CHAPTER 118: THE AFTERSHOCK

Coleen’s screams tore through the sudden, horrifying mayhem, desperate. "Eirin! Eirin!" She lunged forward, her arms outstretched, a frantic, futile attempt to get closer to the shattered concrete ring, to reach her friend.

Trixtan moved faster, his reflexes honed by countless brawls. He immediately got a hold of her, his firm grip, pulling her back just as a monstrous, bird-like creature, its talons gleaming, swooped low, nearly snatching her. "We need to hide, Coco!" he yelled, his voice strained above the shrieks and roars, trying to pull her away from the gaping maw of the ruined barrier.

Tears streamed down Coleen’s face, hot tracks through the dust that now coated her skin. Her body trembled, wracked by fear and helplessness. "E-Ei got—she got taken away by those monsters!" she choked out, twisting in Trixtan’s grasp, her tear-filled eyes wide and pleading as she faced him. "You’ve got to help her, quick! Please, Trix!"

Trixtan looked up, his gaze sweeping the tumultuous sky, but it was too chaotic. Giant, shadowy shapes dipped and soared amidst the black miasma that boiled from the breach, making it impossible to discern which bird had seized Eirin, where it might be carrying her.

"Okay, I’ll chase after her," he promised. "But for now, you have to get inside. It’s not safe out here."

With a powerful surge, he pulled Coleen from the exposed bleachers, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her towards the safety of the main building of the academy, dodging falling debris and swooping monsters as he ran.

The academy grounds had transformed into a battlefield. Scarlett Jenkins, a furious whirlwind of arcane power, and Mr. Blade, his usual theatricality replaced by grim determination, were at the forefront, doing their best to subdue the torrent of grotesque creatures pouring from the sky.

Scarlett’s hands glowed with emerald light, sending pulses of energy that incinerated the monsters, while Mr. Blade, channeling his mana, conjured swirling gusts of wind, desperately trying to push back the encroaching tide. But they were too much of a force, their numbers seemingly endless.

The monsters were also releasing miasma everywhere, a thick, black vapor that seeped into the very ground, choking the air, making it heavy and suffocating, and hindering the professors.

All professors had arrived, their faces grim, their powers unleashed, trying to help, creating defensive shields and launching counterattacks. Some of the braver, or perhaps more foolish, students were also fighting the monsters, their individual mana sparking in the dimming, miasma-choked light, while Scarlett, her face strained, her brow beaded with sweat, used all her formidable mana to restore the shattered barrier, channeling immense energy into mending it all.

The moment Coleen was safely inside the main building, ushered into a panic room with other terrified students, Trixtan rushed back outside, his eyes fixed on the barrier’s breach. He had to find Eirin. But as he looked up, he saw Scarlett, her powers flaring. Her ability was too powerful, too swift. She was already close to restoring the barrier to its original, impenetrable state, weaving the fractured light back into a solid dome.

"Wait! Eirin got taken away!" Trixtan shouted, his voice hoarse, desperate to reach her, to make her stop. But he was too late. Just as he arrived in front of her, Scarlett finished. With a final, blinding surge of emerald light, the barrier snapped shut, a perfect, seamless dome of shimmering energy once more. The sky above was now clear, sealed, but Eirin was on the other side.

From her chair, Queen Regina stood, her eyes wide as she looked up at the barrier, then at the chaos below. All this horrifying catastrophe was unfolding, the academy under siege, but Azaleia Carlisle, seated gracefully on her own chair beside the Queen, remained unbothered.

A faint, almost invisible smile played on her lips, and she watched the entire unfolding trouble as if she were merely an audience to a meticulously staged play, her gaze detached and cold.

Scarlett wiped the sweat from her temple with the back of her hand, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion, but her eyes remained sharp, scanning the ravaged grounds. "What did you say Trixtan? Where the heck is...?" Before she could complete her sentence, her gaze landed on the center of the concrete ring, and she noticed an ominous, pulsating energy emanating from Shade Cromwell. He was screaming, almost an inhuman sound, clutching his head, his body writhing on the ground.

The students who had dared to watch him, who once adored his power and charisma, now recoiled in terror. He was not himself. His eyes kept changing from their usual dark hue to a terrifying, malevolent red, then back to black, a rapid, unnatural flicker that spoke of an internal struggle.

