Joint Combat Practice 2 (8)
All I can do now is run away. It’s been several hours since I ran away with that conclusion.
Ed and Clarice entered the beginning of the Great Forest of Kranfell and continued onward without wasting a moment.
If we can reach Margrave Zahoor’s territory and ask for help like this, at least two people might be able to save their lives.
Holding on to that hope, I continued moving through the forest.
Ed was already bleeding heavily. He was so stumbling that it was difficult for him to walk properly.
Clarisse gritted her teeth and supported him with her lack of strength.
―Kwakwang! The Quagga Gaga River!
The sound of destruction coming to Aken Island echoes.
Even though it must have been several kilometers away, I can still hear it. The shape of the dragon that covered the sky was more majestic than when seen from Aken Island, occupying a spot on the distant horizon.
“At least… As long as you go out of range… . then… No matter how many days it takes, you can reach Margrave Zahur’s domain… . Hang in there just a little while… . Senior Ed… .”
Even as she shed tears, Clarice did not relax her body.
However, she is a saint who has lived her entire life as a believer in Seonghwangdo. Despite her young body, she is much weaker than other girls her age.
There was no way those slender, white arms could support Ed’s sturdy body to the end. She tries to keep going with her trembling body, but soon Ed’s body, which is slowly becoming limp, is pressing down on Clarisse.
“nice… Ugh… Ugh… .”
Clarisse shed tears as she gritted her teeth and supported Ed, who was staggering little by little and losing his balance. She drew on her countless magical powers and used her magic arts to apply pressure to Ed’s wounds, but she could not cover all the wounds on her body alone.
He clenched his teeth and made his way through the forest covered in blood, repeating the same words as if possessed by a ghost.
“are you okay. are you okay. You just have to go a little further. Margrave Zahur’s territory is ahead. therefore… Just hold on a little longer… .”
Ed’s wounds are quite serious even at first glance. The intense pain that comes from that wound will be difficult to bear.
However, Ed clenched his teeth and endured the pain without saying a word of displeasure. That alone was enough to make her stick out her tongue.
Clarisse constantly used her magic power to apply pressure to the wound and minimize bleeding… The physical wound itself could not be resolved. Removing the wound itself is something that only high-ranking magic magicians of the Holy Emperor Capital can do.
It was possible to imitate it in a similar way, but it was obvious that it would be implemented in a form with shattered magic efficiency. He will be exhausted before even half of the fatal wounds on Ed’s body can be resolved. It is such a difficult task to revive a life that has fallen into disrepair.
“I am… why… I can’t do anything… . Why can’t I do anything… . Ugh… Ugh… .”
Gritting her teeth and holding back tears, Clarisse dragged Ed through the forest. Seong Chang-ryong’s cries were still echoing widely in the sky.
As a saint, she has excellent sexual power and corresponding magical power, but cannot utilize them properly. She came to Sylvania in the first place to learn how to utilize the magical power that surrounds her body.
In the end, all you have is the protection of the Holy Law wrapped around your body. This is the only blessing that avoids death in almost all situations. However, even this could not protect Ed.
“Such protection… Someone like me has it… rather… rather… .”
I thought about that over and over again as I looked at Ed, but there was no way the blessings that were already imprinted on my body would go anywhere else.
Watching Ed’s blood slowly disappearing… Clarice gritted her teeth again and continued her steps.
“This is not the time… . this time… I can live this time… . I could… .”
―Kaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
Seongchangryong’s roar echoes in the sky again. The moment Clarisse heard that familiar sound, she had an intuition.
Here comes one more time.
The procession of scales covering the sky. That terrifying blow that pierces everyone within its range equally will once again blanket this area.
Although he was already far enough away, just one or two shocks would kill Ed, who was in a near-dead state.
“no… . never… no way… .”
Clarisse laid Ed on the floor with tears streaming down his face. Even if you minimize the impact by hiding behind some cover, you cannot completely block the attack. In that case, there is no choice but to protect Ed by using the protection of the holy law that the saintess has.
The procession of scales covering the sky rushes forward again with its razor-sharp blades set in place.
Clarice tries to block Ed’s body somehow with her small body, but she cannot completely cover Ed’s body in this short period of time.
He sobs as he embraces Ed’s body lying on the floor as much as he can, but the pattering, pouring procession of scales penetrates his body without mercy.
“Wow!”
Was the piercing through the collarbone a fatal blow? Ed spit out red blood… She looked up at Clarice with haggard eyes.
“No… Senior Ed… . a little bit… Just a little further… .”
In a forest where only the leaves rustle and catch the strong wind.
Behind Ed’s back, who is lying on the dirt floor… A puddle of blood spreads out. Clarisse trembled when she saw the bright red blood on her hands.
“Senior Ed… Senior Ed… .”
This is the second time I see his lifeless face.
Still, you never get used to it.
