By Zephyria Thud, his shoulder became heavy. Golden hair flowed down, reaching Nero’s chest.
Nero couldn’t properly comprehend what had just happened. He had simply bent his knees and extended his arms to support the Captain’s body as it collapsed forward.
The upper body leaning against his chest was heavier than he had expected. Like when supporting someone who didn’t even have the will to lean on him. Nero, who had staggered for a moment due to his carelessness, reflexively took a step back and regained his balance.
His breathing wasn’t going as he wanted. He creaked his eyes and glanced downwards.
“…Captain?”
Disheveled golden hair was slumped in his arms, limp. The moisture seeping out from the wet hair dyed the navy blue combat uniform even darker.
With the blood drained from his face, Nero stood blankly for a while.
A coldness crept up his spine. He felt like he had experienced a similar sensation sometime before. When he had saved the Captain from the collapsing ravine? No, it was even further back than that.
It was similar to when he had held someone’s body that he had futilely sent off on the battlefield three years ago. The skin that was chillingly cold, and the stiff limbs that were hardening due to rigor mortis….
“Captain, Cap, ah, damn it—”
As the terrible thought popped into his head, Nero shook his head nervously, shaking off the ominous feeling. Even so, he instinctively bit the tongue that called him Captain, and supported Leonardo’s neck, which was bent at a bizarre angle, with his hand.
“Blaine, why, why are you doing this? Wake up, snap out of it!”
He roughly shook the other’s body, which he couldn’t control, by the shoulders and arms several times. Even so, the golden head that was deeply bowed only moved as he shook it, and didn’t move on its own at all.
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Nero hurriedly bent his knees and lowered his posture. Then, he carefully laid Leonardo’s body on the ground and first brought his hand to his face.
Perhaps because of the huge ice wall that had soared in front, a faint wind blew around him, with a mixture of cold and heat. Because of this, Nero, who was confused as to whether what was brushing against his fingertips was the wind or his breath, couldn’t properly distinguish it.
“No, ah, please… what am I supposed to do….”
He babbled incoherently, and with trembling hands, he examined the pale face here and there. Perhaps because it was wet, the neatly closed eyelids looked particularly lifeless. Moreover, the skin that touched his fingertips was almost as cold as ice, and Nero was seized with fear that the Captain might die of hypothermia.
He was at a loss in his embarrassment, but soon he hugged Leonardo’s upper body and began to emit heat. Then, the moisture on his wet body evaporated at once, and a little artificial warmth spread to his cold skin. But the only thing that lingered on his ear, which he had placed against the Captain’s chest, was a very faint heartbeat that seemed about to stop.
“Blaine, Blaine! Leo! Hey! Someone—!”
At Nero’s cry for help as he raised his head, combat boots covered in mud approached as if they had been waiting.
Nero, feeling the presence, turned towards them with the feeling of wanting to grab onto anything, but his face, which had been desperate, instantly became one that didn’t know what expression to make.
It was because he had been constantly watching while borrowing the appearance of Felix from the 3rd Battalion, but he hadn’t expected to face him directly like this.
“What’s wrong? Did he suddenly faint?”
The one who hurriedly asked and approached was Meterion Kleinder, the commander of the 3rd Battalion. He lowered his posture and sat down in front of Nero with a very serious look. Then, he reached out without hesitation, as if to check on Leonardo’s condition.
But Nero, who had reflexively hugged the Captain, turned his body halfway to avoid that hand. It was an act that came from the instinct to protect the Captain, but even so, he instantly realized his mistake.
He couldn’t guess how his current appearance would be seen by this person. Moreover, he was confused by various thoughts, such as how long he had been watching them, and whether he had even heard his voice calling the Captain.
But right now, Nero’s biggest concern was for Leonardo’s safety. So he forgot about hiding his identity and everything else. He distorted his expression and pleaded in a trembling voice, thinking that it was a priority to ask for help now, no matter what.
“C, Battalion Commander, please help me.”
Meanwhile, Hugo, surrounded by commanders and members, was listening to the voices of concern and relief that were pouring out without end. He also encouraged Rainer, who had been put into the search party as soon as he woke up from his critical condition, and received unwanted emergency situation reports.
He only had one brain that could process things, but there were dozens of mouths swarming around him. Squad Leader 8, who had noticed the Supreme Commander’s tired face, stepped in to mediate once again. But Bruno, who had the most to say, kept rattling on and on without stopping.
“…Anyway, I’m really glad you’re safe. The barrier repair work will be finished by leaving some members behind for now, and we’ll head to the northern barrier line as is….”
But then, Hugo, who had been listening appropriately and rubbing his eyes, suddenly raised his head with a sense of unease that had flashed through his mind.
His blue eyes scanned the surroundings with a somewhat rigid gaze. Bruno, who had seen that look once during a meeting, naturally trailed off and assessed his mood. Soon, he turned around, following the Supreme Commander’s gaze, but he couldn’t tell what he was looking at because there were so many members gathered.
“…Leonardo.”
