Bang!
The moment Emiya and the other two stepped into the bathroom, the door was suddenly shoved open violently, and Cocolia came rushing in, her face full of anxiety.
However, the instant she noticed Emiya's bare upper body, Himeko in his arms, and Bronya following behind him into the bathroom, Cocolia's worried look immediately turned into an auntie's teasing smile.
"Oh my, the three of you bathing together?"
"Yeah, they're about to have a lovely little couple's bath, the three of them!" Zoe said, covering her mouth and giggling mischievously.
"Quit fooling around! I'm treating Himeko right now, if you barge in like that again, I could seriously hurt her!"
Emiya's head was practically steaming with anger. His magic wasn't exactly gentle, and using it to adjust someone's body health was inherently dangerous, it required absolute focus.
"Oh, then I won't disturb you. Take your time with your… treatment." Cocolia winked at Zoe and turned to slip out.
"Wait, let's go too! We should give Lord Emiya a peaceful environment to work in!"
As Zoe said that, she started getting up from the bed, but Emiya, quick as lightning, grabbed a nearby bottle of body wash and lobbed it straight at her head. It bonked her squarely, leaving a lump on her forehead.
"Sorry, I was wrong," Zoe said immediately, feeling Emiya's furious aura. She dared not act up again and obediently sat down on the bed.
"Cocolia, if you've got something to say, say it quickly. Is it about the company?" Emiya asked instinctively, glancing at the wall clock. It was already four in the afternoon.
"Yes. The company sent someone to notify us, if we don't go out soon, they'll consider us as having abandoned the negotiations, and will use force directly."
"Alright, tell them we're arranging the funds. We'll head out at four-thirty."
After giving Cocolia her orders, Emiya turned to Zoe, who was sitting there pretending to be an obedient little girl. "Himeko's condition isn't good. I'll need twenty minutes. Go check on our allies in the meantime."
"And when you go out, don't say anything unnecessary. Otherwise, I'll call Vera over tonight for a tag-team match, and this time, I mean it." Emiya added the threat pointedly.
"Oh, fine." Zoe pouted but obediently followed Cocolia out the door.
"I'm sorry... at such a crucial time, I just made things worse," Himeko said weakly, her face pale.
"It's not your fault," Emiya frowned, brushing Himeko's sweat-soaked hair back behind her ear. "It's mine. I should've anticipated someone barging in."
Holding his breath again, Emiya sent his magic into Himeko's body, his brows immediately furrowed tighter.
The situation was worse than expected. His earlier distraction had caused the magic that entered her body to scatter, damaging the surrounding meridians.
Himeko was strong and healthy enough that the effects weren't too serious, but if this had happened while treating a sick patient, it would've been a death sentence.
'I've been too used to succeeding with magic healing. It made me forget how dangerous it really is. I'd better avoid using it in the future unless absolutely necessary.'
"Bronya, go stand guard outside. Don't let anyone in."
After saying that, Emiya wasted no time. He focused all his concentration, channeling his magic to strengthen Himeko's body, activating her self-healing, and restoring her disrupted internal flow to normal.
"Are you... tired?"
Himeko's consciousness gradually returned. Only then did she notice Emiya's trembling hands on her body, and the sweat pouring from his forehead like a waterfall, drenching him completely.
His eyes were wide open, but unfocused, clearly, all of his will was devoted to the healing.
After several minutes of silence and no reply, Himeko finally dared to raise her head, for the first time taking a close look at the man before her.
"No wonder so many women like you… you really are flawless."
She murmured softly, reaching up to gently brush his cheek. That's when she realized, this man was really too handsome. His looks, his ability, his composure, everything about him was perfect.
Curious, she poked at his sharply defined abs and chest muscles, the feel was even better than she'd imagined.
Before she realized it, the mood had shifted.
Himeko bit her lip, her eyes sparkling. After a long internal struggle, she finally gave in to temptation and reached out with both hands, "Mmm... as expected, so firm…"
"Hey. I sell my skills, not my body."
"Ah! I'm sorry! I... I..."
Caught red-handed, Himeko's face turned so red it was practically steaming. She clutched her hands together, curling her toes hard, wishing she could sink straight into the floor.
"It's fine. Human nature. I get it." Emiya scratched his head. Honestly, if he were a girl, he'd probably be curious about what a man's chest muscles felt like too.
"While fixing your injuries, I went ahead and strengthened your body a bit as compensation. When you eat later, try to control your strength, you might need time to get used to it."
"And also, don't tell anyone about this."
It really wouldn't look good for a man and woman to be alone in a room like this, and there were still serious matters waiting outside. After briefly explaining the situation, Emiya quickly headed out.
"Uh... you were just doing serious healing, right?" Bronya asked as she stepped into the bathroom.
Himeko was sitting with her head buried between her knees, her ears burning red, making it very hard not to imagine things.
"O-of course it was proper treatment! Emiya only touched my stomach and forehead, nothing else!"
After saying that, she even nodded firmly. "Yes, Emiya didn't do anything else!"
"Oh, alright then. Need me to help you bathe?"
"No need, I feel great now." Himeko tried to act calm as she stood up, but the moment her hand brushed against the nearby bathtub, it shattered into pieces.
"Hiss... I really got this much stronger?"
She drew in a sharp breath, then grabbed the metal soap dish to test it. The once-sturdy alloy crumpled in her hands like foam.
After the small incident on the Astral Express, the negotiation on the plains resumed once more.
The Creation Engine once again lowered a meeting table and tea service. Zoe, as the King of Jarilo, sat across from Howard, the representative of the Interstellar Peace Corporation.
But this time, everyone from the Express had come down too, standing behind Emiya and the others.
Clearly, this discussion would determine Jarilo's fate. The true crisis had arrived.
"Here," Howard said, sliding a towering stack of ledgers across the table toward Zoe. "This is the total amount owed, principal, interest, and penalties calculated in full."
"Your debt to the company has seriously harmed its reputation. If you still want to participate in interstellar trade..."
"No interest. Our broken-down planet has no business in interstellar trade. What, you want us to be your bait again? Or should we just invite the Antimatter Legion over for another round?"
Zoe's tone was as sharp as ever, but Howard didn't lose his composure. He kept his polite, refined smile, speaking with that same pleasant civility, like he wasn't the same man who had just ordered attacks not long ago.
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