The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

Reika frantically searched for a solution to deal with the dragon. If she didn’t act soon, everything she had worked for would be lost.

"Think, Reika... Think!" she muttered, her voice trembling as the pressure mounted.

Amid her swirling thoughts, a flicker of clarity emerged—an empty space in her memories.

If only I could move the dragon there...

Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed the dragon lifting its massive head, its piercing eyes locked on her. At this range, it could strike her in a heartbeat.

"Wha—!?"

Reika instinctively raised her hands in a desperate attempt to shield herself. The ground trembled beneath her feet, and the air seemed to roar with the dragon’s relentless charge. Its immense form loomed closer, the sheer force of its presence bearing down on her. Fear tightened its grip on her chest, and she clenched her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.

In the dead of night, the dragon disappeared without a trace, leaving no sign of its presence. On the ground lay Reika, unconscious and motionless. The once chaotic battlefield fell into an eerie silence as the victor of their clash remained a mystery.

...

“Mhhhm…”

Out of a sudden, Reika was startled by the sharp clank of metal striking a hard surface.

CLINK!

“What was that…?” she muttered, her heart pounding in her chest.

She snapped her eyes open immediately. Just then, she saw it clearly: towering before her was an enormous creature.

“That is…!”

It was Veylir, the Wildfire Dragon—the same beast she had fought before. The dragon thrashed violently, struggling against the heavy chains that bound one of its wings.

Without a second thought, Reika raised her hand with unwavering resolve. A shimmering chain materialized from thin air, surging forward like a serpent. In seconds, it coiled tightly around the dragon’s massive form, pinning its body and wings in place.

To her surprise, the previous chain snapped and dissolved into thin air. Yet, before the dragon could seize the moment, Reika’s new chain surged forth, replacing the broken one just in time. Though longer, this new chain was noticeably thinner.

The dragon’s fiery eyes locked onto the chains, and it thrashed violently, shaking its massive body in a desperate attempt to break free. Reika clenched her fists, her gaze fixed on the dragon’s relentless struggle. Drawing from the pulsing white energy at her chest, she poured everything into reinforcing the chain’s durability.

“Ghk! I can’t think of anything else... I have to keep binding it, no matter what!” she gasped as sweat beading on her forehead.

As Reika searched for an alternative to the chains, she noticed something strange—the dragon’s soul seemed different.

Its glow was dimmer than the last time she had fought it in the forest...

Reika looked around and realized that everything around here were different. Everything was shrouded in darkness, stretching as far as her eyes could see.

“Wait. Isn’t this the place the strange light brought me before...?”

The oppressive void felt lifeless, as if it had swallowed everything around her. Just then, a sudden sound of an explosion shattered the silence.

BOOOM!!

A powerful shockwave blasted through the space, knocking her violently to the ground without a warning.

“GUUHHH!”

Pain coursed through her as her body hit the hard ground, the impact leaving her breathless and disoriented. She struggled to push herself up as confusion were clouding her thoughts.

"W-What was that...?" she gasped, trying to make sense of the sudden attack.

Reika saw the cracks forming across her body, her skin resembling like a fragile porcelain.

She quickly turned her attention to the dragon, scanning for any sign of change. To her shock, the chains binding the dragon also began to fracture as the cracks were spreading across their surface.

If this continues, the chains will break apart…!

The dragon suddenly released another attack. A pulse of energy surged from its body, heading straight for her.

BOOOM!

Reika immediately raised both arms, focusing on strengthening the chains that held the dragon in place.

"GHHHKKK!"

The pulse hit her with overwhelming force, knocking her further away from the dragon. When the shockwave subsided, she looked down in horror.

“My arm…!”

One of her arms was gone, shattered into fragments. She checked her body, and the damage was far worse than she had feared.

More cracks spread across Reika's body, and pieces of her form chipped away, leaving her like a broken doll with missing parts.

"GAAAAAHHH!"

An intense, searing pain shot through her, feeling like a thousand blades stabbing her again and again.

Reika trembled, unable to stop the groans of agony that escaped her. The weight of the blow left her struggling to stay conscious. Despite the pain, she forced herself to stand, her legs wobbling beneath her.

"Ugh... This... I need to settle the score with that bastard reptile..."

She stood, though every muscle screamed in protest. Her gaze shifted to the dragon, and she noticed something that gave her a sliver of hope—the dragon appeared weaker than when she had faced it before.

What should I do...

As she searched for a way forward, a realization suddenly struck her.

"Damn it! Why have I never thought of that thing before?!"

Reika took a step closer to the dragon, watching as it struggled weakly against the chains. The dragon lacked the strength to move when the two pulses of energy it had unleashed earlier drained its power, leaving its soul noticeably weaker.

"H-Heh... Y-You can't do anything now, huh?" Reika taunted the dragon while smirking.

