Let's Train Heroine

All of their concern, all of their worry, was for the two figures lying motionless in the beds before them—Hima and Olive.

Hima's once-vibrant body now looked small and frail, her legs completely gone from the knees down. Bandages were wrapped tightly around the stumps where her legs had been severed, but the sight of her lying there, motionless and incomplete, was almost too much for Julia and Rina to bear.

Rina clenched her fist, her heart heavy with guilt. She'd been there. She'd seen the moment Hima's legs had been taken from her, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the memory. She couldn't forget the way Hima had screamed, the way her body had gone limp as she fell unconscious.

Julia, standing beside her, shared that same guilt. She hadn't been fast enough. She hadn't been strong enough. She was their leader, and she had failed them. The weight of that failure pressed down on her shoulders, heavier than any injury she had sustained in battle.

They were alive, yes. But at what cost?

As they stood there, lost in their thoughts, Hima stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, a groggy haze settling over her as she tried to focus on her surroundings. It took a moment for her to realize where she was. When she looked down at her lower body, her breath caught in her throat.

Her legs were gone.

For a brief moment, Hima stared in disbelief. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open as if she couldn't quite comprehend what had happened. But then, something remarkable happened.

Instead of panicking, instead of breaking down in despair, Hima took a deep breath and forced herself to sit up. She looked at her stumps, flexing the muscles in her thighs as if testing the limits of her new reality.

"Well, this is new," she said, her voice hoarse but steady. There was a glimmer of her old self in her eyes, a flicker of strength that hadn't been extinguished by the loss of her legs.

Julia and Rina exchanged a glance, their hearts heavy with concern. They were waiting for the breakdown, the tears, the inevitable spiral into hopelessness. But it never came.

Instead, Hima smiled—albeit a tired, weak smile—and looked at Rina. "You didn't give up, did you?" she asked, her gaze traveling to Rina's missing arm. "You kept fighting, even when you lost your hand. Now look at you, swinging that giant sword around with just one arm. Stronger than ever. If you can keep going, so can I."

Rina's throat tightened as she met Hima's gaze. She didn't know what to say. Relief and admiration swirled in her chest, but so did guilt. How could Hima be so strong? How could she smile, joke, even, in a moment like this?

Julia stepped forward, her voice soft. "Hima... you don't have to pretend. It's okay to be upset, to be angry. You've lost so much."

Hima shook her head, her expression firm. "No, Julia. I'm not giving up. We're adventurers. This is the life we chose. And I'm not going to let a couple of missing legs stop me from living it.

I'll find a way to keep fighting. I will keep fighting."

Rina and Julia stood in stunned silence, their hearts aching with both relief and sorrow. Hima wasn't giving up. She wasn't going to break. Her determination was as strong as ever, and for the first time since the battle, they felt a spark of hope.

But as they left Hima alone to rest, that spark dimmed.

In the quiet of her room, Hima's smile faded. She looked down at her stumps, her hands trembling as she traced the bandages where her legs used to be. The reality of her situation weighed on her, heavier than anything she'd felt before. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she bit her lip to hold them back.

But she couldn't.

The tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks in silent, unrelenting sobs. She stared at the empty space where her legs should have been, the loss hitting her like a tidal wave. She was strong, yes. But in this moment, in the stillness of the night, she allowed herself to feel the pain, the grief, the fear.

She cried silently, her shoulders shaking, as the reality of her new life settled in.

---

Olive woke later that night, her body aching from head to toe. Every movement sent a wave of pain coursing through her, but she didn't flinch. She'd survived. That was what mattered.

Julia and Rina sat beside her bed, their eyes full of concern as they watched her wake. Olive's face, once smooth and youthful, was now marred by the burns from the demon's acid. Her chest, arms, and stomach were covered in angry red welts, the skin melted away in some places, leaving her with permanent disfigurements.

But Olive didn't care about her appearance. She'd never been one to fuss over her looks, and now, in the aftermath of the battle, she was just glad to be alive. She winced as she sat up, her arms trembling with the effort, but when she caught sight of her reflection in the glass window, she didn't flinch.

"So," Olive rasped, her voice rough from the pain. "How's Hima?"

Julia and Rina exchanged a glance, relief flooding their expressions. Olive wasn't broken by her disfigurement. She wasn't concerned about herself. All she cared about was Hima.

"Hima's okay," Julia said softly. "She's... adjusting. But she's not giving up."

Olive exhaled slowly, her shoulders relaxing as she processed the news. "Good," she murmured.

Julia smiled faintly, reaching out to take Olive's hand.

Olive's lips twitched in a weak smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. She was relieved, yes, but the pain was still there, felt pain where skin burnt, Still, knowing that Hima was fighting, that she hadn't given up, gave Olive a sense of peace.

From here on, Julia, who let same tragedy happen again decided that she will never ever going to take any mission that seem even slightest dangerous.