In the instant it took to assess the situation, the dōki (fighting aura) wrapped around Allen's feet gave him the last bit of traction he needed. He twisted his body mid-air, turning his back toward the lunging mamono (monsters), and tightened his arms around Rudi and Sylphy, holding them close to his chest.
The dōki concentrated on his back, his momentum undiminished!
In the next moment — amidst the terrified cries of Rudi and Sylphy — Allen shot through the air like a cannonball, ramming into the thick cluster of monsters.
The ocean of monsters bulged and then exploded outward as a lone figure broke through their ranks.
The last sliver of sunset in the valley clung faintly to the ridges. Shards of blood and flesh streamed down either side of his body like small crimson rivers, shattered fangs flashing in the dusk light.
Allen's back was torn open by the monsters' claws, bloody scraps of his uniform fluttering wildly in the air.
Ryūsei dōki (Dragon Saint Fighting Aura) was, after all, still only a fledgling core — even if it could reinforce his body's defenses, it wasn't enough to let him escape completely unscathed from such a swarm.
As he hovered mid-air, his eyelids drooped slightly.…Good. They're safe.
Sylphy and Rudi squirmed out of his arms, still wide-eyed and trembling. That brief moment of freefall had thrown them completely into panic. As Allen tore through the monster web, Rudi quickly extended a hand and cast a kaze (wind) spell below.
A swirling gust suspended the three of them slightly in midair — but even after releasing it, Rudi was at a total loss, his face pale as he looked down at the abyss.
"Allen! What do we do?! Think of something!!"
Rudi kept channeling his kaze spell, but the three of them only floated like leaves, barely staying balanced, yet still sinking lower.
Still in his kanryū (flow-sense) state, Allen shifted his gaze past Rudi, locking eyes with Paul and Rolz clinging to the cliff's edge.
Their eyes met across the ten-meter gap — three pairs of eyes, entangled.
Allen had successfully protected the two in his arms, but at a cost: twisting his body and adjusting his trajectory meant his momentum was now upward rather than toward the cliff.
Allen's hair fluttered in the wind, his clothing billowing.
Behind him, the sunset finally sank beneath the mountains. Darkness, like water, rushed in from afar to engulf the three of them.
Paul's and Rolz's voices reached him faintly through the kanryū state, the syllables stretched and distant.
He saw clearly the looks on their faces — the faces of fathers desperately worried for their children.
…What now?
A spark of thought flashed through his mind — and his lips curved into a faint smile.
No foothold in midair, huh? Well… not much choice left. Still, it's not the worst possible outcome. Ten meters… Paul can handle that much.
Blinking, Allen released himself from the kanryū.
The roar of the wind returned! The howls of monsters rang out! Darkness devoured his silhouette!
With a shout that tore through the night, Allen swung his arms and hurled Sylphy and Rudi toward Paul and Rolz!
"Oji-san!! Catch them!!!"
Rudi and Sylphy screamed in terror as they were flung through the air.
No foothold? Fine — then his arms could serve as a springboard! If all three couldn't be saved at once, then at least save two!
Was it too cold, too calculating? Self-serving?
Then let this single sacrifice to save two be his answer!
Rudi hurtled in a perfect arc toward Paul, but even as Allen felt triumphant at countering the "system's" prediction — his smile froze.
Because… only Rudi was flying.
Something was gripping his right arm tightly.
He looked down at his right hand in shock —
"Sylphy?!"
In that rare moment of genuine panic, his voice cracked into a scream.
In the darkness, Sylphy's eyes brimmed with tears — yet she held onto his arm with fierce determination, her reddish-brown gaze locked unwaveringly on him.
She hadn't let go.
Because she'd been watching him the whole time — just as she'd done every moment of the past year.
The recoil from his throw made her small body snap forward, but she clung back to him, burying herself in his chest.
From far away, Rolz's anguished roar echoed."Rufi! Allen!!"
Sylphy, Allen, and the monsters plunged into the depths of the valley.
And in the darkness below — countless pairs of crimson eyes waited.
——
The avalanche came.
As Allen and Sylphy fell into the abyss, the mountain's collapse triggered a chain reaction. Snow, like a black ocean, swept down from the peaks.
The ground cracked beneath Paul and Rolz's feet. Paul bit down hard enough to nearly shatter his teeth, fighting the urge to jump after them. Grabbing the dazed Rudi in one hand and the howling Rolz in the other, he poured dōki into his legs and leapt back.
Shattered trees slid past as Paul carried the two of them down to the valley floor, narrowly avoiding being buried alive in the snow.
As soon as they landed, Rolz bolted toward the chasm like a madman. Paul just stood there grim-faced, watching him go.
In the dim light, Rolz didn't make it far before he stopped, mouth open in a silent scream, his once-tidy golden hair now wild and messy.
Rudi fell to his knees, clutching his head in pale-faced despair, unable to speak.
Before them…
The one narrow outlet of the valley was now completely buried by snow.
Of the three who fell — only Rudi was saved.
That was all.
(End of Chapter)
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