Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 30

“Aaaaah!”

 

“S-someone help! Ugh!”

 

Those by the well were instantly dragged away or trampled by the Beasts. Someone possessed by a Beasts disappeared straight into the darkness. The surreal scene left my mind blank for a moment.

 

Boom! Boom! Boom!

 

As the sound of drums echoed in my ears, other Beasts began to reveal themselves one by one. Seeing them up close, they looked even more massive.

 

Three, no, four Beasts rampaged between the tents, howling. There was no sound, but I could tell they were howling. A chilling sensation swept over me.

 

“Reform the ranks!”

 

“Evacuate outside the fortress! Hurry!”

 

The Beasts seemed to be covered not in fur, but in shadow. Their unique hide looked like darkness itself. Huge red eyes glared in the moonlight.

 

The Beasts tried to grab anyone moving and shove them into their mouths. They were so large that just a single step brought them much closer.

 

“Sez, over here, quickly!”

 

The voice of Priest Oment snapped me back to my senses. We had to evacuate outside the fortress. We were supposed to line up to exit, but people were falling and tumbling as they rushed toward the door leading out of the fortress.

 

As I ran to join the line, I looked back and met the Crown Prince’s eyes. He was staring at me with an expression as blank as a doll’s. It was the typical blank look he wore when entering battle.

 

For a moment, I saw a strong emotion flare up and pass through his golden eyes.

 

‘It’s okay!’

 

Just as he had done earlier, I nodded to him. Only then did he, with a very stiff movement, turn his gaze away from me.

 

He had already drawn his sword again, flicked off the blood with a sharp motion, and charged straight at the Beasts.

 

His eyes seemed to say that I absolutely had to be all right, so I slapped my cheeks lightly to snap myself out of it.

 

“Graaaah! Ack! Ack!”

 

Then, hearing a strange sound, I looked over to see someone tumbling between the broken tents. They were covering their face with both arms, and a shard thrown by a Beasts landed with a thud right beside them. Cowering, unable to move or do anything, the silhouette was familiar.

 

They couldn’t even stand up properly, as if their mind had completely snapped. If they stayed there any longer, it was only a matter of time before they were trampled by a Beasts.

 

“Get up! Hurry!”

 

It seemed my voice couldn’t reach them. They were trembling so hard they couldn’t even lift their head.

 

Tap, tap.

 

I looked to the side and saw Priest Oment running toward them. I glanced at the howling Beasts. Even though it looked like pure darkness, when struck, it bled. The metallic stench was so strong it numbed my nose.

 

Swish, swish, swish.

 

Arrows flew at the Beasts all at once, filling the sky. One Beasts took a direct hit to the eyes, staggered, and then crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud! Through the tents, I could see the Thorn Knights swarming over the fallen Beasts.

 

Waaaaah!

 

Swoosh!

 

Swish, swish, swish.

 

Crack! Thud!

 

With all the noise, it was hard to keep my head straight. I slapped my cheeks even harder and looked toward where Priest Oment had run.

 

The priest was dragging Rond by the scruff of his neck. Rond kept flailing his arms as if he were possessed.

 

“Hey! Snap out of it!”

 

“Uuuuuuu.”

 

Even as he was dragged, he kept trying to cover his face with his arms, so the priest finally slapped his cheek.

 

“Rond!”

 

As I ran over and called his name, he flinched. I helped the priest grab his arm and tried to pull him to his feet. Hearing his name seemed to bring him back a little, and he managed to put some strength in his legs.

 

“We have to get out! Rond!”

 

When he heard the word ‘out,’ he froze for a moment. He looked back and forth between me and the priest, but his eyes couldn’t focus. His soul was clearly gone.

 

Crash!

 

A loud, close sound of something being smashed rang out.

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

He suddenly screamed and dashed through the line. As he bolted, I, who was holding his arm, was pulled backward and fell.

 

“Ugh.”

 

“Sez!”

 

The priest helped me up. His face was more serious than ever before.

 

As soon as I stood, we hurried to join the line. But then, a cold sensation struck my mind. The wavering feeling made me stop in my tracks.

 

“Aaaah! Help—ugh!”

 

“Another Beasts! Aaaah!”

 

“The other side! Go to the other entrance!”

 

“No! No!”

 

The line, which had been calming down, suddenly collapsed. Beasts had appeared near the exit outside the fortress as well.

 

They were smaller than the ones that had appeared at first, but still tall enough to stick out above the tents. This Beasts had horns on both sides of its head, making it look even more terrifying. Every time it opened its mouth, knife-like sharp teeth appeared.

 

“Priest!”

 

I grabbed the priest’s arm and pressed myself against the wall.

 

“Aaaaaaaah!”

 

“Get out! Get out now!”

 

I thought I’d be trampled by the crowd before the Beasts got to me. People were dashing out in a frenzy, falling, rolling, and screaming. The priest shook his head as if to clear it, then reached out to shield me behind him.

