[A girl this young most likely travelled here all the way from the capital? Exhaustion is absolutely a part of this. Most likely, I doubt she had any time to rest either.]

An elder lady who resides in the village came to examine Yukino. As someone well-versed in medicine, she also seems to be familiar with medicinal herbs. Apparently, she’s well-known in the village as, “the detailed walking encyclopedia of health oba-san[1]”. However, as the oni tribe is superfluously resilient, it seems that she doesn’t get to use her knowledge very often. 

[Most likely, once she decided to stay in this village, she felt at ease. Most likely, due to her built-up tension being released all at once, a fever developed.]
[In conclusion, she’s not sick. Is that right?]
[She’s overworked, Shouma-sama. She’ll recover if you let her rest for a while. Although……]

The lady gazes at Yukino with a troubled expression.
[……She appears to be suffering from a nightmare, she’s been crying out…… poor child.]
With those words, the lady leaves.

Anyway, Yukino needs rest and nutritious food. With those, since she’s young, she’ll recover in 1 to 2 days.

[……Thank goodness.]
Haruka sits down exhausted on a chair next to the bed.

[After we’ve finally become friends……. I’d be at a loss at what to do if something were to happen.]
With a long sigh, Haruka peers at Yukino’s face.

Yukino is sleeping on the bed. A piece of damp cloth has been placed on her forehead. She woke up for a bit not long ago, so I gave her a bottle of mineral water that I had to drink (As I had immediately stored it after buying it from a convenience store in my original world, it’s still cold). Lizette and Haruka wiped away her sweat and after that, apparently, she fell back to sleep.

[…… Auh…… ah.]
She’s groaning again.

[………Yukino?]
[………It’s scary…… something scary is……. coming.]

As Yukino’s breathing grows rough, she grasps her pajama-clad chest.

[Yukino-chan has been like this for a while now.]
[She must be having a scary dream.]

Haruka and Lizette say such as they look my way.

[What other things has she said in her sleep?] (Shouma)
[She said…… 『The Great Demon King, Gurlein Balbaran, is coming.』]
[She said…… 『Take this…… the magic of this ice witch, Yukino Cloudy Dragonchild…… AAAH! I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MP!』]

Yukino seems to be fighting something inside of her dream.

[『My magic won’t reach the excessively giant core』…… is what she has been saying.]
[She said…… 『Please forgive me for being such a worthless servant. Help me……. Organic Dragon King……』…… She seems to be calling for her 『True King』-san.]

Somehow, it’s a condition my body is familiar with.

I, too, have had similar experiences…… When chuunibyou get sick, they may experience dreams where they are attacked by something like the Demon Lord. Their excessive imaginations── or, rather, their delusions, rampage due to their fevers.

As Yukino is an active chuunibyou, her exhaustion induced driven fever…… lead to this.

[………Come for…… me. Please…… save me…… my…… lord.]

Yukino, from the bed, reaches out with her hand. Lizette tightly grasps that hand, except Yukino yanks her hand free soon after.

Yukino’s hands are shaking a bit. She really looks like she’s afraid of something.

[………Where are…… you…… my lord?]
[……Get it together, Yukino-chan.]

Haruka tries to do the same as well. However, as expected, Yukino’s hand slips free.

………Guess it can’t be helped.

Yukino is sleeping. Right now, she’s not conscious. So…… no matter what I say now, she won’t remember it when she wakes up…… probably. If it’s like that, then it’s fine. Let’s help her a bit so as to make her nightmare disappear.

[…….. O, my vassal, 『Yukino Cloudy Dragonchild』.]
I take Yukino’s hand.

[You’ve done well to come to my side. I salute your bravery.]
Then, I quietly whisper into her ear. 

[…… My…… lord-sama……?]
The shaking in Yukino’s hands ceases. Gyuu, her tiny fingers squeezed my hand back.

[Correct. Worry not. The 『《Organic Dragon King》 is here. Have you not realized that I’ve always been by your side awakening great power over time? Before this me who obtained even more power in this otherworld, the Great Demon King Gurlein Balbaran is no threat…!]

[Shouma-nii-sama?] [Aniue-sama!?]
[Shhhh——-!!]

I place a finger before my mouth and look towards Lizette and Haruka.

Koku-koku-koku-koku!
Both of them nod and seal their mouths shut. Alright.

[………My 『True King』-sama.]
[Correct. With the power of the earth resides within me, the 『Organic Dragon King』, I with you…… shall confront the demons of this world.]
[……Are you really, him? From that time…….?]

Yukino murmurs while her eyes remain closed.
……So this isn’t enough to eradicate her nightmare?
In that case……

[Don’t you remember? The first time we met, the sakura were blooming.]

This information was present in Yukino’s story. With this, I should be able to deceive her on the small chance she realizes it’s me.

[I flung open my coat of darkness and rescued you. Then, true to my judgment, you fought your illness. Your body fell to that battle, but the demon couldn’t destroy your true essence. As a result, Yukino Cloudy Dragonchild is here, at this moment, in a new body you acquired for the sake of the true battle that lies ahead…….]
[………Yes.]

A faint smile forms across Yukino’s lips.

[Bu, but, it’s coming! The Great Demon King Gurlein Balbaran……. just like how I drew in my notebook. With its insane……… design──!]

The Great Demon King Gurlein Balbaran is a Demon King of her own creation?!

And Yukino’s hands are shaking again. Looks like she made it quite the formidable enemy in her setting.
……Though, chuunibyou settings tend to be like that.

[Fear not. We’ll just overwhelm it with the power of an even stronger demon.]
[…… True, King-sama!?]
[Before my demonic technique, 『ＭＡＧＩ』, a demon king is nothing but an infant. Anyhow, I shall have you witness it. Under the name of the 『Organic Dragon King』, manifest from the earth demonic dragon. Now, with a single demonic technique,《Absolute Sight (twin headed dragon of the absolute end through destruction and ruin)》……….』

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[1] Aunty

<Chapter 30.2
Chapter 31.2>