The moment Himiko moved again, the air itself felt like it split, no warning, no sound, just pressure.
Shougo barely tilted his head as the space beside him sliced apart, a thin invisible line passing where his neck had been. The ground behind him opened cleanly, like reality had been cut instead of broken.
"…So it's not just speed," he muttered.
Himiko stood a few meters away, her naginata spinning once before stopping in her hand. Her eyes were calm, almost bored.
"You're adjusting," she said quietly. "But not fast enough."
Lady Chõko cracked her neck, grinning wide, her eyes sharper now, no longer just playful.
"Yayayayaya… you talk too much for someone about to lose."
She stepped forward again, but this time, no reckless charge, her movement lowered, controlled
Serious.
Griffin noticed immediately, adjusting his hat slightly. "…She's changing."
Judas narrowed her eyes. "Good. Because that woman isn't holding back either." himiko vanished.
A distortion rippled, then she appeared between them.
Fast,too fast.
Her naginata slashed horizontally, aiming to split all three at once.
Shougo reacted first, hikari bursting from his body as he blocked with his forearm, light colliding with the blade
Lady Chõko twisted her body mid-motion, her hand hardening like stone as she grabbed the shaft
Judas stepped in and struck Himiko's side
Impact, for the first time...
Himiko slid back, a mark, a real one, a thin cut across her cheek, silence hit for a second.
Then,.she touched it "…You damaged me."
Lady Chõko's smile widened slowly, darker this time.
"Yayayayaya… what was that? Say it again?"
Himiko's eyes shifted slightly, not anger, something else "…Interesting." Her body flickered again, Illusion.
The real one appeared behind Griffin but a bullet was already there.
Boom!
The shot forced her to tilt her head, the projectile grazing past her as Griffin smirked
"Don't underestimate old men with guns."
Meanwhile, behind them,"Now!" Yura shouted, the students moved.
Dracula stepped forward first, electricity bursting from his body, lightning crawling across his arms as he slammed his hand into the ground.
"Try dodging this."
The electricity spread outward, not as a straight attack but chaotic, branching, unpredictable.
Himiko paused for half a second and that was enough.
Reji swung his kusarigama, the chain slicing through the air with force, wrapped in raw power. "I don't miss twice." the blade curved unnaturally, forcing Himiko to shift
But that's when, Kairo rushed in "Got you!" his punch didn't aim to hit it aimed to distract.
And it worked for a second, a very small second, yura's voice cut through "Kimimaru. Now."
Kimimaru stepped forward, his eyes sharp despite the dizziness.
"…Astral Trapping."
The air around Himiko shifted, not visible, but heavy.
Like something invisible locked onto her existence itself, himiko's movement paused, just slightly, "…What is this?"
Kimimaru exhaled. "…You're not escaping now."
Yura's eyes sharpened. "She can't regenerate properly if her existence is locked. This is our chance!"
Back in the front, Lady Chõko raised her hand slowly.
Her expression changed completely, no more laughing, no more playful madness, just focus.
Her fingers began forming precise hand signs, one after another, fast, controlled, deliberate, index and middle fingers crossed, palm twisted inward, thumb pressed against the base, a sequence, ancient.
Even Griffin's eyes widened slightly. "…She's serious now."
The sky dimmed, not because of clouds, but because something was being cut away, lady Chõko's voice dropped, cold.
"Dimensional… Cleave." silence.
Then, everything went darker, no sound, no wind, just a presence,Then
An invisible slash passed through Himiko,no explosion, no light, just a line,himiko's body froze.
A deep cut appeared across her torso, for the first time...
Blood,real blood, her eyes widened slightly
"…Impossible."
Shougo didn't hesitate, his aura shifted violently from light,to something darker
"Yaki…"
The energy around him twisted, merging, compressing "…Yami." the air around him warped, this wasn't just darkness, yami devoured.
It absorbed energy, suppressed regeneration, crushed space itself around its target, It wasn't power for destruction
It was power for domination, Shougo stepped forward, his eyes cold now
"You rely on your abilities too much."
He vanished and appeared in front of Himiko, his fist pulled back, wrapped in dense Yami
"You ever tried fighting without them?" he punched, impact.
The ground shattered, the force wasn't explosive, it collapsed inward, dragging Himiko down with it
The surrounding area caved, space compressing violently under the pressure of Yami.
Himiko's body hit the ground hard, cracking it, breaking it
For the first time, she didn't stand immediately, the students watched, Silent.
Breathing heavy, kairo whispered, "…Did we… actually…?" Yura didn't respond, her eyes locked forward "…No."
A slow sound echoed, crack, the ground shifted, himiko's hand moved, then...
She stood up, slowly, blood dripping, breathing slightly heavier, but smiling "…So this is your limit?"
The air trembled again, stronger, darker.
Her presence expanded, far beyond before.
Lady Chõko's grin returned, wider than ever. "Yayayayaya… good." She stepped forward again
"…Now it's getting fun." Shougo wiped the blood from his knuckles "…We're not done." Behind them..
The students stepped forward together, no hesitation this time.
Tyouro ignited his flames, Dracula's lightning surged again, Reji spun his weapon, Kimimaru steadied himself, Yura stepped ahead "…Round two." Himiko raised her naginata "…Come." and the battlefield exploded again.