Chapter 56 – Half

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Editor’s Note

Edited

A space where scorching, beyond scorching, heat circulated.

Wherever I looked, things were either being devoured by flames or already burning.

If hell existed, I thought this might be it.

The chirping of birds, the rustling sound of leaves, the cries of insects.

Everything had disappeared.

What remained there were painful screams from a little distance away and.

“H-hot…”

“Just a little… if you hold on just a little longer, somehow they’ll help us from outside.”

“How much longer do you think we can hold on?”

Only students in a precarious crisis.

They tried to gather hopeful words, but the scene before their eyes wasn’t very promising.

Beyond the hastily created barrier, flames flickered, and since the barrier couldn’t block the heat, the inside was blazing like a sauna.

The heat made their minds foggy, and their bodies, drenched in sweat, felt heavy like waterlogged cotton balls.

It was impossible to gauge how much time had passed.

How did it come to this?

The woman supporting herself with her arms on the ground, gasping for breath, reflected on what had happened just moments ago.

At first, it was just curiosity.

The question she had heard at the makeshift infirmary, which she visited after slightly twisting her ankle, asking if she knew a red-haired student.

Honestly, how could one not be curious? Especially when the person asking was being ambiguously evasive.

Already bored, she thought this was fortunate and returned to her area to immediately seek out the “red-haired” student.

Finding her wasn’t difficult.

It was obvious she would be sitting in the shade, using the excuse of getting tired easily.

Her thought wasn’t wrong, as she could see a red-haired student sitting under a large tree.

‘…Is it really an excuse?’

Unlike when she left earlier, the student’s face was so crumpled it looked like it might explode at any moment.

She felt that disturbing her might not end well.

But her curiosity was greater than that at the moment.

The ‘health teacher,’ who was the subject of various rumors these days, looking for a student?

How could she resist?

For her, lacking stimulation, there was nothing this interesting.

But those frowning red eyes were a bit scary.

So she approached the red-haired student with another student she was relatively close with.

She had no intention of threatening or bullying her in a group.

She was just curious why the health teacher was looking for her.

“…What is it.”

But hearing her slanted voice, which even conveyed wariness, her heart became twisted.

Why the fuss just because they approached?

Isn’t this why she keeps staying alone?

Small discontent became a sneer, and the red-haired student, unable to overcome her fiery temperament and the pain rising from her body, went along with it.

That’s when the anomaly occurred.

“Gah— Kuhk!?”

“W-what’s going on suddenly?”

The red-haired student, who had been shouting with veins bulging in her neck, let out a painful cry and then slumped like a puppet with its strings cut.

Something, something seemed wrong.

In that moment when everyone froze at the sudden situation.

Flames rose from the collapsed student’s body.

It was from then that the peaceful forest began to transform into hell.

The rising flames increased their momentum, devouring the surroundings.

Those who stood in front of the red-haired student quickly protected their bodies, avoiding the fate of becoming firewood.

But when they came to their senses, all sides were already ablaze.

…They were reduced to waiting for help.

The woman, reflecting on what had just happened, still felt wronged.

What on earth did I do wrong to deserve this?

Tears leaked out from the injustice.

As the gloomy atmosphere spread, the transparent membrane surrounding her wavered.

Could it be that I’m going to die like this?

The shadow of death loomed.

I don’t want to die, someone, anyone, please help me….

She felt like borrowing even the hand of the devil, said to be in decline now.

But all she could hear was the sound of flames rising and her companions’ sniffling.

At that moment.

“My goodness….”

A soft voice that sounded familiar could be heard.

It was a voice in her memory.

‘This voice…?’

At first, she thought she was hearing hallucinations because her head was hot. Since she had seen her handle water, the water spirit, she thought it was possible.

Blinking her dry eyes and looking around.

“Huh?”

“A person…?”

“How?”

An unbelievable sight was visible.

Warm silver hair fluttered in disarray.

A figure that seemed to make a splash sound with every movement was slowly approaching.

Finally, as she came closer, her mouth opened.

“Wow, is this also magic? Amazing. Ah, is everyone okay?”

As the approaching figure, Iris, muttered something, a stream of water that felt refreshing poured down outside the barrier.

The students inside the barrier felt their bodies cooling and nodded blankly.

The flames, which had seemed unlikely to subside, were pushed outside by the transparent water current.

