Rayish
patreon
Chapter 107
🕑 Added 2025-02-24 07:52:43 +0000 UTCSyr immediately knelt beside Shirou, her eyes filled with panic as her small, delicate hands quickly began to examine his body.
So many bruises... there's swelling on his shoulder too... oh no, his face is also injured...
"Shirou! Are you okay?" Syr asked with a voice full of concern, her hands unhesitatingly touching his bruised face.
Shirou blinked, looking at Syr's face so close to his. He gave a weak smile, trying to reassure her. "I'm fine, Syr. It's just... a bit hard to move."
Syr frowned, not believing him. "Don't lie to me!" she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Look at you! You're covered in bruises! What really happened here?!"
Shirou tried to get up, but his body protested. A sharp pain shot through his entire body, especially in the areas where Ryuu's strongest blows had landed. Syr immediately held his shoulder, not letting him move any further.
Meanwhile, Ryuu stood frozen in place, her fists clenched tightly.
Why...? Why did he deliberately take my attacks?
Slowly, the reality began to sink into her mind.
Ryuu finally realized... that none of her attacks should have hit Shirou. Shirou should have been able to dodge. Shirou should have been able to hold out longer. But he chose to take all of them.
He deliberately lowered his defenses... But why?
Ryuu bit her lip. Her mind began to process all the information.
Shirou... is hiding his true strength.
Only Ryuu and the members of the Loki Familia knew that Shirou should be much stronger than this. But in front of Syr, Shirou acted as if he were just a beginner fighter.
And Ryuu, in her anger, had destroyed everything.
She lowered her head, guilt beginning to creep into her heart.
I should have stopped after the first attack hit him. I should have realized. I shouldn't have let my emotions take control of me...
Ryuu clenched her fists even tighter, her nails almost digging into her own skin.
I've betrayed his trust.
In front of her, Syr was still busy tending to Shirou, her face full of worry.
And Ryuu could only stand there... feeling worse than ever.
Syr quickly held Shirou's shoulder as he tried to get up again. "Don't push yourself!" she scolded with a worried tone.
Shirou opened his mouth, perhaps to argue, but before he could say anything, Syr gently pushed him back down. Carefully, she lifted Shirou's head and placed it on her lap.
Shirou immediately felt his entire body tense up. The soft, warm sensation of Syr's lap, covered by the green uniform of the Hostess of Fertility, made his face heat up slightly.
This... is kind of embarrassing.
While Shirou tried to calm his mind, Syr turned her gaze to Ryuu, who was still standing silently with her head down.
"Ryuu!" her voice was sharp, full of reproach. "Why were you so rough during training?! You should know that Shirou is still level 1! Couldn't you hold back a little?"
Ryuu flinched and raised her head slightly, but she didn't dare look Syr in the eye.
She doesn't suspect... Ryuu felt a little relieved, but her guilt still haunted her.
However, when she opened her mouth to answer, no words came out. How could she explain that Shirou was actually level 4? How could she lie to Syr without hesitation?
Ryuu gripped the hem of her shirt tightly. She didn't want to lie, but the truth wasn't something she could reveal so easily.
As Ryuu was still wrestling with her thoughts, Shirou's calm voice broke the silence.
"Maybe... Ryuu just wanted me to experience how harsh the dungeon can be," he said weakly, but with confidence. "It's better for me to get hurt here, during training, than later in the dungeon during a real fight. Thank you, Ryuu."
Ryuu's eyes widened slightly.
Shirou...
She lowered her head again, this time not out of shame, but because her heart felt so heavy. She was the one who had beaten Shirou to a pulp... but Shirou was thanking her.
She bit her lip, feeling something suffocating in her chest.
But before the atmosphere could deepen further, Syr pursed her lips and---pinch!
"Ouch!" Shirou complained softly as Syr's small fingers pinched the uninjured part of his cheek.
"You're already beaten up like this, and you're still trying to act cool!" Syr grumbled with puffed cheeks. "You should be protesting or getting angry, not thanking her!"
Shirou could only smile awkwardly, while Ryuu watched them in silence.
Acting cool, huh? Ryuu smiled slightly at Syr's words. If only she knew how cool Shirou really is...
Her thoughts drifted back to when they were still fighting a few minutes ago. Shirou, with such confidence, closed his eyes and was still able to keep up with every one of her attacks. That wasn't just instinct or luck---it was proof of extraordinary skill.
Ryuu could still feel how every one of her slashes was either dodged or parried by Shirou with precision as if he could sense the direction of the attack without even seeing it. Then there was his skill in magecraft...
