Demon's Condition

The field was a wasteland. Withered and burnt grass was all that remained in the area. Not even the dummies on the training ground survived the duel.

Lilac knelt on the scorched earth, her breathing heavy. Her whole body ached from the shock of Alan’s magic, and a painful burning sensation bothered her beneath her skin like an insatiable itch.

A good distance away, the white barrier shielding Ella and Vance dissipated. It took Ella a lot of effort to maintain the shield during the course of the duel. Several times, it had to be repaired.

“Alan is the winner!” Vance shouted to the duelists and jogged up to them. “Lilac, are you alright?”

“I’m… okay…” Lilac groaned. The burning feeling sunk deeper into her body. Light magic was extremely dangerous to demons, almost like a deadly allergy. She couldn’t believe she forgot that when she accepted the proposed duel. Ashes clung to her knees as she attempted to stand up with visible struggle.

Alan stepped beside her and offered himself as support, throwing her arm around his shoulder for stability. “I’m sorry, Lilac. I should’ve held back more.”

“It’s alright…” she breathed. With a little bit of effort, she forced her grimace into a smile. “I’ll be better in no time.”

“Let’s take you to the infirmary,” Alan suggested and pulled her back toward the academy.

Lilac shook her head. “The pain will be gone soon. There’s no need to worry about me.” A doctor skilled in curing magic-induced injuries would likely recognize that the adverse effects she was experiencing were different. If she were to see such a doctor, her identity as a demon could be exposed.

“But you’re clearly injured,” Alan argued. “It doesn’t look very good, and these injuries came from me. What kind of hero would I be to not take you to receive the treatment you need?”

“He’s right,” Vance stepped forward, his face sunken with concern. “You’re in bad shape. You need a doctor.”

Ella watched the scene unfold with an unbothered expression. “I can heal her.”

“These injuries might be too advanced for you to heal,” Alan said.

“I’ve treated worse,” Ella pushed. “Your magic may be more advanced than mine, but that doesn’t stop me from being able to cure the damage it caused. It can’t hurt to let me try, would it?”

Alan paused, thought it over in his head, and nodded. “I guess you are the high priest’s daughter.”

The color drained from Lilac’s face. Holy magic was even more dangerous to her than light magic. If she were to try to heal Lilac, the opposite effect would occur. Her injuries would become worse, and her secret would be out in the open. She would much rather go to the doctor’s.

“On second thought, I think we should go to the infirmary,” Lilac said, still leaning on Alan’s shoulder. “I could get a general checkup while I’m there once I’ve recovered.”

“I could do that for you,” Ella offered. “I’m a priestess. Healing is one of my responsibilities.”

“No offense, Ella, but I’d prefer to be treated by someone else.” The pain swirled around her body, causing her to wince.

Ella narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, unnoticed by all except Lilac. “If you say so. You’d already be feeling better if you would allow me, but I’ll respect your choice.”

“Thank you,” Lilac dipped her head and allowed Alan to lead her back to the academy.

Behind them, Ella’s calm expression was contrasted by the look of concern on Vance’s face.

Alan’s eyes shifted toward Lilac. “Were you afraid Ella might accidentally make it worse?”

If she weren’t in so much pain, her surprise would have made her jump. “How did you know?”

“Just a hunch,” he said. “Your fears aren’t misplaced. There’s a chance something could’ve gone wrong if she tried.”

“What do you mean?”

“When healing magic fails to treat a magic-induced wound, there’s a chance the magic poured into the body could be swallowed up by the hostile magic still in its system, creating an even more dangerous situation for the patient. I read that in a book once.”

“I didn’t know th–ah!” Lilac recoiled from a sudden sharp pain in her left shoulder.

Alan stopped abruptly. “Do you want me to carry you?”

“C-carry?!” For a moment, Lilac forgot the pain in her body. Heat filled her cheeks, burning hotter than her injuries.

“Is that a no…?”

“Um, well…” She shook her head out of embarrassment. “No, it’s fine. It just took me by surprise.” Lilac let go of Alan to allow him to move into the correct position to carry her.

He stepped to the side of her and swooped her into his arms princess-style.

Lilac let out a yelp as she suddenly found herself cradled in his arms, staring up at his hot, stoic face… She quickly shut her eyes as if something scary just popped out at her. ‘This is so embarrassing!!!’

“Is the pain acting up again? You’re all red.” He said, noticing her reaction.

“N-no, I’m okay…” She gathered the courage to open her eyes again, but seeing him looking back at her with concern made her heart flutter more than she could bear, so she shut her eyes again. ‘Nope, can’t do this!’

She had noticed it before, but being held like this made her realize again just how attractive the hero was. Feeling the warmth of his hands under her knees and on her back didn’t do anything to help her quickening heart. At least the pain she was experiencing was more tolerable under these conditions.

“We should hurry.” His feet moved forward as he took off in a jog.

The cool air washed over her, burying the heat of sheepishness. She clung to his chest for stability during the rush to the infirmary, still not daring to open her eyes.

Only a few minutes later, they were bursting through the door of the infirmary. “Is there a doctor available?” Alan called out.

A red-haired woman in white looked up from the student she was attending and hurried over to meet them when she noticed the burn marks on her skin. “What happened to her?”

“Our duel went a little too far. I should have been more careful,” Alan explained.

“I’m alright, don’t worry about me,” Lilac said through the pain still circulating through her body.

“Lay her on this bed,” the nurse guided Alan to a bed next to the other patient. She watched him gently place Lilac on the mattress. “What was she struck with?”

“Light magic. Can you help her?”

The nurse waved a hand over Lilac’s injured body. Soft blue light manifested on the path her hand traversed. As the trail of luminescence formed, an unexpected sleep washed over Lilac. A few moments passed in silence as she stood over Lilac with a thoughtful expression. “It appears her body is experiencing adverse effects from the light magic. You didn’t happen to use a spell with lingering effects, did you?”

Alan shook his head. “No, my combat spells are all direct. What do you mean by adverse effects? What’s happening to her?”

She tapped her foot, wondering how she should explain. “Do you have any allergies?”

“No.”

“Do you know of anyone with allergies?”

“No.”

The nurse sighed. “Do you know what allergies are, at least?”

“Yes,” he said.

“I’m not sure this is the best way to think of it, but it’s almost as if she’s got a severe allergy to the magic she was struck with.”

“How bad is it?” Alan asked, a pang of concern and guilt growing in his chest. He glanced at Lilac, wishing he could turn back time to reject the duel.

“Judging by what I can observe…” The nurse studied the blue light once more. “This isn’t something that can be healed right away with magic. She’ll be okay, but I estimate it will take a few days for her to recover properly.”

“A few days?” Alan balled his hands into fists. He was responsible for Lilac’s present condition. If only he hadn’t gone along with Ella’s suggestion, then Lilac wouldn’t be spending her time in pain, recovering in the infirmary instead of living her life. “How could this happen…?”

“I’m still not positive what caused her to end up in this state. Why don’t you come by in a couple days? I should have figured it out by then, and she’ll be good enough to move around again.”

Beside the bed was a white chair, most likely for visitors. “Actually, do you mind if I stay here for a bit?”