Fate DxD

Chapter 126

Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Burning, plunged into total darkness, all I feel is that familiar sensation, licking at my skin, consuming it and turning it charred. I can hear the muffled screams of trapped people, the collapse of buildings, growing louder and louder as the flames intensify. Unable to bear it any longer, I try to scream in pain, to call for help, but my voice cannot leave my vocal cords, as if consumed by the flames. I open my eyes, but my gaze is met by the white ceiling and the pale light of the hospital.

The pain, too, vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling of exhaustion throughout my body, as if I'd just run several marathons in a row. I push the blanket aside and get out of bed, stretching as I go. I notice a bag filled with clean clothes. I walk over and see a Post-it note with drawings of a heart and Monji's head on it, all signed by Fuji-nee. As I gaze at this piece of paper for a few seconds, I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I let out a long sigh, feeling a heavy weight lift from my shoulders.
Feeling better, I glance at the clock hanging on the wall, which shows that it's not even 9 o'clock yet.

"It's a recovery room; I guess others need it more than I do." I think back bitterly on the damage caused and imagine how many innocent bystanders were hurt.

As I take off my dirty clothes—covered in blood and dust and torn in places—I notice that my arm has returned to normal. I turn to a mirror and examine myself. Aside from a few burn marks here and there, and a few strands of gray hair, my body shows no noticeable signs of the night's battle.

I look at my arm again, wiggling my fingers to see if I feel any discomfort, but there's nothing at all—it's like I'm brand new.

"Ddraig, do you know what happened?" I ask, awakening the dragon within me.

"Nothing at all, I was sleeping too." He replied, yawning in between.

"Huh... I'm not back to normal yet... I can feel it..." I look at the back of my hand, where the green gem of the Sacred Gear has appeared.

"I can confirm that your arm is still draconic; it's just that someone cast an illusion spell to make it look human," explains Ddraig. "Which is probably for the best, I suppose—seeing you show up with a different arm would have raised a lot of questions."

"...Too bad I don't know who did that; I would have liked to thank them." I nod.

I'm going back to my first task, which is to get dressed, and even though my clothes are clean, I still don't feel very well.

"Huh... All I really need is a good shower..." I sigh.

As I put my dirty clothes in the bag, I turn my attention to my phone, which, despite its slightly cracked screen, has miraculously survived. I turn it on to check how many messages I've received, and I wince. Suddenly, an important thought pops into my head—something I've been fighting for all night.

"Sister... Sophie..." My eyes widened as I saw the bloodied, seriously injured Sister again, and Sophie's desperate expression.

I zip up the bag, grab it, and leave the room. As soon as I step into the hallway, I barely manage to dodge a nurse who's rushing by, her eyes ringed with huge dark circles. She apologizes and continues on her way, giving me a glimpse of the state of the hospital. The nurses are running in all directions, stopping for a few seconds by patients—the luckier ones on stretchers, while others are on the floor, on a futon and covered with a small blanket. I watch the scene with sadness and clench my fists, thinking back to my battle against the Black Knight.

(I hope I didn't accidentally hurt anyone...)

Unable to stand the smell of blood and disinfectant in the air any longer, I continue on my way, letting a nurse know that the room I was using is now available. Without hesitation, he alerts his colleagues, and they all set to work preparing the room.