Chapter 31 Then the World Exploded

Two Hours Later

 Three identical, heavily armored transports, were lined up on the asphalt. Instructor Arata stood before the assembled top three teams of the academy. A tactical board hovered in the air beside him, displaying three diverging routes out of Tokyo.

"Listen up! The decoy operation is a go. Our job is to create confusion and buy time. Remember your assignments! Team Alpha! You're on Route 7, heading west along the coastal highway. Your priority is to maintain a high, consistent speed. Draw attention if you can but disengage if confronted.

Team Charlie! You've got the northern route, through the industrial sector. It's a labyrinth. Use it."

Finally, his gaze landed on Shota, Mirai, and Enji. 

"Team Bravo! That's us. We're taking the central metropolitan route. It's the most direct, and therefore, the most likely to be challenged. Consider it a vote of confidence. We move out in sixty seconds. Board up!"

Arata ushered his team into the Bravo transport. The heavy door slammed shut, sealing them in the dim, red-lit interior. 

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The armored truck rumbled through the city streets. Instructor Arata, bracing himself against a bulkhead, addressed his team.

"Listen up, this is the full briefing. What I'm about to tell you does not leave this compartment. The truth is, no one on this mission will knows which truck is transporting the real relic. Not me, not the drivers, not the other teams. This was a top-secret measure ordered at the highest level. All twenty decoy trucks across the city have an identical, heavily armored box in the back.

The logic is cold, but sound: it prevents leaks. If any one of us is captured, compromised, or is even a spy, we cannot reveal what we do not know. The enemy will have to split their forces twenty ways or waste precious time figuring out which target is real. 

Our first objective is to reach the pickup point. The relic is currently held in a secret facility outside the Tokyo Barrier. Our job is to secure the relic, load it into our truck, and transport it back inside the Barrier to a new, secret location. 

I'll be straight with you. The plan the government and the Association cooked up is a terrible one. It's convoluted, it spreads our forces thin, and it involves moving a high-value target through unprotected territory. But it's still better than the alternative: leaving the relic in an unsecured facility outside, or trying to walk it through the Barrier in someone's pocket, which would create a mana signature brighter than a lighthouse.

With the time we had, and the haste required... this was the best they could come up with. So, stay sharp. Expect anything. This 'simple escort mission' is anything but."

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One Hour Later

 The Bravo team's armored truck was speeding down the road, the secret facility coming into view on the horizon. It was supposed to be a simple in-and-out operation.

Then the world exploded.

It was broad daylight, but the sky lit up with violent, orange eruptions. Four colossal figures erupted from the earth around the distant facility, sending skyscraper-sized chunks of concrete and steel tumbling like toys. They were titans of molten rock and heat—S-tier Lava Golems, their mere presence turning the air hazy with distortion. 

As the team watched in horror, the sides of the giant golems cracked open, and from the glowing fissures, a flood of smaller, man-sized lava minions poured out, swarming the streets. In the distance, the brilliant flashes of Pro Wizards' magic—blasts of ice, lightning, and force—lit up the horde, but they were mere pinpricks against the overwhelming numbers. The defensive line was being swallowed.

Instructor Arata slammed his fist against the truck's armored wall.

"GOD DAMN IT! We were too late! He gathered his forces and hit the source! Our forces are engaging the enemy, but he's going to snatch the relic before we even get there! All teams! Status report! I need a sitrep, now!"

What came back was not a report. It was an echo from hell.

"—they came from the sewers! They're everywhere—ghaaaa...!" A voice screamed, the sound of breaking metal and a wet, final gurgle cutting it off.

"Oh god, the heat... my armor's melting! It's MELTING— AGGGHHH!" 

The transmission dissolved into a scream of pure agony that was abruptly silenced.

"—fall back! Fall back to—!"

A massive explosion roared over the comms, followed by the crunch of collapsing structure.

Another channel flickered to life, filled with the frantic, overlapping shouts of a team being overrun. 

"Where's Tanaka?! TANAKA!—" "I can't hold them! There's too ma—" "My leg! IT'S GOT MY LEG! SOMEONE HE—" 

The transmission devolved into screams, the sound of lava sizzling on flesh, and then a final, static-laced pop.

