Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1406 - 192: Collapse Under Pressure

"The perfect Kyle, will never fail," "The powerful Kyle, can bravely face any enemy, fearless even of a Deity," "The wise Kyle, is always Elegance personified, who, even at the edge of the deepest abyss, can smile and resolve all difficulties," "Kyle is the best friend," "Kyle will never let his friends down," "By Kyle’s side, there is no need for much thought, just follow his lead, and victory is certain," "As long as Kyle stands among the team, victory is inevitably ours," "So long as Kyle has not fallen, the future will never be in despair."

In the silence, countless voices rose from the depths of the girls’ hearts. In every story about heroes over the past century, such praise could be heard endlessly. In every story, Kyle was always perfect, infallible. He was the focal point of all his teammates, the pillar of their spirits. Everyone trusted him, relied on him, and was willing to entrust their lives to him, even those who had never met him. Whenever these stories were heard, listeners’ hearts filled with immense longing for the kind of deeds Kyle could do, wishing to trade places with him, to enjoy endless glory and the trust of all.

Before they had met Pannis, the girls had thought the same. Even though Catherine worshipped Nellie above all, naming the adventure team after her, they could not help but admire Kyle, the leader of the group and Nellie’s lover, having grown up listening to his stories. But in their admiration and esteem, the girls had never considered that perhaps Kyle had his own pain, that perhaps being treated in such a way was not entirely a blessing.

Indeed, to be trusted by everyone, to be covered in endless glory, is indeed the highest honor. However, as with all things, there are costs to every gain. To achieve something, one surely has to pay the corresponding price, and the price of this glory was something others could hardly imagine or understand. He was trusted by all the strong, even able to lead them into peril with just a letter, because he always considered others, valuing their comfort and interests above his own. He was respected by all because he would sacrifice his own benefit in the pursuit of justice and fair treatment of everyone, refusing to conceal, deceive, or even harm others for his own gain, preferring to be hurt himself. Of course, these were secondary concerns; the real price Kyle paid was shouldering everyone’s trust alone, bearing the hope of all and moving forward every moment. Especially in the Expedition to the Realm of the Dead, from the start, he bore the hope and fate of all intelligent life in the Yarran World, along with the trust and lives of every friend who followed him. He could not make a single misstep, not just because he was perfect, but because he bore this heavy burden, compelling him to be correct with every step.

During this time, Kyle naturally felt such pressure, but he never considered it a burden. He enjoyed the glory and the pressure, believing it was what a perfect person deserved and should bear. The belief "I am perfect" became the pillar that supported him to undertake great pressures, allowing him to march forward under the weight of glory and pressure. But eventually, the power of Danacus, like a massive Warhammer, shattered the hard shell he had built through self-hypnosis, breaking his inner support. Faced with Danacus, he began to doubt his own perfection and, as a result, questioned his long-held beliefs and behaviors, ultimately doubting everything he had ever been. In this state, he could no longer bear the immense pressure on his shoulders. What had once been hope and trust in everyone’s eyes had turned into a barrage of Hunting Arrows piercing his heart, shattering his once resilient spirit. At that moment, Kyle dared not lift his head, nor look into anyone’s eyes, falling into panic and confusion like he had never known since becoming conscious.

Kyle didn’t meet everyone’s expectations, didn’t issue new orders to address the emergent situation as he once did. He just stood there dumbly, like a shell that had lost its soul, gazing listlessly at the Hunting Arrow on the ground far away, nearly unresponsive to everything around him. Everyone noticed Kyle’s unusual behavior, but no one knew the real reason. Even Flare could only vaguely guess a little, and even Mina, who had been concerned about Kyle’s mental state from the start, could only understand a part of it. Kyle’s abnormality caused the heroes who had not yet despaired some panic, and for the first time without their team’s spiritual pillar, they felt at a loss.

Only Nellie, only the Nellie who loved Kyle deeply, guessed everything in an instant. The female knight, who had been with Kyle all these years, understood Kyle’s fragility best, and the hidden dangers within his heart. So, when Kyle’s conditions became erratic, she saw through everything right away. But she said nothing, offered no encouragement, no persuasion, no consolation. Nellie did just one thing: she grasped Kyle’s cold, trembling hand tightly and stood close by his side, providing a shelter against the storm with her own shoulder, temporarily shouldering the heavy burden that weighed on him.

"Everyone, get into defensive formation," Nellie commanded, her lance pointing to the ground at an angle, her strong voice carrying persuasive power, "Prepare for the worst, ready the final resort."

The worst-case scenario, the final resort—everyone knew what this meant. It was to be chosen by Danacus, and upon being chosen, one must be prepared to sacrifice oneself. Then, at the very moment of possession, to kill oneself—this was the last, and only confirmedly effective, method.

No one answered Nellie’s command verbally. Instead, they responded with swift actions. As they faced Nellie’s slightly reproachful gaze, the heroes instinctively understood something, beginning to set up the defensive formation according to their own thoughts, trying for once not to follow every command of Kyle, attempting to face the powerful Danacus on their own.

"Kyle, my dear," Nellie whispered closely by Kyle’s side, only then quietly speaking in his ear, "Calm down, open your eyes and take a look."