Ryuu remembered how Shirou could use various spells quickly and efficiently, without the long incantations most mages needed. There was also his physical strength, which allowed him to fight on par with physical fighters, and his ability to mimic others' sword techniques---Shirou was truly a unique existence.
And that wasn't even including his archery skills. Ryuu had seen Shirou use a bow, and she knew that not just anyone could achieve that level of accuracy. Shirou wasn't just a talented fighter; he had the discipline and skills of a veteran who had been fighting for decades.
When you think about it... he really is cool, Ryuu admitted to herself, though she would never say it directly to Shirou.
However, her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice calling her.
"Ryuu..."
Ryuu snapped out of her thoughts. She raised her head and saw Syr looking at her with a worried expression.
"Ah, yes...?" Ryuu stammered, quickly stepping closer.
Syr didn't say anything for a moment, just looking at her with scrutinizing eyes. Ryuu felt a little uneasy, wondering if Syr was starting to suspect something.
But Syr's attention turned back to Shirou, whose head was still resting on her lap. His usually energetic face now looked a little tired, with bruises here and there as evidence of how hard Ryuu's sword strikes had been.
Syr looked back at Ryuu with a slightly reproachful gaze, while Shirou remained silent with a resigned expression.
Ryuu took a deep breath, then stepped closer. No matter what, she had to face the consequences of her actions.
Syr sighed deeply before finally saying, "Even though Shirou thanked you and didn't blame you, Ryuu, you still have to take responsibility for this."
Shirou, who was still leaning on Syr's lap, opened his mouth, intending to defend Ryuu. But before he could say a word, Syr quickly placed her index finger on his lips, silencing him without further ado.
"Shh." Syr looked at him sharply but with a soft smile on her face. "I know you're too kind, Shirou. But this time, let Ryuu make up for her mistake, okay?"
Shirou fell silent, forced to accept Syr's decision even though in his heart he felt that Ryuu wasn't entirely to blame. After all, he was the one who had deliberately lowered his defenses.
On the other hand, Ryuu didn't argue with Syr's words. She just nodded without saying anything, then quickly hurried over to the tree where she had left the remaining potion earlier. Inside, there was still a quarter of the potion left that could be used to treat Shirou's wounds.
As Ryuu walked away, Syr glanced at Shirou and smiled mischievously.
"You should enjoy this, Shirou," she said lightly, her tone sounding like she was planning something. "You don't get opportunities like this often."
Shirou frowned, confused by Syr's meaning. "What opportunity?"
Syr just giggled softly without answering, making Shirou even more suspicious. Don't tell me this is part of another prank she's planning...
Shirou swallowed, his gut telling him that he was about to experience something even more troublesome in the next few moments.
After a while, Ryuu returned with quick steps, carrying the bottle of potion she had left near the tree. Her face remained expressionless as usual, but there was a slight tension in her movements.
Syr smiled contentedly seeing Ryuu return right on time. "Alright, Shirou, sit up for a moment and raise your arms."
Shirou looked at her in confusion. "Huh? What for?"
"Don't ask too many questions. Just do it," Syr replied lightly, but there was a hint of authority in her voice.
Although hesitant, Shirou eventually complied. With stiff movements, he raised both arms. But before he could understand what was happening, suddenly---
Srrrt!
Something felt loose on his back.
"H-Huh?!"
From behind him, Syr gently began to undo the cream-colored tunic Shirou was wearing, easily loosening its ties.
"W-what are you doing, Syr?!" Ryuu, who had just returned, was startled by Syr's actions.
Shirou was no less panicked. His face turned red as he felt the fabric loosen from his body. "Wait! Why all of a sudden---"
"Relax," Syr said casually as she skillfully folded the tunic and placed it aside. "It's nothing."
Shirou still wanted to protest, but before he could say anything else, Syr had already placed her hand on his shoulder, gently guiding his head back to her lap.
"Now look," she said, glancing at Ryuu, who was still standing awkwardly in place. With a gentle motion, she pointed to Shirou's chest. "The bruises from training earlier are quite severe, especially here."
Ryuu's eyes reflexively followed Syr's pointing finger, and she immediately frowned when she saw the injuries on Shirou's body. There were several large bruises turning blue around his chest, and even a deep scratch on his side.
Shirou himself also glanced down, and only now did he truly realize how badly his body had been beaten after letting Ryuu pummel him without resistance.
Ryuu bit her lip, feeling guilty seeing the clear evidence of her blows on Shirou's body. She already knew that Shirou had been holding back, but seeing physical proof like this still made her chest tighten.
Syr, on the other hand, just smiled slightly. "Well, now you see for yourself, Ryuu. So, you're going to heal him, right?"
Ryuu nodded slowly, but her grip on the potion bottle tightened slightly. She took a deep breath before finally crouching beside Shirou, ready to do what she should have done from the beginning.
