I woke up with an odd sensation in my mouth.
Something warm was moving inside, almost as if it were caressing the tip of my tongue. Still half-asleep, I had no choice but to surrender to the pleasant sensation.
Next, I heard breathing—the sticky, wet sound of saliva mingling.
That voice… that scent…
Nao?
As I moved my lips, Nao flinched and pulled her face away.
The taste of her lingered in my mouth.
Nao, dressed in a white dress shirt, was crouched over me on all fours. Her pretty pink tongue slipped back between her lips. A strand of drool dripped from her mouth—plop—landing on my lips.
"I… I was watching you sleep, and… I just wanted to kiss you. S-Sorry… I…"
Nao's face flushed red as she looked down.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.
"Don't apologize. I mean… I'm awake now."
I kissed the nape of her neck.
"Nao… is this okay? Can we keep going…?"
"…N-No, Takumi-kun."
"B-But Nao… I'm already…"
"Today's the ceremony."
Ugh.
I mean, yeah, I knew that. But was it really so bad to get swept up in the moment and want more?
Still, skipping today's ceremony wasn't an option.
Patience. Patience.
I decided to get dressed.
---
Nao and I arrived at the ceremony venue together.
Grawth Republic's capital, Central Plaza.
Once used by the king for special addresses, this square had continued to host various ceremonies even after the country became a republic. Tsugumi's declaration of independence and the presidential inauguration speech had taken place here not long ago.
A temporary stage had been set up on the south side of the plaza, where Suzuna was supposed to stand.
I was seated in the VIP section nearby.
Ugh, I'm getting nervous. It wasn't like I had to give a speech or anything, but the VIP seats were way too conspicuous. Tsugumi sat beside me, along with a bunch of pompous-looking professors and businessmen—I stuck out like a sore thumb.
Was Tsugumi trying to mess with me? If so, that was just mean.
Nao wasn't here, by the way. She had no connection to the Promoter project. Right now, she was probably watching from the general seating area with Kazusa. Lucky her.
Suzuna stepped onto the stage. She had shed her lab coat and was now wearing only her blazer uniform.
A beautiful woman in uniform standing at a podium—it was a photogenic sight.
"Thank you all for gathering here today despite your busy schedules."
Suzuna delivered her opening remarks.
It had begun.
"This time, I have successfully completed the Spirit-Induction Magic Acceleration Bracelet—commonly known as the Promoter."
Though the crowd wasn't massive, Suzuna had debated with professors and students at the university countless times. Her voice carried well, and her gestures were practiced.
She began explaining the Promoter's mechanics—how it utilized spirits, the induction system, the weakness involving light spirits, and the solution.
Of course, I had no idea what she was talking about. I was just piecing together bits of the speech to vaguely follow along. The professors sitting near me nodded along, muttering things like "Hmm" and "Remarkable!"
"I extend my deepest gratitude to Professor Charles of the Magical Science Department, Professor James and Assistant Professor Richard of the Spiritology Department, and all those who assisted in this experiment."
It seemed the technical explanations were over.
"While this bracelet now includes the new functionality of handling light spirits, its usage remains unchanged from before."
As she spoke, Suzuna fastened the bracelet she was holding onto her wrist.
"Oh, radiant archangel Michael, pure white light, divine work of angels—bring forth light unto this world."
A spell incantation.
"—〈White Light Orb: White Lightning〉."
A first-level light spell. It was supposed to conjure a glowing orb to illuminate dark spaces.
The orb of light Should have appeared around Suzuna, dancing through the air—a kind of performance.
At least, that was the plan.
Pop.
A sound.
"…Huh?"
Suzuna's face was blank. The expression of someone who didn't understand what had just happened.
The light spell hadn't formed. No orb appeared. The magic had failed—but that wasn't the real problem.
No, I had seen everything. The failed spell, the explosion, and… the thing that had flown toward us as a result.
Trembling, struggling to steady my breathing, I looked down at the object lying on the ground before me.
A severed wrist.
"…Hhk—"
Pathetic as it was, I was so shocked that I fell out of my chair.
A pale, beautiful wrist, drenched in red. Just yesterday, that hand had gripped mine, patted my Shoulder—Suzuna's warm, soft hand, once flushed with life, now painted in stark white and bloody red, like a corpse in makeup.
A blood-soaked, white wrist.
"Ah..."
Suzuna looked at her own wrist.
Her Shoulder, upper arm, elbow—and beyond that… nothing.
The bracelet had exploded.
The blast had torn straight through, severing her hand.
"M-My… hand? My hand? Where's… my hand?"
The bleeding stump revealed exposed flesh, bone, and charred skin—testament to the explosion's heat and force.
Suzuna stared blankly at her arm. The grotesque sight of her own body, missing what Should have been there. When faced with something too far beyond expectation, the mind shuts down. Even Suzuna, hailed as a genius, was no exception.
"…Ugh."
The gushing blood and the slightly blackened, burned flesh must have finally snapped her back to reality. Her face twisted in shock and agony as she staggered backward, step by step.
Her wounded arm. The pain had to be unbearable—far too much for a teenage girl to endure.
Which meant—
Her emotions shattered.
"Ugh… Ah… Aah… AAAAAHHH!"
Suzuna's scream echoed across the plaza. The usually calm, composed girl was now in utter hysterics. An explosion, an amputation—no one could mistake that kind of pain for anything less than excruciating.
"SUZUNAAAAA!"
Her scream snapped me out of my daze. I broke into a sprint.
---
The ceremony had turned into a disaster.
The cries of Suzuna, the revolutionary hero, were seared into the hearts of all who witnessed it.
People would come to call this day…
"The Day of the Bloodied Hand."
=====================
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