Reincarnated as a Flower, Fine then I'll bloom my own way
Chapter 69 - 67: From the Start

Chapter 69: Chapter 67: From the Start

Bokkon was running through the land, looking utterly confused.

"Where did they go?" he muttered as he sprinted.

Suddenly, he leapt into the air and saw Habon standing below.

Habon noticed him and raised his eight fists, ready for battle.

"A human?"

Bokkon exclaimed in surprise, drawing his katana.

"Let’s see if you’re strong enough," Habon said, his voice filled with anticipation.

Bokkon dashed straight toward him with his katana and a serious face.

He slashed the katana at him, but Habon grabbed the katana using his two hands and used the other hands to punch him. But before he could punch Bokkon—

Bokkon jumped back and made distance between them. Habon looked at him and spoke in a deep voice

"Leaving your weapon, huh? Doesn’t seem a good move."

Bokkon smiled. He raised his hand and clapped—and as he clapped, he appeared in front of Habon.

Habon was shocked.

Bokkon kicked him in his face, but it didn’t affect him that much.

"You’re weak, human," Habon said.

Bokkon clapped his hands again and appeared in Habon’s hand, holding the katana’s end. Then he spun his body, cutting Habon’s hand and freeing himself and the katana. He jumped back.

Habon looked at his bleeding hand and said,

"He cut my hand that easily..."

He looked up at him and added,

"That sword isn’t some ordinary sword."

Habon smiled.

"Interesting."

He raised all his hands and screamed,

"Demon Style! Deadly Fist!"

He started punching the air, shooting supersonic blasts that cracked the whole ground and went straight to Bokkon.

Bokkon raised his katana and began slashing the sonic booms one by one.

Habon kept punching rapidly.

"What’s with this demon!" Bokkon gasped.

"I need to do something," he said.

He quickly raised his sword up, then before a sonic boom hit him, he screamed—

"Explosive Slash!!"

He slashed the sword into the ground, which cracked first, then created a huge explosion, destroying the nearby surroundings.

Habon raised his hand and used it as a shield. After the smoke cleared, Habon looked forward and saw Bokkon wasn’t there.

He started looking around. Then suddenly—

A sound came from above. He quickly looked up and saw the katana coming directly toward his head.

He quickly raised his hand and grabbed the sword. But the next moment—a hand-clapping sound came. In an instant, Bokkon appeared above him.

Bokkon pulled out the sword and slashed toward his neck, but before he could slash, Habon raised his leg and smashed it into the ground, making a huge hole. His body fell down, saving himself from the slash.

Bokkon missed and slowly descended, but before he could do anything, Habon raised his fist and punched directly at him.

Bokkon raised his katana to defend himself. The punch hit the katana, and the impact sent Bokkon flying away.

He fell hard onto the ground.

But he quickly stood up, blood coming out from his nose and mouth.

"Damn it... he’s really tough... if even one punch from him hits me, I’ll be heavily damaged." He said

Habon stood up with a smile on his face, then started running toward Bokkon, every step cracking the earth below him.

Bokkon raised his katana and said,

"Fire Slash!!"

He slashed the katana in the air, launching a dark burning fire toward Habon.

But Habon didn’t stop. He kept running, even after getting hit by the attack.

Bokkon gasped. He gripped the katana tighter and screamed,

"Here goes nothing!!!"

"Dancing Dragon Fang!!"

His katana started glowing green, and a light green light started to appear around it, forming the shape of a dragon.

He raised his leg and slammed it into the ground, ready to slash.

Habon raised his fist, ready to punch.

Then they both screamed together

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Bokkon slashed the katana, and Habon launched his punch.

They collided—and a huge explosion erupted, destroying the ground.

Habon fell back from the impact. His two hands were cut off and he was bleeding.

Bokkon was sent flying away.

He crashed into a tree so hard that it broke apart. Bokkon tried to stand up but was heavily injured.

He was bleeding from his mouth, his shirt torn apart. He struggled to rise, using his katana for support.

Habon looked at him, then in a deep voice said,

"It’s over for you, human."

Bokkon looked at him. Habon continued,

"You are pretty strong, I will say that—but I still have plenty of strength left. But you look like you are out of mana, and that human body of yours is already done."

Bokkon breathed heavily, looking at him. Then, a small smile appeared on his face. With a struggling voice, he said,

"You think so? Hahahaha..."

Habon looked at him in confusion. In his mind, he thought—

(Why is he laughing...?)

Bokkon slowly raised his katana, and with a death stare, said,

"It’s almost time."

And as he said that, Habon felt a shock in his body and fell to his knees.

"W-What!" Habon struggled.

Bokkon looked at him with a smile and remembered something.

