Chapter 105 — BELAR

CHAPTER 99 — BELAR

Night had fully settled over the camp.

All six had finally managed to sleep.

Arthur lay beside the wall.

William's notebook lay open next to him.

Marcus was sleeping near the entrance.

Charlotte had wrapped herself tightly in her blanket.

Clara's breathing was steady.

Percy had finally closed his eyes too.

Then...

WOOF!

Percy's eyes snapped open.

Arthur sat up in bed.

"What the hell happened?"

William searched for his glasses.

Marcus was already on his feet.

Another bark came.

WOOF!

But the sound...

Wasn't normal.

Percy rushed outside.

Belar stood at the camp entrance.

Her tail hung low.

Her ears were pinned back.

Percy immediately crouched beside her.

"What's wrong, girl?"

Belar looked at him.

She made a muffled sound.

"Whuff..."

Percy's expression changed.

"What is it?"

Belar whined again.

Then she suddenly turned.

And began to run.

"Belar!"

Percy sprang to his feet.

Clara came outside.

"Percy?"

Percy looked back.

"Everyone, follow me."

No one asked any questions.

Arthur readied his shield.

William grabbed the map.

Marcus gathered his shadow.

Charlotte gripped her staff.

Clara moved beside Percy.

All six ran together.

Belar was moving fast.

For the first few minutes, there was no problem.

Then William checked the map.

Once.

Then again.

"Percy."

Percy kept running.

"What?"

"We're going too deep."

Marcus looked around.

The trees had changed.

The trunks were thicker.

The shadows were darker.

Even the air had grown heavy.

William continued.

"We're approaching the restricted area."

Arthur looked at Percy.

"We're not allowed past that boundary."

Percy looked at Belar.

Belar was still running.

"Keep going."

Charlotte:

"Percy."

"Belar's scared."

Charlotte fell silent.

They went a little farther.

Then William checked the map again.

And stopped.

"Percy."

This time, his voice was firm.

Percy stopped.

William held up the map.

"We've crossed it."

Arthur:

"Crossed what?"

"The boundary of our permitted area."

Silence.

Clara looked into the darkness.

"Percy..."

Percy didn't answer.

Because Belar had stopped up ahead.

Her whole body was trembling.

Then...

A sound reached them.

CRACK.

The sound of a bone breaking.

Belar's head snapped up.

Percy heard it too.

"Slowly."

The six spread out.

Marcus moved ahead.

His shadow spread across the ground.

William stayed behind him.

Arthur took the front line.

Clara was on Percy's right.

Charlotte stayed near the center.

Then...

They saw it through the trees.

A pure white creature.

It looked like a fox.

But much larger.

Six tails trailed behind it.

Its white fur cut through the night.

William's face fell.

"Helmea."

Arthur looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Six white tails."

"Elemental immunity."

William swallowed.

"That's it."

Helmea was eating something.

Percy couldn't make it out at first.

Then...

He saw a tiny paw.

Belar saw it too.

A pup.

Motionless.

Then a second.

A third.

A fourth.

A fifth.

A sixth.

Percy's face froze.

Clara's hands trembled.

Charlotte covered her mouth.

Arthur couldn't say a word.

Marcus lowered his head.

William's glasses slipped down a little.

A short distance away...

Lay the seventh pup.

It was trembling.

It was alive.

A sound came from Belar's throat.

It wasn't a bark.

It sounded like crying.

Percy took a step.

"Belar..."

Tears were running from Belar's eyes.

Then...

She ran.

"BELAR!"

Percy lunged forward too.

But he was too late.

Belar leaped at Helmea.

Helmea didn't even turn its head.

It simply moved its tail.

The white tail...

Suddenly sharpened.

SHRAAAK!

Belar's body stopped in midair.

Then...

Split in two.

And fell to the ground.

Silence.

True silence.

Percy stopped in his tracks.

Clara couldn't breathe.

Arthur's shield dissolved.

Tears streamed from Charlotte's eyes.

Marcus's shadow trembled.

William's face went white.

Belar...

Never moved again.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Chaos Fire erupted.

The space around Percy darkened.

