Flashback one minute earlier.
"Azlan-kun..."
Akane's heart felt like it was being squeezed seeing the man she secretly liked bleeding all over his body.
Every cut on Azlan's skin felt like a knife stabbing her own heart. Akane wanted to run forward, wanted to help, but her cold common sense held her back.
She knew advancing meant becoming a burden, meant making Azlan have to protect her too, and that could be fatal.
"I shouldn't have suggested playing ski..." She whispered regretfully, tears beginning to pool in her eyelids. "This world is filled with dangers we don't know about, I'm so stupid! This is all my fault... Azlan-kun is hurt because of my selfishness wanting to have fun..."
Crushing guilt assailed her. Suddenly, in the midst of her guilt, an unexpected brilliant white light enveloped Azlan's figure. That light was so strong and pure, forcing Akane to squint.
"What is that?"
It was a natural question.
Seeing Azlan's body transform within that light, Akane was stunned, momentarily forgetting her guilt and worry.
However, when the figure within the white light suddenly spread wings of light that appeared translucent and graceful, as if born from the light itself, all her confusion and wonder were instantly replaced by another emotion.
That emotion was called awe.
Those wings of light emitted brilliant radiance. Not a bit of dull color was visible on the spotless white armor that now wrapped Azlan; his entire body was adorned with sapphire blue gems that pulsed gently, radiating holy light that made anyone who looked at it feel small and unworthy, even wanting to shed tears because of its majesty.
Was this what true beauty was called?
Was this what flawless perfection was called?
Holy, brilliant, majestic, glorious... Every word of praise in Akane's vocabulary still seemed insufficient to describe that figure at this moment.
"Too beautiful to comprehend..."
Her body trembled violently not from fear, but from an unstoppable surge of emotion.
The next moment, the roles of oppressed and oppressor reversed. In less than ten seconds, the Winter Shogun somehow weakened, then was thrown by Azlan into the sky and destroyed by a tremendous energy sphere.
Before Akane could truly digest all those events, Azlan who had returned to his normal form suddenly shot toward her, embraced her tightly, and carried her flying away from the raging avalanche waves.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Present time.
"Azlan-kun, you're injured!"
Returning to her senses, Akane was anxious about the cutting wounds Azlan suffered all over his body, especially the wound caused by the shockwave from the first slash.
"Hah... Hah... Akane, we can't return today."
Azlan breathed heavily, each breath sounding like a struggle. His face was deathly pale, and he couldn't even maintain his flying altitude.
"My condition doesn't allow for long-distance flight. Moreover, my stamina... is depleted..."
He flew searching for the nearest house, landing on the second floor of a quiet residential building. He broke the window glass, and immediately entered.
After carefully lowering Akane onto the dusty floor, Azlan's legs trembled. He tried to endure, but his exhausted, wounded, and energy-depleted body finally surrendered. His eyes grew dizzy before going completely dark, and his body collapsed forward.
"Azlan-kun!"
Akane reflexively caught his falling body. Azlan's helpless head slumped against her soft chest. His weight completely dependent made her slightly unsteady, but she held him tightly.
"No... don't faint. Wake up, Azlan-kun!"
However, Azlan didn't respond. His face was pale, his breathing shallow, and the wounds on his body were still flowing fresh blood.
With strength she didn't know where it came from, Akane dragged Azlan's heavier body toward the visible bedroom. With difficulty, she laid him on the dusty bed.
Akane immediately tore curtains from another window to cover the broken window, blocking the cold wind beginning to seep in.
"My God, you have so many wounds! Why do you always do stupid and dangerous things like this?!" Her voice was filled with fear. "I must treat you immediately! If something happens to you..."
Without wasting time, she took bandages, alcohol, and other first aid supplies from the 4D Pocket.
While holding back surging sadness and worry, Akane began removing Azlan's tattered jacket and clothes, torn by sword slashes.
Every cloth sticking to wounds she moistened with clean water from her bottle before slowly removing it. When the wounds on Azlan's body were fully exposed, Akane held her breath.
Multiple cuts, bruises, and scrapes. Some wounds were deep and still flowing blood. Tears finally overflowed, streaming down her cheeks. But Akane quickly wiped them. Now wasn't the time to cry.
"Forgive me, Azlan-kun, this might sting." She murmured while soaking cotton with alcohol.
She began cleaning those wounds one by one, with gentle movements. Every time Azlan's body reacted with a twitch from the sting, Akane's heart jolted too. After the wounds were clean, she applied antiseptic ointment and bandaged them with techniques she learned from books.
"You always protect me." She whispered while working, her voice soft and full of feeling. "From the first time we met, when you saved me from that zombie... until today, fighting that terrifying monster for my safety. You always move forward, always take risks."
After the last wound was bandaged, Akane took a long breath. She cleaned blood and dirt from Azlan's face with a wet towel, then covered him with a thick blanket she took out from the 4D Pocket.
She knelt beside the bed, grasping Azlan's cold hand between both her hands, trying to give him warmth.
"Thank you, Azlan-kun."
Tears fell again, but this time accompanied by a small touched smile.
"Thank you for everything you've done. Thank you for still being alive. Thank you... for being by my side."
She bowed, pressing her forehead to the back of Azlan's hand.
"Please, recover quickly. I promise, I'll be more careful. I'll learn to become stronger so I won't always be a burden to you. So... so please, don't leave me alone."
The room was silent, filled only by Azlan's heavy breathing and the hiss of cold wind behind the curtains.
But within that silence, a deeper bond had been forged from guilt, admiration, concern, and immeasurable gratitude.
Akane promised herself: she would protect this man who had protected her with his life for the rest of her life.