Shino, barely holding himself together, whispered something urgent to Momoshimo.
Shizuku, realizing what Shino was planning, quickly listed off moves Momoshimo could use.
Even though he'd never fought before, he nodded and stepped forward.
Momoshimo took a deep breath.
"Rockic Blast!"
Chunks of hardened earth launched at the Kaito monster.
Then—
"Thousands of Rock!"
"Meteorite!"
"Mega Ground Blast!"
He chained every move he knew, not to win… just to buy time.
The monster turned its attention to him, annoyed but entertained.
Meanwhile, Shino pulled the others close.
"We escape now," he said, voice sharp but trembling. "But someone has to keep it busy…"
He looked at the group. He didn't want to pick anyone.
He didn't want to sacrifice anyone.
So he turned to Shizuku.
"Is there any move that can get Momoshimo out once we're far enough?"
Shizuku's eyes widened as she remembered.
"There's one… Ground Breaking Jump. A khaki-eye-only move. He can leap high, smash the ground on landing, and use the shockwave to escape. But… it drains almost all his energy."
Shino didn't hesitate.
He called Jeisuke.
Jeisuke clenched his fists instantly. "Say no more."
He sprinted toward the monster, slashing the air with wooden walls and wild attacks, doing everything he could to keep its attention.
While Jeisuke fought, Momoshimo rushed back to Shino.
Shino explained the plan in one breath.
Momoshimo listened, swallowed his fear, and nodded.
The operation began.
Shino shouted, "JEISUKE—FALL BACK!"
Momoshimo unleashed:
"Thousands of Rock!"
The explosion of stone and dust gave the squad the perfect opening.
They escaped the danger zone, running with everything they had.
Then Momoshimo turned toward the monster.
"GROUND BREAKING JUMP!"
He shot into the air like a cannonball.
The moment he landed—
BOOM!
The ground shattered.
Dust swallowed everything — monster, crater, debris.
Using the cover, Momoshimo used the move again, even though it nearly knocked him out.
He landed far, far away… completely drained.
Barely standing, he ran toward his hometown with the last bit of energy he had left.
---
Later, everyone reunited in front of their school gate — bruised, terrified, but alive.
Jeisuke and Momoshimo stood at the center of the group.
Tonight, they weren't just classmates.
They were the saviors of the squad.