If I were to exaggerate a little, I'd say he looked like an evil spirit.
‘This bastard is really angry.’
Of course, his reaction and Aina Peneloti's reaction were separate matters. All I could do was stare blankly at one spot.
It wasn’t because he made a striking scene in front of First Life Commander Jin and Kim Hyun-Sung, and it wasn’t because it was a situation that could make someone’s face flush for no reason.
In fact, I didn’t even notice First Life Commander Jin or Kim Hyun-Sung.
In my head, only one thought kept repeating. ‘I almost died.’
Aina Peneloti stared at Death in the face thanks to the arrow that flew toward her.
If First Life Commander Jin hadn’t blocked it, the arrow would have buried itself in her heart, causing her to collapse lifelessly to the ground.
I had to tell him to let go of me, but I couldn’t even talk.
Yes, Aina Peneloti was terrified. She froze in fear at the thought of facing death for the first time. She told herself that she needed to pull herself together, and in fact, she was trying to do so, but her body wouldn’t listen to her.
She thought she had grown and changed, but that wasn’t the case at all.
“...”
First Life Commander Jin’s hand tensed up when he noticed my reaction.
“Are you alright?” First Life Commander Jin asked.
Her chattering teeth and face devoid of color told everyone the state of Aina Peneloti's mind. Upon realizing that Aina Peneloti couldn't even respond to him, he spoke up, saying, “It’s fine, Miss Peneloti.”
He was good at controlling his expression, as his distorted face just moments ago now had a warm smile that could melt even glaciers.
Seeing him scowl before was one thing, but seeing him smile like this seemed entirely new. Never had I thought he could become this warm; the scene and his performance made time stop in that moment.
Apart from that, Aina Peneloti was extremely confused.
‘Why...’
She had to at least think that much.
‘Why...’
Why was she feeling reassured? How come she calmed down so quickly? He had been someone she couldn’t even bear to look at, someone whose smile had only ever brought betrayal and emptiness, yet how come he could make her feel so safe?
Of course, there was no time to dwell on feelings. The next arrow was already on its way, after all.
“Stand behind me, Lady Peneloti,” he said.
“...”
“Count Kim Hyun-Sung. I’ll leave this to you,” he said.
Kim Hyun-Sung nodded. It had to be his way of expressing that he would take responsibility for Aina Peneloti. With very little time left, Kim Hyun-Sung understood the most rational action to take here.
Since Aina Peneloti was the target, it would be better for her to be under the protection of the "enemy."
Kim Hyun-Sung raised his sword and stepped forward. First Life Commander Jin gnashed his teeth and filled his arms with mana to confront the black lightning.
Kaboooooooom!
After a resounding boom, I saw arrows stuck in the wall. Whether he had deflected them or they simply missed, it was hard to tell. However, he swung his hands and cast spells nonstop to face the relentless barrage of black lightning.
BOOM!
One shot.
BOOM!
Two shots.
“Hoo...”
Three, four, five, six, and seven shots, but the black lightning remained relentless. I had no idea whether Second Life Commander Jin was full of adrenaline or not, but the barrage poured down like bullets from a machine gun.
First Life Commander Jin couldn’t deflect or dodge every single arrow.
Naturally, wounds began to accumulate on him.
‘Wow, this guy is tenacious.’
“Hoo... hoo...”
The arrogance and composure on his face had long vanished, and honestly, it was already a miracle that he was still alive. Arrows were still embedded in his shoulders, legs, and fingers. No doubt he was feeling excruciating pain, but of course, someone whose pride ruled their body wouldn’t roll on the ground, screaming in pain.
However, I never saw him wince or cry in agony even once.
‘He's already covered in blood.’
Yet he stood tall, refusing to let a single arrow pass. His eyes burned fiercely, and the guy who had always maintained a cool persona suddenly looked like the protagonist of a fiery action story.
The sight looked so incongruous that it almost made me feel a wave of cognitive dissonance. The forty-fourth arrow, the forty-sixth, and the fiftieth... Second Life Commander Jin seemed desperate to see that bastard collapse or faint, but he simply wouldn’t go down. Countless arrows were already sticking out of his legs.
“Hoo... hoo...”
He possessed an indescribably tenacious spirit.
“Auuuuugh!”
Kabooooom!
It was a shout uncharacteristic of Commander Jin. It was so cheesy that I couldn’t help but shrink back, but he meant it with all his heart. Naturally, I had no choice but to say something.
“Stop... please stop. Please...”
“Auuuuuuugh!”
“I said stop!” I shouted.
Kaboooooooom!
What a pitiful sight. Less than a minute had passed, and he already looked like a rag. His hands probably couldn’t even move anymore, yet he still raised them, assuming a ridiculous kung fu stance while barely holding on to his sanity.
However, I felt like he was moving unconsciously at this point.
“Please stop now, Marquis Jayce,” I begged.
“...”
“There’s no need to go this far. I...” I paused.
“...”
“I said... stop now,” I said.
I was sure he probably couldn’t understand why he was doing all of this either. Of course, Aina Peneloti was an important card, but if anyone were to ask him whether she was truly a card worth keeping at all costs, he would certainly shake his head.
She could see the summoning circle, but that circle was already being drawn in his own mind as well. I had told him the magic circle's exact location and the remaining time we had to stop it.
