The trio—Zeke, Eliza, and Luca—had gathered the remaining students in a makeshift defense line, their faces pale but determined. The battle with the monsters had already taken a toll, and they knew that whatever was coming next would be even worse.
Luca kept scanning the area, his sword gripped tightly in his hands. "There's no way we can fight that many," he muttered, eyeing the horizon where more monstrous silhouettes loomed. "We have to stay together. The last thing we need is for anyone to get picked off."
Eliza stood next to him, her hands crackling with magical energy. "We'll have to make every spell count. We're not losing anyone else today."
But even as they spoke, the sky darkened, the atmosphere thickening with an eerie weight. And then they saw it—the ground trembled, the air grew colder, and the first wave of monstrous creatures emerged from the jungle.
The creatures were huge—more ferocious than any they'd fought before.
Their eyes burned with hunger, and their sharp claws scraped against the earth as they advanced, ready to tear into the students.
But just as they prepared to engage, something strange happened.
One of the creatures froze mid-strike, its monstrous form twisting unnaturally, as though gripped by an invisible force. Its eyes widened, its body spasming. And then, in an instant, it vanished—disappearing into thin air.
The students looked on, confused and uncertain.
"What the hell just happened?" Luca murmured, his grip on his sword tightening.
And then, from the shadows of the forest, twelve figures appeared. Twelve Espers.
They didn't speak. They didn't need to. The monsters that had once threatened the students were now gone, absorbed into the mysterious figures before them.
Zeke's eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are they?"
One of the Espers stepped forward, his gaze cold and unfeeling. He raised a hand, and the ground itself seemed to tremble. A force of energy rippled through the air as another Esper conjured a burst of flames that ignited the jungle behind them.
"We don't need to reveal ourselves to you," the first Esper said, his voice flat, almost bored. "We're here to take care of the mess you've made."
Before the students could react, another Esper—a tall, slender figure—used telekinesis to toss a massive boulder toward the group. It crashed to the ground, narrowly missing them.
"Damn it!" Luca shouted. "These guys are way stronger than the monsters!"
Eliza raised her hands, preparing a spell, but the Espers were relentless. One of them flicked their wrist, and Eliza's magic fizzled out, her energy pulled away by the invisible force of their power.
"We are Contractors," another Esper spoke, his voice like ice. "But we don't need to explain ourselves to children."
The trio fought back with everything they had, but the Espers were on another level entirely. Their powers were beyond anything the students had ever faced. Each Esper manipulated the elements, time, and even the very air itself. It was as if they were in complete control of the battlefield.
Students fell one by one. A psychic blast sent one student flying into a tree, their body limp before they hit the ground. Another was struck by an energy beam that vaporized them on contact.
Six students died in mere moments.
Zeke felt his heart race, panic rising in his chest as Eliza was grabbed by an Esper, her arms bound by some unseen force.
"Eliza!" Zeke shouted, but there was nothing he could do.
She struggled against the grip, her voice strained. "Zeke! Do something!"
The leader of the Espers approached, his eyes glowing with cold malice. "You should have stayed out of this. You're out of your league."
Zeke gritted his teeth. He couldn't let Eliza die. Not again. Not like this.
He closed his eyes, preparing to use his power.
But just as he was about to open his eyes and freeze time—
The Espers were obliterated.
Before Zeke could blink, the Espers vanished, their bodies collapsing in on themselves as if torn apart by some unseen force. Their bones twisted in unnatural angles, their skin shredded as though they'd been torn asunder. Blood pooled around their mutilated remains, but there was no sign of the one who had done this.
The battle was over in an instant.
Zeke stood frozen, his eyes still shut, his heart hammering in his chest. What the hell just happened?
Eliza, now freed from the invisible force that had held her, fell to her knees, gasping for breath. "What… What just happened? They were right there!"
Luca looked around in confusion, his sword still raised. "We won? But… who did this?"
The students, those still alive, were disoriented. Some were looking for answers, others for a way to escape. But there was only silence.
Zeke, still in shock, scanned the area. Something was wrong. This wasn't just over. It couldn't be.
Then, his eyes caught something on the ground—half-buried in the dirt, next to the spot where the Espers had stood.
A badge.
Zeke knelt down, carefully picking it up. His breath caught in his throat.
It was a simple, silver badge, worn and battered from battle. But the symbol on it was unmistakable. The emblem of Ares.
Eliza stepped closer, her brow furrowing as she saw the badge in Zeke's hands. "What… What is that?"
Zeke stood slowly, his eyes still locked on the badge. The pieces were starting to fall into place. The Espers, the monsters, the power—they were all connected to Ares.
But who had intervened? Who had saved them?
And why?