After he finished speaking, Axion waved his sword forcefully again.
incision!
Kyaaik!
The monsters clinging around them retreated, screaming.
'Now is not the time to be careless.'
Illya looked into the gap of the open gate.
If not now, she didn't know when the portal would open again.
Illya quickly regained consciousness, stood up, and then waved her sword as well.
incision! incision!
But the number of monsters that rushed towards them, sensing the scent of blood from the palm of their hand, was too great.
“Give me your hand!”
Axion approached her, held her bleeding hand tightly, and quickly rubbed it on his face.
The pungent smell of blood reached his nose, and soon red spots of blood stained his face.
Axion quickly let go of her hand and turned away from Elijah.
His intention was to divert the monsters that were focused on Elijah towards him.
As expected, the monsters began to chase a new target.
Kogojong!
Kwong!
Kwong!
At that moment, a huge bang was heard, and the monsters suddenly stopped as they all looked at one place.
“……!”
Elijah's eyes were filled with astonishment.
An extremely huge monster was approaching them.
A top-tier monster, it seemed to be dozens of meters tall!
Even the monsters that attacked them in the training ground looked like children in comparison.
She was covered in overwhelming terror and fear.
The monster delivered a huge punch towards Elijah.
“Go away!”
Axion quickly rushed over and hugged Elijah, then threw his body.
Kwakwakwang!
The ground cracked and debris flew everywhere.
The area struck by the monster's punch and the surrounding land were completely destroyed.
Even the other monsters that were there were shattered and died.
“Oh!”
Axion, who fell as he embraced Elijah, let out a moan.
Illya looked up at Axion as she lay on the ground.
His face, clearly stained with her blood, was distorted with pain.
Just then, she discovered a huge flying rock pressing down on his body.
Due to the weight of the rock, their bodies were completely stuck together and they were unable to move.
“Ooooh!”
Axion tried with all his might to break free from the rock, but it did not move at all.
Is this really the end?
He muttered with a sarcastic smile.
“……Was that how you felt when you said you were sincerely sorry?”
"What?"
“When we were surrounded by monsters here, right before we died, you hugged me and said you were sorry.”
Elijah's eyes twitched.
“I'm also sincerely sorry, Deputy Commander.”
Axion added through gritted teeth.
“Because I couldn't protect you.”
His blue eyes stared straight at her.
“……And also because I treated you like an enemy because of my pride all that time.”
Hearing those words, Elijah's eyes trembled.
At that moment, a huge shadow loomed over them.
The monster was once again raising its fist towards them.
Axion's body instinctively trembled, sensing death.
tightly-
Illya hugged his body and whispered.
“It won't take long.
So, let's be patient.”
Axion closed his eyes, surrendering to everything.
Elijah saw this, and also closed her eyes.
I thought she did the best she could.
All that remains now is to accept fate.
Gooh-
Sparkle!
At that moment, an enormous light emanated from Elijah's body.
Kwajjik!
The rock that was pressing down on Axion turned to dust and flew away.
At the same time, a punch attacked the monster that was approaching them.
'What is this?'
There was a strange feeling swirling around the dungeon (energy center) area of her body.
Illya instinctively quickly took out her sword and swung it at the monster.
Gooh! incision!
A massive sword energy surged from the sword and cut off the monster's thick arm with a single strike.
The monster let out a cry of pain.
Now is the time.
"Axion!
Get up!"
Axion rose up with surprised eyes, and ran as hard as he could toward the open gate.
When the portal gap approached them, they hugged each other and jumped hard.
Coollong!
The strange feeling they felt when they first threw themselves into the portal to reach this place came back to them.
luster!
The flash engulfed them again.
•
“Is this really true?”
“Yes, sir.”
Keisha heard an unusual sound, so he headed with Theo to the training ground where he listened to Yusar's report.
The content of the report was extremely shocking.
“Colonel, this...”
When Theo opened his mouth in a low voice, Keisha nodded.
The gate that suddenly opened.
The monsters that flowed out of it randomly.
The situation was similar to what happened when the war between humans and monsters broke out a few years ago.
“A war with monsters may break out again.”