Red-black flames rose.

The ground cracked.

The bark on the trees dried out.

The air grew heavy.

Clara looked at Percy.

"Percy."

Percy didn't hear her.

The Chaos Fire spread.

Five meters.

Ten meters.

Farther.

William stepped back.

"This isn't good."

Much deeper in the forest...

Something awoke in the darkness.

Two eyes opened.

Melanos.

It stood at the pinnacle of Advanced Monsters.

It raised its head.

It had sensed the Chaos Fire.

In this region...

Energy like that shouldn't exist.

Melanos rose to its feet.

It was curious.

And it began to approach.

Far away...

Galahad suddenly straightened.

"Did you feel that?"

Holar was already standing.

"Yes."

Galahad's expression changed.

"Percy."

Both looked in the same direction.

Chaos Fire was painting the sky.

Galahad took a step.

Holar raised his arm.

"Wait."

Galahad looked at him.

"That's out of control."

"For now."

Galahad frowned.

"For now?"

Holar watched the scene below.

"Look."

Percy finally spoke.

But his voice...

Was calmer than expected.

"First Spark of Hope."

Everyone looked at him.

"Listen to me."

Percy kept his eyes on Helmea.

"You can't attack it with your elements."

William nodded.

"That's right."

Percy continued.

"And your non-elemental attacks won't be enough."

Arthur clenched his fist.

"Percy."

"Whatever you do right now..."

"It won't work against Helmea."

Clara's expression changed.

Percy gestured behind him.

"Fall back."

Arthur didn't move.

"Percy."

"Fall back."

This time, it was an order.

Marcus was the first to move.

William withdrew with him.

Charlotte followed them.

Arthur gritted his teeth.

Then he moved back too.

Clara stayed where she was.

Percy didn't look at her.

No permission came from the author for this copy from NovelPhoenix; their published chapter supports them when read there.

"Clara."

Clara fell back.

But her eyes stayed on Percy.

After a few steps, Clara turned.

Percy was still in the same spot.

Chaos Fire burned around him.

His shoulders were trembling slightly.

Then Clara saw it.

Percy was crying.

Silently.

He was looking at Belar.

The moment he'd stroked her head.

Her gray mane.

The way she'd wagged her tail.

Carried meat to her pups.

Leaped toward Arthur.

Without a second thought...

Protected him.

Percy looked at Helmea.

Arthur came up beside Clara.

"That's not a good sign."

Charlotte:

"Why?"

Arthur pointed at Percy.

"The day he fought those twelve people."

William's expression changed.

Arthur continued.

"He laughed like that while they were beating him."

Charlotte looked at Percy.

"But Percy doesn't get mad."

"He can get angry."

"But he controls himself."

Marcus spoke quietly.

"He didn't even care about Leon."

Everyone looked at him.

Marcus:

"Even though Leon killed him."

Then he turned to William.

"Can you measure him right now?"

William looked at Percy's face.

Then nodded.

"I don't need calculations for this."

Arthur:

"Why?"

William answered very calmly.

"There's Chaos Fire coming out of his eyes."

Arthur looked again.

"True."

Clara wanted to go to Percy.

She took a step.

Then stopped.

Who would she go to him as?

Clara, the team's deputy?

Guiding Light?

His childhood friend?

The woman Percy loved?

What would she say?

"Don't be sad"?

That was ridiculous.

Belar was dead.

"Get a hold of yourself"?

Even worse.

"I'm here for you"?

Percy already knew.

For the first time...

Clara had no answer.

Helmea stood up.

It spread its six tails.

And walked toward Percy.

Percy didn't move.

Helmea stopped two meters in front of him.

Its eyes glowed faintly.

Then its voice...

Entered Percy's mind.

Human.

Percy didn't raise his head.

You're no match for me.

Helmea looked at Belar.

You haven't attacked me.

Then it looked at the surviving pup.

Leave my food.

And I'll let you go.

Percy's hands trembled.

Helmea continued.

Grow stronger.

Then come back.

Percy's head dropped forward.

The Chaos Fire began to shrink.

Clara exhaled.

Then...

