Such was fate.
Sometimes, the very person you were hesitating to risk your life for ended up saving you instead, throwing themselves forward without pause, without fear, and taking the death blow meant for you.
At that moment, you knew you were out classed in terms of character strength, decisiveness and willingness to save others at all costs.
And as the recipient of such grace, it was only fitting that he felt shame at his own hesitation and a burning desire to make it up to them.
"No, Sora!" Princess Yuki screamed, her voice raw and frantic within the suffocatingly small space pocket which was barely the size of a wardrobe.
In the cramped space, her body was pressed tightly against his.
She was facing away from him, which at least gave him a small mercy. It made it a little easier to control his male instincts.
Because if she had been facing him with her soft, bountiful chest pressed directly into his, then Akira wasn't sure how long his ability to maintain a measure of modesty would've lasted.
"She will be fine." Akira said in a soothing voice. "As you said, without the mark they placed on my body to focus on, it would definitely withdraw. There is no need for it to risk its life by staying and fighting against the reinforcements that are definitely already enroute."
"Yes. Yes, you're right." Princess Yuki was quick to calm herself down. "She'll definitely be fine. Why would that Shinigami stay, now that you're gone, right?"
"Absolutely." Akira nodded and tried to remain absolutely still.
Princess Yuki's young and nubile body was much, much too attractive and stimulating for him, whose young 16 year old male body was in the midst of a raging explosion of hormones.
The warmth of her back, the softness of her frame and the sweetness of her smell… They were all far too real, far too wonderful for him.
If he were to move just slightly and cause the lower part of his body to rub against her perky little butt…
Even the threat of a fearsome Shinigami eating them alive would not have any ability to put down the literal uprising that would take place below!
"Yes. She'll be fine. I… I will need some time to regain my energy before I can open up this space pocket. Please uh… wait patiently." In the calm and silence of the Space Pocket, Princess Yuki was starting to feel the awkwardness and inappropriateness of their physical proximity.
"Yes. Please recover your energy as quickly as possible." Akira quickly agreed as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva rather audibly.
"Ehm. Yes." Princess Yuki was extremely glad that Sora had pushed her into the Space Pocket back-first. That way, Akira had no way to see her face which had turned as red as a tomato.
She didn't realize that if she were to be pushed in front-first, her problems would be far, far more awkward than just merely letting Akira see her red face.
Princess Yuki was still extremely innocent in such things!
In the silence that followed, the weight of proximity grew heavier.
Both of them stayed still.
Neither dared to move.
And then… Akira's leg cramped up.
"Owwww." Akira groaned and his leg jerked and spasmed uncontrollably. "My leg is cramping up!"
"Wha-whatt?" Princess Yuki began to panic as Akira's right leg pushed against hers.
"Give me a minute! I'll be fine." Akira gasped and grabbed his leg to forcibly straighten his muscles. Akira shifted his weight slightly, trying to get a better angle to do it.
Big mistake.
The front of his thigh accidentally brushed against Princess Yuki's butt.
Soft. Warm. Supple.
Akira froze in place.
Princess Yuki also froze.
The temperature inside the space pocket dropped five degrees.
Oh no.
"I-I didn't mean to—!" Akira started, voice strained, panic rising in his throat.
"I-it's fine!" Princess Yuki squeaked, her tone suddenly ten octaves higher. "D-don't move!"
"I'm not moving!" Akira hissed back through gritted teeth. "It was just a leg adjustment!"
"Well adjust your leg somewhere else!!"
"I CAN'T! There's no 'somewhere else' in here!!"
A long, terrible pause followed as Akira gritted his teeth and finally succeeded to ease the cramp.
"I'm good… I'm good now" Akira breathed out heavily in relief.
"Kyaaa! That tickles!" Princess Yuki squealed lightly as Akira's hot breath hit the back of her neck.
"Ah! I'm sorry!"
"Stop talking! Don't move! Don't breathe!!" Princess Yuki cried out in a panicked squeak as she urgently reached down deep into the depths of her soul to pull out as much Space Energy as she could.
Apparently the super awkward situation plus her own powerful innate recovery rate was enough for her to unleash the spell needed to open her Space Pocket.
Twenty seconds later, Akira and Princess Yuki stumbled out of the Space Pocket with great relief etched on their faces.
And then both of them froze when they finally took in the scene that was displayed before them.
The Ninth Battalion had been wiped out.
What had once been the most elite formation of magical warriors in the empire was now a graveyard of scorched metal, mangled limbs, and shattered weapons.
The smell of blood hung thick in the air. The marble floor had been cracked open and blackened, seared from the impact of countless mana blasts. Smoke curled lazily from burned corpses. Some soldiers had died standing. Others had died running.
Not a single one had survived.
Princess Yuki's hands flew to her mouth in horror. Her body began to shake violently as tears began streaming down her face.
It was a terrible, terrible sight that would forever live in both their minds.
And then, Akira saw it.
There, in the middle of the massacre untouched by all the ruin, stood a massive sphere of ice.
Perfectly smooth. Perfectly round. The faint sound of howling wind echoed inside it.
Glowing faintly with layered frost runes, it shimmered with a cold, pale blue light that pulsed like a heartbeat.
And inside the sphere… was Princess Sora.
Frozen mid-motion, both arms raised defensively, her eyes closed. Her face was peaceful. Calm, as if she was merely asleep.