The staircase ended abruptly on the rooftop, wind gusting past them and scattering debris across the open space.
Stud floated nervously beside Yuma, his small body trembling. "This… this is it. That's the one causing all the chaos," he squeaked, pointing toward a dark figure looming over the opposite end of the rooftop.
Yuma's eyes widened. "That… that's huge."
Before them stood the main culprit: a Level 2 defensive poltergeist, a Malwisp. Unlike the chaotic, amorphous poltergeists they had faced before, this one was humanoid in appearance, standing upright with long clawed arms dragging close to the floor. Two tentacles jutted behind its head, twitching like vipers. Its entire body was dotted with circular, glowing orbs that pulsed rhythmically.
As it noticed Stud, the orbs suddenly glowed brighter, and a low hum filled the air. The Malwisp hissed, launching itself at Stud with its tentacles whipping like whips.
Stud panicked, hovering midair. "Wait—WAIT! Don't—ahhhh!"
Serena reacted instantly, leaping in front of the small poltergeist. She slashed her dagger at one of the tentacles, sparks flying off the Malwisp's rough exterior. The blade bounced harmlessly, unable to penetrate the dense, rocky armor of its arms.
"Stud! Get back!" she yelled. Her other hand drew her second dagger as the creature lashed again.
Yuma scrambled to a nearby pile of debris, grabbing shards and steel fragments that Stud had taught him to imbue with Geist energy. He hurled one at the Malwisp, but the glowing orbs around its body released a deafening pulse, forcing the projectile to disintegrate midair.
Stud's tiny voice quivered. "It's… it's defensive! Those orbs… they're generating energy barriers!"
The Malwisp reared back and extended its tentacles toward Serena. She dodged, flipping backward onto the concrete floor, but another strike sent a chunk of rooftop railing flying past her head. Sparks of energy arced off her daggers as she tried to intercept, but the creature's arms were unnaturally fast.
Yuma shouted, "Stud, what do we do?!"
"I… I'm not strong enough to fight it head-on!" Stud's tiny form glowed faintly green with exertion. "You have to… exploit a gap in its barrier!"
Serena gritted her teeth, dodging another whip of claws. "A gap? Where?!"
Stud pointed toward one of the Malwisp's glowing orbs on its chest. "That one—its core is slightly weaker than the others! If you strike it in unison while it lashes, it might destabilize the energy field!"
Yuma nodded, gripping his possessed steel bar. He could feel the faint energy pulse coursing through it as he prepared to strike. Serena adjusted her glasses briefly, tapping the side as her hair shimmered gold, hiding her Geist powers from prying eyes.
The Malwisp hissed and lunged again, targeting Stud this time. Serena darted in, blocking the strike with her dagger, though the impact sent her skidding across the rooftop tiles.
"YUMA! NOW!" Stud shouted, hovering near the creature's flank.
Yuma hurled the steel bar toward the Malwisp's chest orb. The bar glowed green as it connected, but the energy barrier rippled outward, absorbing most of the impact. Serena, using the momentary distraction, fired several rounds from her handgun at the creature's arms, aiming for joints in the rough exterior.
The Malwisp screeched in fury, spinning and releasing a shockwave from its orbs that threw both Serena and Yuma backward. Dust and debris filled the air.
Stud flailed in midair, eyes wide. "I… I told you… it's dangerous! Don't—DON'T!"
Yuma coughed, wiping grit from his eyes. "We can't… we can't let it keep calling more poltergeists!"
Serena, teeth clenched, rolled forward and landed in a crouch, daggers at the ready. Her golden hair shimmered briefly again as she tapped her glasses. "We need to take it down now… together!"
The Malwisp hissed again, circling them. Its tentacles lashed outward, and each glowing orb released pulses of energy. They could feel the vibrations in their bones—the creature's sheer power was overwhelming.
Stud hovered desperately near Yuma. "You have to… aim for the core! Hit it together, or… or we're done for!"
Yuma gritted his teeth, gripping the steel bar with both hands. "Serena… on my mark!"
Serena nodded, adjusting her stance. "Ready."
Stud floated nervously between them. "Do it… NOW!"
Yuma hurled the possessed bar at the core orb as Serena slashed in tandem, dagger connecting near the joint of the orb. The glowing barrier flared violently and then fractured in jagged waves. The Malwisp screamed, stumbling backward as energy arcs struck the rooftop tiles, sending shards flying.
Stud squeaked in relief. "Y-you… you did it! Keep going!"
The fight was far from over, but the first coordinated strike had proven the Malwisp could be damaged.
Above them, the city skyline reflected in the early afternoon sun, but the battle's stakes had never been higher. Every pulse of the creature's energy reminded them: failure here wasn't an option.
The Malwisp hissed, claws slashing through the air like jagged scythes. Each strike sent reverberations across the rooftop tiles, but Serena's agility allowed her to twist and roll just in time, narrowly avoiding the crushing blows.
"Ugh… this thing is relentless!" she growled, crouching and keeping her daggers ready.
