Kii slowly whispered the word "Papi" as if tasting it for the first time in a long while. Her brow creased, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at me intensely. "How do you know Papi, human?" she asked suspiciously.

"As I reiterated, she is my sister," I murmured, silently thanking all the gods I could think of that she was still engaging me in conversation. "We are living with the same host family, and-urk!"

"Lies!" Kii snarled as the roots constricted around me. "How could a harpy and a human possibly be related?"

They could certainly be step-siblings without any difficulty, but I sensed that if I mentioned that, she would consider me to be impertinent and swiftly take action against me. Thus, I had to be careful with my words.

"Gk... we're not blood-related, true...." I explained, struggling to get breathing room, "And yeah, we're different species. But... I care for her, and... " "Papi is happy you met Papi, too!" "She cares for me. Simple as that."

Kii accused, "Are you trying to deceive me, human? Your kind has proven untrustworthy, especially after what they have done to me. Papi would never see someone as lowly as you as a sibling."

I clenched my jaw tightly, struggling not to let out a fiery response as my vision clouded with anger. I had to stay calm. I reminded myself that she only acted this way due to the poisonous substances coursing through her body. She was not in control of her actions.

Despite this, her words regarding Papi had hurt me more than I had anticipated.

I took a deep, steadying breath, allowing my racing heart to slow down before I spoke. "What did humans do to you?" I asked, my fists still clenched in anger.

Kii's nostrils flared in a fury. "What more can they do to me?!" she raged, "First, they abducted me and locked me in that horrible metal prison! Then, when I finally found solace after Papi saved me, they decided to contaminate the sacred woodlands with their abhorrent filth! I had no choice but to absorb it, altering me...." Her wooden claw clenched tightly. "Humans ruin everything they come across," she muttered darkly.

"So...you're telling me that the pollution caused you to become like this?" I glanced around the area, and then I noticed a metallic glimmer in the corner of my vision. Could it be MON moving into position? "What kind of pollution are you talking about? You don't look like you've been exposed to waste."

"No matter what type of pollution had been inflicted upon the forest, it was wrong," Kii shouted, her voice ringing with determination and her green eyes blazing with righteous fury. "I will not stand for any more of your lies and deceit," she continued, her voice becoming like a blade of ice. "Feel the full force of nature's wrath, human. This is the consequence of your lies and your filth!"

"W-Wait-GAH!" I cried out, frantically trying to wiggle out of Kii's grip. Please, please, please, please, someone please-

A loud gunshot rang out in the air, immediately followed by Kii's gasp of shock. The roots around me froze in place, leaving me unable to move my head, but I could make out a large tranquilizer dart embedded in the dryad's chest. Despite the apparent pain, Kii showed no signs of distress, instead looking at the strange object with confusion and curiosity.

Silently, I prayed in thanks to my new god, Manako Prayers, that seemed to be answered, as another gunshot snapped the stem of the vines that covered me. Cut off from Kii's power, albeit temporarily, they withered and crumbled, finally freeing me. I was, however, unable to land gracefully, and instead, I crashed into the plant kaiju's shoulder and tumbled...

... Right off the side.

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!" I screamed as I desperately groped for whatever purchase I could find. Unable to grab anything, I continued to fall into the open air, rushing toward the ground below.

Until something caught me, its claws gripping me tightly yet gently, as I was swept away from the boisterous dryad. For an instant, I had thought Preya had returned, but that hope was quickly extinguished when I glimpsed the reptilian wings and blonde hair atop the figure.

"D-Draco?!" I was astounded by what I was witnessing. What was she doing here, of all people, rescuing me? "Wuh, I don't...."

"I was observing you a while ago to see if I could trust you," the dragonewt said, giving me a mischievous smile, "You're quite fortunate, Aki."

"Uh-huh," I grunted skeptically. Even in my exhausted state, I wasn't convinced, especially when I noticed that she was effortlessly hovering in the air. And that her wings were significantly larger than the average dragonewt. "You do realize that dragonewts can't fly, right?"

"Oh no, you saw right through my cunning plan," not-Draco pouted, sticking her tongue out at me in disapproval. Her eyes suddenly changed from a deep purple to black and gold. "I was hoping you'd show more appreciation that I just saved you!"

I wouldn't question why Doppel had taken that form to rescue me. Though she may have been teasing me, she was still right because she ultimately saved me.

"Thank you," I said, meaning it. "So, is the rest of MON here?"

"Yes," Doppel answered, quickly looking back. "They should be able to contain that thing - no, come on!"

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, I clung desperately to the back of the nimble liminal as it darted and dodged through a flurry of foliage. We narrowly avoided yet another gnarled root that came barreling towards us, and Doppel uttered a curse as we evaded it.

"I thought Mana-chan hit her with the heaviest sedative we got," she groaned.

"I'm worried that it might not work," I said to her, "Or that it could take longer than expected. It seems she's been given some experimental nutrients dumped into the forest."

"'Experimental nutrients'...?" Doppel quirked an eyebrow at me. "What the hell does that mean?"

"How should I know?!"

Doppel hummed, her nose twitching and the skin beneath it unhealthily undulating as she sniffed the air. "I'm gonna check it out," she declared, veering to the left and guiding us back around. The shapeshifter-dragonewt tapped a clawed finger to her ear. "Hey, Bina-chan, I'm sending your boyfriend over to you.

