I leaned forward, still chewing my bubble gum, and looking at Seraphine.

    "I''m here to heal you, obviously," I said nonchalantly.

    Seraphine coughed weakly, her voice breaking. "What... What are you saying? That''s impossible."

    "Truth," I replied, as if I wasn''t even surprised at her disbelief.

    Her lips quivered slightly as she tried to sit up, wincing from the pain. "This... this is over," she said, her voice breaking. "I can''t be healed right away. The tournament... it''s out of my reach now. I''m done."

    "Oh, is that so?" I said casually, shrugging as if she had just told me her favorite cafe? was closed for the day.

    She bit her lip, and I noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. "Still... Thank you for saying that. It means a lot." A single tear slid down her cheek as she forced a weak smile.

    I didn''t respond with words. Instead, I leaned in closer, and before she could react, I pressed a kiss on her lips, holding her hand firmly in mine. Her lips were warm, soft, and trembling slightly against mine. I deepened the kiss, letting it smooch, as if to draw out every ounce of life she thought she had lost.

    She gasped softly into my mouth, her free hand instinctively reaching to my chest as if to hold on to the life. I pulled back slowly, my forehead resting against hers.

    "Shhh now..." I whispered, calm, and commanding.

    Our eyes met. Hers was filled with emotion. She didn''t say anything, but I could feel the questions in her mind.

    I let go of her hand and placed my palm firmly on the center of her chest. Her heartbeat was weak, faint, but there. My black aura flared to life, radiating an ominous energy that made the entire room feel like it was closing in. The pressure around us increased.

    Seraphine''s body began to glow, a faint light emanating from her wounds. The torn muscles in her arms and legs started stitching themselves back together. The blood dried away, the bruises faded, and her pale complexion regained its usual healthy glow. Her half-opened eyes fluttered fully open, staring at me in disbelief.

    As my aura dimmed and the pressure lifted, I pulled my hand away, folding my arms across my chest and leaning back in my chair. I crossed my legs and closed my eyes.@@@@

    She blinked rapidly, looking down at her hands. "W-What just happened?" she stammered, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and awe.

    She didn''t seem to notice his hesitation, too caught up in her excitement. "I can continue in the tournament!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her feet like an excited puppy.

    The medics were still staring at me, their expressions a mix of awe and suspicion. "What did you do?" one of them asked, their voice trembling. "You''re not even part of the medical unit. This kind of healing... it''s unheard of."

    I shrugged, popping another bubble. "Who knows?" I said.

    -------

    Meanwhile, deep within the arena''s underground chambers, a different kind of chaos was brewing.

    Braun sat in a cage, his body restrained by thick chains that glowed faintly. His veins bulged unnaturally, his muscles twitching as if he were being shocked by an invisible force. His eyes were wide, wild, and completely white, void of any humanity.

    The Queen stood a few feet away, her arms crossed as she observed him with a cold, calculating gaze. Her knights flanked her, their expressions a mix of fear and disgust.

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    "Your Majesty," one of the knights said hesitantly, "we''ve confirmed it. He used a drug to amplify his powers during the fight. That''s a direct violation of the rules."

    The Queen''s eyes didn''t leave Braun''s form as he thrashed against his restraints. "Using something like that is straight disqualification," she said, her voice calm but laced with venom. "If he had survived the fight, I would have executed him on the spot."

    Braun let out a guttural scream, his voice echoing through the chamber. His muscles seemed to grow even larger. The chains creaked under the strain of his movements.

    The knights stepped back instinctively, their hands on their weapons. "Your Majesty, he''s... he''s going berserk," one of them said.

    The Queen didn''t flinch. Her eyes remained locked on Braun, her expression unreadable. "This tournament," she said quietly, almost to herself, "doesn''t feel like it will be a normal one."

    Her words hung in the air as Braun let out another bone-chilling scream, his body violent. The knights exchanged nervous glances, but the Queen''s gaze never shifted.

    She stared at him with a deadly calm, as if daring him to break free.