Just as the Scarbone raised its jagged, bony fist, it lunged at Darren with lethal intent.
But in the blink of an eye, a small shadow zipped across the air.
Smash!
A sharp gust followed, and something slammed into the Scarbone with incredible force, like a meteor striking the earth. The beast was lifted off its feet, sent hurtling through the air before crashing headfirst into a nearby bus.
The bus crumpled like paper, flipping on its side with a screech of twisting metal. Flames burst from its hood. Glass shattered and smoke hissed into the air.
Everyone stared, wide-eyed.
"...What... what the hell was that?" Leon gasped, his voice raw from disbelief.
Slowly, the group turned toward the source of the impact.
There, standing in the middle of the broken street, surrounded by scattered rubble and smoke, was a girl. Her figure was slim, graceful, and unmoving. Wind tugged gently at her coat, revealing long golden hair that shimmered beneath the fading sunlight like strands of woven flame.
She turned her head slightly toward the others, her blue eyes glowing with quiet strength. Her voice was calm, steady, and unmistakably confident.
"Leave the rest to me," she said. "You all need to rest now."
Jasmine's eyes widened. She hadn't spoken in what felt like hours, but now, her voice cracked through the silence.
"L-Lady Ariel…?"
It took a moment to register—but she was sure of it. That voice… she had heard it many times before.
Jasmine's mind reeled, dragging her back to memories she'd nearly forgotten.
Back when Ariel was desperately trying to support her struggling brother Zane—who had been kicked out of their home—she took a quiet yet determined route. She reached out to Jasmine, his English teacher, through her personal assistant. Zane had always been stubborn, refusing help no matter how much he needed it. He even told Ariel, in a shaking voice, to stop putting herself in danger for his sake. He didn't want pity, especially not from her, even though he never rejected her help.
Maybe it was because she was too adorable.
But Ariel wasn't done—not even close.
Unable to help him directly without drawing their father's attention, she avoided the principal and the headmaster entirely. Instead, she carefully chose a low-ranking staff member: someone unnoticed, someone who could fly under the radar.
That person was Jasmine. Through her assistant, Ariel sent thousands of dollars to Jasmine—bit by bit, month after month—asking her to help Zane quietly. She paid for his school fees, his rent, food, clothes—everything she could.
Jasmine, at first hesitant, soon got used to the flow of money. She bought herself a new car. Then a house. Her lifestyle improved overnight, even though the boy the money was meant for continued working multiple part-time jobs just to survive. Zane never saw a dime of the money meant for him.
When he was bullied, Jasmine looked the other way. When he came to school with bruises or skipped lunch for days, she told herself it wasn't her problem. Deep down, she'd always wondered—why was this mysterious woman willing to spend so much on a boy who seemed to have nothing special about him? At one point, she even joked in private that Ariel might've been Zane's secret sugar mommy, since she'd never seen her face. She had only heard her voice, soft and elegant like velvet wrapped in steel.
But now, hearing that same voice in the middle of this battlefield—calm, clear, and commanding—it all came rushing back.
She was certain—utterly and completely—that it was the same woman she had spoken to on multiple occasions. The voice, the presence, even the subtle grace in the way she moved—it all aligned perfectly with the memory etched into her mind.
"B-But... she's just a little girl," Jasmine whispered under her breath, disbelief coloring her tone. She stared at the golden-haired figure standing confidently before the monstrous Gemini. Ariel's piercing blue eyes sparkled like twin glaciers under sunlight, and for a moment, they reminded her of Zane. The same quiet storm, the same calm intensity. It sent a chill down her spine.
Ariel turned slightly, her eyes scanning the crowd before landing on Jasmine. A soft, radiant smile lit her face.
"Oh, it's you, Madam Jasmine," she said warmly. Her tone was gentle but firm—as if greeting an old friend and preparing for war. Ariel figured that if Jasmine was here, then Zane couldn't be too far off.
The apocalypse had started during school hours after all, and Jasmine, being his teacher, might know where he was.
But that would have to wait.
Before anything else, she had to deal with the immediate threat—the looming Scarbone.
Heavy footsteps crunched over broken glass and gravel as Mario approached, carrying an injured Leon slung over his back. He looked at Jasmine, blinking in disbelief. "You know that girl?"
"Yeah," Jasmine murmured, almost dazed.
"Somehow…" Her voice steadied, the light slowly returning to her eyes. "I think I do."
Suddenly, a new system alert appeared in front of Ariel, though only she could see it.
