The sound it made wasn't a normal hit. It was like a whip crack followed by a crunch.

The creature's hand slammed into Lars's shoulder.

The impact threw him sideways like a ragdoll.

His body crashed against a wall and slid to the floor.

Then, the monster stepped forward again.

Its arm rose high, shadow falling over Calliope as it brought its hand down like it wanted to crush her.

"Everyone! Move!" I shouted.

Two portals opened beside me, leading to one of the rooms I had already confirmed as safe.

I used telekinesis to grab the children and Calliope and threw them through the portals.

The creature's hand slammed into the spot where she had been standing a second ago.

The ground cracked and dented.

"Alan! Take everyone away!" Mira yelled and rushed forward.

Her rapier burst into flames as she charged.

The sword's edge gleamed orange in the dim corridor.

She stabbed straight toward the creature's chest.

I turned back toward the portal.

"Mira, hold on! I'll bring Lars, then you! Just hold the monster until then!"

In a Cursed Spirit's domain, being ambushed was one of the worst things that could happen.

Every exorcist was taught to think that if a Rank 3 or higher spirit attacked first, the fight was already lost.

Those things couldn't be damaged by normal means.

Even if you somehow injured them, they would recover instantly. If you killed them, they revived.

And when one ambushed you, it usually meant game over.

Everything was happening too fast.

Only a few seconds had passed since the Cursed Spirit appeared.

I ran toward Lars, who was lying near a broken wall.

He wasn't moving.

I picked him up with telekinesis, and entered the room where just after Ellyn.

The air in the corridor felt heavy.

The ground shook slightly as Mira's flaming sword struck the monster.

The attack connected, flames bursting outward in a spear-like shape.

'No damage,' I thought grimly.

The creature didn't even flinch.

Its black skin absorbed the flames like they were nothing.

Mira's eyes widened as she realized it too.

She quickly shifted her stance, ready to defend.

But before she could move, the creature vanished.

"Huh?" Mira's voice came out tense.

It reappeared behind me.

I barely caught a glimpse before it swung its arm, the same move it used on Lars.

'Instantaneous teleportation?'

There was no time to react. No time to make a portal.

The monster's hand came down toward me, fast enough to blur.

'I'm going to die,' my instincts screamed.

But just before it hit, a flash of blue lightning appeared between us.

"Brace!"

It was Lars.

He crossed his arms in front of his body and took the full impact.

The strike launched him upward.

Because he had been standing in front of me, his body collided with mine mid-air.

We were both thrown back together, spinning.

"You'll die if you hit the wall at that speed!" Yuna shouted in my mind.

I knew that too.

And this time, I was prepared.

A portal opened behind us just before we hit the wall.

We flew through it and crashed into the corridor where Mira was.

We hit the floor hard, rolling and bouncing several times.

My ribs felt like they were on fire.

I forced myself up, twisting mid-roll and landing on my knees.

My vision spun for a moment before I steadied myself.

Thanks to my Adrenal Silence perk of Assassin Class, I remained calm.

"Stay alert! The Cursed Spirit can teleport instantly!" I yelled. "Lars, can you stand?"

Mira already stood ready with her rapier, fire coating the blade again.

"I— I'm good!" Lars tried to stand, but his knees buckled.

He coughed and forced himself up again, trembling.

Blood ran down both of his arms.

One looked badly dislocated.

It was already a miracle he was alive after taking two direct hits.

But he wouldn't last in another fight.

We waited.

No one spoke.

The Cursed Spirit didn't come.

The silence stretched.

"Damn it! Alan, check on the others!" Mira snapped suddenly.

I opened a portal to the safe room swiftly.

The children were crying.

Calliope was on her knees, pale, clutching her stomach as she threw up, and…

"Where's Ellyn?" Mira's eyes turned sharp.

She ran straight through the portal.

Lars followed behind her, holding his arm.

I stepped through last.

"Where is Ellyn!?" Mira shouted, scanning the room.

No one answered.

She stormed toward James, her boots thudding against the floor.

Her hand reached out to grab him, but she stopped when she saw his terrified face.

The two children were crying harder now.

Their shoulders shook.

Mira bit her lip and turned toward Calliope instead.

"Where is my sister?"

Calliope's face twisted, recalling what had happened.

She covered her mouth and threw up again.

Her whole body was trembling.

"It… it took her," she whispered between heaves.

Mira's hand clenched into a fist.

"Damn it!"

She hit the wall so hard the sound echoed through the room.

"Damn it!"

Calliope began to sob loudly.

Her voice cracked as she tried to speak.

"I'm sorry… I'm useless… I couldn't do anything…"

Her words came out broken and shaky. Tears streamed down her face.

"She's calling herself useless again, isn't she?" Lars muttered beside me.

I nodded quietly.

He sighed. "I can't understand all her words, but I've heard that one enough time to know what it means."

He walked over to the two children.

Both were still crying.

Their faces were red and wet. That was normal. Although the fight had been short, it must've left them terrified.

Lars knelt down and gently patted their heads.

"It's alright. Don't cry too much. You're safe now."

His voice was calm.

That calmness seemed to settle the kids a little.

Their crying softened into small sniffles.

Then he looked at Mira.

"We need to move again. Standing here won't change anything. We have to plan what's next. Also, calm down."

Mira looked back at him, her face tense.

For a moment it seemed like she was about to yell, but then she stopped.

She let out a long breath and lowered her rapier.

"You're right. Losing my temper won't help us."

I raised an eyebrow.

'She regained her calm quite fast. I guess she didn't call herself a veteran exorcist for nothing.'

'That and… she must be trying to hope that her sisters are alive and can be rescued.'

Finally, Lars turned toward Calliope again.

"Can you heal me?"

Calliope wiped her mouth and nodded weakly. "Y-Yes… just wait a moment."

Her hands trembled as she first fixed his disjointed shoulder.

Although she could've used healing magic, treating injuries first reduced the mana cost.

She used healing magic.

The faint green light wrapped around Lars's arms, closing his bleeding wounds.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should've done this earlier. I always wait until someone asks me for help… I'm so useless. I was so scared that I couldn't even think straight. I should've done better—"

"Stop." Lars cut her off gently. "You're not useless or a coward."

Calliope blinked, her hands freezing mid-air.

"You're a healer. Do you even realize what that means?

"While everyone fights to survive, you're someone who chose a job that doesn't make you stronger but lets you help others.

"You're the one who steps into the battlefield even when you're weak, just so others can live."

Calliope stared at him.

"No healer is a coward. You're the bravest one here."

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