Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Everything
I guess it's really true that people will see their whole life flashed in front of their eyes on the verge of death. However, to my surprise, there are memories I don't recognize mixed in for some reason.
Yeah, I remember it now. I was a Japanese high school girl in my previous life.
-
-
-
This happened when we were walking through a certain forest on our journey to defeat the demon lord. Without any warning whatsoever, I was suddenly attacked from behind by my companions.
Perhaps due to the shock of being betrayed and having my left arm severed, I slowly regained the memories of my previous life and realized that I was actually a reincarnated person.
This could only be called a divine revelation. There was no doubt that the goddess hadn't abandoned me in this desperate situation. I couldn't help but wondering if I would awaken some kind of cheat power to escape from this crisis.
However, everything turned out to be a short-lived hope as nothing happened even after some time had passed. I did not awaken any particular power, nor did I get any sign from the goddess. I was still the old me. Speaking of change, because the memories of my previous life flowed into my head, my way of thinking seemed to have changed slightly.
I don’t see any particular benefit of being a reincarnated person here. You should not blame me for hoping some kind of miracle to happen.
I mean, my fiancé the hero and my junior saint apprentice who were supposed to be my companions, suddenly attacked from behind with the intent to kill me. I don't remember betraying them and I have no idea about the reason for their hostility.
However, I'm not just any girl. Even without a cheat power, I won't go down that easily. I'm a saint, after all. My main job is to heal wounds in battle.
I immediately regenerated my missing left arm using super recovery magic.
There’s only one person in this country who can restore a missing limb instantly, and that person is me.
However, the other party did not simply watch. The moment my missing arm was restored, I felt a severe pain and my stance immediately collapsed. This time, both my legs were severed by the traitor of junior.
"Even the greatest saint in history won’t be able to regenerate one arm and two legs instantly in this situation.”
Didn't seem to care that I was screaming in agony, the traitor of junior sent me a scornful look, and severed my right arm using Wind Sickle next.
My blood flowed like a small river.
How happy I would be if this were just a dream…….
What exactly did I do to deserve this kind of treatment!?
I have been supporting my country as a saint since I was a child. I went on a journey to defeat the demon lord with my companions while protecting them with my recovery magic. But in the end, the people who I’ve been protecting, betrayed me and did such a horrible thing to me.
I looked at the hero for help, but he was simply watching me as if in disgust. The second prince of the Gardenia Kingdom, my childhood friend, and also my fiancé --- his loving eyes and gentle smile that he always showed to me were no longer there.
Why do you do this to me? Please say something at least! Please help me!
However, as if telling me that such a wish wouldn't be granted, the traitor of junior stepped on my head mercilessly.
"This is fun, but the real show is just about to begin, Iris-senpai~!"
When my name was called, vines thicker than rope coiled around my left arm which had just been regenerated by super recovery magic, and forcibly dragged my body.
"It's a fitting end for someone who has betrayed the hero and the country. If you were eaten by that monster, not even your bones will remain."
There, at the other end of the vines, I saw a flower monster who looked like a huge carnivorous plant, was waiting for me with its terrifyingly big mouth opened.
This will really be the end for me if I were eaten by that monster.
"Oh, please rest assured since I will take care of Hero-sama from today. He didn't even let me sleep last night, it was amazing~"
Not only I was betrayed, it seems I was also cuckolded. Somehow, I don't care anymore. This is just too much....
"There's nothing left for Iris-senpai, so please die here."
Drops of water trickled down my cheeks. I couldn't hold them back anymore.
What exactly did I do to deserve this kind of treatment!?
I haven't done anything wrong!
I have never betrayed the hero or the country!
It's a false accusation!
"Help........" (Iris)
As I tried to resist the vines, I reached out for help with my free hand only to be severed from my shoulder by the traitor of junior. Finally, as if rejecting my last plea, the plant monster swallowed my body completely.
-
-
-
In the confined space inside the plant monster, my whole body was covered by some kind of slimy liquid. My clothes gradually melted and my skin felt like on fire.
It's digestive juice, isn't it? I'm thankful that I'm not chewed, but I also want to avoid being melted as expected.
I mobilized all my remaining magical power and continued to cast recovery magic over my entire body. I also regenerated my right arm with super recovery magic to make it easier to escape.
Not good. It's pointless as long as I'm still inside this monster's stomach. I will eventually run out magical power and die at this rate. My body, even my bones, will melt and become nutrients for this monster.
In the end, nothing happened even after I have regained the memories of my previous life. I got no divine gifts, no cheat skills, nothing at all. This makes me want to curse and wonder what in the world I remembered about my previous life for.
Having a past life means I've died once.
No, I'm afraid of dying again.
I hate it, I don't want to die yet.
I want to live.
I want to survive and live a peaceful life this time.
Surrounded by people who will never betray me and live until old age --- I want such a peaceful life........
Yeah, that’s right, I can't give up here!
I squeezed my remaining magical power and casted a recovery magic on myself continuously. I could feel my cells dividing like never before, rebuilding my body. I felt like there was something foreign mixed in, but then I realized that the pain was already gone.
However, when I tried to open my eyes, they wouldn't budge for some reason. I couldn't move my arms or my legs and I couldn't hear or smell anything either. The only thing I knew was that I was curled up in a hug and something thin was gently enveloping my body.
-
-
-
When I was wondering about how much time has passed, my body suddenly stood up on its own despite having no sensation of touching the ground. Next the object enveloping my whole body spread open and the green color of plants filled my field of vision immediately.
"................" (Iris)
That's right, I was betrayed and attacked inside the forest. I didn’t die even with that level of injury. I’m not the greatest saint in history for show, after all. However, it’s not the time to be relieved. I need to get away from this place as soon as possible.
Muh? This is strange. I can lift my legs.
I saw my bare breasts when I looked down and realized that I was standing naked.
Well, it can't be helped since my clothes were melted inside the plant monster’s stomach. More importantly….
There was a mysterious sight that blew away my sense of shame in an instant. For some reason, I was standing on a flower so big that it could easily envelop a single person. Or to be more specific, I was growing in the top of a large flower crown.
It's as though I'm a plant-type monster called Alraune from the monster encyclopedia. No, wait a second, this sensation....
I tried to caress the red flower petals around my waist. I could feel not only the feeling of touching them, but also the feeling of being touched.
I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like this flower is part of my body now. In other words….
I was betrayed, my arm was severed, I regained the memories of my previous life, both my legs were severed, my arm was severed again, my fiancé was stolen by my junior, and I was swallowed alive by a flower monster --- it was the worst time in my life, but such a life has finally come to an end.
I apparently have quit being human and become a plant monster.