Arnold stepped in front of the trio, shielding them with his body.
"Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded, voice steady even as his fingers tightened into fists.
The hunched woman tilted her head, eyes gleaming with unsettling amusement. Her lips curled into a twisted smile.
"Me? Oh, I'm just a humble servant of our great and mighty God," she said, dragging her axe along the floor with a screech. "I'm here to give you all… salvation."
A chill ran down Arnold's spine, but he kept his voice level.
"What do you mean?"
The woman's smile widened. "You, you, you… Don't you know it's rude to address an elder like that?" She lifted her chin mockingly. "You may call me… Silvi."
Her gaze raked over him, sharp and knowing.
"Arnold, right?"
He froze. "...Yes. How do you know my name?"
"Oh, I knew it." Silvi's grin deepened. "I saw your name in the files. You're one of the ones we were told to recruit." She glanced past him. "Oh, is that Kaine back there? You were on the list too."
Arnold blinked in surprise, but before he could react, Silvi leaned forward like a predator scenting blood.
"But you, pretty boy… I don't feel like recruiting you."
Her voice hardened into venom.
"You're not good enough. You'll hurt girls with that face. You don't respect your elders."
She suddenly clutched the axe handle.
"You must die."
The weapon whipped through the air with a whistling arc. Arnold tried to dodge, but the blade grazed his arm, leaving a burning line of pain.
He didn't stop. He lunged forward, tackling Silvi with all his weight.
"Everyone—RUN!" he roared.
The students froze in shock, but instinct kicked in and they bolted for the door.
Silvi recovered quickly, her strength inhuman. She grabbed Arnold by the collar and slammed him against the wall hard enough to rattle his bones. Her hands closed around his throat.
"You pretty boys always have nasty personalities," she whispered in his ear. "But don't worry. It won't last long. The order was to recruit you… or kill you. The boss won't be happy, but he'll understand."
Arnold's vision darkened at the edges, his lungs screaming for air.
"But… there's something… you don't know," he rasped.
Silvi loosened her grip slightly, intrigued.
"And what's that?"
Arnold's lips curled faintly. He closed his eyes and whispered,
"[Shimmer]."
Golden light burst from his body, blinding in its brilliance. Silvi screamed, clutching her face and stumbling back.
Arnold sucked in a breath and sprinted out of her reach.
"Who would've thought this useless skill would come in handy… Thanks, Isaac," he muttered under his breath.
But his escape was cut short—something yanked him off his feet. A cold chain wrapped tight around his leg.
"How dare you!" Silvi shrieked from the far end of the hallway. "I knew it—pretty boys always cheat and hurt girls. You MUST die!"
Arnold clawed at the chain, trying to break free.
A small rock whizzed past his head—then smacked Silvi right in the forehead. She staggered.
Arnold turned and saw Liam, standing with a pile of stones, pelting her again and again. Behind him, Maya and Leo appeared. Maya grabbed Arnold by the arm, hauling him up, while Leo hammered the chain with a dull training sword.
With each strike, the metal links weakened until Arnold managed to slip free.
"Thanks," Arnold said, catching his breath. He held out a hand to Leo. "I can take it from here."
Leo hesitated, but handed him the sword.
Silvi's voice turned into a banshee scream. "STOP IT, YOU LITTLE FREAKS!"
Arnold tightened his grip on the sword. "I'm not supposed to use this skill," he muttered, more to himself than them.
He raised the weapon, feet planted. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Silent Slash."
He vanished in the blink of an eye.
A heartbeat later, Arnold stood behind Silvi. The sword in his hands crumbled into fragments, blood dripping from his palms and feet.
"My body… still can't handle this skill," he said with a smirk. "But at least… I silenced you."
Silvi swayed, confusion flashing in her eyes—then a gaping hole where her heart used to be blossomed crimson. She collapsed without another word.