To love a sword

Chapter 37: Approaching Shadow Part 2

Beta read by Shigiya, Paragon of Awesomeness and FabledLife.

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-Sainan-

The Plantas species, from what he had learned through Momo’s general knowledge, exhibited an array of strange and uncommon traits. They hailed from a planet teeming with flora that defied normal classification, being creatures that were classified as plants yet moved and hunted like animals. Omnivorous, predatory, and diverse beyond ordinary logic.

He had found himself intrigued by them from when he first learned of them. The more he understood Celine’s species, the better equipped he would be to raise and care for her properly. She was far from a simple houseplant, after all. There were moments when he caught himself researching long into the night, not out of paranoia, but curiosity.

Then the incident happened when the plant started to wilt and then transform into a little girl. 

"Strange. I’ve never seen a Plantas take a human form like this. She’s like a variant. Or a mutated one," Momo had once said with a furrowed brow, inspecting the girl with careful eyes.

Those were the words that stuck with him ever since. It was indeed unusual for a member of such a species to take the shape of a literal child. A body so human in form that, at a glance, one might mistake her for an ordinary human child. If not for the subtle alien markers, namely the strange flower blooming from the top of her head and the curious shape of her hands and feet.

At the time, those abnormalities didn’t alarm him. They barely even registered. The only thing he cared about was whether or not she was alright.

"She doesn’t seem to be sick anymore, and I doubt this form poses any real danger. I suppose it’s a kind of evolution?" he had said, more to himself than anyone else.

That was all he needed. As long as she was healthy and happy, nothing else mattered. Her control over vines and flora hadn’t vanished entirely, but she used them far less now. Instead, she was happy to spend her time waddling along the halls or hanging from the ceiling. However, this new form came with an unexpected feature. The flower. Or more specifically, it's pollen, and the effects it could have on people.

A peculiar bloom that grew out of the crown of her head. According to Nana and Momo, it wasn’t just decorative. One day, when Celine had slipped out of the house with one of his training weapons clutched in her arms, the twin princesses had tried to intercept her. That was when they learned of the pollen’s curious effect.

It had the ability to induce some kind of chemical reaction, possibly pheromonal in nature, that drastically altered a person’s mental state. The most memorable reaction came from what Nana mentioned happened when they were chasing Celine across the city. The moment he heard that, Emiya made a silent vow to keep anything resembling alcohol far away from the girl. 

Now… that memory hit him like a freight train, leaving him rooted to the spot, his eyes wide and his brain scrambling to process what the hell was happening.

Because before him stood a woman. A grown woman whose face bore uncanny similarities to his own brother, and on her head — swaying softly from her breathing— was a flower nearly identical to Celine’s. 

He stared, horrified.

Not just at the resemblance, but at the unmistakable truth blooming at the top of her head. 

“N-Nii-san…?” 

Any shred of doubt or hopeful denial evaporated the moment the girl, no, his brother, called out to him.