Bermuda

'That guy is...'

The figure, unfamiliar yet strangely familiar, was wearing the Council's battle uniform, with a gas mask covering everything below the eyes. However, the extraordinary energy emitted when using magic was not something that could be concealed by that.

Like fiercely burning fire itself. The mysterious shadow, its entire body covered in flames, instantly cut through the water streams coiling around Leonardo's limbs. Then, cradling the limp body in both arms, it quickly turned away from the battlefield as if it had no further business there.

Bewildered by the fierce battle that had unfolded before his eyes in an instant—and the sudden abduction—Hugo hurriedly turned to chase after that person. However, as the massive body nearby spread its wings as well and changed direction, Hugo, gripping his greatsword horizontally, reflexively blocked and shoved back the creature's maw.

'It's definitely the fire energy I felt that night. An ally?'

He pushed back the monster that kept snapping at his face and pressured it while emitting a chill that seemed like it could freeze its hide. Even so, his blue eyes, tinged with anxiety, followed the two figures moving away from his sight.

'No, not a definite ally. But he tried to protect Leonardo.'

The destructive fireball that had just flown in was certainly aimed at the mother body. However, it was a very rough method of attack that didn't seem to care what happened to anyone else near the creature.

In other words, it didn't seem like he had come to support him, the Commander, but rather his sole purpose appeared to be rescuing Leonardo from the threat of the mother body.

Hugo's mind swirled with thoughts about who this suspicious person who suddenly appeared might be, and how long they had been circling around him and Leonardo. But now, as he was locked in a one-on-one confrontation with the mother body, he had no time to reflect on the situation.

At least that person didn't seem likely to harm Leonardo, so he even hoped they would take Leonardo and move away from the monster like this. With the battalion commanders almost incapacitated, he was the only one left to stop the mother body.

Meanwhile, Leonardo's bleeding, which had colored his vision earlier, had been quite severe, and if he remained the creature's target any longer, his life could truly be in danger.

Eventually, Hugo readjusted his grip on the sword with one hand and swung his arm widely, instantly slicing through three or four claws flying at him head-on. Then, using the flat of the greatsword as a guard, he once again strongly pressed down on the mother body while muttering in a voice filled with killing intent right in front of the creature's face.

"Before you cut off my breath, you will never be able to touch him."

As a mere human blocked its way and endured with pure strength alone, the queen watched Hugo with contracted pupils, rolling its slimy eyeballs. Just then, dark red droplets of blood trickled down along the place where the intersecting ice greatsword met the demonic claws. It was blood that had seeped from Leonardo's skin.

Two eyes traced that vivid red trail before it suddenly opened its maw wide. Then, a writhing mass of flesh slowly crept out from between its needle-like teeth and licked up the sticky liquid running along its claws.

The foul-smelling, dirty tongue crept back in, savoring the taste. Soon, the red pupils arced and chuckled disgustingly.

"There's no need for that anymore."

Hugo's eyebrows furrowed sharply as the ambiguous voice echoed unpleasantly in his mind.

At that moment, the mother body pushed Hugo away with all its might, then spread its wings wide and retreated, instantly widening the distance.

The creature giggled grotesquely while savoring the remaining blood on its claws. Then, as if unable to contain its joy, it twisted its ten-eyed face into something even more hideous.

"He's already dying."

*****

When you lose a lot of blood while wet from rain, your body temperature drops rapidly. This significantly lowers respiratory and nervous system functions, and you fall into the illusion that your body has adapted to the low temperature because you can't feel the cold.

But that's truly just an illusion, and if you continue to leave your body in that state, it can lead to arrhythmia or cardiac arrest. Hypothermia approaches slowly like that, making you unaware of its seriousness. Then at some point, it swallows your consciousness and puts you into eternal sleep.

Being wary of these symptoms when going on missions was like an instinct engraved not in the head, but in the body of Armsilver members.

Therefore, as Leonardo felt his ragged breathing gradually becoming calmer, he struggled to keep his eyes open, clutching his blood-soaked left arm, fearing that this warmth enveloping his body might be the final hallucination before death.

Meanwhile, the fierce raindrops evaporated before even reaching his face, and hot yet gentle flames flickered, slowly caressing his wounds.

When he realized that, instead of hypothermia, his body temperature was slowly rising, his hazy consciousness was already becoming clear again.

'...What is this?'

He felt a sense of stability thanks to the broad shoulders supporting his shaking head and neck. Soon after, Leonardo, belatedly realizing that he was being carried by someone and moving somewhere, reflexively strained his neck and barely raised his head.

Above the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ gas mask were red eyes tinged with something mysterious. Not the chilling red pupils he had been confronting, but warm eyes filled with an unforgettable warmth.

