episode_0015

The Mana flowing within Leo’s body was a colorless power that belonged to no element of the world.

It was neither fire, nor water, nor wind, nor earth.

It was simply existing energy, the chaos before form was given.

Thus, he could imitate any magic, but could not perfectly reproduce it.

A power that could touch everything, but belonged to none.

In exchange for handling such power, Leo’s body was slowly eroding.

Nerves were burning out, and Mana circuits began to coldly crack.

He knew.

That every time he fought, every moment he used his power, he was slowly breaking down.

Nevertheless, he moved.

He compressed Mana into the sword in his hand, coating it with a thin blade.

It was a sword that tore through all defenses.

But only for a few seconds.

As time passed, blood vessels burst, and his fingers turned blue.

His body screamed in pain, but Leo did not stop.

In an instant, his body shot forward with a pressure that felt like it would explode.

High-speed Deployment.

A technique that forcefully moves the body by exploding Mana.

In the brief instant where leaping and impact intersected, Leo heard the sound of his muscles tearing.

But he did not stop.

His head felt dizzy.

His whole body screamed.

Nevertheless, he once again pulled up Mana.

Self-Enhancement.

Forcing muscles and nerves to exert power that transcends human limits.

And in exchange for that, after the battle, he would collapse.

Like a broken doll, unable to even breathe.

Only one thing kept him going.

‘I can’t collapse like this.’

Mental attacks that constricted his heart surged in.

Hallucinations, brainwashing, dug into his ears.

But Leo wrapped his body in colorless Mana, repelling all mental interference.

Because it was colorless, power that could not be tainted.

That protected him.

But he couldn’t hold out for long.

The longer this fight dragged on, the more certainly he would die.

Nevertheless, Leo did not stop.

Wearing away at his own existence, one step, another step, he approached the enemy.

After leaving the Cornerstone Restoration Signal, Leo ran out of the ruins.

But—

“……!”

A breathtaking sight unfolded before his eyes.

A black wave surging from the direction of the mine entrance.

It was Imperial Army reinforcements.

Their numbers were easily dozens, no, hundreds.

Soldiers in steel armor were tightly forming ranks.

“Found him, the traitor!”

“Surround him! Don’t miss him!”

As soon as the command was given—

Arrows rained down.

Swish, swish, swish.

Deadly intent pouring down, cutting through the air.

Leo lowered his body and evaded as if rolling.

But he was already exhausted.

Battle inside the mine, Mana consumption, injuries.

His body had reached its limit.

“……Damn it.”

Gasping for breath, he gripped his weapon tighter.

He cut down the charging soldiers, two, three of them, but—

Behind a fallen enemy, there was another enemy.

Nowhere to retreat.

Blood flowed down his palm, soaking the dagger hilt.

His vision blurred,

His breath was ragged.

Nevertheless, he did not back down.

‘Hold out to the end.’

‘Won’t give up.’

Every time he raised his blade,

Leo’s will burned even more intensely.

But—

Three shieldbearers charged simultaneously.

Thud, thud, thud.

Colliding with the heavy shields, Leo reeled.

In an instant, a spearhead grazed his side.

“Gah—!”

Blood spattered.

Forcing himself to hold onto his body that was about to fall,

Leo counterattacked sharply.

“……I can’t die like this.”

Pulling himself together, he charged once more.

However, the situation was desperate.

Even if the soldiers fell, there was no end to them.

When one line broke, another was filled,

And new enemies surged forward over them.

‘This is……’

For an instant, Leo instantly sensed his own death.

But then it was.

“—?”

From somewhere behind the soldiers.

‘Thunk—!’

A sharp impact sound of metal breaking burst out.

“Gah, what…!”

A few soldiers fell with screams.

It was strange.

Leo narrowed his eyes.

He hadn’t attacked.

But soldiers were falling one by one.

Again,

‘Thunk—!’

An invisible blade pierced through the soldiers’ shields,

Shattering the Mana helmets.

Without flash, without ripple.

Stealthy, and fast.

“……Reinforcements?”

Leo was confused.

The Anti-Imperial side hadn’t sent troops to this area yet.

According to the operation schedule Rania mentioned, there was no support.

Then—?

‘Who is it?’

Leo hesitated for a moment, but didn’t miss the opportunity.

Escape comes before suspicion right now.

Forcing his exhausted legs to move,

He flung his body towards the west of the mine, towards the old waterway.

Behind him, the soldiers’ screams and confused shouts continued.

[Who, who!] [Can’t see him…!] [It’s not a magic attack! It’s a sword strike!]

His breath was up to his chin.

Leo slipped out as if sliding through the ruins.

There was no longer any sign of pursuit.

‘The one who helped… who was it.’

He held his breath and scanned his surroundings for a long time, but

Saw no one.

In the night fog,

Only silence remained.

