Bermuda

His skin felt as if it were burning, and his vision flickered as he lost his mind. Just as all sorts of sensations mixed and jabbed at his sensitive nerves, suddenly his vision rapidly darkened.

Leonardo, who had been wandering aimlessly through the smoke screen, stopped in mid-air at that moment and raised his head. Then he saw a massive rock looming overhead, already bearing down right in front of his nose.

After the volcanic eruption, the upper part of the crater had blown off, and vast ejecta had been sprayed into the sky due to pressure. However, the thing flying toward him was beyond what could be called ejecta. It was large enough to crush his entire body instantly, and even if he dodged sideways, it seemed like at least one leg would be crushed just as fast.

Feeling threatened, Leonardo instinctively stretched out his right hand. He intended to use magic to half-destroy the massive rock. But just as destructive energy gathered in his hand, his left hand urgently followed and caught his right wrist.

He stopped breathing for a moment. His reason, which he had barely grasped, controlled his instinct and whispered.

'What if I fail to control my power?'

He knew it clearly. That even something very trivial could be a trigger for going berserk. Moreover, his current self, entangled in confusion, was as sharp and fragile as a shattered glass bottle.

Once he began doubting himself like this, he recalled the Council members talking behind his back earlier. The excrement-like whispers about needing to put handcuffs on him became chains constricting his body, preventing Leonardo from moving.

Because of this, he just looked up at the approaching rock with a confused face. He was afraid that Hugo, who was chasing after him, and he himself might be devoured by his own mana.

The myriad thoughts that rushed in during this brief moment made him a fool who could do nothing. Until the heat from the rock was felt directly on his forehead, Leonardo could barely count only the sound of his quickening pulse.

It was then.

Piing-

In this critical moment, a blue beam passed before his eyes. At the same time, Leonardo's body was forcefully pulled backward by a strong force.

Unable to take his eyes off the red-hot rock, he witnessed the blue light cutting through the air and penetrating the rock.

Because sound was slower than light, the violent sound of destruction resonated a beat later. Staring at the rock that was not just cracking but being pulverized, Leonardo was captivated by the blue light that dyed his vision.

Sharp fragments, driven by the air pressure, rushed near his face. As Leonardo reflexively squeezed his eyes shut and was about to turn his head, suddenly a broad, dark chest appeared, blocking the front as if to protect him. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Leo-"

A low voice mixed with breathing approached along with a thick body scent. Leonardo, who had been frozen, flinched and opened his eyes.

As he looked straight ahead again and raised his gaze, he saw Hugo's face, urgent and worried, against the background of a barrier embroidering the darkness. His hands, which had already reached him, were firmly grasping both of Leonardo's arms.

"Are you coming to your senses?"

Blue eyes quickly scanned his face. Along with this, the other's voice, breathing roughly, made him feel warm but also inexplicably anxious.

His face, usually neat, was not only drenched in sweat uncharacteristically, but also revealed no small wounds through the torn battle uniform here and there. This made him imagine what might have happened while he was out of his mind. Through the gap in the torn fabric covering his firm upper arm, clear burn marks were visible.

Leonardo, who had been staring at those traces for a moment, trembled his eyelashes, suddenly terrified. Immediately realizing that he shouldn't be close to him, he turned his body again as if to flee.

"Don't come!"

"Wait, Leo!"

Hugo tried to grab him again as he attempted to shake off his hand and escape in one breath. However, Leonardo, struggling desperately to break free, roughly pushed away Hugo's approaching hand. Even though he tried to distance himself like this several times, Hugo persistently followed and grabbed his forearm again.

"Leonardo, calm down and listen to me-"

"I said don't come!!"

Leonardo, fallen into confusion, shouted almost at the top of his lungs. As he strongly swung his arm at that moment, a frictional sound in the air like thunder cut between the two of them. Hugo, his eyes wide at the hot current suddenly approaching head-on, instinctively twisted his body to avoid it.

A brief silence followed the bright yellow flash. Soon, as gusts swept in and fierce shockwaves followed, the two frozen people looked at each other's faces. Then the trembling golden eyes moved first beyond Hugo's shoulder, blankly staring at the miserable scene.

Chiiik-

The ultra-high-temperature current undulating in the area pushed the two people floating in the air.

Leonardo couldn't believe the scene he had created. The mountains that had stood tall until just now had completely disappeared as if they had never existed. In their place, a wide valley had formed, with pale steam eerily undulating. Sparks occasionally flew up from the sizzling ground, forming shapes as if lava were flowing.

Hugo also slowly turned around, following Leonardo's shocked gaze. As soon as he saw the scene unfolding before his eyes, his expression hardened.

