A Sister’s Embrace and a Doctor’s Surprise

What kind of relationship did she have with her teacher to be so heartbroken? Presumably, then, this pen must also have been a gift from Rona. Tia, who had initially harbored a flicker of jealousy, immediately calmed upon witnessing the horrific state of the office. After all, as a victim of the demon beast disaster, it was only right to show respect to the deceased.

“I won’t take it, but you need to go to the infirmary right now.” Having declared this, Tia forcefully scooped Chloe into her arms, intending to carry her away immediately.

The girl in her embrace felt incredibly light, as if she might drift away with the slightest inattention. Seeing that the other girl no longer intended to snatch the fountain pen from her grasp, Chloe ceased her stubborn resistance. Once lifted, she leaned weakly against Tia’s chest, listening to the fervent thrumming of the heart beside her ear. From the corner of her eye, Chloe watched the scenery blur as they moved: trees, white tiled walls outside classrooms, the azure sky, and the terrified expressions of students rushing past.

“Move aside! Clear the way!” Tia ran faster than anyone, continuously pushing students out of her path.

Tia understood this was merely chaos. The demon beast responsible for the destruction had already fled, eliminating any further risk. Her only true urgency was for the girl in her arms, whose injuries remained unknown.

“Bang!”

The metal door of the infirmary was violently forced open. Tia burst inside, her gaze sweeping around until she spotted the figure in the white coat, whom she immediately called out to: “Lucas! Come look at her!”

Doctor Lucas remained in a state of shock. Only after Tia had crashed through the door did he seem to awaken from a deep slumber. The deafening crash had startled him profoundly, and upon closer inspection, he saw the door lock hanging grotesquely twisted. Evidently, a repair was unavoidable.

“By my ancestors! You’ve completely wrecked my door! And another one?!” Despite his complaints, Lucas, ever the doctor, did not stand idle. He swiftly put down the tools in his hand and rushed toward Tia. Taking Chloe from her arms, he carefully placed her onto a pristine white sickbed. “Oh! At least she’s conscious. Her condition is much better than the other girl’s.”

After a quick assessment, Lucas made his initial diagnosis. He wiped away a bead of sweat, then unhurriedly retrieved disinfectant supplies from a storage cabinet.

“She was very close to the impact site; you need to check her for any internal injuries.” Tia, still uneasy, followed closely behind him.

Lucas remained unperturbed, turning his head as he searched for medication. “Little sister Tia, don’t worry,” he said. “I’m quite confident in my assessment; that girl has no internal injuries, though her mental state seems rather poor. Perhaps she was simply terrified by the demon beast. You could go and comfort her… Oh, and if you’re truly bored, you could help me check for any wounds beneath her clothes.”

“She’s a magical girl too; she wouldn’t be scared by a demon beast.”

“Is that so? Then perhaps… never mind, go ask her yourself,” Lucas replied. “Also, the other girl you brought in earlier has stabilized. Her recovery power is stronger than I anticipated; she should be fine very soon.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Upon hearing the reassuring news that Chloe was unharmed, Tia finally felt a monumental weight lift from her heart. She let out a long, relieved sigh.

“Sister…” As Tia turned to walk back to Chloe’s bedside, she heard a faint groan, almost like a tiny, wounded animal. Her steps quickened considerably.

“I’m here. What’s wrong?”

Chloe lifted her head, her eyes clouded with gloom, utterly devoid of life. “Why was that demon beast there?” The school was vast, yet the demon beast had, by sheer coincidence, crashed into Rona’s office. Could this truly be attributed to fate?

However, Tia found herself at a loss for an explanation. During her battle with the demon beast, Tia had noticed that the bear-shaped creature seemed utterly devoid of pain. Even as the demon-slaying power relentlessly scorched its flesh, its attacks showed no sign of faltering. Fearing that prolonged entanglement would delay Night Moon’s treatment, Tia had no intention of continuing the pursuit when she saw the demon beast attempting to flee. Instead, she chose to bring the unconscious Night Moon directly to the infirmary.

This was Tia’s consistent choice: she prioritized the condition of her injured teammates. She would rather let a demon beast escape than risk the death of an ally. A wave of bitterness invariably washed over Tia whenever she recalled a past incident: Her decision to release a powerful demon beast in an attempt to rescue a critically wounded teammate had resulted in failure to save her ally, and the escaped demon beast had subsequently claimed the lives of numerous innocent civilians. It was from that point onward that Ke Lan had decided Tia should operate alone.

For Tia, the fundamental purpose of combating demon beasts was to protect those around her: friends, family, partners… and perhaps, one more.

“That demon beast… it escaped after I wounded it. I didn’t know where it would flee to.”

“Was it because of me? Did that demon beast go to Teacher Rona because of me?”

“Don’t overthink it. This was merely a coincidence; don’t blame yourself like this.” Tia gazed at the sobbing Chloe, wondering inwardly which teacher could elicit such deep concern from her. Nevertheless, she embraced Chloe like an older sister, gently patting her back.

“Why didn’t the demon beast smash me to death? I’m just a worthless life anyway, while Teacher Rona was such a good person… Ugh!” Tears glistened in Chloe’s eyes.

Mid-sentence, Tia couldn’t help but frown, covering Chloe’s mouth with her hand. Pressing her forehead against Chloe’s, she sternly declared: “Don’t ever say such things. You’re my little sister; I can’t let you…”

“Alright, I’ll disinfect your wounds now… Eh! You two…” Lucas, approaching with a stack of medical supplies, nearly dropped his jaw upon seeing the two girls clinging together. He had, more or less, watched Tia grow up. He had also met her biological sister, Yilan, and was aware of her unfortunate fate. Initially, he had worried that Tia might become despondent. He never would have imagined… that she would find herself another ‘sister’ so soon.

As a doctor with a smattering of knowledge in various fields, Lucas interpreted Tia’s actions differently. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of concern for both girls.