Percy's shoulder moved.

Once.

Then again.

"Hehe."

Arthur's face fell.

Percy's shoulders shook.

"Hehehehe."

Charlotte:

"Percy?"

Percy raised his head.

"Hehehehehehe..."

There were still tears in his eyes.

But he was laughing.

Arthur spoke slowly.

"This isn't good."

Clara suddenly shouted.

"PERCY!"

Percy didn't turn to her.

Clara's voice cracked.

"She's dead!"

Percy kept laughing.

"This isn't a fight to be happy about!"

Clara raised her staff.

"Spear of Light!"

A white spear shot forward.

Arthur:

"CLARA?!"

Percy turned.

He looked at the spear.

As it approached...

It slowed.

One meter.

Half a meter.

Then it stopped in front of Percy.

The white light trembled.

Percy didn't even touch it.

The spear quietly dissolved.

Percy looked at Clara.

"Clara."

He was silent for a moment.

"I'm not okay."

Clara's eyes filled with tears.

Percy continued.

"But my anger hasn't taken over."

He turned back to Helmea.

"You're no match for it."

Arthur's jaw tightened.

Percy continued.

"At least, not yet."

William raised his head.

"Until your inner Core power develops..."

"That won't change."

Percy gestured behind him.

"Fall back."

"And wait for me."

Clara began to walk.

Percy looked at her.

"Clara."

Clara didn't stop.

"Clara."

Another step.

Percy frowned.

"I gave you an order."

Clara kept walking.

Percy gave her a stern look.

Clara stopped in front of him.

She raised her hand.

And placed her palm against Percy's cheek.

Percy didn't pull away.

Clara looked into his eyes.

"You're about to ruin everything."

Percy's expression didn't change.

Clara spoke again.

"Come back to yourself."

Percy looked at her.

For a long time.

Then...

The Chaos Fire settled.

Not all at once.

Slowly.

As though Percy was taking hold of it again.

Clara's light rose.

Percy felt her.

Clara felt Percy too.

Perfect Match.

They spoke together.

"Absolute Light of Chaos Transformation."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

White light erupted.

Red-black flames rose.

The two elements flowed into each other.

The light didn't extinguish the fire.

The fire didn't burn the light.

They circled each other.

Around Percy...

A white-red halo formed.

Percy looked at Clara.

"Blaze."

A vibration hummed through the air.

Then...

Blaze appeared in his hand.

Its dark body gleamed.

Amber veins lit up.

The staff was trembling.

Percy looked at it.

"You're angry too."

Blaze trembled again.

Percy smiled faintly.

"All right."

Charlotte stepped forward.

She raised both hands.

"Grace of Life."

Green energy spread.

But this time, it didn't divide.

It didn't go to Arthur.

It didn't go to William.

It didn't go to Marcus.

It didn't even go to Clara.

All of it flowed into Percy.

Percy's breathing deepened.

His muscles tightened.

His Orin flowed faster.

His movement grew more powerful.

His attack capacity increased.

Charlotte's face went pale.

But she didn't lower her hands.

"It's all yours."

Percy looked back.

"Charlotte."

Charlotte forced a smile.

"Don't waste it."

Percy nodded.

"I won't."

Clara raised both hands.

Her light left her body.

And flowed around Percy.

Percy's eyes widened.

"Clara."

"Don't talk."

All of Clara's light power...

Was flowing into Percy.

Her own glow dimmed.

The energy around Percy grew stronger.

Helmea's white fur shone.

William shouted.

"Elements won't work!"

Percy looked at Blaze.

Then at Helmea.

And smiled.

"Today..."

"I think they will."

There was a second of silence.

Arthur couldn't help laughing.

The corner of Marcus's mouth lifted.

William nodded.

Charlotte smiled too.

Clara looked at Percy.

"They will."

Percy turned to her.

"Of course they will."

Percy held Blaze in both hands.

He drew on his Core energy.

Chaos Fire rose.

Clara's light flowed.

Charlotte's enhancement joined it.

Percy's Orin gathered.

Blaze trembled violently.

Percy brought his staff closer.

"My dear staff."

