Ishiki immediately ran and got down besides Yuki.
Filch skidded to a halt. He looked at the collapsed Princess. Then at the cave. His expression darkened.
Then he looked at the wall of death descending on them and made a choice.
It wasn't a glorified hero's sacrifice or a cinematic moment of bravery. It was just a messy, desperate calculation made by a man who simply wanted his friends to keep breathing.
"Ishiki... get to the cave. Fast." he whispered.
Filch grabbed Nina tighter. He dropped low and ran... he moved like water. But not for the cave, instead... He dove under the incoming wave of branches and used his unnatural agility to weave through the gaps in the attack.
He broke through the encirclement and vanished into the dark forest, carrying the girl away with him.
"Filch!" Ishiki screamed. "Have you lost your mind? Damn it!"
But there was no reply... he was gone. He was really gone, deeper into the hellish forest where survival was just another fantasy.
