Krad stood at the edge of the ruined plaza, his golden eyes fixed on the woman sitting beneath a crumbling archway. Queen Hania, no... just Hania now, looked so much smaller without her domain, without the corruption that had twisted her into the Cursed Queen. Her silver hair caught the moonlight, and for a moment, she looked exactly like Hanan might in thirty years. The resemblance made his chest ache.
"Stop staring," Mist said, limping over with his ribs wrapped in makeshift bandages. "You'll make her uncomfortable."
"I almost killed her," Krad whispered. "Hanan's mother. If the Moon Eater had---"
"But it didn't." Mist's voice was firm despite his obvious pain. "You stopped it... you chose to come back."
Krad clenched his fists, remembering the moment he'd regained control. The silver light fading from his eyes, the horrified realization of what he'd almost done.
"Barely."
Across the plaza, Dani and Kora were tending to their wounds with the last of their medical supplies. Both women looked like they'd been through a meat grinder, which, considering they'd fought perfect copies of themselves, wasn't far from the truth.
Kora's hands trembled as she wrapped bandages around Dani's arm, her healing magic completely depleted. She'd burned through every drop of mana in the battle against Han, pushing herself beyond safe limits to keep everyone alive. Now her reserves sat at absolute zero, and her body was paying the price, pale skin, shaking hands, dark circles under her eyes that spoke of complete magical exhaustion.
"I'm sorry," Kora said quietly, her voice weak. "I don't have enough power left to heal anyone properly. My mana... it's completely gone. I'll need at least three days of rest before I can even attempt basic healing spells again."
Dani squeezed her hand gently. "You kept us alive through that nightmare. That's more than enough."
"But everyone's still hurt, and I can't---"
"Then we heal the old-fashioned way," Dani interrupted firmly. "Bandages, rest, and time. We've survived worse with less."
Kora nodded, though guilt still clouded her features as she looked toward Krad and Mist, both bearing injuries she couldn't mend.
[ System Buddy: Hey, at least everyone's alive! That's a win, right? ]
[ System Alpha: Survival probability was 0.00001%. Current outcome exceeds all projections. ]
"The tournament," Krad said suddenly, the weight of it crashing down on him. "How long until---"
"Forty hours," Mist interrupted. "Give or take."
Forty hours. Less than two days to prepare for a fight against Liyab, a monster who'd supposedly never lost a match. Krad had barely survived a battle against a Level 5000 enemy with three experienced Slayers backing him up, and even then, they'd only won because Mist had destroyed the domain anchor.
[ System Buddy: Okay, not gonna lie, those odds are pretty terrible! ]
"I know the odds," Krad muttered.
"Then you know we can't waste time." Mist grabbed Krad's shoulder, his grip surprisingly strong for someone who'd been thrown through three pillars yesterday. "Which means we train. Hard."
"Train?" Krad gestured at the captain's wrapped ribs. "You can barely walk!"
"I've fought through worse." Mist's grin was equal parts reassuring and terrifying. "Besides, I'm not the one who needs training. Your technique is a disaster."
[ System Alpha: Assessment accurate. Combat efficiency: 34%. Mana management: Poor. Technique execution: Inconsistent. ]
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Krad grumbled.
Queen Hania approached them, her footsteps silent on the ancient stone. Without her domain's power, she moved like any other person, graceful but mortal. "The boy fought bravely yesterday."
"The boy almost got himself killed," Mist corrected. "Multiple times."
"Because I was trying to save---" Krad started.
"I know." Mist's expression softened slightly. "And that impulse, that desire to protect people even when it's stupid and reckless? That's good. But impulse without skill gets you and everyone around you killed."
Hania nodded slowly. "The captain is right. You have power, but you wield it like a child swinging his father's sword."
[ System Buddy: Ouch! That's harsh! ]
"It's also true," Krad admitted. Every technique he'd used against Han had been desperate improvisation. Devouring Palm had only worked because the Moon Eater had fed him the knowledge in the heat of battle. "I don't actually know what I'm doing."
"Which is why," Mist said, drawing his sword despite the obvious pain it caused, "we're going to fix that."
Kora's eyes fixed on Krad with surprising intensity. "Tell me about the tournament. What exactly are you facing?"
Krad exchanged a glance with Mist, who nodded slightly.
"It's called the Rage Tournament," Krad explained. "I'm matched against someone named Liyab in forty hours. He's... really strong."
"And you're what, Level 300?" Dani asked.
"Give or take," Krad muttered.
