Turning-Chapter 848

Rifts—plural.

It wasn’t just one? Yuder, gasping for breath, clutched at Kishiar’s sleeve.

“W-what... Commander. How many rifts have appeared? Please tell me what’s going on.”

“......”

“Commander.”

“......”

Footsteps ran hurriedly around them. The wind whipped at them. And something unfamiliar—whether snow or hail—was falling hard. In the midst of it all, only the warmth of Kishiar’s arms shielded Yuder. Faint screams echoed from the distance. Amid the chaos, a low voice finally spoke from above.

“...You’ve already done more than enough. Leaving now for treatment and rest would be the obvious choice. But even if I say that, even if I tell you to go without worrying... you wouldn’t just obey, would you?”

“It’s just blood. I’m not as bad as I look. I can still talk, my limbs are fine. If I rest a bit, I could even walk.”

“No one will believe you when you say that while bleeding.”

“I can just wipe the blood off.”

“You can’t even see what’s in front of you.”

His mouth, trying to insist he was fine, abruptly closed. It was because of the weight in Kishiar’s gaze—the deep-set eyes, and the pain pouring from them.

Even if his vision was blurred, he could still clearly sense that gaze’s color. It was the same expression Kishiar wore when he told Yuder not to apologize for doing what he had to do, when he said he would bear the pain himself.

“That’s...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Yuder was briefly at a loss for words. Still, he didn’t let go of Kishiar’s sleeve as he spoke.

“I’m not saying I’ll keep pushing myself. But I can’t leave in a situation like this. I know the most about these rifts. Me leaving right now makes no sense. So please... just tell me the situation. That’s all I ask.”

“......”

A deep sigh, even longer than before, spilled from above. Yuder felt Kishiar’s arms tighten around him until it almost hurt. But even when Yuder stiffened at the grip, the pressure soon relaxed again.

“...It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this useless.”

“...Why would you say that, Commander? Please don’t.”

“Because it’s true.”

After saying that, Kishiar laughed. Faint and hazy, yet lingering.

As if it was the only way he knew how to express sadness.

He continued shielding Yuder from the hail and wind, his shoulders trembling for a while before the laughter subsided. Then, still holding him, he straightened.

“If I had my way, I’d knock you out and carry you out of here by force. But like you said, it’s not realistic for either of us to leave right now. So let’s do what we can. Temporary treatment, assess the situation. Will that satisfy you?”

“...Thank you.”

When Yuder answered with a hint of relief in his voice, Kishiar smiled again.

“Much better than hearing you apologize. I guess you really are strong enough to keep going.”

“I told you... it’s just a bit of blood.”

Though truthfully, most of his strength had been drained. His head was still spinning from the hit he took from Naham’s power. But by his standards, this didn’t qualify as a serious injury.

‘If I end up needing to fight again immediately, then I’ll be in trouble.’

“Wait a moment. —You there! Are there any priests with holy power available here?”

Kishiar grabbed someone nearby and called out. The blurry-faced Cavalry members who saw Yuder gasped in shock—then quickly responded in crisp, disciplined voices.

“Th-there are, sir, but the situation...”

In short, most priests with usable holy power had been evacuated. A few remained, but they were all clustered around Duke Hern’s faction.

“So none of them are coming, then. Got it.”

Kishiar removed his outer ceremonial cloak and draped it over Yuder, then lifted him onto his back.

“Stay still. I’ll have to use holy power discreetly.”

“...What? But Commander, what if something happens to your vessel...”

“To maintain balance, I’ll have to spread it out evenly anyway.”

Without pause, Kishiar adjusted his grip and pulled the cloak over Yuder’s head. A moment later, Yuder felt warmth beginning to flow from Kishiar’s hand supporting his body.

The power spread from his legs, sweeping gently through him without a trace of pain, carefully healing him. It felt just like the moment when Kishiar’s protective magic had first activated.

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The stiffened organs in his body gradually warmed. The aching and numb areas settled down, becoming peaceful. A ticklish sensation inside his eyes faded into a gentle warmth.

Under the cloak, Kishiar’s scent enveloped him. Yuder buried his face into Kishiar’s back and exhaled deeply.

“......”

“You alright?”

Once the healing energy had fully subsided, Kishiar asked quietly. Yuder slowly pushed his head out from under the cloak that had covered him completely.

Hail and wind that had been blocked now whipped through his hair. The first thing he saw was the sweat-soaked nape of Kishiar’s neck and the golden hair on his back.

His vision was almost fully restored. Sound was clearer now too. He could fully grasp the situation.

The sky was dark—nearly night. Winds blew like a storm, and hail was pouring like madness. Many people were moving around quickly nearby, but it was too dark to recognize anyone clearly.

And just as Kishiar had said—black rifts floated in the sky above.

They hadn’t unleashed anything yet. But there were exactly three of them.

“...Yes. I can see everything now. You can put me down.”

“I don’t want to.”

“...Sorry?”

“Not yet.”

The short reply came as Kishiar continued walking somewhere.

“Strange. It feels like there are more people here than before the shadow veil went up.”

“We’ll need to investigate. Who knows what’s happening outside the perimeter.”

Kishiar replied and slightly quickened his pace. Soon after, someone approached them.

“Commander... huh—”

The sharp intake of breath belonged to Kanna.

“Yuder!”

“Kanna. Situation report first.”