Blaze trembled again.

Percy's expression hardened.

"They're trying to set limits on you."

Helmea bared its teeth.

Percy smiled.

"Come on."

"Let's break through this together."

A sphere formed at Blaze's tip.

At first, it was small.

Then the light came.

Chaos Fire flowed into it.

Charlotte's support joined them.

The sphere didn't grow.

Quite the opposite...

It shrank.

The energy was being compressed inside it.

William's eyes widened.

"That density..."

Arthur:

"How much?"

William didn't answer.

He couldn't measure it.

Percy poured in all his power.

His Core energy drained.

Clara's light ran out.

The Chaos Fire receded.

Charlotte's support flowed in.

In the end, Percy had...

Only one thing left.

The power embedded in his Core layers.

His fifty-percent physical foundation.

Percy took a breath.

He extended Blaze.

"Magic Sphere..."

"...of Light and Chaos."

The sphere moved.

VROOOM!

Then...

Vanished.

Arthur blinked.

"Did he miss?"

William didn't answer.

Clara was watching Percy.

And Percy was watching Helmea.

Far away...

Galahad leaned forward.

"The sphere disappeared."

Holar:

"Yes."

"Can you see it?"

"No."

Galahad looked at him.

"If even you can't see it, that's bad."

Holar smiled.

"Quite the opposite."

Galahad looked down again.

Percy had lowered Blaze.

And was walking toward Helmea.

Galahad frowned.

"He used all his energy."

"Yes."

"Why is he getting closer now?"

Holar didn't answer.

He looked at Percy's feet.

Then at Helmea's position.

Then in the direction the sphere had traveled.

A second passed.

Holar's eyes widened slightly.

"Ah."

Galahad looked at him.

"What?"

The corner of Holar's mouth lifted.

"Now I see."

Galahad looked again.

One second.

Two seconds.

Then his expression changed too.

"The bastard."

Holar answered calmly.

"Absolutely."

Percy approached Helmea.

Blaze was in his hand.

But there was no energy left.

Helmea's white fur was shining.

Percy examined it closely.

Then stopped.

"Wait a minute."

William heard him.

Percy looked at the fur.

The white hairs...

Looked as though they were burning.

It wasn't flame.

But they glowed on contact with elements.

Percy narrowed his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

William began to think.

Clara looked too.

At first, she didn't understand.

Then...

Her eyes widened.

"Percy."

Percy didn't look at her.

Clara whispered.

"No way."

William turned to her.

"What?"

Clara didn't answer.

Percy kept walking.

One meter.

Half a meter.

Ten centimeters.

Five centimeters.

Percy stopped.

He looked into Helmea's eyes.

In Percy's eyes...

There was no fire left.

Only a cold anger.

"You'll pay for what you did to Belar."

Helmea growled.

Percy leaned a little closer.

"You son of a bitch."

Arthur's eyes widened.

Percy continued.

"I'm about to fuck your mother..."

"...you flea bag."

Arthur:

"YOU MOTHER—"

Charlotte looked at him.

Arthur shut his mouth.

Percy clenched his fist.

And struck.

THUD.

Nothing happened.

Helmea's head didn't move.

Percy looked at his hand.

"All right."

Helmea opened its mouth.

Percy made a fist again.

This time...

The fifty-percent enhancement surged.

His muscles tensed.

The ground cracked beneath his foot.

Percy twisted.

And drove his fist home.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Helmea flew into the air.

One meter.

Five.

Eight.

Eleven.

It hit the ground.

Arthur's mouth hung open.

William whispered.

"No element."

Marcus:

"Just physical strength."

Percy didn't look back.

"Clara."

Clara immediately straightened.

"Get the pup."

"And fall back."

Clara looked at Percy.

Now she understood something.

She ran.

Picked up the surviving pup.

Its small body was trembling.

Clara held it against her chest.

And withdrew.

Helmea rose to its feet.

Its six tails spread.

There was genuine rage in its eyes.

You'll pay for this, human.

Percy tilted his head slightly.

Then...

"Hehehe."

Arthur slowly backed away.

Percy's laughter grew.

