Fate/Magus Path

178 Romani

A strange warmth began to seep into her limbs.

The spark of life, teetering on the edge of extinction, stirred under the gentle guidance of an unseen force.

"Mm..."

Ritsuka Fujimaru, still lost in the haze of unconsciousness, twitched faintly in Roy's arms. Her brow furrowed as the wounds riddling her body knitted together beneath the soft green glow emanating from his hands.

Roy sustained the healing magecraft for a time, watching as the worst of Ritsuka's injuries faded. Only when he was certain she was out of mortal danger did he allow himself a small breath of relief.

With the Third Magic, he could have erased her wounds in an instant. But tampering with another's soul through magecraft was a line he refused to cross lightly. He reserved that power for himself, wielding it on others only in the direst of straits.

The healing spells he used now were slower, less potent than the Third Magic, but with a generous dose, they sufficed to mend Ritsuka's battered form.

A mere fatal wound, after all.

"That should do it..."

The faint green light dimmed and vanished from his palm.

Roy reached behind him, retrieving a black water flask. He tilted it carefully to Ritsuka's lips.

Gulp, gulp...

Water trickled down her cheeks, spilling into her parched mouth.

The precious moisture soothed her dry throat, a rare coolness cutting through the haze. Stirred by instinct, the barely conscious girl clutched the hand feeding her and drank greedily.

"Cough, cough, cough!!"

In her muddled state, she gulped too fast, choking on the stream. Her body convulsed with coughs, but the fit sharpened her senses, dragging her mind into clarity.

Ritsuka's bleary eyes fluttered open, meeting the face of a young man gazing down at her.

"Awake at last, miss?" Roy offered a warm smile, his voice soft as he greeted her. "Looks like you're pulling through nicely."

"Huh?!"

Startled by the unfamiliar youth, Ritsuka registered her position... cradled against him, her hand gripping his. She'd been resting in his arms.

What was going on?

Confusion rippled through her mind.

Waking up in a stranger's embrace in the midst of a perilous Singularity... nothing about this felt right. This wasn't some saccharine romance novel.

She vaguely recalled being swarmed by magical beasts before blacking out, but...

Struggling upright, Ritsuka scanned her surroundings.

Where were the beasts?

No matter how hard she looked, all she saw was cracked, scorched earth... Karna's handiwork... and countless blackened chunks of charred flesh.

The air reeked of roasted meat, sharp and acrid. In this desolate wasteland, she seemed to be held by this young man alone.

The scene was anything but romantic. It was downright eerie.

"Who... are you?" she ventured, her voice tentative.

"Just a wanderer doubling as a magus, nothing more," Roy replied with a dip of his head, gently setting the shaken girl down from his arms.

"I'm glad to see you're alright."

Eased to the ground, Ritsuka hesitated, her nerves still taut. "Did you save me?"