Kaito felt it before he understood it.
The attackers stopped reacting to him.
That alone was wrong.
They spread across the courtyard with deliberate precision, no longer wasting shots on him. Instead, they aimed past him—toward exits, toward defenders, toward the people he was trying to protect.
"Move!" Kaito shouted, spinning toward the far archway.
Too late.
A concentrated blast struck the stone near Mira and Ryo, the shockwave throwing them both hard to the ground. Ryo rolled, gasping, but Mira slammed into a pillar with a sickening crack and collapsed.
"Mira!" Ryo screamed.
Kaito's breath caught.
He charged.
Bolts snapped through the air as he ran, his spear deflecting one, then another—but the third struck the ground beneath him.
A symbol flared.
Not fire.Not heat.Something heavy.
The pressure hit all at once.
Kaito stumbled as if gravity had doubled, his knees slamming into the stone. His vision swam as another blast struck his side, sending him skidding across the courtyard.
"Kaito!" Aria shouted, fighting her way toward him.
Dex leapt forward—
Only to be slammed aside by an invisible barrier, crashing into the ground with a sharp yelp.
"No—!" Kaito clawed at the stone, trying to rise.
His body didn't answer.
The attackers didn't rush him.
They advanced slowly.
Methodically.
Encircling.
Shots continued to fire—not wildly, but purposefully—forcing Aria and the others back, keeping them from reaching him.
"You're adapting slower now," a calm voice said.
A figure stepped into view, stopping just beyond Kaito's reach.
"Fatigue does that," the voice continued. "So does restraint."
Kaito tried to push himself up.
His arms shook violently.
Another pulse surged through the sigil beneath him, crushing the air from his lungs. Pain exploded behind his eyes.
"You protect too much," the figure said. "You hesitate too often."
Kaito snarled and tried to pull the spear toward him—
A final strike hit him square in the chest.
The world lurched.
Sound vanished.
The stone rushed up.
Kaito went still.
The courtyard didn't quiet.
The attackers remained.
They tightened their perimeter, weapons trained outward now—not on the unconscious boy at their feet, but on anyone who dared approach.
Aria skidded to a halt just short of the barrier, teeth clenched.
"Kaito," she whispered.
He didn't move.
Dex struggled to his feet, limping, growling low.
The calm voice spoke again, colder now.
"Secure the area," it ordered. "He stays breathing. That's non-negotiable."
No one argued.