Chapter Eighteen

The bandit leader's crimson eyes narrowed at the appearance of Kaede's tower shield. It was massive, sleek, and black as midnight, yet she held it as if it weighed nothing. His jagged blade glinted in the dim light filtering through the trees, glowing faintly with residual red energy.

Kaede steadied herself, planting her feet firmly. The weight of the shield felt comforting in her grip. The exhaustion clawed at her body, but her resolve burned brighter.

The man chuckled, low and mocking. "A shield that big... Do you plan to turtle your way out of this?" He brandished his sword, red energy crackling along its length. "Let's see if you can block this."

With a roar, the bandit leader surged forward, his blade a blur as it arced toward her in a deadly horizontal slash. Kaede braced herself, raising her shield just in time. The impact reverberated through her entire body, the red energy splashing off the shield like sparks from a forge.

"Is that all you've got?" Kaede taunted, hiding the strain in her voice.

The bandit growled, pressing the attack. His sword rained down blow after blow, each strike faster and heavier than the last. Kaede's movements were precise, thanks to her training with the holy Templar knights, her shield shifting and tilting to deflect the worst of the force. The forest clearing echoed with the clang of metal against metal, a deadly rhythm that left no room for mistakes.

He pivoted suddenly, sweeping his blade low to catch her off-guard. Kaede slammed her shield into the ground, blocking the strike with a burst of sparks. "Nice try."

The bandit leader leaped back, red energy gathering in his free hand. He hurled a concentrated ball of fire toward her, the heat searing the air.

Kaede tilted her shield, angling it to deflect the projectile harmlessly to the side. The fireball exploded against a nearby tree, leaving a smoking crater in its trunk. "Fire won't work either. Got anything else?"

His expression darkened, his blade crackling with a renewed surge of energy. "You're starting to irritate me."

"Good." Kaede lunged forward for the first time, slamming the edge of her shield toward his midsection. He twisted away, the strike narrowly missing him, and countered with an upward slash aimed for her exposed side.

Kaede spun her shield with surprising grace, deflecting the blade upward. Taking advantage of the opening, she rammed her shoulder into the shield and bashed it forward. The bandit staggered, grunting in surprise but recovering quickly.

The two fell into a deadly dance, the bandit's swordplay quick and aggressive, Kaede's defense unyielding and methodical. Her shield absorbed every strike, her movements flowing seamlessly from one block to the next.

"Enough games!" the bandit snarled, his blade erupting in flames as he channeled his energy into one devastating overhead strike.

Kaede crouched slightly, gripping her shield with both hands. The world seemed to slow as she calculated the angle and timing.

The blade came down like a guillotine, a roar of fire trailing behind it. Kaede thrust her shield upward, meeting the attack head-on. The force of the impact shook the ground, a shockwave of heat and energy rippling outward and washing over her.

For a moment, it seemed like the blade might break through. Flames licked at the edges of the shield, but Kaede held firm, her muscles screaming in protest. "Not today!" she shouted, shoving the attack back with all her strength.

The bandit stumbled, the flames on his blade flickering as his energy faltered. He growled, frustration etched across his face.

Kaede exhaled sharply, sweat dripping down her face. Her arms trembled slightly from the strain, but she didn't let it show. 'Yes! It works!' Instead, within her mind, she cheered.

While Artificia wasn't able to transfer skills to her equipment, she was able to create nodes. Nodes, are actually artificial structures resembling that of a skill, while channelling the energy of said skill. The result is a weakened version of the original skill.

While Kaede could not grant her shield the power of devour, just like her in-game self. She was able to grant it a different ability.

[Drain] Absorbs magicules from an attack, person or object, that comes into contact.

The bandit's attack was absorbed, and a glowing red crystal appeared on the shield.

The bandit sneered, raising his blade again, but the weariness in his movements was obvious. Kaede could see it now—the slight hesitation in his strikes, the slower recovery after each swing. His attacks were not the only thing her shield was absorbing. [Drain] could absorb magicules from anything, as long it touches her shield, and they had clashed quite a few times.

"Give it up," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You're not strong enough to break through my defense."

