★★
“Himeno!”
Ameriko threw down her sniper rifle and took off running. She ran down the stairs and dashed at full speed towards the entrance to the village.
“Don’t die Himeno!”
Her blonde hair fluttered in the wind, and she did not slow down even as she gasped for air.
The villagers sensed the battle was over, but only peeked from their houses, so the streets were still empty. Ameriko almost fell a few times, but continued running.
She would not have won if she fought alone, as she would not have had a way to decisively put down her opponent.
She would not have broken through the powerful invisible barrier and defeated the slave sorcerer without Himeno.
Himeno’s fears were not exaggerated, and her careful analysis and preparation helped a lot. She exposed the barrier and understood how it worked and the true nature of the invisible attacks.
“Don’t shoot until I’m down.”
Was what Himeno told Ameriko, and as she laid on the ground spitting blood, Himeno created a chance.
It was a stealth barrier used both for attack and defense. It could be said that this made it practically invincible, but by exposing its traits, the invisible barrier became visible.
That was why Ameriko could shoot him. Himeno revealed the position of the barrier, which meant Ameriko was sure the bullets would reach the slave sorcerer and put him down.
Himeno laid on the ground near the entrance to the village, with the big village chief and the small Chai by her side.
“Hang on!”
“Himeno!”
The black haired girl’s eyes were still closed, and her shrine maiden attire was dirty with mud and blood.
“Himeno! Are you alive!?”
Ameriko yelled as she got on all fours near Himeno.
“Himeno!?”
“…Quiet. Those screams are echoing throughout my wounds.”
Himeno said quietly as she opened her eyes.
“Great…”
“Ouch! Can you stop that…?”
“Ah, sorry!”
Ameriko tried to hug Himeno out of sheer joy, who yelled in pain. Ameriko then slowly helped Himeno sit up.
As Ameriko looked for something to wipe the dirt and blood off Himeno’s face, Chai took out a handkerchief from his pouch and handed it to her.
“Give it back later!”
“Fine, we need to worry about Himeno now.”
Ameriko cleaned Himeno’s face with the handkerchief and straightened her hair with her hand.
“That was too much, the way you fought.”
“…But I had too, or we would not have won.”
“But you should’ve ran.”
“Would you… Have ran away?”
Asked Himeno with a smile, even as she grimaced due to the pain.
“Well…”
“…Uu… My ribs and my arm are cracked.”
“Oh my god! What do we do!? Rescue! Medic!”
Ameriko said in a panic as Chai’s sisters brought a stretcher. There was a pattern on its surface, and it appeared to actually be an airboard.
“Yes yes. Move out of the way!”
“We’ll take you home.”
Mewkria and Lukria carefully lifted her onto the airboard by holding her head and legs.
“C-can you save Himeno!?”
Said Ameriko while grabbing Lukria, and sounding like a family member in an emergency room.
“Calm down!”
“The family should wait while we treat her.”
“It’s alright Ameriko.”
Said Chai, who was standing behind her, with a calm voice.
“Chai…?”
“Leave it to us.”
The elven boy said with a serious expression.
★
Himeno was taken to the building in the middle of the village on top of a magic stretcher that gently floated with the wind.
A provisional first-aid station was ready in an open space on the first floor.
“This way.”
Said Chai’s mother, and Himeno was taken to a simple bed. Warm water, towels, and what appeared to be disinfectant were brought near her.
“Ouch! Get a hold of yourself Himeno!”
“I do ‘have a hold of myself’, so can you step back…”
“I’ll… I will heal her.”
Said Chai while stepping forward with a serious expression.
“With healing magic…?”
Chai did say he could use simple healing magic.
“Yes. Just wait a second, Himeno.”
“…?”
Said Chai very calmly, before he took out a small knife from his pouch and plunged its sharp tip into his left arm with no hesitation.
“Chai!?”
Screamed Ameriko.
“Don’t worry. This is… Necessary to use magic.”
Said Chai while bearing the pain and catching the red blood streaming out in his mouth.
“…The blood of elves like us houses magic power. Different magic has different characteristics, and the way to manifest it depends on its traits.”
Said Chai’s beautiful elf mother.
“Oh… But aren’t we putting the cart before the horses if it hurts Chai?”
“Magic requires compensation, and healing big wounds or saving lives requires considerable compensation…”
Chai’s mother excused herself and undid the band holding Himeno’s clothes, revealing her midsection.
There was a red swelling on her side due to internal bleeding. It was not just the ribs, the tissue around them also suffered damage.
“Just… Hang on.”
Chai pressed his mouth against the side of Himeno’s torso, as if he was kissing it.
“Uuoh…! Oho… Wai…!?”
Chai’s sudden strange action rattled Himeno more than the pain.
She was bewildered by the sight of him with blood running out of the corner of his mouth, looking like a beautiful vampire boy.
Two minutes passed, and Chai still had his lips pressed to the patient.
