"Roar!"
The engine howled hysterically, its deafening roar audible even from the very back of the bus.
Inside, everyone sat rigid with tension, eyes wide and unblinking as they stared ahead.
One after another, Ethereal hurled themselves at the vehicle, slamming against the undercarriage and jolting it violently. Some leapt onto the windshield, only to be brutally flung off by the bus's momentum. Passengers were tossed forward and back, their stomachs churning as if they'd lose their lunch at any moment.
Amid the chaos, Ellen slowly stirred awake. She instinctively touched her forehead and sucked in a sharp breath.
Several fresh bumps had appeared, and her usually striking face was pale with pain.
But as an experienced fighter, non-fatal injuries couldn't slow her down. Bracing herself with one hand on the driver's seat, she forced herself upright. Her tail shot backward, hooking against the seat to steady her balance.
She glanced forward and saw Ruby's profile—tense and strained, her whole face locked in effort. Sweat poured down her cheeks in rivulets, her delicate fingers blanched from gripping the wheel too hard, their tips flushed red from the pressure.
"Where's Phaga?"
Ellen scanned the cabin, but he was nowhere in sight.
Ruby didn't even turn her head, her eyes locked on the road. Her voice was clipped and tense:
"On the roof!"
Almost on cue, a bullet streaked down from above, trailing sparks before piercing clean through a four-legged Ethereal with a budding flower atop its head.
Ellen's eyes narrowed. She recognized it instantly—an Arlaune. A minor Ethereal, but one capable of firing Ether Bullets from its head-bloom.
Normally harmless, but right now it was more dangerous than most others. Only it could take out their tires from range.
Fortunately, Phaga had spotted it and blown it away with a single shot.
Clang!
Suddenly, a goblin smashed into the bus from the side. The entire vehicle lurched left, its right wheels lifting off the ground.
Everyone screamed as their bodies tilted with the bus, seatbelts straining to hold them in place while the bus teetered on the brink of flipping.
"Ruby, turn the wheel right!"
Ellen shouted over the chaos.
But Ruby wasn't moving. Ellen caught a glimpse of her pale face—her hands frozen in place on the steering wheel. She was paralyzed with fear, her mind blank.
"Tsk!"
Ellen clicked her tongue in irritation. She seized Ruby by the shoulders and slammed her back into the seat.
Ruby blinked as if waking from a dream, staring up in a daze. "Ellen?" she murmured.
But Ellen didn't waste a second. Gritting her teeth, she whipped her tail forward, hooking it firmly around the steering wheel. With a violent tug, she yanked it hard to the right.
Vrrrm—Screech!!!
The bus's tires straightened, then bit back down into the asphalt. The engine roared like a wild beast, its eight cylinders hammering like a giant heart as sparks burst from beneath and thick black smoke belched into the air.
Boom!
The right wheels slammed back onto the ground.
Ellen grabbed Ruby's hands and yanked hard. The driver's seatbelt buckle screeched before snapping free.
Ruby's face twisted with shock as Ellen dragged her bodily from the driver's seat and shoved her into the back.
By the time Ruby regained her senses, Ellen was already behind the wheel, her tail thoughtfully fastening Ruby's belt for her.
In her haste, Ellen accidentally flicked on the high beams. But that hardly mattered.
She straightened the wheel, centered the bus, and floored the accelerator.
Boom!
Like a great white shark tearing through the sea, her eyes gleamed coldly as she unleashed the power buried in her body. Blood surged like a tide, her strength erupting to its fullest. She smashed through the Ethereal before her without hesitation.
Not enough. Still not enough!
Ruby, cautious, would've weaved in an S-pattern to avoid danger. Ellen had no such restraint. With the pedal slammed down, she barreled through, crushing anything in her way.
...
Thud!
On the roof, Phaga was nearly flung off by the sudden impact. For the first time, surprise flickered in his calm eyes.
But his reflexes saved him. His fingers clawed deep into the metal like five blades, carving meter-long gouges into the roof before he steadied himself.
"Damn it! Has Ruby lost her mind? What kind of driving is this?!"
Phaga gritted his teeth, pressing a hand to his forehead as bone-deep exhaustion surged through his body, spreading with frightening speed.
No—his head was spinning too hard. He had to get out of the sun, now.
His gaze darted back. The sunroof was just behind him. With a sharp kick, he blew it open, released his grip, and slid down through the gap. The opening swallowed his body whole, dropping him safely back inside.
"Phaga, are you okay?!"
Nearby classmates rushed over at the sudden thud. Seeing who it was, they sighed in relief and quickly helped him to his feet.
"Yeah... I'm fine."
Propped up by their hands, Phaga staggered upright.
The moment he stepped into shadow, relief washed over him. They were still inside the Hollow, danger everywhere—but away from the sun, his chest felt lighter.
"Good, you're... Ah!!! Phaga, your face!"
His classmates' relief turned to horror.
"It's nothing. Just a minor thing. Normal."
Phaga's voice was steady, at odds with their reactions. Using the seats for balance, he made his way back to his place.
But when he sat down, Ellen was gone. Ruby was in her seat instead, still pale but forcing a smile.
"Phaga, you..."
Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened.
Phaga's complexion was ghastly, even paler than hers, completely drained of color. He looked sickly, as if all life had been leeched from him.
"I'm fine... just need a little rest."
Phaga muttered weakly, closing his eyes.
Ellen glanced at the overhead mirror and caught sight of his reflection. She snorted coldly.
"And you still claim it's not a skin allergy? I knew you couldn't handle the sun."
"It's not... a skin allergy..."
His voice was faint, too drained to argue.
"Still denying it? Even at your cremation, you'll be stubborn."
Ellen muttered, her tail stretching over to fasten his seatbelt for him.
"Thanks," Phaga murmured, before whispering back, "But I'm not being stubborn. I really don't have a skin allergy."
"Hmph. How old are you, still as stubborn as a kid?"
Ellen rolled her eyes, then her expression sharpened.
"We're about to cross a spatial rift. Everyone hold on tight!"
The students instantly grabbed anything within reach.
Even the exhausted Phaga found Ellen, cheeks faintly flushed, pushing her tail into his arms to steady him.
Boom!
The bus crashed into the rift, leaving the Ethereal far behind.
The next moment, it slammed down hard from a two-meter drop. Ellen gritted her teeth, clamping the wheel tight to hold steady.
Bang!!!
Sparks screeched across the ground as the blown-out tire scraped a ten-meter line before the bus finally came to a stop.