That wasn't on her mind at this point though.
Pain was her main concern at the moment.
When one had a Rune placed, normally there was a brief intense itching at the site and where the resonating chakra was. In the case of the Berserker Rune, that was the Muladhara or "Root" chakra and to some extent the Manipura chakra. Removing a Rune was normally the same itch and minor discomfort. In some ways it was similar to having dental work done, there being some discomfort which rapidly faded. That was if it was done right.
The Berserker Rune had tangled her chakra, resonated with survival instinct and rage, and had become a problem. Simply removing it would cripple the girl and leave her in pain for years to come. While that might have a certain ironic justice, a minor Rune taking the place formerly occupied by that flawed Rune would cause things to settle. That was what was happening, but the process of taking one out and putting one in was not normally instantaneous. Runes that applied themselves WERE nearly instantaneous, though quite often the force of their power could knock the recipient out for some time.
Subjectively, by the point-of-view of the others, it took three minutes. Mostly because Akane broke her restraints when she began thrashing around.
For Akane, the world had briefly become pain. Sight, sound, smell, taste - all retreated before the wall of pain. Nausea was there too, but it was simply a distant echo of awareness in the assault of pain.
Then she was past it and fell asleep as the new Rune was affixed.
The Water Breathing Rune was one of those that functioned whenever the trigger was present. Trying to breathe water would do it. It was a well understood and useful Rune, being favored by a number of people whose business took them into waters that were temperate enough to be swum in. It would not help with hypothermia, and so it wasn't as popular in areas where the water was cold. Nor was it something that would help with the pressure of deep waters, or other dangers found in waters.
Pearl divers and those who farmed offshore around Japan made good use of the Water Breathing Rune. It wasn't cheap but it was considered invaluable for such professions.
Nabiki knew all this. Likely Akane would find it embarassing when she sunk to the bottom of the school pool and realized that her Rune had activated. That was it.
No, the problem that would continue to happen at school would be the reactions of others. Being feared and shunned by her classmates would eventually fade, especially if her friends could stop flinching, but it would be fairly tough for Akane in the meantime.
Meanwhile:
(Posted Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:31)
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