Ch.4343. The Awakened Amethyst

“You want me to make Vine commit evil acts?”

“Yes. That’s how the monsters of Eden were created.”

At that moment, Arin, who was standing nearby, objected to Ellis.

“So, if she needs to commit evil acts, she can’t even do that in her current state. How can someone who can’t even get up do bad things?”

Her tone was somewhat sharp, as if she hadn’t fully calmed down from earlier.

Ellis responded to this.

“Ha, are you as small in brain capacity as you are in size? This much can be treated with simple magical energy injection as emergency care. At least enough magical power can be supplied to make her move.”

“Magical energy supply? Don’t you think we’ve already tried that? You seem to be the one with nothing in your head.”

“What? Do you think a magical girl and a monster can share magical energy? Talk sense. You’re running your mouth without knowing anything properly.”

“Wait, are you saying you can do it?”

“Sigh, Lady Blanc. Please do something about this little brat! She’s so noisy, chattering and whining!”

“What? Chattering? You’re the noisy one!”

“Both of you, stop it. Ellis, what do you mean by different magical energy, and you can supply it? If so, couldn’t we take magical energy from other monsters, so Vine wouldn’t have to commit evil acts?”

“No. This is terribly inefficient. I’d have to use all my magical energy just to make Vine move. Besides, the minimum magical energy Vine needs would be extremely high.”

“Sigh, so you’re saying a stable magical energy supply using monsters is difficult. In the end, Vine still needs to commit evil acts, bad deeds. The standard of evil for Vine… sigh…”

“For now, shouldn’t our priority be waking Vine up? I find it too painful to see Vine unable to get up like this, and there’s a mountain of things I need to discuss with her. Let’s hurry. We can do it now, right?”

I was about to suggest we do it immediately, since I’d be happy if Vine woke up quickly.

But Arin voiced her opposition again.

“How do we know you won’t do something strange to Vine unnie! I can’t trust you. Let’s find another way, unnie. Okay? I mean someone who can really help, not this weird woman!”

Arin seemed unable to let go of her suspicion.

For some reason, she seemed excessively cautious.

“Arin, even if we can’t trust her, no one else can treat Vine. We need to trust her for now. And if she tries anything funny, I’ll be the first to eliminate her. Don’t worry. Understand? Ellis, you may begin.”

“Lady Blanc. I’m your property now anyway… I won’t do anything to upset you! Sigh, I’ll start the magical energy injection…”

“Good. Please begin.”

Ellis took Vine’s hand and placed it against her chest.

A stream of pink magical energy flowed from her chest, following Vine’s hand and circulating throughout Vine’s entire body.

The flow was being blocked around the chest area.

With an overwhelming volume, she made it overflow past that dam-like obstruction.

Finally completing the circulation.

The moment the flow connected, Vine’s breathing changed slightly from her normal sleeping breath.

The change gradually increased until Vine regained consciousness.

For more efficient magical energy supply, Ellis had somehow climbed on top of Vine and was embracing her.

And seeing this situation, Vine’s first words were,

“This is another dream…”

* * *

Right, there’s no way Ellis, Blanc, and Arin would be together here.

Ellis, who had already escaped, wouldn’t have been captured and brought here.

Ellis’s disguise skills are so perfect that no one would recognize her.

The magical power suppression necklace made by the doctor would hide any emitted magical energy completely.

She should be hiding somewhere temporarily, then come out and live a normal life.

She shouldn’t be here.

This is just people I want to see appearing.

Well, Arin could be here too.

Even though our time together was short, her influence on me was significant.

Well, I wonder if Blanc would acknowledge that…

People I want to see…

I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because we’ve fought together so much.

Because of her, I could be here like this.

Ha, if only she didn’t always do strange things, it would have been better.

I wish the old justice-burning Blanc would return,

But this is a dream.

It will never end.

Haha…

“Vine, wake up! Vine!”

Sigh, am I hearing things now?

Even for a dream… this is so vivid…

Huh…? Why that red hair…?