Yuma struggled beside her, swinging the steel bar he had possessed. Each strike glanced off the Malwisp's rough, rock-like exterior, barely leaving a scratch. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
Stud hovered nervously, flailing his tiny limbs. "No! No, you're doing it wrong! You're using brute force—it won't work!"
The creature lunged at Serena again, its massive claw arcing in a deadly swing. Serena dodged, rolling under its arm. The claw slammed into the rooftop and… stuck. Concrete and debris wedged itself into the grooves of the Malwisp's claw, holding it in place.
Serena froze for a moment, realizing something. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the creature's movements.
"I see it…" she muttered. "It's fast for nothing! Its shell is tough, but it moves slow because of it. That's its weakness."
Yuma blinked. "You mean… its strength is its speed limit?"
"Exactly," Serena said, crouching. "It trades agility for defense. We just need to keep moving, exploit openings, and hit hard when it stumbles."
Stud floated above them, a look of determination on his tiny face. "Wait… I have an idea!"
Serena glanced at him. "What now?"
"You're effective against it… but your daggers alone aren't cutting through the shell. I can fix that." Stud's green glow flickered as he hovered closer to her blade. "Let me… possess your dagger!"
Serena's eyes widened. "What? Are you insane?!"
"I'm indestructible! You need power to pierce that shell—let me do the work, I can channel Geist energy through your weapon!" Stud insisted.
Yuma frowned. "Are you sure that's safe?"
Stud rolled his tiny eyes. "Safe? Ha! Staying alive isn't safe either. You want to win or just get shredded?"
Serena gritted her teeth and held out her dagger. "Fine… but don't overdo it. I don't want my weapon melted or something."
Stud chuckled, green energy wrapping around the blade. "Relax, miss. Just trust me. I can't fight directly, but I can make this hurt."
The Malwisp roared again, raising its other claw high. Serena rolled forward, dagger glowing faintly with Stud's energy. Yuma hurled a possessed steel fragment to distract it, striking one of the glowing orbs on its shoulder. The Malwisp staggered slightly, its barrier flickering.
"NOW!" Stud shouted. Serena lunged, slashing at the core with the infused dagger. Sparks erupted as the blade scraped across the armored surface. For the first time, a deep gouge appeared in the rough exterior.
The Malwisp hissed in pain, spinning wildly to strike, but its massive claws swung slowly. Serena ducked and rolled away, golden hair shimmering as she tapped the side of her glasses to keep her Geist identity hidden. Yuma pounced on another opportunity, smashing the steel bar into a weaker orb on its torso.
Stud floated beside them, shouting directions. "Aim for the joints between the orbs! Its armor is strongest at the center, weakest at the edges! Go!"
The trio worked in unison, Serena dodging and slashing, Yuma throwing possessed fragments, and Stud channeling energy through Serena's dagger. With each precise strike, the Malwisp's energy barriers flickered and weakened.
"This is… actually working," Yuma panted, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Serena smirked despite the strain. "Finally, a challenge that's not completely invincible." She twirled, ducking another slow swipe, and slashed the dagger again, the green energy humming along the blade.
Stud's tiny form glowed fiercely. "Keep it up! Once it's destabilized, you can finish it!"
The Malwisp let out a screech, stumbling back, its tentacles thrashing wildly. Its defensive wall flickered and splintered. For the first time, it looked genuinely threatened.
"Yuma… now's our chance!" Serena shouted. "Strike together!"
Yuma nodded, gripping his possessed steel bar tightly. Serena lunged, dagger blazing, while Yuma hurled the bar at the Malwisp's chest orb. Stud channeled the energy fully into Serena's dagger, and the combined assault struck the Malwisp with unrelenting force.
The creature let out a final, deafening hiss as the energy barrier shattered completely, pieces of its rough shell scattering across the rooftop. It stumbled backward, almost toppling over the edge, and shrieked, "This… isn't over!"
Stud floated in relief, letting the dagger return to Serena. "Finally… a sign of progress! You humans… not entirely hopeless."
Serena smirked, wiping sweat from her brow. "Not entirely? You mean we're still alive."
Yuma looked around, catching his breath. "We… we actually did it…"
The rooftop was quiet for a moment, save for the wind and the scattered rubble of the Malwisp's failed assault. But the city below still throbbed with danger—they knew this was only one battle.
Stud floated near Yuma's shoulder, muttering, "Don't get cocky. More will come. Defensive poltergeists are tricky… but at least now we know their weakness."
Serena tapped her glasses again, her hair shimmering briefly gold. "Good. Let's remember this… and next time, maybe we can finish faster."
Yuma nodded. "Agreed… but I think Stud deserves a break after all that shouting."
Stud flailed his tiny arms. "Break? Who said anything about a break? I've got more advice to give, you slow humans!"
Serena rolled her eyes, smiling faintly despite the chaos. "Yeah, yeah… you keep talking, Stud."
The rooftop battle had ended—for now—but the stakes had never been clearer. They were up against poltergeists that could summon friends, wield deadly powers, and exploit their weaknesses if they weren't careful. And this time, they had discovered the key: speed and coordination over brute force.