(anwhile, within the Ti Stilled World, Leo's Chamber, Leo's POV)
The doctors studied Leo's injury for a brief mont, before quickly deliberating amongst one another on the proceeding course of action, as the first priority was to re-attach Leo's severed finger as fast as possible.
"We must restore the connection imdiately," one of the younger doctors said, his voice tight with urgency as he reached toward the severed finger with trembling precision.
"The longer we delay, the lower the chances of successful reintegration," another added, already preparing fine-thread sutures and stabilizing seals, his hands moving faster than his thoughts.
A senior physician stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he observed both the wound and the finger, as he spoke in a lower tone that carried far more weight.
"Check the internal condition first," he said quietly, as he extended his hand, stopping them before they could begin the stitching process prematurely.
The room fell silent for a brief mont.
Then they obeyed.
One of them carefully sliced into the base of the severed finger, his blade precise as he exposed the inner tissue, expecting resistance, expecting structure, expecting life.
However, surprisingly, he found none.
The flesh parted too easily.
The nerves did not respond.
And although the tissue held shape, it shockingly carried no vitality within it, as though it had been hollowed out from the inside while
leaving the surface untouched.
"...This is wrong," the doctor muttered under his breath, his hands stiffening as he stared at what lay before him.
Another leaned closer.
He inspected the nerve endings, attempting to stimulate them through mana-assisted probing, as a faint glow passed through the structure in search of any lingering nerve signal.
However, unfortunately.... nothing responded.
"It's dead," he said slowly, his voice dropping into disbelief. "Completely dead."
A ripple of unease spread through the group.
"That's not possible," a younger doctor argued imdiately, stepping forward as he refused to accept the conclusion so quickly.
"There's no visible decay, the structure is intact, we can still attempt reconnection using regenerative weaving-"
"It will fail," the senior physician interrupted firmly, his tone cutting through the rising tension without hesitation.
He stepped closer.
"This is not conventional damage," he continued, as he pointed toward the exposed inner layers, his expression growing more severe with each passing second.
"Every cell has been neutralized. There is no regenerative response left to anchor onto."
Silence followed his words.
Still, not all were convinced.
"We can try a full reconstruction," another doctor insisted, his voice steadier but no less determined, as he began preparing a more complex sequence of restoration sigils.
"If we rebuild the pathways manually and stimulate them with layered healing magic, we might be able to force a reactivation-"
"And if we fail?" the senior asked, his gaze locking onto him, sharp and unwavering.
As the younger doctor hesitated.
"This is the Lord's body," the senior continued, his voice lowering further as the weight of responsibility pressed into every word he
spoke.
"We do not experint on it when the risk is unknown."
Another stepped in.
"But this is his finger," he argued, his expression tightening as he looked toward Leo briefly before returning his gaze to the wound.
"We cannot declare it lost without exhausting every possible option. What if there is a thod we have not considered yet?"
He argued, as the room beca divided on what to do next.
So nodded in agreent with the younger doctor, their desire to save the finger strong.
However, the more experienced doctors remained cautious, their expressions conflicted as they balanced duty against hope, as they understood the consequences of making the wrong call here.
"No.... We are just wasting precious ti here..."
The senior physician said eventually, as he exhaled slowly, his fingers hovering over the wound itself, as he began inspecting the exposed flesh still attached to Leo's hand.
His eyes narrowed.
"There," he said quietly.
The others followed his gaze.
A faint discoloration.
Subtle.
Barely visible unless one knew exactly what to look for, as sothing
within the wound seed to carry a presence that did not belong.
"It's spreading," he said, as the words settled heavily into the room.
"That is not ordinary poison," he continued, as his tone hardened, his decision now forming with absolute clarity.
"Whatever this Origin contamination is, it has already begun perating the surrounding tissue."
A younger doctor took a step back.
"...Then we have even less ti," he said, his earlier confidence
beginning to fracture as the situation revealed itself more fully.
"Yes, we don't have enough ti.
So instead of saving a finger, we focus on saving what's already healthy within the Lord first...."
The senior stated, as everyone bit their lips nervously. "We cut away everything that has co into contact with the blade and cauterize the wound imdiately."
The senior declared, as many doctors stiffened at that statent.
"But senior.... That would an removing even more of his flesh," one said quietly, as the reality of the decision began to sink in.
"Yes," the senior replied.
"And it will be painful." His gaze shifted briefly toward Leo.
