Brain bloom

This will likely be the fate of everyone.

"What about the sixth-ranked one..." a timid voice rang out, "This is like challenging an ancient fire dragon. I've only ever read about such a powerful enemy in the Chronicles of Heroes... It's too exaggerated. It can unleash a huge explosion with just a flick of its wrist! Like a dragon fire storm."

"...I don't know—oh no!"

"Another arrow!"

"Captain! This is aimed at you—"

"I……?"

As a renowned adventurer, he led "Eagle Wind" through more than a decade of trials and tribulations. Yet, he was not prepared to die... This arrow was aimed at him.

Even if you try to avoid it, it won't help.

In an instant, the impending explosion of the arrow left his mind blank. If he didn't think about anything, death wouldn't be so terrifying.

The sound of the explosion assaulted my eardrums again—

But... he discovered that he was still alive.

Suddenly, a giant black tree appeared before him. It was shrouded in strange poisonous mist and suddenly rose from the ground, blocking the arrow for him... He regained his senses as much as possible, immediately wiped away the sweat, and asked loudly.

"Who? Who helped me? Who cast this advanced plant magic? If we can get back, I'll give you all my possessions, seven thousand gold coins..."

No one said a word.

But soft footsteps emerged slowly from the depths of the forest; it was a beautiful girl with dandelions growing from her head. She lowered her staff, and the leaf that had blocked the exploding arrow vanished into thin air.

Everyone knows she's the Dandelion Princess... but is it really her?

The dandelion on the head of this princess of a fallen kingdom was not white, but rather as black as night.

"...Dandelion?" Mori instantly snapped back to reality, the bow he had been using to collect debts slipping from his hand, his hands trembling uncontrollably. An indescribable fear began to ripple through his heart.

"I heard—you call yourself a coffin carrier?"

"Dandelion, this..."

"Is that her?" Then, a woman of extraordinary status followed, it was B. Her appearance intimidated the members of the adventure team, making them afraid to even retrieve their companion's body.

But what was truly terrifying was the princess of the Four Seasons. Her state was far too strange, emanating a gloomy aura that rivaled that of the demon nobles.

However, in those lifeless eyes, only one person's shadow was reflected.

That person was the same.

They only had eyes for each other.

Slowly, a chilling sound emanated from the dandelion, filled with endless sorrow and bitterness.

"Hey, have you bought the groceries, coffin carrier? What would you like for dinner?"

Volume 1, Chapter 187: Humiliation

Even if Mori focused all her intelligence on strength at this moment, she could still tell how turbulent the killing intent was hidden in Dandelion's words...

In the end, it was exposed.

"Will I... still be able to eat the dinner you cook?" Mori's head was hanging low, and his face was already as white as snow.

"That depends on your answer."

As she spoke these solemn words, Dandelion's boots trotted over, crushing many of the traces left by the battle.

Their gazes never parted, and an atmosphere of seclusion enveloped them. It shielded them from the brutal battle that had just taken place, and also from the believers who should have immediately demanded the sacred object and confirmed their faith.

The dandelion asks once again—

"The one summoned by that magic of fate is not the hero I expected. Rather, it is the greatest enemy of the Four Seasons, the god who caused the destruction of the Kingdom of Flowers. That is the truth, isn't it? Mori Toki... Lies are fine, I want to hear the answer from your own mouth."

"I..." Mori hesitated and sighed, unsure whether he should tell the truth.

"tell me!"

She suddenly screamed, though not much louder than the wind, yet it could easily pierce through clothing, flesh, and bones, reaching the very depths of the soul, shaking everything in the forest...

Therefore, Mori Tokiya made the choice that followed his heart.

She stopped hiding it and told him the truth.

Hiding one's identity? This is an extremely thin tightrope, with no end in sight. To prevent the last of the Four Seasons from being lonely, losing hope and smiles, Mori, unwilling to lose the dandelion, has exhausted all his strength on this tightrope.

But in the end, as expected, it still fell down...

“Yes! I’m not your hero!” she shouted back, wiping away her tears. “But… I long to be your hero.”

"But...but you've been keeping this from me all along."

"If I told you the truth, how heartbroken you would be... After the blooming of the roses faded, you looked at me with hope... That beautiful face is still the most precious memory in my heart, how could I bear... to let it turn into a crying face?"

Dandelion was somewhat surprised.

Mori's honest words seemed to have some effect, as they softened her expression slightly. However, she remained silent, seemingly plotting something.

"—Wait, you just accept it like that?" B's astonished voice suddenly rang out. "This isn't the true god I imagined! Why do you believe her so easily? She didn't perform any miracles at all..."

"intuition."

"that's it?"

"If you can prove she's not a real god and that this is just a cruel joke, I'll be eternally grateful." Dandelion shook her head bitterly and then lowered her head to ponder.