The bandit chuckled darkly, though there was no humor in it. "And you're not strong enough to finish me off. So what now, little shielder?"

Kaede tightened her grip on her shield, but she didn't reply. He was right. Her body ached, her stamina was almost gone, and she had no offensive techniques capable of taking him down.

They stared at each other across the clearing, both breathing heavily, both unwilling to back down.

"Artificia," Kaede whispered under her breath. "Any ideas?"

<Host is advised to prolong the engagement. Opponent's energy reserves are depleting rapidly. Victory achievable through attrition.>

Kaede smirked faintly. "Guess we'll see who runs out of gas first."

The bandit's eyes narrowed, as if sensing her plan. He lunged again, his attacks growing more erratic, more desperate. Kaede weathered them all, her shield a wall he couldn't breach.

Minutes dragged on, each clash of metal sapping their strength. Finally, the bandit stepped back, his chest heaving, his blade trembling in his grip.

Kaede didn't lower her shield, but she didn't press the attack either. "Had enough?"

He spat on the ground, his expression a mixture of anger and grudging respect. "You're a stubborn one, I'll give you that. But our fight will have to be postponed."

*Chomp*

"Huh?" Kaede never got to finish her sentence before her vision went dark. "Wait, what? What's going on? Did something eat me? Artificia?"

<Answer: Host is currently being devoured by a flora.>

Indeed, Kaede and the bandit's fight had moved to a space crowded with trees and different plants. One of those plants had apparently opened its mouth and swallowed her whole.

Chuckling, the bandit sheathed his blade and turned, retreating into the shadows of the forest.

Kaede heard him go. "Hey you better not leave. Get back here! We're not done!" Of course, he didn't.

"Artificia," she murmured. "Track him. Don't let him get away."

<Affirmative. Drone already in pursuit.>

Kaede closed her eyes for a moment, letting the tension drain from her body. She was in the belly of a monster. "No damage huh? Feels like déjà vu. Hey Artificia you wanted me to rest right?"

<Answer: Affirmative. However, host is advised to extract themselves from the sentient flora.>

"Good night Artificia."

<... >

---

Kaede floated in an odd limbo, her body encased in the warm, damp confines of the plant's stomach. She could hear the faint gurgling of digestive juices bubbling all around her, though they weren't any danger to her. Lucky for her, the flora seemed to be used to digesting at a snail's pace, or perhaps it was confused about what to do with her.

"Artificia," Kaede said, her voice muffled in the confined space. "How long have I been asleep?"

<Analysis: Based on current activity, four hours.>

Kaede blinked. "Four hours? I've still got a lot of time to waste."

With her senses slowly returning, Kaede realized that she was wobbling or rather, the stomach she was in was wobbling. Was the plant moving? "Hello?" She called out.

"Kaede? You're alive!" Kirara's voice answered from outside the plant. "Are you alright? How long have you got? I was afraid if I used my skill on the plant monster, you might get affected too. So I just commanded it to follow me back to camp."

"Nah, it's cool. I was actually using this time to rest. I haven't slept in a while." Kaede yawned as she answered. "How'd you find me anyway?"

"Well I saw you leaving back then, and ran after you. Then I watched your fight with the ogre. I wanted to help, but I wasn't sure if my skill would even work. The snake was able to resist it after all." Kirara began.

"Are you sure, it wasn't because the snake can't understand human words?" Kaede teased.

"Shut up." Kirara whined. "When I saw you get eaten. I wasn't sure what I would do. I almost killed the plant, but then I realised. What if I hurt you... Again?" The silence that followed was heavy.

Kaede shifted slightly, testing her limbs. The plant's fleshy interior was soft and pliable but closed tightly around her. "Yeah, yeah, gimme a second. Here we go." She adjusted her shield, feeling the weight of it press reassuringly against her forearm. "Time for a little gardening."

---

Kaede bent her knees slightly, bracing herself. With a practiced motion, she shoved her head upward with all her strength. Immediately taking a bite, her teeth tore through the plant's soft interior, creating a wet, ripping sound. A gush of thick, sticky sap poured over her, but she didn't stop. She twisted as she chewed, carving a wider opening. The flora shuddered violently, its walls contracting in protest.

