The massive fire blast scorched the wall behind it, leaving a blackened, smoking crater as the creature escaped the worst of the attack and continued its retreat deeper into the school.
The hallway filled with the acrid smell of burned plaster and superheated air, small embers still glowing on the damaged wall as the group pushed forward through the darkness.
The explosion's heat lingered, making the air shimmer and the shadows dance wildly for a moment before the night swallowed everything again.
Then Hanako chased after the monster, catching up really close to it.
She pulled out her katana from her side — the blade she had brought with her all this while, strapped discreetly under her revealing outfit.
The sword gleamed faintly in the sparse moonlight filtering through high windows as she drew it in one smooth, practiced motion, the steel whispering against its sheath.