"This is Team Seven! We're boxed in on the overpass! Requesting immediate suppor—" The sound of shattering glass and a deep, bestial roar swallowed the plea, followed by the screech of twisting metal and a long, fading crash.

Then, a new transmission.

"Command, this is Foxtrot-Seven-Niner! Be advised, high-yield explosives have negligible effect! I say again, NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT! The target... it just... reforms. The smaller hostiles... their touch... Jensen's armor just... slagged. He's... he's still screaming. We are not equipped for this. We are not equipped—"

The sound of a deep roar, impossibly close, drowned him out. There was a burst of static, then a single, choked, wet gasp.

The next voice was a young, terrified cadet. 

"My magic... it's not even scratching them! It's just a light show! They're walking through it! THEY'RE JUST WALKING THROUG—" 

The last, static-choked scream faded from the comms. The color had drained from Arata's face. 

"My God! The military and support teams... they're being slaughtered out there. They're just... being wiped out."

 He turned and slammed his fist against driver's cabin.

"PEDAL TO THE METAL! Get us there, NOW! We need to help them!"

He spun back to his team.

 "Lava golems are a pain in the ass to deal with. You can't shoot them, you can't bomb them—they just reform. Military arsenal and support-team magic are practically useless. It's like throwing pebbles at a volcano. You need top-tier Pro Wizards with specialized magic to contain or disperse them. Anyone else... anyone else is just going to get slaughtered."

 Enji slammed a fist into his open palm, a small burst of blue flame erupting from the impact. 

"THEY WON'T BE A PROBLEM! LAVA OR NOT, I'LL BURN EVERY LAST ONE OF THOSE ROCK-SPAWN TO ASH! THEY THINK THEY'RE HOT?! I'LL SHOW THEM WHAT REAL HEAT IS! NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM WILL BE LEFT!"

"KEEP YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT, HEATBURST! The big ones out there are S-Tier! The minions flooding the streets are C or D-Tier! Do you understand what that means? Fighting them with fire or pure physical force is the worst thing you can do! You'll just make the big ones angrier and waste your energy on minions that can reform from the main body's mass!

All three of you have reached B-Tier after your hard training, and that's commendable. But do not get cocky! This is the real deal! One mistake, one moment of arrogance, and you will die. It's not a training simulation where you wake up in the infirmary!"

He pointed a rigid finger at Mirai, then Enji.

 "Mirai's magic is mostly physical, and you, Enji, are all about the flame! Shota has incredible defense, but only barrier magic! Against this specific enemy, our team composition is purely support! We are a backup unit, not the spearhead! Our job is to create openings for the A and S-Tier Pros, evacuate wounded, and secure the perimeter."

He leaned in, his face inches from Enji's.

 "So you will not go off on your own. You will follow my commands to the letter. Is that understood?!"

Enji gave a single, sharp, grudging nod. 

"Tch. Fine. But when they need that opening, I'll be the one to burn it through."

Mirai was unnervingly calm. A serene, almost dreamy smile touched her lips as she looked at Shota.

 "It's okay, Sensei. My only mission is to make sure Sho-kun comes back in one piece. I'm perfectly happy to be his support." 

Shota nodded, "I will do my best, sensei!"

 "Great! Now stay focused!" 

The truck screeched to a violent halt, throwing them all forward against their restraints. The driver screamed from the cabin.

"ENEMY ATTACK! THEY'RE ON US!"

Before anyone could react, the armored side of the truck glowed a sudden, terrifying cherry red. The air filled with the smell of scorched metal. With a hiss, a large section of the reinforced plating melted away, slag dripping to the ground to reveal the horrifying sight outside: three hulking, man-sized lava golems, their forms rippling with intense heat, closing in on their position.

There was no time for a plan.

Arata didn't hesitate. He spun and delivered a powerful kick to the mangled doors, sending them flying off their hinges.

 "BRAVO TEAM MOVE OUT! MOVE OUT! WE ARE GOING ON FOOT FROM HERE!" 

He turned towards the driver's cabin.

 "DRIVER, GET THIS THING OUT OF HERE! GO!"

The driver didn't need telling twice. The truck's engine roared as it reversed, tires screeching, before swerving and speeding away down the ruined street, leaving the four of them alone in the open, facing down the advancing lava golems.