Chapter 223: Unwilling (2/2)

However, that familiar unwillingness swelled in his heart.

He really did hate this feeling. He couldn't explain why he hated it so much, either. It wasn't as simple as him not liking pain. At the same time, it wasn't like Lamorak was a horrible person. He was only doing what he thought was right. He also didn't look down on Leonel, nor did he disdain his existence.

All this being said, Leonel still hated this. He hated it so much that even with all the pain ravaging his body, he still had emotions to spare for fury.

But, what good was that? Fury wouldn't do him any good. If anything, it would probably speed up his death.

'I need… to get up…'

Despite having these thoughts, what good were they? Wanting to get up and being able to were two completely different concepts. No amount of will could mend his bones and flesh. His body was a complete mess.

In truth, the fact that he had any consciousness to speak of was shocking enough. Maybe if his spirit wasn't so great, his thoughts would have already faded.

Leonel's mind drifted, looking toward the large, complicated Dream Sculpt hanging in the air above him. It looked like a maze of golden and silver lines. If one had to explain it in just a few words, it would be like if one created a complex network of tunnels beneath a planet's surface, then took everything away but the tunnels themselves.

In truth, it was incomplete. This Dream Sculpt was none other than the Natural Force Art  of the Force Crystal Mine Core. It was about 99% to completion, but that final percentage point felt like an insurmountable mountain to Leonel. He felt that even if he spent years meditating on it, it wouldn't do him any good.

Leonel fell into a trance staring toward the Natural Force Art before he realized what was happening. This always seemed to happen when he looked at this Dream Sculpt. He wasn't sure why it was it happened, but all he knew was that falling into this trance lessened his pain even more, it almost felt somewhat refreshing.

In the outside world, Lamorak's mace reached its apex.

Aliard sighed and shook his head. He didn't feel that it was worth it to have a clash of ideologies with a Knight of the Round Table over someone as insignificant as Leonel. Plus, the words he spoke were true. There was nothing wrong with his analysis.

However, just as Lamorak was about to swing downward just one more time, the fourth coincidence he had been battling against seemed to occur.

At first, Leonel was nothing but a bloody mess. But in the next instant, a boundless light suddenly radiated out from his body. It was as though the light wanted to pierce the skies above. Its presence alone made the few clouds disperse, tearing them apart into rippling waves.

Lamorak froze, as did Aliard and the rest.

The light didn't last for long. It also didn't come with an oppressive, unbridled aura. It was actually quite gentle, gentle to the point many somehow felt tears welling in their eyes. There chests were overwhelmed by feelings of love and care, yet none of them could grasp where this feeling was coming from.

At that moment, Leonel's body was finally visible once again. It was still the same, bloodied mess. But, there were odd, fluttering white feathers falling around him like gentle drops of rain.

Each of the white feathers looked pure beyond belief, radiating a gentle golden light as they fell onto Leonel's body one after another.

Under the shocked eyes of the spectators, as every feather fell, the wounds on Leonel's body seemed to slowly close as well… However, with such a slow pace… How could there possibly be enough time to recover before Lamorak's mace fell?