Chapter 30: The Return of the End
The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant.
The incandescent lights on the ceiling made everyone’s faces look even paler.
In the corridor, hurried footsteps and the distant hum of machines could be heard intermittently, while occasional soft sobs mixed with the nurses’ whispers.
This was the emergency room of Qinglan City Public Hospital.
The medical staff in the emergency department took over the injured person who had just been brought in.
According to the report, the victim had been in a car accident and was currently unconscious.
There was a large amount of blood at the scene, but the victim appeared to have no visible wounds or bleeding.
Doctors and nurses followed the procedure to check her vital signs.
Including heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature, and respiration.
The vital signs were stable, indicating that the victim was not in life-threatening condition at the moment.
Next came more detailed examinations, including physical and imaging tests.
Doctors checked her skin for bruises or signs of fractures from the accident but found nothing.
To rule out internal injuries or potential internal bleeding, the doctors arranged for imaging scans.
However, the results were surprising to the doctors.
The girl looked nothing like someone who had just been in a car accident.
Her entire body was very healthy, showing no signs of injury either externally or internally.
The possibility of brain damage was also dismissed by the latest brain scan report.
This girl was so healthy that the doctors couldn’t help but wonder if the ambulance had brought the wrong person.
Any nurse or doctor here would look more like a car accident victim than she did.
Ultimately, since this girl had not regained consciousness,
the doctors arranged for her to be observed in the emergency department ward and sent a nurse to contact her family.
All of this was thanks to the abilities of the contract beast, “Phoenix”.
Nagi’s current body was that of an ordinary person with slightly enhanced performance.
In a life-threatening car accident, she was saved by the spontaneously activated “Flame of Rebirth”.
At the accident scene, golden flames quietly flowed over her wounds, repairing her broken body.
As a result, she was now not only uninjured but even her stamina had returned to a complete state.
However, regarding consciousness, it was beyond Phoenix’s abilities.
So she had not yet regained consciousness.
…..
…..
In the emergency hall.
Soaked to the skin, Kanade sat on a chair, with a towel handed over by a nurse on his head, looking dazed.
He could no longer remember how he had made his way here step by step.
He vaguely recalled giving Renji’s number to the nurse when she asked for family contact information.
How much time had passed?
An hour?
Or two hours?
“Kanade, are you alright?” Renji’s low voice pulled Kanade back to reality.
“Poor child…” At the same time, he felt someone gently embrace his head.
It was Nagi’s mother.
Nagi’s family seemed to have arrived at the hospital not long ago.
After learning from the doctor that Nagi’s physical condition was fine and that she was only temporarily unconscious,
Nagi’s father stayed in the ward, watching over her.
While Renji and Nagi’s mother came over to comfort Kanade.
What image did he present in their eyes now?
The role of the victim?
Just thinking about this made Kanade chuckle lightly.
“Kanade-kun?”
“Mother, you should go back to Nagi; let me and Kanade stay here.” Renji seemed to sense that Kanade was not in the right state of mind and suggested.
“… I understand. Then I’ll rely on you, Kanade. Let me know if anything comes up.”
Nagi’s mother nodded and returned to the ward.
“What happened?” Renji’s tone turned a little colder after she left.
“… This is all my fault.” Kanade did not lift his head.
“Start from the beginning and tell me everything clearly.”
…..
Time passed without them realizing it.
Sitting in the hall, Kanade recounted everything that had happened today truthfully to Renji beside him.
During that time, it seemed Nagi had been arranged to a private ward.
“This is not your fault.” After pondering for a long time, Renji finally said.
“I am indeed angry that you didn’t keep a good eye on Nagi, but from a rational perspective, I can only conclude this.” Renji patted Kanade’s shoulder.
“I won’t intervene in the feelings between you and Nagi, but this matter… is not your fault.”
“If it weren’t for me… little Nagi wouldn’t be… ” Kanade stared blankly at the floor.
