[Part 2/4]
...He didn't seem to have much time left.
"Looks like we drew the short straw."
"Well, becoming a servant sooner or later, right? This time, it doesn't seem limited to just us servants, though."
They sneered at Hidden Group and laborers, who were desperately trying to postpone their own destruction. In particular, Hidden Group members facing medium Youkai two-on-one seemed quite exhausted.
"Cough. I hope they can deal with those medium Youkai at least..."
"Don't get distracted, Tsukuba. ...A large group of guests has arrived."
Manatsuru pointed out, and when their eyes turned in that direction, they saw a crowd of dozens of Youkai. Whether it was their spiritual energy or just the fact that they had gathered, it didn't matter.
"Are Tomobe and Hisame all right?"
"Well, who knows... At least there's hope."
At least it wasn't certain that everyone had been wiped out. There was still a chance for salvation.
"That's a relief. If there are people who remember us, I guess we're not entirely scared. Right?"
"...Yeah."
The two fell silent there. There was no time for conversation. The monsters were closing in. They readied their weapons and took a step forward.
One by one, they were devoured, like combs being broken. The time until their destruction didn't seem to be very long...
"What's all the commotion about?"
"What the hell is happening...?"
Screams and roars echoing in the distance. Everyone on the scene froze, paralyzed.
"...!? Hisame!?"
In an instant, I tried to run, but something was pulling me back. When I turned around, I saw Hisame gripping the sleeves of my outfit with both hands.
"Hisame, let go...!!"
I called out to her, my voice filled with anger, but she shook her head violently, as if trying to shake something off.
"No, I can't. You can't go...!! Princess is here...!!"
"...!? Is that...!?"
"And besides, it's already too late...!!"
I locked eyes with Hisame. Her eyes visible through the mask were filled with a sense of despair. Just that look was enough for me to understand everything.
It was really too late.
"Hisame..."
I muttered my junior's name for no apparent reason. Well, maybe there was a reason, but I couldn't put it into words immediately. I didn't even know how to process my own emotions.
The roars of the monsters echoed loudly. The source of the roars was clearly getting closer than before.
"Let's run...!!"
I hold Loli Gorilla-sama, who had remained silent, closer to me and called out to Hisame. I called out and pulled her, starting to run. It was a decision to escape from this place, and it was my responsibility to make that decision.
I shouldn't have let Hisame make that judgment, not under any circumstances.
"Ah, ahh..."
"Go, go, run...!!"
Inspired by our actions, the laborers who could still move began to flee, clinging to us. But their judgment was too slow.
"Gyaaaahhh!"
"Huh!?"
"Uwaaah..."
A beastly Youkai, dancing forward while stepping out from behind, grabbed the heads of two injured laborers who had failed to escape. A moment later, a sound like two solid objects colliding rang out, followed by a squishing sound. I didn't turn around; I couldn't afford to.
'Screech!'
'Grrruuugghhh!'
Youkai continued to leap out one after another from the side. Each time, there were screams—screams from behind.
In the savannah, the weak were the first to be targeted. The Youkai seemed to be predators, targeting easy prey.
"Would it be too convenient to say this is all just bad luck...!?"
As I struck the boar Youkai that had suddenly rushed in from the side with my spear, I muttered to myself. I felt a sense of disgust at my own thought, but reality remained unchanged. It was clear that the laborers had become bait.
Speaking of bait, this little girl I was holding must be the best living bait.
"Huh...!?"
"Mm...!?"
As I jokingly considered the idea, the princess I was embracing squeezed me tightly in return. I sensed a strong determination not to let go, despite her fear.
(Oh, she's quite observant.)
Loli Gorilla-sama was a genius. She could do anything with just one look. It was due to her remarkable observational skills. She could even read the emotions of others to some extent. It seemed that she thought I was going to abandon her.
"...I was just kidding. Don't worry."
I dropped a smoke bomb and a flash bomb behind us and vigorously rubbed Aoi's back with a single piece of my overcoat while whispering. It wasn't impolite. However, she didn't nod and remained silent.
"Senpai!! The edge of boundary is up ahead!!"
"What!? Finally!"
At Hisame's warning, I returned my gaze to the front. I squinted my eyes. I could see the edge of the boundary, barely visible. I looked beyond it. At first glance, there were no Youkai in sight.
"In other words, if we cross that line, we should be safe for now!!"
Well, for a while, that is. They'd probably sense our presence and start pulling us in from the surroundings. Even so, we could buy some time...!!
"I'll go ahead."
"Yeah. I'm counting on you for cover!"
Hisame, without any dead weight, rushed forward. She crossed the boundary, and as she turned around, she fired multiple arrows. There were screams from behind that didn't sound like human voices. She was delaying the inevitable pursuit from behind, pushing it away.
'Grrruuu!'
"Noisy, die!"
'Howwllll!?'
A dog Youkai suddenly jumped over our heads while we were running. I crushed its threatening jaws underfoot. I had inserted iron plates into my sandals, so the Youkai that took a full swing hit its nose and teeth and broke them. It shouldn't be making cute noises like that!
"Senpai, hurry!"
"What!? Can we make it...!!?"
I heard my junior's anxious voice from behind. Countless murderous intents were approaching from behind. My spine shivered. Bad, bad, bad!
"Take this!!"
I heard the sound of something cutting through the air. I crouched down. Something thick passed just above my head. I threw a flash bomb behind me. Light and a deafening noise filled the area. I bent forward and crash through the boundary, rolling.
"Princess, I apologize!"
"What, kyaaaa!"
I tightly embraced Loli Gorilla-sama's delicate body. I protected her pink head. I kept rolling and rolling until I heard a tearing sound. But there was no pain.
"Senpai!!?"
"Hisame!? Are you okay, are you!!? Did they take something from you!!?"
I desperately asked Hisame, who had rushed over. I checked to see if she was unharmed with my arms outstretched.
"No, I saw that they grabbed my hem and scratched it their claws!!"
"I see!"
I looked at the hem of her right arm. It was torn. It had been a close call. If she had been a little slower, they might have taken her arm. The Youkai that had only managed to get the hem was probably quite frustrated.
"Hahaha. Serves you right, you Youkai b*stards!!!"
I laughed heartily, mocking the Youkai who were grinding their teeth in frustration at being stuck inside the boundary. It was similar to the late-night tension I often experienced. It was a reaction to fatigue and being cornered.
"Haah, haah... That was close, huh?"
I stood up. I momentarily put down the Princess to catch my breath. While doing so, I cursed the detestable monsters and gloated.
"Help me..."
A voice pleading for help echoed with a heavy tone.
"Huh?"
I momentarily couldn't tell whose voice it was, or perhaps I wanted to feign ignorance. Unfortunately, reality rushed in. It wasn't just me and Hisame who had been aware until just now that we were fleeing.
"Help... me..."
"Wha...!?"
I turned towards the direction of the voice, and our gazes met. It was a man, one of the laborers, the leader of the laborers to be precise. He was lying on the ground, looking in our direction. He was probably the only survivor among the laborers.
"W-what's... happening...!?"
I was momentarily bewildered by the plea, and it took a moment for me to realize. It was the boundary that separated us, the boundary that prohibited non-humans from passing. He had crossed it... partially.
"Help... me... plea...se...!!"
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