It's Good to Be Alive…
It was over…
In the real world, Shu slowly closed his eyes, feeling a ray of sunlight peeking through the clouds.
The sunlight, warm and comforting, shone on his face… His body craved every bit of warmth, wanting to hold onto it.
Right now, he didn't feel the joy of victory, only exhaustion and sleepiness…
It was just that the stones he was lying on were a bit uncomfortable…
But it didn't matter anymore…
Shu felt his consciousness fading. It seemed the strength to smile and speak earlier was just his final rally [a brief, temporary improvement before death]…
How pointless. He thought this was the end…
He'd done everything so well… but overestimated his own life…
Just a nap…
A nap, and everything would be alright…
Thinking this, Shu's breathing began to calm.
Just a nap…
…
"Shu——!!"
It was a call from the edge of the world, drawn out and carried by the newly risen wind, waking the about-to-"sleep" Shu.
A tiny sliver of [Hope] was injected into his body, bringing a small [Wish].
[Don't die…]
His long-parched body finally received a drop of dew, and the next moment, Shu felt a trickle coming from afar.
"Shu——!!"
Shu opened his eyes. He had some strength, not much, but enough to start thinking and turn his head.
He tilted his head slightly, looking towards the edge of the ruins.
In the blurry distance, a white figure suddenly darted out, calling out anxiously.
"Shu!!" Kiana spotted Shu lying on the ground at a glance. Grabbing a medical kit, she leaped into the pit of rubble and slid down the slope.
Getting close to Shu, Kiana ran a few steps, then slowed to a tiptoe, and finally knelt beside him.
These stones are really rough… Shu's still-dazed mind thought as he saw Kiana kneel directly on the ground with her bare legs.
"Shu! Where does it hurt?" Kiana's first instinct was to help Shu up, but her hand recoiled as if electrocuted.
What if she made things worse by moving him?
He was about to fall apart!
"Shu, wait a moment, I brought a medical kit!" Kiana remembered the kit and quickly opened it, grabbing a handful of medicines and medical supplies.
"Bandage… No, medicine first… Or clean the wound… No… Maybe some of this…" Shu watched Kiana muttering and fiddling with the handful of potions, and he almost smiled.
Too many things in her hands, and Kiana's anxious fumbling, made her hands shake. The bottles and bandages tumbled out, clattering onto the ground.
"Aaaah!!" Kiana caught a bottle that nearly hit Shu, then grabbed her hair in frustrated distress.
Shu wanted to say something, but he didn't have the strength.
Then…
The bottle didn't land on him, but tears did…
"I'm sorry… Shu, I'm sorry…" Tears fell from Kiana's eyes. She lowered her head, sniffing hard.
Shu looked at her red nose and cheeks, his muddled mind feeling a strange sensation…
I'm not dead yet, am I…
"I… I don't know… medical… I don't know… I'm sorry…" Kiana's face was flushed, and Shu saw her hand holding the medicine trembling.
It's okay… I don't know either…
"Shu is here!!" Mei's voice, filled with relief, came from behind Kiana. Then, Shu heard a sliding sound on the ground.
It was Bronya, sliding down with two large boxes of medicine. Mei searched for a way down, couldn't find one, took a deep breath, and prepared to slide down as well.
Just then, Kallen let out a loud shout—
"Move aside! The doctor's here!!"
Bronya, who was sliding down, saw a white figure carrying a golden figure pass directly above her.
Kallen, carrying Otto (who was smiling awkwardly) in a princess carry, sprinted the entire distance, and with the same posture as Kiana, dumped Otto beside Shu.
"Otto! See if Shu can be saved!!"
…I should still be alive, right…
Otto, who had just been carried the whole way in a princess carry by Kallen, coughed awkwardly, then composedly adjusted his collar in front of Shu.
If you don't want to save me, just say so… Why are you pretending?
Shu looked speechlessly at Otto, who knelt gracefully beside him.
In stark contrast to Otto was Kiana, her face flushed with tears.
Seeing Otto arrive, Kiana sniffled loudly and quickly moved aside to give him space.
"How are you feeling now?" Otto lifted Shu's tattered clothes, glanced at the wounds that were already showing signs of healing, and let out a sigh of relief.
Shu looked at the "asking-the-obvious" Otto, neither wanting to nor able to speak.
He probably wouldn't die…
Shu thought, then looked away, towards Bronya and the others who were approaching with the medical kits.
A group of people surrounded Shu, looking down at him lying on the ground.
Otto briefly described Shu's current condition to everyone.
"He's dying."
Everyone's breathing stopped, except for Otto and Shu.
Seeing Kiana's mouth quiver, about to collapse onto Shu and cry again, Otto calmly added the second half of his sentence.
"But he didn't quite make it. With a little bandaging, he'll be up and bouncing around in no time."
Which eye of yours sees me bouncing around… And you definitely paused on purpose, didn't you…
"Really?" Theresa, her eyes already red, stared at Otto, who nodded with a smile.
So that meant there was no major problem?! No life-threatening danger, and no lingering injuries?
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Theresa, eyes red-rimmed, raised her fist and started pummeling Otto, Shu's attending physician.
"Bad grandpa! Big meanie!!" Theresa cried as she hit Otto's head with her fists.
"Good job!" Kallen lowered her rolled-up sleeves. Otto deserved a beating!
"We should let the Overseer treat Shu first…" Fu Hua and Himeko pulled the flailing Theresa back, "rescuing" Otto.
"Shu, where does it hurt?" Kiana, who had moved to Shu's other side, bent down and whispered in his ear.
There's a rock under my butt, and it hurts…
Shu tried to tell Kiana with his eyes.
"Your butt hurts?" Kiana received Shu's "telepathic message", looked at his butt, and was at a loss.
"Uh… Should I rub it for you?" Kiana, still teary-eyed, asked hesitantly.
That's really not necessary… Shu's eyes performed an epic feat—a twitch.
"Idiot Kiana…" Bronya muttered in exasperation…
"I… I'm just concerned!!" Kiana protested.
Mei took the bandages and medicine Bronya handed her, and while treating the wounds on Shu's hands, she smiled helplessly.
Laughter surrounded Shu, and he didn't feel quite so sleepy anymore.
It's good to be alive… he thought.
(End of Volume III: Cradle of humankind and First Enemy)