CH 74

Thud, thud, thud.

The sound of a massive heartbeat echoes and shakes the ground.

The sound gradually grows louder and more powerful.

Something hiding in the cocoon feels as if it could burst out at any moment.

“Hurry!”

Do not let it come out of the cocoon.

His Highness Ash must have felt it instinctively.

Although he had been attacking boldly but being cautious, he now forces his way forward.

The monsters stand in the way to block his path.

“Get out of our way! You’re in the way!”

A single swing of his great sword creates a gust of wind.

However, the monster, who has become more aggressive, resists and attacks His Highness Ash.

The monsters seem to be getting stronger, keeping pace with the cocoon’s heartbeat.

It was clear from my distant observation that the monster is beating much faster.

“Damn it! These guys are more mobile!”

“Work together! Trust each other’s backs!”

“Brother!”

“I understand!”

Their formation began to crumble.

The reason was the monsters’ aggression and a straightforward difference in strength.

The knights were by no means weak.

Still, His Highness Ash’s power far surpasses theirs, and there is a difference in their walking speed.

Yuren-kun is barely keeping up with him.

The other knights are busy dealing with monsters and can’t move from their spot.

In contrast, His Highness Ash is progressing quickly.

“Just a little more, just a little more.”

He’s cutting down the approaching monsters, as if telling himself those words.

It’s clear that he’s steadily moving forward.

As he said, the sword is just a little away from the cocoon.

But the monsters that stand in the way are desperate.

They stand before us as if to protect their own parents, even risking their own lives.

“Brother, the number of these monsters…”

“Yeah, they keep increasing.”

Their numbers aren’t decreasing at all.

The reason is that new monsters are coming one after another from the surroundings.

For every monster we defeat, two more appear, and the layers of monsters become thicker as we move forward.

Gradually, His Highness and the others’ speed also begin to slow down.

“Haa…”

“Come on, Yuren! Just a little more!”

“Okay!”

It’s a fight that’s so close to life and death that their lives are at stake.

The difficulty of avoiding death and continuing to pick up life is something I don’t understand.

Nevertheless, an overwhelming fatigue is evident.

Yuren-kun, in particular, had begun to breathe irregularly, and copious amounts of sweat were flowing down his forehead.

He had already reached his limit.

This was not just true for Yuren-kun, but also for His Highness Ash.

“Dammit, we’re almost there.”

The boss monster  is right in front of our eyes.

We’re just a few steps away, and if we run, we can reach it in an instant.

However, this short distance feels infinitely far away.

The cocoon thread is starting to unravel.

“Brother, the cocoon!”

“Damn, we’re out of time.”

A new life is about to emerge from the cocoon.

As a result, the air suddenly becomes heavy.

In addition to a foul stench, an unusual odor fills the air.

Everyone present thought the same thing.

Intuitively, they felt that they shouldn’t let the monster emerge from the cocoon.

Feeling their own death approaching, their bodies tremble.

Only he, however, turns his trembling into strength and screams.

“Not yet!”

His Highness Ash lifted his great sword and kicked the ground hard.

He intends to dive into the cocoon, flying over the approaching monsters in one fell swoop.

“Brother!”

“I won’t let you!”

“No, brother! Even if it’s you, it’s reckless——”

“Reckless and audacious are just how I always am! I always surpass limitations! I’ll blow past my limits!”

His fierce back speaks volumes.

Leave it to me, he says.

As everyone rises up, with the flames of courage burning in their hearts, I am different.

My sense of foreboding intensifies.

The Witch of the Mist, Nebel-san, said it.

For humans, there are limitations, and magic is the way to easily surpass them.

Yuren-kun said it.

His Highness Ash said it.

“I’ll blow past my limits…”

“No…”

I realized what that meant.

“No, Your Highness!”

So I shouted.

With all my might, in a loud voice.

But it didn’t reach him. He ran faster than that, with impossible speed for a human.

He swung his heavy sword effortlessly, and cut through the cocoon that throbbed from the impact.

“Hah… hah…”

“You’re amazing, as expected of your highness!”

“Brother.”

Purple blood flowed from the monster’s cocoon.

Its heartbeat, which was loud enough to be heard, stopped completely, and its body stopped functioning completely.

The monsters also stopped moving altogether.

It was as if their soul had been ripped out.

The battle was over.

With our victory.

Thanks to the efforts of His Highness Ash.

“Ugh…”

“Brother?”

I was already running.

It wasn’t because the monsters had stopped moving or because the battle was over.

I just realized it.

Among those present, I was the only one who could predict such a future.

“Ugh, ah…guh…”

“Brother!”

“Your Highness Ash!”

By the time I rushed over, His Highness Ash was already kneeling.

He was clutching his chest in pain and struggling to breathe.

“Haah, sorry, Yuren…I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Brother! Please hold on!”

He passed out, collapsing as if he couldn’t bear the pain anymore.

No matter how many times Yuren-kun or I called out to him, he didn’t respond.