Borne slowly opened his eyes, and in them burned two blazing golden flames.
The deep dark red mark on his forehead reappeared, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
Like a living thing, the mark quickly spread across his entire body.
The golden flames in his eyes flickered, and the Thunder Tiger suddenly felt an indescribable fear.
Its body instinctively took a few steps back, letting out a low growl.
Borne could feel an immense power erupting from his heart, the flames seemingly burning within his blood, spreading an overwhelming strength to his limbs and entire body.
Without hesitation, he bent down and picked up the sword Victor had dropped.
The moment he gripped the hilt, the blade was instantly engulfed in flames.
The outer layer of the flames was a dazzling gold, while the inner core burned a dark red.
Behind him, Dillon was left speechless.
He couldn't comprehend how Borne, who had been on the verge of death just moments ago, could suddenly unleash such terrifying power.
Borne gave the Thunder Tiger no time to react.
With a powerful leap, his figure moved as swiftly as lightning, the sword in his hand blazing with golden and dark red flames, aimed directly at the Thunder Tiger's head.
He targeted the sword mark left by Captain Kazik earlier.
Without hesitation, the blade plunged down, leaving a dazzling trail of flames in the air.
The Thunder Tiger had no time to react.
Borne's speed was too fast—it didn't even realize that death had already arrived.
The sword pierced precisely through the Thunder Tiger's head, following the previous sword mark all the way down.
Flames instantly spread across the wound, the golden and dark red flames burning fiercely, warping the air around them with intense heat.
The Thunder Tiger's massive body shuddered, but it didn't even have the chance to howl.
In its final moments, the Thunder Tiger unwillingly swung its massive front paw, striking at Borne's chest.
The sharp claws tore through his skin, leaving a deep gash, and blood immediately gushed out.
The Thunder Tiger's massive body stiffened in an instant, the light in its eyes quickly dimming, and it finally collapsed with a heavy thud.
Borne looked at the fallen Thunder Tiger, and the tension in his body suddenly vanished.
The golden flame and dark red mark disappears.
His legs gave out, no longer able to support him, and he fell heavily into the snow.
The pain that had been suppressed by anger and battle now surged like a tidal wave.
The bite on his left leg flared with intense pain, the wound on his chest making it nearly impossible to breathe, and blood continued to pour out.
Every muscle in his body was wracked with burning pain, convulsing under the strain.
Borne lay helplessly in the snow, his voice filled with agony.
He curled up, clutching his wounds with both hands, blood seeping through his fingers.
His face twisted in pain, and a series of shrill cries escaped his throat.
The cold snow beneath him made his body feel even more frozen, but all Borne could feel was the fire inside him, as if each breath came with searing pain.
His consciousness began to fade, his vision darkening.
Seeing Borne collapse and cry out in agony, Dillon's heart skipped a beat.
Ignoring his own injuries, Dillon scrambled to his feet and staggered over to Borne.
Without hesitation, Dillon knelt down and quickly lifted Borne onto his back.
Borne's body trembled with pain, groaning softly.
Dillon could feel Borne's weakening breath, each breath a reminder that his life was slipping away.
Dillon gripped Borne's legs tightly.
Even though his own body was exhausted and covered in blood, he forced himself to keep moving, carrying Borne step by step.
"Hang in there, Borne!"
Dillon gritted his teeth.
He, too, was utterly exhausted, his body soaked in blood, and his legs felt like they could give out at any moment, but he couldn't afford to stop.
The snow fell more densely, the wind biting cold, as if trying to freeze them where they stood.
The two figures trudged through the snow, looking lonely and small.
The frigid wind cut across their faces, and Dillon's expression was filled with pain.
He heard Borne murmuring behind him.
The voice was faint, nearly drowned out by the howling wind.
Dillon leaned his head closer to Borne's mouth, straining to hear.
Borne's voice was barely audible, his tone weak to the point of being nearly imperceptible.
Dillon's heart ached, but he couldn't stop walking.
"Tomorrow… the three of us still need to go out together..."
Borne's voice floated weakly in Dillon's ear, filled with deep exhaustion.
Hearing those words, Dillon's steps faltered, a profound pain filling his eyes.
The unspoken sorrow almost overwhelmed him, but he couldn't let it show.
The next moment, he resumed walking.
"Yes, when you're better. I'll call Victor, and the three of us will go out together."
Dillon fought back a sob, trying to keep his voice calm.
When he mentioned "Victor," tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
Tears mixed with the blood on his face, slipping down his cheeks.
His voice grew hoarse, but he suppressed his grief, not wanting Borne to notice.
"Can I eat... crab cakes..."
Borne's voice grew even fainter, and Dillon could feel the blood from Borne's wounds soaking into his back, the blood trickling down his spine.
"When you're better, I'll ask my mom to make them for you.
You can have as many as you want."
Dillon clenched his teeth, tears falling uncontrollably, yet he still forced himself to keep going.
Tears mingled with blood, dripping from his chin onto the snow, leaving small red marks.
"Hmm... you said it..."
"Yes, I said it."
Dillon choked back his tears, his vision blurred with tears.
"Dillon... you always keep your word..."
Borne's voice became even more fragmented, like a flickering flame on the verge of going out.
Dillon's arms had lost much of their strength, but he still held onto Borne's body with all his might.
Each step was a struggle, each step a battle against despair.
Dillon felt his heart shattering into pieces, but he suppressed the pain.
He kept his voice steady, doing his best to sound lighthearted.
"Stop talking like that... we're almost there."
He began to deceive himself.
His voice began to break, and all he could see ahead was the endless expanse of snow.
He couldn't afford to stop, constantly reassuring Borne.
"Dillon... I'm really tired today... can you... keep talking to me..."
Dillon gritted his teeth, pushing down the anguish inside him, and continued speaking.
"Okay. Do you remember when the three of us played with fire as kids? We almost set the village's granary on fire."
"Yeah..."
"And then we got caught, tied to the tree, and whipped by the adults."
Dillon forced himself to recall those childhood memories, his voice starting to tremble.
"Ha... hahaha..."
Dillon's tears flowed into his mouth, blurring his vision.
The sorrow inside him made it hard to breathe.
He didn't dare wipe his tears, afraid that if he did, Borne would slip from his back.
Borne's heartbeat grew fainter, his breathing nearly imperceptible.
Dillon could feel the life slowly ebbing away.
More tears fell from Dillon's chin, splashing onto Borne's hand.
The warmth of the tears stood out starkly against the freezing environment.
"Dillon... is it raining..."
Borne's voice was barely a whisper now, his eyes unfocused, life gradually fading from his gaze.
Dillon tried to open his eyes wide, desperate to see the road ahead, but the tears clouded his vision.
He just kept walking, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"Yeah, it's raining."
Dillon's voice trembled, so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"Ugh... how annoying... it's soaking me..."
Borne's tone still carried a faint trace of humor, yet it tore Dillon's heart apart.
These were likely Borne's last words.
Dillon's face was drenched in tears as he stumbled forward with Borne on his back.
Tears mixed with blood, dripping from Dillon's chin and soaking into the snow, leaving tiny red marks.
Footprints, deep and shallow, stretched out across the snowy ground, a long trail leading into the distance, seemingly endless.
And beside those footprints, there was a fine, delicate line of small pits—marks left by tears in the cold, white snow.
Volume 1 Completed.