“Um... Hero, could I trouble you to carry me... to the bed?”

Her body had just gone through a toxin flare-up severe enough to threaten her life. So Sylvia didn't rush to cast High-tier Sacred Healing on herself again. She didn't even use the extra Cinder Points right away. She had to confirm, again and again, that there were no traps on the panel before doing anything else.

“Alright... but Archangel, no matter what, please don't force yourself like that again. Even if we can't save General Gene right now, I'll think of some other way to deal with this crisis.”

It was Kroso's first time seeing the Archangel ask for help in such an obedient, adorable way. His heart felt like it was melting a little. Even so, he was afraid the girl might try that extreme method of self-rescue again, so he immediately started gently persuading her.

“Mhm! Thank you, Hero. I'll listen to you!”

Sylvia herself was already planning to give up on that method for now. So of course, she accepted Kroso's advice completely.

It was just that her expression right now was far too cute. She had the soft, sweet air of a little girl trying hard to apologize after doing something wrong. On top of that, her weak, quiet voice was like a light scratch right by his ear. The damage it dealt to Kroso was honestly a bit too much.

He had never even imagined that the Archangel would show him such a lovable, pitiful side. Kroso felt as if his heart had been struck by a heavy hammer. Even his breathing turned a little uneven.

It seemed like that overwhelmingly seductive aura from before was starting to radiate from the girl again. Kroso hurriedly bit the tip of his tongue, then quickly carried Sylvia back to the bed to rest.

There was definitely something wrong with the Archangel's body. It seemed he really couldn't get close to her casually. Otherwise, he'd soon feel that allure, even more tempting than a high-tier succubus. It was genuinely hard to resist...

“Archangel, your body... is it really okay now?”

He asked that almost on instinct. Kroso didn't even dare move close to Sylvia anymore. He was afraid that if he stayed near her any longer, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from committing some irreversible mistake against the Archangel.

“Hero, thank you for your concern. I'm really... still... still okay... mmh...!”

When Kroso gently laid her down, a strong sense of reluctance rose in Sylvia's heart at once. The feeling was completely subconscious. Even she found it strange. So when she tried to answer him, she almost let out a soft moan on the spot.

“What is it?! Archangel?”

Hearing the girl's tone suddenly rise, Kroso was startled too.

“N-no... it's nothing, Hero... ah...! Could you... please... go... outside first? Hah...!”

Without any warning, her body suddenly turned unbearably hot. At the same time, all kinds of strange images that made her blush and race with shame started flashing through her mind like a carousel. Sylvia instantly realized things were bad, and hurriedly asked the Hero to leave first.

“What's going on? Archangel, don't lie to me. Are you really okay?”

Seeing Sylvia speak in broken fragments, then end up flushing all over and letting out a soft sound, Kroso immediately panicked.

“I'm really... fine! Hero, if something's wrong... I'll... I'll call you! Anyway... go outside first!”

Her hands and legs were twisted tightly together in discomfort, and her whole body arched straight. Enduring the scorching heat inside her by force, Sylvia finally managed to grit out the full sentence.

“Archangel...”

There was an unusually firm resolve in the girl's voice. Kroso didn't dare disobey. So despite his burning worry and deep reluctance, he could only turn around and walk out of the room.

“Ah—!”

The moment she got what she wanted and heard the Hero close the door, Sylvia immediately cried out in agony.

What the hell was going on?

Why did her body seem to completely fall the moment she left the Hero's embrace, as if it had directly burst into flames?

That mad urge to keep receiving affection rushed straight into her mind without the slightest restraint. It shocked her body into limp weakness. There wasn't a single part of her that wasn't numb and itchy.

This was seriously unbearable!

But being held by the Hero like that was already her absolute limit. Even that kiss had only been something she was forced to accept. As for any further intimacy, she absolutely, absolutely couldn't even imagine it!

This damn toxin! Are you seriously trying to turn me completely into that utterly unspeakable thing from the original story?!

I, Sylvia, will never submit!

“Aah, ahhhhhh...”

She tensed her body with all her strength once more. Fine beads of sweat even began to seep from her forehead.

The endurance and pain in this were truly beyond words.

“What in the world is the Archangel doing?”

Standing outside the wooden door, listening to the girl's repeated cries from within—cries that sounded painful yet full of temptation—Kroso had the impulse to shove the door open and rush in at once.

But the Archangel's solemn warning was still echoing in his ears. Kroso frowned and gritted his teeth. After hesitating for a while, he still decided to keep waiting quietly.

After realizing that even the Archangel herself wasn't fully certain about the state of her injuries, he became even more concerned about the girl's condition.

Still, he'd already waited this long, and the Archangel had endured without calling for him. She probably wouldn't run into any more trouble... right?

Forcing himself to think that way, Kroso began pacing anxiously by the door.

Just then, a burst of urgent hoofbeats suddenly reached his ears, making him freeze on the spot.

The hoofbeats were still some distance away. But because he knew the Imperial Legion so well, he recognized at once that this was the sound of an Imperial Army cavalry unit advancing at full speed.

And judging from the heavy impact of the hooves, this was an elite unit among elites.

As if thinking of something, Kroso immediately grew alert.

But the Archangel in the room didn't seem to have finished treating herself yet. He was afraid that if he forced the door open, he might see something he shouldn't see for now. So after a moment's thought, he quietly spread his Innate Domain and completely concealed his figure.

This elite Imperial cavalry unit might not necessarily be here for him.

And even if they were here to capture him, Kroso wasn't afraid.

He just didn't want to clash head-on with the Imperial Legion before the wanted order was lifted. That would only be adding fuel to the fire.

Rumble...

Right after Kroso chose to hide in place, the heavy hoofbeats charged straight into this remote little village.

It really was a unit of elite Imperial cavalry dressed in white-gold armor. Judging from the style of the insignia, the one leading them was actually a high-ranking general.

But after seeing the leader's face clearly from afar, Kroso frowned.

Because in his memory, there was no such high-ranking general in the Seventh Army Corps. Yet this armor clearly belonged to the Seventh Army Corps. That meant some major change must have happened.

“General! They're over there. That girl seems badly injured. She still hadn't woken up by this morning. If we go now, we'll definitely catch them red-handed!”

Among the cavalry, a middle-aged man dressed like a civilian suddenly raised his hand and pointed toward Kroso's location. His shout was filled with excitement.

Immediately after that, the elite Imperial cavalry skillfully turned formation and charged this way with surging killing intent.

The heavy hooves thundered across the gray-yellow earth, kicking up a skyful of dust behind them.