Chapter 244 - Mysterious prototype
The moment their boots touched down outside the school perimeter, a sigh of relief swept through the group. The air still reeked faintly of smoke and metal, but at least they were alive.
"We did it! We actually got out!" Hana exclaimed, bouncing a little with Yuki cradled safely in her arms. Her voice cracked with relief, the tension finally loosening from her shoulders.
Zei let out a tired laugh as he stumbled slightly, leaning against Qui Yue. "I never wanna do that again," he muttered, wiping the blood from under his nose. "Freezing that many people at once... damn near killed me."
"But you were awesome," Qui Yue said, gripping his arm. "You saved all of us."
Zei gave a faint smile before his knees gave out, his powers finally depleting. Muchen caught him just in time, dragging him behind a broken wall for cover. "Rest. You’ve done more than enough."
Just as they began to move again, a sharp shout rang out. The crack of gunfire split the air.
"Ambush! Get down!" Muchen roared.
From behind rusted barricades and shattered vehicles, a unit of soldiers—those left outside the school—rose and opened fire.
Yunfeng reacted instantly, a wall of shimmering fire flaring up around the group. Bullets hissed and pinged against it, melting or dropping harmlessly to the ground. But a few found their mark—one punched through the shield just before it stabilized, embedding itself deep in Yunfeng’s left shoulder.
He grunted, staggering as the flame barrier flickered. "Dammit...!"
Lu Zhi and Kailun caught him before he collapsed, dragging him to cover. Blood ran freely down his arm.