Omegas are called Omegas because they hunt Avatar Bodies like it's nothing. If even fighters of that caliber were defeated, humanity's future would be as good as gone.

Rustila calmly gripped her sword.

Two swordsmen remained.

Two heads on the Avatar Body.

The numbers matched perfectly. There was a chance of victory.

"You two are stronger than I expected?"

The flower Avatar Body snickered. A smiling flower and a crying flower. Rustila faced the smiling one.

'It shares vision with the head on the opposite side.'

The opponent was strong. She couldn't let her guard down for a moment.

"Captain, what should we do?"

[Observe the situation and adapt flexibly.]

"Understood."

[Major, I'm giving you discretion. Don't just wait for my orders—move according to your own judgment.]

Rustila lightly scraped her foot against the ground. For now, it was a reconnaissance battle.

"Where do you think you're going!"

The flower Avatar Body inflated its mouth.

[— 'Shamflower' uses <Blood Dissolution Needles>.]

Tudududu.

Poison-coated needles sprayed mercilessly. They moved too fast for normal human eyes to follow.

Rustila read their physical trajectory. Her blade roared as it deflected several of the thorns.

"Good instincts. Kihihi!"

The flower Avatar Body fluttered its leaves.

"Huh?"

Black blood formed in droplets on the Avatar Body's leaves.

"Huh?"

Tuduk.

Several leaves fell limply to the ground. The expression of the constantly smiling Avatar Body crumpled.

Sticky oil poured from the severed areas. The Avatar Body erased the smile from its face and spoke coldly.

"Did you do this?"

Rustila didn't answer.

"I couldn't see it just now. Impressive. You're not just good with instincts—you're incredibly skilled too?"

Kikikiki.

The flower Avatar Body let out a chilling laugh.

Soon its black pupils dilated. White thorns sprouted from its mouth like teeth. Though it had the shape of a face, it couldn't be considered a human visage at all.

"Playtime is over! Hihihihi!"

An eerie energy swirled around.

[— 'Shamflower' uses <Earth Whip>.]

The ground vibrated and began to crack as if struck by drought. The flower Avatar Body's roots tore through the earth and rose up. The root branches surged toward Rustila.

Seogek!

Rustila advanced while cutting through the roots. Ranged attacks had clear limitations in terms of power. Despite the risk, striking at close range was more effective.

Rustila's form slipped between the roots and poison needles. She swung her sword upward. One stem was severed and flew away.

"That's not nearly enough! Hahahaha!"

The Avatar Body's trunk wriggled and returned to its original state. If anything, it had grown thicker than before.

Ordinary slashes were useless. Its regeneration speed far exceeded the rate at which she could cut it.

There were two ways to defeat it.

Either burn it completely.

Or find and destroy the core that was the source of its power.

In most cases, both methods had to be used together. To find the core, one had to cut indiscriminately and set fire to see where it was.

But sometimes, simple deduction could locate the core.

'The head.'

This Avatar Body had a face. If she targeted the core, it would definitely panic. She had attacked the stem, leaves, and roots, but it hadn't flinched. Therefore, the vital point must be elsewhere.

'I'll aim for the head.'

Rustila took a deep breath. She stepped on the Avatar Body's stem and leaped. As expected, the flower Avatar Body's expression turned pale blue.

"You!"

The flower Avatar Body spat out poison needles in rapid succession. Their speed increased several times. Rustila quickly hid behind a stem.

Puk!

A sharp pain stung her left arm. A long poison needle had penetrated through the Avatar Body's stem and lodged directly into Rustila's forearm.

"How stupid! Did you think I wouldn't harm myself? Hahahaha! Uweek!"

The smiling flower vomited black blood.

"...Hihihi. You've been hit by my needle, so you'll die soon. Farewell!"

She hadn't even let her guard down. Yet she was hit. Rustila gritted her teeth and suppressed a groan. She swung her sword and cut away the punctured stems.

"Huh?"

The flower Avatar Body lost its balance and lurched forward. The flower receptacle was exposed.

This was her chance.

Tadak!

Rustila leaped toward the staggering flower. She rotated as if drifting through the air.

