[The scene continues.]
[The blood-woven wings spread open behind Eso, extending countless thin branches that stabbed into the ground, suspending his body midair as he looked down on Yuji and Nobara with disdain.]
["Drip."]
["Sss—"]
[A drop of blood fell from one of the branches and instantly corroded a rock beneath it into nothing.]
[Yuji's expression changed when he saw that and immediately warned:]
["Nobara! Don't touch that blood!"]
["I know…"]
["Whoosh!"]
[Nobara had just shown a hint of irritation when a drop of blood shot toward her at blinding speed.]
[If she hadn't reacted in time and tilted her head aside, that drop would have blown her head off.]
["Run all you want!"]
["With your backs turned to me!"]
[Eso lightly waved his arm, and the branches on his blood wings rapidly extended, stabbing toward Yuji and Nobara.]
[Because of their corrosive nature, the two of them didn't dare take them head-on and could only retreat for now.]
["Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!…"]
[Hearing the relentless impacts behind them, Yuji glanced back worriedly and asked:]
["Nobara! Can you go any faster?!"]
["No way!!!"]
[Nobara gritted her teeth and shook her head.]
[But that moment of distraction proved costly—a blood-red branch caught up to her, aiming straight for the back of her head.]
[To dodge it, Nobara forcibly twisted her body mid-run. Although she avoided the attack, she lost her balance and fell to the ground.]
["Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!…"]
[Just as countless branches were about to impale her, Yuji suddenly turned back, rushed in at incredible speed, scooped her up in a princess carry, and dodged all incoming attacks in one swift motion.]
[Nobara, now in his arms, didn't stay idle. She pushed herself up slightly, keeping watch on their rear.]
["Leave the back to me."]
["Got it."]
[Yuji responded calmly. Then he pushed off the ground again, accelerating even further.]
["Huh?"]
[Caught off guard, Nobara blinked as she suddenly felt the force pressing against her chest, the scenery on both sides blurring past at high speed.]
"KYAAAHHH!!!"
"Nobara! A princess carry!!!"
"That boyfriend energy!!!"
The moment Yuji picked Nobara up, the real Nobara outside the screen nearly had her eardrums shattered by the surrounding screams.
"What's wrong with you people? You almost blew out my ears."
Nobara dug at her ear irritably, glaring at the fangirling girls around her.
"Aren't you excited at all, Nobara? That's you getting carried like a princess!"
One girl leaned in, covering her mouth with a fist, teasing her.
"It's not the current me, so why would I be excited?
And there's zero romantic tension in our eyes.
It's obvious we're just really good friends."
Nobara said indifferently.
"Ah… you're so cold, Nobara…"
Failing to get any juicy gossip, the girl retreated in disappointment.
[The scene continues.]
["Even while carrying someone, he's that fast…"]
[From behind, Eso muttered in slight surprise as he watched Yuji accelerate with Nobara in his arms.]
[Only for a moment.]
[Soon, he refocused and continued controlling the blood branches to attack them.]
["They're about to escape… oh well…"]
[Seeing Yuji and Nobara nearing the edge of his range, Eso didn't chase. Instead, he simply watched with a meaningful smile.]
[The camera shifts to Yuji and Nobara.]
[In the forest, Yuji carried Nobara while weaving through the trees at high speed, dodging attacks along the way.]
[Before long, they reached the forest's edge.]
[Yuji bent his knees and leapt—clearing a three-meter-high barbed-wire fence in a single bound, landing on a mountain road.]
[But due to the excessive force, he slid several meters across the asphalt with Nobara still in his arms before crashing into a guardrail and stopping.]
"Yuji… are you even human?"
The members of the Occult Club stared at the dented metal guardrail in shock, crowding around him and poking at his back.
"And you did that while carrying someone! Even Olympic sprinters aren't that fast!"
"We knew you had insane stamina, but this is just ridiculous."
"You slid that far on asphalt and dented a guardrail, and you're not even bleeding—are you from Planet M78 or something?"
"Haha… it's not that crazy, I just have slightly better physical abilities."
Yuji scratched his head sheepishly.
Being touched all over made him a little uncomfortable, so he subtly stepped back to avoid their hands.
[The scene continues.]
[Yuji and Nobara stood up, completely unharmed.]
[Yuji brushed the dirt off his clothes and looked around. Seeing no attacks following, he said happily:]
["Alright, we're out of range!"]
[Nobara slowly got to her feet and replied lazily:]
["Not bad. You get a compliment."]
[Yuji instantly deflated at her half-hearted tone.]
["Yeah, yeah…"]
[But as Nobara walked ahead, she added without turning back:]
["Just kidding. Thanks."]
[However, behind them—unnoticed—the long-missing Kechizu suddenly reappeared.]
"WATCH OUT!!!"
"Behind you!!!"
Viewers across countless worlds shouted at the sky in panic, regardless of whether Yuji and Nobara could hear them or not.
Meanwhile, the real Yuji and Nobara just stared at the crowd in confusion.
We're literally right here… why are you all yelling at the screen?