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–––Diaria’s viewpoint

We could not comprehend what she was saying, all looking at her with our mouths half open. She was alive? Even though she had lost all her limbs and her body was burned through? I could not believe it, but I remembered that sometimes common sense did not apply to Lapis. I hurried to her side and watched her carefully, and after a long time I noticed her chest slowly move up and down.

“Lapis! You’re alive! She’s alive!”
“You’re right! Hurry, we have to treat her!”
“I’m sure I had a potion somewhere..! Everyone, search for anything that could help!”

Even if she was alive, there was no time to merrily hug each other. I quickly searched through the items I had on me, and asked if they had anything to help her. Lapis usually took care of healing all of us, so we never had a need for potions, but luckily we always carried one for reserve, so we gathered them all. We desperately took the lid off the bottles and poured the contents on Lapis’ mouth. Her body began glowing shortly after, and it looked like she was going to recover, but in the end there was barely any change.

“W-why?! Why isn’t she healing more?!”
“I see…these potions aren’t strong enough… We’d need more powerful potions that can heal severe wounds to help her…”

Karin looked confused, but Luvias explained what was happening, her face pale. Only now were we realizing just how much we relied on Lapis in our daily lives. But feeling bad would solve nothing now, though it was still impossible for us to brew any potions here, and what we possessed had little effect on Lapis. If we do not find a solution soon..!

“Why! Why is it that I couldn’t learn healing magic!”

Ciel held her head tightly, crying in dismay. I understood her feelings, but that was an impossible wish. Healing magic could only be used by a select group of priests, who dedicated a long time to serve their gods, so it was impossible for a regular person to learn it. Ciel was no priest, so she would never be able to learn it. Only Lapis and Luvias were outliers.

“I can!”

Luvias used healing magic as desperately as she could, but her abilities were only at the same level as the potions, Lapis’ wounds healing a minimal amount. Her magic power quickly weaned, her face turning pale as her stance turned unsteady.

“Ugh..! This is so shameful..! I can’t even do this…”

Maybe she would have been more successful if she tried doing that after resting enough, but she had fought Selene just moments before, so both her magic power and energy were low. No matter how much she tried, there was a limit to her power, and if she kept forcing herself, she would pass out.

(Sol! Can’t you do something?!)

Trying to think of options, I resorted to the other powers I had, so I pleaded with Sol who was residing inside me, but…

(I’m sorry, but I can’t. My power exists solely to fight, I can’t grant divine miracles like healing someone.)

That was his reply. I had no way of helping either. Lapis was really going to die at this rate. All we could do was cling to her body and cry. It was frustrating and painful, this was the first time we all felt so powerless. But then Selene forcefully dragged us away from her before standing next to her.

“..?”
“Calm down. Did you already forget what you drank a moment ago?”

We all stared at her dumbfounded, tears streaking down our cheeks when she said that with an exhausted voice.

“Ah!”

The mysterious liquid she had made us drink earlier. She had said it was a special concoction with powerful healing properties. Maybe that could help then! Without waiting for us to ask her for some, she produced a bottle and tipped it over Lapis’ lips. An instant later her body began changing dramatically.

“Look!”
“Her wounds!”

Her arms that had been chopped at the elbow began regenerating all the way down to her wrist, and her legs that only existed down to her thighs grew down to her shins again. The parts of her body that had been burned to ashes also regained a pink fleshy tone, and her face began looking beautiful like before too.

“This is as much as my medicine can do, but it should be enough to save her life. Once she wakes up she should be able to use her own magic to fully heal herself.”

She spoke like it was no big deal, but we still remained with our mouths half open. Slowly I started feeling relief and happiness, and at the same time my view warped from tears.

“I’m so glad…really…”
“I really thought…she would die…”
“Master…”

Everyone cried from joy. I was not one to talk, but seeing my friends covered in tears was rather unsightly. It was alright though, that did not matter at all now, our special person was alive. I peered over face, she was still unconscious, but from time to time she would twist her body in pain. Selene was right, her life was no longer in danger.

“We should let her sleep for as long as she needs, so it’d be best to carry her to the room you were in earlier. Wait there and I’ll bring you some food in a bit too. You should hurry or you’ll be a bother to Lord Tiamat though.”

I had been so worried about Lapis that I had completely forgotten that the Dragon King was standing next to us. His large eyes were focused on us, seemingly amused by our desperation. Ciel used her Flight Magic to pick Lapis up and make her float, and we all returned through the passages where we came from. Now we just had to wait for her to wake up…and then apologize to her. I did not know if she would forgive us, and she might even push us away. Maybe she will tell us to never talk to her again. I was honestly scared, but I would accept her response, whatever it was. After all, we had committed an unforgivable sin. Feeling uneasy, we silently returned to the room.