Bang!
The gunshot cracked through the clearing like thunder.
Harold let out a guttural scream. "Gaah!"
He staggered backward, clutching the left side of his face as blood poured between his fingers from his ruined eye.
In that single heartbeat of chaos, Arceus twisted sharply, slipping free from the weakening grip around his chest. He hit the ground hard, rolled once, and sprang to his feet, sprinting straight toward his companions.
Harold lunged after him in desperation, his bloody fingertips brushing the back of Arceus's shirt—but the fabric slipped away.
Ralph and the royal knights surged forward at once, forming a protective wall around him.
Half-blinded, disoriented, and writhing in agony, Harold gave up on taking another hostage. He turned and fled into the dense forest.
"Captain Ralph," Prince Kaelan commanded sharply, "pursue him. Capture him alive."
"At your command, Your Highness!"
Ralph vanished into the trees like a shadow melting into darkness.
"Ark…!"