The dragon, still agitated, let out another roar. This time, it was weaker, barely more than a strained sound. The roar reverberated through Reika, causing her soul to tremble. Smaller fragments chipped away from her body in response to the force of the sound.

"There's nothing you can do now!" Reika shouted. "At this rate, any more unnecessary attacks will just make your soul weaker..."

The dragon continued to tug at the chains in a desperate bid for freedom, its futile efforts only deepening the cracks in its soul. Reika sighed as she watched the dragon's desperation unfold before her.

Oh well... It’s not surprising that it doesn’t understand me, seeing as I’m speaking a language foreign to this land…

Then, a thought slipped into her mind.

Wait... Do dragons understand the native language of the humans here?

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a crackling sound. Turning her attention back to the dragon, she saw the chains had caused a visible dent in its soul, small fragments breaking off with each movement.

Seeing the dragon's condition worsen, Reika's expression grew serious. She stepped closer to the dragon's head, her resolve hardening with every step.

"I know you won't understand me, but please trust me this time. I might have a way to save your soul from shattering..."

She extended her left hand, the only part of her body that hadn’t shattered from the attack, and placed it gently on the dragon's nose.

"S-Speak your terms..."

Reika froze, stunned by the sudden voice. She realized it came from the dragon.

"Ehh? Y-You understood me?"

The dragon gave a slow, deliberate nod of its head.

"B-But how? I was speaking in Japanese—"

"What I'm capable of doing... is none of your concern."

"..."

The silence stretched between them for a moment, both caught in the gravity of the situation. It was the dragon who finally broke the quiet, its voice low but clear.

"Now... Tell me the conditions of your offer. I might consider it..."

Reika cleared her throat, preparing to speak with more clarity.

"Ahem! As I was saying, I’ve come up with a plan to save you—"

"Enough with your repetitions. Keep your words short and to the point."

Hearing the dragon's dismissive tone, Reika's irritation flared up.

"Hey! What's with that sassiness of yours?!"

The dragon turned its head away, scoffing.

"Hmph."

Reika was surprised to its response and her frustration deepened further.

This little... It’s acting like a tsundere?!

In a moment of exasperation, Reika tightened the chains just a little, hoping to teach the dragon a lesson. The dragon immediately reacted, feeling the increased pressure.

"Ow! Ow! Y-You insolent creature... S-Stop this at once!"

"Now, will you listen to my terms without interrupting?"

"F-Fine! I agree! J-Just loosen these chains... Ow!"

The dragon felt the chains loosen slightly, and the pain began to subside. A sense of relief washed over it, and it let out a heavy sigh.

"Now, although this plan might not work out, I want you to submit yourself to me..." Reika continued, her voice steady. "And with the ability I possess, I will make you a subject of mine."

The words barely left her mouth before the dragon erupted in a furious roar.

"S-Such insolence! Why would a proud dragon of the dragon race submit to a lesser being like humans?!"

Reika covered her face instinctively to shield herself from the force of the dragon's roar. After a tense moment, the dragon finally calmed, its fiery rage subsiding.

"Can't you see? Your soul has grown weaker over time! If this continues, you’ll shatter at that rate!" Reika said to the weakened dragon.

Hearing the risk, the dragon fell silent and lowered its head.

"You're right," it murmured. "Once a soul separates from its vessel, it becomes weaker. Without a vessel to shelter it, the result would be total annihilation..."

Reika listened quietly, taking in the dragon's words. She sighed, feeling a sense of inevitability.

"Now, you don’t have much of a choice, do you?"

The dragon slowly raised its head, its gaze meeting hers.

"I do have one."

"Oh?"

"...That is, to seize your body and become my temporary vessel. But I never imagined you had such methods to deal with spiritual entities..."

Upon hearing the dragon's words, Reika burst into laughter.

"HAHAHA! As if I'd allow you to do that!"

She closed her eyes and smirked, enjoying the moment.

"Too bad you can't do it now..."

The dragon quickly reacted to her laugh, its tone defensive.

"I-I-It was simply a lapse in my judgment! Being dragged into your subconscious space already puts me at a disadvantage..."

Reika paused, her curiosity piqued.

"Subconscious space...?"

The dragon noticed her confused expression.

"You don’t know what subconscious space is?"

Reika shrugged, signaling her lack of knowledge.

"Sigh... humans," the dragon muttered. "A subconscious space is a boundary between your vessel—your physical body—and your soul. Within this plane, your soul resides here when you’re unconscious."

Reika was immediately intrigued by the dragon's explanation and pressed for more information.

"Then, are you saying that this space is real?"

The dragon considered her question before answering.

"It depends on your perception. In a sense, this space is just a concept conceived in your mind. It’s not a physical place you can visit, but rather a concept that cages your soul. This space is conceptually endless, and escaping it is impossible. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you destroy the owner's soul and gain control of its vessel..."

Reika’s eyes widened as she processed the implication.

"So it's like a possession, right?"

The dragon nodded in agreement.

