Everyone looked at each other and started smiling wildly! Each of them ate one crystal, and their bodies began to glow, giving the battle a fresh, more powerful turn. Lucky for me, I was among the fallen—so I'd be healed alongside them!
The fusion of my shoulder ligament was nearly complete, and I could now hold the crystals without pain.
Time froze. Everything hung in the balance on that one choice. If I got it wrong, it would be the end—not just for me, but for everyone. My fingers clenched the crystals so tightly they almost hurt.
I crushed the large green crystal, channeled its energy, and shut my eyes, trying to locate the auras of the wounded. I felt a wave of relief when I found Hitomi's aura…
As their bodies shimmered in green light, even the deepest wounds closed—and severed limbs regenerated. I'd succeeded in healing them, along with my own injuries, though the effort had drained me of all energy and mana. But the second crystal held the trapped power of an earth mage. I chose to unleash it by hurling two massive spikes at the monster's eyes.
The ground trembled as the beast emerged—a towering figure, wild in shape, like a fusion of minotaur and lion. Its mane writhed with snakes, and its weapon was a giant tree trunk. Let's say… friendly wasn't on its résumé.
As I studied the creature's body, I absorbed the final crystal. My attack took form: on my left and right, two colossal earth spikes materialized, solidifying into stone under intense pressure. Yet for a split second, a thought crossed my mind—
After all, no one listens to a healer like me. I wasn't one to go with the flow. Thanks to the Bargon twins, Hitomi, and Noctua, we were dragged into this colossal battle. "Come on, it'll be fun," they said. "It'll be easy," they said. And now here we are—facing a demon and its hordes, four teams strong, and we're barely scratching it. Sure, I'm the one who'll make the difference... right? I'll do what I can since I've helped already—no need for them to complain. Just hope we get out of here quickly.
As the thought lingered, the spikes lost strength… "Hey, Noctua, take our team and go! We have no chance now, so…"