"Hehehehehehehe..."

Helmea took an attacking stance.

Percy raised his right hand.

Then...

Slowly lowered it.

As though lowering a curtain.

William's eyes widened.

"Now."

Far back in the forest...

A vibration stirred.

The sphere they thought had vanished...

Changed direction.

Percy wasn't sending it energy.

He had no energy to send.

He wasn't using Chaos Fire.

He wasn't using light.

He wasn't using his own Orin.

After the sphere had launched...

It had connected to the surrounding Orin.

Before...

External Orin had accelerated its movement.

This time...

It sustained that movement.

Direction.

Angle.

Speed.

Turning.

External Orin controlled it all.

William understood.

"Everything..."

Arthur looked at him.

"What?"

William laughed.

"Was bait."

Arthur:

"What?"

William pointed at Percy.

"IT WAS ALL BAIT!"

Helmea lunged at Percy.

Percy didn't move.

The white fur glowed again.

It was waiting for an elemental attack.

From the front.

Percy was still smiling.

"Wrong side."

Helmea's eyes widened.

VROOOOOOOM!

The sphere came from behind.

But it didn't explode.

The light inside didn't flare.

The Chaos Fire didn't burn.

The elements stayed locked inside.

What carried the sphere...

Was only the surrounding Orin.

The white fur didn't react.

Because what struck its surface...

Wasn't an active element.

The sphere entered through its back.

Helmea's eyes widened.

It passed through its chest.

Pierced its heart.

And emerged from the front.

Helmea took two steps.

Its first tail fell.

Then its second.

Its legs gave out.

Its body collapsed to the ground.

It never got up again.

Helmea was dead.

Percy looked at it.

His smile vanished completely.

"Piece of shit."

He paused.

"You got what you deserved."

Then he turned.

And walked toward Belar.

Melanos had stopped in the distance.

It had followed the fire.

But now...

There was no fire.

Only the scent of battle.

Melanos watched for a few seconds.

Then remained in the darkness.

Holar sensed it.

His expression hardened.

Galahad sensed it too.

"Melanos."

"Yes."

"It's too close."

"Yes."

Galahad stood up.

"Let's go down."

Holar raised his hand.

"No."

Galahad turned to him.

"Holar."

"It isn't following them."

Galahad looked at Melanos.

Then at the children.

"For now."

Holar:

"For now."

Neither of them forgot that.

Percy crouched beside Belar.

For a while, he said nothing.

He placed his hand on her gray mane.

Her fur was still warm.

Percy's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, my friend."

His voice broke.

Percy closed his eyes.

"I couldn't protect you."

Clara was crying a short distance away.

Arthur turned his head.

Charlotte was wiping her eyes.

Marcus had clenched his fist.

William took off his glasses.

Percy pushed his hands into the soil.

And began to dig.

Arthur looked at him.

"Percy?"

Percy didn't answer.

One handful of earth.

Then another.

Dirt packed beneath his nails.

The skin on his hands was scratched.

Arthur tried to go to him.

Charlotte caught his arm.

Arthur looked at her.

Charlotte nodded.

"Let him."

Percy kept digging.

A hole took shape.

He made it a little deeper.

Then he lifted Belar.

Carefully brought the two halves together.

Smoothed her gray mane.

And laid her in the earth.

He looked at her for a while.

Then covered her.

He placed his hands on the soil.

And left a small magical mark.

It wasn't elaborate.

Just a little sign.

Percy whispered.

"I'll remember you, my friend."

The wind passed over them.

No one spoke.

The seventh pup...

Was crying in Clara's arms.

"Awooooo!"

Its little body trembled.

It was looking for its mother.

Looking for its siblings.

Finding none of them.

Percy looked at it.

His face crumpled again.

Clara drew the pup against her chest.

And released white light.

Percy turned at once.

"Clara, your energy—"

The pup went quiet.

Its tiny head settled against Clara.

Its trembling eased.

Its eyes closed.

It fell asleep.

Percy fell silent.

Clara looked at him.

"What were you saying?"

Percy shook his head.

"Nothing."

Arthur sniffed.

"Guiding Light."

