The Reason for the Determination (VI)

As soon as I got out, I collapsed on the nearest wall, sliding down and sitting on the floor.

"Ugh... I'm so tired"

So many fights in a row with no time to rest are tearing me apart. My injuries from the previous fights are still there.

I was so used to that after finishing a fight she was there to heal me right away, now more than ever I miss her.

"Congratulations on your victory"

I looked in the direction of the voice to see Corneria standing. She came over to my side and sat down.

"Thanks to you. If it wasn't for your advice I doubt I would have been able to win"

I'm still not able to win battles on my own, I'm always depending on the kindness of others. Even in this situation where my precious companion is being held hostage, I depend on the help of a rival in this tournament.

"You're welcome. I just figured it would be the fairest thing to do"

"Fair?"

I don't think giving advice to an opponent in the middle of the fight would be considered fair, though perhaps anything to adjust the balance is appropriate considering a 2 vs. 1 disadvantage matchup.

"You are the only one of us who was forced to participate. Hearing your peculiar story of how you got your Object I thought you would have the potential for liberation, however this is the first time I've seen it. It was something very entertaining to admire, plus from your combat skills I can deduce that you've only been a Seeker for a short time, am I right?"

Wow, she noticed. I guess my attempts to pretend I'm not such a newbie didn't do any good.

"You guessed right. You really seem to see right through me every time we talk. It's like you know everything about me and we've only known each other for a few hours. Is that one of your abilities?"

I couldn't rule out the ability to read minds, that would really be a drawback when facing each other in a duel.

"I wonder. I'll leave it to your imagination" she replied evading my question.

Is it my idea or did she seem to smile for a moment? I must have imagined it.

It's kind of bizarre that even though we are rivals in a tournament as extravagant as this one, there are these moments where we can sit down and talk like friends.

Friends, huh? Of all the people I've met, the only one I could consider a true friend is Maria.

While the rest of the people I've run into on this trip have helped me greatly, like Leah or Alex, it's only been one who has been with me long enough to consider her a companion, a part of my life.

I find it striking that I feel this way about Corneria despite the circumstances.

"Are you all right? Are you not injured?"

Probably not, in her first fight she won within seconds of starting without giving her opponent a chance. For the second round I was so focused on what to expect that I forgot to look at her.

"No"

As responsive as ever.

"... that's good. I'm feeling a bit exhausted, you know?"

"You used a lot of your skills, it's normal"

"I see"

I hadn't thought about it since my katana didn't have any kind of power before. I wonder if these will be directly related to those of the Spiritist.

The powers of my glove, Maria's accessory and the others use spiritual energy that the human body normally produces every second. As Lavos said, it is a kind of waste that is lost in the environment, that makes it an excellent source of fuel. It has a limit depending on how much each individual produces, although I personally have never come close to exhausting it. Maria on the other hand is constantly fainting after spending hours and hours awake treating my wounds.