The Academy's air was heavy that morning, as though the sky itself had forgotten how to breathe.
Students murmured uneasily, their steps slowed, their eyes turning skyward. The sun, though still present, felt dimmer, blurred behind a haze of shadows. The wind carried with it not the warmth of day, but the bitter sting of something foreign—something hostile.
High above the Academy walls, wardens of the barrier spells gathered. One of them, an older magus whose beard was streaked with white, raised his staff and narrowed his eyes. The energy pulsing through the wards trembled like strings of a harp touched by an unseen hand.
"…Something presses against the veil," he whispered.
The next instant, the sky tore.
Dark fissures split across the horizon, jagged like the cracks of broken glass. From within them bled shadow, thick and alive, spilling into the world like ink into water. The sound came after—a shrill, guttural cry that made even seasoned warriors flinch, echoing with hunger.
The first Abyss Beast emerged.
It crawled on too many limbs, its body slick with a tar-like sheen that reflected no light. Its jaw opened impossibly wide, rows upon rows of serrated teeth gnashing as if eager to devour the world itself. Behind it, more figures squirmed through the rift, shapes too twisted to count—horned, winged, crawling, slithering. Their roars joined into a cacophony that made the ground tremble.
Panic spread like wildfire. Students screamed, scrambling for cover. Instructors shouted orders, rushing to stabilize the wards. The Headmaster appeared upon the central tower, his robes snapping violently in the unnatural wind. His expression, however calm, was laced with dread.
"They've arrived…"
The beasts surged forward, their very presence corrupting the soil beneath them. Grass shriveled, stone cracked, the air itself twisted. The Academy barrier flickered as they slammed into it, claws and fangs tearing against the protective weave of magic.
And then, stepping forward from the crowd of students, Bolt clenched his fists.
The blue sparks along his arms danced restlessly, responding to the abyssal energy pressing against the barrier. His eyes, fierce and unwavering, locked onto the swarm. His chest still ached from training, his muscles screamed for rest, but his resolve was iron.
Behind him, the rest of Celestial Tempest gathered.
Akane's flames blazed back to life, burning hotter in defiance of the cold shadow. Aether's calm gaze swept across the battlefield, already calculating. Sylva knelt and touched the earth, whispering encouragement to the land struggling beneath corruption. Darian's hands glowed faintly, droplets of water circling his palms. Damian's shadow bent unnaturally, coiling like a predator eager to strike. Ren rested his hand on his blade, the steel singing faintly as if it too longed for blood. Valea clasped her hands, radiant light flickering with her breath. And Kaori's spirit energy flared—calm, centered, yet trembling at the resonance of abyss.
Bolt stepped forward, his voice loud enough to echo through the courtyard.
"Headmaster. Let us handle this."
The Headmaster's eyes snapped to him. "You?"
"We're Celestial Tempest," Bolt said, his voice steady. His lightning crackled, his aura burning against the suffocating dark. "This is our fight. Kairos sent them. Then we're the ones who'll end them."
For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Then the Headmaster gave the faintest nod. "…So be it. Prove to me you're worthy of that name."
The barrier parted.
The moment the gap opened, shadows poured inward. The first Abyss Beast lunged, shrieking, its limbs tearing at the ground. Bolt charged forward, lightning trailing in his wake, and slammed his fist into its face. Sparks and frost erupted, the impact hurling the beast back into the wall with a thunderous crack.
Akane followed, her flames roaring into existence, searing two smaller beasts into ash. Sylva raised jagged walls of earth to corral the monsters, Darian's water slicing through their limbs like blades. Ren's sword gleamed as he cut down one, Valea's light lancing through another's chest. Damian darted between shadows, his movements like phantoms, cutting down anything that dared slip past. And Kaori—her spirit energy flared outward, forming shimmering constructs of spectral armor and blades, shielding her allies and striking with precision.
The courtyard became a storm.
Roars, lightning, fire, wind, water, and shadows clashed in chaotic harmony. Celestial Tempest moved like a single body, each strike covering the other, each defense answering a weakness. Students and seniors alike watched in stunned silence as the once-maligned faction fought with a ferocity unmatched.
Bolt tore through another beast, his ice locking its limbs before his lightning shattered it into pieces. He panted heavily, but his eyes burned brighter than ever. This was their chance—to prove themselves not just to the Academy, but to Kairos himself.
But the Abyss wasn't finished.
The rift in the sky pulsed violently, expanding. A shriek unlike the others ripped through the world, shaking the ground. From the darkness stepped a figure larger than the rest—a hulking monster that towered over the courtyard. Its body was plated in black chitin, pulsing with veins of crimson light. Its maw split into four, glowing with abyssal fire.
The Headmaster's eyes widened. "…A B+ rank."
Whispers of horror rippled through the crowd. Even among ordinary beasts, this was equivalent to an A* class threat—something that took entire battalions to bring down. And here it was, walking casually from the void, each step quaking the ground.
The lesser beasts parted for it, bowing as if to a king. Its glowing eyes locked onto Bolt.
Celestial Tempest froze for a heartbeat, their breaths caught. The pressure alone threatened to crush them, heavier even than Zelthar's lightning had been.
Bolt's fists trembled. He had never faced something like this before. His body screamed, his spirit energy wavered. Yet his voice rang out, cutting through the suffocating silence.
"Celestial Tempest… ready yourselves."
The beast roared, the sound splitting the sky, and charged.
Bolt clenched his fists, lightning sparking, frost crystallizing across his knuckles. His eyes narrowed, heart hammering not with fear, but with resolve.
This wasn't just a battle. It was a warning.
And as the B+ rank Abyss Beast descended upon them, the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
The clash came—