You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon, and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
Yakushi General Hospital
Though not considered a top-tier medical institution, Yakushi General Hospital is renowned across Japan, and even the entire world.
The reason lies with its director, Yakushi Kiriko. As a Hydromancer specializing in healing, she is Japan's foremost doctor, possessing an unparalleled understanding of the human body. Her mastery over medical treatment has allowed her to conquer countless afflictions once deemed incurable, earning her global recognition.
If Kurogane Shizuku's healing abilities are comparable to a standard medical capsule, then Yakushi Kiriko's skills surpass such technology entirely. Even those pronounced beyond saving have been known to recover under her care. Her abilities place her among the top three medical Blazers in the world.
---
"Hello, I'm Nangou Ryoji. I have an appointment with Yakushi Kiriko today."
Ryoji stepped up to the reception desk, addressing the receptionist politely.
"Ah… You must be Nangou San? The Director has already informed us of your visit. You may proceed right in." The receptionist glanced at Ryoji, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she finally responded.
"The Director is currently making her rounds. Please follow this route."
She handed Ryoji a map, which he accepted before making his way through the hospital courtyard. Entering one of the larger inpatient buildings, he took the elevator to the third floor.
At first glance, the hospital didn't seem particularly different from any other. There were no extravagant VIP wards or specialized suites, it barely even felt like a hospital at all.
That impression wasn't due to any lack of cleanliness or professionalism, but rather the atmosphere itself.
The usual sterile scent of antiseptic was absent. Instead of patients confined to beds, the halls were filled with lively chatter. Women, fully dressed and wearing makeup, conversed cheerfully in the corners. Children played card games on sofas, their laughter echoing through the corridors. There were no visible signs of despair, no air of suffering, only an almost unsettling vitality.
Following the directions, Ryoji arrived at the third patient room, where he found Yakushi Kiriko at work.
She was tending to an elderly man, easily over ninety, her hands emanating a soft blue glow of magic as she performed her treatment.
"That should do it. The pain should be gone now, right?"
"Haha! As expected of Kiriko! Now I can drink again!"
"Just don't overdo it, alright?"
The one gently admonishing the patient was a young woman who couldn't have been older than twenty.
She wore a simple black t-shirt beneath a white lab coat, her figure subtly accentuated by the outfit. Though she didn't quite compare to certain senior Blazers in terms of sheer presence, she carried a distinct aura of maturity and warmth.
Her slightly wavy green hair framed her face, and her emerald eyes held the compassionate gaze of a dedicated healer. Her fair, round cheeks gave her a soft, approachable look, a woman whose very presence conveyed comfort.
"Ah, you're here, Ryoji."
Noticing him at the door, Kiriko stepped out of the patient's room, raising a hand in greeting. At the same time, her jade-colored eyes briefly scanned him.
"Heartbeat, pulse, muscle tension, bone marrow activity… adrenaline levels, all normal. Looks like you're recovering well."
She hadn't used any medical equipment, just a single glance was enough for her to assess his condition in full.
"It's been a while, Kiriko San."
Even Ryoji, who rarely dropped his usual carefree demeanor, addressed her with an air of seriousness.
Eight years ago, when her reputation had just begun to spread, she had been personally invited by the God of War to oversee his rehabilitation. It was thanks to her efforts that many of the physical limitations hindering his combat ability had been resolved.
Since then, Yakushi Kiriko has remained his attending physician, a role that has never changed.
Much of Ryoji's current condition can be credited to her expertise.
"We're old friends, aren't we? No need to be so formal." She shrugged her rounded shoulders and spoke in a lighthearted tone.
"You're here to see Ayatsuji Kaito, right? Follow me." She led Ryoji deeper into the hospital.
"The atmosphere here is completely different from other hospitals."
As they walked, Ryoji glanced at the patient rooms lining the corridor. Unlike the sterile, somber environments typical of hospitals, this place felt almost lively. Patients laughed, conversing cheerfully with one another, utterly unconcerned with the usual trappings of illness. The contrast was striking, and he couldn't help but voice his thoughts.
"Is that so? Do they look happy to you?" Kiriko arched an eyebrow slightly, her lips pursed as she asked.
"They do. They seem genuinely happy."
"Heh, that's good."
She smiled at his response, but in the next moment, that smile turned somber.
"All of them are terminally ill."
"?"
"People call me Japan's top doctor, but I'm no god. I can't save everyone. The patients in this ward have already been given their death sentences. All I can do is ease their suffering and let them spend their final days in peace."
Even in this world, where Blazers wield supernatural abilities, diseases like heart failure remain beyond cure. Even Kiriko cannot overcome such afflictions.
But she refuses to let her patients endure their final moments in agony. Using her abilities, she suppresses their pain receptors, allowing them to experience life without suffering for as long as their bodies can endure.
To prevent sudden complications, she personally checks on them daily, sterilizes their environments, and fine-tunes their bodily functions.
Under her care, patients are not confined to strict dietary restrictions, nor are they forced to remain bedridden like lifeless husks. They are free to eat, move, and enjoy life until the very end.
"That's… admirable," Ryoji spoke with rare sincerity.
Every doctor deserves respect, but a doctor like Yakushi Kiriko, even more so.
"But in the end, I still can't save them," She said with a wry smile. "And the same goes for Ayatsuji Kaito."
Her voice carried a tinge of helplessness.
"I've repaired his body. Physically, he's no different from an ordinary person now. His consciousness is even beginning to return… But I still can't do anything about his heart disease."
Yakushi Kiriko is a brilliant doctor.
When they first met, however, she had been cold, detached, treating everyone as if they were mere test subjects in an experiment.
Back then, she seemed devoid of human warmth, regarding life as nothing more than a collection of biological components to manipulate.
And it was because she was too powerful.
She could command the trillions of cells within the human body, restructure the very essence of life. To her, human beings were like grains of sand, things to be shaped and altered at will.
But over time, she changed.
She came to understand the weight of life, the meaning of existence. And in doing so, she became the compassionate doctor she is today.
Kiriko cast a glance at the young man walking beside her, a quiet gleam in her eyes.
To Ryoji, she may have been a savior.
But to her, he was the one who had taught her the value of life.
Through him, she had witnessed the indomitable spirit of human will. She had seen him fight, day after day, clinging to life with relentless determination. In those moments, she understood, life was not something to be dissected or controlled. It was something precious.
"This is the room."
They stopped before a patient's door.
From inside, the sound of an argument spilled into the hallway.
"I told you, Ayase, I'm fine! I could swing a hundred swords right now!"
"No way, Dad! You need to stay in bed! I'm going to find Doctor Kiriko, you're not getting up until she says so!"
(End of Chapter)