By Zephyria Nero twisted his lips and squeezed his eyes shut. A muted curse escaped through his teeth.
The rough tree bark touching his back stung his skin as if it would pierce through his clothes. He felt as if his future, locked in a nailed solitary cell, was engulfing him from behind.
Then, was the front, facing the escape route, any better? That wasn’t the case either. The dug-up dirt floor and the trees pierced by ice revealed their red insides, creating a grotesque scene. Sharp tips were aimed at him as if to pierce his head, so there was no direct contact, but the situation was the same in the front or the back.
‘Shit….’
Nero, cursing inwardly, shifted his gaze to the right, where a chill was approaching. It was fortunate that the moonlight was dark today. Otherwise, his appearance would have been reflected in those crudely protruding, ignorant icicles.
“I told you to come out.”
As if he wasn’t a cold-blooded person, the owner of the chilling bass voice didn’t even give him time to catch his breath. He felt like his upper and lower body would be separated along with the tree if he hesitated, so Nero swallowed hard and rolled his eyes.
But if he obediently went out just because he was told to, would that be Dark Silver, the special elite unit?
Nero took a deep breath and meticulously put on Felix’s Guise. Then, he grabbed his right wrist with his left hand and slowly drew up Magic Power. His grip was covered in dark flames, and like when he tore the core’s foreleg, the claws of a beast grew long.
Nero, flexibly twisting his finger joints to prepare for an attack, lowered his posture while holding his breath and focused on the opponent’s movements.
‘If I fight now, I’ll win.’
If it were a Mage of immeasurable S4 class like the Commander, he would naturally be at a disadvantage in a one-on-one confrontation. But wasn’t the other side currently severely injured and extremely exhausted?
Moreover, he couldn’t feel even half of the original Magic Power he had felt at the battle site. In other words, if he somehow aimed for an opening and launched a surprise attack, even if the hand-to-hand combat dragged on, his chances of winning were much higher.
‘If he stubbornly keeps following me, then I’ll just finish him off here.’
As a soldier, the more cornered he is, the colder his mind must become. It was the Commander’s teaching that the moment you hesitate in enemy territory because of the enemy’s story, it’s not the enemy who becomes a vengeful spirit with a story, but you.
He knew that the man had risked his life to bring the Commander out of the barrier. But if he ever tried to do anything that would harm him and the Commander’s future, whether he was a Legion Commander of the Council or the Commander’s benefactor, he was ready to close his eyes and eliminate him.
Nero’s eyes, which had been firmly determined, were soon dyed with a thick murderous intent. The soundless, tense atmosphere sharply heightened the nerves of the two people who had not yet seen each other.
Just as the two people aiming for their target were faintly shining in the darkness,
‘Words won’t work.’
Hugo’s shadow, reflected in the thick Ice Pillar, raised the heavy Greatsword upwards.
Kwaaaang—!
The blue sword energy that cut through the air mercilessly cut down the trees. As soon as Nero, who sensed the presence, lowered his head, a sharp gust of wind grazed his back and nape.
Everything above the pillar that was cut in half flew away. As the hiding place where he could hide was completely gone, Nero barely dodged and looked for an opening, then rushed towards Hugo’s neck.
But Hugo blocked it with his sword and strongly pushed him away, so Nero, while regretting it, swerved to the side, planted his feet on the ground, and barely regained his balance.
Chwaaaaa—
As his entire body was endlessly pushed back due to inertia, Nero dug his black, undulating wrist into the ground and dragged it along the dirt floor. The halved trees made a creaking sound and fell menacingly from both sides as if to cover him.
Nero waved his arm to burn them away and jumped back widely to lightly avoid the falling obstacles. Hugo, who had quickly narrowed the distance with him, relentlessly pressured him, pushing his opponent with force.
After a while, an eerie silence settled in the place that had been devastated as if a storm had swept through. Thick dust and broken tree trunks filled the space between the two people who were breathing roughly.