“… That’s enough. You should go rest now. I’ve already contacted your family, and when Nagi wakes up, I’ll inform you to visit her.”
As Renji spoke, he raised his head and saw Yukino hurrying toward them down the hallway, with Kanade’s uncle following behind her.
Renji exchanged polite nods with Kanade’s uncle from a distance.
Then Renji stood up, intending to leave first.
But he was tugged by Kanade’s sleeve.
“Can I stay here and wait for little Nagi to wake up?”
Renji turned back and met Kanade’s eyes, which lacked any shine.
“… Kanade, once you change your clothes, come to me.”
In the end, Renji bit his lip and put on a cold tone.
For Kanade now, perhaps this attitude was more suitable for him.
“When little Nagi wakes up, you need to apologize to me first.”
“… Okay, thank you.”
After Renji finished speaking, he left.
And Yukino just ran over next to Kanade, holding a paper bag with clean clothes.
“Onisan, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Yukino looked at Kanade with tears in her eyes, worried.
“F-First, let’s change into some dry clothes; you’ll catch a cold like this…”
Only then did Kanade notice his current state.
The outfit he had worn for their date was now soaked in rainwater, leaving behind dark stains of mud.
And that splash of red on his pants leg lingered painfully in his sight.
“I’ll just go say hello first.”
His uncle didn’t say much, glanced at Kanade and left with that remark, heading towards the room where Nagi was.
…..
…..
On the other side of the Earth.
The sun was shining brightly but failed to dispel the chill in people’s hearts.
Several elderly men in suits walked down the sunlit corridor.
They arrived late and pushed open the door at the end of the corridor.
They stepped into a spacious and dimly lit conference room.
An urgent online meeting was underway.
This meeting was organized by top executives of the Special Ring SEMA, with the highest authorities of the three major academies online simultaneously.
Even during the academy competition period, such a scene was rarely seen.
The atmosphere was tense, and everyone wore serious expressions.
Because the theme of this meeting was indeed not something to smile about.
A few hours ago,
unusual magical fluctuations had been detected on Japanese soil.
Instruments also observed a purple-black star in the skies above.
This report was provided by Special Ring SEMA.
“Is this report accurate? Is there any chance it’s a malfunction of the instruments?” A man from the “Moon Academy” tapped on the table.
“If you want to bury your head in the sand, I can accommodate that, stating it’s just a machine failure, and then we’ll welcome the end unprepared.”
On the big screen in the center of the conference room,
a top executive from Special Ring SEMA responded to the man’s question with a smile.
“But according to the records, He has been eliminated, with countless reports confirming this.”
A representative from the “Star Academy” said.
“Yes, 16 years ago, the first report was submitted by the Elemental Sovereign.” responded Special Ring SEMA.
“So you mean to imply that you doubt the Elemental Sovereign?”
“No, I believe no one here would doubt this savior, even though the report states that he completed the extermination of the target all by himself, without a single witness.”
Special Ring SEMA’s response left the three major academies speechless at first.
“…”
After a moment of silence, an elder from the “Sun Academy” broke the silence.
“He has saved this world; this fact is beyond doubt.”
“And he is already dead; does anyone want to question his death?”
“…”
Another silence fell over the room.
“The purple-black star has reappeared, whether we are willing to accept this reality.”
“But this time… we might need to face the end ourselves.” The elder added softly, knowing he was no longer around.
…..
…..
In a pure white hospital room.
She slowly opened her eyes, feeling a harsh white light hitting her face.
She blinked, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar light.
The beeping sound in her ears gradually became clearer, rhythmic and indifferent.
Her vision slowly focused as she attempted to prop herself up.
The first thing she saw was a weary face—a black-haired boy.
Tears stained the corners of his eyes, and at the moment she woke up, his reaction was intensely emotional.
“L-little Nagi… so good…” He seemed to be saying something.
But—
Little Nagi? Who?
She blinked, her dark, clear eyes dotted with countless purple-black stars.
“Who are you…?” She tilted her head, her confusion spilling out.