In the end, she couldn’t completely extinguish them, only managing to alleviate the heat around, but that was something.

The students, the girls trapped inside the barrier.

Looked at Iris with somewhat dreamy faces.

Receiving those gazes, Iris scratched her cheek with a slightly awkward face and said quietly.

“I’ll solve this and come back soon, so could you wait for a moment?”

“Yess….”

“I will….”

…They’re like people under hypnosis.

Feeling burdened by the hot and sticky gazes for some reason, Iris listened to El’s voice chattering in her head.

And moved towards the source.

Only then could she finally lay eyes on the red-haired student she had been searching for since last night.

…The feeling was quite peculiar.

*

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*

*

In front of me appeared the red-haired student I had been searching for yesterday and today.

Her condition doesn’t look good, even as a polite understatement.

From the mouth of the girl lying face down on the floor, painful screams conveying terrible agony were leaking out.

And a more disconcerting point was.

That her hands, which were frantically scratching the floor, weren’t those of a human.

…Is she not human?

In fact, this might not be so unusual in this world.

There are elves and beastmen, so might there be lizard… beastmen too?

Seeing the large drooping tail, I thought she might be that kind of beastman.

And the flames that had turned this area into a hellish place were spewing from her body.

Whether she intended it or not, I don’t know, but judging from her painful state, it doesn’t seem like it was intentional.

– What are you blankly staring at? Quickly get closer. If left like this, she’ll soon lose her life.

“…Is it that serious?”

As I hesitated slightly at the dreadful sight, El’s explanation continued with a sigh.

– That girl is currently raging out of control, unable to manage her power. She must be unable to control the power gushing from her heart.

Even with that explanation, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

But one thing seemed clear.

If I don’t approach now, that red-haired student, just as I read in the game’s text.

Would lose her life.

I’ve already crossed the pillar of fire, so there’s no need to be afraid.

As I cautiously approached her, a question arose.

El seems to care about that girl’s life more than I expected.

“Do you know her?”

– Hmm? Well… is that a question?

“…Never mind.”

…My impression of the spirit as unpredictable solidifies.

Well, bearing the title of queen, it’s understandable that she’s willful.

Is it her whim…?

Or because she knows I want to save the girl?

I’d prefer the latter.

Meanwhile.

“Kuuk… kuk… Ah, it hurts… huuk….”

I had arrived in front of the girl.

Thanks to El’s protective barrier, it wasn’t hot, but I could tell that the pain she was feeling was no ordinary matter.

“…Are you okay?”

“Kruk… kik….”

Is it too much to expect a proper answer?

Inwardly shaking my head, I asked El.

“What should I do now?”

– Sit comfortably and place that one’s head on the contractor’s thigh.

“Um… so.”

You mean to give her a lap pillow.

Following her direction, I plopped down and lifted the red-haired student’s head onto my thigh.

…Because of my chest, I can’t see what expression she’s making.

However, as we came into contact, I felt a lukewarm warmth.

– Now place your hand on their chest. But before that, I have one question, contractor.

“What is it?”

After a moment’s pause, El asks me in an uncharacteristically cautious voice.

– Are you really sure it’s alright to help her?

“…”

What’s this.

Is she a spirit or a ghost? No, a shaman?

Or had she been noticing the fluctuations in my heart?

In many ways, she couldn’t help but be a ghost-like existence.

It’s true that I hesitated.

But I had no intention of backing out now. From the moment I passed through the pillar of fire, my answer was decided.

“Why are you asking such a thing? That’s why I came here.”

– Fuhu. Yes, that’s right. Then let’s begin. I look forward to the price.

…That’s a bit worrying.

At El’s subsequent words, I felt cold sweat running down my spine.

– Calming a half-dragon heart, I wonder what value that would have. It might be good to ponder this thoroughly.

What?

“W-wait a moment.”

– Hurry! Place your hand on her chest. If you delay further, she’ll cross an irreversible river.

I had no choice but to reluctantly place my hand on her chest.

I came because I felt uncomfortable letting someone die by neglect.

…I have a feeling there’s more to this story than I thought.

A premonition that this would be a completely different story from the game I knew.

Though such a premonition swept over me.

There was no turning back now.

Because this wasn’t a game.

Editor’s Note

Initially I was thinking she’ll become a yandere, but most dragons are tsunderes, right?

…I’m jumping on the yandere train.