"The Attack"
After Stella's confession, Drake acknowledged his own feelings.
But because of this, carrying Stella, Drake felt additional anxiety beyond his worry.
He knew Stella only had a cold, but he couldn't help worrying about her condition worsening, about her discomfort.
As if fate was against him, a raindrop fell on Drake's head.
He saw spots of water on the ground, quickly spreading and merging.
Within seconds, a torrential downpour began.
This was bad news for Stella, who already had a fever; getting wet could worsen her illness.
Drake waved his hand; a large sheet of flames appeared above them, instantly evaporating the rain before it reached Stella.
"So warm!"
Stella, eyes hazy, looked at the flames above and hugged Drake tighter.
Drake knew it wasn't easy; flames weren't suitable for creating sustained, fixed shapes, and his ability wasn't flame control.
Creating a rain shield was a strain; he needed shelter. He remembered a hut from earlier.
They quickly found it.
It was well-prepared; it had a fireplace, firewood, towels, and blankets.
Drake built a fire; the hut warmed up.
Stella, on a small bed, held a towel, blushing. "Drake, I'm sweating; it's uncomfortable!"
Drake understood; Stella had sweated profusely, soaking her clothes. Drying her was necessary to prevent hypothermia. But this was a test.
Taking the towel, Drake swallowed.
Stella blushed, unbuttoning her shirt. Drake saw her fair skin.
His hands trembled, but seeing Stella's closed eyes, he calmed down.
He wasn't driven by lust; he wanted attention with Stella, but this wasn't the time.
He gently dried her forehead and neck, then covered her with a blanket.
"Bear with it! We'll go down once the rain stops."
Stella acted like an ostrich; she didn't know why she'd given Drake such suggestive hints.
She was so embarrassed! It must be the illness; it must have made her lose her mind.
Drake took out his Student Council handbook; the signal was good; he contacted Kanata Toutokubara at the base.
…
Touka Toudou and Utakata Misogi were also on the mountain, but no rain fell on them.
Utakata Misogi, whose title was 〈Fifty/Fifty〉, had the rare Causality Interference ability.
His ultimate technique was Absolute Uncertainty, manipulating event probabilities.
He could make anything with a chance of happening, however small, absolutely happen. Preventing rain wasn't difficult.
This ability had a flaw—it couldn't make impossible things happen.
For example, in gacha games, she could get any character, no matter how rare, but not limited-time characters.
This is why Utakata Misogi didn't participate in the selection tournament; it was about raw strength; she couldn't win against unbeatable opponents.
They found tracks—the ground was overturned, even the deeper soil was exposed. Something had emerged from the ground.
Many trees were broken, as if a huge creature had passed. They even saw a uprooted tree.
Only a legendary giant could cause this.
They found a clear footprint. Based on its size, if the creature was human-like, it was at least five meters tall.
"There really are giants!" Utakata Misogi exclaimed.
Touka Toudou frowned; she was in charge of the investigation, but she hadn't believed in giants.
She was at a loss when her Student Council handbook rang.
"It's Kanata; what happened? Stella-san is ill?
Rescue is on its way; that's good! Tell them to be careful.
We found tracks; there might be clues about the giants.
I'm worried about Stella-san; I'll go support them.
Understood; thank you."
Utakata Misogi understood. "Touka's still the same; she can't ignore sick people!"
Touka Toudou paused, remembering something.
Utakata Misogi patted her. "Stop reminiscing! You're worried about Stella-san; let's go!"
…
After contacting Kanata Toutokubara, Drake replaced Stella's forehead towel.
Stella was asleep; Drake pulled the blanket higher, then knelt to look at her sleeping face, becoming captivated.
He couldn't believe this cute girl was his girlfriend.
A corner of his heart felt warm.
In his second life, Igneel and Natsu were his family, Asta, Yuno, the church members, and the Black Bulls.
In this world, he'd bonded with Ikki Kurogane.
But Stella was special. He imagined their future together.
After a while, Drake saw Stella's eyelids flutter. He quickly moved away; being seen as a creep would be bad.
But Stella had woken up; Drake's intense gaze made her pretend to be asleep.
She felt sweet embarrassment; she sensed his feelings; nothing made her happier.
She knew she should wake up; she'd smile uncontrollably.
Stella's physique and resistance were strong; after about thirty minutes, she recovered.
She wasn't as weak and wasn't sweating.
Drake gave her cooled water. "You sweated a lot; drink some water! I contacted Kanata-senpai; rescue is coming soon."
Stella sipped the water.
She noticed ripples in the cup, followed by a clear, rhythmic vibration. She looked at Drake; his face was serious.
"What's wrong? Earthquake?"
Drake shook his head; he sensed something approaching. Strangely, he couldn't sense its ki.
But a faint, steady magical fluctuation appeared, getting closer.
"No good!"
Drake pushed Stella behind him. The hut's roof shattered; the walls cracked under immense force.
The attack… had arrived unexpectedly!
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