Garius smirked.
"Heh…" he chuckled softly. "I don't think we can slip past them that easily."
Francesca raised an elegant eyebrow, amused.
Garius crossed his arms, his golden eyes shining.
"Alf and Erinnete... aren't people to be taken lightly," he said, glancing toward the estate barracks, where Alf was probably already preparing patrols just in case.
"Even if we manage to slip away for a bit," Garius added with a small laugh, "they'd find us in no ti."
Francesca giggled, covering her mouth delicately.
"True. Erinnete would probably scold us like naughty children sneaking out."
"And Alf?" Garius grinned wider. "He'd just stand behind us with that disappointed look—the one that makes you feel guilty without him saying a word."
They both laughed softly.
Despite their burdens and responsibilities, monts like this reminded them why they fought so hard—
For their family.
For their people.
For simple happiness like this.
Francesca looked up at him with a warm smile.
"Still... a little adventure with you sounds wonderful, dear. Even if we get caught."
Garius leaned down, brushing his forehead against hers.
"Then after we finish cleansing the central region," he whispered, "we'll have our little date. Caught or not."
Francesca closed her eyes, savoring the mont.
"It's a date."
anwhile, in the Halfling Kingdom—
The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation.
The once-marching army of the dead, summoned by Zephyra and led by Kenjirou, was now in ruins.
Crushed under the combined strength of Halfling priests wielding powerful holy magic and the determined Halfling army.
The air was thick with the sll of burned flesh and scorched dark mana.
Amid the smoking chaos, Kenjirou and Zephyra stood battered, their mana drained.
They were cornered, surrounded by shimring barriers of divine magic.
Zephyra turned to Kenjirou.
"Kenjirou! Let's retreat!!"
Kenjirou clenched his teeth, his left hand twitching. He looked at the advancing lines of halfling soldiers and felt his mana falter.
Not good.
Not here.
Not now.
On a nearby hill, King Gurdan watched the scene unfold, a wicked smile creeping across his face.
His broad arms crossed over his chest, his golden crown gleaming in the sunlight.
Inside Gurdan's mind, the celestial bonded to him whispered excitedly.
"He's weak now, Gurdan!"
"Your chance to absorb him and beco even stronger!"
"Take him! Devour his celestial! Grow more powerful!"
Gurdan narrowed his eyes, his grin deepening.
But he didn't move.
He chuckled softly in response.
"No, not yet."
"We wait until he's very, very weak."
"Until there's no fight left in him."
"Then we strike."
The celestial inside him purred in agreent.
"Yessss… patience… and then… feast."
The trap was set.
Kenjirou and Zephyra had nowhere to run.
No reinforcents, no hope.
Kenjirou gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his lip as he raised his blade.
Beside him, Zephyra lunged with her shadow-forged spear, barely deflecting a barrage of holy arrows.
Their breaths were ragged. Their movents sluggish. Their mana—almost gone.
The Halfling army kept advancing, chanting prayers that burned the air.
Zephyra stumbled back, her legs trembling.
"K-Kenjirou..." she gasped, her voice faint and trembling.
He turned to her instantly, eyes wide with urgency.
"No, no... Zephyra..." he whispered, frantic.
In that mont—the battlefield vanished from his mind.
The enemies. The undead collapsing. The arrows. The light.
None of it mattered.
Only her.
Only Zephyra.
The Queen of Amazarak.
The woman who had captured his heart, broken his sanity, and made him feel alive even in chaos.
"I won't let them take you!!" Kenjirou growled.
He reached out, grabbed her tightly with one arm, and slung her across his back.
Even as his knees threatened to give way, he charged forward, his sword glowing faintly as he cut a desperate path through the enemy ranks.
Halfling spears clashed against his sword.
Holy magic grazed his cloak.
Mana chains tried to bind his legs.
But he didn't stop.
He roared with madness and love, eyes wide.
"Zephyra is mine! MINE!!"
Inside his mind, his celestial scread—rage, hunger, desperation.
"Fool! You're dying! You're wasting our power!"
But Kenjirou didn't care.
He drowned out the celestial voice.
There was no logic.
No strategy.
Only Zephyra.
Only escape.
Only survival—for the woman he would burn the world for.
From atop the hill, Gurdan narrowed his eyes, watching the chaos below. Kenjirou, bleeding and wild-eyed, fought desperately through the Halfling forces, Zephyra clinging to his back, barely conscious.
Inside Gurdan's mind, the celestial inside him hissed with impatience.
"Oi, Gurdan!! We're losing our chance!"
Gurdan's brow twitched.
"You saw it! He's retreating! If he gets away—"
"I know!!" Gurdan snapped aloud, teeth clenched.
His fists curled tightly.
"But he's still too strong. Even now, that Divine Sword of his…"
He paused, narrowing his eyes.
"One mistake and he'll cut in half."
The celestial hissed furiously.
"Ugh!! Then COMMAND your troops! Weaken him more!! Don't let him breathe! Crush him!! Now!!"
Gurdan's face darkened.
"...Fine."
He raised a heavy arm, the signal gauntlet shining.
His voice bood across the battlefield.
"ALL UNITS! FULL SURROUND! PRESS FORWARD!!"
"WOUND HIM! SLOW HIM DOWN! WEAKEN, NOT KILL!!"
Dozens of halfling warriors charged in waves, weapons glowing with divine enchantnts.
Kenjirou, barely standing, looked up.
"Shit... more of this trash is getting in our way!"
But he couldn't stop.
He wouldn't.
He clenched Zephyra tighter.
"Just a little further...! Just a little more…!!"
He roared again, charging headlong as blades rained down.
"Argh!!!"
He cried out as divine arrows and swords slamd into him.
Twisting his body, he pulled Zephyra into his arms, shielding her with his armored body. Explosions of holy light burst across his dark-forged armor as it shattered bits at a ti.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Breathing ragged.
But his grip on his Divine Sword never loosened. It still burned with the sa fierce passion.
"K-Kenjirou..." Zephyra, barely conscious, looked up from his arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Go… escape..." she weakly whispered.
"Just… leave here…"
Kenjirou's eyes widened. Rage swelled inside him.
"NO!!!!" he shouted so loud it shook the battlefield.
"I won't!! I won't leave you!! NEVER!!"
In that mont—
He thrust his Divine Sword into the ground.
A burst of celestial gold and cursed black light exploded outward.
His final trump card.
"LAST WILL: HEROES' LEGACY!!"
A glowing celestial circle erupted beneath him—ancient runes spiraled, lightning flashed.
Wounds on his body sealed, golden flas racing through him, healing his broken flesh.
But that wasn't enough.
He grit his teeth, pouring the last of his mana into Zephyra.
He pressed a trembling hand to her chest, channeling everything he had.
Her wounds closed, bleeding stopped.
She could breathe again.
Her mana core remained drained, weak.
But she opened her eyes.
She saw him.
Bloodied, barely standing, but smiling.
"I'm sorry, my love…" Zephyra whispered, her voice trembling.
"Because of … because of , you've lost everything..."
Kenjirou shook his head fiercely.
"No."
He pulled her into a tighter embrace.
"Don't say that."
"I'd do it again. A thousand tis."
His voice cracked with madness, love, and pain.
"I will always follow your command… my love."
( End Of Chapter )
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