Bloomed to Wither

Chapter 9

—–CROW—– 

Kata raised her sword, aiming for his neck.

The moment Soram tried to turn his head, she slammed her braced leg against the back of his left leg.

At the same time, the jade-green Aura surrounding her blade vanished.

His realization was swift. Kata was trying to topple him using the length of her blade.

‘Damn it!’

Soram’s grip on his sword tightened.

As their faces drew close, legs entangled, a strained groan escaped his lips along with a tearing sound.

“Ugh!”

Soram stumbled back involuntarily.

He glanced at the sword that had fallen to the ground, then slowly met Kata’s eyes.

The fallen sword wasn’t his.

“Gah, ugh…”

He couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

Kata swayed greatly, then forced herself to regain her balance.  Crimson blood dripped from her open mouth.

As the golden Aura embedded in her back dissipated, blood gushed from the gaping wound.

“You said… you would only use… Aura through your sword…”

“…….”

Kata couldn’t finish her protest.  A whistling sound accompanied each breath, and her knees buckled.

Her round head hit the ground with a dull thud.

***

Soram was flustered.

He had lost control of his Aura, even if only for a moment.

And Catarina Donovan, with a hole in her back, lay sprawled on the ground, covered in blood.

Damn it. This was bad.

He could already picture the Commander’s reproachful gaze and the Vice-Commander’s furious outburst.

“There’s a limit to teaching a rookie, who told you to half-kill the kid?!”

Soram was extremely irritated.

“Donovan? Catarina Donovan.”

He nudged her round head with his foot, but there was no response, only her light brown hair scattering slightly.

What a disgrace. Not only had he dragged out the fight against a rookie, but he had also lost control of his strength in his panic.

He was pressing down on the top of her head with his foot when-

“Step away.”

Xenon intervened, crouching down and protectively shielding Kata’s head.  His smooth face was hardened in a fierce expression.

Soram raised an eyebrow at the defiance in his bright blue eyes.

“‘Step away’? Since when does a mere rookie-“

“I need to take her to the infirmary. I’m sure you don’t want this situation to escalate any further.”

Xenon’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he seemed to suppress his anger.

Although he was annoyed by his impertinent attitude, Soram wasn’t foolish enough to argue in this situation.

“…I’ll take her.”

Xenon was practically a witness to this scene.  He could easily spread the word that Soram had lost control of his power while fighting a rookie.

‘Damn it.’

Soram glared at Xenon silently, then finally stepped aside.

Xenon lifted Kata into his arms, gave a curt nod, and strode out of the training grounds.

Soram’s gaze followed his increasingly rapid footsteps, turning cold. It had been a long time since he felt this disgusted.

Leah cautiously spoke, “Sir, now that the spar is over, should I prepare your bath?”

“…….”

“Sir Soram?”

“Shut up.”

Leah quickly closed her mouth. It was best not to provoke Soram when he was this on edge.

Staring at the dried bloodstains, he said, “She’ll probably be confined to the infirmary for a while, but it was a ‘light’ burst of Aura, and I avoided vital points, so it shouldn’t be critical.”

“Yes, she’ll recover quickly.”

“She’s also responsible for daring to match me, not knowing her place.”

“Yes…”

“Damn it, just a First Awakened!”

Soram threw his sword down in frustration.

Leah lowered her gaze silently.  The memory of the dazzling Aura flashing made her mouth taste bitter.

***

The dim light of dawn touched her pale face. Xenon stood motionless, looking down at Kata lying in bed.

“She just needs to rest well until her body absorbs the healing spell.”

They said the healing went well. Kata’s breathing had also become much more regular.

However, his mind wasn’t at peace.

Xenon was angry.

He was angry at Soram for breaking his promise and using his full strength against a new rookie during a spar, and he was angry at Kata for readily accepting the fight.

He was also furious at Kata’s consideration in withdrawing her Aura to avoid injuring Soram, and at Soram’s petty generosity in still managing to injure her back.

Fragmented sunlight through the window bars slanted across Kata’s body.  Xenon watched the sunlight spread across his shoes.

What made him angriest was that even in that moment, he was assessing Kata’s skills.

The speed of her thrusts, the range of her slashes, the proficiency of her techniques.

He had been observing the fight, comparing Kata’s growth to his own. It was a long-standing habit.

Because when eleven-year-old Kata had stayed at his family’s house like a guest, he had never been able to properly defeat her.

“Ugh…”

He suddenly came to his senses.

Kata, unconscious, was moaning.  Her sweat-drenched hair clung to her cheeks, making her look quite pitiful.

If it were anyone else, he would have called the healer, but Xenon realized she was having a nightmare.

He watched Kata’s face with his arms crossed.

His cold gaze touched the floating dust, swept over the damask curtains, then returned to her moaning face.

“Hetashi…”

The muffled words somehow made him feel empty.

“Ha.”

They had spent three years together, and six years had passed since then.

And Kata still couldn’t overcome her nightmares.

The room was deathly silent.  Kata’s head, which had been tossing and turning, rolled towards Xenon.

In the silence, Xenon took a step towards the bed where she lay.  He looked down at her face, bathed in the faint sunlight, then slowly knelt down.

There was a time when it was exactly like this.

When they had climbed a mountain together and, exhausted, collapsed onto the dirt ground.

To be precise, Kata, who had comfortably sprawled out, had persuaded him, and Xenon had reluctantly lain down on his back as well.

And then, when he had watched her sleeping face for a long time, and her head had drooped towards him…

“…….”

Xenon pressed two fingers against Kata’s temples.  It was a careless gesture.

Kata’s head slowly turned.  Her face, which had been facing him, fell towards the wall.

Her delicate features, which had drawn his gaze, turned away, leaving only the back of her head.

The still air felt stuffy.

***

Kata was drenched in cold sweat. She felt like she was going to throw up.

It wasn’t a minor injury, but she regained consciousness in less than half a day, and if it weren’t for the healer’s vehement protests, she would have immediately returned to training.

“It takes time for the healing spell to be fully absorbed! If the wound opens up, I’ll have to treat it again!”

She had crept back into bed at his sharp tone, but even then, she hadn’t felt this uncomfortable.

*Crunch, crunch, crunch.*

“…Xenon?”

Xenon Corer was sitting on the chair next to the bed, peeling an apple with a rather artistic posture.

She even had the illusion that she saw a flash of blue Aura on the paring knife.  The apple, peeled smoothly without a single break, was soon left with only its smooth flesh.

Xenon silently offered her a piece of the cut apple on a fork.

“Ca-, can I eat this?”

A brief silence followed.

Kata, gauging his mood, cautiously took a bite, and the next piece was offered in the same manner.

The apple was tart and crisp.

When she finished eating, Xenon mechanically offered her another piece.

*Munch, munch.* The fork went back and forth a few more times.

Kata was now obediently waiting for the next piece of apple. The last remaining piece was obviously filled with honey and looked delicious.

*Stab!*

She felt a murderous aura emanating from the fork piercing the apple. Juice splattered dramatically.

“Catarina Donovan.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you like this?”

—–CROW—– 

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