Silvery chains of pure energy snapped into existence. Lashing out from the circle. And binding the two demons in the classroom simultaneously.
The Werecat was already struggling under Vale's mental storm. Now it was pinned completely. The arcane chains wrapped around its legs, torso, and throat. Forcing it down onto the blood-soaked floor.
Its desperate thrashing was now restricted to painful, muscle-ripping tugs. Against the impenetrable bonds.
The Werebat Demon, still trying to dodge Jester's relentless barrage of throwing [Stones], was caught mid-flight. The chains clamped down on its wings and body. Dragging it violently downward.
CRASH!
The Werebat was slammed into the already broken chairs an tables in the classroom. The impact shook the entire place. Sending a cloud of chalk dust, wooden splinters, and debris into the air.
It was restrained. Immobilized. And furious. Its aerial speed was neutralized.
Jester paused. His hand was still holding a polished stone. He glanced at Daisy, who was breathing heavily. Almost emptying all of her mana to activate the rune circle.
She had turned the tide. The demons were finally vulnerable.
The instantaneous restriction didn't just stop their movements. It also restrained the defensive integrity of the demons. Their supernatural resilience and speed was momentarily weakened.
Their metaphysical connection to the outer planes of reality granted them resilience. But it was now suppressed by the sheer force of the arcane binding.
"Keep attacking!" Jester roared. Abandoning his stones. And drawing his [Lightning Spear] again. It was time for melee payback.
Liam's eyes widened. Seeing the Werecat trapped and struggling. He drew his [Silverstar Sword] and thrust it into the demon's left chest. And this time, the blade only met normal resistance.
It bit deep into the body. Tearing through hide and flesh... and bone. A spray of thick, black ichor erupted. Pooling immediately on the floor.
Finn brought his Shadow Mallet down. No longer targeting the monster's shadow. Instead, he smashed it against the side of the Werecat's skull.
This time, there was a loud... CRACK!
The demon screamed. A high, unnatural sound of physical agony. It broke partially through the binding. Rolling on the floor.
Noah was red eyed. His Barbarian training was unleashed. Fueled by adrenaline and rage, he raised his Blazing Cauldron above his head. And brought it down with full power. Aiming for the demon's spinal column where it met the neck.
It was a killing blow. The sound of crushing bone and tearing flesh was immediate and decisive.
The Werecat Demon went limp. Its massive body slumped within the partially broken silvery restraints. The mental storm surrounding it dissipated. And the terrifying pressure in the room immediately dropped.
Silence reigned for half a second. One less demon.
SKREEE! The last demon screamed as it saw the death of its brethren.
The Werebat Demon, pinned against the wall by the runic chains, was thrashing wildly. Its eyes were glowing with pure, uncontained malice. It was trying desperately to rip free its binding. But the chains were holding.
Jester knew the opportunity was now. While the demon was restrained and exposed. He didn't need to be told by anyone what to do.
He raised his Lightning Spear. Power surged through him. The strange, unstable energy of glitch. The Eldritch Power. He manifested it as energy that boost the pure electricity charge in his spear.
He jumped to the demon and thrust the [Lightning Spear]. The weapon moved with great velocity. Accelerated by an eldritch instability that defied the laws of physics in Sherra. It was like a guided, high-speed projectile.
The Werebat Demon saw it coming and tried to twist its head. But the runic chains prevented any meaningful movement.
The sharp point of the [Lightning Spear] struck the demon. Directly between its glowing eyes.
The impact was devastating. The glitch-lightning energy surrounding the tip didn't just pierce the head. It fried and electrocuted the target tissues. Causing an immediate, unstable collapse of the demon's hide, bone, and brain.
With a final, gargling croak that was instantly cut short, the Werebat Demon went slack. The silvery chains remained taut for a moment. Holding the dead body pinned to the wall. Before they deactivated themselves a few seconds later.
The chains vanished. The body of the Werebat Demon slid down the wall. Mimicking the dark track left by Clara moments before.
Two demons down. The surviving students stood amidst the gore and the debris. Gasping. Shaking.
The fight was won in this classroom. But the sound of the gigantic Elephant Demon battling the teachers still roared from the front yard.
They had survived. But the cost was three of their peers. And their teacher. The reality of the invasion had settled. Heavy and brutal. On the ruined floor of Oakhaven Academy.
"We need to move." Vale stated grimly. His voice was low but sharp. The Stormlord Lute still humming faintly in his grip.
They survived now. But, the place was not safe.
Jester wiped the gore from his face with the back of a shaking hand. He moved toward the wreckage of the outer wall, where the Mathematics classroom had once been sealed. The breach offered a clear view of the school's front yard.
The spectacle was brutal. The gigantic Elephant Demon was a humanoid mountain of muscle and tusk. Its hide was scarred by energy blasts and arcane fire.
It was currently locked in a desperate struggle against Ms. Cyantrace, the Headmaster, and two other teachers.
