After Stella's confession, Charles finally came to terms with his own feelings.
But because of that, carrying her on his back now brought with it not only worry—but a confusing sense of emotional turmoil.
He knew it was just a cold, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking: What if her fever gets worse? Is she suffering more than she's letting on?
As if the heavens themselves were mocking him, a raindrop fell square on the top of his head.
Charles watched as dark splotches formed on the ground, quickly spreading and connecting until the entire area was soaked.
In just a few seconds, the sky opened up into a torrential downpour.
The last thing a feverish Stella needed was to get drenched—if that happened, her condition would surely worsen.
With a wave of his hand, Charles conjured a blaze of fire above them, evaporating every raindrop before it could reach her.
"So warm…"
Stella opened her hazy eyes and smiled as she looked at the flames above her, hugging Charles even tighter.
But Charles knew the burden he was shouldering. Though his magic control was exceptional, flame wasn't naturally suited for forming a sustained, fixed shape—and more importantly, fire wasn't even his primary element.
So even just holding up a shield against the rain was taxing. They needed shelter, and fast.
Charles remembered seeing a wooden hut on their way up. There was no other option—he'd have to head there.
Sure enough, Charles soon found the hut again.
It looked like it had been built for emergencies like this: not only did it have a hearth and firewood, but there were also towels and blankets inside.
Charles got a fire going, and the cabin gradually warmed.
Stella sat on the small bed, holding a towel, face flushed. She looked up at him and said, "Charles, I'm covered in sweat. It's really uncomfortable…"
Charles understood what she meant immediately. She hadn't been caught in the rain, but she'd sweat so much that her clothes were soaked through.
If she didn't get dry, her body temperature would keep dropping. Still… this was a test of willpower for any man.
Taking the towel from her, Charles swallowed hard.
Blushing, Stella reached for the buttons on her shirt. The delicate, porcelain-white skin beneath her collar was already visible.
Charles's hand trembled.
But when he saw her eyes tightly shut—entrusting herself entirely to him—Charles suddenly regained his composure.
He wasn't someone who'd be overwhelmed by lust. As much as he longed to grow closer to her, this was clearly not the right time.
Instead, he gently wiped her forehead and neck, then wrapped her snugly in the blanket.
"You'll have to hang in there for a bit longer. As soon as the rain lets up, we'll head down the mountain."
Stella curled into the blanket like an ostrich, mortified. She had no idea what had come over her—why had she hinted at something so suggestive?
Now that her mind had cleared, she was dying of embarrassment. It must've been the fever, she told herself. Yeah, that's it—it was the fever making me act crazy.
Charles took out his student handbook and was relieved to find they still had decent reception. He immediately contacted Takedomi Kanata at the base of the mountain.
…
Elsewhere on the mountain, Tōka Tōka and Mikagami Utena were exploring together.
Oddly enough, not a single raindrop fell on them.
That was thanks to Utena's unique ability. Known as
Her Blazer technique, Absolute Uncertainty, allowed her to force any probabilistic event to occur—no matter how slim the odds—so long as it wasn't impossible.
Keeping rain away from them? Child's play.
Though it sounded overpowered, her ability had an unfixable flaw: anything truly impossible remained impossible.
It was like pulling a rare gacha character—if it existed in the pool, she could get it in one try. But if it was a limited-time event exclusive? Too bad.
This was also why Utena hadn't competed in the academy selection tournament. In real combat, raw strength still reigned supreme. If you couldn't beat someone, you just couldn't beat them.
The two had discovered an unusual site and were inspecting it.
The ground had been torn up, with even deep layers of earth turned over. Trees lay shattered everywhere, as though a massive creature had rampaged through.
One tree had been uprooted entirely.
If anything could've done this, it would have to be a giant.
The most damning evidence was a partially clear footprint.
Judging by the size, if the creature was proportioned like a human, it would stand at least five meters tall.
"Could giants really exist?" Utena muttered.
Tōka frowned deeply. She hadn't taken the rumors seriously at first, but now… she wasn't so sure.
Just then, her student handbook buzzed.
"It's Kanata. What's going on? What—Stella collapsed?
You've already dispatched a rescue team? Good. Please tell them to be careful.
Also, we found some traces up here that may be connected to the giants.
Still… I'm worried about Stella. I'd like to go check on her.
Mm. Got it. I'll leave it to you."
Utena had overheard the call. "Tōka, you're still the same as ever. You can never just ignore someone who's sick."
Tōka blinked, as if recalling a long-buried memory.
Utena nudged her. "Alright, enough nostalgia. Keep acting like an old lady and people'll start calling you grandma.
Didn't you say you were worried about Stella? Let's go, already!"
…
Back in the cabin, Charles replaced the damp towel on Stella's forehead.
He only then realized she'd fallen asleep. He pulled the blanket up to her chin and crouched down to watch her face.
Before he knew it, he was mesmerized.
Unbelievable, he thought. Such a beautiful girl… and now she's my girlfriend.
For a moment, a quiet warmth filled some long-empty corner of Charles's heart.
Reborn as a new person, he had found family in people like Igneel and Natsu. Asta, Yuno, the church folks, even the Black Bulls—he cared for all of them.
Even here, he'd formed a bond with someone he recognized: Ikki Kurogane.
But Stella was different. She was… special.
He even found himself imagining a life with her in the future.
Charles didn't know how long he'd been staring when Stella's eyelids fluttered.
Startled, he quickly stepped back. He couldn't let her think he was some kind of creep.
But what he didn't know was that Stella had actually woken up a while ago.
She'd been feigning sleep ever since—because his gaze was so warm, so intense, she hadn't known what else to do.
She hadn't expected him to keep watching her like that… and when he didn't stop, her heart swelled with both shyness and joy.
She could feel his feelings for her—and that brought her more happiness than she'd ever known.
She knew she should open her eyes soon… otherwise she might break into a smile too wide to hide.
With her strong body and high resistance, Stella recovered quickly. After thirty minutes of rest, she no longer felt weak or feverish.
Charles handed her a cup of cool water. "You lost a lot of fluids from all that sweating. Drink up. I contacted Kanata-senpai—rescue should arrive soon."
Stella took the cup and sipped it slowly.
Then she noticed the water rippling in concentric circles.
A steady, rhythmic vibration followed.
She looked up and saw that Charles's face had turned grim.
"What's wrong? An earthquake?" she asked.
Charles shook his head.
Something was approaching.
But for all its noise, he couldn't sense any aura. That was unnatural.
Then he detected a faint but steady magical presence—getting closer by the second.
"Shit!"
He threw himself over Stella, shielding her with his body.
The hut's roof exploded.
The walls splintered under massive pressure.
The attack… had come without warning.
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