There’s no particular connection. Is she just here to support Blanc?

Ah, I’m happy.

I wish this dream would last a little longer.

After having so many painful dreams…

I’m tired now.

I didn’t want to dream anymore.

But if it’s a dream like this…

“Blanc, Ellis, Arin… everyone together, haha… it’s so nice even if it’s a dream. Only in dreams can I be this happy.”

“What, Blanc can make such a dazed face…? How silly… Always trying to act like an adult. Arin is just a bundle of cuteness. She’s so pure that I couldn’t approach her, but I always ended up getting close. Ha, Ellis. How much must I have missed you to see you even in a dream like this.”

I hugged Ellis’s squirming body.

I don’t know why, but she was there. At least in my dream, I can fulfill my desires, right?

It doesn’t matter what I do in a dream.

I hugged Ellis tightly and wouldn’t let go.

After holding her for a while, ah, it feels good.

There was some meek resistance from Ellis, but this is a dream.

But why are Blanc, Arin, and the red-haired one looking at me with those eyes?

“Yaaawn… Huh…? Wait, a yawn…?”

In the dream world, yawns don’t happen.

Such basic human physiological phenomena are usually ignored, but…

Hmm?

N-no way…

“W-wait, just a moment…”

I pinched my cheek.

It hurts.

What I see before me is Ellis.

And those looking at me with strange eyes around are magical girls.

This doesn’t make sense.

Uh, wait…?

Ellis and Blanc shouldn’t be together, right…?

“W-wait a minute. If this isn’t a dream, Ellis, how did you…?”

“I’m the one with many questions… Vine, I’m glad you’re awake… But, could you let go of me…?”

“Ah, ah. Aaaah!”

* * *

Vine, who had just woken up, hid herself under her blanket again.

Well, it seems she did release Ellis.

I wonder what kind of dream she was having to act so boldly…

And right in front of our eyes.

Arin’s eyes were already completely rolled back, insisting that she too needed to receive a hug from Vine, while Seohyun said she needed some fresh air after seeing something she shouldn’t have and left the room.

Well, that’s strange too.

Usually, Vine’s facial expressions hardly change—only someone like me who has known her for a long time would notice—but during that time when she thought she was dreaming, her emotional changes were so diverse that I wondered if this was really Vine.

Embarrassment, relief, comfort, happiness.

I saw expressions I’d never seen on her before.

Perhaps that was also part of her embarrassment.

It was a while before Vine poked her head out from under the blanket again.

Of course, during that time, there was vigorous kicking visible from under the blanket, and Vine’s face, just barely peeking out, showed extreme embarrassment, her completely reddened face reminiscent of a radish.

Hmm, even a radish isn’t enough.

I should say she looked like steam might burst from her head at any moment.

Not realizing that her prized expressionlessness was still broken, the hesitant Vine shyly offered her return greeting.

“Haha… H-hello, Blanc…? H-have you been well…?”

“Yes, Vine. Haha… Thank goodness, really… thank goodness… Thank you for waking up… *sniff, sob*…”

I had just thought that Vine was cute with all her emotions showing.

But it turned out I was the one who couldn’t control my emotions.

Yes, I was completely overwhelmed with emotion.

“Vine… I’m so relieved. I was so worried about what might happen to you… so worried…”

She just watched me until my emotions settled down.

Hmm, what does this mean?

I didn’t have time to think about it; perhaps she was trying to comfort me.

“Hahaha… Blanc, why are you crying? It all happened because of my inadequacy. How should your enemy react when you cry…”

“B-but… making you overexert yourself in training was… too, too much…”

“I’m the one who pushed myself, not you, Blanc. And look at me. I’m alive and healthy, aren’t I?”

As she said this, Vine tried to get up from the bed as if to demonstrate her robustness, but unable to withstand her weakened state, she collapsed back onto the bed.

“See, you’re still this sick. So…”

“Haha… The atmosphere is getting too heavy. Hmm…”

Vine thought for a moment, then asked what was perhaps the most important question at present.

“So, why is Ellis here?”