Ms. Cyantrace was utilizing her Soulheart Gear, a glowing rod, to weave complex patterns on the ground and in the air. Turning the patterns into either defensive wards or offensive missiles.
One of the assisting teachers was a fat man holding a metallic umbrella. He dared to clash with the Elephant Demon physically. And he didn't seem to be much weaker in physical power.
Another one was a woman holding a pair of antique-looking flintlock guns. The guns didn't shoot lead bullets, but tiny yet destructive fireballs.
The three of them suppressed the Elephant Demon. As for defeating it... It seemed that they would need to take a long time to do so.
Other than the main clash, Jester and his friends could see the terrible aftermath. Four teachers were clearly down. One lay headless. Dark stains spreading on the pristine stone pavers. Three others were slumped against the retaining wall. Either severely injured or... dead.
The rest of the faculty, about sixteen transcenders, were battling fiercely against the remaining lesser demons.
Jester's assessment was immediate and cold. The teachers would win in the end. But it would take a high price. They were stronger. But not overwhelmingly so. It would be a tragic victory. Unless... reinforcement could come soon.
"Oh, man... It didn't look good." Finn whispered. Staring worriedly at the scene.
"They're prioritizing the Elephant Demon." Vale observed. "If it goes down, the others will falter."
It was in this moment of tense observation that the new antagonist appeared.
It didn't shriek or roar like the demons. It simply arrived. Dropping from the roof of the adjacent gymnasium building. With a heavy, jarring thud. One that momentarily drew attention away from the primary conflict.
The creature was an offense to the senses. It was vaguely humanoid. But most of its skin was replaced by crude grey metallic scales that were full of bumps and warts. They appeared to be grafted onto stretched, ruined flesh.
Wires thicker than Jester's thumb snaked tautly beneath transparent patches of synthesized skins. One of its eyes was a smooth, dead lens of polished brass. The other was a human eye. Sparkling with signs of insanity.
It carried no obvious weapon. Its own body had become a grotesque armory of sharp bio-metallic protrusions.
This was not a beastman-like demon. This was a disorganized abomination.
"A Fiend!" Bethany murmured in disgust. Shielding her eyes. They had learned this hidden aspect of transcender's opponents some time ago.
Fiend was a human who had willingly submitted to demonization. Instead of fighting the blight like a normal transcender. The traitor was seeking 'power' at the expense of their soul, sanity, and humanity.
Daisy choked on a gasp. Her green eyes wide with immediate recognition. "Is that... Rex?"
"It's Rex." Noah growled in anger. "That idiot!"
Rex. One of the four students who had gambled their futures on blind luck. During the awakening ceremony about a week ago. The one who had insisted on continuing the ceremony. Ignoring the mayor's warnings. Confidently rejecting when the Mayor offered the delay for the Awakening Ceremony.
It was the teen who walked away with a two-star Gear.
Jester and Vale looked closer. Rex. A student from their year. In different class. A loud, arrogant boy known for his belligerence.
The Rex-Fiend stomped onto the ground. The sound was unnatural. Part metal. Part wet flesh.
Some of the teachers glanced at the new arrival with disgust. But their attention remained fixed on the Elephant Demon.
The Fiend, however, made his objective clear. He didn't engage the teachers. He moved toward the shattered wall where Jester, Vale, and the others watched.
A distorted, crackling sound emerged from its throat. Magnified by a metallic grill implanted where his larynx should have been.
"Eventide! Bardean!" The voice was a grotesque violation of human speech. "Look at me now. Look at what you made me."
Jester felt a surge of pure, white-hot fury. Overriding the exhaustion. "What is it? A droning monologue of a wannabe villain? We made you nothing, Fiend!"
Rex threw back his head. The movement was jerky. Causing loose wires to spark briefly. "A loser. You made me a loser."
He roared with expression of insanity. "I'm destined to be the greatest. That's what I was going to be. But, thanks to your stupid research. I became a loser."
He scoffed. "The grand discovery of the century, huh?! You made everyone else a hero! You made me a joke!"
The Fiend took three heavy, deliberate steps toward the school building. The ground cracked beneath its distorted, heavy feet. "And when I failed, everyone knew why. You made my failure public!"
"Your failure was your problem. Not ours." Vale finally spoke. His voice unusually harsh. His grip tightened on the lute's neck. "You had a choice. You chose to be a fool."
"Silence, White Hair!" Rex screeched. "You think your ten-star gear makes you better? I have real power now! The devil saw my rage! They saw my potential! They promised me what you two stole!"
The sheer, monumental selfishness of the Fiend was staggering...
Jester stepped fully into the light of the broken window frame. His stance was aggressive. His [Lightning Spear] had reverted back to the [Thunder Nunchaku].
"You were just a pitiful loser before, Rex. A dumb and unlucky loser. But still redeemable." He mocked without mercy. "But now, you're a Fiend. A traitor of humanity. And as trancenders, we... kill Fiends."