Nova's fire completely consumed his entire being, making him look like he was on fire.
『Goodness! This fight is quite thrilling!』[Professor Hayton]
Nova had been pushed more than he was ever pushed before.
His mind flickered back and forth between consciousness.
「The pain is telling me to pass out... I think I broke a few bones when I took that fall. 」[Nova]
His vision blurred and his eyes had grown watery from the pain.
His blue flame gently floated around his body.
「That blue flame.. What is it?」[Professor Hayton]
Anastasia and Nova both didn't look that good, but if one were to choose..
「Miss Soryl looks like she is going to grab the victory unless the boy has something up his sleeve.」[Professor Hayton]
Nova was covered in bruises and cuts that were beginning to bleed. Anastasia just had some bruises from hitting the floor.
「...I don't think I can beat her unless I risk everything I have.」[Nova]
Even though Nova had a more damaged appearance, Anastasia looked worn out as well.
She formed a new rapier and prepared to strike.
「She shouldn't have much mana left… If my guess is right, then...」[Nova]
His wounds and bruises began to slowly fade from his body.
「He's healing! What a great ability! But.. why did he use it on the girl earlier?」[Professor Hayton]
Anastasia also saw the blue flames healing him and slowly began to prepare to jump at him.
Nova didn't notice at all the first time, but each time she disappeared, she would do some preparation before doing so.
「Her body shifts toward a natural stance before she disappears. She bends her knee and lunges. Her ability is definitely not just a teleportation ability.」[Nova]
Seeing how Nova was recovering, she was going to attempt to beat him before he recovers.
「...In other words, I have to set a trap for her!」[Nova]
『...Chrono-』[Anastasia]
The moment her mouth moved, Nova flooded mana into his flames and made it engulf an area about 3 times his body size.
『-stasia!』[Anastasia]
The moment she used her ability, an overwhelming amount of mana came flooding out, pressuring Nova.
「Ggh..! This pressure! This didn't happen the last time she used it!」[Nova]
Despite being imposed on by this mana, his blue flames quickly ate at the mana to heal him.
Anastasia began to start running at Nova, but she didn't disappear this time.
「I knew it!」[Nova]
He stood still and began to siphon mana into his right arm.
She was in front of Nova in the blink of an eye.
Her new rapier approached Nova's body but began to dissolve in her hand.
That's when she noticed that the flames were still flickering.
『He can move?!』[Anastasia]
Nova quickly moved forward and grabbed her wrist.
『How can you?!』[Anastasia]
Nova didn't let up and threw a fist at her stomach.
『Impact Form: True Gale!』[Nova]
Before he landed the hit, he stopped inches away from her.
『That should be fine… right?』[Nova]
Professor Payton was completely shocked.
『...That's enough! We have a winner!』[Professor Payton]
Nova was almost completely wrecked, yet Anastasia was left with just a few bruises.
「...Really, who won?」[Professor Payton]
He adjusted his monocle and gave the verdict.
『Nova wins!』[Professor Payton]
Anastasia looked at him while biting her lip.
『...Why did you go so far to win?』[Anastasia]
She had tears beginning to stream down her face.
「...Goodness. He made the young miss cry.」[Professor Payton]
Professor Payton turned around and let the two solve their own problems.
「...I did it Oswald.」[Nova]
Whenever she spoke, none of her words made it to Nova's ears.
The pain had finally been too much for him to handle, causing him to fall to the ground.
��...I really question who really won.」[Professor Payton]
------
When Nova woke up, his body ached each time he moved.
『...Haaah.』[Nova]
He was in a room that he hadn't seen in a while- the infirmary.
Nova laid still and tried to assess his body's situation.
「Broken ribs, some bruises, no cuts?」[Nova]
He noticed most of his large injuries were gone.
「...I think most of the critical injuries were healed.」[Nova]
All around his body, he felt a strange feeling that encompassed him.
Examining his arm, he found that his wounds slowly closed up.
「Reischneid? Are you here?」[Nova]
「Yeah. What's going on?」[Reischneid]
「My wounds are healing! What's going on?」[Nova]
The necklace he wore began to pulsate.
「It's a feature of the necklace. Because your blue flames take mana and heal your wounds in exchange, I used that same premise to form the necklace. I "borrowed" a bit of your seed ability.」[Reischneid]
「...Borrowed? What do you mean by borrowed?」[Nova]
「It's something I recently discovered. Being your guardian allows me to borrow your abilities. Similar to how you can call on me, I can call on your abilities.」[Reischneid]
「...Then, is that all you can do? Or is there something more?」[Nova]
「That's all I know of. Anything else is still undiscovered. I'll keep experimenting.」[Reischneid]
「Then, thanks. I feel like I would be in some real pain if you didn't help me out.」[Nova]
「Don't mention it. By the way, I'm using your necklace as a spiritual medium right now.」[Reischneid]
Nova was confused and didn't know how to respond to Reischneid and his carefree attitude.