If variables were considered, keeping her alive was still a rational choice, but she wasn’t something he needed to protect while throwing away one of his greatest assets.
No one understood better than Aina Peneloti that this wasn’t something a man as logical as he was would ever do.
He was someone who always made a clear distinction between what needed to be discarded and what couldn't be discarded. Whether in chess or in that damned game, he always made cool and efficient decisions.
Even First Life Commander Jin himself could never have imagined that he was capable of doing something this insane for the sake of something as useless as sentiment.
As expected, an incredulous smile appeared on his lips. He was mocking himself. It looked as if he were thinking along the lines of—‘What the hell am I doing right now?’
He could no longer let out even that embarrassing battle cry. Only ugly groans like “keugh... ugh...” escaped his mouth. In the end, his legs seemed no longer capable of moving.
“...”
“...”
And yet, even with arrows sticking out of him, he stood firmly in front of Aina Peneloti.
“This is... nothing... hoo...”
‘Are you seriously saying that line?!’
This was the moment when tears ought to fall. Aina Peneloti's hands and feet trembled, but she was no longer afraid of dying. Instead, the only thought in her head was the same question burning in his mind.
“Why go this far...”
‘Why is this man trying so hard to protect me?’
The answer was obvious, but there was a universal rule stating that protagonists had to be extremely dense to find the answer to that question.
‘Why is he still standing there? He's already so injured, so why is he still protecting me?’
Since he was holding onto his old-fashioned ways, Aina Peneloti would never realize his feelings unless he confessed outright or ambushed her with a kiss. Despite that, Aina Peneloti forced herself to stand up.
Just as he had protected her, she wanted to protect him as well.
Fear of death didn’t enter her mind. No, she had conquered it.
Seeing him like that, there was no way she could stay crouched on the ground.
Hands and legs trembling, she willed herself to stand upright. With deliberate, determined steps, she approached Jin Cheong and stood before him, arms outstretched, silently pleading for him to stop attacking.
Of course, it was a futile gesture. One arrow could bring her down instantly.
The next arrow would surely hit her, and yet, the man behind her, Jin Cheong, had faced so many of such arrows in a short period of time. He deflected them, allowed them to fly away, and he even took them head-on. Despite being bloody and battered, he continued with this relentless act.
“Lady... Peneloti... run...” First Life Commander Jin mumbled.
“No. I won’t... sniff... I won’t,” I said.
“Id...iot... act... run...” he muttered.
“No!”
‘Damn it, the tears are coming. They’re just spilling out.’
He tried to move his legs again, but there was no way First Life Commander Jin could move them. He was only holding himself up with sheer willpower.
“Now... it’s my turn,” I said.
“...”
“You know me. I don’t like losing,” I added.
Second Commander Jin drew the bowstrings once more and let go, but a sudden burst of smoke sprang up and caught the arrow mid-flight.
“Lady Palette...?”
The arrow pierced the smoke, but a barrier materialized right in front of us.
“Lady Paint? Lady Brush?”
I saw a small figure, clutching the arrow with both hands.
“Lady Pastel...”
“Eeeek... eeeeeeek!”
Crackling electricity ran through her hands as she held the arrow, creating a spectacular sight. It was honestly more impressive than First Life Commander Jin sprawled out on the ground. It was probably due to the mana exhaustion, but blood ran from her nose and eyes, yet Lady Pastel didn’t let go of the arrow.
Soon, countless barriers manifested. The sight told First Life Commander Jin that it wasn't just Aina Peneloti who he had helped stand up.
The other ladies, previously frozen with fear, watched in awe. The dazed and confused guards and mages were regrouping, and a few nobles readied themselves for battle.
The soldiers of the Republic were doing the same. It was a scene as predictable as it was thrilling. It was the classic, inexhaustible cliché of everyone uniting as one to fight against the villain.
“I’m sorry... Peneloti,” Lady Pastel said.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“How much time do we have left, Lady Peneloti?” First Life Commander Jin asked.
“Five minutes,” I answered.
“Can we reach it in time?” he asked.
“...”
“...”
“We have to reach it,” I said.
Kim Hyun-Sung was still struggling over there, so we had to reach it, no matter what.
‘The path will open eventually, anyway.’
“How’s the summoning circle? Peneloti?” she asked.
“It’s changing,” I answered.
“Wh-what?”
“It’s complex and is constantly shifting,” I said.
In other words, Aina Peneloti had no choice but to move toward it herself.
Lady Pastel hesitated, but Lady Paint locked eyes with me as if urging me to make a decision.
“Can you do it?” she asked, wanting to know whether we could actually reach it.
“I have no choice but to do it,” I answered.
“What...? No! Peneloti! I should—” Lady Pastel chimed in.
“I-I have to go. There’s no other way to stop the summoning. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Lady Pastel. Th-this is something only I can do,” I interrupted her.
“I-I’ll open the path for you, Lady Peneloti,” Lady Paint offered.
“Thank you, Lady Paint.”
Lady Paint seemed like she could feel Aina Peneloti's resolve, and she gnashed her teeth in response to it.
Aina Penelot seemed to have accepted the possibility of her demise.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Huh?”
“Thank you... everyone. Truly... I’m grateful to all of you,” I added.
“What are you saying... Peneloti?” Lady Pastel asked.
“Thank you, Lady Pastel,” I said.