"!!"
When Fenric dropped in front of her, Lin Mei froze in shock.
She never imagined this man would throw himself into mortal danger—just to save her.
As a woman, her heart trembled.
Even though Lin Mei had grown up in the army, deep inside she had sometimes imagined the romantic scene of being protected by a fearless knight.
And now, that knight had appeared—standing before her like a war god.
For a heartbeat, she could only stare at his broad back.
If Fenric knew what she was thinking, he’d probably laugh.
Sure, saving her was part of it.
But risking his life? Not really.
After all, his Armament Haki had just hit the proficient tier, and the itch to test his boosted strength was strong.
Holding the wall while tossing blades was efficient, yes—but slow. And draining on mental power.
Jumping down not only sped things up, but hey, why not rescue the pretty commander while he was at it?
"Commander Lin! You alright?" Fenric’s tone was calm, even as Taotie closed in from every side. His blades stopped their movements—they couldn’t come near.
"Sir Fenric... why? Why would you risk your life for me?" Her voice shook.
"Don’t talk. I’m sending you up first." His reply was clipped, leaving no room for argument.
"What about you?" she asked, breathless.
"I’ll handle it. Once you’re up, find a safe spot—don’t come down again!"
Steel rang—two Taotie lunged, and Fenric’s blade split them both. He turned, swept Lin Mei into his arm—one hand at her waist, the other braced... lower.
"Go!"
With a surge of raw power, he launched her skyward.
Lin Mei felt the world spin—and then strong hands from above seized her, hauling her back onto the wall. She landed safely, heart pounding.
Fenric didn’t even glance up. With Lin Mei out of danger, he could finally fight unrestrained.
On the Wall
"Commander! Are you alright?"
Her soldiers swarmed, relief flooding their faces.
"I’m fine," Lin Mei answered absently, eyes locked below.
There—Fenric was wading into a sea of fangs and claws, carving like a demon. Her chest tightened.
Come back alive... please.
Her mind flashed back to a moment ago—the way he’d held her, his hand brushing where it shouldn’t. Heat flared across her cheeks.
Why am I... blushing now of all times?!
She bit it back. Orders cracked across the parapet; the fight wasn’t over. She forced her gaze away, rallying her unit to repel the beasts clawing at the wall.
Below
If anyone could see Fenric clearly now, they’d notice the obsidian sheen coating his limbs.
Armament Haki—fully active.
Shusui whirled, black steel flashing as blade‑winds churned the blood‑fog.
Puff! Puff!
Every slash felled a Taotie. Some lunged for his arms and legs—he didn’t bother dodging. Let them bite. With Armament Haki‑reinforced limbs, who was dragging who?
In mere breaths, bodies heaped around him—green gore pooling like ink.
On the wall, jaws dropped. Even the Eagle Army’s proud Commander Chen stood frozen. The earlier sliver of resentment in his chest? Gone. Replaced by awe.
Below, the system chimed sweetly in Fenric’s ears:
You killed a Taotie. +100 points.
You killed a Taotie. +100 points.
You killed a Taotie. +100 points.
And the harvest had only begun.