"I have to do something," Jared thought as Hendrix appeared in the midst of the battlefield. His fists shook violently, and his handsome face was filled with anger.
"Jared." Sensing the intense killing intent Jared was emitting, one of his teammates called out, their voice filled with worry.
"I'm alright." Jared exhaled sharply. His father had told him it was not good to rush into a fight with an irrational mindset—doing so was equivalent to setting yourself up for failure before the fight even started.
"What should we do?" Longy asked, staring at Jared, who was the leader and decision-maker of their team.
"I—" Jared started, but then trailed off, lost in his own thoughts. Of course, Jared knew the time would come when he and Nyx—the love of his life—would face each other. But he'd rather eliminate her painlessly than allow Hendrix to do it.
The white-haired boy was notorious for his sadistic tendencies. Knowing him—and the history between the Cromwells and Armstrongs, the main reason this summit started in the first place—Hendrix would probably inflict as much pain as possible before finishing her off.
...This was something Jared couldn't bear to witness.
With this thought in mind, Jared stared at his teammates, his eyes flashing with defiance as he said, "We'll join the fight! I know every one of you wants to pay back Hendrix for what he did. The only way to do this is to come out of hiding.
"If we leave everything to the others and they manage to defeat him, that ache in our hearts will never be relieved."
Jared's words stirred a myriad of emotions in the others. He was beyond right. The only way to redeem their pride was by joining the fight, not by acting cowardly and staying in the dark, waiting to swoop in and reap the benefits after the others had done the work.
"We're at your disposal, Leader!" The healer girl was the first to speak up. She was always the first to step forward, even if she was nervous. Her soft, feminine voice snapping the others out of their daze. They began activating their various skills, one by one—a clear sign that they had made up their minds to join the fight.
"Good." Jared smiled and lifted his hand, pointing into the distance. "But first, we have to save someone important."
Before the others could reply, Jared leaped off the peak of the mountain, plummeting down at an astonishing speed, the wind whipping against his face.
"W-what is he doing?"
Frightened that he was about to commit suicide, the rest of the four teammates immediately rushed to the edge, glancing below. They arrived just in time to witness a spectacular scene.
Instead of the terrible sight of Jared crashing into the ground and turning into a pile of bones, a giant green tendril burst out of the earth, sending rocks flying. The tendril cushioned Jared's fall, allowing him to land softly on it.
Using the tendril as a bridge, Jared sped toward the heart of the battlefield. At that time, the bloody pillar was still approaching like a missile.
Seeing how close it was, Jared increased his speed... and flicked his hand. A twist of green tendrils wrapped around the leg of the unsuspecting Nyx, who had momentarily frozen. With another flick, he yanked her away from the trajectory of the explosion with tremendous force, just a split second before the thunderous bomb rocked the entire area.
"Y-you!" Nyx's face was filled with confusion as she looked at the green-haired boy. Though handsome, he wore a stupid expression. She didn't waste a second staying on top of him and immediately jumped to her feet. Her first action was to scan her surroundings, sensing the confused, angry, and relieved glances of various people.
Her gaze then drifted toward the massive chasm that had formed where she had been standing moments before.
"You saved me," Nyx murmured in confusion as she glanced at the boy, who was slowly getting up and scratching his head, his ears burning intensely as he stammered, "I—um—I guess I meant to. Damn, I don't even know."
Nyx's sharp gaze softened slightly as she looked at the awkward boy speaking incomprehensible gibberish. For a split second, she felt a warmth she wasn't used to... only for it to vanish behind her usual indifference "Why?" she asked. "I don't even know you."
"Right." Jared stopped scratching his head, feeling a slight ache in his heart. She didn't even remember me. Dad was right. I'm so stupid. All this time, I thought she'd at least recognize me after our meeting in the Mountain of Ascension... only for her to forget me so soon.
That moment had meant everything to him, even if it seemed like a passing encounter to her.
Jared forced a smile and said, "Well, um, we met in the Mountain of Ascension. Did you forget?"
Nyx still stared at him with a lost expression.
An awkward silence fell between them.
"Although I don't know your goal in saving me today, I swear on my life that I'll fulfill one favor of yours, as long as it's within my capabilities," Nyx stated.
Jared waved his hand. "I didn't save you for a reward or anything. I just felt like doing it, so you don't need to repay me."
"I hate being indebted to others. So, as I said, I'll fulfill one favor of yours in the near future. But for now..." Her gaze sharpened as she glared at the blonde girl, who immediately flinched back at the sight of those lightless eyes. The invisible pressure they exuded weighed down on her like a mountain.
"I'll deal with you!"
The others quickly rushed to the blonde girl's side, readying their weapons as Nyx's gaze grew more dangerous by the second.
Similarly, Rab, Wendy, and Cole came to stand by Nyx's side. The only ones left stranded were the Armstrongs and the rest of the Landon Barony team, now standing awkwardly beside their leader.
Tension filled the air... but it was soon shattered by someone's voice.
"Look!" someone shouted, pointing at the deep chasm.
Instinctively, everyone—including those who had been initially scared—rushed over and glanced down.
At the bottom, they spotted a figure.
Something was strange about him.
He was slowly turning into bursts of white light.
"H-how?" Everyone stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.