"Yes. But sometimes, absorbing the owner’s soul will suffice. However, it’s a risky move. It could plunge the owner into a deep sleep, and there’s always the chance they’ll regain consciousness and take back control of their soul and vessel."

Reika was stunned to speak upon hearing the new information from the dragon.

"I can't... I didn't even know your subconscious mind could do that..."

Then, a thought struck her.

"Wait... From what I've learned, dreams happen on a subconscious level, right?"

The dragon hesitated for a moment before responding.

"I... I don't understand what you mean by 'level,' but if you're referring to the fact that conceiving imagination within the subconscious space is possible, then yes, you can."

Reika's eyes lit up with excitement at the dragon's answer.

"If that's the case, then I can do... this!"

In an instant, clothes materialized around her— a white T-shirt and long jeans. Her form shifted, the glowing figure vanishing and revealing her normal appearance, her skin bright and human once more.

"What about... this?"

On a sudden impulse, the subconscious space around them began to glow with an intense light. The dragon instinctively shut its eyes to shield itself from the blinding transformation within Reika’s mind.

When the dragon opened its eyes, it was stunned by the new surroundings.

"This...?"

The dragon found itself in a completely unfamiliar place. All around it were houses stretching far and wide, each one designed in a way it had never seen before. The road beneath it was smooth, without the typical unevenness it had known—there were no cracks or separations like bricks. The houses were separated by sleek, smooth walls, unlike anything the dragon had encountered before.

"I... I've never seen anything like this..."

Reika stepped in front of the dragon, her expression calm but resolute.

"I know it might sound absurd to you, but this is the country where I was born... This is Japan."

The dragon looked around, still bewildered. It had never heard of such a place, let alone a country named Japan.

"Japan..? I roamed the continent for many years, yet this is the first time I've heard of that country..."

Reika giggled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hehe~ It doesn’t exist on the continent—no, not even on the planet you currently live on. It’s a country located on a planet we call Earth. Earth is much farther away, up there, somewhere in the night sky..."

The dragon fell silent, stunned by the revelation of Japan and the existence of another planet beyond its own.

"A planet called... Earth? How strange..."

Suddenly, several people appeared in the streets, catching the dragon off guard. But what truly caught its attention were the strange clothes they wore.

"Those clothes and garments—are these the ones the people on your planet wear? They seem so light and colorful compared to the ones I’ve seen before..."

While the dragon was still lost in thought, Reika didn’t notice a child approaching on a bicycle. She only realized it when the child was barely a foot away from the dragon.

"Wait...!"

But it was too late. The child made contact with the dragon's body. Reika braced herself for something unusual to happen, yet what occurred next took her by surprise.

"Huh? It permeated through...?"

The dragon's voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Hmph. Since you seem to have no understanding of the nature of subconscious space, I will offer you a bit of knowledge..."

The dragon’s tone shifted, as though imparting a lesson.

"As you can see, everything here is merely an illusion conceived by your mind. You cannot truly interact with it because everything—every object, every living being—is a projection born from your imagination."

The dragon paused, letting the words sink in.

"Since this is only a projection in your mind, anything is possible, including interaction with the humans and objects inside your subconscious space. But remember, that rule applies only to you. I am not bound by it."

Reika touched the wall beside her and felt its rough texture, the sensation so real that it almost startled her. Everything around her seemed tangible, solid.

"However, you can bypass it by simply visualizing that everything is just a mere projection. In that way, passing through walls becomes possible."

Reika, eager to test the dragon's words, placed her hand on the wall again.

Think of it as just a projection...

To her amazement, her hand passed right through the wall.

"This..."

She marveled at the result, lost in her thoughts as she continued the experiment. But her focus was broken when she heard the dragon groan in pain.

"Urk...!"

Reika immediately rushed toward the dragon, her concern growing.

"Are you alright?"

She noticed that the dragon’s soul had grown even weaker than before, its glow dimming.

"Ugh... I r-remembered your offer earlier... It seems like I have no choice b-but to agree..."

The dragon winced as it spoke, its voice strained.

"Although I h-have a temporary measure to alleviate the effects of shattering, it won't serve as a long-term solution..."

Reika looked into the dragon's eyes, a sudden moment of hesitation clouding her thoughts. She found herself caught in a brief dilemma.

Although I’m helping my enemy, gaining something from this is far better than nothing... I'll have to risk it!

With that thought, her resolve solidified. She knew what she had to do.

"Are you sure you want to do this...?"

Without warning, the entire area around them collapsed into darkness. Reika’s clothes vanished along with the fading surroundings, and her body reverted to its original form, glowing softly in the void.

"Do you think I have any other choice? J-Just hurry up..."

"O-Okay. Just stay still..."

Reika closed her eyes, her mind sharp with focus. She extended her left arm, opening her palm wide and concentrated, preparing herself for the task that she'll perform.

<Subjective Control!>