The grand halls of Sabharangam Castle still echoed with massive, thunderous applause as Jane was gently carried away. Every student stood with a profound mixture of lingering concern and great pride, watching her pass. The Inimainashi Sisters closely accompanied her alongside their disciples.
Yet, the danger was far from over.
The shockwave of the crimson thread had left a residual trauma in the air. Several younger children and students completely panicked, crying out in terror as the violent blue threads of their fear erupted into a frantic storm. The grand sabharangam hall buzzed with a volatile, dangerous mix of leftover adrenaline. As the panic rippled through the hall, the students in the lower hall were swept into the emotional vortex, breaking down into tears.
The faculty members of Mounagiri immediately realized the situation was spiraling out of control for the Inimainashi Sisters to handle alone. High on the podium, the Madhabucho and the Headmistress gave a sharp nod—the ultimate GO signal.
Faculty Durai stepped forward, his authoritative voice cutting through the noise as he directed the sisters. "Take the first affected children to a safe, peaceful room in the Gakuen! We must settle the source of this emotional storm immediately!"
An Inimainashi sister shouted back over the howling wind of chaotic energy, "But they are in an absolute crisis mode! If we force them to move right now, their volatile threads will backfire on us and shatter their cores!"
"Understood!" Durai responded, stepping closer to the barrier. "We contain them here. Surround the children with Anzenveli so the storm cannot spread any further than it already has!"
The Inimainashi Sisters immediately agreed, swiftly rushing toward the roaring core of the panic storm. Four sisters took up precise positions at the four cardinal corners of the vortex.
Clasping their hands together into a unified prayer position, they focused their spiritual energy and sang the ancient chant in perfect unison:
"Mounagiri, grant us the blessing and guidance to protect and preserve peace"
"MOUNAGIRI GIJUTSU — ANZENVELI!"
Brilliant green threads shot outward from two diagonal corners, while radiant pink threads erupted from the opposite two sides, racing to weave a protective, stabilizing barrier. The storm, however, was incredibly ferocious.
The panic of the children thrashed wildly, sending out violent shockwaves that threatened to shatter the Anzenveli before it could even fully form.
"The barrier is destabilizing!" one of the sisters cried out, sweat pouring down her face. "We need support immediately!"
Faculty Durai didn't hesitate. Stepping directly into the blast radius, he extended his arms, throwing his own fierce energy into the fray.
"MOUNAGIRI GIJUTSU — MOUNAVELI!" Durai commanded.
Vibrant, blazing orange threads erupted from his palms. They didn't strike the storm with blunt force; instead, they shot forward, vibrating at the same hyper-rapid, jagged wavelength as the children's frantic panic.
The orange strands wrapped around the core of the storm, locking onto the chaotic blue frequencies.
Then, Durai took a deep, grounding breath. Using absolute spiritual dominance, he forced his orange threads to steadily slow their vibration, dragging the children's erratic wavelengths down into a calm rhythm. Simultaneously, the orange threads widened into heavy, warm bands of light, applying a dense, calming weight directly over the core—effectively triggering a deep relaxation that overrode their panicked fight-or-flight instincts. The chaotic noise of the room was instantly filtered out, muting the sensory overload.
With the core successfully suppressed and grounded, the Anzenveli safety field locked into place. The pink and green lattice completely enveloped the children, emitting a soothing, resonant frequency that gently massaged their frayed threads. Within moments, the roaring storm faded away into absolute stillness. Exhausted and entirely comforted by the deep-pressure energy, the children collapsed softly onto the floor, falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.
"Well done, Durai Seishiki. That was a magnificent save," the Inimainashi Sisters breathed a sigh of relief.
Durai wiped his brow, his orange threads receding into his sleeves. "No problem. But our work is far from over. Let's move them."
The remaining children who were still weeping were gently guided toward the Shizumanam-Aiwa room for emotional grounding, while the children who had fallen into the deep, trauma-induced sleep were carefully transported into the main Shizumanam medical wing.
High in the gallery, Kodo was still resting in Tamara's arms.
