The moment the Calamity-Class finished growing, the atmosphere of the battlefield changed completely.
The creature towered over the neighborhood like a living disaster.
Four stories tall.
Its enormous body blocked portions of the night sky, casting an unnatural shadow across the street. Houses that moments ago had seemed normal now looked fragile and insignificant beside it.
The black flames burning across its chest continued to spread slowly over its body.
Yet rather than weakening the monster—
The flames appeared to be angering it.
The Calamity-Class released another shriek.
The sound echoed throughout the district.
Windows that had somehow survived the previous attacks finally shattered.
The nearest buildings trembled.
Pieces of concrete rained from rooftops.
Even the ground beneath everyone's feet vibrated.
Yuma clenched his fists.
His heart pounded against his chest.
No amount of training could have prepared him for something like this.
No classroom.
No exercise.
No sparring session.
Nothing.
This wasn't merely a powerful poltergeist.
This was a catastrophe given form.
Beside him, Stud stared upward.
For once, there wasn't a single joke on his face.
"...This is bad."
Yuma didn't reply.
Because he already knew.
The creature's hollow face slowly turned.
Its attention moved away from Alumna.
Away from the burning wound across its chest.
Away from everything else.
And settled upon Serena.
The moment it happened—
Stud's expression changed.
"Oh no."
The Calamity-Class moved.
One of its enormous arms rose into the air.
Black tendrils twisted together around the limb, forming a gigantic claw-like hand.
The monster reached downward.
Toward Serena.
Toward the girl it had hunted for years.
Toward the survivor who had escaped it once.
The air screamed as the massive appendage descended.
"SERENA!"
Yuma shouted.
His voice echoed through the ruined street.
"MOVE!"
Serena didn't react.
Not because she hadn't heard him.
Not because she wasn't paying attention.
She simply couldn't move.
Her entire body had frozen.
The gigantic hand rushing toward her disappeared from her vision.
The ruined neighborhood disappeared.
The battlefield disappeared.
The present disappeared.
All Serena could see was rain.
Cold rain.
Endless rain.
A small girl stumbled through a destroyed alley.
Her clothes were torn.
Her hands were scraped and bleeding.
The world around her was dark.
Terrifyingly dark.
The screams had stopped.
The Geists who had come to protect her were gone.
One after another.
Twenty-one of them.
Gone.
She remembered their faces.
Some had smiled at her.
Some had promised she would be safe.
Some had told her everything would be okay.
None of them survived.
The monster had killed all of them.
And now—
It was coming for her.
The same hollow face emerged from the darkness.
Watching.
Waiting.
Patient.
The creature didn't rush.
It didn't need to.
It knew she couldn't escape.
The small Serena backed away.
Her legs trembling.
Her vision blurred by tears.
She wanted to run.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted somebody to save her.
But nobody came.
The monster opened its massive jaws.
And lunged.
"SERENA!"
The voice shattered the memory.
Reality crashed back.
The giant hand was already descending.
Too close.
Far too close.
There wasn't enough time.
The ground beneath her feet cracked from the pressure.
The shadow of the monster completely swallowed her.
Her body refused to move.
Fear chained her in place.
Her breathing stopped.
Her thoughts froze.
And then—
Someone grabbed her.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist.
The world suddenly spun.
Yuma threw himself forward.
Using every ounce of strength he possessed, he pulled Serena toward him.
The giant hand crashed down.
BOOOOOOM!
The street exploded.
The impact shattered the pavement.
Chunks of concrete were launched into the air.
Nearby walls collapsed instantly.
The shockwave raced through the neighborhood like a hurricane.
Yuma barely managed to shield Serena as debris rained around them.
The force sent both of them tumbling across the ruined road.
Concrete scraped against Yuma's shoulder.
Pain shot through his body.
But he refused to let go.
He tightened his grip around Serena.
Protecting her.
Shielding her.
Holding her against him.
The two finally rolled to a stop beside a damaged building.
Dust filled the air.
For several seconds—
Neither of them moved.
Yuma's breathing was ragged.
His heart hammered violently.
He slowly looked upward.
The place where Serena had been standing no longer existed.
A crater nearly ten meters wide occupied the street.
One direct hit would have killed her.
No question.
No doubt.
The realization sent a chill through him.
"...Serena?"
His voice was quieter now.
Gentler.
No response.
Yuma looked down.
Serena was trembling.
Not slightly.
Violently.
Her hands shook.
Her breathing was uneven.
Her eyes remained fixed on the giant creature in the distance.
Yet somehow—
They didn't seem to be seeing it.
She was still trapped inside those memories.
Still trapped in that nightmare.
Yuma felt his chest tighten.
He had never seen Serena like this.
Never.
This wasn't the Serena who argued with him every morning.
This wasn't the Serena who threw knives at Stud.
This wasn't the Serena who charged into battle without hesitation.
This was simply a scared girl.
A girl carrying years of fear alone.
A girl who had been forced to relive the worst day of her life every single year.
For a moment—
Yuma understood.
Not completely.
He couldn't.
But enough.
Enough to understand why she hated this day.
