Mirage closed the remaining distance, preparing to deliver the killing blow while the fox was helpless.
But the mont the purple mist touched him, Mirage froze mid-stride, caught by an illusory control similar to what had trapped Moon monts before.
The fox's paralysis faded.
A vicious smirk ford on its bloodied muzzle as it turned toward where Moon should be standing, expecting to see the sa look of defeat that had marked his face in the illusion as it killed its companion.
The fox's three tails struck empty air as Mirage suddenly vanished, recalled instantly to the Beast Taming Space.
'Where is he?!' The fox's eyes dilated.
Moon wasn't in his place.
The fox's heart skipped a beat.
Moon materialized directly behind the fox in a flash, his hands and legs already crackling with every remaining ounce of mana in his body. His fingers closed around the fox's neck.
ZZZZAP!
Lightning flooded through the creature at point-blank range. The fox's body convulsed violently, unable to escape the grip that held it in place while a trendous number of volts coursed through it.
Smoke rose from its fur. Its breathing beca erratic, then stopped.
Realizing it was at death's door, after its plans had backfired, the fox could only hope desperately that its backup plan would activate in ti.
Behind Moon, six figures were already moving.
The control-disruption runes that had been restricting their movents had finally broken down.
Within seconds, Nina's sword was already in motion, the blade whistling through air toward Moon's exposed back. Reid's arrow was nocked and drawn, aid at his head. Grant's shield was raised like a battering ram, rushing forward to crush him. Kael's flas were gathering, preparing to incinerate Moon.
All the attacks began converging on Moon simultaneously from behind. The fox's purple eyes flickered with one final spark of hope at death's door. Hoping that Moon would let go of it to save his own life.
Moon felt the air displacent of incoming strikes, heard the whistle of arrow flight, sensed the heat of approaching flas. But his grip didn't loosen. Moon felt the air displacent of incoming strikes, heard the whistle of arrow flight, sensed the heat of approaching flas. But his grip didn't loosen. Even knowing he was about to be struck by his own teammates' attacks, Moon held on.
Because this was one of his few chances. If the fox was given another chance to cast its illusion spell, Moon couldn't be certain that he would be able to defeat it, the fox's illusion was terrifying and had it not been for his quick witted thinking before the mist arrived, he would have died.
The attacks struck Moon's back, making him grunt due to the mind wrenching pain. Nina's sword punched through his ribs. Reid's arrow pierced his lung. Grant's shield shattered his spine. Kael's flas consud his flesh. Caleb's weapon split his skull.
The fox's body went completely limp in his grasp, its three tails falling still, its purple eyes dimming to lifeless black.
Still, Mara's healing magic, deprived of its target, scattered uselessly.
[You have died]
[You have lost 2,000 Lives]
Although he'd died, Moon was smiling.
Because around him, his six teammates were collapsing to the ground, freed from their control as the fox's death released them from its influence.
The gate was cleared.
[You have killed a First Order Supre Beast: Three-Tailed Illusion Fox]
[You have gained 5 Super Lives]
The chamber began to rumble ominously, stone cracking and debris falling from the ceiling. Moon's eyes snapped open as his revival completed.
Looking at the falling boulders of stone, Moon didn't even have ti to properly view the notification before his eyes, his mind entirely focused on the need to move, to act, to save himself and everyone else before they were all crushed.
He limped toward the fox's corpse, his body barely moving. Every step sent spikes of pain through his body, but he forced himself forward and managed to store the beast's body in his storage ring as debris fell around him, seeking his life.
His gaze landed on his entire team scattered across the collapsing chamber floor, all of them knocked unconscious, completely unable to move or respond to the crisis.
"WAKE UP!" Moon shouted at the top of his lungs, but there was no response.
They remained motionless.
He tried to summon lightning to jolt them awake, but his mana pool was completely depleted. He had poured everything he possessed into that final killing strike, and now had no reserves remaining whatsoever.
Moon cursed internally as chunks of ceiling crashed down around them.
Yet he kept moving despite his injuries, he retrieved a cloth from his storage ring and began the agonizing process of tying his unconscious teammates together whilst trying to wake them up at the sa ti. His hands shook from exhaustion and pain, but he managed to create a makeshift harness that connected all six bodies.
His teammate were simply refusing to wake up, no matter what.
Left with no choice, using every ounce of physical strength he had remaining, Moon began dragging the entire group toward the exit portal.
He didn't even have enough mana left to summon Mirage from the Beast Taming Space. Even if he did, Moon wasn't sure he'd have the energy to return him if he brought him out now.
Step by agonizing step, Moon hauled six unconscious S-Rankers through the collapsing chamber, fighting against ti, falling tons of rocks and his own failing body, determined to bring them back with him.
♢♢♢♢
Outside the gate, the Evolvers who'd been tasked with maintaining the periter were in the middle of what they'd assud would be their final conversation.
"You know, I never expected this would be how I died," one of them said with dark humor, staring at the ominous crimson rift that had remained calm for hours. "Turning into dust by an S-Rank gate explosion that takes an entire city with us."
"At least we'll die quick, eh? Besides, we were going to die anyway. The cris we've committed are enough to land us death sentences twice over." Another Evolver said.
"True enough. At least the bureaucrats gave us that slim hope: 'If the S-rankers manage to clear the gate, you'll have the chance to reduce your sentence from execution to a few years in prison.'"
"Hah! You actually believe that political nonsense?" The first Evolver scoffed bitterly. "Those kids were too green, too inexperienced. The end of humanity is approaching faster than anyone wants to admit, and we were just placed here to make the public think those children had a real chance as the governnt figured out a way to calm the masses and deal with the approaching hell."
"They never had a chance. I an, co on—they even included a damn commoner in th—"
~WARP~
The gate began to stir, its crimson surface rippling.
Every Evolver's attention snapped toward it instantly, their voices dying as they held their collective breath.
This was it. The mont they'd been dreading.
"See you boys in hell," one of them said quietly.
"See you to—WHAT?!"
The speaker shot to his feet, staring in absolute disbelief at what was erging from the portal.
A lone figure stumbled through the rift, dragging six other people behind him with a rope harness. The figure was bloodied, barely able to stand, but unmistakably alive.
The mont Moon's feet touched Earth's soil, his legs gave out completely and he collapsed, finally succumbing to exhaustion.
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