“Isn’t she a hostage? How could that wench…!”

“This is rather fortunate. Let’s take her as hostage!”

“Hey! As the captain said, subdue the wench without touching her!”

As the captain left for the imperial palace, he ordered them with a cold face to be careful not to touch the woman when subduing her.

He didn’t give a specific reason.

There was no need to do so for soldiers who follow orders without question.

Perhaps because of this, despite the captain’s orders, several men immediately rushed to target Mercedes.

“Anyone afraid of one woman should go back home and plow the fields.”

Before encountering the emperor, the rebels were naturally overflowing with confidence due to their overwhelming numbers.

However, when Carlos began swinging his sword like a madman, they began to feel a strange fear and pressure. It was even more so because they had seen this sight on battlefields of past conquest wars.

Could he really cut down a thousand men in just one day without rest?

That kind of fear.

It’s clearly an impossible feat. Clearly, but… wasn’t Carlos Rivera, the young emperor of Rome, always the swordsman who made the impossible possible?

For those consumed by fear, the appearance of the woman the emperor loved was very welcome.

They could easily snatch a woman like her. They could then hold a knife to the wench’s throat and threaten Carlos Rivera. Then they might see that monster kneel. Excited, they rushed quickly towards her.

“Ah, Mercedes!”

Carlos instinctively realized she was in danger and moved. But it took time as he frantically cut down those blocking his path.

What should I do, what should I do?

I need to protect Mercedes.

For the first time, he felt helpless, thinking he was incompetent. His damned legs were really not moving now. He was too slow.

Still, gritting his teeth, he used the bodies of the rushing soldiers as stepping stones to leap high and run towards her.

And what he faced was…

“…Phew.”

It was Mercedes, who had magically strangled those who came to take her hostage, absorbed their life force, and was now emitting an even stronger light.

She was like a goddess descended from the heavens.

She seemed like a spiritual being, sacred.

Even the rebels were momentarily stunned by that sight.

And Mercedes, seizing that opportunity, ran towards Carlos while expanding her body’s power.

Perhaps because she became more accustomed each time she used it, she was now somewhat familiar with its operation.

Also, thanks to absorbing the life force of those who unintentionally rushed at her, it seemed she could protect both Carlos and herself even after using strong magic once.

“Carlos, take my hand!”

Mercedes reached out her hand. Carlos didn’t hesitate and leaped over the soldiers once more to grab her hand.

It was natural for Carlos, floating in mid-air, to fall straight to the ground.

Nevertheless, he had to grab her hand.

Because Mercedes wanted it.

Simultaneously, a strong shockwave erupted around Mercedes and Carlos, and flames sprouted from the bare ground.

“W-What is this?”

“Argh!”

The fire blocked the soldiers’ path and began to trap them. Those who had fallen to the ground from the shockwave were quickly consumed by the flames.

It was an enormous fire. Yet, as if controlled by some mysterious force, it didn’t touch the surrounding trees.

It was magic that only burned those trying to rush towards Mercedes and Carlos.

“Mel, Mel. Are you alright?”

Carlos couldn’t immediately take in the surrounding situation. Worried that Mercedes might get hurt, he instinctively embraced her even as they crashed to the ground after grabbing her hand.

However, inevitably having to roll on the ground with her in his arms, worry naturally sprang forth.

He frantically examined Mercedes in his arms.

Although she had scratches here and there and was sweating cold…

“Of course.”

Her eyes were brimming with more vitality than ever before.

“Nothing happened? You, such a dangerous thing-.”

“Nothing happened, Carlos. Focus.”

Mercedes put her finger to his lips and then stood up.

“Because our enemies haven’t all disappeared yet.”

The flames engulfed the military camp, and those whose bones were broken by the shockwave and couldn’t move appeared in droves.

Mercedes’s magic was truly powerful.

In the chaos, Mercedes quickly looked around for targets to absorb life force from.

“Mercedes……”

“I’ll explain this later.”

If Carlos hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have been able to use such grand magic by absorbing someone’s life like this. The timing was good. She tried to remain calm, knowing she couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Carlos, watching her, felt:

I’m bound to fall for this person once again.

It was a life where he couldn’t entrust his back, his front, or in fact anything to anyone. Even on the battlefield, he was the first to jump into dangerous places.

Now, a dust-covered woman was pulling him along.

Carlos forcibly raised his unmoving body. He couldn’t lag behind when Mercedes was exerting herself.

It should still be fine.

He didn’t feel the curse spreading to his heart yet. He didn’t know what would happen after the battle ended, but.

At least…

‘I can save Mercedes.’

