PHASE 47 - THE ULTIMATE FORBIDDEN LEWD TECHNIQUE!

Helena stretched out her mechanical arm as she gladly accepted the three God Cores on my palm. Then she started to chuckle.

“Hahahahahaha!!!” Helena tilted her head backward as she held her face. “Tiara, Tiara. You’re still such an idiot. The survival of Alaric is not yet guaranteed. Look at your dying lover! Look!”

I turned around and cradled the unconscious Rikkun who is heavily catching his breath. His lungs are still not fully healed, so he sounds like an asthmatic. His nervous system is still shut down. He won’t be waking anytime soon. His skin still suffers from a second-degree burn.

“Rikkun…” I caressed his head to my chest. I closed my eyes but my tears made its way out from my eyelids which dropped to his burnt blonde hair. “I’m sorry... Rikkun… I’m sorry…I’m so sorry. This is the only way I can think of to save you…”

Meanwhile, I recognized prana signatures a few meters away from us. There’s three of them. Heushac, Key, and Eliseo. Heushac had his broadsword ready as he shouted his sister’s name.

“Big sis Helena!”

Helena looked momentarily at her baby brother but never bothered to have eye contact for so long. Instead, she kept on talking to me.

“Since I know that you are true with your word, I’ll accept your surrender.”

Helena disabled all her active God Cores, and now, she’s just wearing a tight black bodysuit. I heard her footsteps going away from us, which is usually a good sign. She continued talking with a frown as if she’s sad about what happened to Rikkun.

“I’m seriously touched. Since we’re friends and I see you as my own baby sister, I’ll let you off this time. Do what you have to do in order to save him. I’ll give you one month. After that… You shall gladly offer your life to me.”

“I… I promise…” I bowed.

“Good.”

Helena swiped her fingers to open a Gate. There was a blinding flash, and when the light faded, she is already gone.

“Wait, come back! Big sis Helena!” Heushac cried as he chased his older sister’s last position. But there’s no sign that she’s coming back.

Helena… It seems that there’s still a little bit of humanity on her left. She's twisted, but she can still recognize her past allies. Even though both of her eyes are now crimson red, I think there is still a way to turn her back.

Eliseo and Key approached me and checked on Rikkun’s condition. Key her eyes into a laser scanner as she checked for damaged organs. Eliseo then proceeded to cast on my worn out body, and he also passed a considerable amount of prana to me.

“H-How’s his condition?” My jaws are trembling as I asked Key.

Key shook her head. “Not good. I’ll tell you the details later. For now, we have to get him to a safe place.”

<>

The only safe place we can think of is my condo unit. I don't think sending him to the hospital is a good idea because, in my humble opinion, modern technology can't treat an injury this severe. They might be able to treat physical wounds, but they are not capable to repair fried prana circuits. Besides, the doctors won't let us interfere with our healing spells.

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We had to lay Rikkun’s body on my bed and have Key check his vitals. Rikkun’s flesh keeps on returning to its burnt state so Eliseo and I cycled in turns to cast to the affected areas. We did it continuously for a couple of hours.

Everybody from the Aether Crusade went here, with the addition of Asumi-nee. They are all concerned about what happened to us. I told them the whole story. About the bloody battle, about Rikkun being killed, about focusing on reviving him back, and about my one-month contract with Helena.

“Darn it!” Heushac punched the wall of my living room. The impact made a big hole. “Why… Why is big sis Helena doing this!?”

“Mister Heushac…” I muttered.

“Big sis Helena… should pay for this!” Heushac cried as he rushed to the door and exited the scene.

I would like to chase and calm him down, but Drex volunteered instead. Besides, I’m needed here to keep Rikkun alive.

“Heushac must be frustrated that her own sister almost murdered his best friend,” Asumi-nee commented.

<>

…

It’s been hours.

Everybody was silent and never dared to utter any word.

All we can do is to wait and do our best to save Rikkun.

...

The silence was broken when Eliseo, Key-chan, and Emily on her Lord Hel form went out of the room where Rikkun was confined. I didn’t even notice that Emily/Lord Hel managed to sneak into my room without me noticing.

“H-How was he?” I asked the three.

The white-haired homunculus and the blonde man shook their head.

“No matter how many times we cast on him, his body keeps decaying back.” Eliseo curled his lip. "The same is true with his prana circuits. It keeps burning and infecting others like cancer cells."

I slowly glanced at the Goddess of Death, who is having a frown.

“I have temporarily removed the concept of ‘death’ on Master Alaric’s body, but I can only keep that up not more than six hours.” Lord Hel stated.

“T-Thanks, Emily…” I made a slight smile as I held her hand.

“Don’t thank me.” Lord Hel turned away. “Master Alaric is still in the brink of death. It’s the only thing I can do.”

“His vitals are fluctuating. His dead cells keep on returning and infecting the healthy ones. Unless we can cast an extremely powerful healing spell to each and every part of his body all at once, he would end up dying.” Key-chan said.

“...A healing spell to every cell of his body?” I asked.

I… I might be able to do that.

“Tiara…” Asumi-nee patted my left shoulder. Her eyes are flaming with great will, and I think she knows what I am thinking. “This… This is your jam! You know how to cast the most powerful healing spell of all! The ultimate forbidden lewd technique!”

Everybody was awed, waiting for the next words of the Head of the Kozukata Shrine Maidens.

“A .” Asumi-nee gave a grin with a thumbs up.

“A ?” Everyone repeated as if no one has an actual clue what that spell is.

“A-A-Asumi-nee!” I blushed as I scolded my senior. “Y-Y-You don’t have to tell it to them out loud! It’s too embarrassing!”

But Asumi-nee continued to explain the mechanics of the ultimate forbidden lewd technique. “First, Tiara will strip and then-”

“Asumi-nee!!!”

<>

After Asumi-nee explained to the other Gate Guardians how the works, the whole Aether Crusade immediately gave me the “GO” signal. Well, Emily hesitated at first, but she allowed it thereafter since it’s the only thing that can save Rikkun after all.

So it seems like I really have to do this.

I went inside the room where Rikkun is staying. His breathing is a lot heavier than before, and I can sense his diminishing life force.

I held his charred right hand tight and kissed it.

“...I… I love you. I’m sorry if I failed to protect you. I’m sorry if I’ll be doing this against your will, but…”

I slowly undressed my shrine maiden outfit. I removed my bra and undies. I held my chest which is beating out so loud like a boom box.

I went on top of him.

I slowly undressed Rikkun until he’s stark naked. I did it gently so that his melted skin won’t go with his clothes.

Inhale. Exhale.

This room is too awkward and silent. I should have brought my phone and played Careless Whisper on the loudspeaker to wave off the strange atmosphere…

W-What am I thinking!?

I slapped my cheeks three times. Calm down, Tiara. Calm down.

I pumped my fists. I have to do this, no matter what! Rikkun’s survival is now on my own very hands!

My whole body was engulfed with a warm and gentle green light.

And then I caressed his whole body with the warmth of my love.