"This… doesn't taste as bad as I thought it would." Kaede grunted, driving her teeth into the wound again.

Outside the plant, Kirara was unnerved by the ripping sounds coming from the plant, and, was that chewing? "Hey Kaede, what are you doing?"

Kaede's voice was crisp and sharp. "Eating. Turns out, I haven't eaten in a while either. What is wrong with me?"

Raising her hands to her mouth, Kirara resisted the urge to puke right then and there. "Ew... That is so gross. I'm gonna be sick."

The plant slowly stopped moving, an hour later, before falling over. Another hour later, and Kaede pulled herself out of the gaping hole in the belly of the monstrous plant and landed on the forest floor with a wet splat. She was drenched in sap and reeked of earthy decay. "Ugh. That's much better."

<<Acquired skill [Plant Eater]>>

Kaede shot a glare toward the sky, as if voice of the world were physically present. Kaede wiped some of the sap from her face, muttering under her breath, and looked around. The clearing was quiet now, save for the faint rustle of leaves.

"Bleurgh" a distance away, Kirara was releasing the contents of her stomach in a nearby bush.

Kaede took a long, deep breath, her lungs filling with the fresh, damp air of the forest. The earthy scent of crushed leaves mingled with the sour tang of the plant's sap still clinging to her. Stretching her arms, she rolled her shoulders, the fatigue from her earlier fight lingering but manageable. Her shield hung at her side, splattered with the viscous remnants of her unconventional meal.

"Feeling better," Kaede muttered, half to herself. "But I'm still blaming Artificia for this one."

<Statement: Host elected to consume the flora without external suggestion.>

"Yeah, yeah, technicalities," Kaede said, waving a hand dismissively. "You should program some humour into yourself."

In the distance, Kirara finished her not-so-graceful encounter with the bushes, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her face was pale, her usual energy dulled by the scene she'd just witnessed. "Kaede, I have to know," she started, her voice shaky. "Did you have to handle things this... grossly?"

Kaede turned, her gleaming with faint amusement. "Not the first monster I've eaten." She flicked a chunk of sap from her shoulder, the sound of it splatting against the forest floor making Kirara gag again. "Besides, what's a little plant goop compared to staying alive? You'd do the same if you were in my shoes."

Kirara pointed a finger at her, her voice rising in exasperation. "I absolutely would not!" She hesitated, looking Kaede up and down. "Wait—how are you even okay? You were swallowed whole! Digested, maybe!"

Kaede raised an eyebrow, patting her stomach. She smirked. "I've got pretty tough skin."

"More like an iron stomach," Kirara grumbled under her breath, stepping cautiously toward the fallen plant. She peered at it, wrinkling her nose. The plant was massive, its broad leaves curled inward like a dead spider's legs. "You're sure it's dead?"

"Positive." Kaede tapped her shield against the carcass. "I ate the part that mattered."

Kirara shivered, shaking her head. "Okay, no more details."

Kaede chuckled as she started ripping out chunks of the plant.

Kirara raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Kaede smiled. "Making dinner. It's late."

Looking around, Kirara realized that truly, it was late. "Wait hold on. What do you mean making dinner. You want me to eat that? We're not eating that."

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Not raw like I did. Make a fire or something, we'll cook it. For a plant, it's rather fleshy..."

_Chomp_

"Ehh?" Kaede looked at her forearm, which now had a tiny version of the plant she had eaten biting on it. It was a tiny little thing, only reaching up to half her knee height.

"The monster had a baby?" Kirara asked, eyeing the tiny monster as it continued biting on Kaede's forearm. "Kill it and be done with it."

"What? No way, it's too cute for that." Kaede raised her forearm, carrying the plant with it. "Look at its adorable little face."

Kirara rolled her eyes. "Its face is a giant mouth!"

Kaede snorted. "Mouth, face. They're all the same." Bringing the plant monster to her face, she whispered. "I think I'll call you..."

"Acer!"