“This…!”

As the door to the underground warehouse swung open, Nua, Ganini and Leah hurriedly entered.

They saw the chimeras, which were being ominously sucked into the black void that had formed next to Lirik’s fallen body.

The speed at which they were being drawn in was too fast to stop.

Even during that brief moment of hesitation, about half of the remaining chimeras were sucked in.

‘I don’t know what it is, but we can’t leave it like this. And… we can’t let that man die like this either!’

Realizing this, Leah quickly called out Nua’s name.

“Nua, freeze that thing right away. Freeze it solid, to the point where even its soul is frozen!”

Following Leah’s command, Nua froze Lirik’s corpse.

The body turned into stone-like hardness and floated up into the sky.

Leah gestured with her eyes, and Ganini gathered the scattered black blood together.

Then, he pushed it all into the frozen corpse, turning it into ice.

“We can’t let him die so easily.”

Leah stepped forward and stood in front of Lirik’s slumped body.

Her hand touched his heart, which had been mutilated by a knife.

“…Do you think I would let you die so easily?”

A gentle white light emanated from Leah’s hand.

She used it to hold onto his lifeforce, which was desperately trying to escape.

Even if it meant sacrificing her own life force, she intended to save this doctor.

A tremendous power began to revive his lifeless heart.

As Leah held onto it, a large figure approached from behind her.

“Oh… Should I lend you some strength, my dear?”

Suddenly, Kalexia appeared and embraced Leah as if enveloping her.

Their hands, Kalexia’s and Leah’s, joined together, gripping Lirik’s heart tightly.

The combined force of the two fairies caused a surge of light waves.

‘Just a little more, a little more, more!’

It was an exception, an individual who should never receive the blessing of death.

Leah didn’t want to allow it to this man and no one else.

It was at that moment.

Thump. Thump. Thump…

Ever so faintly, the heart began to beat again.

Simultaneously, Lirik’s lips, floating in the air, trembled and emitted a strange moan as they scratched his throat.

“…Done.”

Leah took a deep breath, her hand still raised. Thousands of emotions surged across her face, contorting it.

She grabbed Lirik’s throat as his eyes fluttered open and whispered quietly.

“How dare you try to escape into the embrace of death.”

“Kuh… Ugh…”

“That’s right. Cry. You will experience death while still alive. Dozens, hundreds of times. Until your soul is completely worn away… Keep going.”

Leah laughed while crying.

Soon, she turned coldly and walked ahead, followed by Gannini, Hoa, and Nua.

Kalexia also slowly followed behind Leah.

Lirik, who had barely gasped back to life, floated along, his weak breaths trailing behind.

The last remaining one was Tokan.

Tokan surveyed the chaotic underground warehouse.

Several chimeras that hadn’t been drawn in writhed and moved.

He reached out his hand, purifying and annihilating them.

They were pitiful beings who had been exploited even in death.

Finally, Tokan’s gaze fell on a certain chimera, still writhing until the very end.

It had an incredible vitality, struggling until the bitter end.

Seeing its resistance against the power of purification, Tokan realized it was a body containing the power of the fairies.

His divine eyes, capable of penetrating the essence, gleamed and shone brightly.

He soon released a sigh, pouring out from his contorted face, muttering softly.

“…How did you end up like this.”

Master…Tokan approached the chimera and set its surviving body ablaze.

Reducing this pitiful body, mutilated by torture, to ashes was the greatest mourning Tokan could offer to ‘him.’

Staring at the blazing chimera with dry eyes, Tokan slowly turned around and left.

Once a person he admired, but his end had been dreadful—a culmination of a terrible connection.

* * *

Resting momentarily to recover from her wounds, Kalia received news that the fairy army had occupied the Akan castle, thanks to the arrival of Brik, who was running breathlessly.

“Now the tide has clearly turned in our favor! As soon as the news reached the Akan Coalition, they also proposed negotiations!”

“That’s a relief.”

“But… There is also bad news.”

“What is it?”

“Well, suddenly the number of chimeras has increased rapidly. We don’t know how much more they will increase, but they are currently advancing towards the palace.”

Oh… Does that mean we won’t easily gain the upper hand?

Kalia’s bright complexion darkened instantly.

She instructed Brik to gather the staff officers and organize the current situation. Then she told him to inform the Crown Prince immediately.

After that, she quickly rose from her loosely lying position.

“I need to hurry too.”

Due to her wounds that were slow to heal, causing a commotion with Simon, Allen, and Gaia, they couldn’t participate in the battle until fully recovered.

Simon, who laid down the ultimatum that she couldn’t go into battle until fully healed, was so busy running around that she couldn’t even properly see his face.

Despite that, whenever he had time, Simon came and poured healing magic, but the results weren’t satisfying.

‘Is this some kind of curse of dark magic?’

Kalia pressed her aching side, feeling the dull pain, and shook her head.

There was no time to be preoccupied with a torn side wound.

Considering the current state of affairs, resting for a week was more than enough.

On top of that, it was none other than the General Commander who had held the fort. It was an embarrassing situation.

Anxious, Kalia hurried.

By the time she finished changing into her crimson uniform, someone knocked on her door.

“What’s the matter?”

-It’s me, Kalia. May I come in?-

Her hand, which was grabbing her cloak, paused.

After breaking that silence, the voice sounded again.

