The Martial Unity

The blood and carnage was nauseating.

The bodies of brave knights were minced into pieces beneath rains of arrows and the ballistic balls of destructive cannons. Their mad roars filled the skies as they charged toward their deaths. They seemed to be filled with courage and a sacrificial will, it was the kind of thing that brought a man and his family honor in any era. But Leonel… Just found the scene to be sad to look upon.

What were they fighting for? Their country, of course. Maybe on a deeper layer, it was for their God. But was it worth it?

Leonel wasn't the kind of person who looked down on others for their faith. He was questioning more so if their God even wanted this.

Leonel shook his head. 'It isn't that they believe their God wants this… It's that they're being manipulated into believing so by those they trust the most…'

Before this, Leonel still had a hard time blaming Joan. Even though her actions almost led to his death, he had always been a forgiving person. Since he was still standing here, there was no harm, right? In that case, there was still a chance at mending their friendship.

Many would call this sort of mentality foolish. And if they did, Leonel wouldn't argue with them. He too found it to be foolish. But, this was just his nature.

However, after seeing this scene, the last wisp of understanding he had for Joan vanished. Whatever reasons she had no longer mattered to him. She knew how devastating her actions would be, yet she carried them out anyway.

How many innocent people would die today? A few thousand? More than that?

Leonel had always heard that the wars of the past were child's play compared to wars during and following World War I. But, even if these death counts couldn't compare to the millions who lost their lives during those pyrrhic monstrosities, reading numbers from a textbook and witnessing it for yourself were two completely different experiences.

It was… unforgivable.

'I can't keep letting them die like this while I do nothing but stand here and watch.'

"Aina…" Leoenel looked over with an apologetic smile at the dainty fairy that stood by his side.

wasn't wearing her usual long flowing dress, the kind that clung to her curves

groomed, gently waving like the descent of a calm waterfall. Instead, it was quite tangled. Some of it even stuck to her delicate face

nowhere to be seen. The massive, murderous ax on her back was

he had in the past. Maybe it couldn't even be simply explained as 'like' anymore even if he wasn't sure how to express it. All he could say was that the

said calmly without looking in his

seemed to have nothing to do with the situation. Even Leonel was confused by what

bit of realization and he looked away from Aina's side profile and looked back toward the violent

"Aina."

that was full of resolve. It was that side of him that stood in

But, I do know that you've been

grinned wildly. "You just said it yourself. You asked me not to change. So you tell me, do you think I would let the woman I like face such a thing on her own?

She should have gotten used to it by now. However, it had been over a year now since the last time she had heard him say such things.

moment later, her face flushed a blazing shade of red. It seemed like

but where would she run now? She couldn't leave Leonel

she stomped her foot against the ground, causing it

this

toward the battlefield and those fluttering emotions in his heart faded. He knew how foolish his next actions would be. Originally, he should have waited for maybe even a few days of battle to pass by, only then would both sides be damaged enough for his plan to

couldn't stand by and watch these valiant men die while he knew they were just puppets on the strings of

"Let's go."

Aina, who had regained her composure

battlefield and were immediately noticed by Joan and the two men on the

a flash, Leonel and Aina crossed the defensive line of the tall wooden towers, entering a no-man's-land filled with French

"For France!"