Enough to understand why she never talked about it.
Enough to understand why the sight of this creature terrified her.
The giant monster began moving again.
Its attention never left Serena.
Like a predator that had finally rediscovered its prey.
Yuma felt anger rising inside him.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
Anger.
Because even after all these years—
This thing was still hurting her.
Still chasing her.
Still haunting her.
Yuma tightened his grip slightly.
"Serena."
No response.
He swallowed.
Then spoke again.
This time more firmly.
"Serena."
Her eyes slowly shifted toward him.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Yuma forced himself to smile despite everything.
Despite the giant monster.
Despite the danger.
Despite his own fear.
"You don't have to face it alone."
Serena blinked.
The words seemed to reach her.
Slowly.
Like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds.
Yuma's voice remained steady.
"I'm here."
For a moment—
The trembling lessened.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough for Serena to finally realize where she was.
Enough to realize she was still alive.
Enough to realize somebody had come back for her.
Not twenty-one Geists.
Not an army.
Not a hero.
Just one annoying boy.
Holding onto her like letting go wasn't an option.
And for the first time since the battle began—
The fear in her eyes began to crack.
Above them, the Calamity-Class released another furious roar.
It had noticed.
Its prey was slipping away again.
And this time—
The creature sounded angry.
Very angry.
High above the battlefield, standing atop the ruined rooftop, Alumna watched the scene unfold.
The crimson blade in his hand burned brighter.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The battle had just changed.
Because the monster was no longer fighting a Geist.
It was threatening one of his students.
And that—
Alumna did not tolerate.
Slowly, the black aura surrounding his body intensified.
The crimson blade hummed.
The surrounding air distorted.
Even Stud felt it.
The tiny poltergeist stared upward.
"...Oh."
Yuma looked toward him.
Stud swallowed.
For perhaps the first time in his life—
He sounded nervous.
"...The monster made him angry."
The giant Calamity-Class roared.
The sound shook the neighborhood.
Cracks spread through nearby buildings. Streetlights swayed violently. Loose glass slid from broken windows and shattered against the pavement below.
The creature's enormous shadow stretched across the street like a dark ocean.
Its attention remained fixed upon Serena.
Even after all these years.
Even after all the battles.
It still remembered her.
Yuma tightened his arms around Serena instinctively.
He could feel her trembling.
Not from the cold.
Not from exhaustion.
Fear.
Pure fear.
The kind of fear that lived deep inside a person's heart.
The kind that never truly disappeared.
Serena's face remained pressed against his chest.
Her eyes were tightly shut.
Every breath came unevenly.
Yuma didn't know what to say.
He didn't know how to make the fear go away.
So he simply stayed beside her.
He refused to let go.
Then—
A figure landed in front of them.
BOOM.
The impact sent dust rolling across the ruined street.
The broken pavement beneath his feet cracked slightly.
Alumna had returned.
His crimson blade still burned with an eerie red glow.
The black aura surrounding his body drifted like smoke from a dying star.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
His gaze moved toward Yuma.
Then Serena.
The two students he had been entrusted to protect.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Small.
Barely noticeable.
Yet unmistakably genuine.
"...You both did well."
Yuma blinked.
Of all the things he expected to hear—
Those words weren't among them.
Alumna rarely praised anyone.
Rarely complimented anyone.
The fact that he was doing so now carried more weight than a hundred speeches.
"You protected each other," Alumna continued.
His voice remained calm.
Steady.
"You stood your ground despite being afraid."
His eyes lingered briefly on Serena.
Especially Serena.
"That is something many experienced Geists fail to do."
Yuma looked down.
Serena remained silent.
Still shaking.
Still hiding her face.
But Yuma noticed something.
The trembling had lessened slightly.
Just hearing those words seemed to help.
Alumna turned away.
His gaze settled upon the giant Calamity-Class.
The monster towered above the neighborhood.
A living nightmare.
A disaster given form.
Yet Alumna showed no fear.
No hesitation.
Nothing.
Then his eyes shifted toward Stud.
The tiny poltergeist floated nearby.
Watching nervously.
Alumna stared at him for several moments.
Then spoke.
"Stud."
The small poltergeist immediately straightened.
"...Yeah?"
"Close your eyes."
Stud blinked.
"...What?"
"Close them."
Stud frowned.
"Why?"
The answer came immediately.
Unlike the other poltergeists...
"You deserve to live."
Silence.
Stud froze.
The joke he had been preparing died before it could leave his mouth.
For the first time in a very long time—
He didn't know what to say.
Alumna continued.
"What I'm about to do isn't meant for you to witness."
The tiny poltergeist stared at him.
Then slowly—
Very slowly—
He nodded.
"...Understood."
For once, there was no complaint.
No joke.
No sarcasm.
Stud closed his eyes.
The street became quiet.
Even the Calamity-Class seemed to hesitate.
Then—
The darkness around Alumna began to move.
Not drift.
Move.
The black aura surrounding his body intensified dramatically.
It expanded outward like waves spreading across a dark ocean.
The crimson blade glowed brighter.
And brighter.
And brighter.
