The Greatest Showman #743 - Ashura Field

The atmosphere was intensifying; the crowd's roar was deafening. Cries of "Master," "Renly," and "I love you" mixed with the screeches of excitement, like a violent storm crashing through the air, wave after wave, without pause or room to react. Renly was immediately swallowed by the mass of people, trapped in an encirclement that grew tighter by the second. It was as if he were wrapped in layer after layer of silkworm cocoon, with no escape.

The pressure on his body became unbearable, hands brushing and grabbing in every direction. But worse than the physical contact was the suffocating air, the heat rising in his lungs, the inability to catch his breath. The roar of the crowd, the thundering cheer around him, felt like it was pressing in from all sides, overwhelming him. His head began to spin as the oxygen left the air, and the suffocating feeling intensified.

Focusing on protecting his most vulnerable areas, Renly stood tall, trying to leverage his height to gain some visibility. He attempted to call out for help, but the throngs of people around him blocked his view. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something that made his heart stop—next to the broken railing, a girl was curled up, clutching her stomach in agony. Her body was oddly draped over the railing, unable to hold on, swaying as the crowd behind her pushed relentlessly forward.

For a brief moment, Renly was frozen in shock, but his instincts quickly kicked in. He feared the girl had been impaled by the broken railing. Though he hoped he was wrong, his immediate concern was her safety.

In the midst of the chaos, Renly quickly assessed the situation. The girl was in immediate danger, and he was the only one who could help her. He turned his gaze toward the reporter's area about thirty paces away, a blur of motion in the frenzy. He had no time to think about his own predicament; the situation was dire, and everything was happening too fast.

He stood on tiptoe, pushing his body upward as he waved his arms, hoping to catch Paul's attention. Thankfully, Paul was quick to notice and, with Ryan and Jennifer at his side, rushed toward him. Meanwhile, Renly crouched low, maneuvering through the crowd, trying to carve a path through the chaos. Every step was a struggle, his body battered by the crowd, but he kept moving, focusing solely on reaching the girl.

The screams of "Young Master, I love you" felt ironically cruel in the moment, as the rush of fans pushed relentlessly forward.

Finally, Renly broke free of the mass, but the crowd continued to surge forward, unaware of his absence. His eyes immediately found the girl again, who was becoming more and more unresponsive. This was chaos, an absolute disaster.

Ignoring the hysteria around him, Renly rushed to her side, positioning himself protectively between the girl and the oncoming wave of people. But the crowd was relentless, pushing forward with no concern for his presence. Renly stood tall again, his voice hoarse from shouting over the madness, "Back off! Back off! Calm down!"

But the crowd barely took notice, still pushing forward in a mad frenzy. Then, Renly's voice rang out louder, colder, and more commanding: "Back off!"

His piercing gaze met the crowd's, and for a moment, there was a brief pause—a split second of hesitation. But it was too brief to be effective. The crowd surged once more, and Renly, unable to control the masses, continued to try and protect the girl.

The railing that had been holding steady began to give way, collapsing slowly under the weight of the crowd. The first row of people fell, and the pressure from behind them compounded, pushing the crowd further into chaos.

As the situation worsened, Renly's attention remained solely on the girl. He couldn't afford to leave her side; the crowd continued to press forward, crushing those at the front. Renly's body tensed with frustration as he tried to protect her from the oncoming tide, but it was futile. His voice grew hoarse as he continued to shout for everyone to move back, but the desperation in the scene only grew.

Then, amidst the chaos, Renly saw Tessa, who had been swept forward by the force of the crowd. She stumbled onto the red carpet, her limbs battered, but she quickly recovered. Her eyes locked on Renly and the injured girl, and without hesitation, she pushed her way through the crowd. She joined Renly in urging everyone to back off.

"Back! Back, everyone!" Tessa shouted, her voice piercing through the noise. She pushed and shoved her way toward Renly, signaling to others to clear the path.

Through the tumult, Tessa's voice reached William, who had been stumbling through the chaos. He turned in time to see Renly and the girl, his own realization dawning on him. Without hesitation, William stepped forward, following Tessa's lead, but the madness of the crowd had already escalated.

The scene was a nightmare: people in the front row crushed to the ground, screaming in agony; those in the middle trampled and fighting to escape; and the rows in the back unaware of the danger they were in. The railing began to shake violently, the metal groaning under the pressure.

Renly had become a symbol, a lone figure in the midst of the madness. Some pushed, some squeezed, some tried to block the way, while others attacked him. In the midst of the madness, Renly's anger grew. He couldn't understand how people could behave so recklessly in such a critical moment.

Ignoring the small movements around him, Renly stood firm, his voice breaking through the chaos, "Back off! Everyone, back off! Don't rush forward! Back off!"

The crowd didn't listen. They were too consumed by their own mania.

Renly looked down at the girl, her eyes still focused on him. She smiled weakly, despite the pain, and whispered, "Master, thank you."

Renly's heart clenched. He had done everything he could, but it was clear that not everyone would make it through this.