BMD 299

“Kyaaaaak―!”

“E, everyone, step back!”

The screams of the medical staff, who were in a state of panic, were rampant inside and outside the examination room. The broken glass shards were trampled on miserably by the fleeing footsteps, scattering like sharp powder.

Amidst the occasional vibrations and falling medical equipment, the voice of someone struggling to calm someone down leaked out. However, it was soon suppressed by the fierce shouts and the Magic Power being emitted, and it was buried without being able to exert any strength at all.

“Legion Commander, this way!”

At the same time, busy footsteps were just entering the main gate outside the ward. Among the medical staff heading straight to the examination room, Hugo’s face was filled with anxiety.

It was a disaster that he had finished the remaining reports to Abraham and the higher-ups from early in the morning, and then the time was delayed while talking with the Vice Commander, Shorendo, about the shackle issue.

‘I should have accompanied him….’

The more the vibrations that shook his heart got closer, the drier Hugo’s mouth became.

He shouldn’t have been left alone. His head was filled with negative thoughts.

Fearing a repeat of the nightmare from before, Hugo disregarded his dignity and overtook the medical staff, dashing through the hallway at full speed. Finding the examination room wasn’t difficult. Following the commotion and screams, the aura of Leonardo Blaine etched within him led him to his destination in an instant.

“Oh, you’re here!”

“Legion Commander!”

The medical staff huddled in front of the examination room door, which was tattered from being opened and closed repeatedly, trembling with fear. Some greeted Hugo with faces that looked as if they had found a savior, but most were unaware of his arrival, staring blankly at one spot with pale faces.

“Blaine!! Calm down, please—!”

Amidst the chaos, Flynn’s voice scratched sharply at Hugo’s eardrums from beyond the broken window. A chill ran down Hugo’s spine.

“Move.”

Pushing through the crowd, he stepped forward, and from the moment he approached the entrance, the stench of blood assaulted his nostrils.

His heart pounded violently, and an indistinguishable uproar loomed nearby. As soon as he stepped into the examination room, the horrifying scene that had ravaged the interior unfolded before Hugo’s eyes.

The sharply fragmented shards of glass threatened to pierce the soles of his shoes, but he had no time to worry about such things.

“Haa, ha—.”

“Stop, stop it!”

The fixtures and medical equipment were scattered haphazardly, as if a beast had clawed at everything in sight. Shards of glass were scattered around, and the transparent cylinder on the cart was engulfed in flames, exploding with a loud bang. In the midst of the pandemonium, streaks of crimson blood stretched across the floor like splattered paint.

In the center, Flynn, his voice hoarse from shouting, hugged a panting blond man and pleaded with near desperation.

Hugo could only stand there in shock.

Leonardo Blaine, breathing in and out, had the face of a ferocious yacha, blood dripping from his chin and fingertips.

“…Leo.”

He moved his frozen lips with difficulty and barely managed to call his name. Then, the fierce eyes of the beast, which had been panting roughly, contracted their pupils and stared at Hugo.

An alien murderous intent was felt in his Gold Eyes. Hugo instinctively held his breath, just as he had when he first encountered Leonardo Blaine.

The two men stared at each other, locked in a standoff for a while. A taut tension lingered in the silence that had settled in, and after a moment, a growling murmur pressed against the other first.

“Did you order it?”

It was a word that nakedly revealed his heightened nerves and wariness. Hugo paused for a moment.

“What?”

Breaths mixed with metallic sounds fluttered around him, and the exhausted Flynn buried his face in Leonardo Blaine’s shoulder, hugging his upper body tightly.

Hugo, not understanding what he was saying, furrowed his brow and asked again.

“What do you mean, Leonardo Blaine.”

“Did you tell them to put me to sleep and draw my blood?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than his red lips, filled with anger, questioned him without inflection. Hugo was silent for a moment.

Silence is affirmation. But it was unclear whether Leonardo Blaine was angry about having his blood drawn, or about the fact that they had tried to force him to sleep. Either way, there was enough reason to be angry, since they had tried to do it without his consent. But first, it was important to calm him down so that he wouldn’t get hurt any further.

“Yes, I ordered it. But Leo, listen to me.”

Hugo replied calmly, but Leonardo Blaine’s eyes twitched. The blood flowing from his fingertips dripped to the floor, as if to indicate that his patience was running out.

“There was no way to test the blood for toxins except by drawing blood. I ordered them to draw blood while you were asleep because I thought you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable in that state.”

Hugo explained in as gentle a tone as possible, while quietly signaling the medical staff behind him to retreat. As the trembling footsteps rustled, Leonardo Blaine’s eyes darted away. Hugo quickly stood with his back to the door and continued.

“Of course, it was my fault for not getting your consent beforehand. I understand that you must have been taken aback. But—.”

