What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 652

The Schismatic Distance (9)

It was the limit.

“Huff, cough…!”

-Clang! Clang, clang, clang!

This was his limit. Johann spat out blood-tinged saliva and groaned in agony.

Sweat-soaked white hair limply fell down.

The taut muscles in his arms trembled with stiffness.

The passage of time was hazy, and now all that remained in his mind were a few words from his superior, to whom he owed his life.

‘So overcome it with your will.’

‘Can you do it?’

“Ha… Ah…”

He desperately tried to calculate what exactly had gone wrong with him, from where, and how.

He bet everything on the slim chance that doing so would clear his mind, and that the current pain and chaos, which felt like stabbing and burning his entire body, would magically disappear.

But no matter what he assumed or imagined, there was only one conclusion.

His entire body, every muscle fiber, every single cell that made up his movements, was clamoring for explosion and eruption.

It was his fault from beginning to end.

“…Sir Haynes.”

“Cough, ha… ha…”

He had endured for too long. And he had overestimated his starving self.

He was always accustomed to the sensation of being slightly short of Ether [a magical energy source], and the mercenary believed it was advantageous for his survival.

It was only natural that the movements of someone who was always tense would be faster than someone who was relaxed from being full.

So it was more of an old habit than carelessness.

But this time, his habit led to negligence.

It was because he had become too accustomed to the time when his existence could be truly free.

Once his mind was relaxed, he wanted to let everything go with the flow.

It was his first and last mistake.

‘…I will make it possible.’

‘In the world.’

He didn’t check his condition as meticulously as before, and he consumed Ether without thinking about the consequences when his abilities were needed.

It was a pathetic luxury and waste that his teenage self would have criticized harshly.

His vision blurred and returned to reality repeatedly.

Johann took a ragged breath and aimed at the man standing under his chin.

“…Leave.”

“Yes?”

The Marquis looked at him in surprise.

Johann felt his language skills rapidly deteriorating.

While his breathing was rapidly accelerating, the center that formed sentences was blackening and becoming paralyzed.

There was no sensation in his fingertips groping through the air.

It was a familiar sign of rampage.

“I am sorry, but that is impossible. I am the one who has the duty to protect you.”

“Immediately… far away.”

“No. Even if you were to go on a rampage here, I also have a duty to protect the military camp from you. So…”

“Before you die by my hand.”

Flinch. The murderous intent that began to weigh down on his shoulders made Francois take a half step back.

Now that he looked, he was holding a mace with a light pink magic stone embedded in it.

As soon as Johann discovered him, he felt a fierce impulse like an awl [a sharp, pointed tool].

-Kwaang!

“Gasp!”

‘Clang, clang!’ With a deafening roar, one side of the ceiling was shattered, and the handcuffs that had been restraining Johann’s left hand shattered like sugar.

His bluish-purple bruised wrist moved as smoothly as a well-oiled machine, even though it was swollen.

Before Francois could blink for the second time, his neck was grabbed.

The moment he felt the pain, his feet were already floating in the air.

-Tap, tap, tap…

“Cough, cough…! Sir Haynes! Cough!”

-Swish…

From close range, he heard a strange sound of waves.

Johann felt his control completely disappearing and closed his eyes. Then, as if by a lie, all sounds outside his body faded away.

He endured with all his might, but it was no longer possible.

The survival instinct deep within the paladin’s heart was tearing his reason to shreds and throwing it into the mud.

It was whispering terrible things, constantly brainwashing and inciting him.

Just give up and be comfortable, that’s all you have to do.

If you keep enduring like this, a corner of your brain will explode. Do you want to be that miserable?

You said you would serve your lord with your life.

‘…Indeed, he is struggling.’

Is it okay if you don’t recognize your young son even when he’s right in front of you?

Won’t you be able to protect him with your own hands for the rest of his life?

‘-You are a good person. How can you try to take the life of a poor creature in a place like this?’

Let it all go. That’s all you have to do.

Once you’ve swept through, your whole body will feel as light as if it were reborn.

‘-Please be firm in your heart.’

Don’t feel pressured. Once is enough. Let’s get refreshed like this.

‘-You have crossed too many worlds in a short time, and you have looked into too long a time.’

‘-Even the most outstanding paladin cannot fully bear such a burden.’

‘-Even the bloodline of the Lord is struggling with it.’

…But who are you?

The young Johann, who was tempting his older self, suddenly looked back beyond the darkness of his unconsciousness.

Icy, pale green eyes scanned the surroundings with thorns raised.

But the owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen.

The mysterious tone was very solemn and unfamiliar, but on the other hand, it had a strangely intimate feeling.

The young mercenary, who had regained his composure, turned his gaze again and opened his mouth.

Johann, it’s okay. You’re not really close to that Marquis anyway. Right?

Then, a stern warning was added.

‘-You will regret it, knight.’

‘-You can be free without shedding blood.’

…At those words, Johann, who had fallen in the darkness, slowly raised his eyelids.

The child who was looking down at him was biting his lip.

As always, he was skinny and lanky, wearing worn clothes and barefoot.

Like that day long ago when he had lost both pairs of shoes and was wandering through the forest.

“That is…”

Soon, a tired and hoarse voice flowed out.

“…What does that mean?”

‘-You have always secretly hidden and suppressed your warlike inner self.’

‘-You secretly crave violence, but you also hate yourself for it.’

“……”

Their eyes met. The young Johann flinched.

‘-This body has also suffered from a long-standing desire, and still has not fulfilled that wish.’

