"We're not gonna make it in time, by the time we get to school you're already done for and they'll take the seal with them" Ryder yelled whilst flames erupted from both palms blasting him forward.
"You're right" The Principal added.
"I have a plan, but it's not full proof."
"Right now anything is better than none, so tell us what's the plan ?" Aiden asked, several feet above ground level, using his legs to jump forward.
"I'll hand over the seal to them..."
"Come again?" Ryder's voice crackled through the coms. "Because it kinda sounded like you just said, 'I'll hand over the seal to them.'"
"Let me finish," the Principal replied, keeping his tone steady. "First, I'll stall them for as long as I can. When they start getting impatient, I'll hand over the seal. By that time, the five of you should be closing in on the school. The moment I jump out of my window, Damien will use his ice to break my fall, and Ryder—" he paused, "you'll blow my office sky-high."
"Now we're talking," Ryder muttered, the excitement clear in his voice.
"Aiden, Freya, you'll stay sharp in case they survive," the Principal continued. "Dax, you'll move in, retrieve the seal, and pass it to Damien. Damien, you run—put as much distance as possible between yourself and the school. The rest of you hold them off, buy him time."
A brief silence followed.
"That's the plan. After that… well, we'll figure it out. But for now, this is the best move we've got."
"All on board?"
"Roger." They all responded in unison.
"Wait," Aiden said. "How are we supposed to know what's happening in there? If they're in your office, you won't be able to talk to us over coms."
"Good question," the Principal replied. "I'll use my computer to type out messages which would be translated through a voice. That way, they won't suspect I'm communicating with you."
****
Outside the Crimson Vanguard gate
The bodies of the five members of third year Alpha Squad sprawled across the cold floor their bodies numb and soaked in blood.
Aiden, Freya, Ryder, Damien and Dax approached the gate their footsteps getting slower with each step they took
Fear gripped them, their bodies frozen, eyes widened in pure shock, hearing about their death was far different from seeing it. Silence swept over the entire street the faint whooshing of breeze filling the air.
Aiden notices Landon's body slightly twitching, without warning he walked forward slowly, the sound of his steps echoing through the air, he went straight towards Landon. He squatted bringing his towering presence to his level.
"Who did this to you ?" Aiden's voice was calm yet rage still echoed in every word he uttered. His hair cascading above his face a little.
Landon's voice was barely audible, his lips moving weakly as each word escaped in a silent whisper. "You... You shouldn't be here. They're dangerous if—"
Aiden cut him off, his voice sharp, seething with impatience. "Who did this to you?" The rage bubbling beneath his words was impossible to ignore.
Landon's gaze flickered, and with great effort, he whispered the name that sent a chill through the air. "Dante."
****
The shiny blue crystal soared through the dark sky, its light cutting through the night like a star.
Damien gathered a heavy mass of cold within his body, his hands extended behind him in a deep squat. With a surge of energy, he shot his hands forward, unleashing a blast of freezing air that turned the ground behind him into solid ice.
The sheer force of the explosion sent him rocketing forward at lightning speed, his legs coated in frost, leaving a shimmering trail as he glided effortlessly across the ground.
He moved with dizzying velocity, his knees slightly bent to maintain perfect balance. The wind tore through his hair, sending it flying behind him like a golden banner. His face, fierce and focused, seemed carved from the very wind itself.
The seal plummeted from the sky, an inch from the ground.
In an instant, Damien shot past it, and in the same breath, the seal was gone. Their desperate plan had become reality before their very eyes.
Aiden, Freya, Dax, and Ryder stood outside the building, poised and vigilant, their eyes fixed upwards at the Principal's office, waiting for someone to emerge.
Then, four dreadful fingers appeared at the open window. Kagetsu, his body in disarray, his ponytail gone, and his hair spilling over his face, bent forward, still recovering from the blast.
With a grunt, he hauled himself up, stretching out his arm. A black smoke swirled around his palm, compressing into a single, inky sphere at its center.
Just as he was about to release it, ready to end Damien in an instant—Freya appeared. Floating mid-air, her left arm stretched outward, she nudged Kagetsu's arm just enough to shift the trajectory.
The black line shot from his palm, slicing through the school courtyard with deadly speed. Though redirected, it still reached Damien in a heartbeat, the piercing energy tearing through his thigh instead of his back.
The sharp pain exploded through his leg, sending him off balance. His arms flung upwards as he soared through the air, the seal slipping from his grip.
He crashed onto the cold concrete with brutal force. His momentum sent him skidding several meters across the ground, until the massive gate's wall met his back in a violent collision. A mist of saliva and air burst from his lips, his entire body flooded with numbing pain.
Dante emerged from the ground floor, unscathed. The towering walls on either side of him cast long shadows, momentarily darkening his face as he walked with effortless dominance. As he stepped into the moonlight, his features became clearer—his expression unreadable, yet intense.
Without sparing a glance at the four figures before him, he coiled his legs, preparing to launch himself forward and seize the seal.
Just as he was about to zoom off–Aiden appeared beside him, arm outstretched, ready to deliver a devastating blow to left cheek. But Dante moved like lightning, recoiling his neck, pulling his head back just as Aiden's arm whistled past him, missing by mere inches—at least, that's what Dante thought.
The braces on Aiden's arm snapped into place with a sharp metallic clang. In an instant, his elbow was redirected, flying backward with force toward Dante's face.
The strike landed with brutal precision, smashing into Dante's right cheek. His head snapped violently to the left, his neck twisting at an unnatural angle, as if it might snap. His body jerked upward, then crashed to the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
The untouchable Dante had been knocked off his feet.
Aiden loomed over him, his voice cold and seething with rage. "Hey, are you Dante?"