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Yuno's POV
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"She... She isn't breathing!" I exasperatingly cry, with the alarm evident in my voice.
The exact moment when Klaus and Mimosa hear the sound of the crystal shattering, and my alarming, immediate cry, they instantaneously turn their heads towards my direction. Though, Langris, remains unconscious, completely, and utterly unaware.
The two knights pause, the exact instant that their eyes perceive myself and the being, whom is cradled safely, and firmly in my arms.
Both Klaus, and Mimosa stare, refusing to believe the sight before them.
Klaus stands up, his now eyes hidden by his shining spectacles, and the ominous, dark shadow that envelops the majority of his face. He begins to march towards me, picking up the pace quicker, and quicker.
"Yuno! What in the world were you thinking!" He yells, as his hands plant firmly into my shoulders, gripping and stabbing harshly into them. Though, I know that the brute force he's using, is only because he cares about his squadmates. His eyebrows furrow, as he then looks down in disappointment, not being able to find the right words to say.
It was then, that he truly saw the unconscious, glowing being that was collapsed, softly into my arms.
"Yuno..." He sighed, once again. "I-" He started to continue, but was abruptly cut off when a high-pitched scream was heard, followed by a loud, solid crash.
I instantaneously turn my head, seeking for the origin for the scream, and the crash. It was then that I realised, that it had come from Mimosa and Langris' direction!
Before I even had a chance to identify the two figures, I heard Mimosa screech,"Everyone! We have no time to argue! The cave! I-It's... starting to collapse!", almost jumbling her words due to the severe haste in her hoarse, tear-choked voice.
As if on cue, the entire ceiling of the cave's naturally-formed room begun crashing down in the form of enormous, ferocious boulders! Without any time to process the events that had just occurred, I began to charge out of the room at the fastest speed that was possible, the girl, still remaining protected in my arms.
However, as the room's entrance was almost in my arm's range,
I felt a rigid substance stub the tip of my right boot.
My body flies forward, all the while the frail girl still being held firmly in my arms.
As my body makes harsh impact with the damp, sodden ground, my arms subconsciously wrap around her silver head, protecting her from harm.
Hefty, taupe boulders continue to rain down, only barely avoiding the girl and myself. However, it wasn't long until our luck ran out...
Crack.
All of a sudden, a fierce pain shoots up through my entire leg. The source, being the foot that was furthest stretched from my body.
I attempt to muffle the agonizing howls that manage to slip out of my lips, with my dirt-filled palm, but to no avail. As of now, my foot is completely, and utterly immobilised the under thick, dense rubble, terminating any sort of movement that could be made.
The crashing of the room finally ceases.
For now.
Mimosa comes rushing over to me, as her shimmering orbs become
wider,
and wider,
and wider.
Her shocked expression, turns into one of undoubtable horror.
"Y-Yuno! Your... Your foot!" She screams.
Hearing her cry, Klaus comes rushing over to my aid as well. She and Klaus each grab ahold of one of my arms, attempting to free me from the rubble.
Langris, still being injured, and now awake due to Mimosa's expertise in healing, is unable to help in any sort.
Eventually, the two knights manage to free me, as we gather in the desolate cave's hallway, stepping through the doorway that Langris had previously created. However, the exact instant I stand up and take a single step forward, the same, indistinguishable, fierce pain shoots up through my entire body.
Before I even have time to think, let alone breathe, a steamroller compact with stalactites steadily emerges from behind us, from Wizard King knows where.
Slowly but surely...
The extremely-deadly-looking trap, begins to move.
Strenuously ignoring the agonising pain of my foot, I manage unleash an enhancing spell.
Through my haggard, hoarse voice, I roar,"Mana Skin: Unleash!" The others follow my lead, and unleash the same spell.
With scarcely enough strength to repeatedly carry the unconscious girl in my arms, the squad dashes our way down the desolate hallways at unimaginable speeds, all the while being closely followed by the deathtrap steamrollered that had emerged moments ago.
One foot in front of the other, is what I keep pounding into my mind. I must push forward. I cannot allow myself to fall!
My life, and everyone else's...
...is at stake here.
Abruptly, just as I'm out of breath and ready to collapse, a certain something catches my eye.
As I squint harder, I realise...
It's the small niche that we used to camp inside of!
"Everyone, in!" I yell in between breaths, as we all throw ourselves into the niche. The steamroller whizzes past us, only narrowly missing us.
The only thing that can be heard in this very moment, is heavy breathing, and sighs of relief. As the adrenaline I had gained of the whole situation starts to wear off, I sense my foot beginning to throb. It is becoming additionally painful by the second, refusing to cease.
It reaches the point, until the seething pain is almost unbearable...!
I clap a hand over my mouth, and squeeze my eyes tightly shut, refusing my body to make a single peep. "Oh, Yuno!" Mimosa yelps, seeming to have forgotten this certain situation amongst the many other enigmas we were currently facing. She immediately begins to cast a healing spell, as Klaus forms a metal band over Langris' arm, and my foot to prevent them from becoming worse than they already are.
Mimosa wipes various beads of liquid off her forehead and sighs,"I believe that should ease the pain a little for now. I apologise that I can't do anything more..."
"Many thanks, however unnecessary it was."I allege nonchalantly, playing it 'cool' as if the pain had eased as much as she had intended.
As the space is left in utter silence, I find myself gazing upon the silver-haired beauty whom is yet unconscious, sleeping peacefully while resting softly in my arms...
My cheeks and tips of my ears tint a light shade of fuschia, as I blink rapidly and look away, while contemplating this new feeling.
After a short period of approximately a minute of somewhat-repose, a loud, ominous rumble is heard.
The whole team raises their heads, and gasp in unison. It appears that yet another deathtrap has emerged, as we unanticipatedly squall,"Stalactites... are emerging from the roof!"
However, little do we know, it isn't over yet.
Despite the stalactites already having emerged from the roof, it begins to lower, slowly but surely.
We scramble up from our spots, as I sweep the girl up onto my back. The team and I dash out of the niche, into the pathway that lays before us. However, we pause, mid-set in our tracks, as we realise the path that we had originally entered the cave from is sealed off, due to various amounts of rubble.
"W-What should we do...?" Mimosa trembles.
I look around, searching in dire need for some sort of exit, or way out. I spot another, narrower pathway a few metres ahead. "Everybody! Follow me, quickly! We don't have much time!" I bellow in haste.
We all dart down the narrow pathway, out of breath, all the while equipped with our Mona Skins.
The sharp stalactites of the cave's ceiling are closing in, as they begin to nudge the tips of our hair. I sense my Mona Skin evaporating, as time is not of the essence. I glance back, to check if the others are keeping up pace. However, as I turn my head back to face frontwards, I squint my eyes, refusing to believe what I see before me.
The entire team skids to a halt, due to the fact that we can not advance any further.
The reason being, we've reached a dead end.
A solid wall towers above us, leaving us nowhere to run.
Time, is not our ally.
~Chapter 5 Finish~