Fear, cold and insidious, began to creep into the hearts of those who once admired him, replacing adoration with dread. The miasma was overwhelming him, poisoning his very core.

"I NEED TO GO AFTER HER. NOW!" Shade snarled, his voice a distorted growl, his body convulsing, the words barely coherent through his agony. He tried to push himself up, his limbs trembling uncontrollably.

Scarlett massaged her temple, a weary sigh escaping her lips. "Get a hold of him, Trixtan." She ordered, her gaze fixed on Shade’s thrashing form. Trixtan stared at Scarlett, then pointed to himself, a question in his eyes. "Yes, you, Trixtan Laxford," Scarlett confirmed, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

"You know what to do in this situation. We already went through this many times, haven’t we?" Her tone implied a dark history, a familiar, painful ritual.

Trixtan bit his lower lip, his gaze flickering from Scarlett to the now-sealed sky, the barrier that imprisoned Eirin on the outside. He wanted to help Eirin, to chase after her as soon as possible, but he couldn’t do it without Scarlett’s help. And right now, Scarlett needed to subdue Shade before his miasma-induced rage consumed him completely, before he became worse, a threat to everyone. His heart ached with the impossible choice.

"Hurry!" Scarlett urged, her voice strained, her hands already glowing faintly, preparing for the taxing task.

Trixtan sighed before turning his attention to the remaining monsters within the academy grounds. His lightning Flair flared, efficient and brutal, as he moved with blinding speed, eliminating the stragglers, ensuring the immediate safety of the remaining students.

Once the last creature fell, a cloud of dissipated black smoke, Scarlett flicked Trixtan’s hand, a sudden surge of emerald energy enveloping him. A shimmering shield, almost invisible, materialized around him, protecting him from the corrosive miasma radiating from Shade’s convulsing body.

The young man then held his friend down, grappling with Shade’s thrashing limbs, trying not to look at his contorted, pain-ridden face as much as possible, the sight twisting his gut.

"Hold him tight. This won’t be quick, and it won’t be easy," Scarlett warned, her emerald green eyes glowing with an intense, otherworldly light as she raised both her hands above Shade’s head. She took a deep, fortifying breath, her face set in a mask of intense concentration, and began to channel her mana, forcing the dark miasma out of Shade’s body, purifying it through her own potent mana. The air around them crackled with invisible energy, a struggle between light and shadow.

Shade screamed, a prolonged, agonizing sound, trying to get out of Trixtan’s firm hold. His muscles bulged, his body arched in defiance. But Trixtan pushed him down, his faze grazing on the concrete of the ring, a desperate, pained grunt escaping his lips.

"I’m sorry," Trixtan kept repeating, his voice barely a whisper, as he bit his lower lip until he tasted blood. "You can do it. Fight it," he whispered, tears stringing his own eyes as he pushed Shade further, hindering his every attempt to get away.

Scarlett sighed, a deep, cleansing breath, as soon as she cleansed all the remaining miasma in the air, the dark, oppressive energy finally gone. Shade still lay on the ground, coughing violently, his body trembling from the ordeal, exhausted from all the screaming he did.

Trixtan quickly got out of the way, releasing Shade, his face pale. "We need to help Eirin now. Those monsters got her," he turned to Scarlett, his voice urgent, his eyes fixed on the sky.

The woman, with a weary sigh, cleaned a smudge of grime from her pristine white lab gown, her movements unhurried, almost dismissive. "She’s a goner now. Leave her be." Her words were chillingly indifferent, devoid of emotion, a contrast to Trixtan’s desperate plea.

"I’m going after her," Shade said, his voice raspy, still weak, but a fierce, undeniable resolve in his eyes as he struggled to push himself up, his muscles aching.

The two, Trixtan and Scarlett, turned to Shade, surprised by his unwavering determination despite his obvious physical and energetic depletion. His disheveled hair, the dark smudges under his eyes, and his trembling limbs painted a clear picture of his weakened state.

Scarlett chuckled, a short, humorless sound. "Look at yourself," she said, looking down at the young man, her gaze sharp and unforgiving. "Do you think you can save her? You can’t even save yourself right now."