While Mark was passed out on Fiery's back, Levi led the group. Light and Grey took care of the rear.
To their Master's side, was a seated Moonlit Feline, Krista.
Plus, a pile made up of the corpses and remains of all the Corrupted Dark Elves that had been defeated.
The pile lay, waiting for Mark to devour it.
'The Lord still seems to need ti to recuperate...' Levi thought, biting down on his lip, as he turned around for a bit.
Walking through the forest with vigilant eyes, he made sure no trouble or enemies were found on the way.
Levi did his best to focus solely on detecting threats, but he found that task to be near impossible.
Sothing was bugging him.
Sothing important.
Levi clenched his fists.
'I couldn't...'
Grit-
'Do anything...!'
Using a tree that would have stood in Fiery's way as an excuse, Levi threw a punch with all his might.
The tree's trunk was imdiately destroyed and launched away.
The Underlings' goal was to make it to the grassy plain that stood at the Final Floor's center.
'I couldn't...'
Having sowhat cleared the way, Levi walked forward.
'Not against the Berserker... Not against those Corrupted Dark Elves...'
The veins that popped across Levi's face and neck made his frustration more than easy to notice.
'The Lord was forced to fight despite being driven beyond his limits... And I... I just...'
Levi's hand shook slightly.
'Couldn't do a thing but watch.'
He bit down on his lip until a drop of blood went down his chin.
'I uselessly stood... While my Lord broke his body again and again.'
Levi ca to a stop.
And so did the rest of the group.
'Again... Just like then... Again... When the Lord... Isn't himself... Just like then... I couldn't...'
Noticing that he had halted the group's advance, Levi took a step forward.
The next second, a Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger roared in the distance.
Levi imdiately leaped forward, gladdened by the distraction.
An opportunity to redeem himself had appeared.
But at the sa ti, guilt sprung forth.
After all, this didn't an a thing.
When the Lord needed him most, he couldn't offer any help or assistance.
After realizing that his Master wasn't himself at that ti, Levi had frozen.
As an Underling, was Levi supposed to do?
Was he supposed to obey?
To protect?
But then, what if protecting Mark ant having to stop him?
What if it ant going against his wishes?
What if it ant physically restraining him?
This, after all, would have been the only way to stop Mark after the "Berserker" Skill had activated.
Could an Underling even do that?
Was it Levi's place, to tell Mark when to fight and when not to?
When to run and when to hide?
Was it an Underling's place to tell its Master what to do and what not to do?
No.
Levi didn't believe so.
To obey its Master's orders and wishes.
That, is an Underling's place.
More than that would be...
Yawn-
The Moonlit Feline opened its mouth wide before getting on its legs and stretching.
If Mark were to lose control again.
If the "sothing" that slumbered inside him was to wake up again.
How would the Underlings act?
This was a question every Underling asked itself.
Levi didn't trust the "thing" that slumbered inside Mark.
And so, he arrived at a conclusion.
'There is sothing... I must ask the Lord.'
Minutes later, Mark woke up.
Dizzy.
Tired.
Imnsely so.
With half-opened eyes, he could barely see around him.
Still, he didn't need to see much.
Sniff-
Mark struggled to turn his body so that his stomach lay on Fiery's abdon.
He didn't ask where he was, where he was being taken, or what his Underlings were doing.
Those things didn't matter.
He was too fatigued for those things to matter.
Slowly, his hand was extended.
It found a Corrupted Dark Elf's severed arm.
Munch-
[It seems you have survived.]
Mark's half-opened eyes couldn't care less about the floating words.
[You did well.]
[Being defeated so close to the finish line would have been unfortunate.]
The world around Mark seed hazy.
[Your next Trials will be the last.]
[After that, you'll have proven that you deserve a place...]
Mark's left hand chased away the floating words as if they were annoying flies.
For a couple of seconds, no additional ssages appeared.
Mark ate in peace.
[Do tell once you've recovered enough.]
He took a few more bites, before letting out a grunt.
[You will soon learn that your Value is much higher than what you might think it is.]
[So will probably fight over you at one point or another.]
[Others will do all they can to get rid of you.]
[In a way or another, you will have a target on your back.]
Mark didn't understand the reason behind the ssages.
He didn't care enough to ask questions, and focused on chewing his food.
