The Forgotten Ritual: "Cursed Academy"

Chapter 9: The Hour Of Reckoning

Weeb POV:

No one could believe the figure standing before us was Nisbet. He had been twisted into something unrecognizable-a wraith shaped by the Dark Artisan's hand. Amber took a step toward him, but Aaron quickly grabbed her arm.

"It's not him," Aaron warned, his voice tense, pulling her back.

The Dark Artisan leaned in close to Nisbet's ear, his voice a sinister whisper. "Go."

Nisbet rolled his neck, stepping forward with a chilling calm. "Once I finish with them, I've got a special plan for their souls," he muttered, a dark smile creeping across his face.

Kaito, standing in front of us, gripped a nearby pole. "The Nisbet we knew would never harm us," he declared, his voice filled with desperate conviction.

Nisbet extended his hands, palms open, his voice cold and distant. "I am no longer the man you once knew."

"A flawed imitation," Tim spat in disgust.

Nisbet's smile widened into something grotesque. "I have no flaws. The Artisan has perfected me," he said, his laughter spiralling into something manic. Raising his hand, his eyes locked onto Kaito. "There's someone here who's eager to meet you, Kaito."

With a snap of his fingers, Kendrick materialized from the ground behind Kaito, striking him with a brutal backhand. Kaito was flung through the air, crashing hard onto the stage with a bone-rattling thud. Kendrick floated after him, sneering down at the fallen figure.

"Who gave you permission to claim my reincarnation?" Kendrick hissed, his voice dripping with malice.

Everyone spread out, preparing for the fight. I decided to take the initiative and leaped onto the stage, swinging at Kendrick's head to distract him from Kaito. It worked, but only for a moment. His cold eyes locked onto me, and I felt the weight of his dark focus shift.

Before Kendrick could strike, Billy flew in from the side, colliding with Kendrick's back and sending him stumbling forward. Seizing the opportunity, Tim rushed in, smashing a fire extinguisher into Kendrick's face. The impact dazed him, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

Kaito, regaining his strength, charged forward and tackled Kendrick to the ground. Pinning him, Kaito placed his hand on Kendrick's head, muttering an ancient enchantment under his breath. As the words spilled from Kaito's lips, Kendrick's body began to glow with an intense white light. A moment later, with a faint hiss, Kendrick vanished in a puff of smoke, his presence wiped from the battlefield.

There was no time to catch our breath. Nisbet leaped onto the stage with terrifying speed, his presence more menacing than ever. Before anyone could react, he superkicked Yuki off the stage, sending her flying. In the same motion, he uppercut Billy and grabbed a nearby steel cymbal, smashing it over Billy's head with brutal force. Billy's body crumpled as Nisbet flicked him aside like he was nothing.

Tim made a move, but Nisbet was faster. With a blur of motion, he slashed across Tim's chest, the impact sending Tim crashing into the wall. His head hit the surface with a sickening crack, and his body collapsed, motionless.

"Tim..." I muttered, disbelief and dread swirling inside me as I stared at his still body.

Before I could react, Nisbet teleported in front of me, his hand tightening around my throat in an iron grip. He lifted me effortlessly, slamming me hard onto the ground. Pain shot through my body as he dragged me across the floor, the rough boards scraping against my back. With a violent toss, he hurled me into the air, and I crashed into Kaito, the impact leaving both of us sprawled in a heap.

The pain was unbearable, but worse was the feeling that Nisbet wasn't done with us yet.

I rolled across the ground, pain searing through my body, but as I looked up, I saw Amber was the only one still standing. She took a deep breath, her voice steady yet filled with emotion as she stepped toward Nisbet.