is the plan? We want to defeat it, but having that massive body fall below might be problematic.」
「Hmm. First, slice off the wings on its back. Everyone hold it down so it does not struggle during that time. Three seconds is enough. In that gap, Shiro will destroy the magic stone.」
「Three seconds…」
It is difficult to restrain a huge monster that struggles upon sensing pain or danger.
Cyan looked as if she were thinking for a moment, then turned to her companions. They nodded, and seeing this, she turned back to Shiro.
「Understood. …Does this mean you are letting us take the credit?」
「Hmm? The boar was delicious.」
「Fufufu. Well then, we will do our best too!」
Cyan and her companions surrounded the Xeno Hakuidori, their preparations complete.
Before its killing intent could trigger alertness, Shiro would first strip away those thick feathers.
「…Cloak of Black Shadow: Third Cloak – White Lion」
I thought I could manage without it, but I would not be careless, so I used it anyway.
My senses sharpened, and within time that felt slow, Shiro moved as usual.
In an instant, I harvested the feathers growing from the base of its neck to its tail.
I cut them thoroughly from the roots to ensure none were left behind.
「! Fururuaaaaah!」
Naturally, having its back stripped meant it could no longer continue eating leaves. The Xeno Hakuidori raised a war cry and turned its attention to its own back.
It spread its wings to intimidate and shake us off simultaneously, but I had already read this move.
「Now!」
The moment it spread its wings, Cyan and the others used their weapons to pin it down from all sides. Annoyed, the Xeno Hakuidori shook its body and swung around to shake them off.
Although some were blown away, they immediately got back up and continued to pin it down repeatedly.
「…Here」
It was the spot where I had felt something odd when stripping the back.
The flesh beneath the skin was hard, and the bone was unusually thick.
The magic stone was located in this fortified area because there was something that needed protection.
「Hmm」
I swung my knife down, slicing through the hard meat.
However, the bone was apparently so hard that it repelled the knife with a clank.
「Hmm…」
Even White Lion could not penetrate it… It was large for a reason.
But I was properly prepared.
『Hmm… What is Shiro-san’s strongest single strike?』
『Hmm? Use White Lion?』
『Ah, no, not that. Do you not have something like a one-hit kill?』
『Hmm? Is there such a thing? It would only create a large opening. Kukuri says openings are bad.』
『Yes, of course, creating an opening is unacceptable. But please think carefully. In this world, there are many beings far larger than Shiro-san.』
『Hmm… Like Reagaia?』
『The Earth Dragons as well. Large creatures possess enough defense to ignore attacks from smaller foes. However, they are sluggish due to the strong influence of gravity, making them easy to approach, but small attackers lack the power to damage them.』
『Hmm… Indeed.』
『You may face opponents far larger than yourself in the future. Would it not be wise to have a means for a small person to deliver a fatal blow to a large, careless opponent?』
『Hmm!』
I thanked Kukuri.
My chance to use it had arrived immediately.
「『Cloak of Black Shadow: Fifth Cloak: Green Qilin』」
A vibrant green mist enveloped my arms from the elbows down, knife and all.
Soon, the mist contracted, turning a deep emerald. A high-pitched whine emanated from the tip of the knife.
All that remained was to swing it down.
No strength was needed for the swing itself.
In fact, I could not swing it quickly.
Although the coverage extended to my elbows, I predicted that swinging too fast would cause my arms to snap under the gathered force.
Also, I had to be careful not to damage the tree…
Thus, I simply let the knife fall in a natural stance.
Just before the knife touched the bone, the bone cracked and caved in significantly.
As I continued the downward motion, the bone depressed further. The instant it made contact with the knife, it split vertically along the spine, cleaving the magic stone hidden within in two.
Once the magic stone shattered, the Xeno Hakuidori’s body ceased moving. Eventually, it turned into black ash and dispersed into the air.
「…Phew」
When I released Ryokukirin, sweat poured out, and fatigue washed over me.
As expected, using it in actual combat caused a different level of exhaustion.
But… it was indeed usable. I would have to try it on Reagaia next time.
Mm. Huh? Lord’s Invisible Jail was gone…
…Ah. It had all been destroyed by the shockwave.
Hmm. Well, it seemed the master was already deploying a new one, so it was fine… Mm?
Looking down, I saw branches extending rapidly from the Spirit Tree. They spread their tips, grew leaves in an instant, and caught me.
Oh wow… Amazing.
As expected of the Spirit Tree.
I had not expected it to grow leaves in such a short time.
「Shiro-chan! You did it! You really did it!」
「Hmm. Thanks to everyone. I was able to concentrate. Thank you.」
「The thanks are ours! It is our long-cherished wish! The Guardians’ long-cherished wish has come true!」
Cyan hugged me happily, and Cyan’s companions gathered around one after another.
Hmm, wait a moment? If everyone comes, the branches might break…?
The Spirit Tree thickened its branches, wrapping them further around me, so disaster was averted. But… please look around you…?
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