Throughout all of Rivet Town, the roars of the monsters grew ever more intense and chaotic.
As the young girl fled, more and more Fragmentum creatures along the way joined the pursuit.
"This… this is bad!"
"These monsters… there are more and more of them."
Clara no longer dared to look back.
Just the roars behind her—like being on an ancient battlefield—were constantly pressing on her nerves.
The Fragmentum corrosion in Rivet Town was worsening, and the monsters were replenishing faster and faster.
The girl was now running drenched in sweat, yet she didn't know what to do.
"If only… Mr. Svarog were here." Clara murmured.
This time, she had only brought Perkins with her.
And Perkins had already been disabled in the tide of monsters, now lying quietly in the storage room, waiting for her to repair it.
The Fragmentum creatures behind pursued relentlessly, making Clara faintly feel that her life was approaching its end…
"Roar——!!"
This time, the one closing in was a three-meter-tall giant Fragmentum creature, its body emitting a cold icy glow.
It swung its massive hand, smashing ruthlessly toward the girl below!
"Run——quickly——!!" Suddenly, a shout came from behind Clara.
"Ah!" She felt someone push her, causing her to tumble forward onto the open ground ahead.
Bang——!!
At the same moment, a huge crash sounded from behind.
Clara fell to the ground and hurriedly turned back.
A familiar figure was half-kneeling, barely supporting his body as if catching a white blade barehanded, directly taking the giant monster's punch head-on.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he forced a difficult smile toward her.
"Clara, are you okay…"
The girl stood up trembling, her eyes gradually reddening:
"Big brother, it's… it's you—no, it's dangerous here, run quickly!"
"No… if I run, what about you?!"
Zeig gritted his teeth, barely standing up, laboriously pushing back the giant monster's heavy fist, though he himself staggered and fell to the ground.
Clara quickly scrambled up to support him.
With a sobbing voice, she cried:
"Big brother, you… are you okay? It's all Clara's fault—these monsters are chasing Clara, I got you involved."
Zeig wiped the blood from his mouth, forcing an ugly smile, his voice hoarse:
"It's fine, Clara…"
He immediately stood, picked up a baseball bat from nearby, shielded Clara behind him, and swayed as he walked toward the front where over fifty Fragmentum creatures had gathered!
"You leave first—I'll hold them off here." He forced another smile.
"No! There are too many of them—big brother will die...!!" Clara shouted herself hoarse.
But the man paid no heed!
"Hm hahahaha!! A true man lives between heaven and earth—what is death to fear… You go quickly, there are still people who need you…"
The certain someone displayed resolute determination, raising the bat high and charging in the opposite direction toward the monsters!
Tears overflowed from Clara's eyes, dripping pat pat onto the ground.
She watched Zeig being fiercely struck and trampled by the monsters, and she fell into deep self-blame and regret.
"No… I can't leave big brother alone!" She picked up a steel pipe, gritted her teeth, dragged it, and charged toward Zeig.
But unexpectedly, another person rushed out from the darkness, quickly hoisting her onto his shoulder.
In the girl's astonishment, the dark figure said gravely:
"Clara, let's leave first. If you stay, you'll only tie Zeig's hands."
The girl listened dazedly, her voice trembling with sobs:
"It's you, big brother Dan Heng… why are you here too…?"
"We came to find you. Only you can meet Svarog. You… cannot come to harm, even if it costs both our lives."
With that, Dan Heng carried Clara and sprinted away.
Behind them, the certain someone fought while retreating with the bat.
Clara, slung over Dan Heng's shoulder with her head facing backward, could clearly see Zeig being hit again and again by the Fragmentum creatures.
Her tears flowed like they cost nothing, her face full of pain:
"Why, why save me… Clara isn't worth it…"
"Hiss…"
Suddenly, Dan Heng let out a pained sound.
Only then did Clara notice that Dan Heng was injured too—blood was seeping from his wound, carrying a faint metallic smell.
"Big brother Dan Heng, you… you're hurt too!" Clara was heartbroken.
"It's nothing—a minor injury." Dan Heng's voice remained calm.
Their desperate rescue made Clara's face fill with sorrow—if they hadn't come for her, they wouldn't be injured like this…
She whispered:
"I'm sorry… it's all Clara's fault for insisting on coming into the Fragmentum…"
Dan Heng kept his eyes on the road, carrying Clara as he navigated the complex streets, with monster roars still coming from behind.
"No need to blame yourself… You're a very kind person. Coming here must be to help everyone, right?" Dan Heng comforted.
"Aaaaaah, you beasts—I'll fight you all——!!" From behind came the certain someone's shout.
He fought while running, now covered in wounds, soaked in blood—the bat itself deformed from the impacts.
"Big brother Zeig… don't push yourself anymore—run with all you've got!" Clara's tears fell in clusters.
"It's okay—these beasts have lost plenty too! If I run, you'll get caught!" The certain someone said righteously, raising the damaged bat.
"Wah wah wah… I'm sorry… really so sorry!!"
In the rear, the certain someone whipped the Fragmentum creatures while sprinting toward Dan Heng, deliberately controlling the distance.
He needed to ensure Clara on Dan Heng's shoulder could fully witness his miserable state.
"Dan Heng! These Fragmentum creatures are going insane! Run! Don't slow down for me!!" The certain someone roared hoarsely, as if using his last strength.
Dan Heng gritted his teeth, his face showing grief.
After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:
"I… understand. Take care!"
Immediately, he burst forth with all his strength, accelerating violently!
In an instant, dust flew.
Clara only felt Zeig in her sight growing farther and farther…
Until finally, she saw him gradually tackled and submerged in the tide of monsters.
After turning the corner, Zeig's figure was gone from behind her, as were the monsters.
She knew this was the result of Dan Heng running with everything he had—the faint roars of monsters still echoed from afar.
Who knows how long passed.
The two escaped Rivet Town and hid behind a stone mill.
"Big brother Dan Heng, you… are you okay!"
Clara looked worriedly at Dan Heng—many wounds on his arm were bleeding.
Dan Heng shook his head, pulled bandages from his pocket to wrap himself, and sighed:
"Clara, stay here. I'll go back and look for Zeig—there might still be a chance he's alive."
"Then… then I'll go with you… Clara can't…"
Crack——!!
In an instant, the girl was knocked out with a hand chop from Dan Heng.
"Sorry…"
After a good while, the certain someone finally ran over, covered in blood and grime:
"TMD, really gave them face—kept chasing me like crazy! I just finished shredding all their corpses—pissed me off, whew~"
Dan Heng pursed his lips and said worriedly:
"Zeig, you cut yourself a bit too deep—you're bleeding all over now."
"What are you saying? If I didn't cut deep, was I supposed to wait for those monsters to scratch me? That'd take until the year of the monkey?"
He pulled out strips of bandages, dipped them in his blood to make them bright red, then wrapped them around himself.
Then he took out Abyss Flower, healing himself and Dan Heng with a sip each.
All the self-inflicted cuts vanished, leaving only the surface layer of blood-soaked bandages.
It still looked like severe injuries.
Only then did he nod satisfactorily:
"Wow, details are on point!"
"…"
…