The peaceful atmosphere of the park shattered like glass as the portal suddenly began to distort violently. The white light flickered and warped, replaced by a dark, surging energy as arcs of electricity crackled across its surface. The sounds emanating from within were no longer mere snarls, but a bone-chilling screech reminiscent of metal grinding against metal. Suddenly, more than fifteen C-Rank "Black-Shell" insects lunged from the portal. Standing nearly two meters tall, their upper bodies were encased in pitch-black, bulletproof carapaces, though their underbellies remained softer and more vulnerable. Each one tore into the concrete ground with scythe-like legs.
Sard had grasped the severity of the danger the moment the portal changed color; before Lena could even level her staff, Sard extended his finger like a barrel and fired his first shot into the darkness emerging from the portal's mouth. Lena raised her staff, gathering her brilliant, yellowish-white light. "They're coming!" she shouted. She neutralized the first insect with a beam that struck the soft spot right beneath its throat. But as she focused on a second, another insect leapt from the bushes to the right, lunging at her like a killing machine. As Lena braced for the impact, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
Sard stood with his hand leveled like a pistol, having released a concentrated surge of blue energy from his index finger in a split second. The energy, as fast and shearing as a bullet, sliced the mid-air insect clean in half. "Don't lower your guard, Lena!" Sard thundered. The blue sparks dancing at his fingertips carried the cold precision of a professional assassin.
Seeing the pressure mount, Lena struck her staff against the ground. A massive, glowing yellow-white barrier dome erupted around her. It protected her, but maintaining it drained her offensive power. Dozens of insects clawed at the barrier, their screeching sounds grating like nails on glass. As Lena grit her teeth to hold the dome, the insects began to form a black, swarming mass over the barrier.
At that moment, Fast appeared on the concrete wall at the edge of the canal. His heart hammered against his chest like a drum. The words "ABILITY: PRESENT" from the test room flashed in his mind like a command. "Leave her alone!" he roared. Casting aside his feelings of inadequacy, he lunged with all his might at the nearest insect, which was striking the barrier with its back turned.
Fast slammed his fist into the point where the insect's shell met its sensitive under-tissue. With that immense physical force, the insect lost its balance and was sent skidding meters away. As Fast's feet hit the ground, he smiled despite the stinging in his hands. It's working... I actually have power! But this intoxication of victory lasted only a second. The insect he had thrown was merely dazed; its shell was still intact. Worse, Fast was now the target of the others. Two massive insects turned toward him simultaneously. Before Fast could even raise his guard, one of them lashed out with a scythe-like leg. The blow struck Fast's chest with such violence that he felt the air leave his lungs. Fast was sent flying back like a scrap of paper, skidding across the concrete into a cloud of dust. At the last second, Lena had managed to form a thin, brilliant layer of light to soften his fall.
Sard cleared the remaining insects in seconds with rapid, lethal bursts of blue energy from his fingertips. A terrible silence suddenly fell over the park. The ground was littered with green ichor and broken shell fragments. Sard walked toward Fast, who was struggling to stand in the dust, with heavy, authoritative strides.
"You don't become a hero by jumping into a fight bigger than yourself, Fast," Sard said, his voice cutting through Fast's pride like a blade. "You just become an obstacle in the way. Today, you did nothing but distract Lena. Your 'bravery' could have cost your best friend's life. Don't ever get under my feet again."
Fast grit his teeth, staring down at the concrete floor. Every word from Sard hurt more than the blow he had taken. With his pride shattered, he could only stare at the cracks in the ground. Yet, in that moment, he was the first to notice the vibration in the red rift that everyone thought was over.
"Why..." Fast whispered, his eyes widening in horror. "Why hasn't the portal closed yet?"
Sard froze just as he was about to turn away. His experience told him something was very wrong. He snapped his gaze toward the portal; its edges were cracking with red electrical arcs. The ground began to shake with a massive tremor.
And in that moment, from the crimson maw of the portal, a gargantuan Troll—made of raw flesh and bone, carrying pure hatred in its single eye—forced its massive frame through the portal's limits and took its first step out. Even the professional mask on Sard's face was replaced by a deep, encroaching darkness.