Ch. 17 - An Evil Joke
First, I examined Ashita’s broken horn.
Too much time has passed…
Reattaching a severed body part was always a race against the clock—the sooner, the better.
“Hmm…”
The scraps of skin still clinging to it were useless, already starting to rot. But if the horn truly counted as bone, then—just maybe—there was hope.
At least, that was my assessment. That bastard Dietrich wasn’t offering me any guidance.
“I’ll have to shave a little. Is that alright?”
“Eh? Y-you mean…”
“Just the skin. I won’t touch the horn itself. Is that a problem?”
“If it’s just that…”
Ashita gave a tiny nod of relief.
I took the bucket Zoë had brought and blessed the water until it gleamed pure—instant holy water. Good for drinking, washing wounds, and even warding off corruption if strengthened further. For now, this would do.
I washed the horn thoroughly, then the raw wound on her forehead where it once sat, scrubbing until it was as clean as I could make it.
“Too dark. Come closer.”
“Y-yeah…”
Blood still seeped faintly from the wound. A good sign. It meant the cells still lived—there was still a chance.
After I scraped away the rot and shaved off the useless flesh, I leaned in again.
“…”
The cut was unnaturally clean. If it had been jagged, sawn off by some crude blade, I’d have abandoned hope.
…Could it be Abby?
Ashita’s eyes shone, desperate, fixed on me.
“This might work. Come here.”
Her breath caught. She collapsed against me, clutching my legs.
“It won’t heal if you thrash around. It’s going to hurt. Bear it.”
She bit her lip, nodded once, then shoved her hand into her mouth to brace herself.
I sighed.
“Don’t go making new injuries while I’m fixing the old one, idiot.”
“Y-yes…”
Zoë, frowning, wrung out a cloth and stuffed it between Ashita’s teeth.
Preparation complete.
I pressed the horn hard against the wound on her forehead. Ashita groaned into the cloth, jaw trembling.
Then I called upon Asclepia’s Serpents.
Black snakes coiled around my arms. Divine power surged, emerald light spilling into the air.
“…Tch.”
Too slow. Maybe because too much time had passed. Maybe because bone resisted more than flesh. Either way, the healing crawled. I poured out more power, gritting my teeth.
“…”
At first, Ashita only trembled, enduring. But slowly, the strength drained from her face. The cloth slipped free, falling from her mouth.
Eva’s eyes went wide.
“N-no way. It’s… It’s fusing!”
The horn drank the emerald light, knitting itself back into her skull. Tears streamed down Ashita’s cheeks.
By the time it fully rejoined, I was completely exhausted.
Last night’s cold had already drained my reserves. Now, with every drop of power wrung dry, my body gave out.
A string inside me snapped, and darkness fell like a curtain.