The class president helped Ruby to her feet, then dashed back into the classroom building, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Ruby, how could you lead us here? There are so many Ethereals... Ahhh!!!"
Before he could finish, a purple Ether shot streaked straight toward him, slamming into the wall beside him with a loud crack. The wall blackened instantly, bricks and tiles scattering to the ground.
"Sorry! But I'm just an apprentice Proxy! Ahh—Ellen, save me!"
The panicked novice Proxy scrambled desperately, rolling and stumbling to dodge the Ethereal's strikes, tears streaming down her face as she fled in a mess of confusion toward the building's interior.
...
Twenty minutes earlier.
At that time, Phaga, Ellen, and the others had already followed the Proxy out of the classroom building.
Ellen immediately suggested heading for the gymnasium, reasoning that once they found Lycaon, moving forward would be much easier.
But the gym doors were locked tight, and there was no way to tell what was happening inside.
What they could see, however, was an endless sea of Ethereals swarming the entrance. Black masses stretched as far as the eye could see, like a plague of locusts.
The group had planned to quietly turn back, but then one Ethereal suddenly twisted its head toward them.
ROAR!
Its deafening bellow roused the others, who turned their cores to face them. Vacant eyes locked onto the group, scanning them up and down.
The two sides stared in silence, killing intent thick in the air.
Phaga yanked Ruby by the sleeve, shoving her forward and yelling, "What are you standing there for? Run!"
His shout jolted the group awake—and stirred the Ethereals fully.
A beam of purple light shot straight at Ruby.
Phaga blocked it with his umbrella. In the chaos, he shouted, "Protect the Proxy first!"
Ruby's eyes widened and she sprinted away.
Her classmates followed close behind. The class president, understanding his command, placed himself deliberately at Ruby's side to shield her.
The Ethereals surged forward like mad, their scythe-like arms flashing dangerously. A century-old tree planted on school grounds collapsed with a crash, immediately trampled into the dirt by the stampede.
One Ethereal lunged out from the horde, its scythe-like claws stretched toward Ruby's back.
The class president tried to pull her away—but he was too late.
Just as the strike was about to land, a long tail suddenly swept across its vision. Everything went black, its body spun violently, and it was hurled backward, crashing into the ground.
Ellen straightened, rubbing her tail with a click of her tongue.
Damn it. Having to rely on my tail because I don't have a weapon is such a pain!
The school rules should've changed ages ago. Why the hell can't I bring scissors?
Speaking of weapons...
Ellen glanced sideways. Phaga was shading his eyes from the sun with one hand, while his umbrella—meant to block the sunlight—was now lowered, its tip aimed at the charging Ethereals.
Only now did the Ethereals notice the umbrella's tip wasn't solid—it was a dark, hollow opening.
Phaga pressed a button, and flames burst forth. Dazzling fire spewed from the hollow tip, scorching the Ethereals and forcing them back.
Ellen felt her frustration flare again.
Unbelievable. The school won't let me carry scissors, but he gets to bring a fire-breathing umbrella?!
But there was no time to stew over it. She rolled her wrist, stepping forward in her small leather shoes.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, a hand seized her wrist. Ellen whipped her head around at lightning speed—just in time to catch a flash of cold steel before her eyes.
When her vision cleared, a long blade was being pressed into her hands, its hilt nudged against Ellen's chest.
"You can use a blade, right?"
Phaga didn't look at her, his eyes locked firmly on a large-headed Ethereal in the distance, its core pulsing with purple light.
"Mhm."
Ellen instinctively took the weapon. Seeing the characters "Kunmutu" engraved on the hilt, her eyes flickered with recognition.
Wait...
Wasn't this the handle of Phaga's umbrella?
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed it—sure enough, the umbrella was now shorter.
Heh... So it looks like an umbrella, but it's actually a flamethrower. And the handle hides a blade.
Should I tell Lycaon? I'd love a disguised weapon like that.
But thoughts were fleeting—her movements didn't stop. With a flick of her wrist, Ellen sliced off one Ethereal's arm, then sent it flying with a kick.
Meanwhile, the large-headed Ethereal completed its charge. Dozens of purple orbs launched like cannon fire, crashing down with overwhelming force.
Phaga narrowed his eyes and shifted his stance, but after glancing up at the sun, he muttered in resignation, "It's on you. I'll cover."
"Tsk, I don't need it."
Ellen snorted, stepping forward. She rested the long blade on her shoulder, pushed off with her toes—
Physical Shark, Charge!
She sprinted ahead, slashing one purple orb apart, then cleaving another away. She ducked under an Ethereal's strike, arched upward, and let her powerful tail vault her into the air.
Mid-air, she struck with a split kick, sending two Ethereals flying. Her blade came down with a flash of cold steel—half of a thin Ethereal's body vanished in an instant.
Behind her, Phaga lurked, concealed by Ellen's fierce presence. While all attention was fixed on her, he had already mapped and calibrated the flames' route.
By the time the Ethereals realized, blazing firewalls had erupted like barriers across the battlefield, their scorching heat stopping them dead.
The flames spread hungrily, searing their bodies. They collapsed without a sound, disintegrating into glittering motes that drifted upward...
Like fireworks flowing against the current.
Phaga cast a sidelong glance. Amidst the burning glow, Ellen stomped through the fire, her little leather shoes striking the ground as the flames painted her face a brilliant red.
"Stop searching. They're all gone. Let's find the Proxy."
Phaga raised his umbrella. Now shorter, it forced him to hold it at shoulder height.
"She has a name—it's Ruby!"
Ellen glanced around, confirmed no Ethereals remained, and started toward the building.
"Ruby! Ruby, where are you?"
Ellen's voice echoed as she called out, leading the way.
Phaga followed behind, reattaching the blade hilt back into the umbrella.
"Strange... why isn't Ruby answering?"
Ellen frowned, puzzled.
There shouldn't be any Ethereals left inside—if there were, screams would've already rung out.
Phaga finally reassembled the umbrella and caught up to her.
As he approached, Ellen felt the sunlight vanish. Her face was half-shadowed as she crossed her arms and asked, "What, are you allergic to the sun? Why always the umbrella?"
"Not allergic. Just don't like it."
Phaga replied casually, tracing their classmates' footprints along the corridor.
"Hurry and find your friend. Otherwise... you might have to look for a new one."
Ellen's lips twitched at the jab. She rolled her eyes and jogged a few steps to catch up.