Chapter 166: The Astraea Familia is No More!
(PS: I don't want to recall some incident in real life. Sorry for the late upload.)
Luke patiently delivered the potion to Kaguya's mouth, one drop at a time.
Witnessing the young woman's body tremble incessantly from the agonizing pain, he couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy.
Due to their collaboration with Ryuu, Luke and Ais frequently visited the Astraea Familia, gradually becoming acquainted with the girls there.
While not particularly close, they had formed a bond of friendship, a rare occurrence between adventurers from different Familias in Orario.
"How are you feeling? Any improvement?"
Luke inquired after he was done, assisting Kaguya in lying back down.
"I... I think I'm feeling a little bit better..." Kaguya responded hesitantly.
The potion was taking effect, but the persistent pain made it difficult for her to assess her recovery accurately.
"Would you like to rest for a while?"
Luke offered, "If you're still unable to sleep, I can help."
He sighed, observing Kaguya's trembling form.
Remaining awake was pure torment for her at this point.
"Then... please... do so."
With Kaguya's consent, Luke placed his hand on her forehead.
Blue starlight fragments materialized on his palm, and with a few hand seals, Kaguya drifted into slumber under the influence of Seisenjutsu.
Initially, Luke had attempted to employ illusion-based Seisenjutsu to alleviate Kaguya's pain, but it proved unsuccessful.
Intense pain was the simplest and most effective method to break free from illusions, and Luke's expertise in this area was limited.
After several failed attempts, he opted to utilize Seisenjutsu to induce sleep, allowing Kaguya to escape the mental anguish of intense pain through unconsciousness.
With Kaguya's condition stabilized, it was Alise's turn.
Among the three critically injured girls, Lyra was closest to death.
Her strength paled in comparison to Alise and Kaguya, resulting in weaker physical resilience and recovery capabilities.
Kaguya, on the other hand, appeared to be in the most dire situation, having lost both arms.
Without prosthetics, even daily life would pose a significant challenge for her in the future.
Considering the downfall of the Miach Familia due to the burden of a single prosthetic limb, Kaguya's future seemed bleak.
On the surface, Alise appeared to be the least injured.
Compared to the other two girls who had lost their sight and arms, the 'unharmed' Alise seemed fortunate.
However, the reality was far from it.
The primary reason Luke decided to rest on the safe 18th floor was because of Alise.
Among the three girls, she was the only one who might not make it back to the surface alive.
Alise... was actually the most severely injured.
"Hey, thanks for taking care of Kaguya," Alise spoke first, seeing Luke approach after tending to Kaguya.
"...She didn't even thank me, and you're doing it for her?" Luke joked, wanting to force a smile.
But facing the red-haired girl's recovered smile, he found it difficult to do so.
"What does it matter? I'm the captain, after all," Alise replied cheerfully, seemingly having emerged from the shadow of their near-death experience.
"Honestly, I never thought I'd survive." Alise sighed.
"You've said that many times already," Luke said, sitting beside Alise and helping her sit up.
Just as he had done with Kaguya, he let the injured Alise lean against him and said, "Sorry, I need to check your wounds."
"I've said it many times, and I'll still say it again, thank you so much for saving Kaguya, Lyra, Lion... and me," Alise continued, ignoring Luke's words about checking her wounds.
"By the way, don't you have anything to say about a beautiful young girl like me lying helplessly in your arms?"
"...Alright then, thank you very much, Alise-san, for giving me this privilege. Please allow me to take advantage of it with gratitude," Luke replied, removing Alise's clothes as he spoke.
What appeared before his eyes was a gaping hole.
A blood-soaked hole in the body caused by a 'piercing injury' marred the young woman's once flawless abdomen.
The enormous and gruesome wound was located on Alise's right side.
This devastating injury was beyond Luke's ability to heal.
Prana's effectiveness in healing was minimal, and Seisenjutsu lacked potent healing techniques.
Every power had its limitations, and the seemingly versatile Prana was no exception.
Healing was its weakest aspect, at least for him, it was.
Apart from a few Stregas and Dantes born with healing abilities, Prana offered virtually no healing effects.
This was evident from the fact that Sylvia, known as the 'Most Versatile Strega,' was unable to use 'healing' magic.
The only healing technique available in Seisenjutsu was the 'Healing Charm,' which relied on promoting metabolism and cell division to achieve its effects.
This was clearly not suitable for Alise's current condition.
The moment the wound was exposed, the smile on Alise's face stiffened.
A heavy silence descended upon them.
However, before the atmosphere could turn completely cold, Alise continued speaking.
"S-Speaking of which, Kaguya is obedient to you now, right?" The red-haired girl said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Hmph, first Lion, then Kaguya?"
"You've snatched away half of the remaining members of our Astraea Familia. You're making it much harder for me to revive our Familia when we return to the surface," She joked, "Am I your next target? Humph, I've seen through your plan!"
"I still have to revive Astraea Familia, so don't even think about..."
"Alise, seriously, I admire you," Luke interrupted.
"I truly admire your spirit, your refusal to give up hope even now," He continued, his voice filled with sincerity.
"I know you're trying to comfort yourself, to strengthen your resolve through this self-hypnosis."
"And I believe you'll keep your word. The moment you return to Orario, you'll start preparing for the Astraea Familia's revival, right?"
"I really don't want to discourage you. I don't want to shatter the last remaining wish in your heart."
Luke sighed, glancing at the unconscious Lyra and the armless Kaguya before returning his gaze to Alise.
"But after all the effort to save you, to save all of you from the clutches of death, I don't want you to walk down a path of destruction."
"Alise, unfortunately, I have to tell you, the Astraea Familia is no more!"
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