The kapre didn't fall easily.
Even after the first real damage landed, it only became more unstable, like something that had stopped pretending to hold back.
The hallway felt smaller with every movement it made.
Wood from the walls peeled off as it moved, not because it was physically grabbing them, but because the pressure around it was distorting everything nearby. The air itself felt compressed, like breathing inside a closed fist.
Gino and I didn't talk anymore after that.
There wasn't time for it.
The kapre swung again, faster this time, forcing me to duck low as the impact shattered part of the floor behind me. I felt the vibration travel through my bones.
"Tch…" I exhaled sharply and forced myself forward again.
My dagger came up instinctively.
Not planned. Not calculated.
Just movement.
I cut across its lower arm again, then immediately shifted back as it retaliated. The system kept flickering in my vision, but I stopped trying to read everything. If I slowed down even for a second, I'd get crushed.
Gino moved in from the side.
He wasn't trying to overpower it. He was reading it.
Every time the kapre targeted me, he forced its attention away with quick, sharp movements. A kick to debris. A sudden dash across its blind angle. A feint that made it shift its weight just enough for me to get another opening.
"Anthony!" he shouted between breaths. "It's adapting!"
"I know!" I snapped back, sliding under another strike.
My arm burned from blocking earlier hits. My grip on the dagger didn't loosen, but it wasn't comfortable anymore.
The kapre let out another low, grinding sound.
Then it changed again.
Its form thickened.
The shadow around its body stopped dispersing and started condensing, like it was gathering everything back into itself.
Bad sign.
Really bad sign.
"It's charging something," I muttered.
Gino stepped back slightly, eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I can feel it too."
The air around us tightened.
Even the system reacted.
[HOSTILE ENERGY INCREASE DETECTED]
[WARNING: MASSIVE OUTPUT BUILDUP]
I clicked my tongue.
"No chance we're letting that finish."
I moved first.
I didn't wait for it to complete whatever it was preparing. I dashed straight in, forcing myself through the pressure it was building.
The closer I got, the harder it became to breathe.
My body resisted it.
My vision blurred slightly at the edges.
But the status boost held.
"Gino, now!" I shouted.
He understood immediately.
He sprinted in from the side, not toward the kapre's body, but toward its stance. He went low, fast, and precise, kicking into its supporting leg structure as hard as he could.
It didn't topple it completely.
But it broke its balance.
That was enough.
I drove the dagger forward.
Not into its center.
Not where it looked strongest.
But where the energy was condensing.
The moment the blade made contact, everything resisted.
Like stabbing into thick water that didn't want to split.
My arms shook violently.
"Just… break already!"
I forced it deeper.
The kapre reacted instantly, swinging down toward me, but Gino intercepted it again, taking the impact to redirect its force just enough for me to stay in position.
"Don't… you dare stop now!" he gritted out.
I pushed harder.
The system flashed.
[CRITICAL HIT CONDITION MET]
Something snapped.
The condensed shadow ruptured outward.
Not an explosion of fire or light.
But a collapse.
Like something that had been holding itself together for too long finally losing structure.
The kapre staggered.
Its form distorted.
The pressure in the hallway vanished all at once, replaced by sudden emptiness.
And then it fell apart.
Slowly at first.
Then completely.
Like dust losing its shape.
The last trace of it dissolved into nothing.
[ KAPRE ELIMINATED ]
[ TEAM TASK COMPLETE ]
[ GAINED +100 POINTS ]
Silence hit immediately after.
Too sudden.
Too heavy.
My knees gave out before I even realized I was standing on instinct alone.
I dropped to the floor.
"Ha… ha… damn…"
Gino wasn't far from me. He slumped down completely, leaning back against the wall, one arm over his knee as he tried to catch his breath.
"That thing… was way too annoying," he muttered.
I let out a short breath that almost turned into a laugh.
"Yeah. Tell me about it."
For a few seconds, neither of us moved.
Just breathing.
Just existing.
Then footsteps came rushing down the stairs.
Sarah appeared first, almost tripping in her hurry, followed closely by Cynthia.
Sarah didn't even hesitate. She went straight to Gino and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You idiot, you scared me!" she blurted, half angry, half relieved, before pulling him into a tight hug.
Gino froze for a second.
Then awkwardly patted her back. "I'm fine… I'm fine. It's just… a big ugly horse thing."
"That's not the point!" she snapped, but didn't let go.
Cynthia moved toward me next.
She crouched down slightly, scanning me quickly like she was checking for injuries.
Then she offered her hand.
I took it.
She helped me up without saying anything at first, just steadying me until I could stand properly.
"You're really reckless," she said quietly.
I exhaled. "We won."
"That's not an answer."
But she didn't push further.
After a few minutes of rest, once our breathing finally stabilized, we went back upstairs.
The room still felt heavy when we entered it.
But it wasn't hostile anymore.
Mrs. Perez was holding her daughter's hand tightly, while Mr. Perez stood nearby, eyes locked on the bed like he was afraid to hope too early.
The girl was still pale.
Still weak-looking.
But the suffocating pressure from earlier was gone.
Completely gone.
I stepped closer.
No dark energy on her chest.
No lingering presence.
Just exhaustion.
I pulled out a bottle of holy water.
"Drink this," I said softly.
Mrs. Perez helped her sit up slightly, and the girl obeyed weakly, taking a small sip.
Nothing dramatic happened at first.
Just a pause.
Then her breathing steadied.
Color slowly returned to her face.
Her eyes blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then she opened them fully.
"…Huh?" she murmured, confused. "Where… am I?"
Mrs. Perez broke immediately.
She pulled her daughter into her arms, crying as she held her tightly.
Mr. Perez followed a second later, placing a hand on both of them, his shoulders shaking.
"I… I thought we lost you," he said quietly.
The girl still looked confused, but she didn't resist the hug.
Sarah stepped back slightly, watching the scene unfold.
Gino scratched his head awkwardly.
Cynthia just stayed still beside me.
Mr. Perez finally turned toward us.
He bowed his head.
"Thank you," he said, voice breaking. "If you didn't come… I don't think she would still be here."
Mrs. Perez followed, wiping her tears.
"We used to think all of this was just stories," she admitted. "Superstitions. Things people say to scare others."
She looked at her daughter again.
"But after this…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I don't think we can ever ignore it again."