"I'm scared! I'm so scared!"
"Someone help us!"
"Everyone, stay calm! Just stay calm! It’s going to be okay! I promise it’s okay!"
At that very moment, the care facility had devolved into a living nightmare, echoing with the screams and frantic sobbing of children.
As the children wailed in terror at the swarming small crabs, Melt kept them at bay with a relentless barrage of magic swords. She shouted to Marcos, who stood before the children like a living shield.
"It's no use! They just keep coming, one after the other! We'll never make it out at this rate!"
"What is happening?! Where is the security force?!"
The facility staff had alerted the security force the moment the chaos began, but the lines were dead.
Dread pooled in their stomachs as they realized this disaster might be unfolding across the entire city, not just their facility. Still, they fought on, desperately cutting down the encroaching horde.
"Hold the line! Just keep holding! If we can endure, the security force will get here! And even if they don't, we'll find a way out!"
"Don't give up, everyone! It’s okay, we're right here with you!"
By encouraging the children and coordinating with the staff, they managed to hold back the massive swarm. Melt and Marcos fought on, their eyes fixed on the horizon as they prayed for reinforcements.
The grueling, endless combat began to grind down their spirits, but they spurred themselves on with the singular, desperate need to protect the children. Just as they were reaching their limits, the onslaught abruptly ground to a halt.
"Is it... over? Did they give up?"
"Don't lower your guard. We have no idea when the second wave will hit. While we have a moment, we need to assess the situation and find an escape—hm?"
The threat had passed, if only for a moment.
Marcos, intent on finding a way to evacuate the children during the lull, narrowed his eyes as he spotted a student walking through the facility's yard.
Recognizing the figure, he confirmed the monsters were truly gone before stepping outside to call out.
"Rush? Is that you?! What are you doing here? ...No, never mind. There's no time for explanations. Give us a hand; we’re getting these children out of here."
"...Escape? And where do you think you’re going?"
"To Luminous Academy, obviously. They have defensive installations there, not to mention the faculty. We'll be safe once we reach the grounds. Besides, Hugo is likely on his way here right now. Once we regroup with him, I’m sure—!!"
The words, heavy with an unspoken trust in Hugo, died in Marcos's throat. He shook his head.
He acknowledged the man's strength, yes, but he couldn't let himself become entirely dependent on him. He steeled his resolve and looked back at Rush to press for his help... and then it clicked.
"...Rush? It really is you, isn't it?"
The person standing before him was not the Rush he knew.
The face and form were undeniably those of Rush Winhelm, but the aura radiating from him was thick with a chilling, manic insanity.
Marcos had never been particularly close to him, but after years of attending the same academy, he knew Rush’s temperament well.
This wasn't him. This was something else wearing Rush’s skin.
The moment that certainty took root in Marcos’s mind, Rush’s lips curled into a wide, jagged grin.
"So, Hugo Clay is on his way, is he? How perfect...! In that case, I’ll use you lot for my warm-up."
"You... what is that?!"
Marcos recoiled in horror as Rush pulled a pair of black scissors from his clothes.
He recognized them instantly—they were identical to the ones held by the suspicious intruder who had attacked the facility days ago. Marcos lunged forward, trying to strike Rush before he could act, but—
"Hahahaha! This is the best day of my life! I’m going to crush that pathetic Hugo Clay and take the nourishment I need to become the strongest! A glorious day to mark my new beginning!!"
"Gah—?!"
Marcos was a second too late. A violent torrent of magic power erupted from Rush as he transformed into a Magic Armor Beast, the shockwave blowing Marcos off his feet.
When he finally managed to scramble back up, he found himself staring at a Magic Armor Beast. It bore a resemblance to the crab kaijin they had fought previously, but this form was infinitely more malevolent.
As the horrifying reality that his classmate had transformed into a monster finally sunk in, Marcos let out a low, pained groan—a sound born of both fury and grief.
"Rush...! How could you fall this low?! You have to know this isn't true power!"
"Those at the top decide what is 'true.' I have claimed this magnificent power for myself, and I have the resolve to use it. I haven't fallen—I've ascended."
"Sophistry...! You’ve caused a disaster that has hurt innocent people, and you dare claim you haven’t fallen?! Where is your pride as a candidate for the Magic Knights?!"
"You’re so noisy. They say a weak dog barks the loudest. No matter... the weak are meant to be silenced by force!!"
"Ngh—?!"
With a primal roar, Rush swung his right arm—now a massive, jagged scissor.
Marcos barely managed to intercept the blow with the heavy plating of his Giga Scissors, but the sheer force of the impact sent him skidding backward.
"Ngh...! This strength...!!"
This was on an entirely different level than the man they fought before. Not only was the raw power greater, but the defensive plating was likely far denser as well.
Worse still, unlike that previous amateur, Rush was a trained fighter with years of experience using magic items.
Marcos’s instincts screamed at him. Every fiber of his being was telling him that they were in mortal danger.
Hugo—the only one who had managed to kill the crab kaijin—wasn't here. In short, the situation was catastrophic.