[System Notice]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Rank: Savage Beast
Gemini Species: Scarbone
Strength: B
Speed: A
Agility: C
Intelligence: D
Endurance: A+
Final Rank: Scarbone C
Abilities:
Berserk: Temporarily boosts all stats massively for 60 seconds.
Super Regeneration: Rapidly heals all non-fatal damage.
Weakness: None Detected.
"I see…" Ariel muttered, eyes narrowing as she processed the data. "So this is what a true Gemini looks like."
Up until now, she'd only seen them from afar—watching from safety as her brothers and other awakened soldiers clashed with the first wave. Seeing one in person… facing it directly… was something else entirely.
The Scarbone let out a guttural growl, like the grinding of rusted metal. With its massive boney hand, it shoved a car aside like it was made of paper. Tires squealed as it crashed into a nearby pole. Dust flew into the air, coating the street in a faint gray haze.
Then, like a thunderclap, the Scarbone lunged.
Ariel reacted a heartbeat too late.
Its bony fist smashed into her face with terrifying force, the impact creating a crater beneath her feet. The shockwave rippled through the street, cracking concrete and rattling broken windows. Ariel flew back several feet, skidding across the road. Blood sprayed from her lips, and her vision blurred.
Her head throbbed violently, pain screaming through her skull like a siren. For a second, she truly believed her head might split in half.
At least, that's what she believed should've happened. But no—aside from the shattered concrete beneath her feet, she stood, her face tilted in the direction the punch had sent her.
"She... she's not dead, is she?" Mario asked no one in particular. He didn't want their last line of defense to crumble so soon after she arrived.
Wiping the blood from her lip, she took a shaky breath and looked up at the creature.
"For a fist made of bones, that punch was surprisingly weak," she muttered to herself. "Did it hold back? No… I doubt it. It doesn't look like the type to show mercy."
She flexed her fingers slowly, feeling the growing warmth of energy returning to her limbs.
"Does this mean Primordials are supposed to be this strong…?" she whispered, her voice thoughtful despite the pain.
The Scarbone stared at her, its hollow eyes flickering. Then, suddenly, it leapt backward several feet—its posture tense, defensive. As if it sensed something. A presence. A threat.
Ariel's eyes narrowed, and in that moment, another message flashed before her eyes:
[System Notice]
Fire Mage detected
Terra Mage detected
Enhancer detected
Healer detected
Water Mage detected
Do you wish to acquire the above skills?
[Yes] [No]
Without the slightest hesitation, Ariel accepted the offer.
[System Notice]
Congratulations, Ariel Walker.
You have learned the following skills. Mana Points have been credited to your reserve as a reward for acquiring new abilities.
However, since these skills do not originate from your own affinity, you will need to upgrade them before they can match the power of enemies at your level or higher.
Note: You can only learn skills from beings weaker than you.
Mana Points Obtained: 15,000
Skills Acquired:
Fire Domain: C
Terra Domain: C
Water Domain: C
Enhancement Attribute: C
Healing Attribute: C
Additional Info:
Longer incantations create more powerful attacks but consume greater mana points.
For now, you must create your own incantations.
A grimoire will be provided upon completion of the tutorial.
Ariel narrowed her eyes, her mind racing through the flood of information. Her body still throbbed from the Scarbone's earlier blow, but she was already adapting. The pain had sharpened her focus.
She clenched her fists slowly, feeling a soft warmth stirred beneath her skin. Mana. Pure and vibrant. It surged like a quiet flame, waiting to be unleashed.
So, enhancement and healing don't need incantations, she thought. I can use them freely… though they'll still drain mana points.
That was good to know.
She glanced ahead. The Scarbone had moved a short distance back, still observing, its skeletal frame twitching slightly, as if it sensed the change in her. But Ariel didn't focus on it yet.
Beyond the monster, more Geminis were fast approaching—climbing over wreckage, snarling like animals, eyes glowing with primal hunger.
"But how do you even use an incantation?" Ariel murmured to herself, glancing at her open palms. Energy pulsed faintly beneath the skin.
She paused... then smirked.
"Eh, whatever. Big Brother Zane always said to do things with style…"
With a breath, Ariel took a single step forward. Her golden hair lifted gently as mana wrapped around her like an unseen breeze. The ground trembled slightly beneath her feet, reacting to her presence.
The Scarbone let out a low growl, shifting one foot back, cautious.
Ariel raised her hand toward the oncoming Geminis, her voice steady and soft, yet laced with intensity as she began to chant.