Actually, Iria had no intention of using her mind control ability in the match against Sera.

 

After all, using it would draw attention for various reasons.

 

If a person who was fine suddenly stopped moving and collapsed, it would look strange to anyone.

 

However, this time, the situation was a bit different.

 

Sera was in a state where it wouldn’t be strange for her to collapse at any moment, and the distance was close enough that the spectators couldn’t see what Iria was doing.

 

In the final confrontation, Sera accurately pierced Iria’s weak point.

 

Iria couldn’t avoid it, and with her mana depleted, she would have had to use magical energy to deflect it.

 

‘What would have happened if I got hit?’ Iria suddenly wondered.

 

She doesn’t know about the rest, but at least that final blow was at Albert’s level.

 

Iria probably wouldn’t have died, but she would have taken considerable damage.

 

Since Iria couldn’t regenerate the wound while people were watching, it was wise for her to not get hit.

 

Looking at her burnt right hand, Iria thought,

 

‘As expected, there is something about the second years at this academy.’

 

It was the first time Iria had been injured by someone whose level of strength should’ve been typical of academy students. This left her honestly flustered.

 

And this wasn’t even from the top student, but from the second place.

 

“……”

 

It is highly probable that the protagonist Iria has been looking for is among the second-year students at the academy.

 

If they were, it would be Ariel.

 

If Iria kills him, can she return? No, she couldn’t be certain yet.

 

Iria decided to observe him a bit more.

 

“The match is over. Please move that person.”

 

Iria pointed to Sera and spoke to the professor refereeing the match.

 

However, it seemed Sera wasn’t the only one who caught his eye.

 

“Where are you going? Your injuries are this severe.”

 

“……?”

 

“You need to receive treatment together. Even if there are few visible external injuries, we don’t know if there are any internal issues.”

 

“I’m fine, though,” Iria insisted.

 

“No, you’re not.”

 

Sera, who had collapsed on the training ground, was moved on a stretcher.

 

And somehow, Iria was also being moved on a stretcher.

 

Iria declined, saying she could walk on her own, but the reply was that it was impossible for her to be unscathed after such an intense match.

 

Well, it’s true it wasn’t a match that a human body could endure. That was the natural reaction.

 

Several people lifted Iria’s body and forced her to lie down.

 

Having her gaze face the sky while being moved by someone was a feeling stranger to what Iria had thought.

 

The sky moved even though Iria was still.

 

“……”

 

As Iria lay like that, someone covered her body with a blanket.

 

The reason was that Iria’s uniform was a bit burnt, revealing her underwear.

 

Since public indecency is dangerous, Iria was a little grateful to the mysterious person who lent her the blanket.

 

Iria was tired in so many ways after just finishing the match. Sera had been tenacious after all.

 

And for some reason, Sera’s blood hurt when it touched Iria. She probably couldn’t drink it either.

 

Iria closed her eyes as drowsiness came over her. Falling asleep with the sensation of her body floating wasn’t too difficult.

 

***

 

‘This world is fake and a world inside a novel.’

 

Iria realized this a little over a month after falling into this world.

 

At that time, from the background, worldview, and somewhat familiar developments of this world, Iria realized that this was the world of a novel she had read.

 

Until then, Iria had understood which novel’s world this was. Of course, she would have known who the protagonist was and even the developments in the novel.

 

However, Iria forgot.

 

As Iria transformed into a monster, she slowly began to forget the memories she had when she was human.

 

The body Iria possessed was that of a monster. Unlike humans, it had instincts that couldn’t be resisted and was a creature that couldn’t live without killing humans.

 

It took a while for Iria to realize that if she acted on her body’s instincts and ate humans, her mind would eventually transform into a monster’s.

 

Well, even if she knew that, nothing would change.

 

Even knowing she was becoming a monster, Iria had to eat humans. She was a being that couldn’t live without eating humans.

 

Iria had to kill humans even if she didn’t want to. Pushed by instinct, the memories of her first murder were not something she could call good, even as a figure of speech.

 

Perhaps Iria is a creature that shouldn’t exist.

 

To humans, the only good monster is a dead monster.

 

And,

 

“……”

 

Iria woke up.

 

Today was a rare day when she didn’t dream.

 

Iria opened her eyes for a moment and closed them again. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.

 

She laid still for a while. Even when not sleeping, there are days when she just wants to linger with her eyes closed, savoring the afterglow of sleep.

 

Then, Iria heard voices.

 

Based on the multiple presences and circumstances felt around her, this place was probably the infirmary.

 

It was the voices of the nurses tending to the patients.

 

“Did you check this patient? The one with torn clothes and burns on her hand.”

 

“Not yet.”

 

“Then bring some holy water.”

 

Hmm.

 

It seemed like it would be best to get up quickly.

 

Iria immediately opened her eyes and sat up. After stretching and loosening her stiff body, Iria looked around.

 

It was a fairly late hour, with sunlight seeping through the windows of the infirmary. The sun was already setting by the time Iria opened her eyes.

 

The sunlight shining down on Iria was somewhat unpleasant. In this inefficient non-human body, her condition worsened just from being exposed to the sun.

 

The only small consolation was that evening would soon arrive.

 

It would have been better if it were a night with a full moon. Unfortunately, today wasn’t one.

 

“Ah, you’re awake? I’ll apply some holy water on you.”

 

“I don’t want it.”

 

“Pardon? But the wound……”

 

“I don’t want it.”

 

Iria turned away from the human, attempting to apply the holy water on her.

