The explosion echoed again.
Then another.
BOOM—!!
The entire Citadel trembled violently. Students screamed as alarms suddenly blared across every corridor. Red emergency lights flickered on.
WARNING. WARNING. ANOMALY BREACH DETECTED.
The peaceful atmosphere shattered instantly.
Royoshi's eyes narrowed. "…This isn't normal."
Ishara was already standing.
Outside—more explosions. Screams. The sound of metal collapsing.
Then—
A horrifying roar echoed through the Citadel. Students panicked immediately.
"RUN—!"
"GET TO THE BUNKERS!"
"THE BARRIERS WERE BREACHED—!"
The emergency system activated. Hidden bunker doors opened throughout the Citadel grounds.
Teachers and soldiers rushed students away. But Royoshi didn't move. Neither did Ishara.
Their eyes met briefly. Then—they ran. Not toward safety. Toward chaos.
The hallway shook beneath their feet as they sprinted through the Citadel.
Another explosion erupted nearby. Smoke filled the upper corridors.
Royoshi clenched his fists.
"…That pressure."
Ishara's expression darkened slightly.
"…It's her."
Another roar shook the Citadel. The windows beside them shattered instantly.
CRASH—!!
Students screamed louder.
Royoshi and Ishara kept running. Down the emergency stairways. Past injured soldiers. Past collapsing walls. The deeper they went—the heavier the air became.
Then—they reached one of the outer balconies overlooking the central grounds and froze.
The Citadel—was burning.
Smoke rose into the sky. Buildings cracked apart. Fires spread across multiple sectors.
Anomalies flooded the grounds endlessly.
Large ones. Small ones. Winged ones.
Dark Shuryoku covered everything like corruption spreading through the air itself.
Soldiers charged forward desperately.
"Hold the line—!"
BOOM—!!
An anomaly slammed into them instantly.
Bodies were thrown across the battlefield.
Another soldier fired a concentrated Shuryoku blast directly into a creature's chest.
The anomaly exploded apart. Then—regenerated seconds later.
Royoshi's eyes narrowed sharply.
"They're reforming."
Ishara noticed it too.
"No matter how many they destroy…"
A pause.
"They keep coming back."
Then—
At the center of the battlefield—
A familiar figure stood calmly amidst the destruction.
Maris.
Dark Shuryoku spiraled around Maris like a living storm.
The anomalies moved around her naturally. Like she commanded them.
Her eyes slowly lifted. Straight toward Royoshi.
A smile formed. Cold. Satisfied.
"…Found you."
The pressure intensified instantly.
Royoshi felt his body tense automatically.
Maris stepped forward slowly.
"This time—"
Another step.
"You're coming with me."
Ishara immediately stepped beside Royoshi.
"Not happening."
Maris barely looked at her.
"This time, even Rikishu won't save you."
Silence.
Ishara frowned slightly.
"…Rikishu?"
Royoshi answered quickly.
"Ignore her."
Below them—the battlefield worsened rapidly.
Citadel forces continued rushing in, but the anomalies overwhelmed them again and again.
Some soldiers were crushed instantly. Others collapsed from the pressure alone.
Royoshi clenched his fists tightly.
"We have to help."
Without hesitation—
They jumped down toward the battlefield.
But suddenly—
"Stop."
A calm voice cut through the chaos.
Pasithea.
She stood before them. Her golden hair moved softly in the burning wind. Her expression remained calm. But dangerous.
Gun-shaped Shuryoku weapons formed around her arms through compressed energy.
Pure Shuryoku gathered around the barrels of her weapon. The pressure around Pasithea alone pushed nearby anomalies back slightly.
"No student should be dealing with this."
Royoshi frowned immediately.
"But—"
"Go to the bunkers." Her voice sharpened slightly.
Then—
She moved.
FAST.
BOOM—!!
A blast of pure Shuryoku erupted across the battlefield.
Dozens of anomalies disappeared instantly.
Pasithea moved again. Another shot. Another explosion. Another wave erased effortlessly.
Royoshi's eyes widened slightly.
"…She's strong."
Ishara stayed silent. Even she looked surprised.
Pasithea walked calmly through the battlefield. Every movement precise. Every shot was deadly.
The anomalies couldn't even touch her.
Royoshi and Ishara stepped slightly to the side, watching the battlefield unfold.
Pasithea continued overpowering every anomaly in her path.
But even then—
More kept appearing.
Though now—
Slightly slower.
Maris smiled coldly.
"You can't stop this, Pasithea."
Pasithea fired another blast without hesitation.
"Oh yes, I can."
BOOM—!!
Another group of anomalies disappeared instantly.
She kept advancing. Getting closer and closer to Maris.
Every step carried overwhelming pressure.
The battlefield itself seemed to split around her.
Anomalies rushed forward desperately—
Only to be erased moments later.
Royoshi watched carefully.
