Chapter 131: "Dragon"
"I never expected your ability to be healing. You're quite impressive."
Shizuku leaned against the hospital corridor wall with both hands behind her back. One small, rounded leather shoe lightly tapped the floor as she turned toward Shiro.
Her ability was a nature-interference type that controlled water.
To make better use of it, Shizuku had also studied medicine extensively. Compared to Ikki and the others, she understood far better how difficult it had been to cure Kaito.
A vegetative patient who had remained unconscious for over two years would have already received every treatment the hospital could offer.
Had Shiro not appeared, whether Kaito ever awakened would have been left entirely to chance.
"Exactly. I never expected Shiro's ability to be healing either. Does that mean we can ask you for help whenever we're injured from now on?"
Alice spoke in agreement.
"Ahaha... When possible, you should still use a regeneration capsule. My ability is still slightly unstable..."
Shiro forced a dry smile and tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He wondered whether they would still say that after discovering the true nature of his Blazer ability.
He could already feel the strange gaze coming from Stella, the only person who knew the truth.
To stop her from exposing him in public, Shiro hurriedly shifted the topic toward something that would definitely interest her.
"By the way, Stella, I think I've gained a clue about your true Blazer ability."
"Stella's true Blazer ability?" ×3
Unexpectedly, the other three reacted even more strongly than Stella.
In their eyes, Stella's ability was already extraordinarily powerful, especially her Noble Art, [Katharterio Salamandra].
That attack had reached a destructive scale capable of easily blowing away Hagun Academy's entire training field.
Now Shiro was telling them it was merely a product created because Stella had been using her Blazer ability incorrectly.
It was as absurd as the world's greatest swordswoman suddenly telling everyone she only liked desserts and had casually practiced swordsmanship to lose weight.
Shiro could not tell them about the realm of [Desperado].
Torajirou Nangou once had a friend who had already placed one foot into that realm. But after learning of its existence, he desperately tried to force a breakthrough.
As a result, he wasted more than ten additional years before finally becoming a [Desperado].
Therefore, Shiro only told Ikki and the others that Stella's previous understanding of her ability had been mistaken.
As for how he discovered it, he could only brush the matter aside as an accident.
"Have any of you noticed that whenever Stella becomes emotional, the people around her faintly feel a certain pressure?"
"Isn't that just air pressure caused by Stella losing control of her flames and raising the surrounding temperature?"
Ikki asked doubtfully.
Shiro did not answer directly. Instead, he turned toward Shizuku.
"Shizuku, when your magic control was still B-Rank, did you lose control whenever you became emotional and cause water droplets to appear around you?"
"I stopped making such basic mistakes around D-Rank."
Shizuku shook her head.
Seemingly understanding Shiro's meaning, a rare look of realization appeared on her doll-like face.
Among everyone present, only Ikki's magic control was E-Rank, so he was the only one who did not understand.
Once someone's magic control reached D-Rank, their ability would no longer run wild because of their emotions.
Stella's control was B-Rank, two whole levels above D-Rank.
In other words, the pressure everyone felt when Stella became emotional did not originate from her flames.
It came from her unknown true ability.
With these clues, its true nature was already becoming clear.
"Stella's real ability is related to a certain mythical creature capable of controlling flames."
"Now think carefully. What is the name of Stella's Device?"
"My Device is [Laevateinn]. Wait! Could it be...?"
"Exactly. Your true ability is unquestionably connected to 'dragons.'"
Shiro spoke with certainty.
"But do dragons truly exist...?"
Stella hesitated.
Could a creature she had only seen in children's storybooks really become the foundation of her ability?
"They definitely exist."
On this point alone, Shiro could confidently guarantee it.
Leaving this world aside, he had encountered many dragon species within the Dungeon.
The Valgang Dragons of the fifty-eighth floor, in particular, remained fresh in his memory.
Therefore, dragons unquestionably existed.
"Uu... Even if you say that, how am I supposed to immediately understand how my ability is connected to dragons...?"
Learning that her ability was related to dragons made Stella happy, but it also brought her new worries.
Even if Shiro was correct, how was she supposed to draw out the true power of a dragon?
While Stella sank into thought, the door to the hospital room suddenly opened.
Ayase slowly walked out while supporting Kaito.
"Kaito-san, your body is still extremely weak. It would be better not to move around yet."
Seeing Kaito leave the bed immediately after awakening, Ikki hurried to his other side and tried to support his free arm.
Kaito politely refused.
In truth, Ikki had already phrased it gently.
Without Ayase supporting him, and if Kaito himself were not a master swordsman, his current body would have struggled even to remain standing.
"That's what I told him... I said I could thank everyone for him, or that he could visit after recovering. But Dad insisted on coming out now..."
Ayase looked worriedly at Kaito. Her eyes were still red from crying.
"Hmph. I'm not so old that I need someone else to offer my thanks."
Kaito was worthy of the title [Last Samurai].
Even in such a weakened state, his eyes remained as sharp as a hawk's.
Under Ayase's reproachful gaze, he pulled his arm away from her support and staggered toward Shiro before bending deeply at the waist.
"Thank you very much for saving my life!"
Shiro had done far more than simply awaken him.
Only after Ayase finished crying and began telling him what had happened recently did Kaito suddenly realize that his heart had not felt this comfortable in years.
Ever since developing heart disease, even speaking had caused tightness in his chest.
Now, that feeling had vanished completely.
Aside from his current weakness, his body had fully returned to the state it had been in before his illness.
To Kaito, Shiro had truly saved his life.
"I have no way to repay such a tremendous debt."
"So, should you not find it beneath you, this old man wishes to teach you the Secret Technique of [Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu], which contains everything I have learned throughout my life."
"Please accept it as a small token of my gratitude."
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