"An attack? We must get ready!" Rebecca, Cecile, and Nana rushed for their gear, but the fort commander stopped them.
"Please wait a moment. Scouts will arrive shortly. There's no need to worry—we'll have your aides bring your equipment if you're needed on the battlefield. If you are needed, we will call you."
"Has there ever been a situation where symbiote users weren't deployed during an attack?" Cecile asked, tilting her head after being halted.
"That alarm indicates an attack on one of the three nearby villages, not this fort," the commander explained. "If this fort were under attack, the alarm would be louder and use a distinct signal. The problem with the Tentacle Forest is that it encroaches from almost every direction. A symbiote user is powerful, but they're still only one person. In the worst-case scenario, all three villages could be attacked at once. We must defend the weakest link."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Cecile and the others, realization slowly dawning. Rebecca cut him off before he could voice it.
"We'll deploy together—at least for the first few waves. I want to assess how strong these tentacle monsters are. There are… extenuating circumstances. Please treat us as a single unit."
They weren't real symbiote users. She knew the truth. They were stronger than ordinary soldiers thanks to Hiro's enhancements, but that was all. They lacked the overwhelming power true symbiote users possessed.
"I… understand," the commander said at last. He frowned, then nodded.
At that moment, a scout burst through the door, nearly slamming it open.
"Commander! A bonfire signal was spotted from Village Seles. We're preparing to depart. No other signals from the remaining villages so far."
The report was brief and precise.
"That's your cue, miladies," the commander said. "Allow me to introduce Captain Bohn. He'll be in charge of the reinforcements. Please heed his instructions—especially if he orders a retreat."
"Retreat?" Rebecca tilted her head.
"There's a chance the attack on Village Seles is a diversion. If the main fort is attacked while you're reinforcing the village, you must return immediately," the commander said. "This fort takes priority over the three villages. If it falls, the monsters will be one step closer to the capital. At that point, we'll be forced to defend Evesys territory and the capital itself."
"Are you saying we should abandon those villages?" Rebecca asked, her face twisting in disgust. "Then why build them there in the first place?"
"There were supposed to be three additional forts beyond them," the commander replied. "But those forts were overrun by the tentacles. We attempted to reclaim them, but with only a single symbiote user, the Tentacle Forest attacked from the rear. We were forced to retreat."
"…I see. Thank you for the explanation, Commander."
"Please be cautious," he added, his gaze lingering on Cecile. "There has been an incident where parasitic tentacles killed a symbiote user."
"Hm? How?" Rebecca tilted her head. Having seen what symbiote users were capable of, she couldn't imagine a monster killing one of those superhumans.
Hiro, idling quietly within their bodies, was equally shocked. After witnessing people like Seraphine, he had never once believed he could defeat a true symbiote user. Jonathan, Altair, Val, Cylia, Sheena, Delghar—he had seen what they could do. They were far beyond his reach.
"If those tentacles latch onto a target, they drain life energy, gradually weakening them," the commander explained. "For civilians, it's often lethal. Symbiote users can resist it—at least, that's what Benno the Juggernaut believed. Confident in his strength and defenses, he charged straight into the swarm. Six hours later, he collapsed and died."
Ah… forced parasitism, Hiro thought. That would push my cell storage into negative output if I tried it. How do ordinary parasitic tentacles even manage nutrient processing and cell storage?
Hiro continued pondering as Rebecca listened in silence.
"Yeah. I know. Symbiote users are strong, but they aren't immortal. Cylia said as much," Rebecca nodded. She had thought Cylia was merely being modest. Only now did she realize she meant every word.
"That's all from me," the commander said. "Captain Bohn, you may guide these new defenders of Fort Eloir. They may be our former enemies, but they will be the spearhead of our defense. Treat them well."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's go."
Two hours later, a company of one hundred knights from Litmus and the local garrison marched toward the villages. The destination was close—only a two-hour ride on horseback. Despite being called a village, the settlement reminded Hiro of Quantora. It was more like a small town, complete with a proper wall, even if it barely reached four meters in height.
Hiro had expected something like a zombie apocalypse when he heard about parasitic tentacle attacks. Instead, there were hardly any humans among the attackers. Most were ordinary monsters—wolves, goblins, and orcs. The unmistakable sign of infection lay in their bodies: some had tentacle-like flowers blooming from their backs, while others sprouted from their chests.
