Myrr: Reincarnated Timemage Assassin

Chapter 72: Complicit

"ELINA!" My voice is muted, but the strength of it manages to overpower the ringing in my ears. She arrives not more than ten seconds later. The Healer in her bandage-like black robes immediately kneels over Meera's convulsing form, seeming closer to an angel of death than salvation. However, her posture is the tender and caring one of someone who values human life. It's obvious even before the golden glow surrounds her palms. I'm worried. It wasn't my intention to kill her. But there wasn't a choice with the suicidal way she was fighting. "Can you heal her?"

"You..." Elina begin to reply, but her brow furrows in concentration as Meera's tremors only grow worse. Her body flops around, a fish out of water, looking in no way how a living human should. It's like some sort of terrible dance. My Auntie's sister stares daggers as she throws a glance my way but is quickly forced to return her gaze to Meera's bloodstained head. She admonishes me still, sounding disappointed, "I didn't take you for one to use such force on a child."

"She didn't give me a choice." I say back. When she doesn't reply, I can only add, "I didn't think she wouldn't even defend herself. She wanted to get me disqualified. This was the only way I could stop her without killing her."

"Tch...you may not have killed her, but the damage is close to her brain. Look, you even ruptured her eyes." Elina points at the girl's face as the convulsions begin to slow under her ministrations. Indeed, Meera's unseeing half-open eyes are bloodred, many of the vessels are clearly broken. "I'm not sure if I can heal this...if I use Time Reversal on such sensitive areas, I might cause something worse than what I'm trying to fix. Damnit, Myrr, with all your power, there really wasn't a better way?"

"What would you have had me do instead?" My voice contains no guilt. It was necessary. "Perhaps I should have just let her stab me? She told me herself, she had no intentions of letting me live to receive healing. Her only goal was to stop me from interfering with Janus." At this, Elina finally falls silent. However, I can tell she's not happy. It doesn't matter though. Because it's not her I have to worry about-

*Swoosh*

The wind blows as the rest of the Rainstopper Sect finally reacts to Meera's assassination attempt. Somehow, I don't think they'll see it as her trying to kill me though...

"Acolyte!" The first on the scene is Sein Aisenguard, Meera's master. She arrives on the scene like a tornado, and when her mask, a pretty bird of paradise, slips off, I quickly see that she must be related to the other Elder, Seane, who called Elina a cripple when they rejected me. She arrives so fast that I have little doubt, she was complicit with Meera's attempt to assassinate me. When the brunette reaches her disciples body, she moves as if to shove Elina out of the way, but stops herself as Elina shakes her head. "What's wrong with Meera?!"

"Damage to the inside of the ear canal. Possible concussion. Likely blindness as well. Permanent hearing loss also possible." Elina rattles off a list of symptoms in no particular order. "Also, various deep bruises. Your disciple was trying to kill mine...or get him disqualified."

"Oh really?" Sein's voice is too pretty for such a snake. That tone, that look, I instantly know that she's lying. "Is that what he says happened?"

"Yes. That is what happened." I have no hesitation before a single Elder anymore. After almost a year of training, not to mention with Elina here, I'm not afraid of them. However, I still have to be careful of them ganging up on us. "She wanted to stop me from fighting with her fiancé."

"Do you have any proof?" Like disciple, like master. Sein seems determined to make trouble out of this. But I don't care.

"Do I need proof? She was a candidate. She came to my house. And failed to kill me. I've broken no rules, even if it wasn't self defense, what does it matter?" I give Sein the dirtiest, most smug sneer I can muster. Just to piss her off. Elina actually gives me a sharp look from behind her mask, and after all this time, I'm fairly certain she's a little bit annoyed with my blitheness. What? Should I cower and protest that I'm innocent? Animals like this only respect strength. With an innocent voice, I continue, "By the way, Elder Sein, you sure arrived quickly. One might almost imagine that you knew something was going to happen-"