---

(Flashback)

The sun filtered through the jungle canopy in soft golden threads, casting playful shadows across the damp earth. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, a gentle soundtrack to the determined grunts echoing from a small clearing.

There, in the center of that peace, was small Bokkon holding a wooden sword.

"Yaaaah!!"

Thwack!

The wooden sword cut through the air, landing with a thud against a tree trunk that had clearly seen better days. Its bark was splintered and scarred.

Bokkon wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve and glanced over his shoulder.

On a mossy rock nearby, Shein sat cross-legged, her cheek resting in her palm, watching him with a faint smile. The wind played with her short hair, and the sunlight made her eyes sparkle.

Bokkon turned back to the tree, lifted his sword again, then stopped. The weight of his thoughts was heavier than the sword in his hands.

"...Hey, Shein?"

Shein blinked, then straightened up slightly.

"Yeah?"

"...Do you think someone like me... could ever be strong?"

There was a pause. The birds had gone quiet, as if even they were listening.

"...Strong enough to protect you? And the village?" he said.

Shein looked at him, surprised at the crack in his voice. His back was still turned, but his shoulders trembled—just slightly.

She stood up and walked a little closer, barefoot steps soft against the earth.

"Of course you can," she said simply.

Bokkon finally turned around. His eyes weren’t sparkling with determination like usual. They were tired. Doubtful. He spoke—

"But I’m not like the other Beastmans, Shein. I don’t have magic... I don’t have strength... heck, I tripped over a chicken last week and almost drowned in a rice bucket."

Shein chuckled softly, trying not to laugh too hard at the memory.

"And we’re poor," he continued, ignoring her giggle. "We can’t afford swords, teachers, or even proper meals most days. The humans think s we are just some little pet to them and all I have is this stupid stick, and dreams that feel too big for someone like me."

He lowered his head. "It just feels like... maybe I’m meant to stay weak."

There was silence. Then, Shein stepped right in front of him.

She looked up into his eyes, and smiled—not the teasing one she usually wore, but the one that made Bokkon’s heart feel like it had been struck by lightning.

"A wooden sword doesn’t make you weak," she said. "It makes you stubborn."

"Huh?" he said in confusion.

She kept the smile and continued—

"Only a fool keeps swinging a stick at a tree for months. But only someone brave keeps doing it after the hundredth time. And you know what they say, Bokkon..."

She stepped even closer and reached up to poke his forehead.

"Do something in the beginning that’ll echo until the end."

Bokkon blinked.

"...That’s... kinda cool. Did you make that up?"

"Nope. I read it on the back of a potato sack."

She grinned.

Bokkon let out a small laugh. It was a sad kind of laugh—the kind that comes when tears are trying to sneak past your pride. He looked down at his wooden sword again.

"...You really think I can become strong?"

Shein nodded, then leaned back with mock drama.

"Well, if you don’t, I’m definitely doomed. Who else is gonna protect me from wild boars and weird old men who offer me radishes at the market?"

Bokkon sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"...I will. I’ll be the strongest wooden-sword-wielding, chicken-dodging, radish-punching protector this village has ever seen."

Shein laughed—genuinely, this time.

"That’s the spirit."

He turned back to the tree, lifted the sword once more, and whispered—

"I’ll make today matter... so one day, I won’t be afraid of tomorrow."

And he swung again.

The birds sang.

And Shein kept watching.

(Flashback over)

---

Habon vomited blood from his mouth, then realized something.

"P-Poison..." he said in a struggling voice.

He remembered the first slash Bokkon did to his hand. Bokkon stepped forward and said,

"This fight was already over from the beginning."

He dropped his katana, then said,

"Space Inventory."

A small white hole appeared beside him. He put his hand inside and slowly took out—

A wooden sword.

Habon looked at him, struggling to stand up.

Bokkon raised the wooden sword and said,

"I have promised to protect someone—and I have sworn my life on it."

His body started glowing green. Habon looked at him in fear. All he saw was a boy standing in the middle of a green aura, his eyes glowing with determination.

Bokkon took a deep breath, then in an instant, he dashed toward Habon—the dash so fast the ground cracked.

Habon couldn’t move. His body was paralyzed.

Then, with a loud voice, Bokkon screamed—

"Blessings of Flower!!!"

His sword glowed bright. Then a green spinning three-leaf flower appeared above his head.

"Hahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

With a final scream, Bokkon slashed his head with the wooden sword.

His head went flying

Habon’s body slowly started to turn into dust and faded away.

Bokkon looked back at the katana lying on the ground. He smiled and whispered—

"Lady Sumi... Shein... I did it..."

Then, he collapsed to the ground.