His trembling golden eyelashes slowly parted.

"...Nero?"

As he called out the name with a strained voice, the red eyes that had regained their full color glanced down. At the same time, as if responding to the call, the arms wrapped around him—under his back and forearms, under his knees and thighs—tightened even more firmly.

As the face of his comrade, whom he hadn't seen for quite a long time, became clear before his eyes, Leonardo's red lips moved unconsciously, filled with complex emotions. But soon, an indescribable tenderness washed over him like a flood, and instead of speaking, Leonardo slowly raised his blood-stained right hand.

As if it had been waiting for this, the other's face also drew closer. Nero blinked his eyes slowly and tilted his head, pressing his cheek against that hand of his own accord.

The skin rubbing against him, regardless of the blood, was warmer than anyone else he had touched recently. Perhaps because of this, Leonardo's elegant eyebrows knit miserably, but in a different sense than before. Seeing this, Nero's brow also furrowed sharply.

"Relax your expression. I didn't come here to see a face like that."

"..."

"You look so unsightly."

Nero, who spoke in an upset tone while straightening his neck and averting his eyes, was no longer the child from Leonardo's last memory. As Leonardo carefully placed his hand on Nero's shoulder, which now seemed even broader than his own, flames immediately flared up, firmly wrapping around his shoulders and neck, as if telling him to hold on properly.

With that support, sitting up a little more, Leonardo carefully examined Nero's profile with a complex gaze. The moment of reunion was indeed unsightly as he had said, but perhaps because both his mind and body had been pushed to the limit, more than anything, just a corner of his heart ached sharply.

He had clearly intended to berate him, asking why he hadn't left yet and was still here, telling him there probably wasn't a bigger fool in the world, and giving him a good beating along with a barrage of curses when they met face to face.

But now, more than that, he just felt an overwhelming emotion.

Leonardo carefully wiped Nero's blood-stained face with the sleeve of his mage robe, which was as tattered as his body and mind. Even when the red stains were almost completely gone, his finely furrowed brow showed no signs of smoothing out.

Kuung-

At that moment, an ominous and heavy roar echoed from the distance, interrupting the joy of their tender reunion. As several strong shockwaves followed in succession, Leonardo, suddenly coming to his senses, turned his head in that direction. Nero also glanced back with sharp eyes.

The waves accompanying the roar spread in all directions, roughly sweeping through the fluttering golden hair and burning red hair. Hugo's chilling mana laced within made its presence clearly felt along their skin, scalp, and spine.

Feeling that sensation fully, Leonardo stared at the blue light flickering in the sky beyond Nero's shoulder. As the band of spreading light felt strangely narrow despite its breadth, he finally realized that he had moved quite far from the battlefield while his consciousness had been hazy.

"Nero, what about the queen? No, that monster?"

As Nero, who was carrying him, moved further and further away from the battlefield, Leonardo turned his head and asked urgently.

"Isn't it still alive? Where are we going now?"

"..."

But Nero, as if he had never meant to speak at all, just closed his mouth tightly again and continued straight ahead, looking only forward. He didn't seem to have any intention of answering.

"...I'm asking where we're going."

As Nero responded with silence to his repeated questions, Leonardo stared at him blankly with puzzled eyes. Soon, the warm feelings that had filled his heart faded away, and now bewilderment swept over him, wondering why this guy was suddenly acting like this.

It seemed very strange that he wasn't even responding, as he was definitely not the type to intentionally ignore what he said. Leonardo, who had been quietly looking at Nero, soon spoke to him in a cold voice.

"Hey, put me down."

"..."

"I said put me down."

Leonardo, putting strength into the arm around Nero's neck, twisted his body little by little as if trying to get away while pushing against his shoulder. In response, Nero's arms wrapped around him tightened even more firmly, clutching his chest and thighs.

Leonardo was both bewildered and exasperated by his behavior. If he had some intention, he should explain it, but instead he was just resisting with such petty strength, refusing to let go.

Feeling incredulous, Leonardo finally clenched his left fist that had been idle. Then he thrust his fist in front of Nero's face, threatening him.

"Are you going to put me down or not? I'm going to-"

"Ah, alright, I'll put you down, I will! Just please stay still and don't use your arm!"

As Leonardo's blood-covered left arm trembled and rose, Nero panicked and hurriedly tried to calm him down.

Soon after, the speed at which the two were flying decreased, and their altitude gradually lowered. However, the earlier tenderness was nowhere to be found, and Leonardo glared at Nero with a displeased face.

'What? Please stay still? This bastard has gotten cheeky while I wasn't looking.'