"Surround them! Strike from the rear! Ready the arrows! Mages, unleash everything!" the knights shouted as they charged.
The controlled monsters didn't shamble like zombies. They stood their ground, petals turning toward the defenders firing arrows from the walls. Dozens besieged the fortifications, and it fell to the reinforcements to relieve the defenders. Fire arrows and magic rained down, forcing the monsters to shift targets. When they noticed the knights flanking them, they peeled away from the walls and charged at astonishing speed.
Nana's arrows struck true, each shot pinning a monster's head to the ground. Rebecca blanketed the battlefield with magic as the enemies closed in. The situation looked favorable—fewer than a dozen monsters remained. Cecile drew her sword, moving to lure the survivors away from the rear guard.
Then it happened.
"Argh!"
A spear of light pierced Nana's abdomen.
Hiro reeled in shock. One of the monsters had used a skill he recognized immediately. It was just a lucky shot, but the beam pierced through the leather armor Nana wore.
Sunbeam…
He hadn't thought these monsters could wield it—let alone use it better than him.
He should have seen it coming, but he didn't. Wild parasitic tentacles used their skills differently from Hiro; they treated their hosts as disposable pawns, whether human or monster. Hiro wondered how they had activated the skill without any visible charge-up.
He briefly considered growing his own flowers, but dismissed the idea. He didn't want to be mistaken for one of them. If he used the same skill, someone might reflexively shoot his host. Instead, he slithered a tentacle toward Nana's wound and activated Flesh Mending, sealing the injury. With Hiro's ability, as long as the attack hadn't struck the head, he could save them.
Twenty minutes later, the battlefield had quieted.
"All right. We've cleared them out," Captain Bohn said as he approached Nana. "Are you all right? I saw one of the monsters hit you earlier. It pierced through the armor."
Nana glanced down at her stomach. Smooth skin showed beneath her leather armor, unmarred. "I'm fine. Hiro healed me earlier."
"Ah, I see. Good," Bohn nodded. "I almost forgot you're a symbiote user, given how normally you fight. So you're the healing type, huh? Not the best matchup against monsters like these."
"Yes, Hiro can heal other soldiers too," Rebecca said. "Are there any wounded nearby? Hiro?"
She looked down toward her stomach. Hiro peeked out from her collar and nodded.
Hiro felt a flicker of unease, wondering if the captain had drawn any connection between him and the parasitic tentacles they'd faced. But Bohn simply nodded and moved on toward the village.
Of course, it never crossed his mind that Cecile and the others could be hosts to parasitic tentacles. After all, such creatures never allowed their hosts to retain their consciousness.
"There are none on our squad, but I'm sure some of the village guards were wounded. They bore the brunt of the initial attack," the commander said. He was visibly relieved that the nation, which had once invaded them because they attacked first, still had the conscience to send a symbiote user—even if they were young and weaker than most.
They had only just suffered Rashick's desertion, and anxiety still gripped the province. This land was their home, and they knew they wouldn't survive without symbiotes to defend it.
To say they harbored resentment toward the empire for recalling Rashick—and his subsequent desertion when the empire fell—was a massive understatement. Rashick had been vital in holding back the parasitic tentacles.
Cecile guided her horse into the town. There were no cheers—only solemn silence. Civilians glanced at them briefly before going about their business. Cecile had expected a warmer reception, given that they had come to the town's rescue.
"Where is the captain of the village guard?" the commander asked. "These three symbiote users have healing capabilities."
"Really? Please—hurry! This way!" The pale-faced town guard brightened immediately. "We might make it through this attack without casualties!"
With every previous assault, there had always been deaths. And with every attack, a funeral had followed.
Hiro felt a quiet sense of pride—and gratitude—for having acquired Flesh Mending. At first, he'd believed the skill would only help him restore Marissa. He never imagined it would become so vital to his life as a fake symbiote.
When they arrived at the medical camp, rows of injured soldiers lay on makeshift beds. All had been wounded by the monsters' sunbeam barrages. Some had even lost limbs in the attack. Healing magic was rare, and this small town had only one healer left—the rest had been recalled to the capital.
Rebecca dismounted and rushed to the nearest soldier. Hiro slipped out and swiftly sealed the gaping wound in the man's abdomen. Nana and Cecile spread out, tending to the injured alongside her.
As the day wore on, another alarm rang.