The agents walked deeper into the labyrinth of interconnected rooms. As they ventured further, the oppressive architecture loomed over them, blocking out the scant light that had filtered in from above. Shadows stretched and deepened, shrouding their path in near-total darkness.
The fire manacians in their midst ignited another ball of flame, the flickering light casting eerie, shifting patterns on the walls."No way," one agent muttered, as their eyes adjusted to reveal a massive hoof dominating their field of vision.The men in black suits signalled for silence, their faces set in grim determination. One agent carefully manoeuvred the ball of flame upwards, aiming to illuminate the cavernous ceiling. Instead, the flame made contact with the beast's hide. The ball exploded in a fiery burst, lighting the monstrous creature in a brief but blinding flare."Earth manacians. Try to slow down any techniques the beast does. Air manacians, try to slice it up. Its skin might be thick, so just try what you can. Water manacians gather as much water as you can as of now. Fire manacians, distraction and artillery. Air manacians, you'll take the front lines. GO, GO, IT KNOWS WE'RE HERE!""Yes Team Leader!" The rest of the men under him yelled as the beast stood back on its four legs.The beast lifted its colossal hoof, preparing to bring it down with devastating force. At that critical moment, three earth-manacians stepped forward, their faces set in fierce concentration. They stomped their feet in unison, channelling their power into the ground beneath them.As the hoof descended, the floor, erupted in jagged spikes that shot upwards, aiming to impale the monstrous humans. Yet, the combined might of the earth-manacians counteracted this violent upheaval, pushing the spikes back down."Let's help them!" the agents under the minister yelled, their voices blending into the wind. Their boots thudded rhythmically as they drove the spikes deeper, almost as if they were performing some ancient ritual. The beast, a massive, otherworldly presence, bellowed, "MMMMMPH!!" Its hoof pressed harder into the ground, forming a crater beneath it. Then, without warning, a blade of wind sliced through the barren wasteland, severing the hoof cleanly as if the wind itself were a silent, invisible sword. In the next instance, the men in black uniforms were scaling the humongous beast.Fireballs periodically crashing into the beast's quasi-human face, distracting it from the air manacians that ran up its body with ease.However, the next moment, the beast uttered a piercing scream. The countless sand particles trapped within its fur rose and coalesced into a swirling sand ball, shooting straight at the air manacians. They continued their ascent, leaping and spinning, their kicks generating powerful gusts of wind aimed at dispersing the sand. But the particles were too loose, and the cloud remained unscathed."What the—?" one exclaimed as they plunged into the dense, swirling sand."We've got you covered!" the Earth manacians shouted, desperately trying to break through the cloud, but their efforts were in vain."Never mind, we don't!""Air manacians, get out of there!" the team leader yelled. But in the next moment, the air manacians dropped to the ground like flies, their bodies riddled with tiny stab wounds. The swirling sand cloud had formed razor-sharp particles that sliced into their flesh with every movement."Water manacians, get over here and control the bleeding! How's that water ball coming along?" the leader barked, urgency lacing his voice.The water manacians rushed to their fallen comrades, their hands glowing with a soft blue light as they worked to stem the bleeding. "We're on it! The water ball is almost ready!" one shouted back, her face tight with concentration."Alright... our air manacians are in bad shape," the team leader muttered, surveying the wounded."Don't worry; our agents will take over. Agents! Avoid the sand cloud at all costs!" the Secretary ordered, her voice cutting through the chaos as her metal spectacles glinted in the dim light. Her black tie waving in the wind was a contrast to the white shirt she wore, and she stared on resolutely into the unfolding scenes."Yes, Secretary!" they responded in unison, immediately beginning their ascent of the monstrous creature.The beast's eyes darted around, locking onto the numerous figures nearby. "RAOOOORRR!" it bellowed, suddenly stomping its other hoof. The severed hoof was already regenerating, the process unnervingly rapid."Earth manacians... now!" the team leader ordered. They synchronized their stomp, attempting to resist the beast's immense power, but the monster released a mana surge. Spikes shot out from the ground, stabbing the feet of those unable to dodge in time. The earth manacians struggled, trying to keep the spikes at bay.And then, things got even worse.The room's blocks began to fall, one after another, crashing down with thunderous force. Dust and debris filled the air as the massive blocks rained down, threatening to crush everything and everyone below. The team members scrambled to avoid the deadly barrage, their movements frantic and desperate."Keep moving! Don't let up!" the Secretary shouted, trying to maintain order amidst the chaos."I'll handle the falling blocks. The rest of the earth manacians, keep resisting!" the president commanded, as he raised both arms high. His arms trembled, veins bulging and straining as the hundreds of massive earthblocks halted mid-fall. He glanced down, beads of sweat streaming down his face, his expression a mask of intense concentration."ARGH!!!!" he roared, attempting to manoeuvre the blocks aside with as much gentleness as he could muster. But in that agonizing moment, his strength faltered, and the blocks came crashing down, colliding with a deafening thunder, the ground shaking beneath them.. . . "..Mmm?