Kora was silent for a long moment, her healer's mind clearly working through calculations. Then her expression shifted to something Krad recognized from the battle against Han, that fierce determination that had made her charge a Level 5000 enemy with a broken staff.
"Then we don't have time for half-measures," she said firmly.
"Kora, what are you---" Dani started.
"I have one technique left," Kora interrupted, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "Something Captain Valdris taught me years ago. A forbidden healing method that combat healers only use in the most desperate situations."
Mist's eyes widened slightly. "You don't mean---"
"Blood Transfer," Kora confirmed. "I can convert my own blood force into healing energy, it bypasses the normal limitations of magical exhaustion."
"Absolutely not!" Dani grabbed Kora's shoulders. "That technique... Captain, specifically told us never to use it except---"
"Except in situations where the alternative is certain death," Kora finished. "Which is exactly what Krad faces if he goes into that tournament with both him and Captain Mist injured." She looked at Krad, her eyes reflecting the same determination he'd felt when facing Han. "You stopped yourself from killing Hanan's mother. You fought an ancient beast inside your own soul and won. The least I can do is make sure you're at full strength when you face this Liyab."
"I can't ask you to do that," Krad said, his voice cracking.
"You're not asking," Kora said with a small smile. "I'm offering."
[ System Buddy: Uh, Krad? This sounds really dangerous for her! ]
[ System Alpha: Analysis: Blood Transfer technique. Converts user's biological vitality into pure healing energy. Success rate: 87%. Fatality rate if overtaxed: 34%. Recovery time: 2-3 weeks of complete rest. ]
"Two to three weeks?" Krad repeated aloud. "You'd be bedridden for weeks?"
"Better than you being dead in two days," Kora countered. She turned to Mist. "Captain, you need healing too. Those broken ribs will slow you down as a trainer, which means Krad gets worse preparation, which means---"
"I understand the logic," Mist said quietly. "But Kora, this isn't your responsibility."
"Neither was fighting Han," Kora replied. "But I did it anyway because it was the right thing to do. And this is the right thing to do now."
Dani looked torn, clearly wanting to protect her partner but also understanding the stakes. Finally, she sighed. "If you do this, I'm staying with you. The whole two weeks. I don't care if there's a tournament or a war or the world ending. I'm not leaving you alone while you recover."
Kora's expression softened. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
She turned back to Krad and Mist, squaring her shoulders despite the obvious exhaustion.
"So. Who wants to be healed first?"
---
The ritual took place in the center of the plaza, where the moonlight fell strongest.
Kora sat cross-legged on the ancient stone, her healer's staff laid across her lap. The staff was cracked from the battle, but it still held enough resonance to channel what she was about to do.
"This will take about an hour," she explained, her voice already showing the strain. "I'll start with Captain Mist since his injuries are more severe. Krad, you'll be second."
"Are you sure about this?" Krad asked one more time.
"No," Kora admitted with surprising honesty. "But I'm doing it anyway. Sometimes that's what courage is, doing the terrifying thing because people you care about need you to."
She placed her hands on the staff, and soft golden light began to emanate from her palms, but this light was different from her normal healing magic. It pulsed with a rhythm that matched her heartbeat, and Krad could actually see it dimming slightly with each pulse, as if each beat drew something vital from her core.
"Captain Mist, sit in front of me," Kora instructed.
Mist settled down, his expression grave. "Thank you, Kora. This is---"
"Save it for after," she interrupted gently. "I need to concentrate."
She pressed her glowing hands to Mist's chest, right over his wrapped ribs, and the golden light flared.
Krad watched in fascination and horror as the technique worked. Every injury Mist had sustained, the broken ribs, the internal bleeding, the countless bruises and cuts, began to fade. But at the same time, Kora grew paler. The dark circles under her eyes deepened. Her breathing became labored... it was like watching someone age in fast-forward.
[ System Alpha: Fascinating. She's literally converting cellular longevity into regenerative energy. ]
[ System Buddy: That's horrifying! Make her stop! ]
"I can't," Krad whispered. "She chose this."
Twenty minutes later, Mist's injuries were completely healed. He stood and stretched, his movements fluid and pain-free for the first time since the battle. But Kora slumped forward, caught by Dani before she could collapse completely.
"I'm fine," Kora gasped, though she clearly wasn't. "Just... need a moment before the second healing."
"Take five minutes," Dani insisted. "Drink some water. Catch your breath."
Kora nodded weakly, accepting the waterskin Dani pressed into her trembling hands.
Queen Hania had been watching from nearby, her expression unreadable. Now she approached and knelt beside Kora.