As if to give Bruno an answer, Hugo, with a hardened expression, muttered a word as if possessed. He lightly pushed aside the commander who was blocking his path and hurriedly moved somewhere.
The commanders exchanged puzzled glances at the Supreme Commander’s sudden actions and stepped back. But because Vice Commander Bruno quickly followed Hugo, the rest also followed the two without complaint.
Parting ways belatedly with the members, Hugo strode towards one place with his long legs. His pace quickened, and later, uncharacteristically, he was almost running. It was because Leonardo’s energy, which had been subtly felt, suddenly plummeted at some point.
‘What is it? Why suddenly….’
He had been keeping his senses keenly focused on Leonardo. So, there was no way he could have misjudged. It had been blazing uncontrollably just a moment ago, so such a sudden extinguishing was completely unnatural.
Unable to hide his impatience, Hugo desperately suppressed his anxiety and chased after the faint energy.
Before long, he had completely broken away from the ranks of the members. His face was frozen coldly, dripping with a chilling aura.
“……”
Two navy blue figures visible in front were half-holding the collapsed golden one. Hugo, his thoughts frozen, immediately Teleported to stand before them.
He forcefully pushed away Meterion, who was examining Leonardo, and coercively pulled Leonardo, who had been leaning halfway, into his arms.
“Move.”
He even gave a chilling warning in a low voice. Meterion, suddenly subjected to a terrifying force on his shoulder, staggered for a moment, looking bewildered. However, he quickly regained his balance, but when he met the blue glare that seemed ready to tear him apart, he narrowed his brows in disbelief and chuckled.
“Hey, Agrizendro. What is this―”
“What happened? Why is he like this? Leo, Leo!”
Meterion tried to argue belatedly, but Hugo merely glared at him fleetingly before immediately turning his gaze away. His eyes and mind were already solely focused on Leonardo, and nothing else mattered.
Supporting Leonardo’s head, which seemed about to snap at the wrist, Hugo cupped Leonardo’s cheeks and gently rubbed them. He pressed his thumb against the lowered eyelashes, trying to force open the closed eyelids. However, only bloodshot whites were visible inside. It was proof that he was unconscious.
“…Damn it.”
A low curse escaped from between his clenched teeth. It wasn’t a word he would normally use, so Meterion glanced at him.
Hugo’s Adam’s apple bobbed anxiously, having lost its composure. He couldn’t understand why Leonardo had suddenly lost consciousness.
Fearing that this might also be part of the runaway Magic Power symptoms, his tense gaze anxiously scanned the pale face. He fiddled with Leonardo’s wrist while using his other hand to find the carotid artery near the choker that encircled his neck.
As soon as he felt the throbbing blood vessel, he pressed down on it, but the pulse was strangely weak.
Hugo immediately raised his head and glared at the two people in front of him. Then, in a stern voice, he pressed them as if interrogating them.
“How long has he been like this? Huh?”
Meterion was speechless at the accusing tone, as if he had been the one to knock him unconscious. Instead, Nero, who was beside him, suddenly gripped Hugo’s forearm tightly. The fierce grip threatened to break bones, so Hugo’s gaze naturally shifted to Nero.
“Fire Mages are vulnerable to hypothermia. I suggest you withdraw some of your Magic Power.”
Nero, meeting his eyes, lowered his voice and warned him, as if telling him to restrain himself.
At that moment, Hugo, raising one eyebrow, looked down at Leonardo’s face again.
‘Hypothermia?’
Leonardo’s lips were turning blue. He had been continuously pouring his Magic Power into the water between them, so it was understandable.
Narrowing his eyes and retracing his memories, Hugo looked at Nero again. He clearly remembered who those eyes belonged to.
“……”
The sharp eyes that were hostile towards him were certainly those of the mysterious member who had kidnapped Leonardo during the battle.
However, before asking about the details of the relationship between this person and Leonardo, Hugo first took a small, deep breath and gathered his Magic Power. Instead, he radiated heat with his Magic Power to raise his body temperature, then tightly embraced the cold body so that it would be transmitted to Leonardo. Even so, his cool gaze was fixed solely on Nero.
‘This bastard.’
As their eyes met, revealing undisguised hostility, a vein quietly stood out on Nero’s neck as well. However, given the situation, he gripped Hugo’s arm as if to crush it once before silently withdrawing his hand when he felt the chill receding.
“Legion Commander, what’s going on?”
Bruno and Squad Leader 8, who had followed Hugo, approached them. The two were slightly taken aback by the scene before them, but they realized that the situation was serious at the sight of Leonardo, who couldn’t even hold up his own head.
Hugo looked up at the two for a moment before rising from his spot without saying much. Then, he lifted Leonardo up with a jerk, properly embracing the limp body in his arms.
“There’s no time. We must return quickly.”
At the Legion Commander’s decisive order, Bruno and Squad Leader 8 nodded their heads in attention. Nero and Meterion also rose from their spots, but the man with the ominous blue eyes didn’t wait for them.
Hugo rested Leonardo’s head on his shoulder and lightly touched his forehead to the unconscious one’s. Then, he turned north and took about two steps, disappearing in an instant, enveloped in white light.