Chapter 52 - Paris (2)

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.

She was much different from the Aina that had always been in his heart. She wasn't wearing her usual long flowing dress, the kind that clung to her curves with the slightest gust of wind. Instead, she wore a black military uniform densely packed with pockets.

Her hair wasn't as perfectly groomed, gently waving like the descent of a calm waterfall. Instead, it was quite tangled. Some of it even stuck to her delicate face with the help of her beads of sweat.

Even her usual elegant demeanor was nowhere to be seen. The massive, murderous ax on her back was too good at crushing such thoughts...

In an instant, they had arrived on the battlefield and were immediately noticed by Joan and the two men on the castle walls, causing all three of their expressions to change violently.

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

"For France!"

Leonel roared as countless arrows rained down toward him.

His left arm flicked upward, causing his small shield to explode in size. Before it, the rain of arrows was no different from harmless water droplets. Both he and Aina were completely unharmed.

In the blink of an eye, two unknowns had made it to the city walls.

"Aina!"

Aina nodded and pulled her massive ax her back while taking a rope from one of her pockets with her free hand.

Leonel leapt into the air. He didn't need to look back to feel the violent winds of Aina's ax slamming toward him. But, she obviously wasn't attacking him.

The flat of her blade boomed against the soles of his feet as she tossed the rope in her opposite hand into the air.

Under the shocked gazes of the two armies, Leonel made it to the top of the castle and swung his massive shield, sending tens of Englishmen flying.

He looked back, finding the rope Aina had thrown up snaking through the skies and grabbing it without hesitation. He grasped it with both hands and pulled up with all his might, sending her to the top of the wall with one swift motion.

Leonel retracted his shield and pulled his spear from his back and brandished it against his body with one arm.

He felt Aina's delicate back press against his own as she brandished her own weapon.

Like this, the two faced swaths of enemies on both sides. Yet, Leonel's handsome face carried a wild grin while Aina's beautiful lips curled into a slight smile.

A rare moment of silence descended onto the battlefield before the roaring cheers of the French resounded.