Mosspeak

Untitled part

Teruo stumbled into the heart of the chaos, his eyes widening at the scene before him. Kudou was on her knees, breathing heavily, a deep, fresh cut streaking down her back. Ai was struggling to stay upright, her shadows barely flickering, weakened by the sheer effort it had taken to defend her friends. Hoshiro, the pro hero, lay motionless on the ground nearby, his face pale, while Chusiga, another hero, knelt beside him, using his mysa ability to maintain Hoshiro's vital signs.

For a moment, Teruo could only stare. He wasn't close with this group—they were more classmates than friends—but the gravity of the situation pierced through his usual nonchalance. Every person left standing was fighting for survival, and from the look of things, they were one slip away from defeat.

In the distance, he could hear faint sounds from Hoshiro's office, where Arisu was in a frantic chase after Umi Lamia. Teruo clenched his fists, the weight of what he'd walked into settling over him. He had always considered himself more of an opportunist than a hero. But right now, standing by and doing nothing wasn't an option.

He took a breath, his focus sharpening. Summoning his mysa, he reached out to enhance the energy of his wounded classmates. He started with Ai, channeling his strength into her shadows, reinforcing them enough to give her control again. Then he turned his attention to Kudou, boosting her resilience and sharpening her reflexes, despite her injury. Lastly, he directed his energy to Hoshiro, pooling everything he had into Chusiga's efforts to keep the hero alive.

Kudou lifted her head, her face a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "Why would you help us?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Teruo shrugged, his eyes still scanning for any lingering threats. "Because... even if I act like a pain, I'm not about to let you all go down. As long as it's used with good intent, even a little risk—even something that feels a bit reckless—can be heroic."

With his support, Kudou managed to steady herself, a new resolve flashing in her eyes. Ai's shadows flickered back to life, holding steady enough to create a defensive shield around the group. And Hoshiro, with Teruo and Chusiga's combined efforts, took a slow, labored breath, holding on to the last threads of consciousness.

Teruo took a shaky step back, his energy nearly depleted. He might not have been their friend yet, but in that moment, it didn't matter. He'd played his part, however small, and in doing so, he'd helped them keep fighting.

Umi's breaths came fast as she navigated through Hoshiro's shattered office, each step reverberating with a sense of triumph and dread. Dust hung heavy in the air, stirred up from the battle's destruction. In her bloodied hands, she held the final charm fragment—the last of the seven pieces she had sought for so long.

She looked down at the jagged shard, feeling its latent power humming against her skin. With this, the ritual was complete. Her fingers trembled, but not from fear. It was exhilaration, a sense of victory that surged through her veins.

She opened the hatch to the necklace putting in the final piece, each piece emitting a faint, eerie glow. The ground seemed to pulse, reacting to the power she held. Carefully. A sudden rumble echoed from deep within the earth, growing into a low, primal roar. The fragments glowed brighter, merging together in a blinding surge of energy. Umi staggered back as the combined power shot upwards, tearing through the ceiling like a beacon into the sky.

Outside, the ocean answered. Waves rose unnaturally high, and an ominous dark shape began to emerge from beneath the surface. The sea beast—a creature of ancient power, its monstrous form glistening under the fractured sky—rose, its massive body towering over the shore, a shadow that swallowed everything in sight.

Umi felt the power settle into her, the culmination of years of effort, of sacrifices made and alliances betrayed. This was her moment. The beast roared, shaking the earth itself, and her eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she gazed upon her creation.