“Once I fall asleep, how much more are you going to take?”

Leonardo Blaine interrupted, letting out a bitter sneer.

“Did that bastard tell you to bring it? Does he need mine again? Ha, until when…”

Leonardo Blaine distorted his blood-smeared face, suddenly touched his forehead as if he had a headache, shook his head, and rambled.

“…What?”

Hugo paused for a moment at his incomprehensible remarks. Instead, he hardened his expression and watched his words and actions closely.

“Creepy bastard. I need to kill him…. Ah, shit. I’m dizzy.”

These were harsh words that he hadn’t heard recently. Hugo’s eyes narrowed subtly. He unconsciously stopped breathing, wondering if he was talking to him, but as he listened, it didn’t seem to be directed at him.

But more than that, Leonardo Blaine’s condition was somehow strange. Fortunately, Flynn was holding him, so he didn’t fall, but his legs were constantly staggering, probably due to excessive bleeding.

Leonardo Blaine, dragging his feet and swaying, staggered toward a surgical cart that was sitting alone on one side.

Trembling, he looked down at Flynn, who was hugging him tightly, and picked up a sharp piece of glass from the cart.

‘……!’

He held it with his thumb up and the tip down. He was clearly about to stab something.

“Leo!”

Hugo exclaimed and instantly gathered Magic Power, drawing a stream of water from the pool of blood. Meanwhile, the piece of glass that Leonardo Blaine was holding pierced his skin, instantly covering it with red liquid.

He didn’t know what he was trying to do, but both of them were in a very dangerous situation. Hugo wrapped the water around Leonardo Blaine’s arms tightly and rushed toward him.

But Leonardo Blaine’s movements were faster.

Chwaak—

With a distance of about one step, red blood splattered across Hugo’s face in a diagonal line.

“……!”

Leonardo Blaine had slashed his own left palm with the piece of glass he was holding. Clear blood gushed from the torn hand as if it were spurting out.

Hugo’s face, who saw the scene right in front of him, turned pale, almost blue. The blood droplets that ran across his pale skin flowed down particularly clearly.

“Leonardo Blaine—!”

Hugo shouted sternly and instantly grabbed Leonardo Blaine’s wrist, twisting it outward and breaking it. Leonardo Blaine frowned at the sudden pain and dropped the piece of glass.

Clang—

The piece that had fallen to the floor was completely covered in red, making it impossible to find its shape. Leonardo Blaine, who had been looking down to find the piece, raised his eyes and held out his left hand, which he had only half-cut. Then, he squeezed his fist as if he were squeezing juice.

Squeak, thud—

The blue veins on the back of his hand stood out, and the blood that had spread between the lines of his hand made a creaking sound. After that, a considerable amount of blood oozed out like a lump and plunged to the floor. They rubbed against the already overflowing puddle of water, soaking Leonardo Blaine’s white examination gown and Hugo’s uniform pants in red and dampness.

At the same time, his bloodshot Gold Eyes glared at Hugo and muttered.

“If you want it that badly, take it.”

“……”

“But only in front of me.”

Leonardo Blaine’s appearance, handing over his bloodied fist to his opponent with a serious expression, was that of a madman. Unlike usual, his Gold Eyes, which had lost their light, were looking at his opponent but had long lost their focus.

But that was also the case for the blue eyes that faced him. The light in his eyes was gone, and he was not in a state to come to his senses.

Hugo lowered his gaze, following the blood droplets that poured like an hourglass from Leonardo Blaine’s trembling fist.

He wouldn’t be surprised if he died from excessive bleeding.

Even though his hands and feet didn’t move easily, Hugo reminded himself of that fact and gripped Leonardo Blaine’s wrist tightly. It was to stop the bleeding.

Then, Leonardo Blaine, who had been glaring as if he would kill him, gradually distorted his expression even more, trembled his eyelids, and staggered his body violently. He wanted to struggle to get out, but his limbs didn’t follow his will because he was dizzy. Soon, he grabbed Flynn’s collar, who was clinging to him, lost his balance, and slowly leaned forward.

Hugo kicked away the nearby surgical cart and lowered his posture, hurriedly reaching out his arms. Leonardo Blaine, who was falling with Flynn, was limply embraced in his arms, and Hugo managed to catch both of them by a hair’s breadth.

The medical team, who had been watching the situation from outside, peeked inside and confirmed that Leonardo Blaine was unconscious. Immediately, at Hugo’s call, they moved in an orderly manner and forcibly injected a Stabilizer into Leonardo Blaine’s limp arm.

Even while they were hurriedly treating his torn left palm, Hugo simply knelt on the blood and stared blankly at the two men.

He had no sense of reality as to how this moment was passing. He wished it was a nightmare he was having after not sleeping for days.