Nightmare

Midnight.

Danya's dorm.

Her room appeared quite spacious, but the small bed was to blame.

A small but soft bed.

Danya's eyes, wrapped up like a burrito in her blankets, were darting around restlessly.

Many things from the combat training passed through her mind.

Soldiers with bomb head skulls.

Pierced dungeons.

The Blackening of students.

There were indeed many events.

But what she couldn't forget in her mind, rather than those significant events, was Ian Blackangers' expression.

Lina, surrounded by professors, receiving praise.

Ian's eyes watching that scene, they were like... as if they contained the endless depths of a dark, unfathomable water, deep and dark, like an endless sea.

"What could he have been thinking..."

Even after tossing and turning in bed several times, she couldn't guess why Ian had that expression.

But she had a vague feeling.

"... Did Lina really attack Ian?"

The first flames shot at Ian.

Wasn't it intentional, not a mistake? she thought.

It was purely speculation because she hadn't seen it herself. And she was afraid of turning Lina, who was loved by everyone, into an enemy.

"I should tell him what I saw, right?"

It was the right thing to do.

If Danya trusted Ian, that is.

"I trust him..."

Danya buried her face in her tail.

Beastkin feared 'trust'.

To be more precise, they avoided trusting other races.

To borrow the words of the adults, it was no different from putting a noose around your own neck and handing the handle to someone else. That's why the first education they received as children was not to trust other races thoughtlessly.

It wasn't excessive caution because Beastkin were 'tamed'.

To be 'tamed'. Danya had only recently understood the meaning of that word.

If there was a class at 9 that she was going to meet you for, she was excited from 8.

When she looked at the water full of bubbles for washing dishes, for some reason, you came to her mind.

"No, it's not the last time."

Anyway.

Danya thought that being 'tamed' meant something like that.

"... People shouldn't be trusted."

No matter how many times she vowed like that...

Danya felt like Ian, whom she saw today, needed it.

With endlessly deep and empty eyes, he looked at Lina, surrounded by people.

Someone believes in you.

"But if I say I believe..."

Just saying it might make her truly believe. That was frightening. Of course, she believed to some extent even now, but for some reason, it felt like if she said it, she couldn't turn back.

"Oh, really. Why is it so difficult?"

Danya buried her face in her pillow.

"Tsk, tsk."

Her breath was quickly stifled.

This won't do.

Danya got up from her bed.

She intended to go for a walk.

◆

Ian was concentrating on his class as usual.

The setting was the practice room for basic magic.

"Today, we'll try a practical exercise on elemental compatibility. Lina Rosewell, a student of the fire element, please come forward."

Lina walked forward, receiving cheers from those around her.

"Now, then, what element can stop fire? Water? Yes. No, that's not correct. When water and fire meet, they produce steam. It's a mutual interaction. So, who can show us what element can stop fire? Ian, an Earth element mage, please give a demonstration. Come forward, Ian Blackangers."

"Ah."

What's with this chaotic turn of events?

Ian got up from his seat and was led to the front of the classroom.

It was a space set up for a simple magic demonstration.

He stood facing Lina Rosewell.

Her smiling expression changed instantly. It was a full-fledged murderous expression.

However, even with that expression on Lina's face, everyone was still smiling.

- As expected of Lina!

- Scold Pongpong for us!

What's with these reactions...?

Is this allowed because she's the heroine?

While Ian was lost in confusion,

Lina's hair turned blue without warning.

"!"

Suddenly, intense flames poured out.

It was an attack by a high-level spirit.

Ian quickly cast the basic defensive spell, Earth Wall.

- Fwoosh!

However, the Earth Wall crumbled.

He couldn't stop it.

Hot.

His hands were burning.

The Lunar's staff... Oh, he didn't bring it.

The Earth Wall had completely melted away.

The flames started touching his hand.

Hot.

It was so hot that he almost wished to die.

People were laughing while watching this.

And Lina Rosewell was smirking.

No matter how much of a heroine she was supposed to be, this situation didn't make any sense.

"... Is this a dream?"

Ian woke up from the nightmare.

*

— Bam!

Ian, who sat up abruptly, clenched his throbbing forehead.

Sweat dripped from his heated body.

Even the blankets were soaked in sweat.

[Laurent Magic Fabric - Insulated Blanket]

The tag was attached to the edge of the blanket, faintly visible.

— Humph! Let me show you Laurent's top-notch technology!

Stimulating Silvia's competitiveness with Emilia, he had the warm blanket from Silvia.

