With an odd feeling, she looked at him and closed her mouth in surprise. Rupert was looking at her with an extremely serious expression while holding his finger to his lips.

Shh. As soon as she closed her mouth, what became most noticeable was her hearing. The moment she became aware of the momentary silence, she could hear the waterfall sound from not far away. And also a strange sound like something scraping its throat, grr.

This sound that began seeping eerily through the mist definitely wasn’t a good sign.

—Saya! Raise your left arm!

Just as Saena sensed the ominousness, Yuri shouted urgently. She raised her left arm almost reflexively.

“Aagh!”

In that instant, she felt an enormous impact and her whole body lifted off. Then she was thrown to the ground. Terrible dull pain swept through her entire body.

“Ugh…”

She saw one of the strings on the bracelet on her left arm break and droop.

‘It’s not just a bracelet, but also a protective gear. If something happens to you, this bracelet will protect you once.’

Had he predicted something like this would happen to her?

She had always worn it and actually forgotten its existence, but this saved her life.

“Miss!”

With Rupert’s shout, a clang–! sound rang out.

It was the sound of his sword blocking something.

“Dodge! It’s a demonic beast!”

Saena rose, putting strength into her body.

The mist had already dispersed and disappeared. Through the cleared vision, she saw Rupert fighting with a huge black demonic beast.

The beast made a grr sound while threatening Rupert.

It was similar to a bear but… different. From its maw filled with dense fangs to its paws raised with equally needle-like claws—it was a beast whose entire body looked like weapons.

—Quick! Summon me!

She had been too shocked to think of summoning Yolly.

Saena summoned Yolly.

“But you said you’re not a combat type…”

All she knew how to do was purification. What could Yolly possibly do?

‘Ah, escape!’

If she rode Yolly, they could certainly flee from this beast.

‘But Sir Rupert needs to come too.’

“Can you carry two people?”

—Yes. Rupert can’t handle that thing yet. Let’s run away quickly.

Saena mounted Yolly first and calculated the timing.

Rupert seemed unable to break away as he was too closely engaged with the beast. The moment he turned his back, he would likely be torn apart.

Saena steadied her trembling hands as much as possible and aimed her ring.

Clang!

She saw Rupert’s sword clash with the beast’s claws and get pushed back by the rebound. However, instead of being pushed back, the beast swung its arm even wider to try to kill Rupert.

‘…Please!’

At that moment, Saena shot a light arrow at the beast. The arrow of light flew and struck the beast’s back.

Grr!

Angered by the direct hit, the beast changed its target.

“Miss!”

Rupert shouted urgently.

“Come here! Quickly– ack!”

Yolly leaped to avoid the beast that had suddenly rushed to their feet.

—Tell him I’ll pass by the side, so he should match the timing to mount!

“Now! Get on!”

As the beast menacingly chased them, Yolly dodged in a zigzag pattern while approaching Rupert.

Rupert and Saena grabbed hands at the right timing.

But just before he could mount, something long stretched out from the water and snatched his ankle. While exchanging blows with the beast, his body had unknowingly moved closer to the valley, but he hadn’t realized it.

“Ugh!”

Rupert was mercilessly thrown to the ground.

Because Saena had been holding his hand, she also fell from Yolly’s back.

The sudden floating sensation made her dizzy. A sense of anxiety wrapped around her body along with a tightening feeling in her lower abdomen.

—Saya!

Yolly instantly transformed into Yuri and embraced Saena at incredible speed to dodge.

A sound tore through the air where she had been. It was the sound of something long striking through where she had been.

If they had been just a little slower…

Saena got goosebumps at the terrifying possibility.

‘…Tentacles?!’

The unknown long things were indeed tentacles.

Wait, wasn’t it supposed to be a poison fish?! Why does a fish have those?!

She had naturally thought of the fish family when they said poison fish, but now looking at its briefly revealed form, it seemed closer to a jellyfish.

Meanwhile, even in this urgent situation, Rupert was dumbfounded with surprise at seeing Yuri.

“A hu-human form? What is this…”

“Sir–!”

But this was no time for him to be distracted by such curiosity.

Because the poison fish had started dragging his body towards the water.

“Ugh!”

Rupert desperately tried to cut the tentacles with his sword. But whatever the skin was made of, the blade wouldn’t pierce it at all.

“D*mn it!”

Finally, he thr*st his sword into the ground with all his might and held onto it. It was to immediately stop the pulling force and find another way.

However, the poison fish’s tentacles, though seemingly thin, were tougher and harder than expected and couldn’t be easily cut. Neither hands nor kicks made any difference, and even the sword could barely make scratches.

Rather, it was Rupert who started feeling pain as if his leg would be torn off from the constant pulling force.

Grrrr…

As if that wasn’t enough, the other beast was approaching. The situation was very bad.

‘I should have studied about demonic beasts…’

He deeply regretted it.

“Yuri? Is there no way?!”

Even while being carried by Yuri and fleeing here and there to avoid the black beast, Saena felt desperate seeing Rupert gradually being dragged toward the water.