No matter how many times you repeat the death of a special person, you never get used to it.
Like a curse, it is engraved in the heart as a wound, causing constant pain.
like this… Should I let Ed go?
Ed tried to help Clarisse until the moment of his death. This time, Clarisse tried to save Ed… The damned fate won’t let that happen.
“Senior Ed… sorry… . sorry… .”
Clarisse shed tears as she hugged the dying Ed.
“really… sorry… . I’m sorry I couldn’t help you… . I can’t do anything… Just getting help… They just keep making me die… and… I didn’t do anything… Just lean on it… sorry… . sorry… . Ugh… Ugh… .”
like that… Ed had to face his death.
However, it wasn’t right away.
-Sigh.
Clarice came to her senses as a hand wiped away her tears.
Ed’s hand, covered in blood, was wiping away the tears from Clarice’s eyes for the last time.
“Sorry… You don’t have to… . Don’t cry for nothing… .”
To the extent that Ed’s words were meaningless, tears were pouring endlessly from Clarice’s eyes.
“it’s okay… . Don’t be sad, don’t be discouraged… .”
“Seniors… Senior Ed… .”
“also… I will help you… . Maybe I… Because that will happen… . so… Crying… Frustrated… Don’t do that… .”
-Talk.
Finally… Ed’s hands rolled on the floor with no strength. He could not even close his eyes and was looking at the sky with empty eyes.
Clarisse sobbed for a long time in Ed’s arms. A huge light pours down from behind her as she sheds her tears.
When you finally look up at the sky, you see the same magic circle you saw at the Ofilis Hall.
Unlike when viewed from indoors, the gigantic shape is visible at a glance. It embodied the shapes of stars in a magic circle, and was embellished with bluish sacred power, beautifully embroidering the sky.
Soon, pure white light covered the world, and Clarice lost consciousness.
* * *
“Saint. Let’s talk… What are you talking about… ?”
Light came to the world.
There is no roar of the Seongchangryong splitting the sky, and there is no sight of Ed covered in blood.
He just closed the book and placed it on the table, looking straight at Clarisse with a puzzled expression.
I saw two deaths.
He supported the remains of the Ofilis Pavilion, protected Clarice, and ultimately died in his arms.
Clarisse tried to protect it somehow, but in the end, she was attacked by Seongchangryong and met her death.
In either case, the sight of him covered in blood remains vivid in Clarice’s memory, overlapping his normal face again and again.
-Wow!
“to… Eek… ?! Seo, saint… Well, what are you doing… !”
Ignoring Jenica’s surprised and blushing reaction, the saintess hugged Ed tightly.
After being held in his arms, my heart is filled with the same dependable feeling as when I was held in the carriage.
“Saint… ?”
When Ed asked with a bewildered expression, Clarisse buried her face in his arms without giving any answer. Tears poured out, but I didn’t care.
The sound of whispering filled the surroundings. It had to be that way. However, Clarice didn’t seem to care at all.
After that, things went smoothly.
Clarice, who tightly grabbed Ed’s wrist, put Ed in the carriage and ran away again. This time he took a different escape route. He decided to go along the rocky mountains to the east, even if it meant taking a small detour, rather than going towards the plains where there was no cover.
However, even though the experienced driver accelerated like crazy, he could not reach the rocky mountain and had to be attacked by Seong Chang-ryong again.
This time, thanks to Clarisse’s protection, Ed was not mortally wounded, but he slowly died from excessive blood loss before he could reach the rocky mountain. It was a terrible trauma to watch her gradually lose her blood and then slowly become unresponsive.
“Saint. Let’s talk… What are you talking about… ?”
When I returned, I held Ed’s hand again and headed to the beach. He decided that it would be much safer to take refuge underground than to cross the plains and get hit directly by the scales.
Ed knew two places to take refuge. It was a coastal cave on the west coast, and a secret laboratory used by Professor Glast.
They took refuge in a cave on the western coast, but the cave itself collapsed due to the earthquake that occurred when Seongchangryong descended. Clarisse was almost crushed to death by a falling rock, but Ed rushed in to save her and instead she was crushed by a rock. Ed, who had her entire lower body crushed, clenched her teeth and screamed in pain, but in the end, she died, wiping away her tears without blaming Clarisse.
“Il-o… It’s Oh Gong Gong Ik Gong… . Il-oh, five-gong, Il-yuk-gong… !”
The saint’s purpose had already changed to saving Ed. No matter what happened, he had only the determination to save the life of Ed Rosstaylor, the man who stood by his side until the end.
This time, I took refuge in Glast’s Soul Library. The upper part was blocked, and several layers of support magic were implemented in case the ceiling collapsed. It withstood the earthquake caused by Seongchangryong’s descent and was able to survive the scale attack. Clarisse cried tears of joy.
However, the ground that was repeatedly attacked by Seongchangryong’s magic cannon… In the end, it was unable to survive with support magic alone and collapsed.
