The Guardian's roar bent the ground beneath their feet.
A shockwave swept through the underground hall, throwing dust, stones, and fear into the air. Torches went out one by one, until only the sound of ragged breathing and the faint gleam of enchanted weapons remained.
— Defensive circle! — shouted Alexius, his voice cutting through the echo between the pillars.
The students moved on instinct. Sora raised a wall of ice before the group, the air around her cracking with sudden cold. Ichika sent roots bursting from the fractured floor, weaving them through the ice to reinforce it. The shadows recoiled for an instant, blinded by the bluish light escaping the spells.
The Guardian advanced.
Each step made the floor shiver; cracks stretched outward like breathing wounds. It had four long arms and a body that swayed between solid and smoke. Its eyes — two hollow abysses, too deep to reflect anything — locked onto Alexius.
— It's not just a shadow, — murmured Shirō, swallowing hard. — It's made of them. All of them.
— Then we'll unmake it, one by one, — Kidero replied, igniting his blade in living fire.
The flames illuminated the chamber, spreading like a breath. Heat revived courage. Mia stepped forward, gathering wind around herself, shaping it into a spiraling shield. Ayame clenched her teeth, electricity crackling across her gloves, and leapt beside Kidero.
The impact was brutal.
Their blades of fire and sparks tore through the Guardian's torso — but the shadow split into mist, only to reform behind them. It moved like living smoke, reassembling every time it was struck.
Arthur closed his eyes for a moment and felt the air distort.
Dimensional Magic pulsed beneath his skin, restless, eager to open. He breathed deep, forcing it down.
— Not yet... — he muttered.
Kazuko struggled nearby. The venom inside him boiled, reacting to the darkness saturating the place.
Alexius noticed.
He stepped in, touched the boy's sword, and a golden flame ran along the metal — bright enough to push the darkness back.
— Stay in the light, — he said shortly, before turning to block a strike from above.
Smaller shadows began to reappear along the walls, drawn by the chaos.
Yumiko lifted her hand, and the fallen stones around her floated, spinning before being hurled with telekinetic force — scattering the shadows in bursts of pale dust.
Misaki tried to copy Kidero's spell, but the heat was too intense; the blade in her hands melted, and she dropped to her knees, gasping.
— Don't push it! — Mia shouted, sending a gust of wind to repel two oncoming figures. — You'll burn your own mana!
Misaki nodded weakly and pulled back.
Above them, the pillars began to collapse. Dakenno raised both arms, summoning a wall of rock that caught part of the falling ceiling.
The sound of the crash mixed with the Guardian's growl — a sound that seemed to vibrate inside their skulls rather than in the air.
Tomomi shaped her water into spinning blades, cutting through mid-sized shadows. Sora froze the ones that slipped past, and Ayame shattered them moments later. Ichika made faintly glowing blue flowers bloom from the cracks, and for a few seconds, the hall seemed to breathe again.
But it didn't last.
The Guardian's darkness spread, crawling up the floor and the walls.
Chikako, trying to cast an illusion, watched it get absorbed — twisted — and a black replica of herself appeared behind her.
It lunged.
She fell, saved at the last second by Kensha, who released an arrow of pure light.
The impact lit the entire chamber — and for a heartbeat, the Guardian trembled.
— It worked! — Ichika yelled. — Keep it up!
But Kensha staggered, the bow dissolving into dust.
— That… that was all I had…
Ayame leapt forward, punching through the air to open a path for Arthur.
He sprinted ahead, dodging shadowy tentacles as the floor warped under his steps.
Sliding between cracks, vaulting over burning roots — when the Guardian swung an arm, Arthur slashed the air. A single, instinctive cut.
Space itself split, and the shadow was cleaved in two.
But the creature laughed — a low, muffled sound that rattled the walls and their bones alike.
The halves merged again, larger than before.
Alexius raised his hand, focusing the crystal's fire.
Flames spread outward in concentric circles, carving a barrier of light on the ground.
— Fall back! Stay inside the light! — he ordered.
They obeyed, forming the perimeter.
The shadow hesitated, halted by the brightness — but Alexius's energy wavered, draining too fast.
— Sensei, his mana's dropping! — Mia cried.
Arthur looked around. Everyone was exhausted.
Kazuko on one knee, Ayame wounded, Misaki barely conscious, Sanzu still holding the ceiling, Shirō silent with eyes fixed on the dark.
The shadows gathered beyond the circle, swirling, growing thicker.
One of them — a slender shape with pointed ears and elongated arms — paused before Arthur.
Something in that emptiness felt familiar, as if he'd seen it before, somewhere in time.
The shadow bent forward. The Guardian roared.
The light around their weapons flickered.
Alexius's fire faltered.
— Hold! — he barked, his voice raw. — Hold the line!
But the circle of light began to shrink, like a dying flame.
Shadows rose again — dozens, then hundreds.
The entire hall seemed to breathe darkness.
From above, a stone fell. The sound echoed like thunder.
Arthur looked up.
The Guardian had spread all four arms wide.
The final light went out.
— Retreat! — Alexius shouted.
But the roar came first.
The ground cracked open.
And the world collapsed upon them.