Mirasaurus stood at the edge of the enchanted forest, her claws digging into the soil as sunlight bathed her scaly hide. The world beyond the trees was achingly familiar—rolling hills dotted with wildflowers, a distant village with smoke curling from chimneys, and the faint scent of salt from the sea. But the tranquility felt hollow now. Raishid Senpai was out there, trapped under Ashna San's spell, and nothing else mattered.
"I'm coming, Raishid Senpai," she growled, her voice a low rumble that sent birds scattering from nearby branches.
Her first steps into the human world were met with chaos.
The village at the forest's edge was small, its cobblestone streets lined with thatched cottages and bustling market stalls. Children laughed as they chased chickens, and farmers traded stories over barrels of ale—until Mirasaurus appeared.
A farmer dropping a sack of grain was the first to see her. His scream cut through the air like a knife. "MONSTER!"
Within seconds, the village erupted into panic. Parents scooped up their children and fled indoors. A blacksmith dropped his hammer and bolted, leaving his forge ablaze. Windows slammed shut, and doors were barricaded with trembling hands.
"Wait—I'm not here to hurt you!" Mirasaurus roared, but her words dissolved into a guttural snarl. A rock struck her shoulder, then another, thrown by a trembling old woman peering from a hayloft.
"Begone, beast!" the woman shrieked.
Mirasaurus lowered her head, her throat tightening. They don't understand. They'll never understand. She turned away, her tail sweeping a cart of apples into the dirt as she lumbered onward.
Ashna San's Lair
Ashna San's mansion loomed ahead, perched on a cliffside overlooking the sea. Its spires pierced the clouds, and its stained-glass windows glowed with an unnatural crimson light. The garden below was a twisted parody of beauty—thorny roses bloomed black, and statues of ravens seemed to follow Mirasaurus with their stone eyes.
And there he was.
Raishid Senpai stood in the garden, his back to her, tending to a bush of nightshade. His hands moved with mechanical precision, as though guided by invisible strings. Ashna San lounged nearby on a marble bench, her violet eyes gleaming as she sipped from a goblet.
Mirasaurus's heart pounded. He's right there. I can save him.
"RAISHID SENPAI!" she bellowed, charging forward. The ground trembled with each step, and the nightshade bush withered under her shadow.
Raishid Senpai turned slowly, his face a mask of calm—until he saw her. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back, clutching a gardening trowel like a weapon. "What—what is that?!"
Ashna San rose gracefully, her smile sharp as a dagger. "A pest," she said, stepping between Raishid Senpai and Mirasaurus. "One I thought I'd already disposed of."
Mirasaurus skidded to a halt, her claws carving furrows into the earth. "Raishid Senpai, it's me!" she pleaded, her voice strained but earnest. "It's Mira! Ashna San cursed me—she turned me into this!"
Raishid Senpai's brow furrowed. For a fleeting moment, recognition flickered in his eyes—a spark of the man who once loved her. But Ashna San placed a hand on his arm, and the spark died.
"Don't listen to the beast, my love," she purred. "It's lying to trick you."
"Trick me?" Raishid Senpai repeated, his voice hollow. He tightened his grip on the trowel. "You… you're just a monster."
The words struck Mirasaurus like a physical blow. She staggered back, her massive head drooping. "No… Raishid Senpai, please—"
Ashna San raised her hand, and dark energy crackled at her fingertips. "Enough."
The first bolt of magic hit Mirasaurus in the chest, searing her scales and sending her crashing into a stone fountain. Water erupted into steam as she writhed in pain.
"Pathetic creature," Ashna San sneered, advancing with her palms blazing. "You think love can save you? Love is weakness."
Mirasaurus roared, swiping at the witch with her claws, but Ashna San danced aside effortlessly. Another bolt struck her flank, then her shoulder, each burning deeper than the last. Raishid Senpai stood frozen, his face pale, as Mirasaurus collapsed to her knees.
"Raishid Senpai… help me…" she rasped, her vision blurring.
But he didn't move.
"Leave this place," he whispered, "and never return."
Mirasaurus fled.
She didn't stop until the mansion was a speck on the horizon and the forest's edge swallowed her once more. Collapsing into a hidden grove, she licked her wounds—a futile effort, as her tongue only smeared ash and blood across her scales.
He didn't recognize me. He called me a monster.
Tears streamed down her snout, hissing as they met her burns. The pain was unbearable, but the betrayal cut deeper.
Yet, as moonlight filtered through the trees, a new resolve hardened in her heart.
Ashna San's magic has limits. When she fights, her control over him slips.
Mirasaurus recalled the fleeting moment Raishid Senpai had almost recognized her—the way his voice had wavered when she'd cried his name.
If I can distract her… if I can make her focus on me…
She rose unsteadily, her golden eyes blazing.
"I'll tear her magic apart," she growled. "Even if it kills me."
Mirasaurus spent days preparing. She sharpened her claws on boulders, tested her strength against trees, and hunted deer to regain her stamina. Each night, she practiced roaring until the sound shook the hills—a challenge to Ashna San, a promise of vengeance.
On the eve of her return, she stood atop a cliff, staring at the distant mansion.
"Tomorrow," she vowed, "I'll free you, Raishid Senpai. Or I'll die trying."