[What you have been made to acquire isn't Strength, but Potential.]
Mark found the wording peculiar, extended a hand, and grabbed a delicious-looking thigh.
[Everything will be explained once you et Raven.]
This ssage made his left eyebrow twitch; and was the last of the series.
Grunt-
Having recovered a bit of strength, Mark bent his knees and sat on his heels.
Most of the blood that covered his body had dried up, but so drops were still going down his white scales.
Mark grabbed a Corrupted Dark Elf's upper body.
With both hands, he held onto its head and brought it closer to his face.
He opened his mouth wide. But before he could take a bite, he noticed sothing and lowered his hands.
Blue eyes stared at him.
Clear and bright.
'Go away.'
Seated to his side, the Moonlit Feline kept staring.
Mark looked at his Underling for a bit, before raising the "al" towards his mouth once more.
A tired grunt.
Mark put the piece of Elf down, and let his body collapse.
Having consud its fill, the Monster needed to recover.
As Mark's consciousness seeped in and out, his eyes opened and closed.
Krista kept staring.
Mark couldn't see much by this point.
Nothing more than two blue spots.
Two blue eyes.
'It really does make uneasy...' Mark felt almost surprised by the remark. As if it was a recent realization.
Brown serpents appeared behind those blue eyes.
Greenish tiny Monsters floated above.
White fur had taken the appearance of a wrapped blanket.
'It's like...'
The pair of blue eyes got larger and larger.
'You're judging or sothing.'
Sowhere between dream and reality.
Levi turned back.
'It seems the Lord still needs much rest.' He thought as he stared at the passed-out Mark.
Levi let his gaze go from his Lord to Fiery.
From Fiery to Light.
Light to Grey, before finally going to Krista, who was, as if making a bed for herself, kneading a portion of Fiery's abdon.
The difference was small.
Minuscule really.
But Levi's gaze, as it fell on the Moonlit Feline, was different. Different than when it was on any other party.
Levi stared at the Moonlit Feline for a bit.
'Back then...'
Levi rembered the mont just before the fight had ended.
'The way she hissed at the Lord... The way her claws rested on his...'
Was Mark to lose himself again, Levi did not know how he would act.
But perhaps the Moonlit Feline did?
'Would she have sunk those claws in the Lord's skin...? Would she...?'
There was no doubt that, even if it wanted to, the Moonlit Feline wouldn't be able to fight Mark. It probably wouldn't even be able to hold its grounds against him.
But right now, the Lord was absolutely defenseless. More than ever.
Levi took a heavy step towards Fiery.
'If that's the case, then...!'
He clenched his fists.
'If there's even the tiniest possibility that she might-'
Levi tried to lift his legs.
He tried taking another step, but his body refused to move.
Or rather, sothing didn't allow him to move closer.
Sothing he couldn't see.
Sothing he couldn't sense.
But it was there, blocking his way.
'I have... To protect-'
Before Levi had realized it, Light was already standing between him and Fiery.
They stared at one another.
"I have to. You get it, don't you? I have to, at least, move her away. Not while the Lord is... I can't let anything-"
The Demonic Dark Wolf's head moved.
"She's different than us. And the Lord is-"
Light opened his mouth.
Bark-
Levi remained silent for a bit.
He just stared into his comrade's red eyes.
"You really think so?"
Bark-
Light went back to take his position, protecting the left wing on the rear.
Levi pressed his lips together.
Or perhaps, his lips had moved on their own.
Once again, Levi turned to face the way in which the group was heading.
But he didn't step forward.
He raised his gaze.
Levi stared at the blue sky that peeked through the nurous green leaves above.
He squeezed his eyes repeatedly.
His nose wrinkled.
His eyebrows went up and down.
His pressed lips moved up and down, and from one side to the other.
Levi took a deep breath.
Whether his body was capable of doing so or not wasn't clear.
Whether those who have been brought back from the Dead could do so wasn't clear.
Nevertheless, a Monster, who had already experienced death, was seemingly doing its best to hold it back.
It was sothing the Monster hadn't done facing, even, death itself.
The Monster did its best to hold back its tears.
Were Levi to let go, it wasn't clear whether tears would actually flow or not.
'I must... Ask the Lord.'
Seconds later, Levi took a step forward.
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