Akira and Kana burst out of the science lab, tearing through the school's corridors once more. Behind them, the serpent-like creature roared, its remaining heads smashing walls as it gave chase. Glass shards rained down, and the floor trembled beneath their feet.
Kana's breath came in ragged gasps, her legs threatening to buckle, but Akira's firm grip on her hand kept her moving.
"Thirty meters to the library. Maintain speed," he said, his voice steady despite the worsening damage to his left arm, which sparked intermittently.
As they neared the corridor's end, the ceiling caved in.
Concrete debris crashed down, blocking their path.
The serpent seized the moment, one head lunging at Akira. He shoved Kana aside and slashed, cleaving the head in two.
But another head reacted faster, coiling around his torso and hoisting him into the air. Metal groaned under the strain.
"Akira!" Kana screamed.
She grabbed a nearby iron pipe, her hands shaking as she swung at the serpent's head. The blow was weak, barely denting its scales.
Still gripped by the creature, Akira forced his right arm to move, driving his blade into its neck. Black ichor sprayed, and with a pained bellow, the serpent released him.
He hit the floor and rose instantly. "Moderate damage sustained. Combat capacity at seventy percent. Kana, don't be reckless."
"But you were in danger!" Her voice cracked with tears.
Akira met her gaze for a moment, then pointed to the rubble. "We'll detour. Third floor, music room. Move quickly."
They raced up the stairs, reaching the third floor.
The music room's door opened to a deceptive stillness. Pianos and instruments stood neatly arranged, as if time had paused.
But the calm shattered.
An unnatural presence stirred outside, making the windows quiver.
Akira ushered Kana behind a piano, his eyes fixed on the glass. "New hostile detected. Prepare."
The windows exploded inward, and a massive bat-like creature swooped in. Its tattered wings flapped like torn cloth, and its claws gouged the floor. A piercing, ultrasonic screech tore through the air, stabbing at their ears.
Kana clapped her hands over her ears as Akira sprang into action.
He swung his blade, but the bat darted erratically, dodging each strike.
"High mobility. Analyzing movement patterns," Akira said, his eyes glowing red as he tracked its path.
Seizing a fleeting opening, he leaped, slicing through one wing. The creature crashed to the floor, dragging itself toward Kana.
She screamed. Akira's blade flashed, severing its head in a single stroke.
Silence returned—briefly.
Then came new sounds: skittering footsteps from below, rising fast.
"Hostiles approaching from the lower floor. The music room is compromised. We move," Akira said, pulling Kana to her feet.
They fled into the corridor, only to see a swarm of creatures scuttling up the stairs. Small, beetle-like things, their countless legs and razor-sharp mandibles glinting unnaturally.
The swarm surged forward.
Akira shielded Kana, his blade sweeping through the insects. But their numbers were overwhelming. For every one he crushed, another skittered closer, clawing at his legs.
His damaged left arm faltered, nearing its limit.
"Kana, get to the corridor's end. I'll secure an escape route," he said.
She ran, and Akira drew the swarm's attention, his blade a blur as he carved through them.
One insect latched onto his leg, its jaws grinding against metal. He shook it off and followed Kana.
They reached the corridor's edge just as a deafening rumble shook the building.
The floor collapsed.
The insect swarm plummeted into the abyss below, but the destruction didn't stop. Cracks raced toward their feet.
"Jump!" Akira shouted.
He scooped Kana into his arms and leaped across the crumbling gap.
They landed on the other side, gasping, and glanced back. The school's structure warped further, the night's darkness deepening around them.
"Next, the rooftop," Akira said. "We'll assess the situation from higher ground."
Kana nodded, and they sprinted for the stairs, running once again.