Until it resembled a star burning in the middle of the street.
The nearest streetlamp exploded.
Then another.
Then another.
Glass shattered throughout the district.
Electrical sparks erupted from broken poles.
The surrounding darkness bent toward Alumna.
Drawn to him.
Obeying him.
Yuma felt his breath catch.
The spiritual pressure was overwhelming.
Nothing like before.
Nothing he had ever experienced.
This wasn't simply power.
This felt ancient.
Older than the city.
Older than history.
As though something buried beneath the world itself had awakened.
The Calamity-Class took a step backward.
For the first time—
The monster appeared afraid.
Alumna raised the crimson blade.
The black aura surged around him.
His voice echoed across the ruined neighborhood.
Ancient.
Powerful.
Every word carried weight.
Every syllable resonated through the night.
"Darkness gathers, deep and still..."
The shadows around the battlefield began rotating.
Like a giant invisible current.
"Hidden shadows, bend your will."
The shattered pieces of glass rose from the ground.
Floating.
Suspended in midair.
"Cleanse the spirit of the blight..."
The crimson blade hummed.
The sound was beautiful.
Terrifying.
"Awaken purification of the dark of night."
The sky darkened.
Clouds gathered overhead.
The moon itself seemed to dim.
Yuma could only stare.
He couldn't look away.
Couldn't blink.
Couldn't breathe.
Alumna continued.
"Through the ocean, through the sky..."
The air itself began vibrating.
"Let the torment fade and die."
The Calamity-Class screamed.
It understood.
Somehow—
It understood what was coming.
"Rise from nothing, void and grand..."
The black aura expanded further.
Swallowing the entire street.
"Wash the darkness o'er the land."
The monster began moving.
Desperately.
Tentacles exploded outward.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
The creature tried to attack.
Tried to stop him.
But the darkness surrounding Alumna consumed every strike before it reached him.
Nothing could enter.
Nothing could interrupt.
The chant continued.
"Spirits of the earth and sea..."
The neighborhood trembled.
"Set the weeping heavens free."
The crimson blade now resembled a beam of burning starlight.
"Moonlight cuts the inky deep..."
The giant monster screamed louder.
Its body began unraveling.
Small fragments breaking away.
Turning to ash.
"Putting ancient pain to sleep."
The shadows around Alumna transformed.
Darkness became light.
Black became silver.
The impossible sight left Yuma speechless.
"Shadows bloom and shadows bend..."
The spiritual pressure reached its peak.
"Healing all that we defend."
The Calamity-Class roared.
Fear.
Pain.
Desperation.
For the first time since its appearance—
It sounded vulnerable.
"Power born of cosmic black..."
The crimson blade shifted.
The red glow became deeper.
Darker.
Infinite.
"Drive the grasping shadows back."
The monster attempted to flee.
It turned.
It ran.
A disaster capable of destroying cities—
Running.
"Earth and ocean, sky and stone..."
Its massive body began breaking apart.
Cracks spread through every inch of its form.
"Purify the worldly curse."
The night itself seemed to stop.
The world held its breath.
"Emerge from darkness..."
Alumna lowered the blade.
The Calamity-Class froze.
Its hollow face turned back toward him.
"...darker than the night."
Everything became silent.
Absolute silence.
Then—
"Turn the shadows into pure..."
The crimson blade glowed once.
"...cleansing light."
Alumna swung.
A single slash.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing dramatic.
One clean movement.
One perfect strike.
"...Abyss Tsukoyomi."
The world flashed white.
For a moment—
Yuma couldn't see.
Couldn't hear.
Couldn't feel.
Only light.
Endless light.
Then—
The scream came.
The Calamity-Class released a cry unlike anything before.
Not rage.
Not hatred.
Pain.
The kind of pain that made even Stud open his eyes despite being told not to.
"Alumna!"
The tiny poltergeist looked genuinely worried.
The monster's body began collapsing inward.
Cracks spread across every surface.
The black flesh shattered.
The tendrils disintegrated.
Its giant form twisted violently.
Breaking apart.
Piece by piece.
Until—
A brilliant flash consumed everything.
And the Calamity-Class vanished.
Gone.
Not wounded.
Not defeated.
Gone.
Purified completely.
The night became quiet.
The pressure disappeared.
The darkness lifted.
The sky cleared.
Moonlight returned.
Yuma stood frozen.
His mouth slightly open.
His mind unable to process what he had witnessed.
That wasn't a battle.
It wasn't even a fight.
It was something far beyond his understanding.
The highest level of a Geist.
The destination waiting at the end of a lifetime of training.
Slowly—
The crimson blade faded.
The darkness vanished.
Alumna stood alone beneath the moonlight.
Silent.
Calm.
As though nothing extraordinary had happened.
Behind him, Serena still clung to Yuma.
Her eyes remained closed.
Her hands gripping his shirt tightly.
Her body still trembling slightly.
She hadn't seen the final strike.
Hadn't witnessed the purification.
She only knew one thing.
The monster was gone.
And Yuma was still there.
Holding her.
Refusing to let go.
For the first time that night—
She felt safe