The shadowless surgical light on the ceiling stabbed at his retinas.
Raku slowly opened his eyes. The sensation at his back was that of disinfected bed sheets, not the cold stone tiles of the wasteland's alchemical hall.
His vision gradually focused, the white ceiling filling his sight.
"Partner, how do you feel?" Aleister's voice came from the left.
Raku shifted his gaze. Aleister was sitting on the family chair beside the hospital bed, casually tossing that heavy spellbook in his hand.
Raku opened his mouth, trying to speak. His throat felt as if it had been filled with cement–no sound came out at all.
He gave up the attempt and stiffly shook his head at Aleister.
"It seems the Shadow Duel damaged you again, but fortunately, we still have the Philosopher's Stone to use."
Aleister stopped tossing the book and turned his gaze toward the right side of the bed.
Eldlich stood up from the single sofa by the window.
His previously arrogant, forward-leaning posture was gone. In its place was a straight, upright stance.
His perfectly proportioned body, forged entirely of gold, reflected a cold luster in the morning light. His porcelain-pale hands hung naturally at his sides, the gem-studded rings on his fingers making no sound as they moved.
Most striking was his chest.
The blood-stained stone that had once emitted fierce red light was gone; In its place was a ruby glowing with a warm red light. Within the gem, its internal pattern formed a perfect nautilus spiral.
Raku looked at that spiral–the Fibonacci sequence.
"The Philosopher's Stone still has flaws, but rest assured. As long as it's handled gradually, the side effects can be avoided."
Eldlich stepped toward the bed. His thick-soled golden high-heeled boots made dull sounds against the hospital's composite flooring.
He extended that pale hand and hovered it over Raku's chest.
A miniature alchemical array unfolded beneath his palm, golden light passing through the hospital gown.
Raku felt a warm current flow down his esophagus. The invisible blockage in his throat melted away.
"Much better, thanks." Raku cleared his throat.
Eldlich's hand paused slightly before he withdrew it, sweeping the hem of his cloak back.
"No need to thank me. Rather, why did you save me back then?"
Raku leaned against the raised pillow, looking at the cold and imposing golden mask.
"Because you brought me victory."
A faint light flickered through the eye slits of the golden mask. He stood still.
"For such a reason?"
"For a Duelist, that's enough," Raku said. "You brought me victory, so I return victory to you."
The room fell silent.
The wind outside stirred the blinds, and shifting patches of light moved across Eldlich's purple cloak.
"Hah… convincing." Eldlich lowered his head slightly. "Thank you, my friend."
After confirming his condition had stabilized, Raku looked away and glanced at the clock on the wall.
"What are you planning to do next?"
"I… no, I shall establish my kingdom in the Spirit World, and then…"
Eldlich raised his head, his mask facing Raku directly.
"Continue bringing you victory."
The atmosphere paused in a strange way.
Raku stared at the ceiling. That sounded a bit over-the-top, and for once, it made him slightly embarrassed.
He pulled his right hand out from under the blanket and held it in midair, forming a fist.
According to the plan, this should have been a simple fist bump.
But just as the fist was about to steady, the muscles in his wrist stiffened from earlier exhaustion and prolonged unconsciousness.
His wrist gave way.
The clenched fingers lost their strength and naturally loosened. The forward-facing fist rotated, the back of his hand turning upward, hanging weakly in front of Eldlich.
Seems like I still don't have any strength left.
Raku thought, a little surprised.
Yet it was precisely this accident that led to what happened next.
In his vision, that tall golden figure moved.
Eldlich stepped his right foot back half a step, bending his knee. His thick-soled boots knelt steadily onto the composite floor beside the bed.
The purple cloak spread out, covering the seams of the floor tiles.
He extended both hands. Those porcelain-pale hands adorned with gem-studded rings firmly supported Raku's hanging hand.
The golden mask lowered.
The cold surface of the golden mask pressed against the back of Raku's hand.
Framed by the blinds in the early dawn light, the proud golden monarch lowered his head and deeply kissed the back of the Duelist's hand, pledging his loyalty.
The rite was complete.
Eldlich straightened his posture. He adjusted his cloak neatly and nodded toward Raku on the bed.
"I shall take my leave."
Golden light traced out a complex alchemical array on the floor. In a flash, the golden monarch vanished from the hospital room, leaving only a few glimmers on the tiles, which dissipated into the air.
Raku looked at the spot where Eldlich had disappeared and let out a breath.
"Looks like it's just the two of us again, partner."
Aleister's voice came from the right.
Raku turned his head, looking at the magician seated on the chair.
"Why did you suddenly start calling me partner?"
"Because my favorability toward you has increased significantly." Aleister placed the spellbook on his knees, the corner of his mouth curling up.
Raku didn't respond. His gaze immediately shifted to the left, scanning the hospital room door, then to the window on the right.
"Hearing that from someone of the same sex is pretty unsettling." Raku pulled his gaze back and stared at Aleister again. "And this isn't a galgame or an otome game, right?"
"Good grief, why do you think of me as such a bad person?" Aleister laughed. "Right now, I really do like you quite a lot."
The smile on Aleister's face quickly faded as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"Partner, seriously, I saw the image of a proud Duelist in you."
Aleister's eyes were fixed on Raku.
"And I also saw the possibility for me to go even further. If even Winda can display the form of Grysta, then what about me?"
Raku looked at those eyes that had suddenly become fervent, but said nothing.
Soon, Aleister leaned back into the chair again.
"Anyways, relax, partner, no need to rush." Aleister waved his hand. "With Eldlich and the Philosopher's Stone helping to stabilize you, it's only a matter of time before you recover. Focus on resting for now."
Aleister pointed at Raku's chest.
"That said, this time, your soul took a direct hit. You might want to spend more time around that girl named Phila.
"Even though it's a replica Millennium Puzzle, it still has the ability to nourish the soul.
"Otherwise, your soul wouldn't have been drawn to it before."
"Just my luck… good thing Rikka doesn't know." Raku nodded, staring at the ceiling.
Aleister's book-tossing motion froze midair.
"Hm?" Raku noticed the pause. "What's wrong?"
Aleister caught the falling spellbook and scratched his cheek.
"Well… you've actually been unconscious for three days."
Raku kept staring at the ceiling.
"If it weren't for Eldlich taking care of you these past few days, you might have stayed unconscious even longer," Aleister continued. "So… during a routine hospital check two days ago, when they saw you weren't waking up, they judged your condition had worsened and informed your family."
Aleister spread his hands.
"So… you know what that means."
Raku's chest rose and fell sharply. He took a deep breath of the hospital air, closed his eyes, steadied himself for a few seconds, then opened them again.
"When are we going to Phila's place?"
"Partner, avoiding reality isn't a good idea." Aleister looked at Raku with interest.
...
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