And—

Deep inside the mine, among the fallen soldiers.

There was a small silhouette covered in blood.

Her white shirt was torn,

Dozens of wounds on her arms and legs.

She was kneeling, gasping for breath.

It was Sierra.

A short, thin sword was held in her hand.

The sword tip trembled.

Her lips were pressed tightly together,

Red blood seeped into her pupils.

“……It’s okay, it’s okay…”

As if muttering to herself.

With difficulty, she supported her body.

‘I protected you.’

‘I will protect you.’

Even in the pain that felt like her body was breaking,

Her gaze quietly watched the direction Leo had disappeared.

And quietly, she closed her eyes.

As the red blood soaked into the ground,

The night deepened further.

Pushing through the crushing darkness, Leo ran stumbling.

The ruined street.

Through the alleyways vibrating with the smell of bloodstains and fire, he dragged his body, gasping ragged breaths.

‘They’re still… chasing.’

From behind him, he heard the sound of something bursting again.

Mana Blast. The sound of explosions ripping the earth, fired by Imperial soldiers.

The moment he rolled his body to avoid the blast center, he felt like his ribs were dislocated.

His breath caught in his throat, but he gritted his teeth and stood up.

“Haa… Haa…”

His fingertips trembled.

He didn’t even have the strength left to wring out Mana.

His blood-soaked palms fumbled in the air as if gripping the air.

‘Must get there.’

With only that single resolve, Leo dragged his crumbling body.

In the air vibrating with the smell of iron and blood, his whole body felt as if it were ripped to shreds.

His chest burned with pain, and his ribs felt broken, as if they were piercing his lungs.

The sound of mana blasts bursting behind him.

He could clearly hear it even with his ruptured ear.

“Haa… Haa…!”

Even breathing was torture.

His heart emitted a pain as if someone was squeezing it with a fist.

Dragging his cracked soles, Leo dug into the inside of the alley.

His vision swayed dizzily.

The feeling of stepping on the ground, the sensation in his fingertips, all vanished.

‘Must endure… Must get there.’

Leaning on the wall with blood-soaked hands, he barely managed to support his body.

But what he felt on his fingertips was not the wall, but cold blood.

Stagger, stagger.

The night street was silent like that of the dead.

Even the moon was hidden by clouds and couldn’t be seen.

Before he knew it, the sound of his breath leaving him leaked from between his lips.

“……Ku-euk”

Suppressing the urge to vomit, Leo ran as if wringing out the last of his remaining strength.

Dragging his staggering body, he finally saw it.

The familiar iron gate.

A mansion half-hidden by bushes.

Only that place was his last refuge.

Thump.

The moment he opened the door and stepped in, his body collapsed on its own.

He thought his legs had broken off.

“Gah…!”

Even as he fell to the floor, Leo closed the door like an instinct.

So that no one could follow again.

And, he endured like that for a long time.

Covered in blood, he buried his face in the cold marble floor and gasped for breath.

A trickle of blood flowing from his chin left a stain on the floor.

His body, no, even his mind, felt like it was crumbling.

‘I survived…’

Only that one thought penetrated his whole body.

But even the feeling of ‘survived’ was unreal.

His body, his will, were shattered into pieces.

After clinging to the floor like that for a long time,

Swallowing his breath, he barely managed to raise his body.

He pushed the floor with his palms, but his arms trembled and gave out.

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

He crawled on all fours towards the sofa.

How far that distance felt.

His fingernails scraped the floor as he dragged himself.

His knees were already covered in blood.

He felt like he would stop breathing.

He felt like his heart would burst.

When he finally reached the vicinity of the sofa, he threw his body without strength.

Thud.

Colliding with the sofa, he barely managed to sit down.

His whole body was numb, and even breathing was agonizing.

Pale face.

Clothes stained with blood.

Broken armor pieces.

Leo threw his head back and took a deep breath.

‘Just a little… just rest a little.’

Outside the window, it was still dark.

This dawn, this darkness, hid him but at the same time crushed him.

His mind was a mess.

The sound of bursting explosions.

Screams.

Broken magic formation.

Severed arms and legs.

The sight of the Imperial flag burning.

All came back vividly.

‘Did I… overcome it.’

No, it was closer to having escaped.

Leo touched his chest with a trembling hand.

His still-warm heart was beating weakly between his broken ribs.

‘Sierra…’

That name came to mind automatically.

No, could he show her this state?

But he didn’t even have the leisure to think.

His body, his head, his consciousness was crumbling.

Burying his body deep in the sofa,

As if swept away by a wave, slowly, very slowly, he closed his eyes.

His breath hadn’t stopped yet.

But this breath, how much longer could it last?

In the cold air,

In the gap between darkness, pain, and brief relief,

Leo quietly, subtly, regulated his breathing.