In the pouring dirt, Ed covered Clarisse’s body with his own until the moment of her death, and used his magic power to support the ground as much as possible, leaving Clarice’s body unscathed.
In the midst of the collapsing ground, Ed died again protecting Clarice.
Everything else is restored when time goes back, but the wounds left on Clarisse’s body remain intact. I don’t know why.
Therefore, Ed died and died while protecting Clarice above all else.
Clarisse never got used to that death.
Every time he died, I had to suffer heartbreaking pain. It was repeated over and over again, but Clarice did not get frustrated and just gritted her teeth and endured.
If you get frustrated and give up on everything… There is no one to save Ed, who died for him several times.
Ed helped Clarice again and again, even without knowing the full truth of what was going on. Now Clarisse couldn’t give up his life.
“Saint. Let’s talk… What are you talking about… ?”
The color on Clarice’s face began to fade, and the area under her eyes began to puff up… Still, looking at Ed’s face, he was somehow able to grit his teeth and gain strength. She closed her book and stood tightly hugging Ed’s face as he looked at Clarice with a bewildered expression… He took her breath away again.
I can’t even remember how many times it is now.
Clarisse left Ed alone and stood on the roof of the Trix Building to clearly see the moment when Seongchangryong descended.
This time, I observed the magic circle filling the sky, but I could not pinpoint the source of the magic. After confirming that fact, he looked down again at the ruined Aken Island, stained with blood.
“Saint. Let’s talk… What are you talking about… ?”
After that, I searched for all kinds of escape routes and hiding places. I tried it dozens of times, but no matter where I went on Aken Island, there was no place that was safe from the Holy Spear Dragon, Velbrok. Every time he failed, Ed had to die in Clarice’s place.
That’s why Clarice couldn’t give up.
“Il-o… It’s Oh Gong Gong Ik Gong… .”
Suddenly, after saying that… Clarisse had nothing more to say.
Ed’s eyes widen when he sees Clarisse accurately telling him his military service number. When I look at that face, the memories of the dozens of times I died for Clarice seem to be eating away at my body like cancer cells.
The images of Ed dying for himself over and over again seem to overlap endlessly… He never once saved Ed.
I tried everything I could, but I couldn’t escape from the ridiculously strong Holy Spear Dragon Velbrok… I can’t hide… However, I couldn’t find a way to overcome it.
They haven’t even been able to figure out the reason why time keeps going back.
It is said that a high-ranking priest was involved, but no matter how much I wandered around the academy during this short period of time, I could not find the Pope or the Archbishop.
The magnificent carriage was in the carriage storage area next to the Maxes Bridge, and all that remains is the coachman’s testimony that he disappeared into the teaching building with his closest aides in tow.
The huge magic circle that appeared every time time went back was also… It is so large that it is impossible to pinpoint where it appeared. It’s definitely somewhere in Gyosu-dong… I can’t pinpoint the exact location.
just… Just one day of repetitive joint combat practice… It was just eating away at her spirit.
In the first place, if you’ve come this far, shouldn’t you stop relying on Ed?
If watching him die is painful and you can’t bear it any longer, shouldn’t you just leave him alone and find your own way? That’s what I thought, but losing the only person in this world who could understand her situation… It was more of a fear than that.
Can you really stay sane in the fear of being left alone? Fear from such a different direction eats away at Clarice’s heart.
Clarice is completely confused… After reciting Ed’s military service number, I couldn’t say anything.
“Saint… ?”
Only Ed, who was watching the scene, was dumbfounded.
“Saint… There are inspection personnel on the Maxes Bridge side. It is said that Elte Company’s trade goods are currently crossing through the Maxes Bridge. “The situation is very chaotic due to the goods wagons and escort mercenaries, so they are asking you to wait for a moment.”
Suddenly, I heard the coachman say something. Only then did Clarice understand the current situation.
therefore… After dragging Ed, putting him in the carriage, and ordering the driver to head towards Maxes Bridge.
As Clarisse sits still with glassy eyes, Ed stands up and instructs the coachman to break through somehow.
The coachman nods his head and drives out among the Elte Company’s trading wagons that fill the Maxes Bridge.
Edgar held Clarice’s body tightly as the carriage swayed back and forth.
Clarice’s body seen up close… It was full of all kinds of scratches. Although time may go back, for some reason, the wounds that fill Clarice’s body do not.
At first, it was just Ed’s handprint on my wrist, but the more I repeated it, the more small wounds it became.
Looking at that… Ed instructed the driver to stop the carriage.
“… … ?”
Clarice looked up at Ed with empty eyes.
“Get off, saintess.”
“… yes?”
“Get some rest.”
Isn’t this an imminent situation?
The meaning of what Ed said… Clarisse didn’t understand.
“… I am… “I know a few people I could ask for help.”
