Eh?

The sword was pulled out, letting his body fall backwards, striking the ground heavily. Screams and screams rang out, calling out the man's name "Zent! Zent! Zent!" They cried, trying to maintain his consciousness that had been standing on a thin thread, the slightest mistake, and he would be lost forever.

The knight commander took a step back, observing the blood now staining his white uniform. His hands were now dripping fresh blood from the blade of the sword, an unexpected tool that had claimed a life.

Loid was indeed a Tier 5 knight, but all his opponents always ended up in prison rather than in graves. However, perhaps this time, for the first time, he sent someone to the gates of death.

Was he proud? No. Was he afraid? No.

What he was feeling now was not a feeling that could be possessed by those who had never killed someone with their own hands. This was one of the fears of knights, something that could turn them from human beings into bloodthirsty monsters.

Not far ahead, tears fell from Celine's eyes, streaming down Zent's face as he tried to comfort her, gently wiping her cheeks.

Celine pressed her cheek against Zent's hand, holding it tightly, feeling the warmth slowly fading away. Her heart ached, pained by the fear of loss, losing someone who had managed to pull her out of darkness and not only give her light but also color.

Mr. Anderson tried his best to hold back his anger. But he eventually gave in, letting the feeling take over.

Suddenly, he lifted Loid's body into the air, gripping the man's collar with electricity emanating from his right hand. "Why did you do it?" he asked softly but menacingly, like a growling lion.

"What? I killed a spy! Didn't you see? That woman recognized him! And we've never seen him before either! He just suddenly appeared, causing chaos, and now his disguise is revealed. You should be grateful to me!" Loid exclaimed with a wide grin, showing no fear of the electricity that was dangerously close to his neck, tickling slightly.

A loud impact resounded as Loid's body was slammed onto the ground, causing him to cough and feel a tightness in his chest. Mr. Anderson approached him, half-kneeling, and brought his face closer. "The person you called a spy is ironically someone willing to sacrifice themselves to face enemies, knowing they will never win. It was also him who saved my daughter, but what about you?

You were only pretending to search for her. Thanks to him, we discovered the hidden group fighting against the cult followers in the shadows, and he did all that knowing he was just an ordinary 21-year-old who couldn't even withstand a Tier 1 knight.

Yes, you see him with power now, but what about before? He wasn't even a fighter, just an ordinary teenager. And you, a Tier 5 knight, not only feel jealous but also take his life? Why? Because he won Celine's heart?" Mr. Anderson snorted harshly. "Blame yourself for not being able to win her heart despite having years of time." He slammed Loid once again before leaving him to assess Zent's condition.

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"Mr. Anderson, why isn't his wound closing?" Rayven asked worriedly. "Is his regeneration no longer working?"

"No! I believe he'll be fine, and even if what happened before was only a miracle, we just have to make that miracle happen again!" Celine responded, still hopeful.

Mr. Anderson sighed and nodded in agreement.

For now, that was all they could do. Although he himself was concerned if Rayven's fears were true. If they were, how could he face Luna? Just imagining his little daughter's face made Mr. Anderson's heart ache.

In Zent's subconscious, he could see the sky where he was trapped appearing cracked, revealing pitch-black darkness without a glimmer of light.

Fear began to grip his body as Z thought that this time he had truly run out of luck and would die. If that happened, what would become of him? Would he also disappear along with it?

Without wasting any more time, he hurried towards the small garden, finding a young figure of Zent with a dimly glowing body. While pushing away his fear, he approached, knelt beside the young Zent, and pressed his arm, afraid that his actions would hurt Zent.

However, the young Zent stood up, turned around to face Z with an annoyed expression. "Go away! Zent has suffered for too long. Now it's time for Zent to rest," the young Zent stated firmly while folding his arms, refusing any argument.

But of course, Z couldn't accept that. He moved a little closer, pleading with him, "Please, wake him up. If he disappears, we will also vanish. Aren't you afraid of that?"

Z's question managed to catch the attention of the young Zent, who immediately looked at the distant sky.

Fear also emerged within him, realizing that if Zent were to disappear, they would forever be trapped in eternal darkness. "I... I'm scared. Very scared. But..." His right hand held his chest. "I can feel it, feel the suffering that Zent experiences, and I don't know how Zent can endure all that pain.

At least what I can do is give him rest. Haven't you also experienced it yourself, the suffering Zent has endured all this time? Do you think he doesn't deserve some rest?"

Z fell silent, unsure of how to respond because he knew what was being said was true. His chest now felt tight, painful, and tormenting. Not because of physical wounds, but because of memories flooding in, rushing like an uncontrollable fountain.

He questioned how someone without powers could endure all of this.

But Zent must not give up yet!

"You're right. It's painful, too painful. But you have to understand, Zent won't want to rest until everything is resolved. He would even resent us if... That's why, give him another chance to fix his mistakes so that when the time comes for him to rest, he can close his eyes without any regrets."

Little Zent took a deep breath, lowering his arm and turning around. "But, don't forget. Every time this happens, we are the ones who pay the price." The glow of little Zent's body dimmed further, transferring some of its light to the fading tree in front.

The tree regained its vitality, returning to its original freshness. In exchange, little Zent grew weaker, dropping to his knees on the ground, momentarily drained of energy.

Z hurriedly helped him up, and together, they watched as the sky gradually merged back together, the pitch darkness no longer visible.

In the real world, Zent's body was lifted into the air, nearly causing the unfamiliar woman to collide with the ground if not for Celine's intervention.

A bright light emerged from within Zent's body, with three rings of light in different sizes appearing above and below his body. The rings spun rapidly, accompanied by an intensifying humming sound, illuminating the surroundings until an energy explosion occurred, harmless in nature.

Gold-white mana shot out accompanied by towering pillars of light reaching high into the sky before eventually vanishing, gently lowering Zent's body to the surface of the road.

Slowly, his eyes opened, revealing a pair of slightly fading red eyes.

Celine quickly handed the unfamiliar woman to Rayven before embracing the man she loved so tightly that Zent struggled to breathe. Afraid of losing him again.

Amidst their laughter, none of them noticed that Commander Loid had now vanished, fleeing the scene after witnessing someone successfully return from death.

An intriguing idea emerged in his mind, accompanied by a dangerously wide grin.