‘-I want to leave freely, but if I do, I will take many lives…’

“……”

‘-So how about making a deal?’

Johann quietly waited for the words to follow. The boy clenched his fist with a pale face.

‘-I will make sure that your freedom does not come with blood.’

No, I don’t like it. Tears finally welled up in the eyes of the child who was shaking his head.

The man smirked and looked up at his past self. This was an old scar.

It was also the oldest wound left on his body and mind.

‘-Even if you unleash your power, you will not harm your precious existence, so you will truly enjoy the realm of infinite freedom.’

No, Johann. Don’t abandon me.

The frightened boy slumped down and grabbed the man’s arm.

The paladin slowly raised his upper body with a movement as slow as someone who had been sick for a long time.

The child was now trembling all over like livestock abandoned in wartime.

A low voice echoed once more in the twilight void. There was no wavering in his gaze.

“…What are the terms of the deal?”

‘-This body…’

The prophetic voice rang out, and soon the man nodded.

The boy desperately clung to the sleeves of his much larger self and screamed.

Formless tears seeped into the darkness, drop by drop.

At the same time, a crimson wave began to ripple from beyond the darkness.

Without any signs or warnings, so suddenly.

-Swish, patter…

It was desperate. It was like a disaster.

The child’s scream-like cry seemed to tear apart the black unconsciousness.

Johann! How could you do this to me!

We were always together. We were together no matter what!

-Patter, swish, patter…

You’re going to regret this! You’re going to regret abandoning me and deciding to forget me now!

-Rustle, tap, tap, tap…

Traitor! How can you abandon me!

You said you were enough alone, you said you were okay alone—!

“I don’t want to be alone, kid.”

….

“You felt the same way.”

‘That’s why I loved her.’ At the following whisper, the young Johann’s face cracked open.

The man made eye contact with the child with a more comfortable look than ever before.

He slowly raised his hand, stroked the boy’s crumbling cheeks, and wiped away the scattering tears.

The dry and torn lips twitched blankly, just like they did back then.

Like the moment he first met Josefina Haynes in the forest where he had been lost for more than half a day.

“I will never forget you until the day I die.”

….

-Patter, patter…!

“And her too.”

Forever.

With the paladin’s oath, a group of red fire lizards crawled onto his scarred hand.

At the same time, blood-red scales covered the boy’s nape, swallowing his forehead, cheeks, and eyes.

Johann closed his eyes, ending with his vision turning reddish.

He was suffocating. This was a very rare sensation for him, but it was not unpleasant.

-Whoosh…!

He was not alone today, and so he was not cold at all.

The two became one.

*

-Kwaaang—!

“Ugh!”

The warehouse door flew off with an explosion that struck his eardrums!

-Thump, thump!

-Clang, clang!

Sayid quickly hid on the side of the warehouse and lowered his posture.

The paladin area was already empty.

No, to be precise, everyone except him and exactly two others had evacuated.

The boy looked up at the middle-aged man who had taken his robe instead and clicked his tongue.

“David.”

“Oh, my God. In this world! Lord, how could such a tragedy…”

“David. Didn’t you promise not to be a hindrance?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

The attendant, who had been muttering under his breath, was startled and looked down at his master.

David Capisson had cleverly hidden all along, even after hearing Elizabeth’s warning to evacuate immediately, and had come all the way here alone, carrying the Crown Prince’s blanket and water bottle.

As soon as he found his master, he stubbornly insisted that he would not leave the young Highness alone, ‘even if he had to die here.’

Sayid continued to speak with a serious look.

“It seems that the Grand Master has started to rampage, so go to His Majesty and the Godmother immediately and bring them here. Archpriest-level priests alone cannot subdue him.”

“…His Highness the Crown Prince’s mother and Godmother… Are you talking about at this hour?”

The terrified attendant stammered. The Crown Prince poked his belt with his index finger.

“The opponent is a Cardinal [a high-ranking priest]. Is there any other way?”

“Indeed, that’s right. Yes. I understand. Then…”

-Swish, swish…

As the child somehow managed to pull out and hold the Hye Geom [a type of sword] that was as big as his body, David finally turned pale.

The Crown Prince frowned as he watched the attendant, who was not taking a step.

“Hurry. There is a limit to how long I can buy time.”

“That, that’s not it. Your Highness…”

“Not it?”

The Crown Prince pushed the large scabbard into his arms with a touch of annoyance and asked again.

Finally, the middle-aged man reached out his finger and pointed behind him.

“That, the person who is said to be rampaging…”

‘Right in front of you…’ The last words almost crawled into his mouth and were not heard properly.

Cedric felt the downy hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and turned around.

He gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands.

“…You’ve come to greet me, disciple.”

“……”

“Sir David.”

The Grand Master’s face, which greeted him with a slight smile, seemed to have no problems or flaws.

Although his top-quality shirt had turned into rags and his always neat hair was disheveled.

For a very brief moment, his eyes seemed to shine like embers, but they were the mint color that everyone knew.

Cedric lowered his gaze with an indescribably strange feeling. And….

“…Did you kill the Marquis?”

“Of course not.”

‘I’m disappointed.’ That kind of whining followed, but it was not the time to pay attention to it.

Francois Duiem, who was slumped in his arms, was clearly not asleep voluntarily.

A chilling thrill ran through him. Fortunately, there were no bloodstains, but….

“……”

“……”

Finally, his eyes met the fire lizard sitting on the Grand Master’s shoulder.

The creature stuck its tongue out at the boy and then pretended not to know anything.

It was truly an amazing dawn.