Chapter 21: Tournament of the Strongest, III

"What transpired here?" I asked out loud as the popcorn pack I was holding made contact with the ground.

"Luke!" I heard Selica's shriek at the front rows, grabbing my attention from where I was standing.

Sean was standing beside her with a colorless face full of distress.

I ran towards my comrades, "W-What happened?" I asked, feeling dread for the first time about other people aside from my family.

"Luke…" Selica started speaking with a shaking voice but she couldn't continue.

"As soon as the match began Luke's expression suddenly changed, he chanted a spell but I feel like he failed. He then tried to fight hand-to-hand with his opponent, but that guy is also a mage, one from our academy too who already had a grudge against Luke for his talents and looks."

"So… Did Luke manage to land any hits?" I asked as I gazed at Luke's unconscious body, his body was burnt quite severely with a still-trickling bloodstream out of a gash on his forehead.

"The thing is, he tried to, but was blown off dozens of meters away by a destructive fire spell."

"A fire spell again? What is up with these people, so unoriginal– Wait, that aside, Luke seems deeply wounded. We must go see him right away and ask what happened after he wakes up."

"Yeah, let's do so." Sean nodded and took the lead to guide us to the path where Luke would probably be, the healing chamber.

I was surprised to see Sean act so level-headed in this event where even I found myself a little shaken.

***

After that, we followed Sean obediently, I had Selica by my side who seemed full of worry. Not knowing how to approach her, I just took hold of her hand and flashed an assuring smile.

"Don't worry, Selica, you're a healer which helps a lot."

"..." She just looked down at the ground after taking in my words. "You know… Even as a healer, I can only do so much."

"I'll try to do what I can to help, so be confident in your abilities, you're my supposed girlfriend after all." I grinned, making her smile.

She then gave me an adorable smile, "I'll try to meet your expectations."

"Yes, that's more suited for a girl from the Golden bloodline."

Her expression immediately turned cold, "..."

"I'm sorry." I apologized. She must have issues with her family and whatnot if that's her reaction when I mention her family bloodline.

***

"Where's Luke Crimson?" Sean questioned a nurse who was minding her own business.

"Who?"

"Ah, fuck it." He cursed, moving further on in the aisle, trying to find someone else who could help.

"He's here!" Selica called out from behind after peeking into a room.

"Thank God we found him."

We quickly entered the room and approached our companion who was laying on a wooden table with no one attending to him.

It seems they already took care of the wound on his forehead but didn't take care of the rest.

The left side of his body was all reddened.

I scanned his wounds as he groaned in his sleep.

"Selica, if you could…" I asked, urging the healer of our party to get moving.

She approached Luke and brought her hands to his arm, just inches away from not making contact with his skin.

"Bare with me, Luke." She tightened her jaw and started to act.

She started circulating the mana within her body, the accumulated mana finally shone a wonderful green upon Luke's arm.

His skin color which was that of a dark red finally started to gain back some color, it was as if she was turning back time.

Well, it always looks like that, but the scars stay there even after being healed that way, so really, time didn't turn back, the healing magic just speeds up the recovery rate.

"Kgha!?" Luke woke up, screaming in agony.

"Relax, Luke…" I said, placing myself on the other side of the bed.

Sigh, I wanted to keep this a secret but I guess I'll help too… I thought to myself before getting ready to chant the incantation, "Saint Spirits, I ask of thy, bless this ungraceful soul with your regeneration abilities, Healing." I voiced as I placed my hands over Selica's, making the spell's effect double, even triple.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Luke's, Sean's, and Selica's reactions to my use of healing magic were all the same. Surprised, taken aback, shocked.

"Shut up, don't mention this to anyone else, nor our classmates, nor your families, otherwise I'll have to hunt you down to your last related and existing person." I tried to voice with dread in my voice but Selica took it as a rather comical saying.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll make sure to keep it a secret." She shrugged, and then a smile of excitement took over her face.

Just how cute can this girl be?!

"Sigh, I don't know why I even get surprised by you anymore. Even if you travel through dimensions one day I will expect it from you." Luke sat back on his bed, breathing a bit easier than before.

"Like hell, teleporting magic is a taboo, you know?" I said bemusedly.

"A taboo is a taboo until you get caught, you know?" He countered me the same way.

"Wait… that's actually true…" I came to a realization that just because something is deemed illegal by law, it doesn't mean that I cannot do it unless I get caught.

Wait, hold up, I'm not telling you to do bad things over there, but my situation here is different.

"Wait, that topic aside," Sean interjected, "What about the fight, what happened there that you didn't use any magic?" He questioned Luke who was still being healed by us.

In that instant of realization, his eyes widened, "Hold up…" He said and focused intently on something.

Wait, is he trying to use mana? I asked myself.

His right eye blurred as he sniffled, and then tear streamed down his face without halt, "I can't feel my mana core… or mana whatsoever…"