In the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin, the image of the coffin bearers is usually not depicted, because even the first Pope was never able to see the face of the true God. Official statues of the true God are generally depicted as human figures wearing ancient divine robes, with indistinguishable gender and obscured faces; the only identifiable feature is the sacred alphabet.

Therefore, everyone has an image of the person who carries the coffin in their mind.

B is no exception.

But she didn't think the person who carried the coffin would look like this... with a pot of green leaves on his head, he was indeed beautiful, but he looked like a girl who had suffered a heartbreak and was unhappy. Could it be that even the true god has worldly feelings?

“Although I don’t know who you are, you must be one of my followers. Do you want me to prove it?” Mori asked.

“I am the representative of the Holy Coffin Kingdom, possessing power equal to that of the Pope! If this is a malicious joke, then I will kill you all! Our nation's sacred relics are in your hands, aren't they?”

Mori nodded.

Now that things had come to this, there was no going back; acknowledging her identity was an unavoidable step. She looked at the dandelion, using the most sincere tone she had ever used in her life—

"Thank you for bringing me into this world... In any case, I am never your enemy. I only hope that one day I can become the true hero you expect."

Then, she downed the energy drink in one gulp, tossed the bottle aside, and changed her title to that of a true god.

Those two letters constantly mocked her, but this was the fate she had to accept.

Those who carried the coffin.

In an instant—the power belonging to the true God suddenly expanded.

B suddenly trembled all over, as if facing an unattainable supreme being—a feeling she had experienced before… The Coffin Bearers? Before she could even process the thought, the unbelievable scene before her shattered her reason—

What's wrong with nature? It's like it's gone mad.

In the aftermath of the fierce battle, the forest and grass destroyed by Sen Shi's explosive arrows suddenly came back to life. Countless branches and leaves swirled up like a tornado, covering the old soil strewn with blood and flesh. Withered and broken plants sprouted new buds, and in the blink of an eye, they had thick, wall-like branches and leaves.

In just a second, the forest seemed to have existed for a hundred years, its green color wild and magnificent.

The plants, however, avoided the forest, as if nature itself had submitted to her...

No one could remain calm in the face of such chilling divine power; they were all utterly shocked by this sudden change.

Mori's baggage was opened, and many gold coins flew out one after another, passing through the gaps in the leaves and branches, destined to be scattered all over the world.

“Princess, if you are still willing to listen to me, then I will explain to you.” Despite the immense drain from his Godhood state, Sen Shi gritted his teeth and said to Dandelion, “This identity was not my own choice.”

She took out the skull of the first pope and lamented.

"This is my first and most foolish believer. I forcibly created the Coffin Bearers, and do you see? This is the true divine power of the Coffin Bearers... that's all. I never gave the order to destroy the Kingdom of Flowers, nor did I know that that money would make you sad."

Sen Shi felt he had proven enough and could no longer hold on, so he quietly removed the title.

If only the dandelion would listen to her explanation... Although that's wishful thinking, given the princess's personality, it would be good enough if she could just refrain from a brutal killing on the spot.

Just as Sen was exhausted and wanted to drink a new bottle to replenish his energy, the previously silent scene changed.

It's a dandelion.

He raised his staff towards the forest and began chanting a spell of advanced nature magic.

Sen Shi's pupils widened instantly. Was Dandelion about to make her move?

But then she felt relieved...

Well, this is fate. It's good to die at the hands of dandelions; there's no need to struggle to atone for my sins.

Not all stories should have a happy ending, and very few people actually manage to live a long and fulfilling life. Let's just consider this a post-apocalyptic dream; the world is quite interesting... and I'm content.

The dandelion's incantation chant has ended—

However, the expected pain did not come. Mori was puzzled, finding himself entangled in rings of thorny vines, as if bound by dandelions…

"Aren't you going to give me a quick death?"

"Hahahaha, Mori Toki—no! The coffin carrier, it actually, actually! fell into my hands!" Dandelion's face was extremely crazed.

"……Uh?"

"Have you heard this story? When two countries are at war, the victor, in order to humiliate the enemy, takes back the princess, wife, and all the women of the opposing king's family and rapes them."

"...Wait, dandelion."

She revealed a wild and ferocious smile: "Do you think it would be such a humiliation if I were to kidnap the true god that the enemy worships and take him back?"

Volume 1 #188 - Update from Broken Chapter Dog

"Please calm down, Princess..."

"Shut up and wait, it's too late to say this now."

Then—Dandelion waved the staff. The staff that Mori had specially modified for her had become a tool to harm its creator.

Gradually, the thorns wrapped around Morishi became increasingly uncomfortable for her. These vines were strong and covered in poisonous mist, and Morishi felt as if she was riddled with holes... but when she looked down, she realized that the barbs were actually quite soft and had not hurt her.

Fortunately, the Four Seasons' toxins had no effect on her.