To be honest, Sheffield greatly admired Wood's actions, and she also understood why he was doing this.
Just as she would do anything for her beloved master, Joseph, Sheffield now believed that everything Wood did was for Henrietta.
Wood's once jet-black hair had turned completely white from root to tip.
Even though his life force was steadily draining away, he fought with even more ferocity, and wherever his sharp gaze fell, all enemies retreated in fear.
The rune on his chest, "Lifdrasir," emitted a dazzling light, and violent slashes erupted from the two longswords in his hands.
Wherever the slashes passed, whether it was magic, enemies, trees, or rocks, nothing could withstand Wood's attacks.
The battle continued, and the thick stench of blood hung over the entire forest. Tristain's remaining 500 soldiers, exhausted beyond measure, continued to fall in battle.
Five hundred became four hundred... then one hundred... until in the end, only a few dozen soldiers remained, barely able to maintain a basic defensive formation.
As for the Albion forces, under Sheffield's strict orders to keep attacking, they were down to less than ten thousand soldiers by the end of the battle.
Wood stood with his back against a large tree, gripping his swords in both hands. The Albion soldiers slowly surrounded him, but none dared to get too close.
Wood's body was covered in countless wounds, as if he had just been pulled from a pool of blood. The once-fine blades of his swords, crafted by Tristain's best blacksmiths, were now dulled and chipped from overuse.
Looking at the approaching Albion soldiers, Wood wanted to lift his swords to continue fighting but found his arms felt as heavy as lead.
He could feel his life slipping away rapidly, as if he were nearing the end, and a bitter smile crossed his face.
He had been too arrogant, thinking at least they could take each other down, but the outcome was far from that.
Gazing distantly towards where Henrietta and the others were, Wood felt a pang of guilt toward the mother and daughter.
They had trusted him and accepted his suggestion to act as bait.
But in the end, he had failed to keep his promise to protect them.
Even if he died, he would merely exit the "World Simulation" and return to the world of One Piece, but Henrietta and the others would truly perish.
Though Wood was filled with regret, the rune of "Lifdrasir" on his chest grew dimmer and dimmer.
He had no more life force left to fuel the power of "Lifdrasir."
Of course, the enormous life force he expended was not without effect; of the over thirty thousand Albion soldiers who had perished, more than twenty thousand had fallen by Wood's hand.
Even now, as Wood could no longer move, Albion's soldiers still dared not approach within three feet of him until Sheffield, the mastermind behind it all, arrived.
Sheffield, elegant in her black gown, with the rune of "God's Brain" glowing brightly on her forehead, approached the battlefield.
Having used magic for an extended period, both Queen Marianne and Princess Henrietta were nearly drained of their magical energy.
However, upon seeing Sheffield approaching the weakened Wood, Henrietta forced out the last bit of magic she had left, forming a tiny water arrow and firing it at Sheffield.
"I won't let anyone touch him!"
It was clear that Henrietta, now on the verge of collapse, posed no threat to Sheffield, who easily dodged the attack with a slight movement.
Noticing the attack, Sheffield turned her gaze toward Henrietta, a seductive smile on her lips.
"How curious. There's no doubt that this young man is the 'God's Heart,' Lifdrasir. By all rights, someone who could summon him as a familiar should be one of the inheritors of Void magic. But, Princess Henrietta, as his master, it seems you aren't capable of using Void magic at all."
Sheffield had been observing for a long time. Wood's strength as a familiar was undeniably exceptional, far beyond the norm.
Because of this, Sheffield was concerned that if the familiar was this powerful, then the Void inheritor who summoned him might be equally extraordinary.
To avoid a potential disaster, Sheffield had chosen to remain in the shadows, watching and waiting.
However, it became clear that while Wood, as a legendary familiar, possessed overwhelming power, his master, Henrietta, was far from extraordinary. She wasn't even a Void user.
Void magic was incredibly powerful, but as a consequence, Void users could not use any magic outside of the Void system. If they did, the magic would backfire, resulting in failure.
This was why Louise was known as "Louise the Zero," and Sheffield's master, Joseph, was called the "King of Failures."
But from what Sheffield had observed, Henrietta's water magic was quite proficient. Since she could use other types of magic, it meant she could not be a Void user.
A princess who was not a Void user but had summoned the legendary familiar, Lifdrasir—this was something Sheffield found incredibly intriguing.
"I may not be a 'Void user,' but one thing I know for certain is that Wood is my familiar. Just as he protected us, I will not let you harm him, even if it costs me my life!"
Having grown up in the palace, Henrietta had led a lonely childhood, with few friends.
While her engagement to Prince Wales had been somewhat impulsive, there was genuine affection between them.
When Henrietta learned of Prince Wales's death, she was at her most vulnerable, and it was during this time that Wood appeared at her side.
To Wood, he might have been merely fulfilling his duty as a familiar, but to Henrietta, she had never met anyone who treated her so well, even to the point of risking his life to protect her.
"Heh, you say he's your familiar, but it seems you don't understand him at all. The power of the 'God's Heart,' Lifdrasir, comes at the cost of life force. The reason this young man was able to hold back Albion's army and protect you all this time was because he was burning his life away to do so. Even if I don't lift a finger, he's already doomed. As a fellow legendary familiar, I only wish to give him a warrior's death."
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 200+ at patreon.com/Betek.