(Arin's POV)
Time seemed to freeze.
In my eyes, the giant stone fist descended slowly, inch by inch, toward Erika's helplessly drooping head. Gravity appeared to pause, granting me one last chance to witness the horror before it all ended. One more second, just one single second, and the mage girl would be nothing but a memory.
"DO NOT TOUCH HER!"
The scream tore through my throat. Without thinking, I let primal instinct take control of my body. I lifted my greatsword and channeled every remaining scrap of strength I possessed. This was not ordinary muscle power; it was Aura pumped by my heart beyond its critical limit.
Piston Heart: Maximum Senior Aura.
A searing heat spread instantly. Blood vessels in my arms burst, spraying a fine red mist from my pores. It felt as if gasoline had been poured into my muscles and then set ablaze.
"Take this!"
I threw the sword like a spear.
The weapon shot forward, slicing through the air and creating a deafening sonic boom. The metal blade struck the Stone Golem's chest exactly a split second before its fist touched a strand of Erika's black hair.
KABOOM!
The impact was direct! The Golem's chest exploded instantly, shattering into pieces as if dynamite had just detonated inside its stone body. Rock fragments rained down on Erika's body, but at least she survived the fatal blow.
I ran, ignoring my back which trembled violently from the aura's side effects. My body slid across the ground, and I quickly pulled Erika's body into my embrace.
"Erika! Erika! Open your eyes!"
I patted her cheek, which felt cold. Her eyes had rolled back, leaving only the whites visible. Her mouth hung open, emitting a terrifying gurgling sound every few seconds. Her breathing was jerky and irregular, as if her lungs were struggling hard just to draw a single breath.
My breath hitched hearing that sound. Damn it, I knew this sign. Agonal Breathing.
Her heart was compromised due to the blunt force trauma of the Golem's strike earlier. She was dying.
"Damn it! Hang in there! I need a flat surface! I need..."
BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook again.
Dozens of other Golems behind us had managed to escape the bottleneck in the cliff crevice. They roared, the sound of grinding stone and metal ringing loud, ready to finish what they started.
I looked back in despair. The academy's magical barrier wall still stood firm, blocking our escape route.
In front lay monsters; behind lay an impenetrable wall.
"We are done for..." I whispered, despair beginning to creep into my heart.
However, right when hope was nearly extinguished, something impossible happened.
The transparent energy wall towering into the sky flickered. Then, with a quiet zing sound like a lightbulb burning out, the barrier vanished without a trace.
The cold air from the wild forest outside the academy territory immediately struck my face. The forest out there was dark, wild, and uncharted. It was the true habitat of monsters.
Ironically, that hell was the only way to survive this situation.
Who did that? Ah, to hell with it! I grumbled inwardly. Whether it is a god of fortune or a demon wanting us to die further away, I do not care. If there was a gap for survival, even if the probability was as small as dust, I would fight for it with all my might.
I lifted Erika's body, hoisting her onto my left shoulder. My right hand snatched back the sword embedded in the ground.
"Hold on tight, Princess. This ride is going to be a little rough," I growled, enduring the pain screaming throughout my body.
I ran across the academy boundary, entering the darkness of the wild forest.
In the midst of that mad escape, my brain was still working hard. The Golems continued to chase even though we had put significant distance between us. It was as if they had eyes everywhere or a tracking device detecting our every step.
"Tracker... Wait a minute."
My eyes fell on the silver object on our chests. The exam badge.
"Sorry, Erika. This has to go."
Roughly, I ripped the silver badge from my chest until the fabric of my uniform tore with it. Then I tore the badge from Erika's robe.
"Chase this, you scrap metal!"
I threw both badges toward the ravine on the right side with my last remaining strength.
My guess was correct. The rumbling sound of Golem footsteps behind us turned direction. The wave of monsters chased the badge signal toward the ravine.
However, not all were fooled. Some strong Golems, like the Silver Golem, remained focused on chasing me. Damn! It turned out high-level monsters were not that stupid. Even so, this was far better than being chased by a full platoon.
The dense jungle trees helped me hide. The Golems were no longer visible, but I did not feel safe at all. In this forest, danger could emerge from behind every bush.
