"What?" Nacht stared at Mav, his mind racing. "You want me to knock you out? Make you unconscious?"
"Yes, I need you to do it," Mav replied, impatience edging his voice.
"What are you talking about, Mav? Are you okay?" Nacht's concern mingled with confusion.
Mav's face was a mask of desperation. "Dad, it's the only way I can recover my mana quickly enough." Mav insisted, frustration evident in every word.
"I need to save Mom," Mav continued, his voice breaking with emotion. "I've exhausted all my mana. I need to be able to use my skills again, but I can't do that if I'm awake and trying to stay conscious. If I fall unconscious, my body will start to recover mana faster. Please, I don't have time to explain everything. Just trust me!"
Nacht's concern shifted to bewilderment. "Even if it speeds up mana recovery, you're asking me to hurt you. Nacht's face tightened, he hesitated to say his next words. "Mav, I'm sorry, but you need to accept it. Even the healers with greater Blue Flame affinity than you couldn't heal her. Haven't you already tried that that skill earlier?"
Mav clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his father's words but unable to explain the urgency. He knew Nacht wouldn't believe him without seeing it for himself.
Nacht's heart ached at his son's display of desperation. "Mav, it's time to accept the reality. Let's just...stay by her side until the end."
At the thought of his mother dying, Mav snapped. "No!" his voice cracked with emotion. "She's not going to die. I refuse to accept that!"
Driven by desperation, Mav stormed to the door, slamming it shut and locking it. "What are you doing?" Nacht asked, bewildered.
"Dad, please! I need you to knock me out!" Mav's plea was urgent and broken.
Nacht's face showed a mix of pity and confusion. He reached out to comfort Mav, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Mav. I'm here for you. We'll get through this together."
Mav's eyes turned steely, his frustration boiling over. "I see," he muttered coldly. With sudden determination, he slapped Nacht's hand away and glared at him. Nacht stepped back, alarmed.
"Mav?" Nacht's voice was filled with concern.
"If you won't do it, I'll force you," Mav declared. With sudden aggression, he charged at him.
"Mav, stop—" Nacht began, but his warning was cut off as Mav's fist swung toward him. Nacht barely dodged the attack, his heart racing.
"Mav, enough!" Nacht commanded, but Mav was relentless. He threw another punch with fierce intensity, landing a solid hit on Nacht's arm. The force of Mav's punch, fueled by his desperation, caught Nacht off guard.
Nacht grunted, feeling the impact of Mav's well-trained strike. Despite the age difference, Mav's exercises made his blows powerful and effective. Nacht could feel the weight of Mav's determination behind each punch.
Mav continued his assault with precision. He feinted a punch with his left hand, and Nacht blocked it. But Mav's right leg followed through with a powerful kick, striking Nacht's side with full force and sending him sprawling.
Nacht gripped his side, wincing from the pain. He looked up at Mav, whose face was set with grim determination. Nacht's own anger flared, mingled with deep concern for his son. He rose, his expression darkening. "So you still refuse to listen?"
Mav remained silent, his eyes cold and resolute. Nacht knew he had to act decisively. He took a defensive stance, bracing himself for Mav's next move.
When Mav threw a wild, reckless punch with his right fist, Nacht prepared to parry it. Mav's movements were quick and deliberate, but Nacht's experience allowed him to anticipate the attack. He intercepted Mav's punch with precision, positioning himself for a counterstrike.
As Nacht parried Mav's reckless punch, he noticed a faint, calculating smile on Mav's face. The realization hit him like a jolt. Mav had planned this entire sequence. The reckless punch was a deliberate move to make Nacht's counterattack easier and more effective.
Nacht's heart sank as he understood Mav's strategy. The punch had been a carefully calculated risk to ensure Nacht would strike with full force, allowing Mav to fall unconscious.
Despite the realization, Nacht's fist connected with Mav's stomach with a resounding impact that echoed through the room. Mav's eyes widened in shock as he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. Nacht rushed forward and caught him before he could collapse completely, his face etched with profound concern.
"Mav! Please, just—" Nacht's voice broke as he held his son's limp form, his heart heavy with worry. He had acted out of desperation, but now the full weight of his actions hit him.
Mav's eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay conscious, but his breath came in ragged gasps. Nacht cradled him gently, his expression filled with anguish and regret.
"I'm so sorry, Mav," Nacht whispered, his voice breaking. "I didn't want to hurt you. I just… I had no other choice."
As Mav fell unconscious, it was evident that Nacht's punch had done more than just knock him out; it had pushed Mav's already strained body to its limits. Normally, even a forceful blow wouldn't keep someone unconscious for more than a few minutes, but Mav's condition was far from ordinary.
The stress of performing three high-mana-cost skills within a few hours, combined with the complete depletion of his mana, had severely weakened his body. Mav hadn't tapped into his mana reserves for years, and his body was unprepared for such intense demands.
The pain from using Dark Ascension twice, along with the physical and emotional exhaustion, had drained him to his core. It was nothing short of miraculous that he had managed to sprint back to the house from the forest under these conditions. The combined exhaustion and stress had pushed his body to the brink.
As he succumbed to unconsciousness, it was as though his body had taken control, forcing a shutdown to recover from its near-total depletion. The unconscious state was not merely a result of the punch but a necessary mechanism for his body to recuperate and restore the nearly exhausted mana reserves.
Mav's body sought refuge, desperately trying to heal and regain the strength needed to face the dire circumstances awaiting him.
His consciousness faded, his last glance at his father a mixture of pain and resignation. Nacht held him close, tears in his eyes, as he prepared to face the consequences of his actions.