Clara looked at him.

Arthur spoke very quietly.

"It suits you."

Clara didn't answer.

She held the pup tighter.

They returned to camp.

No one slept.

They sat at the table.

Belar's place was empty.

Percy didn't look that way.

William opened his notebook.

But didn't write.

For a long time...

No one could speak.

Finally, Arthur spoke.

"When?"

Percy raised his head.

Arthur:

"When did you come up with the plan?"

Percy thought for a few seconds.

"Which one?"

Arthur looked at him.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No."

William cut in.

"He means the sphere."

Percy nodded.

"When I launched it."

William:

"Liar."

Percy looked at him.

"Why?"

"You didn't have the whole plan then."

Percy smiled faintly.

"True."

William:

"When?"

Percy looked at his hands.

"When the fur glowed."

William immediately straightened.

"That's when I figured it out too."

Arthur:

"I DIDN'T FIGURE IT OUT."

Charlotte:

"I didn't quite get it either."

Marcus:

"I understood the result."

Arthur turned to him.

"Thanks."

Marcus shrugged.

Percy continued.

"The first punch was a test."

William:

"The second?"

"Positioning."

William:

"Eleven meters."

Percy nodded.

"Roughly."

Arthur's expression changed.

"You sent it flying on purpose?"

"Yes."

"Exactly eleven meters?"

Percy:

"Ten would've worked."

"So would twelve."

"I needed an angle from behind."

William nodded.

"And the sphere?"

Percy lightly tapped the table.

"We'd misunderstood its immunity."

Clara looked at him.

Percy continued.

"The element wasn't disappearing."

"The fur reacted on contact."

William understood at once.

"It was suppressing it."

"Yes."

Clara:

"That's why it looked like it was burning."

Percy nodded.

"I noticed that too."

William:

"Then you sealed the sphere."

"Yes."

"The element inside wasn't active."

"Yes."

William's eyes widened.

"External Orin."

Percy nodded.

"It carried the whole thing."

Marcus:

"Helmea expected an element."

Percy:

"Yes."

"And no element came."

Arthur:

"Orin went into its heart?"

Percy shook his head.

"The sphere did."

"There were elements inside it."

"But they weren't active on the surface."

William was thinking.

"You bypassed contact."

Percy:

"Exactly."

Charlotte looked at Percy.

"What if it hadn't worked?"

Silence.

Percy didn't answer.

Charlotte asked again.

"Percy."

Percy looked at her.

"I would've run."

Arthur was surprised.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Percy looked at Belar's empty place.

"Dying..."

"Wouldn't have brought Belar back."

No one said anything.

Arthur clasped his hands together.

"Belar saved me."

Charlotte looked at him.

Arthur continued.

"I didn't..."

"Even really know her."

Marcus spoke calmly.

"Maybe that didn't matter to her."

Arthur looked at Marcus.

Marcus:

"Maybe she loved you."

Arthur's eyes filled with tears.

"That makes it worse."

Charlotte placed her hand over Arthur's.

Arthur didn't pull away.

William turned back to Percy.

"One more thing."

Percy:

"What?"

"How much power do you have left?"

"Fifty percent."

William raised an eyebrow.

"Of what, exactly?"

"The enhancement from my Core layers."

"There was no element."

"No light."

"The buff had gone into the sphere too."

Arthur:

"And you sent Helmea eleven meters..."

Percy:

"With physical strength."

Arthur was silent for a few seconds.

Then shook his head.

"You beast."

Percy tried to laugh.

He couldn't.

A little later...

Percy stood up.

"I'm going to bed."

Clara looked at him.

"Percy."

Percy nodded.

"I'm fine."

William closed his eyes.

Arthur sighed.

Charlotte held the pup.

No one believed him.

Percy walked to his room.

And closed the door.

Far away...

Galahad was still looking down.

Holar stood beside him.

For a long time, neither spoke.

Finally, Galahad exhaled.

"I was going to intervene."

Holar:

"I know."

"When Belar died."

"Yes."

"When Percy's fire spread."

"Yes."

Galahad looked at him.

"Why did you stop me?"

