Silence.
The battlefield had never been this quiet.
Not during the explosions.
Not during the attacks.
Not even when the Executioner appeared.
Everyone was staring at the same person.
Finn Foster.
He stood beneath the cracked sky as though the battlefield belonged to him.
The pressure surrounding him was unbearable.
Students struggled to stand.
Several younger Ghost Killers fell to one knee.
Even powerful teachers looked uncomfortable.
Only Finn seemed completely relaxed.
His cold eyes remained fixed on Daniel.
"So this is where you've been hiding the Vessel."
Daniel felt a chill run through his body.
The whispers inside his mind screamed.
Run.
Hide.
Escape.
For the first time, every voice agreed on one thing.
Finn Foster was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Bill stepped forward.
His weapon immediately rose.
"Take another step."
Finn slowly looked at him.
Then smiled.
"Bill Williams."
The way he said the name made Daniel uncomfortable.
Like the two men already knew each other.
Bill's expression darkened.
"You haven't changed."
Finn laughed softly.
"Neither have you."
Mr. Stone joined Bill's side.
The two veteran Ghost Killers stood shoulder to shoulder.
The sight alone surprised everyone.
Daniel had never seen them work together before.
Finn glanced at Mr. Stone.
"You survived."
Mr. Stone tightened his grip.
"Barely."
"Unfortunate."
The battlefield became even colder.
Everyone understood.
These people had history.
A history nobody else knew.
Then David suddenly grabbed his head.
The whispers returned.
Louder than ever.
Images flooded his mind.
Ruined cities.
Burning fortresses.
Fallen armies.
And standing at the center of every vision—
Finn Foster.
David gasped.
"No..."
Mary immediately noticed.
"What happened?"
David pointed toward Finn.
"The whispers know him."
Nobody spoke.
Then David whispered something even worse.
"They're afraid of him."
Bill's eyes widened slightly.
Mr. Stone's expression hardened.
Even McLone looked interested.
Finn simply smiled.
"Smart boy."
Then he took one step forward.
BOOOOM!
The academy shook violently.
One step.
Just one.
The pressure nearly doubled.
Daniel could feel the black energy inside him reacting.
The Vessel power was responding.
Finn noticed immediately.
His smile widened.
"There it is."
Daniel hated the way he was looking at him.
Like a scientist studying an experiment.
Like Daniel wasn't even human.
Suddenly—
Bill attacked.
His blade flashed through the air.
A powerful strike capable of cutting through High Ghosts.
The battlefield watched.
The attack never landed.
Finn stopped it with two fingers.
Silence.
Nobody could believe it.
Felix's eyes widened.
Noah froze.
Even Zoya looked shocked.
Bill immediately jumped backward.
He knew something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Finn lowered his hand.
"Still too slow."
Then he disappeared.
BOOOOOOM!
Bill barely blocked.
The impact launched him across the battlefield.
He smashed through a stone wall.
The entire academy shook.
"UNCLE BILL!"
Daniel started forward.
Mary grabbed him immediately.
"Don't!"
The dust cleared.
Bill stood up again.
Blood running from his forehead.
But alive.
Finn looked disappointed.
"Tougher than I remembered."
Then Mr. Stone attacked.
A burst of silver energy exploded from his weapon.
For the first time—
Finn actually moved.
CLANG!
Their weapons collided.
A shockwave erupted outward.
The battlefield cracked beneath them.
Teachers quickly protected nearby students.
The power was unbelievable.
Mr. Stone attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Every strike powerful enough to destroy powerful ghosts.
Finn blocked every single one.
Effortlessly.
Then he counterattacked.
BOOM!
Mr. Stone was forced backward.
The sight terrified everyone.
Mr. Stone was one of the strongest Ghost Killers alive.
Yet Finn was treating him like an ordinary opponent.
Then suddenly—
Bill rejoined the fight.
The two veterans attacked together.
Left and right.
Perfect coordination.
Years of experience.
Years of training.
For the first time—
Finn stopped smiling.
The battlefield exploded into motion.
CLANG!
BOOM!
CRASH!
The three warriors moved too fast to follow.
The Great 8 could only watch.
Daniel clenched his fists.
He hated feeling helpless.
Meanwhile, David's whispers continued.
Then—
A new vision appeared.
Different from the others.
He saw Finn.
Standing before a giant black door.
The same door from the visions of the Three Locks.
David froze.
The second lock.
Finn knew about it.
Maybe he was searching for it.
The vision ended immediately.
David's breathing became uneven.
This wasn't random.
Finn wasn't here only for Daniel.
He wanted something else.
Something connected to the locks.
Something connected to the Queen.
Before David could warn anyone—
The cracked sky behind Finn began moving.
Everyone froze.
The darkness inside the crack twisted.
Something enormous was approaching.
Even Finn stopped fighting.
For the first time since arriving—
His expression became serious.
McLone looked confused.
The Executioner stepped backward.
The Chained Warrior stopped laughing.
The Spearwoman lowered her weapon.
Nobody understood what was happening.
Then a deep horn echoed through the battlefield.
MOOOOOOONNNNNN!
David's face turned white.
The hidden whispers screamed.
The sky crack widened.
And a gigantic shadow appeared behind Finn Foster.
Something so large it blocked the moon itself.
The battle had just become far worse.
To Be Continued...