Combining gravitational acceleration and rotational force, she precisely landed her blade on the flower's receptacle.

[— Omega Grade Conversion: <Star's Cry>]

Kurung.

With a sound like the world being torn asunder, the smiling flower's neck fell. Plasma scattered like orbiting stars, enveloping the atmosphere.

'I felt it in the impact. I broke something.'

Rustila was certain. It must have been the Avatar Body's core.

"Kueogh!"

Kung!

The Avatar Body's head crashed into the ground. Dust scattered in the wind.

Shuuuu.

Rustila activated her jet device and landed lightly. The personal jet device lacked enough thrust to fly freely in gravitational space, but it was sufficient for offsetting landing impact.

"...Phew."

Her shoulder where the poison needle had struck was stinging. Her head began to throb as if cramping.

[Injecting painkillers and neutralizing agents.]

The AI built into her suit administered emergency treatment.

While the neutralizing agent's effectiveness was uncertain, the painkiller worked. The burning sensation subsided somewhat.

Rustila ran toward the other flower and radioed in.

"Captain!"

The remaining flower turned around.

The crying flower.

It looked at Rustila, then glanced at its empty opposite side. The next moment, the crying flower's expression twisted in shock.

"Joy is... gone? Dead? Did you kill her? Then I... I'm alone?"

The crying flower's petals turned dark red.

"I don't want to be alone. This is too sad! Aaaack! Uweeeek!"

The crying flower spewed pus from its mouth.

"...Ah, b-but it's okay. The Queen will give me new seeds. If I just stay alive, I can see Joy again. Sob sob sob."

Rustila held her sword upright. Her gaze surveyed beyond the crying flower. Naiere was still standing. Just standing.

"Captain."

Labored breathing came through the radio. Naiere had been hit by a poison needle in her leg. She couldn't even maintain a basic stance.

[...Sorry, Major. I've been hit by a needle. It seems to be a paralytic poison.]

"I've been hit too. Left scapula. Blood poison."

Time was running short. The more they moved, the faster the poison would spread.

Rustila dodged the crying flower's attacks and reached Naiere's position. Supporting Naiere, she said:

"Captain, the core is in the flower receptacle. We need to cut off its head."

"I'll draw its attention. When it lowers its head, strike with your blade. Understood?"

"I'll follow your orders."

Naiere had already done much damage. The crying flower was in terrible shape.

Their chances would have been sufficient.

If only she hadn't been hit by the poison needle in her arm.

"...Kugh."

Her forearm bubbled like lava. She wanted nothing more than to return to the hospital for treatment and then seek comfort from Eidel.

But she couldn't. As an Omega-grade swordswoman, and as Eidel's wife. The Avatar Body before her had to be cut down before she could return.

'I will protect Eidel.'

She had vowed this from the moment she became his bride. That she would never surrender any ground beyond where she stood to any foreign god or Avatar Body.

"Run! Rheinland!"

Tadadadak!

Rustila's body shot forward. The crying flower's face grew increasingly vicious.

"Why are you trying to kill me? Why? Dying is sad. I won't receive the Queen's love anymore, and I won't be able to eat delicious things. There are still so many planets left to devour, and if I die now... sob sob sob!"

The crying flower wept sorrowfully. Its eyeballs bulged out, then both eyeballs dropped.

"Sob sob sob."

Black bloody tears flowed from the now empty sockets.

"If someone has to die, it should be you!"

The crying flower opened its maw.

[— 'Shamflower' fires <Pus>.]

It was something sticky, yellow, and mucus-like. Rustila tried to deflect one with her sword but, sensing danger, twisted her body away.

Pueong!

The pus that missed her blade hit the ground and exploded with a thunderous noise. It was an explosion.

"Good eye. I'm touched, sniff."

Long-range explosive attacks. Mixed with occasional poison needle attacks. Cold sweat formed on Rustila's forehead.

[Major! I'll cover you! Keep running, don't stop!]

The radio transmission came through. Immediately after, bluish starlight swept over Rustila's head. It was Naiere's plasma radiation.

Pubeobung!

