Seijo ni Narunode Nidoume no Jinsei wa Katte ni Sasetemoraimasu ~Outaihi wa, Zensei de Watashi wo Fu

     “What’s going on? What was that scream?!”

     “The door is locked from inside! Open the door!”

     The priests gathered in the hallway in front of the hall, desperate to open the door. The candidates also heard the cry and came together.

     “That scream, is it not Natalie?”

     “I looked into her room and no one’s there. What is she doing in the hall at a time like this.”

     Even though the doors are closed, in the silent night, Natalie’s desperate cries echoed throughout the second temple.

     Behind the candidates, Liz struggled to control her nervous heart. She’s so nervous that she couldn’t calm down. She felt that something wrong had happened to Natalie, and it’s not so good.

     On the way there, she knocked at Grace’s door as if she felt pulled by something there, but there was no answer. She isn’t even among the gathered candidates. There’s no Grace present.

     Grace is with Natalie inside the hall, but a more sinister thought came to mind. Liz clenched her hands tightly in front of her body. 

     The door opened and they all rushed in the hall at once. The torches that the priests were holding lit up the pitch-dark hall.

     Natalie was crouching by the sacred plants that were lined up.

     “Natalie!” 

     Natalie slowly turned her face at Liz’s call. Her face was drenched with tears. She turned away, frightened. Above all, her neck up until her right cheek are burnt red. There were so many big blisters, they look very painful.

     “Nata—” Liz gasped when she ran up to her.

     Liz’s big white fruit laid across Natalie flickered. It began to move violently, as if something was about to come out from inside.

     “Liz Stefan’s sacred fruit is moving!”

     “Is something coming out..?!”

     When the priests all gathered together, that “thing” in the fruit opened its eyes and looked at them.

     Natalie started screaming while covering her face. Its beastly sharp eyes stared at the fire of the torches that the priests were holding. For a moment, there was a strong light in its eyes, the torches of the priests ignited.

     “Oh my god! What is this!? What’s happening?!”

     In the midst of all the fuss, Liz hurried to Natalie in turmoil, “Natalie, are you alright?!”

     “Liz!” Natalie clung to her in tears.

     “What the hell happened? How did you get burned? 　

     “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I took off your fruit….Then the eyes, our eyes meet, and fire, fire……!”

     She tried to take Natalie to the infirmary, soothing her from her panic.

     “Watch out!” Priest Lloyd shouted and pushed Liz back, Natalie falling back on the floor, hard.

     “Sir Lloyd, suddenly.. what!?” Her accusation was drowned out by white flames that spurted in front of Liz. The white flames struck against the wall, which created a hole causing it to go through the other side.

     “—Thank you.” Liz managed to say, if Lloyd hadn’t pushed her out of the way, both Liz and Natalie would’ve hit the wall or more likely end up like the wall.

     “Look at that.” 

     The white sacred fruit of Liz that lay on the floor had a crack at the top, white flames gushing out. To be precise, the thing inside the fruit is the one spewing out flames through the crack.

     “What in the world…What are you smiling at, Lloyd?” Liz was appalled, amid the fuss and screams, a merry smile was on Lloyd’s face while looking at the fruit.

     “You see the flames, right? It’s amazing! It’s out of the ordinary. I’ve never heard of such a thing to happen with the fruit among the candidates. I wonder if something amazing will come out.” 

     “What a thing to say…”

     Again, a piercing sound resonated and a white flame almost went through her eyes. Her hair was not scorched but hot air can be felt.

     The priests conjured up a spell to suppress it, but the power of the white flame is so intense that they cannot suppress nor weaken it.

     “Wow. Even the priests’ magic can’t go through it.” Lloyd said, eyes shining.

     “Hey, look!” A priest cried out.

     Everyone held their breath, watching. The fruit had been violently moving from side to side, its crack grew bigger and bigger. Then suddenly, a snapping sound was heard, and the skin of the fruit scattered everywhere on the floor.

     “It has come out!”

     Liz looked at Lloyd next to her, his expression showed how clearly excited and thrilled he is.

     The first thing that came out of the fruit was a white paw with sharp claws. Then its fierce-looking head, and a strong, agile body. Its pair of supple wings opened.

     It’s a white majestic dragon, its body was shining all over. A holy dragon. Its red eyes looked down, it’s twice the size of Liz.

     The priests gasped, and murmured to each other in amazement.

     “A holy dragon coming out…no way..”

     “I’ve never heard of this ever happening in a selection…”

     Everyone felt like they’ve forgotten how to breathe, they all stared at the holy dragon looking all dignified. Liz stood, her eyes were wide open. To her surprise, the holy dragon slowly walked on its four feet. Its eyes seem to suck you in.

     It has the same deep red eyes like Liz. The white flames it emitted out earlier was horrific, but now she doesn’t feel scared or fear, just wonder.

     The holy dragon lowered its head gently. Its white head was in front of Liz.

     It was silent, no one spoke even a word. Liz reached out her hand and placed it on its head. In human part, it’s the forehead. Its short hair is dense and surprisingly soft.

     Everyone in the scene stared in bewilderment at the albino girl stroking the head of the white holy dragon.

     Then, from the corner, one of the priest’s voice can be heard interrogating Natalie, “What were you doing in the hall at this time of the night? The priest who was guarding the sacred plants was found unconscious in the inner garden of the temple. He was knocked at the back of his head, both of his limbs were tied up. Did you do it?”

     Natalie desperately shook her head, denying the question, “No, no! I was told by Grace that the chief priest wanted me to take away Liz’s sacred fruit.”

     “What has happened? What’s with all the fuss?” From the door, Grace came in with surprise present in her eyes.

     “Huh.. Grace?” 

     Grace, who’s supposedly with her all this time in the hall, did not appear until she heard her screams, rushing into the hall for the first time.

     Perhaps, when the priests and candidates entered the hall, she hid behind the curtains, taking advantage of the darkness, and slipped out of the hall, going back in putting on an innocent facade. 

     “Well, Natalie, What’s with the face?” The moment Grace looked at her, surprised. Natalie became pale.

     She understood what Grace was trying to do, she was acting like a fool. The only thing Natalie thought now was that Grace was acting like she had nothing to do with it, and that it was all her doing. From her attitude and behavior, she realized that she’s not even concerned for her at all.

     Natalie shook her head vigorously, as if she could not believe it. As if it was a dream that she wanted to wake up from as soon as possible.

     She cried, “Grace told me that the chief priest asked me to take away Liz’s fruit because it was dangerous! So she went with me to this hall tonight.

     “What are you talking about, Natalie? Stop telling lies. I haven’t said such a thing nor have I ever heard the chief priest say so. This is all you doing, right? You wanted to take away her fruit since it interfered with your possibility of becoming a saint. Natalie hated Liz, and everybody knows that you have been speaking ill about her.”

     “Ah..yes, when Grace told me that, she had priest Toma present! Ask him!”

     “Here I am”

     When he came out from the crowd, Natalie smiled, she’s now safe.

     “You heard it, right? Grace told me—”

     “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember ever hearing that.” He shook his head in disbelief.

     “Natalie, I knew you hated Liz Stefan, but I never thought that you’d go so far to do this to Liz.”

     “…Sir Toma?” Natalie blankly muttered, forgetting the pain from her burns.

     Behind, Grace looked puzzled, she placed her hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.

     Natalie stood holding a desperate expression, Liz took a step forward without thought. 

     From the corner by the wall were Grace’s sacred flowers. The scarlet petals fluttered down to the floor as if responding to Grace’s demeanor.