He had asked for a warm blanket, in case it got too cold, but they sent him this heated blanket.

"Phew."

He needed to be careful when stimulating Silvia's competitiveness.

He got up from his bed and opened the window.

The cool night air cooled his body.

"Was that a sudden nightmare? No, it doesn't seem like it."

The cause of the nightmare was clear.

Lina Rosewell.

A heroine of Fantasy X Academy.

"Now she's an enemy?"

A helpless laugh suddenly escaped.

Possession in a video game?

He could somehow understand that.

But suddenly having to be cautious of the heroines and turning completely hostile with one of them was something beyond belief.

"It's difficult, really."

With a sigh, he looked out of the window.

The moon had risen, illuminating the night brightly.

By the way, the Lunar was quite damaged.

The magic staff turned black after receiving Lina Rosewell's attack.

Now that he had woken up, he had to charge the Lunar.

◆

Near the dormitory courtyard.

It was a place he frequently used for training, but today was different.

"Hmm."

Ian, holding his staff that had turned black in one hand, lost in thought.

Lunar Ore.

This mineral, which could only be mined in a specific origin called the Moonlight Mountains, had the property of being imbued with moonlight.

Its unique high magical resistance was brought out by that property, but if it received a certain amount of magical power, it would turn black like this.

In such cases, filling it with moonlight again would return it to its original color and properties.

"Where would be a good place?"

After some consideration, he finally chose a small tree with no leaves. The way the silvery light gently rippled on the surface seemed to indicate it was a suitable choice.

Now that he looked at it, it felt different.

"Why did she suddenly become so strong?"

This was about Lina Rosewell.

With this much Lunar, he could easily make a complete set of armor.

It was just one strike.

The fact that she turned all of Lunar black.

"It's definitely not at this level right now."

Lina Rosewell was a persistent-type heroine.

If you trained her well, she would guarantee remarkable performance in the later stages. But she was already showing tremendous strength this early.

...And only when she was attacking Ian himself.

"It's unbelievable."

However, he had a hunch

The reason she became stronger.

If he were to confront her in the scenario that would follow...

— Rustle.

What broke his contemplation was the sound of leaves being rustled.

In the distance, the bushes shook.

"..."

The surroundings were pitch dark.

No wind was blowing.

There shouldn't be a reason for them to rustle.

"... Maybe a squirrel passed by."

— Rustle, rustle.

But this squirrel seemed to be moving somewhat excessively.

It might be a rabbit or something.

Lichten was a reasonably sized city.

There couldn't be monsters in the middle of the city.

But for some reason, it seemed to be approaching in this direction.

— Sssss! Sssss!

Wait, why was it coming this way?

"Ugh!"

As Ian raised his staff to swing it, suddenly, a loud scream erupted.

"Kyaaaaah!"

A figure jumped up from the other side.

Simultaneously, screams burst out.

"Uwaaaah!"

"Kyaaaah!"

After exchanging screams once each, both of them calmed down.

If the other person had ill intentions, they wouldn't have screamed like that.

Though their paths were different, they reached the same conclusion.

Ian blinked for a moment.

His vision slowly cleared.

The face was familiar.

"... Danya?"

"Why did you suddenly scream like that! You startled me!"

"Why are you here at this hour?"

"Me? Of course! Uh, well, I was exercising..."

"At this hour?"

Ian gave her a suspicious look, and Danya jumped in surprise.

"I couldn't sleep!"

Well, considering she had almost been killed and a fellow student had been blackened, it wasn't surprising that she was up. Ian himself had woken up from a similar dream.

Ian shrugged and sat on a log.

Danya quietly stared in his direction.

"You should sit down too."

Ian patted the space next to him.

There was plenty of room for both of them to sit on the log.

"..."

Danya, who had been standing still, took a deep breath and approached, treading carefully like a cat approaching a person for the first time.

"Who would eat you?"

"It's not like that!"

Danya, after adjusting her position to sit next to Ian, maintained a bit of distance but didn't move her seat again.

Their clothes lightly brushed against each other.

Danya flinched a little, but didn't bother to move again.

The moonlight illuminated her side perfectly, revealing the contemplative expression on Danya's face.

Her lips seemed to be hesitating, hinting at some inner turmoil.

After giving her a moment to gather her thoughts, Ian inquired.

"Why?"

She glanced up at him for a moment, then hung her head. Ian wondered what she wanted to say, but there had to be a reason she'd come out here at this time of night.

With a resolute clench of her fist, Danya lifted her head slightly.

-Tremble

And her lips, which had been trembling earlier, finally opened.

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