Holar kept his eyes on the camp.

"Because I was watching him."

Galahad:

"He'd lost control."

Holar shook his head.

"No."

Galahad frowned.

"What?"

"He didn't lose control."

Holar paused briefly.

"He stopped wanting to control it."

Galahad's expression changed.

"That's worse."

Holar:

"Much worse."

Galahad put his hands in his pockets.

"But Clara came."

"Yes."

"And Percy came back."

Holar:

"No."

Galahad looked at him.

Holar continued.

"Percy never left."

"Clara just..."

"Brought the right side of him to the surface."

Galahad looked down.

"She touched his cheek."

Holar:

"Yes."

"She didn't give an order."

"She didn't cast a spell."

"She didn't stop him."

Galahad:

"She just told him to come back to himself."

Holar nodded.

"And he did."

Galahad was silent for a while.

Then smiled.

"Guiding Light."

Holar smiled faintly too.

"The name means something."

Galahad's expression grew serious again.

"When did you figure out the sphere?"

Holar:

"When Percy approached."

"I got it a second later."

Galahad shook his head.

"The first attack was pure bait."

"No."

Galahad looked at him.

Holar:

"The first attack was real."

"If it worked, it would kill."

"If it didn't..."

"The second part of the plan would begin."

Galahad's expression changed.

"So he didn't miss."

"No."

"He sent the sphere behind it."

"Yes."

"And drained his own power to zero."

"Yes."

Galahad laughed quietly.

"He's lost his mind."

Holar:

"A little."

Galahad:

"Then he switched to physical attacks."

"Because he was testing the immunity."

Holar nodded.

"The first punch was normal."

"The second was enhanced."

"That was when he confirmed..."

"...that the fur only reacted to elements."

Galahad narrowed his eyes.

"Then he positioned Helmea."

"Eleven meters."

"Roughly."

Galahad looked at Holar.

"You sounded like Percy."

Holar:

"Because that's the right answer."

Galahad looked at the light in the camp again.

"External Orin..."

Holar nodded.

"Something he discovered years ago."

"At first, it accelerated the sphere."

"Today, it changed its direction too."

Galahad:

"While it was far away from him, no less."

"Yes."

"And without a constant supply of energy."

"Yes."

Galahad's expression grew grave.

"That's important."

Holar:

"Very."

Galahad:

"Dangerous too."

This time, Holar didn't answer.

Galahad looked at him.

"If, after he casts a spell..."

"...external Orin can sustain its movement..."

Holar:

"One day, he could control attacks on a battlefield..."

"...independently of his own body."

Galahad fell silent.

"An entire battlefield."

Holar:

"Yes."

"One mage."

"Multiple angles."

"Multiple movements."

Galahad:

"Pathfinder."

Holar looked at him.

Galahad:

"He doesn't just find his own path."

"He makes even the spells he casts find theirs."

Holar smiled very faintly.

"He doesn't know that yet."

Galahad's smile faded.

"Melanos."

Holar grew serious too.

"It came closer."

"How close?"

"Too close."

Galahad:

"Why didn't it attack?"

Holar thought for a moment.

"Curiosity."

"Percy's Chaos Fire..."

"...drew it here."

Galahad:

"Then?"

"Then it watched."

Galahad's expression hardened.

"I don't like that."

Holar:

"Neither do I."

"Are we going to tell the children?"

Holar looked at the camp below.

"Not now."

"Why?"

Holar's voice grew heavy.

"They've lost enough today."

Galahad didn't argue.

Galahad stayed silent for a long time.

Then he asked.

"What did Helmea say to Percy?"

Holar:

"Grow stronger."

"Then come back."

Galahad closed his eyes.

"The wrong thing to say."

Holar:

"Why?"

Galahad looked at Percy's room.

"Because Percy is already thinking it."

Holar nodded.

"Yes."

"Grow stronger."

"Strong enough to protect."

"Strong enough to get there in time."

"Strong enough not to lose anyone."

Galahad:

"It never ends."

Holar:

"No."

Galahad's expression grew grave.

"He fails to protect someone."

"He wants to be stronger."

"He loses someone else."

