TOPWL 265

Yudit’s eyes met the gaze of the man who stepped inside. The man scanned Yudit up and down to assess the situation, then he looked at the soldier with a pathetic expression.

“You couldn’t even finish off a scrawny guy like this?”

“Well, this fellow isn’t—”

Yudit didn’t miss the moment the soldier became distracted and slashed his throat. Blood sprayed like a fountain from the severed carotid artery. Warm blood splattered everywhere and stained Yudit’s face. The soldier collapsed without even screaming. The man clicked his tongue.

“Useless bastard.”

The man approached Yudit with his sword drawn. He swung the heavy blade immediately.

Clang! Yudit barely parried the blow and let out a short groan. The man’s skill was on a different level ​visit our site​compared to the previous three. Although he underestimated Yudit, he left no openings. He possessed both strength and technique, so Yudit found it difficult to deflect the blade. It was even harder because he’d already killed three people. His whole body, starting from his stomach, felt cold and ached. Yudit clenched his teeth against the pain.

I have to find a way.

Yudit’s mind raced even as he blocked the sword. He detected the alpha’s pheromones from the man. They leaked from the excited man every time their swords clashed. A thought suddenly occurred to Yudit. At the boundary of life and death, Yudit released all his pheromones at once.

This was similar to what alphas did when they wanted to possess or toy with an omega. If an alpha used pheromones to pressure them, an omega had almost no way to escape. This was what Hiore or Reginald often did to Yudit. However, Yudit believed the opposite was also possible. If an alpha’s pheromones could immobilize an omega, then an omega could also make an Alpha lose his reason through excitement.

His practice paid off. The man’s body lost its strength when Yudit’s pheromones wafted through the air. He didn’t miss the chance and drove his sword into the man’s neck.

“Guh…”

Even though the man knew the blade pierced his neck like a venomous snake, he swung his sword one last time. Since the sword was lodged in the man’s neck rather than just cutting through it, Yudit’s throat was about to be cut defenselessly. Just then, someone blocked that blade.

The man realized his sword hadn’t reached Yudit. He stared wide-eyed as he collapsed to the floor. The blood from the man’s neck quickly soaked the ground. Yudit turned his head to see the person who saved him. He actually knew who it was before he even looked.

“Khalid…”

Khalid didn’t answer despite the dramatic reunion. Instead, he quickly held Yudit’s shoulders and neck to check his condition.

“Where are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. It’s not my blood.”

Yudit reassured Khalid because he knew he was covered in blood. Even after those words, Khalid didn’t relax and checked for wounds for a long time. Once he confirmed everything was fine, Khalid finally hugged Yudit gently and kissed his hair.

“I’ve so much blood on me…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Khalid spoke as he wiped Yudit’s face with his sleeve. Edmond and Darius appeared behind him.

“Edmond, Darius!”

Edmond looked at Yudit with a confused expression, then he lowered his head. Darius kept watch while on horseback and silently bowed.

“How did you get here?”

“Those two came to my camp a moment ago. We searched for you after I heard the news, and we entered because we sensed your pheromones.”

It couldn’t have been easy to find one person in a war’s chaos, but Khalid had done it. Yudit approached Edmond.

“Edmond, you’re safe. Where are the others?”

Edmond avoided Yudit’s gaze with a somber face. Yudit’s expression instantly froze.

“Ga… Garen… he tried to… save me… and…”

Edmond struggled to speak every syllable and lowered ​unauthorized copy​his head. His face was covered in tear and guilt.

“Both Darion and Garen are dead. We also just confirmed Bagon’s death over there.”

Darius pointed outside the tent as he spoke. The news was more painful than Yudit expected, even though he’d prepared for it. He couldn’t believe nearly half the people from the safe house were dead. Khalid looked at Yudit’s distorted face and spoke.

“The war isn’t over yet. Save your grief for later.”

“…I understand.”

Yudit nodded. The war wasn’t over. He wasn’t without sorrow, but he would only follow them shortly if he failed his duty because of grief. However, he felt worried, so Yudit pulled back the burlap and placed his finger under Shane’s nose.

A faint breath tickled his finger. Yudit breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed Shane was still breathing. Shane would’ve been killed by the second soldier while Yudit fought the first one if he hadn’t hidden him. It was a blessing in the middle of a tragedy.

“But I heard you were surrounded. How did you come here?”

“Our army surrounded them in return. The empress’s army is now trapped like visit our site a donut between our forces.”

“Was it a plan?”

“No. Marquis Kinezia and Selena succeeded in persuading the neutrals. That gave me the leeway to save you.”

Khalid looked at the battlefield visible through the ruined tent as he spoke.

“We have to leave this place first. The center’ll be safer. Can you ride?”

Yudit nodded, and Khalid lifted him onto his horse.

“Shane…”

Darius threw Shane over his shoulder before Yudit could finish. Khalid rode forward quickly while he remained mindful of Yudit’s condition. The soldiers cleared a path for them. Once they were deep enough inside, Khalid turned the horse around.

Now Yudit could see the outside landscape clearly. Just as Khalid said, the empress’s army was trapped between the their alliance’s forces. The number of soldiers in the outer circle was enormous. Spears pointed both ways, so hundreds of the empress’s soldiers died every time the [stolen content]alliance advanced. The empress’s army tried to resist with shields, but it was useless. Yudit watched the enemy’s corpses pile up like small hills without turning away.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that… history is written in blood.”

“All history has been that way. It’s a relief it isn’t our blood.”

“…I suppose.”

“You don’t have to look. It isn’t a good sight for a pregnant omega.”

“No, I’ll watch. I feel like I need to see it.”

Yudit shook his head. Khalid looked displeased, but he didn’t stop him. The enemy’s corpses piled up into hills and eventually looked like a wall. By then, they didn’t really seem like corpses; it felt like looking at a strange sculpture.

Just then, a hawk screeched and approached Khalid. It was the hawk Khalid used for hunting or as a messenger. Khalid let[stolen content] the bird land on his gauntlet.

“Check the note.”

Yudit untied the note from the hawk’s ankle. It contained a complex code Yudit didn’t know. Khalid interpreted it after Yudit showed him the paper.

“They’ve captured Prince Reginald and Empress Katarina alive.”

“Is that… true?”

Yudit turned to look at him. Khalid’s face was red in the sunset’s light. He looked like a god who’d taken thousands’ lives, yet he also looked like a beautiful lover. Yudit had thought this before, but Khalid was a man who suited the smell of blood perfectly. Now, Yudit would be the same. Khalid nodded and spoke calmly.

“The war’s over. Yudit, now you’ll be this generation’s sun.”