She winced in agony at the loud and persistent buzzing that filled her ear. I couldn't make out Zombina's words, but her tone was unmistakably one of annoyance.

"Yes, I am aware that it is not the most secure plan," Doppel exhaled heavily, "but it looks like a strong gust of wind will cause him to collapse."

I wanted to protest, but I was struggling to stay conscious.

"We can't be sure of the dryad's strength, so she could potentially take him out when we're not around," Doppel said. "I think the safest place for him would be with someone able to defend themselves. Besides, he mentioned something that could be important information, so I need to investigate it."

I couldn't make out the reply, but Doppel seemed content. "Alright, Romance Master-kun," she continued, "I will drop you off shortly. Hopefully, someone will be there to catch you."

"Kay," I muttered wearily, my sarcasm exhausted. More gunshots echoed, Manako's bullets futilely chipping away at the kaiju's bark. Kii had wisely retreated inside her monster, taking shelter from the barrage as she tried to figure out what the injection had done to her. The giant roared and swiped at the ground in confusion, unable to locate its assailant.

Well, at least it'd stopped going after me.

"And off. You. Go!" Doppel announced, releasing me.

I'm getting so sick of this shit.

A figure suddenly sprang from the trees and caught me in mid-air. Thankfully, they were much softer than the other things I had encountered in the preceding hours.

"Yo," Zombina greeted me with a toothy smirk and a wink as she held me close in a bridal carry. In a feat that made my head spin, she gracefully landed on a thick tree branch and immediately jumped off before it could break under our combined weight. We finally hit the ground, and I was never more thankful to be back on a solid foundation.

"Yo," I breathed, torn between fatigue and relief. "Nice... to see ya...."

"You look terrible," Zombina said with a worried expression, her stitched features contorted with concern. Gently, she leaned me against a tree trunk, handling me as if I was made of glass. Her MON uniform became increasingly filthy, and her bright red hair was messy in the shade.

"Ditto..." I mumbled, coughing right after. Zombina smiled.

"Usually, the fair damsel compliments the knight that just saved her cute ass," she responded, but her smile faded. Her green and gold eyes narrowed dangerously as her face darkened. "Now sit tight. I'm gonna do some trimming."

I snorted in disbelief. "Your one-liners need some improvement..."

"You're one to talk, Romance Master-san," Zombina replied, hefting up her submachine gun that had been strapped to her shoulder earlier. "Just-"

Thoom!

The trees ahead of us were ripped from their roots by immense wooden claws, and I felt a chill run down my spine as Kii's voice echoed through the air, "Found you!" I turned to face her, and there she was, standing tall with her six-eyed face.

"Fuckin' hell!" Zombina cursed, her words immediately followed by a hail of gunfire directed at the giant.

Unfortunately, Zombina's gun lacked the necessary firepower to even make a dent in the giant, and her futile attempts at stopping it were in vain. Realizing her mistake, she threw away the gun and sprinted toward me, but the giant was too close. Its immense shadow covered us, and in the next moment, its colossal foot came smashing down-

Thud!

"Not today!" exclaimed the cheerful voice with enthusiasm.

-only to be stopped by a particular ogre.

Tionishia strained with all her might, her muscles bulging as she held up the giant's weight. The ground beneath her quaked, yet she bore it all with a gentle smile. "If you two could kindly step aside," Tio said in an even tone, her voice laced with a hint of determination, "I'd be ever so grateful!"

"Thanks, Tio-chan!" Zombina exclaimed as she quickly hoisted me up, her arm tightly securing me around my waist. We both rushed away, her finger pressed against her earpiece. "Mana-chan, now!"

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The three sharp shots reverberated through the forest, precisely targeting the giant's three eyes.

Zombina shouted with glee, "Oh baby, a triple!" as she saw the giant's half-closed eyes open wide, spewing a nauseating purple liquid. The giant reeled back in pain, raising a claw to its wounded face, and shouted, "Tio!"

Tionishia wasted no time. Summoning every ounce of her strength, she lunged forward, sending the giant stumbling. It lurched, desperately trying to regain its footing and staunch its wounds. The ground beneath us shook, and the air was alive with the sound of breaking and splintering wood.

"Excellent, girls; it looks like the sedative is beginning to take effect," Zombina exclaimed. The giant's movements were becoming slower and more sluggish. I could only imagine the confusion and disorientation that Kii must have been feeling right now. "It won't be long now..."

After what seemed like an eternity, the giant finally stumbled through the forest, desperately searching for a solution to the mysterious ailment that had befallen it. Its movements slowly became more and more difficult and uncoordinated until, at last, it stopped entirely, standing motionless in the forest.

Then, before my very eyes, it all fell apart, piece by piece. Whatever mysterious force that had been keeping it together had suddenly deserted it, resulting in the bark splitting off into huge slabs the size of trucks. I was stunned to see a familiar figure break free of the decaying vines clambering around the giant's decaying head.

"Kii!" I shouted desperately, attempting to step forward before losing my balance and falling to the ground. Zombina was quick to catch me, but her support only served to make me feel even more feeble. With my head close to her ear, I could hear the device ringing with Doppel's voice.

"Got her."

"Oh, that's... that's good..." I breathed, letting myself sag into Zombina's arms. "We... done yet?"

Zombina smiled down at me, her scarlet hair glimmering in the sunlight. "Yeah, we're done," she said gently. "Now, get some rest."

"Mm," I hummed, resting my head against her. "Kay."

To be continued!