…" Kana muttered, rubbing her eyes as she woke up. The familiar sensation of Yonu on her lap and the sight of Yonu's peaceful, shut eyes greeted her as soon as she awoke."Seems we're still alive…" she whispered, a soft smile playing on her lips."Somehow," a voice responded from nearby.Kana turned to see a young man standing awkwardly."Ahh!..eh?" she exclaimed in surprise."Hi…I'm, uh… Hugo. I'm Yonu's friend, actually," he said."Ahh! So I guess while we were asleep, you were in the room that we chanced upon… We were so lucky!" she said, relief washing over her."I'm lucky too! I only survived by pretending to be dead…" Hugo admitted with a wry smile."What matters is that it's great to be ali….?" Kana's sentence trailed off as she felt a sudden, eerie lightness. They began to float, followed by a terrifying free-fall sensation gripping their hearts."WHAT!!!!" they screamed in unison as the sensation of falling grew more intense, their bodies hurtling faster and faster toward the unknown."Argh!" Kana cried out, instinctively pulling Yonu closer. She twisted her body, positioning herself between Yonu and the impending impact.. . . "WHAT THE HELL!!" Shijin shouted as they began free-falling once more, this time with no end in sight."I'll slice the room in half," Kami commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Shijin, Magi, once it's done, push your half off. I'm betting it's falling because the beast's mana no longer holds it. You two should be able to manipulate the earth. Arashi, can you give us the Sakata signature?"Arashi smirked, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Wouldn't that be interesting," he replied, extending both palms. A sphere of water formed and rose above his head, swirling with raw power."Alright, let's go!" Kami shouted, winding up his leg and kicking with all his strength, spinning as he unleashed a powerful gust of wind. The force sliced the massive block in half. Shijin and Magi faced each other, their fists colliding with a resonating impact. In response, two pillars from the opposite walls adjacent to the cut shot out and clashed, sending the two halves flying apart. The room was now exposed, dimly lit by the flickering flames of artillery fire mages battling the beast."No way…" Arashi muttered, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. The mages were struggling, their efforts seemingly in vain against the monstrous creature."They seem to be losing!" the leader shouted over the roaring wind. "Arashi, can you get us to the head? We need to help them!""Let's repay that beast for what it did to us these past five days!" Shijin yelled, his voice barely audible above the chaos."Sakata Technique: Flowing Ice!" Arashi declared. His arms moved fluidly, and the water sphere above him transformed into a sleek, icy slide. It caught everyone, and they glided smoothly towards the beast's head, the chilling slide a stark contrast to the fiery chaos around them.. . . The beast released a cloud of sand, blasting it outward in all directions. The sand pierced the air manacians, scaling the monster and wounding the earth manacians beneath it. Fireballs occasionally crashed into the beast, yet the air manacians continued their assault, groaning and screaming in pain as they pushed themselves up the monster."ARGHHHH!!!" One of them leapt forward, his arms cutting through the air with precision. Wind slices slashed deep into the beast's flesh, causing blood to seep from the wounds. "GUYS, BLIND IT WHILE IT'S DISTRACTED!" he shouted. A fireball crashed into the beast's face as if on cue, making it flinch backwards. But the beast anticipated their next move. It pulled blocks of earth into shards and launched them at the approaching air manacians—blocks upon blocks shredded into lethal fragments."No way…" they muttered, realizing the high-speed projectiles were unavoidable and deadly.But just in time, a wall of ice surged before them, shielding them from the deadly shards. They landed back onto the beast's body, momentarily safe.They glanced to the side and saw the water manacians clad in black. It was their doing. It seemed they had accumulated enough water just in the nick of time. Suddenly, water spikes flew towards the beast's head. However, the beast's earth fragments intercepted them with uncanny precision, shredding the icicles like paper. Yet the icicles simply reformed from the water, launching again."ARGH!!" An air manacian ran up and kicked an icicle, boosting its speed with a gust of wind."ROWWRRR….Pain…" The monster roared as the icicle pierced its neck.The agents and the men in black exchanged triumphant smiles. But their victory cry was cut short as they realized they had forgotten about a few crucial people.As the Uon fell from the sky, the harsh reality set in—victory was still far out of reach.. . . As the room shredded into countless tiny pieces, the humans were sent flying downward, caught off guard by the sudden and violent change in scenery. Shards of debris whirled around them like a storm, the chaos overwhelming their senses."What is that?!" Kana shouted, her voice barely audible over the roar of destruction. Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked to the side, seeing the beast—a monstrous figure—with fireballs crashing into it from multiple directions."Hugo… I don't have enough mana," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and exhaustion."Don't worry." Hugo's voice was steady, devoid of hesitation. He grabbed both Kana and Yonu, pulling them close. With a burst of fire, he propelled them forward.. . . "Damn it! We couldn't get them…" Jin shouted as they all plummeted through the chaos."It's the monster…" Kazami muttered, his face pale with fear. Amidst the destruction, the beast locked its malevolent gaze on him."Found… youuu…" The beast's voice rumbled, sinister and drawn out, as rocks hurtled toward Kazami.Yunosuke sprang into action, intercepting the deadly projectiles with a surge of water. "Sakata Technique: Flowing Ice," he whispered, creating a barrier of ice and guiding Jin, Yata, Kazami, and Fuji towards the beast."I think it's them…" Kazami said, eyes wide with a mix of hope and disbelief."No way! It IS them! Alright! It seems they are headed to the beast!" Fuji yelled, but his voice was nearly drowned out by the deafening roar of fireballs, explosions, and shattering debris echoing through the chaotic battlefield."Yunosuke!" Fuji called out desperately."On the way," Yunosuke replied, his tone resolute. He extended his arm, precisely controlling the water as he navigated through the flying debris. His eyes were locked on the beast, but fear flickered in them.The others shared the same fear, their faces pale and tense as they braced for the oncoming fight. Their purple uniforms were dull from the lack of mana, but their eyes glowed with their respective manas, awaiting the approaching chaotic battlefield. Heavy breathing accompanied a rush in blood flow and a mountain of futile thoughts of running away. However, a singular thought resonated with the group of friends: to 'protect'. This resolve steeled their nerves as they continued to observe the flow of the battlefield, ready to intercept at any possible moment.