The Malform's screech reverberated throughout the locked zone, its piercing gaze fixed firmly in Lyss' direction. It showed no intention of allowing its prey to escape its sight, remaining focused on her like a predator that had already chosen its target.
"I can't keep fighting for much longer. A backup would come in handy." Lyss muttered before taking a quiet breath. "I need to keep fighting." She slowly exhaled, steadying herself as she prepared to face the creature once more.
The Malform suddenly spread its enormous jaws, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs capable of tearing through even the sturdiest protective plating. But rather than lunging forward, it began gathering something inside its mouth. A faint red glow appeared deep within its throat, gradually intensifying until the light spilled between its teeth. Lyss narrowed her eyes, momentarily distracted by the unfamiliar phenomenon. She hadn't seen the creature do anything like this before, and that brief lapse in concentration was enough for her guard to drop.
A low, distorted hum began to emerge from the growing sphere of energy. It started as a faint vibration, almost like the rumbling of distant machinery, before rapidly escalating into a deafening, high-pitched whine. The air around its jaws trembled as the red light compressed and churned, growing denser with every passing second. Sparks of crimson energy flickered across its surface, while the surrounding space seemed to warp beneath the immense pressure building within it. Whatever the Malform was preparing, it was far beyond an ordinary attack.
"Gotta get out of here!" Lyss shouted, recognizing the immense resonance building inside the Malform's jaws. She immediately spun around, intending to put as much distance between herself and the creature as possible. But before she could take even a single step, disaster struck. As she turned, the soles of her boots became wedged between two fractured sections of the pavement, their jagged edges likely formed by the earlier shockwave that had torn through the tunnel.
Her momentum carried her forward, but her feet remained trapped. Lyss lost her balance, her body pitching helplessly toward the ground. Her eyes widened, and her expression twisted with sudden terror as she realized what was coming. She had barely enough time to understand her predicament, let alone free herself.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent.
Then—
A colossal red beam erupted from the Malform's mouth.
The blast tore through the air with an overwhelming roar, its sheer force sending a violent shockwave racing across the locked zone. The pavement beneath the creature's feet shattered instantly, while chunks of concrete and debris were hurled in every direction. Nearby structures groaned under the pressure, their windows bursting apart as the surrounding air seemed to collapse beneath the beam's immense energy.
It didn't travel like an ordinary projectile. The beam surged forward with terrifying speed, swallowing everything in its path beneath a torrent of crimson light. Its edges twisted and crackled with unstable energy, leaving a trail of scorching heat and pulverized debris in its wake. The shockwave arrived even before the attack itself, sweeping across the ground like an invisible wall and ripping loose everything that wasn't firmly anchored.
It wasn't slowing down.
The Malform's attack adjusted its trajectory, following Lyss as she struggled helplessly against the fractured pavement. The enormous beam closed the distance in an instant, its blinding red glow consuming her surroundings. The ground beneath her began breaking apart from the pressure alone, cracks spreading rapidly toward her as the approaching blast threatened to erase everything in its path.
She had nowhere to run.
Lyss struggled desperately, pulling at her trapped boots as the approaching crimson light swallowed what little space remained between her and the Malform. Her fingers clawed at the fractured pavement, but the jagged pieces holding her feet refused to budge. The roar grew louder, drowning out everything else until she could barely hear her own breathing. Her heart pounded violently against her chest, and for the first time since the fight began, she felt utterly helpless.
"No... Not like this."
Lyss clenched her jaw, desperately trying to move even a single limb. Nothing. Her body felt unbearably heavy, and the pain spreading through her chest made every breath a struggle.
She hadn't survived this long just to become another casualty in some abandoned tunnel.
"Damn it... Move!"
But no matter how hard she tried, her body refused to cooperate. For the first time since the confrontation began, Lyss found herself unable to rely on her own strength.
The thought crossed her mind before she could stop it. The beam was already upon her. There was no time to escape, no time to defend herself, and certainly no time to call for help. All she could do was stare at the approaching light, painfully aware that her death might arrive before she could even finish another breath.
Then the beam struck the ground beneath her.
The pavement erupted in a tremendous column of crimson energy, swallowing the entire area in a blinding flash. A violent pressure wave burst outward, tearing apart the surrounding ground and sending enormous slabs of concrete tumbling through the air. The explosion expanded with such force that even the nearby structures seemed to buckle beneath it. Dust, shattered stone, and burning fragments were swept into a towering cloud as the ground beneath Lyss was reduced to rubble.
The destruction wasn't limited to the locked zone, either. Several streets away, the enormous crimson explosion rose above the surrounding buildings, its brilliant glow illuminating entire blocks. People walking along nearby sidewalks stopped in their tracks, turning toward the distant spectacle. Some shielded their eyes from the sudden flash, while others stood frozen, staring at the towering cloud of smoke and debris. A few hurriedly backed away as the delayed shockwave rattled windows and shook street signs, leaving citizens scrambling to understand what had just happened.
The blast caught Lyss before she could react.
The back of her clothes was immediately scorched by the intense heat, fabric blackening and tearing as the explosion launched her body through the air. She was thrown violently away from the impact zone, spinning uncontrollably with no ability to protect herself. For several seconds, she was nothing more than a helpless figure caught in the aftermath of an attack powerful enough to reshape the surrounding terrain.
And then, her front slammed into an enormous boulder.
The impact fractured its surface, sending a web of cracks racing across the stone before several chunks broke loose and tumbled down around her. Lyss' body crumpled against it before dropping heavily onto the ground.
A sharp, unbearable ache spread through her chest and back, making even the smallest attempt to breathe feel agonizing. Her limbs trembled uncontrollably, while the impact left her disoriented and struggling to understand what had just happened. She tried to move, but her body barely responded. Every slight movement sent another wave of pain through her, forcing a strained, broken gasp from her throat.
Pain erupted through her entire body.
Her vision flickered. The world around her blurred beneath the falling dust, and the distant roar of the Malform became muffled, almost as though she were sinking underwater.
She attempted to lift her head, only for the effort to send another jolt of pain through her body. Her fingers twitched against the ground, but she couldn't gather enough strength to push herself up.
Further away, Cinder raised her aviators onto her forehead, narrowing her eyes as she tried to get a better look at the distant explosion. The tremendous reverberations had carried all the way to her position, drawing her attention toward the source. Whatever had happened over there, it was clearly serious enough to warrant immediate assistance.
"Hell's happenin' over there?"
She remained still for a few seconds, watching the distant plume of smoke rising above the buildings before reaching for her phone. Bringing it to her right ear, she quickly contacted the Institute.
"Cinder here. Spotted a massive explosion near Aoshima's Sealed Tunnel. Might need backup; possible danger; high risk. Over."
Without waiting around, she ended the transmission, mounted her motorbike, and started the engine. If someone was in trouble, she wasn't about to waste time standing around.
Back at the Institute, the response came almost immediately.
"Understood. I'll send a rescue team to the designated location," Mozen announced from inside his office before ending the call.
He didn't waste any time. Reaching for another communication device, he contacted Theo and decided to dispatch him to the coordinates Cinder had provided. Whatever was happening inside the sealed tunnel, they needed someone there as soon as possible.
To be continued...