Grrrrr...
From behind a thorny bush, three pairs of yellow eyes glowed. Creatures as tall as a human waist appeared. Their faces resembled dogs with disgusting reptilian scales.
Kobolds. Low-level monsters. To a Knight in full plate armor, they were merely trash. But to a person carrying a dying girl with one broken arm, they were angels of death.
"Kekk! Kekk!"
The three Kobolds jumped simultaneously, targeting my neck and Erika's dangling legs.
Do not touch her!
I spun my body, making my back a living shield for Erika because my right hand was too slow to swing the sword.
GET AWAY, MANGY DOGS!
SLASH!
The Kobold's claws tore my back. A sharp stinging pain added to the list of wounds I suffered. Warm blood seeped out soaking my shirt, but I could not collapse now.
"DIE!"
I screamed, kicking the first Kobold until its ribs crushed with a satisfying crack. Then, without pause, I used the pommel of my sword to smash the second Kobold's head.
The small monster's head shattered instantly.
The third Kobold hesitated upon seeing its two friends fall in an instant. I glared at it; my eyes were probably redder than a demon's due to burst blood vessels. My killing aura was so thick that the small monster squeaked in fear and scrambled away into the bushes.
I did not chase it. My breath was spent.
My lungs felt like they were burning. Strangely, there was no more sweat coming out of my pores, as if my body was trying to conserve its last fluids to avoid dying of shock.
"Cave..."
My eyes caught a small opening in a limestone cliff covered by vines. Thank goodness, a perfect hiding place had appeared.
I dragged my legs, which felt as heavy as lead, inside. The interior of the cave felt dark and damp, but at least here we were safe from enemy sight.
I laid Erika on the hard and cold cave floor carefully.
"Erika?" I called softly.
Silence. No answer.
The dim light from outside the cave revealed Erika's face starting to turn dark blue. She was suffering from Cyanosis. The snoring breath sound from earlier was gone. Her chest was not moving at all.
My heart felt like it stopped. I immediately pressed my ear to her chest, then felt for the pulse in her neck with trembling fingers.
Her pulse was incredibly weak, nearly swallowed by the silence. And her breathing... had stopped completely!
"No... no! Do not joke around, Erika! Not now!"
Panic struck, but I forced it away. I had to focus because I was her only hope now.
Immediately, I positioned her head tilted back to open the airway. I placed the heel of my palm in the center of her breastbone, then stacked my other hand on top.
One, two... come on, Erika! I pressed her chest hard and fast. Three, four... do not die a foolish death here! The pressure had to be deep, had to be strong enough to provoke her heart back to work.
Crack.
Her ribs creaked under my hands. It was a horrifying sound, a sound that induced nausea, but I had to do it. I had to be the pump for her stalled heart.
"Come on! Beat! Do not give up on me!"
Thirty compressions complete.
I pinched her nose, placed my mouth over her cold one, and blew a strong breath. Erika's chest rose responding to my breath, a sign oxygen was starting to enter her lungs.
"Again! You have to live!"
I pressed her chest again. Cold sweat mixed with blood from my wounds dripped from my forehead, falling onto Erika's pale face.
"You said you were a great mage, didn't you?" I said between compressions, my voice starting to go hoarse from holding back tears. "You said you were arrogant, right? Are you going to die just because of a rock?! Wake up, Erika!"
Press! Press! Press!
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
The passing minutes felt like hours. Yet, there was still no response. Her body remained still like a broken doll discarded by its owner. Her lips grew bluer, carrying her closer to the gates of death.
My hands began to tremble violently from exhaustion and muscle injury. My muscles screamed to stop, begging for rest. But I refused. If I stopped, she died.
"Please..." my voice broke, tears of frustration starting to blur my vision. "Do not leave me alone... Please, Erika..."
The silence of the cave felt more murderous than thousands of Golems out there. There was only the sound of my ragged breathing and the faint cracking sound of her breastbone being pressed repeatedly.
She would not wake up. The light of her life slowly dimmed under my hands.
"Erika! COME BACK!" I shouted, pressing her chest once more with all my soul.
"...Cough!"