Outer World Story: Basilisk of Ice Sculpture

(Toki POV)

Akira-san bolts away from me and turns to face the giant.

Even if it takes a long time, I am confident that Akira-san will be able to defeat that giant.

With that in mind, it makes me proud as a defender that I was able to perceive the overlap between that premonition and the situation earlier and make a move…

Do I, nevertheless, have no option but to do it in order to survive given the extent of my current wounds and the blood loss… in order to free Sora’s feelings of grief and to spare Akira-san from suffering?

“Sora…”

“What is it… Onee-chan?”

“Matsunami-san’s… cough, cough… ointment…”

“You mean this?”

“Put it on the wound…”

“Yeah. I get it.”

I ask Sora to apply the ointment on the wound while enduring the excruciating agony, and then I urge her to step back a bit.

Now… I am going to have to psych myself up so that I don’t die of shock.

“W-What are you…”

“Hang in there, Toki nee-chan.”

“Yes… cough, Ashitekou-sama, Kagutsuchi-sama!”

Against my own body I invoke the power of Ashitekou-sama, who possesses the power to heal wounds, and the power of Kagutsuchi-sama, who presides over fire.

Why the power of these two Gods… it is only because even if I combine the force of the ointment and the power of Ashitekou-sama, my power will not be able to heal the wound completely and I will bleed to death if I do not do so.

“Ugh…!?”

“What!? Toki-san!?”

“Silence!”

So… by the power of Kagutsuchi-sama burning the ointment, it will burn the wound, forcing it to close up!

Even though it hurts like death, it’s not as horrible as passing away.

As long as I make it back alive, things will be fine.

“Hah hah… I managed it somehow…”

“Toki nee-chan…”

“I can’t believe I burned myself…”

[Muuuuaaaa!!]

“Looks like that side is over too…”

“Yeah.”

The giant’s screeching echoes out before the “Maze” eventually falls apart.

Akira-san has apparently vanquished the giant.

And as soon as the “Maze” completely collapses, light washes over my vision.

■■■■■

(Akira POV)

“Toki-san!”

“Cough, thanks for your hard work.”

After the “Maze” has disintegrated, I dash over to Toki-san the moment we return to the original world where the mirror stones are in disorder.

Toki-san has burns all over her body as if she had burned herself in an effort to suppress the blood loss.

However, she still seems to be in a critical state, with traces of blood on various parts of her body, starting with her mouth.

“Please take her to the medical unit urgently!”

“Even without being told, I am already prepared to do so! But with those wounds, even if we reach the Divine Sanatorium…”

Sora-san is asking for assistance from the eradication squad to transport Toki-san, but from the looks of those wounds, she may not be able to carry on from here, outside the east gate, to the Divine Sanatorium on the west side of the city.

“I’m sorry. If only I had been able to defeat the giant sooner…”

“You did your best, Akira-san. The reason I’m like this now is because of my… cough, lack of training. There is no need to be vexed about it.”

I shout out to Toki-san while holding her hand, yet she responds naturally as if nothing is wrong.

In reality, she must still be experiencing extreme agony.

“…Ys, is there any way to ensure Toki-san’s life until we reach the Divine Sanatorium?”

“Akira-san?”

[There is. But rather than my power and Akira’s power, it is more essential that Toki believes in me and Akira and accepts us.]

“Me… cough, cough.”

When asked if there is a method to resolve the crisis, Ys responds that there is, but Toki-san’s cooperation is required.

At this point, I come to realize what kind of method Ys is talking about, and therefore I ask Toki-san.

“Toki-san… will you entrust your life to me and Ys?”

Toki-san curves her lips once at my words and opens her mouth to speak, placing her hand on my cheek.

“Of course, I will entrust it to you.”

Hearing her answer, I set Toki-san down on the ground in a stable position before directing every ounce of power I could muster into Toki-san’s right eye, which transforms her body into ice.

“W-What in the world are you doing!?”

“Turning a human into an ice sculpture…”

“Akira onee-sama… I understand. That’s how it is, I see.”

“Yeah, I’ll go with you. Let’s hurry.”

“Yes!”

Those who are unaware of the specifics of my ability raise a commotion over my action of turning Toki-san into an ice sculpture, but among them, only Sora-san is quick enough to grasp the significance of my action and begins to take action.

Yeah, that’s right. If her life is not going to last until arriving at the Divine Sanatorium, then I will make sure that she does.

I should just turn her into an ice sculpture and halt her condition.

This would at least avert death by the passage of time.

And if we can carry the sculpture to the Divine Sanatorium undamaged, the medical unit will definitely be able to handle it after restoring it to its original state with the power of my left eye.

We hasten to transport Toki-san’s ice sculpture to the Divine Sanatorium with the utmost discretion, leaving the cleanup to the other team members and the unit that are present.

————-

Japoterasu Divine Sanatorium, in front of the Intensive Care Unit.

“Toki nee-chan…”

“Please…”

After explaining the situation to the astonished doctors as we carried Toki-san into the Divine Sanatorium, she was brought into the room marked “Intensive Care Unit,” where I returned her to her original state.

We were then dismissed from the intensive care unit, with the doctors telling us that it was their responsibility to take care of the patient from here on. Having been kicked out, we have been praying for Toki-san’s safety at the front of the room all the while receiving a brief medical treatment.

“Phew…”

“What about Toki nee-chan!?”

“Dr. Sakurai!”

Unconsciously, we hurry to the female doctor as she exits the room before we even figure out how much time has passed.

The female doctor speaks up with a tight smile on her face and a weary expression.

“Rest assured, the surgery went without a hitch. If Akira-chan hadn’t stopped the deterioration of the patient’s condition, she certainly wouldn’t have made it in time.”

Sora-san and I both reflexively yell out loud and embrace one another at the doctor’s remarks, forgetting that we are in a hospital.

Ah, I am really glad…