For that alone, Carlos could give up his life.

Mercedes squeezed his hand once. Then, using the power absorbed from a nearby fallen soldier, she cast protection magic on both of them.

“I’m not sure how strong the protection will be… but at least we won’t die instantly from someone throwing a dagger.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“…Don’t you find me strange?”

“You’ve always been exceptional, and that’s why you’ve always been someone who surprises me.”

Carlos thought he might close his eyes without being able to say, ‘I already knew about your abilities.’

Mercedes chuckled at Carlos’s words. Despite being in a frantic state, she managed to reply.

“You’re foolish. Coming here alone.”

“Indeed. When I heard you had disappeared, I couldn’t think straight.”

Carlos pressed his forehead against Mercedes’ and exhaled. Mercedes closed her eyes. Carlos’s low voice pleasantly resonated in her ears.

“Mel. Let’s go back. We have a lot to talk about when we return. Let’s talk to our heart’s content.”

“…Alright. Let’s do that.”

‘Will it be a promise I can keep?’

Carlos thought, even as he spoke sincerely, that he might be making a promise he couldn’t keep.

He felt deeply sorry for that.

Still, Carlos managed to smile outwardly.

If, by any chance, he really did return alive.

He would be honest with her. This time, he would truly confess the truth. That would be his remaining fate.

“I need to gather more strength. Each person’s life is my power. Can you protect me until then?”

“With such splendid embers, the enemy’s forces have crumbled. This much is easy for me. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

“Good.”

Using various types of magic turned out to be surprisingly easy. When she visualized the magic in her mind, it flowed out just as imagined.

As expected of power that uses human lives as its cost, it was truly powerful.

Mercedes smiled bitterly. She never thought she’d end up taking so many lives like this. But she wanted to survive even if it meant doing this.

And if she didn’t kill, she would be killed. Mercedes already knew the rules of the battlefield.

Carlos and Mercedes gripped their joined hands tightly for a brief moment, conveying their feelings to each other with the strongest force, before letting go.

Carlos held his greatsword, while Mercedes stepped towards those who had become defenseless, groaning in pain from being thrown back by the shockwave and flames.

The rising flames subsided briefly wherever Mercedes stepped, only to flare up again. It was like the parting of the Red Sea.

Carlos followed behind her, dealing with the stragglers whose eyes had turned white enough to pierce through the flames.

Mercedes swallowed her fear as much as possible, trusting him. Standing in the middle of a battlefield was no easy task.

She steeled her heart as much as possible, absorbing life force from those who had been thrown aside, again and again. Carlos, standing beside her, cut down the enemies who charged at them, again and again.

This continued repeatedly.

When she felt power building up inside, she summoned even larger infernos to cause chaos. Also, magic that twisted someone’s body and crushed their organs, magic that cut off breath with sharp winds.

She used them frantically.

Both Carlos and Mercedes trusted each other and guarded each other’s backs without ever making eye contact.

However, Mercedes gradually felt a sense of dissonance.

‘…The aura Carlos said he used. Somehow it feels strangely familiar.’

She thought this was a power only she possessed.

It felt oddly familiar, making her thoughts waver. She quickly shook it off for now, as the battle took priority.

And so, more and more soldiers fell. Even though Carlos felt his limits, he didn’t show it. The battlefield was a place where showing signs of defeat meant losing.

Repeating the cycle of life force building up and then feeling fatigue after using magic, Mercedes also grew tired. Although she recovered quickly… the mental drain was significant.

How much time had passed like this?

Screams and shouts, voices forcibly raising morale, voices drenched in anger.

At some point, they gradually began to subside.

Carlos, who had arrived here to greet the dawn, was able to see the dawn rising again.

As the sun rose, everything became quiet.

Both Mercedes and Carlos looked around, gasping for breath.

Except for them, no one made a sound.

There were survivors, but they seemed to have fainted without making a sound, probably due to severe injuries.

“…It’s… over…”

Mercedes, seemingly exhausted, was about to collapse on the spot. She could absorb someone’s life force to recover, but she couldn’t move right now.

Carlos quickly caught her body and carefully laid her down.

“It’s… over. Really.”

“Ah…”

Mercedes faintly smiled as she faced Carlos, who was bathed in the light of the sunrise.

“It’s been a while. Carlos’s face.”

“…Mel.”

“I missed you. So much. You know how time doesn’t seem to pass when waiting just one day?”

“Haha… I felt the same. I missed you. I didn’t want to leave for the battlefield.”

The two embraced and kissed on the blood-soaked battlefield. It was truly a fierce love.