「...What?」[Nova]
「Humans consist of a spirit, a body, and some form of intelligence.」[Reischneid]
「So.. What does that mean?」[Nova]
「I exist in a plane of existence that doesn't require a body. I'm a spirit fueled by my life's culmination of intelligence and the mana I accumulated when I was alive. I don't have a physical body, but I have a spiritual body.」[Reischneid]
「...So, basically you have a body now?」[Nova]
「...Nope. I just exist in your world using your necklace as a medium.」[Reischneid]
Nova really had a hard time piecing this together.
「You're a ghost?」[Nova]
This time, Reischneid had a bit of trouble responding.
「...A poltergeist?」[Reischneid]
「So.. You can touch things in real life now?!」[Nova]
「...To a small extent. It's like how I materialize myself using your mana.」[Reischneid]
「...So, what does that mean for me?」[Nova]
「...Nothing for now. Heal up the rest of your wounds if you have the mana for it.」[Reischneid]
He closed his eyes and focused on his ribs.
『Blessed Flame Rebirth.』[Nova]
A deep blue flame appeared on his ribs, causing him to feel his bones shifting.
��GUHAH?!』[Nova]
The moment he screamed, a loud shuffling noise occurred next to him.
He then realized that he wasn't alone in the room.
There, sitting on the bed was Anastasia.
『...Ah. Hello.』[Nova]
Anastasia didn't meet Nova's gaze.
『...Why did you try so hard to win?』[Anastasia]
『...Because, you said that if you won, you would have me do any one thing you asked.』[Nova]
She quietly gripped her hands harder.
『So, you didn't want to listen to me that much?』[Anastasia]
『Huh?! No, no. It's just that..』[Nova]
She began to shout as tears began to stream down her face.
『Are you mad at me!? Is that why?!』[Anastasia]
『Uh… No! It's just that… if you got a request if you won, then I should also get one if I win, right?』[Nova]
She was temporarily shocked, but she wiped away her tears and regained her normal composure.
Her tear streaked face went from emotional back to her standard cold face.
She placed a hand on her left chest.
『...On my name as a lady of house Soryl, I will fulfill any one wish you may have.』[Anastasia]
「...As a lady of house Soryl?! This means… she'll put the honor of her entire house behind this promise. If she said as house Soryl's lady, that would mean only her honor would be at stake...」[Nova]
『...Then, would you share your responsibilities with me?』[Nova]
『...?!』[Anastasia]
She had an extremely shocked expression but soon recovered.
『...Why?』[Anastasia]
『Because… you had to be number one in everything since you were young, right?』[Nova]
He continued to heal the many different wounds on his body with his flame as he spoke.
『...Well.. leave that title to me. I'll surpass you and take that title.』[Nova]
She grasped at the edges of her uniform.
『...So, for the fame? For the power? Why do you want the title of number one?』[Anastasia]
Nova shook his head then looked at her in the eyes.
He suddenly remembered the favor that Oswald has asked from him.
『...I know it's a lot, but.. My sister has always been at the top.』[Oswald]
『Then…?』[Nova]
『Take her place at the top and raise the bar so high that house Soryl gives up on the name of number one!』[Oswald]
『...Then, nothing has changed?』[Nova]
『...That's the spirit. Thanks.』[Oswald]
Nova stayed quiet for a moment after he remembered Oswald's words.
He decided in the end, that the prestige or power didn't match the bond he felt with Oswald or Anastasia.
So, in the end it was...
『For you.』[Nova]
After he said that, he had finally healed most of his wounds.
『...』[Anastasia]
Her face turned a bright red and she got up to run out of the room.
『Ah! Wait!』[Nova]
He grabbed her arm as she got up to run.
She looked back with a complicated expression and a bright red face.
『...Let me heal your wounds?』[Nova]
After a moment of reluctance, she nodded her head then sat down on his bed.
He held her hand and covered both their bodies with his blue flame.
「My mana is a bit lacking… I need to use hers to supplement my spell.」[Nova]
A grumbling noise shook his body.
「...Was that my stomach? I think I really need to get some food..」[Nova]
When he looked up, he saw Anastasia with an extremely embarrassed face.
「...Was it her?」[Nova]
She kept looking at the door as if she wanted nothing more to escape.
『Did… you want to go out to eat something?』[Nova]
He looked at the clock, and it was well after classes.
「Looks like I'm in for a lecture from Reagan...」[Nova]
She quietly nodded as a response to his question.
『Then, how about fast food?』[Nova]
Their wounds were finally perfectly healed.
『...Then, you lead.』[Anastasia]