"You have a healer's heart," Hania said softly. "I recognize it. I was a healer too, once, before the corruption. Before I forgot what it meant to give rather than take."
"Then you understand why I have to do this," Kora replied.
"I do." Hania placed a gentle hand on Kora's shoulder. "But understand, what you're doing will leave scars. Not physical ones, but deep in your blood force. You'll carry the exhaustion in your bones for months after your body recovers."
"I know the risks," Kora said firmly. "Captain Valdris explained them all when he taught me this technique. He said it was a last resort, a technique for when you loved someone enough to give them years of your life if it meant they'd survive one more day."
She looked at Krad, her eyes clear despite her exhaustion. "I don't know you very well, Krad. We've known each other for what, hours? But you fought beside us against impossible odds. You stopped yourself from becoming a monster even when that monster offered you the power to win. And you carry the hopes of people who believe in you."
She smiled. "That's enough for me."
The five minutes passed too quickly. Kora positioned herself again, the golden light gathering around her hands with visible effort this time.
"Krad, your turn."
He sat down in front of her, his heart pounding. "Thank you. I don't know how to repay---"
"Win," Kora interrupted simply. "Win your tournament, keep your promises... that's payment enough."
She pressed her hands to his chest, and the golden light flowed into him.
It felt like drinking sunlight. Every bruise, every strained muscle, every bit of damage from his battle with Han and the subsequent training... it all melted away under the warmth of Kora's blood force. Krad could actually feel his body being restored to peak condition, cells regenerating, torn tissue mending, even his mana reserves filling back to maximum capacity.
But he could also feel the cost. With each passing second, Kora's heartbeat grew fainter. Her breathing more shallow. The golden light dimmed as she poured more and more of herself into healing him.
"Kora, that's enough," Krad said urgently. "I'm healed enough---"
"Not... yet," she gasped. "Need to... make sure... everything..."
The light pulsed one final time, brilliant and beautiful and terrible. Then it faded completely.
Kora collapsed. Dani caught her instantly, cradling her partner's head in her lap. "Kora! Kora, stay with me!"
"I'm... awake," Kora murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Just... very tired."
[ System Buddy: Oh no, oh no, is she okay?! ]
[ System Alpha: Vital signs stable. Mana: 0%. Blood force: 34% below normal. Prognosis: Full recovery expected in 18-21 days with complete rest. ]
Krad stared at his hands, completely healed hands, with no trace of injury. His health was at 100%. His mana was full. He felt better than he had in weeks. And all it had cost was three weeks of Kora's life.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Kora said, managing a weak smile even as Dani fussed over her. "Just... promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise you'll make this worth it. Promise you'll fight with everything you have... promise you won't waste what I gave you."
Krad felt tears sting his eyes. "I promise. On everything I am, I promise."
Kora's eyes drifted closed, her breathing evening out into the deep rhythm of healing sleep. Dani stroked her hair gently, her own eyes bright with unshed tears.
"She's always been like this," Dani said quietly. "Since the day we became partners. She'd give everything for people she barely knows if she thought it was right." She looked up at Krad, her expression fierce. "So you better win, you better survive. Because if you die after she did this, I'll find a way to bring you back just so I can kill you myself."
"Understood," Krad said, his voice steady despite the emotion threatening to overwhelm him.
Mist placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now you understand the weight of what people give you. Not just power or healing, but pieces of themselves. Their hope, their belief... their futures."
He squeezed once, then released. "Come on. Kora bought us time, but that time's still ticking. We have thirty-nine hours to make sure her sacrifice means something."
Dani carefully carried Kora to a sheltered alcove in the ruins, making her as comfortable as possible with their limited supplies. She'd stay there, watching over her partner, while the others trained.
Queen Hania provided what help she could, conjuring soft moss for bedding, creating a small barrier to keep out the wind, even producing a gentle light that would let Dani watch over Kora through the night without straining her eyes.
"Thank you," Dani said to Hania.
"It's the least I can do," Hania replied. "Your friend gave freely what was taken from me by force. That kind of selflessness..." She trailed off, touching her chest where the corruption had centered. "It reminds me why I fought so hard to protect my daughters. Why some things are worth any sacrifice."
Once Kora was settled and sleeping peacefully, Mist turned to Krad with an expression that was equal parts approval and intensity.
"Alright," he said, rolling his now-healed shoulders. "Kora gave you the gift of a perfect body. No injuries, full mana, peak condition. Now it's my job to teach you how to use it."
"I'm ready," Krad said, and he meant it. After what Kora had done, failure wasn't an option anymore.