 

Someone needed it more than she did right in front of her.

 

Sleeping on the bed across from Iria, Sera hadn’t opened her eyes. She seemed to have fallen into an even deeper sleep than Iria had.

 

Iria was slightly curious about what dream Sera might be having, but she didn’t peek, knowing it would be rude.

 

Unlike Iria, who had minor injuries, Sera was heavily injured, so holy water was applied all over her body.

 

Of course, it couldn’t be applied with clothes on, so after removing the clothes she was wearing, it was applied directly on her bare skin.

 

Iria wondered if it was okay to undress someone in a place with many people, but it turned out this was the women’s ward. Everyone was female, from the nurses to the patients, so no one found it strange.

 

If there was one thing Iria could tell from this, it was that Sera had a surprisingly good figure despite her appearance.

 

Iria absolutely did not intentionally try to look; she saw it by chance.

 

……Probably.

 

Time passed as people in the women’s ward went about their daily tasks: healing patients, visiting friends, and so on.

 

Iria had intended to return home immediately upon waking up. Still, she was told to rest here for a day in case something was wrong with her body.

 

These people had seen the hellish scene at the training ground, a place that had become an inferno.

 

If she were human, it would be normal not to be fine. So, were they keeping Iria because it was strange that she appeared unharmed?

 

Iria decided to impose on them today. Thinking of the back alleys that would become noisy in her absence already gave her a headache though.

 

For some reason, whenever Iria was away, a crazy criminal would appear in the back alleys.

 

It wasn’t a being that meant Iria harm, but Iria found it vexing to be blamed for wrongs she didn’t commit.

 

Moreover, Iria hadn’t killed anyone in the back alleys recently. Still, rumors of a victim attacked by the back alley monster. Iria felt the urge to explain herself, even though she hadn’t realized it at first.

 

It was evening.

 

When no one came to visit, the infirmary was quiet and boring.

 

Lying still and spending time doing nothing was harder than one might expect.

 

Iria tried counting the patterns on the ceiling with her fingers and gazing at the scenery outside the window.

 

It was when Iria had counted about half the patterns on the ceiling that Sera opened her eyes.

 

A pleasant wind blew through the open window. For a while, only the sound of the wind echoed in the quiet infirmary.

 

After Sera raised her body, her red hair fluttered in the wind blowing towards her.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

Since Iria was bored anyway, she decided to try talking to Sera.

 

Sera showed a blank expression.

 

Was she still half asleep, or had she not grasped the situation yet?

 

Perhaps both.

 

“This is the infirmary. Don’t worry.”

 

Iria provided an explanation so Sera could quickly grasp the situation.

 

“Ah, Iria.”

 

Sera, who had just opened her eyes and sat up, greeted Iria cheerfully upon seeing her. Despite being opponents in a match just a few hours prior, her greeting was surprisingly bright.

 

Was it just Sera’s personality to be suspiciously bright?

 

Iria thought it would be awkward when Sera woke up, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

 

“Oww, it hurts……”

 

Sera, who had been brimming with energy upon waking up, tried to move her body vigorously and let out a groan mixed with pain.

 

She was in so much pain that there was slight moisture in her eyes.

 

Iria found it fascinating, as it didn’t match the image of Sera drawing blood with an ice pick on the training ground.

 

Was this what Sera was usually like? Iria was surprised as it was quite different from when they fought. Still, Iria didn’t forget the words the doctor had asked her to pass on.

 

“The doctor said that it was best not to move and to rest for the time being.”

 

“Who said that?”

 

“The doctor.”

 

“That spiky-haired person?”

 

Iria nodded her head.

 

However, she wondered how Sera knew what the doctor looked like when she had been asleep the whole time.

 

“Then it’s fine. I’m a regular here.”

 

‘How can one be a regular at the infirmary?’

 

Iria really wanted to retort but decided against it.

 

“I’ve been here many times and sent many others here too. Most of what that doctor says is exaggerated to scare you, so you can take it with a grain of salt… Aack!”

 

Sera ignored Iria’s warning and sat up fully, despite her whole body being riddled with broken bones. Naturally, there was no way she could be fine. A moment later, Sera let out another scream.

 

“Hmm. It hurts a bit today.”

 

“The doctor said it was best to rest.”

 

“I have an illness where I die if I stay still for too long.”

 

“Is there such an illness?”

 

“Actually, that was a lie. Isn’t it boring to be cooped up inside?”

 

“……”

 

‘She really is a peculiar person.’

 

At least Iria thought Sera was a different type of human than herself.

 

Everyone called Sera a genius, and she indeed had that level of talent.

 

However, people weren’t interested in how much effort she had put into reaching this point.

 

People liked and were interested in only Sera, the young genius mage. This was for various reasons, but a major one was admiring a talent they themselves didn’t possess.

 

But Iria knew.

 

Because Iria had a match against Sera and peeked a bit into her memories.

 

Sera was not a human who only relied on talent. Although no one acknowledged it, there was bone-grinding effort behind Sera reaching second seat.

 

That was also the reason why Sera recklessly requested matches against people. Because live combat-style matches can quickly raise one’s skills.

 

Sera had risen by accumulating more experience than anyone else. 

 

In fact, even now, Sera had no intention of resting and only thought of going outside.

 

Looking at the bandages wrapped all over her body, Sera said she was fine and got off the bed. If Sera’s attending physician had seen this, she would have screamed.

 

“I’m going to take a short night walk. Iria, want to come too?”

 

Iria was bored right then too.

 

So, she nodded her head.