"But it's better than endangering the life of the Lord."
He said, as he took the lead and leaned in without hesitation, pressing his mouth against the wound and drawing out the blood in forceful pulls before spitting it aside in quick succession.
*Slurp*
*Spit*
*Slurp*
*Spit*
Each cycle grew heavier than the last, as the tallic taste thickened across his tongue, carrying with it a strange, suffocating weight that made his chest tighten with every breath he took.
The blood felt wrong.
It resisted him, clinging stubbornly to the wound as though it carried
a will of its own, as the doctor continued regardless, forcing it out again and again despite the growing dizziness clouding his mind.
His vision began to blur.
Yet he did not stop.
Not until he was certain that the surface contamination had been
reduced as much as his body could manage to extract without
collapsing entirely under the strain.
Only then did he pull away.
He staggered slightly, catching himself against the edge of the table as
one of the assistants moved forward to support him, his breathing
uneven and shallow.
"Antiseptic," he ordered, his voice rough but commanding, as he forced his focus back onto the task at hand.
A vial was placed into his grasp imdiately. Without delay, he uncorked it and poured its contents directly over
Leo's wound, as the liquid spread across the exposed flesh, reacting instantly with a faint hiss that filled the room.
The sll was sharp.
Biting.
As the solution worked to cleanse whatever remnants remained on
the surface, burning away impurities with ruthless efficiency while
the doctors watched closely for any abnormal reaction.
"Cut deeper," he said next, his tone steadier now despite the fatigue
pulling at his senses.
"Remove everything that has been touched."
There was no hesitation this ti.
One of the surgeons stepped forward, his blade already prepared, as
he positioned himself carefully over Leo's hand before making the
first decisive incision.
*Slice*
Flesh parted cleanly.
A small section of Leo's palm was removed, as the doctor worked with precise control, ensuring that only the affected areas were taken while preserving as much viable tissue as possible.
Another followed imdiately after.
Then another.
Each cut deliberate.
asured.
As the team worked in silent coordination, their movents
synchronized through years of training, their focus absolute as they carved away anything that even hinted at contamination.
Leo remained still throughout.
His jaw clenched tightly, his breathing controlled through sheer force
of will as waves of pain surged through him, each cut sending a fresh
spike through his senses.
His vision flickered briefly.
Darkness threatened to creep in from the edges, yet he held on,
anchoring himself through the pain as he refused to lose awareness in the middle of the procedure. "Cauterize," the senior doctor instructed.
A heated instrunt was brought forward, and without delay, it was
pressed against the open wound.
*Ssssss-*
The sound of searing flesh filled the chamber as the exposed tissue
was sealed, the bleeding brought under control as the edges of the wound fused under intense heat.
The sll followed imdiately after.
Thick.
Acrid.
Yet no one flinched.
This was necessary.
Once the bleeding was contained, the next phase began.
Fine sutures were threaded through the remaining flesh, as the doctors worked quickly to close the wound, their hands steady despite the intensity of what they had just done.
Thread passed through skin.
Pulled tight.
Secured. Line by line, the wound was sealed.
And then ca the final step.
Healing magic.
A soft glow enveloped Leo's hand, spreading across the stitched flesh
as the energy worked to stabilize the damage, accelerating the natural
recovery process while reinforcing what remained.
The light pulsed gently.
Then faded.
Silence followed.
The procedure was complete.
The worst of the contamination had been removed.
While the spread had been halted for now.
*Huff* *Puff*
Leo's breathing steadied slightly as the throbbing pain dulled into
sothing more manageable, the sharp edge of it fading as clarity slowly returned to his mind.
He could feel it.
The difference.
The absence of that suffocating presence at the wound itself,
replaced by a lingering discomfort that no longer threatened to consu him entirely.
But it was not gone.
So of it remained.
Deep within.
Microscopic fragnts of origin tal that had already entered his
bloodstream, far beyond the reach of any blade or spell, as they circulated silently through his body without resistance.
The doctors knew it. Leo knew it.
Even Shadow Number One could see it....
They had saved him, they had bought him ti, but they had not
removed the threat completely.
"Forgive us, my lord..." the senior doctor said quietly, lowering his gaze slightly as the weight of the outco settled upon him. "The finger could not be restored."
Leo looked at his hand, then back at the doctor, as he gave a slow,
understanding nod, his expression calm despite everything, as he
accepted the result without resistance.
They had done what they could, the rest was his fate to bear now.
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