Kesha Yusar asked eagerly.
“Hadadead, is it true that Tringen and Ruppelt went beyond the gate?”
“Yes, sir.
They said it was the way to minimize unit losses...”
Keisha's face froze.
Erhan's decision to save the majority of the unit with minimal sacrifice was correct.
Thanks to Erhan and Axion's sacrifice, the entire unit survived.
If he were in the same situation, he would have made the same decision.
But…
“Colonel, El can come back alive, right?”
Lennox asked Keisha, his voice cracking and tearful.
Keisha, instead of answering, sighed and closed his eyes.
Lennox's body trembled to see Keisha in this unusual state.
“Colonel!
Please answer me!”
Keisha didn't answer.
Theo looked at Keisha like this sadly.
Keisha knew better than anyone that whoever entered that portal would never return alive.
'Because Yuz was also dragged into that portal and never came back.'
Yuz was a valuable subordinate that Keisha lost in the war a few years ago.
He disappeared after being dragged into a portal that suddenly opened during the fight.
His body was never found, so he could not be buried in a proper grave.
And now, even Erhan, whom Kesha cherished, was dragged into that gate.
What a strange coincidence this is.
“Everyone, get ready to march.
We will return to the unit immediately.”
Keisha ordered the unit personnel while turning his back.
“Tringen and Ruppelt, deal with the victims.”
His voice was colder than usual.
But Theo could sense the turbulent emotions beneath that voice.
Unexpected accidents or casualties during field training were common.
In fact, the number of casualties in this field exercise, two, was exceptionally low compared to Kesha's previous experiences in other field exercises.
But the current situation was clearly different from the past.
Keisha was moving with heavy steps.
Gooooo-
The crack in the void began to open crimson.
"Colonel!
The portal is about to open again!"
“Everyone, prepare to fight!”
Keisha quickly drew his sword and ordered the unit members.
At that moment, something jumped out of the opening of the gate, and Keisha rushed towards it.
His dark blue eyes widened.
They were not monsters, but humans falling into each other's embrace.
They were Erhan and Axion, soaked in blood.
“Theo!”
Theo ran quickly in response to Keisha's voice calling out to him loudly.
He quickly checked the condition of the two fallen ones.
“They're fine!”
When Theo shouted, a ray of relief passed over Keisha's face.
Kesha looked at the fallen Erhan.
At that moment, Erhan and Axion slowly opened their eyes.
When they discovered Kisha standing in front of them, they quickly got up and gave a military salute.
“Welcome, sir!”
Kesha looked at Erhan calmly, then approached him with long strides.
He smiled lightly, then hugged Erhan's thin shoulders tightly.
“Sincerely welcome you back.”
•
Thanks to Keisha who stopped time?, only half a day had actually passed.
But Elia, who had gone through a lot during that time, felt like days had passed.
They were planning to march tomorrow morning back to the Duke's Palace.
Keisha said that he would inform the Duke of what happened today as soon as he returned.
Even from her perspective, the events that occurred in this training were definitely unusual.
Axion and her spent the night in a different barracks from the unit and received treatment separately.
In fact, she had nowhere else to get treatment other than the self-inflicted wound on the palm of her hand.
This was because her body had completely recovered as if nothing had happened, after a strange force had awakened within it.
Fortunately, she didn't have to undress in front of Theo.
'What on earth is that power?'
Even if I thought, no answer appeared.
She decided to think about it later.
Unlike her, Axion was full of wounds all over, but the skillful Theo treated him well and his life was not in danger.
After Axion received the treatment, he lay on the bed with his body turned.
Did he sleep?
Elia approached Axion quietly.
She remembered how Axion faced the monsters alone to protect them, instead of running away.
She also recalled how he apologized to her just before he died, saying he was sorry he couldn't protect her.
When she remembered his blue eyes that looked at her tenderly before facing death, her heart began to beat hard.
'What is this happening to me?'
Whereas a short time ago I considered him a mortal enemy.
When she was about to turn her back and go back to her bed.
“Erhan, come here for a moment.”
Axion rose and took her hand.
Then he slowly began to take off the training uniform he was wearing.
What on earth is this strange feeling?