-It will only take a moment.-

It was Madame Helena’s voice.

* * *

“It seems like you were about to leave. I guess the timing wasn’t good. I arrived too late, observing too closely.”

With her usual soft voice, Helena entered the room.

Approaching Kalia casually, she brought a vial containing a potion made from Keminyon roots, which were used for medicinal purposes, and placed it down.

As Kalia absentmindedly watched the vial, where honey and sugar had been infused, being neatly placed on the table, she glanced at her watch and spoke.

“If you have something to say, I’d appreciate it if you could be brief. I need to leave right away.”

“Ah, yes. …Um, yes. That’s right. Oh, by the way, I heard that you were injured. Are you okay?”

What does she mean by saying that?

Kalia looked at Helena with a suspicious gaze.

Helena chewed her lips nervously, her face filled with hesitation, as she glanced briefly at Kalia’s injured side.

“I heard you were hurt… Ah, yes. That’s not important.”

As if anxious or embarrassed, her face let out a rushed sigh, tinged with a hint of loneliness.

“I’ve thought a lot during this time. I… I was so wrong. Not having any family left is a reflection of how much I messed up. I’m sorry.”

Kalia furrowed her brow.

Why is she acting like this…?

With tears welling up in her eyes, revealing a genuine sadness, Helena seemed disconcerted.

It couldn’t be true.

However, no matter how much Helena repented, Kalia had no intention of forgiving her or embracing her.

As she had told Damon, she couldn’t pretend to ignore the past for the sake of the impending future.

“…Well, I’m not asking for your forgiveness. I just wanted to talk about it today.”

Helena chuckled softly.

Her slight upturned smile seemed innocent.

Kalia, who had been staring intently at her, nodded in understanding.

“I understand. You can leave now if you want. If there’s anything else to talk about, I’ll come find you first.”

“Uh, yes. Let’s do that.”Helena checked her appearance in a hurry.

Kalia waited for her momentarily before taking a step forward.

That’s when it happened.

“Kalia…”

Kalia turned around and looked at Helena again.

Helena approached Kalia hesitantly and spoke.

“Can I hug you once? Let’s consider it the last time.”

As Helena’s trembling fist approached Kalia, her slightly reddened ear and neck brushed against her, she awkwardly smiled.

Why is she doing this?

At this point, Kalia felt not only puzzled but also slightly flustered.

Staring at her intently, Kalia was taken aback as Helena, without waiting for permission, swiftly approached her and tightly embraced her.

She hugged her so tightly that it caused a slight pain in Kalia’s injured side.

“You’ve been through so much. I’m truly sorry. But Kalia… you should also be sorry to me.”

With a forceful pull, Helena tightly embraced her and whispered.

‘Should I be sorry to her?’

At that moment, she wondered what those words meant.

Something held in Helena’s hand shimmered and grew, swiftly plunging into Kalia’s injured side.

“…!”

Complete unawareness.

Helena, who didn’t miss that moment, pressed the small blade embedded in Kalia’s side even harder.

Squelch.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she thrust the sharp blade into Kalia’s side and stepped back.

“…Apologize for making me do such a thing, Kalia.”

Kalia stared blankly at the blade lodged in her side and then at Helena.

Helena was smiling triumphantly.

“Now our connection truly comes to an end… Ugh!”

As she spoke, Helena suddenly clutched her chest.

While she collapsed to the ground as if she couldn’t bear it anymore, Kalia, with the spear still piercing her, remained standing, watching her.

It was strange.

Truly strange.

The spear in Kalia’s side didn’t hurt at all.

There was a subtle warmth, but it wasn’t the sensation of a sharp blade tearing through flesh and bone.

Because of this peculiarity, Kalia didn’t move hastily.

If she had felt a genuine sense of crisis, she could have retaliated, but since she didn’t, she simply stood still, gazing at the wounded area.

‘What is this? This sensation is more like… healing rather than pain…’

She could feel the pulsating vitality from the injured area.

Something immense filled her with power.

It was a complete healing power without any pain or suffering.

It was an incredibly strange sensation.

Ironically, Helena, who had suddenly collapsed to the floor, seemed to be the one in agony.

“W-What is this… Ah, ah, ugh! Agggh!”

Helena gasped for breath, reaching out her hand towards Kalia as if in torment.

Instead of taking her hand hesitantly, Kalia grasped the glowing tip of the spear still lodged in her side.

‘…Is this not a weapon?’

She couldn’t help but think that it felt similar to Kalexia’s spear.

It was at that moment.

“Kalia!”

The bracelet made a buzzing sound, and Gaia suddenly burst forth to Kalia.

“W-What’s happening? She attacked you in the blink of an eye… Huh? What is this?”

Gaia, taken aback, exclaimed as she looked at the spear lodged in Kalia’s side.

“This looks like that! The Spear of Life that the Elf lady possesses!”

As Kalia, who was listening to Gaia’s words, tried to grasp and remove what was piercing her side, Gaia quickly stopped her.

“Wait, wait! That spear isn’t a weapon. I heard that it actually enhances the life force of the one stabbed by it. It pushes the user’s life force into the spear. So don’t pull it out recklessly, Kalia!”

“What…?”

Surprised, Kalia looked at the fallen Helena.

It was clear that she heard those words.

Helena’s face, already pale as a blank sheet, contorted even more miserably.