"ZEPHYR!"
As if summoned by her voice alone—
WHOOSH!
A green portal ripped open directly above the worm's head.
Two figures dropped from it like falling stars.
Zephyr led the descent, his silver hair whipping in the wind, his saber already drawn. Beside him, Aman twisted mid-air, his black-clad form a blur of motion.
CRACK!
Their combined kick slammed into the worm's skull, the force of the impact knocking its maw sideways just as it snapped shut—missing the nearest student by inches.
The worm SCREECHED, its massive body writhing as it recoiled.
Zephyr landed in a crouch, his blade already humming with aura. Aman touched down beside him, daggers flashing.
For a heartbeat, Luna couldn't breathe.
He came.
He heard me.
Just like always.
Then—
Zephyr glanced back over his shoulder, his piercing gaze locking onto hers from across the battlefield.
A silent promise.
I'm here.
And just like that, the weight crushing Luna's chest lifted.
"T-thank you," She whispered, her voice barely audible over the worm's screeching. The words carried the weight of a thousand unspoken emotions - relief, guilt, and something deeper she couldn't name.
"Everyone, quick! To the hall!" Aman's sharp voice cut through the chaos as he lunged after Zephyr, their movements perfectly synchronized against the thrashing monstrosity.
The students didn't need to be told twice.
They scrambled toward the Assembly Hall in a panicked wave, skirting wide around the worm's still-buried segments that pulsed beneath the snow like some grotesque underground train.
Aeron shook off his momentary stupor, his eyes narrowing as he took up position at the rear of the fleeing group. His sword remained at the ready, scanning the churned earth for any sign of the worm's return while keeping the students moving forward.
Yet despite his vigilance, his gaze kept being drawn back to the battle unfolding in front of them.
Zephyr moved like liquid silver, his saber tracing glowing arcs through the air as he danced around the worm's snapping maw. Each strike sent sprays of dark ichor splattering across the snow, yet the beast showed no signs of slowing.
And Aman...
Aeron's grip tightened on his sword hilt.
The way that black-clad figure moved - it was impossible. No ordinary person could match that speed, that precision. They were clearly resonators.
They are so good...
The two of them fought like they'd been training together for decades, anticipating each other's movements without so much as a glance.
The worm reared back with an earth-shaking bellow, its circular maw expanding to twice its size as rows of teeth began spinning like a monstrous drill. Snow and dirt sprayed in all directions as it prepared to dive underground again.
"Not good," Aeron muttered, instinctively stepping between the beast and the last stragglers still making their way to safety. His muscles tensed, that familiar voice whispering again at the edges of his mind.
[Let me help, darling~]
He gritted his teeth.
"No!"
A sudden explosion erupted around the worm's head as Zephyr and Aman struck simultaneously from opposite sides. The creature shrieked, its charge interrupted, thrashing wildly as it tried to dislodge the two attackers now scaling its segmented body like vengeful spirits.
Livia and Emilia reached Luna at the hall's entrance, both turning back to watch the battle with wide eyes.
"Will they be okay?" Emilia asked, her bowstring creaking as she unconsciously drew it taut again.
Luna opened her mouth to respond when-
THOOM.
The earth trembled again—but this time, the vibration came from inside the barrier.
CRACK!
Stone shattered as a second monstrous maw erupted from beneath the Assembly Hall's courtyard—right where Luna, Livia, and Emilia stood.
The girls froze, their eyes widening in horror as the worm's spinning teeth lunged for them.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A portal tore open mid-air.
A black-clad figure dropped like a meteor, slamming feet-first onto the worm's skull with enough force to crater the stone beneath it. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, dust and debris exploding outward.
The worm thrashed, its maw pinned for a critical second—long enough for Aman to roar:
"RUN!"
Livia snapped out of her daze first, grabbing Luna and Emilia's arms. The three stumbled back as Aman moved with lethal precision.
His daggers flashed, carving two deep gashes along the worm's maw—black blood gushing like a geyser. The beast SCREECHED, its convulsions violent enough to shake the entire courtyard.
Aman didn't let up.
In one fluid motion, he backflipped off the worm's writhing body—and as he spun through the air, three glass vials slipped from his sleeves into his palm.
A flick of his wrist.
The vials shot into the worm's gaping mouth just as it reared back in pain.
Aman landed lightly, his daggers vanishing into his inventory.
[Blink]
He teleported into its blind spot.
Then—
[White Lotus: Fool Bloom.]
His palm struck the worm's hide in a deceptively gentle motion, his green aura flaring for just an instant.
The effect was anything but gentle.
BOOM.
The vials inside the worm detonated, their poisonous contents flooding its system. At the same time, Aman's palm strike sent a shockwave of pure force rippling through its body—rupturing organs, shattering bone-like cartilage from within.
The worm SCREAMED, its massive form twisting in agony before collapsing to the ground with a final, earth-shaking THUD.
Silence.
Then—
"Good work," Zephyr said, appearing beside Aman through a rippling portal.
Aman gave a slight nod, his masked face turning toward the other worm—now reduced to dozens of twitching, decapitated segments by Zephyr's blade.
Thankfully, I sensed the second one's life force inside the barrier.
If he hadn't intercepted it in time…
He pushed the thought away.
"We need to destroy the source," Aman said, voice low. "The fissure."
Just then, rapid footsteps crunched through the snow.
"L-Let me help you!"
Aeron skidded to a halt before them, his golden eyes burning with determination. His sword was still drawn, his posture tense but unwavering.
Zephyr studied him for a long moment, his brows furrowing slightly—as if weighing how to refuse.
But Aman spoke first.
"Alright," he said, meeting Aeron's gaze. "But don't do anything dangerous."
Aeron exhaled sharply, nodding in both appreciation and understanding.
Zephyr's hesitation lasted only a second longer before he, too, gave a curt nod. With a flick of his wrist, a fresh portal tore open before them, its edges crackling with the same aura.
Without another word, the three stepped through—
—and vanished.