—Haah, I’m not sure if it’s possible, but…

“Let’s try something! Please!”

Yuri lured the beast away from the water’s edge, then suddenly increased speed to approach Rupert.

Transforming back into Yolly, he struck the tentacles with raised sharp claws, making the poison fish flinch. But it didn’t let go of Rupert’s leg.

Meanwhile, the sudden change in direction and speed made Saena feel nauseous. Covering her mouth, she barely managed to shout.

“Purification… Try striking with purification power.”

Yolly coated his front paws with purification power and struck the poison fish’s tentacles again.

This time it clearly had an effect. Since it was presumably a poisonous demonic beast, they thought it might react adversely, and it seemed they were right.

Drawing from the recent experience, Yolly gathered purification power concentrated in his claws this time before stabbing them into the tentacles.

They could see the steel-like skin changing color as the attack seemed to work on the poison fish. Eventually the tentacles trembled and their gripping force weakened.

“Th-thank you, Miss!”

Seizing that opportunity, Rupert quickly pulled his leg free and also pulled out his sword. Then he got up and ran far away.

—Clang!

Though he couldn’t go too far as he had to block the black beast that had gotten closer in the meantime.

The same metallic sound rang out as Rupert’s sword blocked the black beast’s swinging arm.

“…Why is their skin all like this… Urgh!”

He struggled to block the beast’s attacks here and there, feeling like he was fighting against a steel ball, but only barely managed to dodge.

And they could see that even that was starting to cause tiny cracks in his sword.

“D*mn it! Run away!”

Finally, Rupert had to make a choice.

His role was to protect Saena.

But wasn’t he becoming her burden now?

Without Rupert, it seemed Saena could sufficiently escape and survive. After all, she had her Guardian Spirit.

“If I run away, what about Sir Rupert?”

“I can’t concentrate properly when you’re here, Miss.”

Rupert tried to persuade Saena to flee to safety while he dealt with this.

“Ah, I called you Miss again.”

Even in this situation, he made a joke, true to his optimistic nature. His tone was light, as if truly wanting her to leave so he could focus on the battle.

But Saena wasn’t fooled. She could see the resignation in his eyes, as if he’s already anticipating death.

“Please, Miss. Help me remain an honorable knight.”

Saena’s eyes wavered.

—Do as Sir Carrot says! There’s no way to save both!

Yuri agreed as well.

‘But…’

The title ‘Sir Carrot’ that Yuri used actually shook Saena’s heart more. It was the nickname he had personally given to Rupert.

That old nickname unexpectedly emerged in this urgent situation.

Didn’t that rather reveal Yuri’s hidden (and still maintained) trust in Rupert?

She shouldn’t cry in this situation.

Saena couldn’t help but show tears in her eyes.

“If only I had started training earlier, I’m sorry.”

Even now, Rupert blamed himself while smiling faintly.

“Quickly, go.”

She saw him swallow the word ‘please’.

Yolly transformed into Yuri and picked her up again. Like he’s planning to take her away by force if needed.

“But, Yuri…!”

Honestly, Saena was scared too. She desperately wanted to get away from here.

—I have no intention of watching you die so early again!

But she couldn’t just leave Rupert behind.

A life already extended by Yuri’s using his life as price…

She didn’t want to add another life price to that.

‘Who am I to…’

But the problem was that there was nothing she could do.

She had no way to stop this situation, no way to make it disappear.

Please, please… if only someone would appear…

Being powerless, hoping for someone’s salvation was the best she could do.

But she knew even that possibility didn’t exist. Wasn’t she the one who climbed the mountain after earnestly asking others not to follow?

‘Please! Anyone!’

While Saena struggled in Yuri’s arms, she saw long tentacles slithering out from the water’s edge toward Rupert.

He was already busy dealing with the black beast, if he got caught by that too…

“…No!”

A desperate cry burst from Saena’s mouth.

As she was forcibly carried away from the water’s edge by Yuri, Saena released her power. She poured it out like a scream.

She did so knowing it wasn’t combat power. It was power that burst out unconsciously from desperation. Perhaps it was also power that burst out because she was still unskilled in controlling it.

—Sae…!

“Mi…!”

Flash!

The inappropriately released power filled the surroundings with rays of light.

It was similar to purification energy but somewhat different.

Intense light. Though brief, a strange feeling that made one forget time and space settled over everything.

When they came to their senses, everyone had stopped moving.

“……”

— …..

The demonic beasts were included too. Though unclear what role the earlier light had played, they had frozen as if someone had forcibly stopped them.

This was an opportunity regardless.

“Yuri! Now’s our chance! Let’s grab Rupert and run!”

—Ha, what in the world did you do, Saya.

Though Yuri seemed unsure what had happened, he agreed this was their last chance.

He quickly transformed into Yolly and ran back toward Rupert, who was bewildered at suddenly being saved from anticipated death but still had enough reflexes to successfully mount Yolly.

The three fled down the mountain, leaving behind the still-frozen demonic beasts.