All the pus exploded at once. The Avatar Body screamed.

"Hueeong! That hurts!"

The crying flower used its leaves as hands to protect its head. Since the leaves were below the head, the flower had to lower its head.

'The Captain created an opening. This is my chance.'

Sunlight clearly licked the leaves. The Avatar Body was recharging its energy using photosynthesis.

"Uaaang."

Soon the flower emitted a baby-like cry. Tiny particles, barely visible, were carried through the air. Those cotton-like things were none other than spores.

'Just a little more.'

Rustila was just about to strike the flower's receptacle.

[— 'Shamflower' uses <Spore Bomb>.]

"What..."

Pueong——!!

An explosion accompanied by a flash occurred right in front of her.

Rustila screamed as she was thrown back. The intense heat made her brain feel like it was being baked. Her suit's functions were being pushed to their limits.

[Major Rheinland!]

Piiii. There was a ringing in her ears. When she came to her senses, Rustila was lying face down on the ground. She instinctively tried to get up.

It wasn't working. She couldn't muster any strength.

"Sob sob, it hurts. This is why I didn't want to use this technique. Well, it's okay. Surviving is what matters in the end. Sob sob sob!"

Her breath caught in her throat. Consciousness was slipping away.

Huuung.

The wind blew. Rustila felt it directly on her face. Her helmet had shattered as she rolled on the ground. Not just her arm, but her head was throbbing too.

"Well, I'll tell the Queen about you two. That you were strong opponents! Then I'll receive more power, right? Let's see... I'm at about 3% now, so I could get up to 5%. That would make me as strong as that Phosphorus guy? I'm so moved, sob sob sob!"

Rustila let out a hollow laugh.

"...Heh."

This is the end.

She would probably die here.

If so, she wished to make this life—until the very end—meaningful.

"Hm?"

The flower Avatar Body tilted its head. Naiere was also staring wide-eyed in surprise.

[M-Major. What are you thinking?]

Still wearing her half-destroyed suit, Rustila gripped her sword. And she continued to pour Aether into it until depletion symptoms appeared.

Kiing.

The plasma sword that Eidel had given her as a gift emitted a sorrowful sound.

"...I'm taking you with me as my companion."

Rustila bit her lip. Thinking of Eidel, she murmured softly.

"I'm sorry. For going ahead..."

The Avatar Body let out a bewildered sound. It opened its mouth again to spit out spores.

At that moment.

"Wow, what is this?"

A gruff voice. The Avatar Body's mouth closed. The voice had come from right behind Rustila.

Step, step.

A small woman walked slowly. She was a beauty with silver-white hair and amethyst eyes. She clicked her tongue as she raised her head toward the Avatar Body.

"Is this a flower? More like a dick."

"W-what, what...?"

"Is there a gardener who can grow this? Anyone can see it's a rootless hybrid."

Rustila's face went blank.

Flutter.

The woman approached Rustila with her coat fluttering. She observed Rustila carefully and then spoke.

"Blood poison, with a slight fracture. Not too severe. About two weeks of treatment should..."

"What did you just say!"

The flower Avatar Body bellowed.

"Y-you called me, such a pretty thing, a d-dick? There are things you can say and things you can't! I'm hurt! Waaah."

The woman, Zernya, scratched her head and replied.

"Ah, sorry. Now that I look closer, that's an insult to dicks. My husband's is lovely and I always want to see it. Your head? Not so much."

"I'll kill you."

Seueu.

The Avatar Body stopped crying. Rustila felt a chilling sensation.

"You idiot! Why did you come here!"

"Because I'm a doctor."

"Does being a doctor matter? Eidel needs at least one of us..."

"Don't talk nonsense. If you die here, Eidel dies and I die too. Got it? If you understand, get stronger after this is over."

Rustila was bewildered. No matter how close she was with Zernya, she couldn't argue in this situation.

Above all, she couldn't make Eidel a young widower. At least one of them had to survive until the end.

Rustila thought that she was already done for. That she should die in the line of duty here. So she planned to at least evacuate Zernya.

And then the next moment.

Tang!

An angry gunshot crossed the battlefield.