Looking down at the heartbreaking spectacle below, a surge of pure rage and helplessness overtook him.
He forced himself to his feet, but his body absolutely refused to cooperate with his depleted threads. His vision spun, and he collapsed right back down onto the stone floor.
"Take rest, Kodo," Tamara said gently, catching him before he hit the ground. "You've done more than enough. Recovering someone from a direct crimson binding takes a massive, near-fatal toll." She leaned down close to his ear, her voice dropping to a protective whisper. "Even the elite Saradzkuri Seishinki themselves have immense difficulty with that level of thread training. You did incredibly well."
Tom stepped closer, looking at his friend with a mixture of awe and concern. "Yeah, Kodo. I don't know what exactly happened out there, but you definitely unleashed something massive."
Kodo gritted his teeth, his voice a trembling whisper as he looked up at Tamara. "Why... why did this have to happen? Why is Eiroh doing something so horrific?"
Tamara's golden threads flickered somberly as she leaned in closer. "He is doing this for Noolzai. It is a direct command from his Order. If he doesn't fulfill his act, he will..."
"He will what?" Kodo demanded, his eyes wide. "What could possibly happen to him that is worse than the turmoil and pain he is causing to Mounagiri right now?"
Tamara's whisper was chillingly grave. "Yes, this turmoil is terrible, Kodo. But if Eiroh fails his mission, his entire existence, his very threads, will be permanently erased from reality."
Kodo gasped in absolute shock. "What?! What are you saying, Tamara? Are you actually defending him? Supporting the very person who bound Tom and caused all of this madness?!"
"I am not defending his actions," Tamara said gently, her eyes full of sorrow. "But when I confronted him, I didn't just feel malice. I sensed a hidden layer of blue threads deep inside his aura. They were screaming for help, filled with a profound sense of longing and a desperate desire for connection."
Kodo stared at her, completely stunned. "Really? That cold, glacial mongoose? You mean to tell me, he's also trapped by his own threads?"
"He might be," Tamara replied softly, looking down at the quiet arena. "But the approach and the methods he is choosing to use are the exact opposite of yours. You use your light to protect; he uses his darkness to survive."
Kodo's expression hardened, a newfound resolve igniting in his chest. "Then we have to stop him. We have to save Mounagiri, and we have to stop him before he destroys himself."
Tamara offered a small, reassuring smile. "Yes, we will. But for now, your only job is to recover. Our own section's trial will be called soon. Until then, we must wait patiently."
Tom looked between the two of them, completely flustered as he crossed his arms. "What on earth are you two muttering about over there?"
Kodo and Tamara exchanged a glance, answering perfectly in unison, "Nothing really!"
Tom huffed, a slight smirk playing on his face. "Wow. Okay, at least that response was in perfect sync."
With the panic contained, the massive Sabharangam Castle finally fell into a profound, respectful silence. The remaining students settled back into their designated areas alongside the Madhabucho, the Headmistress, and the rest of the faculty.
The Headmistress stepped gracefully onto the central podium, her thread-lantern casting a warm, reassuring glow over the assembly.
"My dear Mounagiri Gakuen," her voice resonated beautifully throughout the hall. "Yes, this was an unfortunate and deeply trying situation for our beloved children and students. But rest assured, they are currently safe in the gentle hands of our Shizumanam and the Inimainashi Sisters."
She paused, bowing deeply to the crowd.
"Let us all maintain a brief moment of silence to center our hearts, and then we shall proceed with our trial. I do apologize if it seems harsh to carry forward with the advancements, but I ask you to trust Mounagiri, and to trust us."
In a magnificent display of unity, the entire student body of Mounagiri raised their hands in unison, their colorful threads intertwining in the air as they loudly declared their absolute support.
The Madhabucho and the Headmistress let out a slight, quiet sigh of relief, a single tear of gratitude slipping down the Headmistress's cheek."Thank you," the Headmistress said softly, straightening up with renewed authority. "Let us proceed with the trial. I request our Inimainashi Sisters to guide the next group of students into the trial area."