Asuka shook his head.
"That's not it. I'm partly to blame too. It was me you helped when I was being chased by Black Hawk, which led them to you!"
His point was valid.
Asuka continued firmly.
"It was negligence earlier. I'll knock some sense into these guys even if it means hitting them on the back of their heads. I'll take responsibility and hold out with these guys as long as possible, so you don't worry about our safety here and just go save Dino. If Dino is dead, you don't need to bring back his body."
The decision was made. They would need to consult with James and Andro upon waking, but they would likely agree with Helmut going to rescue Dino.
Before dawn, Helmut woke James and Andro. Their decision remained unchanged after waking.
Helmut would go to save Dino. The other three would stay and face any potential adversaries.
"Be careful."
Andro said gravely. James quickly added,
"What if this isn't an attack but a trap for you?"
"If they take Dino hostage, then..."
Andro's expression hardened, implying not to take undue risks, even for a friend.
Andro and James seemed filled with a solemn camaraderie, which felt a bit ticklish to Helmut.
"Are you ready?"
"Okay."
"Go ahead. It's getting light."
As if they were about to head into battle, they nodded firmly.
It was a small war, with lives on the line, and their first real combat experience, albeit against a formidable opponent.
Helmut glanced over the three and the camp one last time before leaving.
"I'll go then."
He dashed off, regulating his breath for maximum speed.
Instincts sharpened, thoughts cleared. He left swiftly to return just as quickly.
His only task was to rescue Dino and return. He wouldn't think of the others until then.
Traveling through trees was faster than on the ground.
Helmut arrived at his destination earlier than expected, in just over 10 minutes.
He had found it. Through the trees, the large rock hill was visible—a massive rock standing tall, the hill itself.
It seemed on the verge of rolling down but, given its mass, was unlikely to move easily.
Helmut paused at a distance.
It was not yet dawn. The day was slowly brightening. The air was crisp, making visibility astonishingly clear.
Below the rock, a person lay. From the build and attire, it was Dino.
'Slowly, or just go for it.'
Normally, one would approach cautiously. But a sudden approach is also hard for the enemy to counter. There was no time to hesitate.
'I'll go for it.'
With each leap, trees shivered, shedding leaves.
Thunk! With a final push off a tree, Helmut soared, crossing the distance, and thudded to the ground, kicking up dust.
The fallen person stirred at the impact. Though lying face down, there was slight movement.
Fortunately, it wasn't a corpse. He seemed alive.
'Where's Pacho?'
He could strike from behind at any moment. Keeping alert, Helmut reached out.
"Dino?"
A touch made the figure twitch. Helmut turned him over.
"Dino."
He needed to assess the situation and then carry him back. Helmut observed him closely.
Dino's eyes opened, but they were empty. He made a strange noise.
"Grrrrr!"
Suddenly, magical energy burst from Dino, unlike how magical beasts emit theirs—a counterflow, energy rebelling and leaking out.
'What's this condition?'
Something was wrong. Helmut stepped back as he realized the situation.
As he gained distance, Dino surged up and screamed.
"Kraaaaak!"
His body stiffened, standing on energy rather than muscle strength. His eyes, devoid of reason, glared.
Magical and physical energies within him clashed violently. It was a rampage.
Helmut hadn't encountered this in theory but instinctively understood.
'Was magical energy forcibly infused into him?'
And a significant amount. Magical energy is wild, not compatible with humans. Only those born with a seed of darkness could assimilate it without issue.
Even dark mages couldn't use pure magical energy; they needed to convert it with their power.
A forcibly metamorphosed human. Left alone, he would die from energy depletion.
But until death, his actions were predictable. Magical energy awakens aggressive instincts.
Dino, no longer himself, identified Helmut as an enemy.
"Kraaaak!"
He lunged, swinging his fists. Bang! Boom! Bang! Childlike, yet with immense force.
Helmut raised his energy to block with his sword sheath. Each block felt like stopping a boulder, jarring his grip and shaking his bones.
Helmut squinted.
"..."
No matter how mad one gets, there are limits.
