"Rayelle, are you okay?"

After clearing the Chaos Cultists, Aerin rushed to Rayelle’s side and gently lifted her from the ground.

Seeing the blood at Rayelle’s lips and the wounds on her body, Aerin instantly pictured how terribly she’d been mistreated. Her expression softened with concern.

"Uh... I’m fine... Aerin, check on that child..."

Rayelle lay weakly in Aerin’s arms, raising a small hand to point at Chriss nearby.

Rayelle felt Chriss’s presence was frighteningly faint. She couldn’t let this adorable little loli she’d just saved die!

To Aerin, it meant something else.

Even with such severe injuries, Rayelle worried about others.

What a kind-hearted child. Aerin felt a pang of guilt for suspecting her of being Rigmore.

How could such a sweet girl be that vile evil dragon?

Aerin lightly swung her sword, severing Chriss’s ropes. Then, cradling one loli under each arm, she held both girls close—a perfect left-and-right embrace.

Luckily, Aerin’s tall frame handled their petite, frail bodies easily.

Compared to Rayelle, Chriss wasn’t in terrible shape.

The cultists had valued their sacrifice and held back.

"Rayelle..."

Chriss opened her eyes slightly, gazing at the wounded Rayelle. Her expression showed worry, mixed with self-reproach, shame, and a hint of gratitude.

Though weak, Chriss had vaguely sensed everything. She knew Rayelle had protected her.

Those injuries must have come from that fight...

If only she hadn’t been captured, Rayelle wouldn’t be hurt...

Chriss’s face fell. She lowered her head, small hands clenching gently, hesitation flickering in her eyes.

Rayelle noticed none of this.

Her life force and mana were so depleted that drowsiness had gripped her since the battle ended.

Yet her mind raced.

From the fight, she’d grasped her Extraordinary Power.

Using lies as a medium, illusion invaded reality—but only if the target denied her lie or disbelieved it internally.

After activation, infusing mana made illusion and reality overlap, letting her alter both.

Infusion had two methods: small amounts could be done at once.

Or, with low mana, she could stretch it out—but it cost more total mana.

Like paying in full versus installments.

Her first activation had been full payment. The second, due to low mana, was installment.

But...

Rayelle recalled the glass-shattering sound when reality fractured. She’d heard it before...

Where?

Drowsily, her memory zoomed in.

After transmigrating here, defeating the expedition force, and fleeing to the lake—she’d heard it.

As a ten-meter-tall young dragon, weakly staring at her reflection...

She’d suddenly wished to become a soft, fluffy dragon girl.

She’d blurted it out.

Then muttered, "A soft loli... I don’t want to be one or anything," a classic tsundere remark.

Then... the glass shattered.

Back then, she hadn’t understood.

Now she did.

...

Damn...

Rayelle’s head buzzed.

So that’s why her dragon form vanished.

She’d unconsciously activated her power, altering reality to turn herself into a soft dragon girl.

Turns out I was the clown all along.

Rayelle spat blood again. Her vision blacked out. She collapsed.

Aerin, face splattered with sticky fluid, panicked as Rayelle went limp in her arms. She activated her Extraordinary Power, phased through walls, and sprinted to the Adventurers Guild.

Unseen by Aerin, the sword spirit Lulu floated mid-air, silently watching Rayelle with strange intensity.

Deep in Lulu’s eyes, hidden currents stirred.

---

Rayelle woke to a pure white ceiling.

On either side stood unfamiliar adventurers in white robes, a serious Aerin, and Chriss sitting on the bed, worry etched on her face.

Probably healing me?

Rayelle sat up, examining her body.

Her wounds had mostly healed. The life-force depletion discomfort had faded.

But something odd caught her attention.

Her drained mana had partially recovered.

What?

Mana only restored through deception, right?

As Rayelle stared blankly, two soft hands gently grasped her wrists.

A warm, sunshine-like scent drifted over.

Rayelle blinked at their owner—Chriss beside her, looking even frailer than before.

Seeing Rayelle better, Chriss’s worry eased. A soft smile touched her lips.

The corners of her moist eyes lifted slightly, happy Rayelle was recovering.

Aerin stepped closer to Chriss.

"The adventurers healed your wounds. But when we couldn’t fix that strange internal injury, this child healed you."

Aerin patted Chriss’s shoulder, her voice warm with gratitude.

"Thanks to her, Rayelle, you woke after just minutes."

So Chriss healed me?

Rayelle glanced at Chriss’s pale face. She must have used too much mana.

Rayelle recalled rare game abilities that restored life force and mana—but they burdened the user heavily.

That explained Chriss’s weakness.

Just then, Chriss slumped limply.

Rayelle whooshed up from bed, catching the fainting girl before she fell.

Aerin, about to act, paused.

This child, just recovered, protected others first. Such a good kid.

Rayelle didn’t know her image in Aerin’s heart had brightened again.

Her own thought was simple: she hated seeing cute lolis hurt.

"Thanks, everyone. I’ll treat you later."

"Sister Aerin, no need to be formal. We’ll need your help soon."

"Yeah, haha, no big deal!"

Aerin waved off the departing adventurers.

She turned to Rayelle, who cradled Chriss, gently stroking her.

Chriss lay limp in Rayelle’s arms, eyes half-closed in pain, breathing weakly. She looked awful.

Aerin’s worry deepened.

"Rayelle, this child’s in bad shape too. Our magic doesn’t work on her... Her Extraordinary Power heals others, but not herself..."

Suddenly, a door creaked open behind Aerin.

Recognizing the figure, surprise flashed in Aerin’s eyes.

"Chloe?"