Sachi's eyes opened, and he was shocked to realize he could see again. Except, now everything hurt like hell.
"Didn't expect you to be back so soon, Sachi!"
The same nurse that had taken care of him after the Hide and Seek match was now standing by his bedside.
He tried to sit up through the pain, but he barely had the capacity to breathe, much less move.
"Careful now, that hit you took was pretty brutal, and it's even worse now since you kept moving..."
Sachi winced as he tried to reply. "Yeah… didn't really have much of a choice…"
He scanned the room, looking for any of the others. Surprisingly, no one else was there.
The nurse looked towards the door as she spoke. "Vergo took your friends to speak with Lady April before the closing ceremony."
Sachi groaned as he responded. "What about Lyra…?"
"The girl? Her condition has stabilized, but she's being held in the hospital for the time being."
He laid back down onto his pillow, releasing the tension in his muscles. He sighed deeply. "That's good at least..."
The moments of silence that followed were brief as the doors flew open once more. A familiar bundle of misfits burst through the door.
"Is Sachi awake yet!?"
It was Ray, followed by Dion.
"Hey! You don't wanna interrupt on his rest, do you!?"
Another voice appeared from the hallway behind them.
"Please calm down, both of you."
That was a voice Sachi didn't expect: Lady April's voice.
Her heels clicked into the room, followed by her long cobalt gown. her face turned to meet Sachi.
"Ah, he is awake."
Ray grasped at Sachi's blanket with teary eyes and a shaky voice. "Sachi!! I... The nurse said your condition was 'err-atic' and she didn't know if you'd be okay..."
The nurse laughed and placed her hand on Ray's head. "I said I didn't knowwhen he'd be okay again, silly."
Ray sniffled. "O-oh..."
Lady April spoke towards the nurse. "Will he be okay to accept their award?"
The nurse paused for a moment. "In his current state, no. But we could always give him a temporary fix."
Lady April nodded. "Do that, and bring him out when he's ready. The crowd is growing impatient."
The nurse replied with a nod of her own, and reached for a cabinet that lined the gray wall. A small vial with a strange yellow concoction swirled around the inside.
She crawled on to the bed next to Sachi, leaning close to him.
Much closer than he was comfortable with.
"U-um..."
She shushed him. "Relax, I just need you to drink this. C'mon..."
She grabbed his chin and opened his mouth, followed by the pop of a vial.
"I really don't think this is necessary..."
The vial turned over his mouth, leaking its contents. The liquid itself was disgusting. A strong, fizzy nature with a taste that he wished he'd never have to experience again.
The nurse held him down as the vial finished pouring into his mouth.
"There, all better now."
Sachi coughed repeatedly, wiping his mouth with his hands. "The hell was that!?"
Immediately after speaking, he realized it didn't hurt to move anymore.
"A 'Temporary Health' potion. For the next few hours, you'll feel just fine. So hurry up, don't keep the lady waiting!"
He pushed himself off his bed, noting that his equipment was off to the side, but for whatever reason, he was still wearing the Charmer's Scarf.
'Ah...'
He retrieved all of his now dirt covered equipment. He moved to Dion and Ray by the door.
"How long was I out for?"
Dion shrugged. "Only an hour, I think. You took a pretty bad beating, potion or not, I'm surprised you're already up and moving."
He patted himself down. "Yeah... Me too. I don't think we'd want to keep a Major God waiting, though."
Dion nodded in agreement, and the three exited the infirmary.
Lady April was stationed outside the door in a conversation with Vergo.
"Are you sure about this, my Lady? War with the Eternal Flame could be disastrous for us…"
She lowered her head. "That's why we hope it won't come to that…"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sachi exit the room.
"Ah, you seem much better now, Sachi. Alina really is the best at what she does."
"You mean the nurse without a sense of personal space?"
Lady April shifted her eyes to the side. "Well… she can be a bit much at times, but she's invaluable to our zone. She's a Champion too, you know. She's with the Goddess of Alchemy, and the potions she can make keep us in good relations with the other zones."
Sachi crossed his arms. "'Goddess of Alchemy'? How many gods even are there?"
Lady April turned away and motioned for them to follow. "As many as you wish for."
Sachi paused for a moment. '…What?'
Through the winding halls, the cheers became much louder. Shouts and applause for Sachi's name thundered throughout the stadium. The blinding lights towering over the open field shined over Sachi and his group as their feet slapped against the fake dirt floor.
Lady April looked like she was gliding as she reached the center of the field. In fact, she was gliding. A small trail of water followed her as it lifted her into the air.
Dion whispered. "I did find it odd that her Goddess wasn't anywhere to be found… turns out she was hiding all along."
Her voice boomed throughout the stadium.
"Citizens of Eryndria! Before you stands the Champions of our tournament, and our newest citizens. We have judged the color of their character, and tomorrow, they could be your neighbors, your friends, or even you business competitors. Whatever may come of them, we stand side by side as fellow citizens."
The stadium is filled with whistles and cheers.
Sachi simply stares in awe. "I can't believe they'd be so willing to allow us to be one of them, especially after these battles..."
Lady April's voice grew quiet, almost to a whisper so only Sachi could hear her. "That's because they trust in me to put you in your place if you ever step out of line."
'They really trust her that much...'
Lady April slowly moved back to the ground and off the field.
"You all have won your freedom. You can gather your friend and meet me back at my tower. We have much to discuss."
They all nodded silently and began to move back through the maze of halls.
But something else had caught Sachi's eye.
[Congratulations! Your actions have earned you a new trait!]
[Blind Fighter]
[When you are unable to see, your attributes gain a 100% increase]
''When I'm unable to see'? Does that mean whenever I close my eyes, or when I'm restrained..? I'll need to test this out later.'
As they wandered through the halls, Dion murmured to himself. "Could've bothered to give us an escort, at least..."