 

Rumble—

 

The non-combatants moved to the other side to avoid the Beasts. Over there, the Crown Prince and the knights were fighting, so the Beasts’ attention was divided. The faces of those fleeing in a panic were full of fear. Even without seeing the Beasts, just looking at them conveyed the gravity of the situation.

 

“Let’s go, Sez.”

 

“Yes.”

 

We pressed close to the wall, following at the tail end of the mass exodus. The Beasts rampaging between the tents looked more surreal than ever.

 

Crash! Bang!

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

Someone screamed as the ground shook. The horned Beasts leaped in a single bound and landed close by. The impact of its landing sent someone nearby rolling away.

 

“Get up!”

 

The person who’d rolled away couldn’t get his legs under him. Looking closer, it was Rond again. He’d fled desperately from the Beasts, but with one right in front of him, his mind seemed to have cracked.

 

“Sez, run!”

 

“Priest!”

 

The priest pushed me forward and ran in the opposite direction toward the fallen Rond. That was dangerously close to the Beasts.

 

“Rond! Get up! Rond!”

 

I shouted as loudly as I could. If I wasn’t careful, both the priest and Rond could be in danger. Every time Rond heard his name, he seemed to snap out of it a little, clutching his knees and twisting his body to stand up. The priest reached him, grabbed his arm, and ran toward me.

 

He stumbled several times as if his legs were tangled, but soon seemed to come to his senses. His pale face was streaked with tears. Behind them, the Beasts opened its mouth wide as if howling.

 

“Behind you! Priest!”

 

The Beasts crouched as if to leap and then jumped into the air again. It looked ready to pounce on them both at once. The priest, without even turning to look, seemed to sense something and shoved Rond hard to the side.

 

I couldn’t bear to watch, so I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them again, the priest was sprawled on the ground. He seemed to have barely avoided being crushed by the Beasts. But if the Beasts extended its black forepaw just one more time, it would reach him.

 

“Don’t come any closer!”

 

I couldn’t just stand by and watch him get attacked by the Beasts. The priest’s legs looked unnatural as he lay on the ground. My mind was filled with the thought that I had to get him up and escape together. The Beasts’s forepaw rose and started to come down again.

 

Swish, swish.

 

Jet-black arrows rained down on the Beasts’s face. There weren’t as many as before, but it seemed some combatants had been assigned to this Beasts as well.

 

The Beasts, struck by arrows, writhed its body. Taking advantage of the moment, I grabbed the priest’s arm and helped him up.

 

It was clear that one of his legs was injured. The priority was to get out of here. I bit my lip and supported the priest, trying to move forward.

 

Guh.

 

Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. A pain like my waist was being torn apart surged through me. My vision spun. It felt like a fierce wind was trying to blow me away. For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

 

“Sez!”

 

My body shook up and down. I felt a burning pain and looked down to see something black. Turning my gaze to the side, I saw a red eye. A blade-like mouth opened threateningly. The Beasts had snatched me up with its forepaw.

 

“Sez! No!”

 

The priest’s desperate cry sounded faint. Suddenly, my body was shaken violently as the world whirled past at high speed. The forepaw gripping me swung wildly. My mind quickly grew hazy.

 

The blade-like teeth felt even closer than before. I felt like I might faint at any moment, but I had to stay alert. I bit my lip hard. No matter how much I struggled, my body wouldn’t budge.

 

Rip.

 

The Beasts’s mouth opened wide, as if tearing apart. It wanted to drop me into that pit of blades. Its red eyes stared at me, and it moved its paw above its mouth.

 

Whooosh!

 

Then, with a sound slicing through the air, a long rod shot up between the blade-like teeth. The Beasts froze, as if it couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t a rod that had sprung up, but a spear someone had thrown. Looking down, I saw a familiar figure charging toward me.

 

Shihien, it was him.

 

Under the moonlight, his golden eyes blazed fiercely. Even though the Beasts was several times larger, I didn’t think he would lose. His presence closed the distance like the wind.

 

Ooooooh.

 

A howl that seemed to vibrate the air. The Beasts, as if only now feeling the pain of the spear lodged in it, shook its head. Its arm shook as well, and I briefly lost consciousness. The sky and ground alternated as they rushed past.

 

The Beasts glared at me with red eyes, then stomped its foot in anger. It raised its other paw and reached for me. A massive shadow loomed over me.

 

Even without words, I could feel the Beasts wanted to make me the target of its rage.

 

Stay awake. Stay awake.

 

I was desperate not to lose consciousness, feeling as if my whole body was tightly bound. Every time the Beasts swung its paw, fierce winds tossed me about.

 

My mind was about to go blank, so I bit my lip until it bled. If I stayed like this, I really might die.

 

Shihien.

 

The one who looked so ecstatic when I called his three-syllable name. He was running toward me now. For a moment, I saw his usually emotionless face waver.

 

The Beasts’s forepaw was about to tear me apart. As the shadow loomed over my head, I closed my eyes.

 

There was only one way.