Ryuu swallowed, her fingers trembling slightly as she carefully opened the potion bottle. The shimmering blue liquid inside quivered, reflecting the fading daylight. Without saying much, she poured a little of the potion onto her hand before starting to apply it to the wounds on Shirou's body, now fully exposed under the sunlight.
Syr, who was still letting Shirou's head rest on her lap, watched the scene with slight surprise. Initially, she thought Ryuu would refuse, or at least show hesitation, given how sensitive the elf was to physical touch. As far as Syr knew, Ryuu hardly ever let anyone touch her, except for herself or the late Alise.
Hmmm... Syr thought for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. Could it be that Ryuu is willing to do this because of her guilt towards Shirou?
Meanwhile, Shirou finally realized something. So this is the prank Syr was planning... he thought, sighing inwardly. He had already felt something was off when Syr smiled too contentedly while asking Ryuu to heal him.
Ryuu, who was still focused on applying the potion, began to feel something strange. Every time her hand touched Shirou's skin, she could feel his hard, trained muscles. Shirou's body was clearly not that of a beginner who had just started training. Instantly, her face turned slightly red as she realized that this was the first time she had directly touched a man's body.
On the other hand, Syr just smiled softly. To her, Shirou was still like a child who needed pampering. She looked at Shirou's bruised face, then with a gentle motion, her hand stroked the red-haired boy's hair with tenderness.
"Bear with the pain for a little while, Shirou," Syr said soothingly, her fingers continuing to move gently through Shirou's hair. "It'll be over soon."
However, instead of feeling pain, Shirou experienced something entirely different.
Why do I feel comfortable instead? he thought with slight frustration.
On one side, a beautiful elf girl was applying a potion to his body with a touch that was gentle despite being awkward. On the other side, a goddess disguised as an ordinary human was pampering him with soft strokes on his hair, as if he were a child who had just fallen and was being comforted.
Originally, I just wanted to hide my strength from Syr... so why did it end up like this???
Shirou could only sigh inwardly, accepting his fate that had somehow turned into something far from his original plan.
The potion Ryuu used had run out. Shirou could feel a warm sensation spreading through his body as the healing effects took hold. His wounds began to close, his bruises gradually faded, and the sharp pain slowly subsided.
Syr, who was still gently stroking Shirou's hair, looked at the now-empty potion bottle in Ryuu's hand. Her brow furrowed, and she looked at Ryuu suspiciously. "This potion was only a quarter full from the start, right?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with accusation.
Ryuu, who was still kneeling beside them, remained silent. But before she could answer, Syr continued, "Don't tell me... Did you use up this potion during training earlier? If so, Shirou must have been injured often, right?"
Shirou, who was still lying on Syr's lap, could only grin at the half-correct guess. Unconsciously, his eyes met Ryuu's, and in an instant, they both understood each other without needing to say a word. Yes, Syr was right---the potion had been used up during training. But the truth wasn't what Syr imagined.
It wasn't Shirou who had been beaten to a pulp and needed the potion. Quite the opposite. Ryuu, who had been hit by a barrage of blunt sword strikes from Shirou, had used the potion to keep herself going during training.
Ryuu finally answered in a flat voice, "Yes, the potion was used up during training earlier." She chose not to explain further, hiding the fact that she was the one who had been injured. Shirou's secret strength had to remain hidden.
Syr snorted softly before saying, "In that case, should I buy more? After all, if your training is this intense, the potion supply will run out quickly."
Ryuu shook her head slowly. At that moment, she realized there was another way to heal Shirou without having to bother buying more potions. "No need," she replied. "I can use healing magic."
Syr blinked, then smirked mischievously. "Oh? So you actually remembered you could heal, but chose to let Shirou suffer first?" she teased.
Ryuu's face immediately turned red. She opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say anything, Shirou interrupted, "Hey, don't be too hard on her. Besides, we all know Ryuu must have her reasons."
Syr just giggled happily. "Wow, you're defending Ryuu again? Hmm, interesting..." she said, laughing softly. The laughter shook her body, causing Shirou, who was still leaning on her lap, to feel the gentle vibrations beneath his head.
Ryuu, whose face was still flushed, finally sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate. Slowly, her hands rose, pointing towards Shirou's shoulders and face, which still showed signs of bruising and swelling.
She began to chant her spell in a soft, calm voice.
"The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life. Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you..."
Then, a soft green light began to envelop her hands, glowing warmly over Shirou's wounds.
"Noah Heal!"
As soon as the spell was completed, healing energy flowed into Shirou's body, bringing a sense of comfort and freshness that immediately replaced the previous pain
