"Ten seconds!"
In the self-destruct chamber, Mirian had been completely overwhelmed by her emotions.
Crying, she called out the final countdown. Then she could no longer withstand the despair surging toward her and turned, embracing Major Fraser beside her as if seeking shelter.
The gesture left the major frozen in place.
It was embarrassing to admit, but despite being born into a great noble family and already thirty years old, the major was still utterly inexperienced in matters of the heart. His closest contact with a woman had been politely inviting one to dance at a ball.
But he knew Mirian's actions meant nothing of the sort.
She was simply frightened.
It was the instinctive reaction of a fragile human life facing death. It did not signify cowardice, much less ugliness.
He could completely understand Mirian's fear, because he was being struck by the same emotions.
Still, as a gentleman, the major naturally took it upon himself to fulfill a man's duty in this moment of despair.
He opened his arms and held the trembling Mirian close. At 193 centimeters tall, he could almost shield the red-haired young woman entirely. Even with death approaching, he would build one last "wall of sighs" for the terrified lady.
It was the quietest defiance of death he could offer as a man in his final moments.
"Bang!"
The psychic core before Triss flashed strangely. It was the signal that the response had arrived, and the Scarlet Witch's heart stopped for a beat.
Summoning nearly every last ounce of strength in her body, she forced the psychic core down. The self-destruct core immediately activated, and in the blink of an eye, psychic nodes throughout the Blood Eagle Corridor were forcibly destroyed.
The intricate system centered around the Sacred Blood Pool collapsed within three seconds.