“T-the pain… Is fading, isn’t it?”
Himeno blinked in surprise.
The color was returning to her pale face, and after about five minutes, Chai stepped away.
“…Puha. I think it’s mostly healed.”
“Yes…! I cannot believe this. Is this… Your magic?”
Himeno sat up, and looked surprised as she rubbed her flank.
“Wait, let me heal your right arm now.”
“Y-yes…. Fuoh!?”
Chai once again licked his own blood, and pressed his lips against Himeno’s right arm. He continued to change positions while sucking.
The cute elf’s actions made Himeno’s face progressively redder.
“T-the feeling of the tongue… Ahh… Ahh… The warm tongue of a cute boy…”
Himeno’s eyes became blank, and her breathing more erratic.
“Oh no, are you feeling sick? It should be healing your wounds…”
Chai’s mother looked puzzled.
Blood started pouring from Himeno’s nostrils.
“Himeno! Your nose is bleeding!”
Yelled Ameriko.
“Why!?”
Said a surprised Chai while pulling away.
“Ohh, fuah…?”
“Oh no! Did the magic damage her head as well!?”
Chai’s mother sounded flustered, and Ameriko placed her hand on her shoulder, while smiling slightly and shaking her head.
“No… I’m pretty sure this means she’s feeling better.”
★
“J-just think about what might have happened had I gotten injured near my chest or crotch…”
“Himeno, you’re smiling.”
“I want him to heal me like that day and night.”
“Geez…”
Himeno was fully healed.
Smaller wounds were healed with simple kisses, while deeper damage required pressing his lips for longer. Apparently that was healing magic.
But as compensation for healing someone else, Chai was left with a painful looking cut on his arm. His mother treated it with salve and wrapped it with a bandage.
“Can’t you heal your own wounds?”
“Apparently not.”
“I’m sorry Chai. It was my fault.”
“This is nothing compared to what happened to you.”
Himeno hugged Chai tight. It was either an honest expression of gratitude, or just an excuse for her peculiar fetish to rear its head. In any case, it seemed the distance between Himeno and Chai had shrunk.
“Magic has rules. That is the way of our world.
Said Chai’s mother while gently rubbing his head.
It was not as simple or convenient as magic being all-powerful, but some questions remained.
What was the source of the slave sorcerer’s power? It was not blood that accompanied pain. Although the thought was repulsive, they could be performing rituals using human sacrifices.
Excuse me, but what’s the power of Chai’s mother’s magic?”
Asked Ameriko, since she figured Chai and his sisters inherited their magic from their mother, and not their father.
“I can use magic as well, but I heal wounds of the heart. Comforting, encouraging, and erasing anguish. Making people feel happier. What do you think, Ameriko?”
“…I-I’ll pass.”
Said Ameriko with a strained smile.
“By the way, I was saved by her when being bested in combat plunged me into despair.
The magic kiss of a lovely lady elf liberated my heart as it sunk into darkness. It filled it with light, and opened my eyes! It awakened a hidden power within me and raised me to the next level…! So much so that I won the next battle! I was on cloud nine!”
Said Chai’s father with a shine in his eyes, as he proudly put his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“Ufufu, oh you.”
“Oh… Okay, cloud nine… That’s nice…”
Said Ameriko, feeling as though she should not inquire further into what Chai’s mother’s magic was.
It was then that the sisters who went out to scout with their airboards returned.
“Ahh… There’s no sign of enemies nearby!”
“The sorcerer’s presence is gone!”
The villagers that had gathered triumphantly cheered and applauded.
“Do you two have to pay to use your magic too?”
Asked Ameriko, and Mewkria and Lukira looked at each other.
““We get really hungry!””
Their stomachs rumbled loudly, which made the people around them burst out laughing.
“…By the way, what kind of magic do your brothers use?”
Asked Himeno, who was hugging Chai from behind.
“They’re like my mother.”
“Hou?”
Himeno wondered what exactly that meant.
“My oldest brother Thika’s magic controls… Soothes hearts with songs. Huri’s magic makes any food, no matter how awful, taste really good.”
“…T-that’s some distinctive magic…”
“And quite girly.”
Ameriko and Himeno smiled. Their magic seemed to have something in common with their mother’s ‘cloud nine’ magic.
“And they’re really cute. Or I guess beautiful.”
“Yes yes! To the point where the followers of the sorcerer wanted to take them because they mistook them for girls.”
Said the two sisters while giggling.
“They take after our mother.”
Said Chai.
“What…”
Himeno was shocked. There was something above. Something that surpassed the cute and energetic sisters and their cute little brother Chai.
“What a wonderful family, right Hime… No?”
“Ameriko! We need to rescue them! The two girly men… I mean, Chai’s brothers!”
“Eh…?”
Himeno grabbed Ameriko’s shoulders, and looked at her with fierce intensity in her eyes.
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