Erina rested idly by the wall, watching the scenery from afar. Even when she was on the brink of passing out (with possibly no means of waking after), she was glad she was able to see that her attack made a tremendous result and a shift in the tide for the team. Perhaps doing this would have erased her guilt from earlier, a stupid thought, she would think, but a thought nonetheless.
Just as everything before her started to fade, destiny would pull her right back to reality, for it wasn’t time to hit the bucket yet.
Juno came to her aid as quickly as possible with the most concerned look on her face. Time was running out, but she worked faster than that. It was the first time that day for her to turn off her switch completely and act on her emotions naturally.
“What… what are you…” Erina coughed.
“Saving your bacon, that’s what.” She didn’t pull out her book for instructions this time, as healing was her most powerful feat. It was plastered in her memories like her name and age were. “Try not to speak. It’s gonna hurt a little, but that’s fine.”
Normally, in the case of extreme injury, a student would be deemed immobile and terminated from the mission, for the time being, putting them on the side with the company of a reader or any writer who wasn’t actively engaged in the mission. It wouldn’t be after the mission that those injured would be taken to the hospital, a special hospital for authors no less (with proper healers), to be treated.
But Erina’s injury wasn’t going to wait for the hospital. That was why Juno was quick on acting out on her own and hurrying to her best friend’s side. She was the only one among the team that could be considered a healer.
Was she the one fit for the job, however? She knew damn well she wasn’t, but nothing was impossible.
“You don’t have to…”
If Juno went ahead with the healing process, she very well might lose the last of her energy, and Erina knew that.
“Shut it! We get out of this, and breakfast is on me for the week. No objections!” Sweat was dripping from Juno’s forehead already. This was as exhausting as the script she wrote to save Nathan earlier, if not more. “At least no hospital bills, huh” She tried to lighten the mood for both of them.
Gradually, Erina’s injuries began to close up and the markings from the writing on her arm disappeared. The healing script meant erasing any effect whether it was the cause of writing or something inflicted by another factor. It wasn’t exactly reversing the damage like it was never there, but it was doing enough repairs to keep her going for a good while.
“Ich rufe den Willen des Aimers an.” Juno began muttering in German. Her family was of German heritage so it was natural that she learned chants that were in that language — that writing was considered one of the most effective forms of writing after all. “Der Wille des Aimers beruht vor allem auf Wundern aus einem fernen Land. Ich suche nicht meinen eigenen Reichtum oder die Gesundheit, sondern dass die anderen stattdessen Erfolg haben. Wenn du alles wiederherstellen und korrigiert, was es gab, wirst du helfen und ich werde bleiben. Vergib die Sünden der Vergangenheit und besteige den Weg der Heilung. Du sollst nicht vergessen werden, denn dein Geschenk ist göttlich. Und so gehe ich mit deinem Segen voran und heile die Wunde meines geliebten Menschen. Deine sanfte Seele, bitte beachte meinen Ruf. Denn dieser Gesang bringt Aimers Heilungsgeschenk.”
[Aimers Restituo Chant]
Within a few minutes, Erina’s wounds were erased like they never were, but the damage was still not completely gone. What remained was the slight sensation of pain that should no longer be there, and in due time, it wouldn’t be.
Nevertheless, Erina regained most of her health, but was still not fit to head back into battle. Besides, even if she could, she wouldn’t. She had already done her part, and now it was her turn to take care of the very person who nursed her back to health.
Dizziness pierced right through Juno this time. All of the work she had done the entire day was starting to take a tremendous toll.
As soon as she finished reciting the chant, she rested her head on Erina’s lap. Erina still felt pain, but to Juno, she couldn’t deny her the comfort she needed.
“I guess we’re both out, then.” Erina chuckled quietly, “We’ll leave it to the boys. You think they can manage without us?”
“Hm… They got Zoe still. And if Nathan is still sound as he is, then we shouldn’t worry too much.” Juno said, “Besides, you’re one to talk.”
“Eh… I’m not the one who summoned the dead without putting much thought.”
“No, you’re not. But you are the idiot who almost wasted her life.”
“I’ll take that—” Erina coughed, “Hey. You think you can still run me up on that breakfast offer?”
Juno sighed, “Erina Nightingale… ever the tireless opportunist.”
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