"…She's overwhelming them."
Ishara nodded slightly.
"But Maris still isn't worried."
Royoshi noticed it too.
Maris hadn't moved. Not once. She simply watched. Smiling.
Then—
Maris slowly raised one hand.
"Very well."
Dark Shuryoku spread outward violently.
The ground beneath her cracked apart. The sky above darkened slightly.
And suddenly—
The number of anomalies exploded. Hundreds appeared across the battlefield instantly.
Winged anomalies descended from above.
Massive creatures burst through the ground below. The pressure doubled. Then tripled.
Several soldiers collapsed immediately.
"—GHH…!"
"We can't hold them—!"
Pasithea's eyes sharpened slightly.
But—she still didn't stop.
BOOM—!!
Another pure Shuryoku blast erupted from her weapon.
Entire rows of anomalies vanished instantly.
She moved through the battlefield like a storm of light. Every shot precise. Every movement flawless.
Anomalies rushed from every direction—
Only to be destroyed seconds later.
Royoshi watched in silence.
"…She's unbelievable."
Even Ishara looked stunned.
Pasithea pushed forward relentlessly.
Closer.
Closer toward Maris.
Then—
Maris smiled wider.
"There you are."
Suddenly—
She vanished.
Pasithea's eyes widened slightly.
Too late.
BOOM—!!
A massive force slammed into Pasithea from the side.
She was launched backward violently.
CRASH—!!
Her body smashed through a stone wall. The entire structure cracked apart. Dust exploded everywhere.
"MS. PASITHEA—!!"
Royoshi instinctively stepped forward.
From the rubble—
Pasithea slowly stood again. Blood ran down the side of her face. Her weapon flickered slightly.
Maris walked forward calmly. Dark Shuryoku twisted around her like living darkness.
"So this is the so-called legendary savior?"
A pause.
"Pathetic."
Pasithea wiped the blood from her mouth.
Then—
She raised her weapon again.
"I've heard worse."
BOOM—!!
Another blast fired directly toward Maris.
Maris raised one hand casually. The attack split apart instantly.
Royoshi's eyes widened.
"She blocked that?!"
Maris smiled coldly.
"You were always weaker than him."
Silence.
Pasithea froze.
Just for a second. That was enough.
Maris thrust her hand forward violently.
"TAKE THIS, PASITHEA!!"
A gigantic sphere of dark Shuryoku formed instantly.
Larger than before. Denser. More destructive.
The air distorted around it violently.
Then—
She fired. The blast tore across the battlefield like a meteor.
Everything in its path was shattered.
Pasithea's eyes widened.
Too fast.
She raised both arms instinctively to defend herself.
But even she knew—
This wouldn't be enough.
The sphere rushed closer. Closer and closer.
Then—it stopped.
Silence.
The gigantic blast trembled violently in midair.
Dark Shuryoku spiraled wildly around one outstretched arm.
Absorbing. Consuming.
Pasithea slowly opened her eyes.
A figure stood before her.
Royoshi.
Blood dripped slowly from his arm.
Dark energy flowed violently through his body.
For one brief moment—
From behind—
He looked exactly like him.
Pasithea's breath caught slightly.
"…Rikishu?"
But no.
This was Royoshi.
Royoshi gritted his teeth as the dark Shuryoku surged through him violently.
Dark veins spread across his arm briefly. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
But slowly—
The corrupted energy began changing. Purifying itself.
Converting into his own Shuryoku.
BOOM—!!
A violent surge exploded outward from his body.
The pressure shook the battlefield itself.
Nearby anomalies staggered backward instantly.
Royoshi slowly lowered his arm.
Pure and dark Shuryoku flowed around him together.
Unstable. Powerful.
Maris smiled wider.
"The rat walked directly into the cat's trap."
Royoshi's eyes hardened.
"This time—"
A pause.
"The rat will not get captured."
Maris laughed softly.
"You can try, Royoshi Kairo."
Royoshi didn't look away from her.
"Ishara."
She stepped closer immediately.
"Take Ms. Pasithea somewhere safe."
Ishara frowned.
"And leave you alone?"
"I'll handle her."
Pasithea tried standing fully again but staggered slightly.
Royoshi kept his gaze locked on Maris.
"Please."
A pause.
Ishara clicked her tongue softly.
"…Fine."
She carefully helped Pasithea away from the center of the battlefield.
But Pasithea's eyes remained fixed on Royoshi.
That Shuryoku. That presence. That feeling. Too familiar.
Then—
Ishara returned.
Shuryoku gathered around her hands immediately.
She stepped beside Royoshi calmly.
"He's not alone this time."
Silence.
Maris smiled.
Cold. Cruel.
"Oh?"
The ground beneath her cracked apart further.
The anomalies behind her roared violently.
"Then let's see…"
Dark Shuryoku exploded outward from her body.
"How long will the two of you survive."