Let's go our separate ways

Part 10

The Knight has heard the esteemed guests talking about the super strength of Mister Rhythm. Mister Rhythm might be able to protect himself on normal occasions, so he needs not to worry. However, the truth is...

"Actually," the escort Knight decides to come clean, "A 2nd variant beast was sighted near the City,"

Flos recalls the mayor's state when they met and understands the difficulty the City is now facing. When they have just thought they are finally safe, surprise, they are frankly still in danger.

"Are we still close to the City?" has been sleeping throughout the trip, Flos is not sure

"No," the escort Knight replies, "We are currently nowhere near the City, but still a distance away from the Capital,"

Flos crosses her arms and taps her finger on her arm, musing, "Although we are already away from the City, you still worry,"

The escort Knight knows he might be thinking too much, worrying for nothing. However, he still has the feeling of dread, as if they have not passed the danger zone. Knowing that he might need the esteemed guest's assistance again if his worry is not unfounded, the escort Knight conveys his thoughts.

"Okay," Flos readily agrees to help, because it is also for her own safety

"Thank you," the Knight is glad the esteemed guest is such a reasonable person

"Then let's meet up with Rhythm," Flos thinks it's better to interrupt Rhythm rather than find him in an unsightly state, so she walks up to the nearest tree and puts her hand on it

Using her power of [Wood], Flos seeks the Rhythm's trail and state. Rhythm is actually not that far from them, still having a stomachache. Ugh.

Flos feels disgusted and shows it. The escort Knight is surprised by her expression, so he asks in concern, "Are you okay, Miss Flos?"

"I'm fine," Flos shakes her head as she walks back to the Knight's side, "Rhythm is still busy distributing fertiliser. It seems like he has a hard time doing that,"

It takes a moment for the Knight to translate Flos's words into something comprehensible. After which, under the helmet, the Knight flushes from embarrassment for having made the young woman experience something unpleasant such as that.

"I'm sorry!" wholeheartedly apologising, the escort Knight doesn't know how he can compensate for the mental damage he has done to the young woman

"You don't need to apologise," Flos assures him lightly, "I didn't actually see anything. I just understand Rhythm's state from the trees. Anyway, he is safe for now,"

"Um," the escort Knight nods, reminding himself to be more cautious from now on

Tapping her feet on the ground, Flos silently uses her power of [Wood] to seek the trees' help through their roots in scouring the possible dangers around her. After she is sure that there is nothing around, Flos releases a sigh of relief.

But then she frowns. Nothing at all? Not even small animals or bugs?

"Isn't it too quiet?" Flos suddenly speaks out, turning the Knight's head in her direction

"It has been quiet since I cross this road," the escort Knight also notice this abnormality, which is why he is a little on edge

Is that so? That's the case huh. Flos then pulls out May-Day from her braid and spreads them out. May-Day float in different directions by themselves as Flos uses her fingers to comb her freed hair.

The escort Knight has seen May-Day and deems them dangerous. Seeing Flos letting May-Day go free like this has him preparing his fight or flight reflex. Which is more dangerous? The unsettling silence or the 2 white pom-poms in front of him?

Lashes the vine also reacts, uncurling itself from Flos's wrist to point at the sky.

Receiving their messages, Flos informs the escort Knight, "Apparently, there is a variant beast around. 1 that can fly,"

"A variant bird?!" the escort Knight sounds alarmed

As creatures of land, it will be hard for them to fight creatures of the sky. It's a bad match, simply put.

As if answering their summon, the variant bird finally screeches to let its presence known. Although the bird is still a distance away from them, they can see the variant bird clearly as it can clearly see them too. There's really nothing in the way between them and the variant beast, which means they are directly in the beast's charge range.

"Do you think you can bring it down?" Flos asks the escort Knight, frowning at the frequency of meeting variant beasts in this journey, "My companions will kill it once its down,"

"I...don't know," the escort Knight thinks of various ways to bring down the beast but still can't think of a good way

Lashes, being a vine, slithers like a snake to get down from Flos's body and enters the forest behind them. Flos gives Lashes a look as it disappears, knowing its plan on throwing Rhythm to bring down the bird, and suppresses a smirk.

It's a feasible move. With their teamwork, Rhythm will surely be fine. Flos just hopes that Rhythm has the sense to wear his pants before Lashes catches him. From the time the variant bird screeched at them until Lashes catches him, Rhythm should have time to be on standby.

"On my mark," Flos tells the oblivious escort Knight, "Run to the bird's direction and get ready for the next move I will order you to do,"

As a Knight, it is the citizens' duty to listen to his command. However, in the face of danger, the escort Knight is willing to listen to Flos's command. After all, she has proven her prowess before. In the face of survival, there's no need to strictly stick to the rule.

When the variant bird nosedives on them, the bigger the closer it gets, Flos knows it's their chance. Addressing the escort Knight, Flos shouts, "Go!" to let the escort Knight runs into the bird's beak

At his fastest speed, the escort Knight runs in the bird's direction without hesitation. Unbeknown to him, May-Day have attached themselves to his helmet, riding him to reach the bird.

The variant bird is not afraid of these puny humans' resistance. When it sees 1 coming, it opens its beak to devour the dinner sent to him. Because it is focused on the escort Knight, it doesn't notice at all when something flies down from the sky above; a fist slamming its entire body down to the ground.

"Catch that!" Flos shouts from her position, a safe distance away from the battle

The escort Knight hears Flos's words and immediately his body reacts to catch something falling off the bird while his mind is still in shock. That thing that slams down the bird is actually Rhythm. The escort Knight is very surprised by this esteemed guest's impactful re-emergence.

"Are you...okay?" the escort Knight carries Rhythm away from the bird and puts the young man on the ground

Rhythm waves his hand to assure the Knight and silently crawls away from the armoured man as his stomach lurches in protest. His stomach is not feeling well in the 1st place, plus the added pressure of the variant beast's ambush and Lashes's trick, Rhythm feels like dying.

The escort Knight sees Rhythm lying on the ground in concern, but he is more worried about the variant beast so he takes his short sword out to face the beast. It was stupid of him to turn his back towards the beast earlier. However, when he faces the beast again, the Knight is surprised by the state of the bird.

Miss Flos certainly knows what she means when she says her companions will kill the bird. Without him knowing when they are there, Flos's companions already have the variant bird beast surrounded.

From the top, the variant bird's beak is tied tightly by Lashes. Its oversized body is trashing, not to break free, but seems to be in pain. As the Knight stares at the scene in a trance, Picky Eater also shows up. Picky Eater devours the big variant bird from 1 side to the other side, although it moves in a sluggish way compared to its previous energetic self.

In the gaps of Picky Eater eating the big bird, the escort Knight can slightly see something growing and moving in the variant bird's vein. Watching in fascination, why does the Knight think of May-Day when he sees the tragedy befalling this variant beast?