The terrifying strike that had changed the terrain itself unconsciously made Hugo's Adam's apple bob.

"..."

Soon after, Hugo turned back to Leonardo. Leonardo felt as if he were falling into an abyss as he met that gaze.

He was afraid of what the other might think of him. A ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment? A heinous criminal who had tried to kill him?

But more unbearable than that was the fact that if he hadn't dodged, something terrible would have happened because of his power. This fact made it impossible for him to face the other with a sane mind anymore.

"...S-sorry."

Leonardo, his breathing quickening, let out only that one word in a choked voice. With a pale complexion, he turned and fled to a place where Hugo couldn't follow him. He even felt like jumping into the erupting lava. Even Kazad wouldn't be able to follow him there.

Feeling like a dangerous and ominous being of destruction himself, Leonardo hugged his own body with both arms as if restraining himself. Then he tried to disappear from Hugo's sight, moving anywhere to avoid him.

However, contrary to his will, Leonardo couldn't go far. This was because Hugo, who had appeared out of nowhere, once again blocked his way.

Just as he realized that the broad chest was too close, Hugo suddenly embraced Leonardo, preventing him from thinking anything.

Startled by this concise gesture, Leonardo struggled «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» weakly but couldn't escape. The two arms that trapped him in the embrace pressed their bodies together, and then a soft breath that gave a sense of stability whispered quietly in his ear.

"It's okay, Leonardo."

The moment he heard those words, Leonardo felt his strength completely drain away. A sigh-like exclamation silently flowed out between his parted lips.

Noticing this small change, a large hand gently pressed the back of his head, making him lean on his shoulder. The view that had been full of dirt and ash was, for that moment, dyed in the navy blue of the battle uniform. The toxic gas surrounding them was also masked by the other's scent.

The heavy fragrance rising from the thick neck pushed away all negative things.

"It's okay."

A calm voice trying to reassure him over and over again settled on his head, ears, and around his eyes. It was a peaceful and composed voice that seemed like it could suppress all explosions. Perhaps because of this, Leonardo, trapped in his embrace, couldn't grasp the situation at all.

He was clearly stiff with fear, and his heart rate had become abnormally high due to symptoms of impending berserk. However, the tension and stability given by the other mixed, causing his heartbeat to occasionally speed up and slow down. As if to calm his confusion, Hugo, as if possessed of unparalleled kindness, soothed and comforted the frightened other with a voice that could be felt as warm.

"Nothing happened."

Those words seemed to see through all the anxiety and fear rising inside Leonardo. Leonardo, who had been twisting his body slightly, stopped moving at those words. As if helplessly melting into the broad embrace, even his arms that had been trying to push away now hung limply downward.

Hugo slowly stroked the small head resting on his shoulder, gently caressing down to the back of the neck. At the same time, he firmly grasped the slender waist and pulled it softly toward himself. He hoped that the hot body that seemed about to collapse at any moment would relax in his embrace.

But contrary to his feelings, rocks like bombardments lacerated the air around them. Roars that seemed to tear off eardrums followed.

As a particularly large explosion spread in the sky once again, Leonardo came to his senses in the midst of chaos. Raising his head suddenly with a startled face, he furrowed his brow with mixed worry and said,

"Get away, I might hurt you."

The mana current that had just calmed down fluctuated unstably again, and his trembling voice evoked pity. But this time, Hugo didn't yield easily. Rather, he firmly held Leonardo's arms to prevent him from escaping, and looking into his eyes, he opened his mouth solemnly.

"You didn't hurt anyone. You defeated the mother body, and thanks to you, we're all safe."

"That's not what I mean, I might go berserk-!"

Leonardo, squeezing his eyes shut, raised his voice but lowered his head. It was an unconscious defense mechanism, afraid that his mana might run wild in response to his emotions.

However, Hugo lightly cupped Leonardo's cheek. Then he grasped the other's trembling chin and lifted it slightly. He made sure that only himself was reflected in the shining golden eyes.

"You're not going berserk. You're still aware of my presence and recognize who I am."

"...But-"

"Even if there comes a time when you can't control your power yourself, it's okay because I'm by your side. I'm much stronger than what you see before your eyes, than what you think."

"..."

"I'm the only one who can find you here now, and the only one who can handle you."

Hugo's eyebrows gradually furrowed as he continued his disjointed words. His eyes, now tinged with intense emotion, earnestly expressed what he wanted to say.

"So don't run away from me. Leonardo."

Leonardo's eyelids trembled at the heavy voice that sounded plaintive. The grip on his forearms tightened fiercely, as if momentarily forgetting consideration.

But it wasn't painful.

Rather, the intense feelings seemed to overflow into him through the heavy fingertips.