“Haa, ha. Wow, this guy is serious.”
Nero muttered in disbelief, wiping the scratch from his ear to his chin with the back of his hand. He was sure he had only grazed it slightly, but the amount of blood flowing was quite a lot more than he thought.
Meanwhile, Hugo, who was also groping around his neck with his hand, narrowed his brow when he saw the bloodstains on his fingertips.
“Aren’t you just as serious?”
“Since the Legion Commander threatened me first, isn’t it self-defense?”
Nero retorted shamelessly, wearing a false face, and a bluish vein popped out on Hugo’s jaw, which was quite filled with anger.
The fast speed and agile movements that aimed for vital points were very similar to the movements of ‘that person’ he had faced before. But somehow, even that personality had been transferred, and the impudent tone and behavior strangely scratched his nerves like that person at the time.
However, Hugo, who quickly sealed the wound on his neck with Recovery, thought that this was not the time and strongly stuck the Greatsword to his right.
“I don’t have time to banter with you. More than that, you have something to explain to me.”
The moment the Greatsword dug deep into the ground, a chill burst out from under Nero’s feet. Nero, flinching at it, reflexively took a step back and kicked the tree trunk in front of him irritably. Then, he made the most hopeless expression he knew and answered the Legion Commander’s question cynically.
“What are you talking about? Rather, the Legion Commander should explain this situation—”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who has Leonardo.”
At Hugo’s words, which cut to the chase without preamble, Nero’s tongue stiffened. Even so, he glared at Hugo with a gaze full of murderous intent and coldly scoffed in disbelief.
‘Even if that bastard tries to be nice… how dare he bring up the Commander in front of me?’
He was trying his best to call him with an honorific that he couldn’t even get used to, but what came back was a fierce threat with the Commander in front. Because of that, Nero became a mute even while glaring, and Hugo thought that he had understood properly and continued to speak.
“I won’t ask what your relationship with him is. No, rather, it’s so transparent that it’s below my expectations, so I’m not even curious.”
“…….”
“However, that relationship will be useful in interrogating you. You, who have been acting as our member, know very well who has the final say in Leonardo’s treatment right now.”
Nero could fully understand the hidden meaning in those words. If he was going to act, he should have done it properly. He was openly mocking him for having too many loopholes, below expectations. Even so, he was plotting to control him by holding the Commander in his grasp.
He suddenly felt extremely hot, as if he had come out of a volcano, but Nero couldn’t easily answer, sensing that the other party knew everything.
“So, from now on, answer my questions sincerely. Depending on what answers you give, my decision about the two of you will also change.”
Nero’s teeth, which he had unconsciously bitten, made a cracking sound.
‘Fucking noble bastard.’
He already knew that nobles in high positions were two-faced, but the appearance of being friendly to the poor and pitiful Commander was ultimately just a superficial face to win his favor.
Nero now saw Hugo in front of him as a cruel messenger of ice who was pushing him and the Commander, who were embracing each other, off a cliff.
‘…The baby bird in the cabin is definitely the Legion Commander’s Divine Beast. Then, even if I deny that I can change faces, he would have heard everything I said to the Commander….’
While quickly recalling what he had said inside, Nero regretted his actions, which had become too deeply involved in this group. As he was silently pondering because he was turning his head, Hugo looked at the blurred name tag embroidered on Nero’s chest and asked in a low voice.
“What happened to the owner of that uniform?”
Nero lowered his head at the unexpected question, as he thought that the story about Dark Silver would come out first. Then, when he looked down at the clothes he was wearing, he suddenly realized that the man had not yet confirmed the existence of the real Felix.
“Did he die? Or did you kill him?”
Just in time, Hugo asked again in a solemn voice. Nero, who had been rolling his eyes for a moment, slyly raised his head and stared at him.
‘Wait a minute, this.’
Nero, who had quickly finished thinking, deliberately put on a bitter smile.
Somehow, if he used it well, he might be able to use it in reverse.