Dino couldn't last a minute against Helmut in a one-on-one fight. Merely becoming blindly stronger wouldn't change much.
Instead of blocking, if Helmut attacked, it would end swiftly.
The body's sensations were numb. Even if he hit a vital spot, it wouldn't knock him out, but he could still be killed.
Helmut's energy-infused sword could easily separate Dino's body and head. Simple.
But Helmut contemplated a harder method.
'How to save him without killing?'
It was just wasting time. No matter how the enemy tries to empower him, Pacho knew Helmut wouldn't lose to someone like this.
'An assassin using dark mage tactics.'
By the standards of the Demonic Beast Forest, the magical energy wasn't impressive. But here, in the outer world, it felt intense.
Feeling magical energy after a long time, the seed of darkness inside Helmut responded.
It wriggled, behaving not just as power but as a living entity within Helmut's heart.
Suddenly, Dino's assault stopped. His empty gaze fixed on Helmut's chest.
He sensed it. The seed of darkness there.
Helmut instinctively realized.
'I could use this.'
He reached out quickly. Now was the chance. His hand grabbed Dino's shoulder.
The seed of darkness wriggled, drawing in the magical energy. As if prearranged.
Similar forces. But this side had a tangible power. The opposing side's energy, resisting, was seduced over as if by kin.
The movement was violent, as if part of his body moved on its own.
Magical energy from Dino's body, clashing with physical energy, changed direction. Gathering is the nature of energy. The magical energy, avoiding fierce collision, found a route to Helmut.
Everything has its use. The seed of darkness was fulfilling its role.
Dino's physical and magical energies began to separate. The separated magical energy crept along Helmut's palm, gradually moving towards him.
Helmut had long controlled the seed of darkness. External magical energy like this was manageable.
'Good thing Pacho isn't here.'
Had he been attacked in this state, even Helmut would have been in trouble.
Helmut's energy adeptly burned away Dino's magical energy. It was being sucked in by this side's seed of darkness, making the job quick.
Helmut withdrew his hand. If Dino died after all this, it was beyond his help. He wasn't a mage.
"Huuuuh."
Dino shivered. The lost focus returned to his eyes.
Both energies had clashed, likely causing internal injuries.
Being from the martial arts faculty, his body was robust. His condition wouldn't worsen.
"Are you conscious?"
Dino nodded weakly. He seemed to understand but couldn't speak, perhaps paralyzed.
He then collapsed, unable to stand again.
'Passed out?'
It didn't seem like he lingered too long, but it was time to return. Helmut reached out to lift Dino when he noticed something odd. The wall in front was getting closer.
'This is...'
Rumble! Was this the last trick? The rock was moving, tilting rapidly towards them.
It was quick. The rock, large enough to be a hill on its own, was heavy. If it collapsed, they would be crushed like ants. It was a close call even for Helmut alone.
Before him lay the nearly saved Dino. His eyes sharpened.
Helmut leaped forward.
The forest is never completely quiet at dawn. Even without human voices, the chirping of birds and insects fills the air.
But suddenly, all noises ceased. It hadn't been five minutes since Helmut left.
"He's here."
Asuka murmured casually, but his eyes blazed with a desire to fight.
He was the most eager to confront the assassin. Knowing the enemy was stronger didn't matter. Asuka was fearless from birth.
He smirked.
"Come at me."
In contrast, Andro and James, back to back, tensed up. Forming a triangle, they covered each other's blind spots, optimal against an unpredictable foe.
But the assassin didn't attack immediately.
"Oh, oh. Noblemen who've chosen their friends poorly, it seems."
A voice drifted from somewhere. Thin and eerie.
It came from the path. Between dense branches, a figure walked leisurely, exuding the ease only a strong person possesses.
The figure fully emerged. Tall, with unnaturally long limbs, his approach was threatening.
A white clown mask added a bizarre touch. Visually, it intimidated opponents.
His gaze fixed on Asuka.
"Oh, one of you isn't nobility?"
A non-noble, expendable target. His tone turned cold and mocking.