"He wants to be stronger still."

Holar:

"And one day..."

"...he might mistake power for the goal."

Galahad answered immediately.

"He won't."

Holar looked at him.

Galahad:

"We're here."

Holar's expression softened.

"That's right."

Galahad continued.

"We'll protect who he is."

Holar:

"We won't suppress his power."

"We won't forbid his anger either."

Galahad:

"But we won't let him forget..."

"...why he fights."

Holar nodded.

"Exactly."

At the camp...

Clara stood up.

Charlotte was holding the pup.

Clara looked at her.

"Can you keep it for a while?"

Charlotte nodded.

"Of course."

Arthur looked at Clara.

"Where are you going?"

Clara looked at Percy's room.

"To him."

William:

"He asked for space."

Clara stopped.

Then looked at William.

"I know."

William:

"Then?"

Clara tilted her head slightly.

"He's using it wrong right now."

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"You can use space wrong?"

Clara:

"Percy can."

Then she walked away.

Clara opened the door.

Percy was sitting on the edge of his bed.

Looking at his hands.

Clara stepped inside.

Percy didn't raise his head.

"Clara."

"Hm?"

Percy was silent for a while.

"Could you give me some space?"

Clara closed the door.

"No."

Percy finally looked at her.

"What?"

Clara moved behind him.

Percy was about to object.

Clara reached around him.

She simply held him around his lower stomach.

Not too tightly.

She didn't rest her head against his back.

She just stayed there.

Percy didn't move.

Clara spoke.

"You can't protect everyone."

Percy's eyes closed.

Clara continued.

"Not yet."

Percy opened his eyes.

Clara's voice didn't waver at all.

"But you'll get there."

"I believe in you."

Percy didn't answer for a long time.

Then he slowly turned.

Clara released him.

Percy looked at her.

"On my eighth birthday..."

"Do you remember what I told you?"

Clara thought.

Then smiled a little.

"'I love you'?"

Percy nodded.

"Yes."

Clara nodded too.

"I remember."

They both tried to laugh.

Clara managed a little.

Percy couldn't.

His smile vanished before it could form.

Clara saw it.

She didn't say anything.

She turned away.

Percy reached out.

Caught her by the waist.

And pulled her toward him.

Clara was startled.

"Percy?"

Percy leaned closer.

And spoke beside her ear.

"You're not my girlfriend."

Clara's elbow drove backward.

THUD.

Percy clutched his stomach.

"YOU MOTHER—"

Clara:

"Go on."

Percy took a breath.

"The girlfriend part..."

"You're not that yet."

Clara raised an eyebrow.

Percy hurried on.

"You're not the woman I have a crush on."

Clara readied her elbow again.

Percy held her waist tighter.

"Wait, dammit."

Clara waited.

Percy's voice slowed.

"But..."

Clara lowered her elbow.

Percy closed his eyes.

"You're my light..."

"...protecting the last of my innocence."

Clara went completely still.

Percy didn't let her go.

And Clara placed her hands...

Over Percy's.

Outside...

Arthur was still talking about Belar.

William was drawing out the plan again.

Marcus was adjusting the watch perimeter.

Charlotte was soothing the pup.

None of them sounded happy.

But they were talking.

Together.

Much farther away...

Galahad was still watching the camp.

Holar stood beside him.

Galahad spoke quietly.

"Belar died."

Holar:

"Yes."

"Percy lost something."

"Yes."

Galahad looked at Percy's room.

"But he learned something too."

Holar nodded.

"What?"

Galahad thought briefly.

Then answered.

"That he can't protect everything."

Holar's expression grew grave.

"Wrong."

Galahad looked at him.

Holar continued.

"He learned that today."

"Tomorrow..."

"...he'll try to change it."

Galahad was silent for a long time.

Then smiled faintly.

"That's what scares me."

Holar looked at the camp too.

"Me too."

They waited a little longer.

The camp's light burned in the darkness.

Melanos was no longer visible.

But they both knew.

Deep in the forest...

Something had noticed them.

And Percy...

Didn't know it yet.

CHAPTER 99 — BELAR

END