Chapter 184: Chapter 184- Courage
The bird screeched, wings snapping wide with a crackle of unstable lightning. Sparks danced across its feathers as it staggered to its feet, eyes blazing with fury. With a single beat of its massive wings, it whipped up a violent gust that sent rubble and shards of stone flying like blades.
Clarissa raised her hand, her telekinesis forming a shimmering wall of kinetic energy that deflected the debris. "Stay back!" she called, glancing over her shoulder at Sefi, who stumbled further behind, clutching her chest.
The bird lunged, its beak charging with a bolt of electricity that swelled like a storm about to break.
"Reimon!" Clarissa shouted.
"I see it!" Reimon’s hands flared with dimensional energy, and a rift tore open in the air just as the lightning beam fired. The searing bolt disappeared into the gate and reemerged from another portal above the bird’s back, slamming into its own wings. The beast shrieked in rage, feathers exploding in sparks.
But it wasn’t done. Its talons slashed down at Clarissa with terrifying speed.
She slid to the side, telekinetic force amplifying her movement like a sudden gust of wind, and with a flick of her wrist she hurled a storm of kinetic shards at the bird’s joints. The creature staggered, its wings faltering for a moment under the invisible barrage.
"Keep it unbalanced!" Reimon called, opening a second gate beneath the bird’s legs. Its talon sank half-through before it realized, making its stance uneven.
Clarissa’s eyes sharpened. "Perfect, hold it there!" She thrust both hands forward, her power slamming into the bird like a colossal invisible hammer. It toppled sideways, crashing against the ground with another ear-splitting shriek.
Reimon clenched his fist, and the gate twisted, sending a ripple of distorted space along the bird’s side. "Now!"
She pressed both palms together, gathering her telekinetic energy into a single, dense sphere of force. Her warm tone vanished, replaced with firm resolve. "Take this," she whispered, then hurled the sphere at the bird’s chest.
The impact detonated like a silent quake, lifting the creature from the ground and sending it tumbling backward in a cloud of dust and sparks.
The bird screamed again, its body convulsing with broken lightning, trying desperately to rise.
Clarissa’s breath came sharp, her palms trembling as she thrust both hands outward. Invisible force surged like chains of steel, slamming down on the bird’s body. Its wings jerked violently, lightning crackling as it screeched and tried to break free. The ground trembled beneath its struggle, but Clarissa held firm, her eyes narrowing with determination.
"You’re not going anywhere," she murmured, voice steady yet gentle. She stepped back slowly, reinforcing the telekinetic grip until the bird’s limbs were pinned, feathers sparking as it thrashed.
"Now, Sefi... it’s your turn."
The timid girl flinched at the words, her hands trembling as arcs of electricity began crawling across her skin. For a moment she hesitated, her eyes wide, fearful of failing. But then she saw Clarissa’s calm smile, warm even in the chaos.
"You can do this," Clarissa said softly, never letting her focus waver.
Sefi clenched her fists. The lightning around her swelled brighter, growing into a blinding aura. The sound of crackling thunder built in the air, echoing like drums of war. Her timid gaze hardened as she raised both hands toward the struggling beast.
The bird screeched, its eyes burning with fury, as if realizing too late what was coming.
With a sharp cry that shook her timid voice free, Sefi unleashed everything. A massive bolt of pure, searing lightning erupted from her hands, cutting through the air with the roar of a storm. The beam slammed into the bird’s chest, engulfing it in an explosion of light and thunder.
The entire battlefield shook as the energy tore through the creature. Clarissa released her telekinesis at the last second, letting the full weight of Sefi’s attack consume it. The bird’s body convulsed violently, sparks scattering in all directions, before it collapsed with a final, guttural screech.
Silence followed, broken only by the faint crackle of residual electricity.
Clarissa rushed forward and caught Sefi as her knees buckled, pulling her into her arms. The girl’s face was pale, but her eyes were still glowing faintly with pride.
"You did it," Clarissa whispered, her voice warm and soothing as always. "You were incredible."
Sefi’s chest heaved as she tried to steady her breathing, her small frame trembling in Clarissa’s arms. When Clarissa whispered those words of praise, warmth spread across her face.
"M-me? Incredible?" Sefi stammered, her cheeks burning red. She turned her face slightly away, unable to meet Clarissa’s kind eyes. "I... I only did what you told me. If it weren’t for you holding it down, I— I would’ve messed everything up..." Her voice trailed into a whisper, shy and uncertain.
Clarissa brushed a strand of hair from Sefi’s forehead, her smile unwavering. "Don’t belittle yourself, Sefi. Power means nothing without the heart to use it. And you had that courage."
Sefi bit her lip, too embarrassed to respond. The only thing she could manage was a small, timid nod, though her fingers clutched gently at Clarissa’s sleeve, as if silently admitting how much the praise meant to her.
Meanwhile, Reimon stood a few steps away, staring at the scorched and fallen bird with wide, almost childlike eyes. He scratched the back of his head, tilting it in innocent puzzlement.
"Whoa..." he muttered, his tone oddly light given the devastation. "So it’s really down, huh?." He crouched closer, peering at its twitching wings with curiosity, as if he still couldn’t quite believe it.
Clarissa kept Sefi close for a moment longer, until she was sure the girl’s trembling had begun to settle. Then she pressed two fingers to the small device at her ear, her voice soft yet steady as she opened the channel.
"This is Clarissa," she said, calm as always, though faint static crackled in the background. "Division Two has neutralized the aerial target. The bird is no longer a threat."
She glanced briefly at Reimon, who was still crouched near the fallen creature with that boyish look of wonder, before adding gently, "We’ve sustained some strain, but no casualties. Everyone is still standing."
Static shifted, followed by the faint overlapping voices of other divisions still in battle. Clarissa’s tone warmed as she continued, "We’ll remain on guard in case it stirs again... but for now, we can lend support if needed."