The ruined courtyard of Reikosha Academy remained completely silent.
Dust drifted through the broken halls while fragments of glass continued falling from the upper floors. Students had been moved away from the battlefield, but several teachers remained behind with Shougo, Kairo, Yura, Kimimaru, and Tyouro.
Above them...
Akira Kagetsu floated without saying a word.
The Aether Reaper rested casually in her hand.
Yura disappeared first.
Her body became a blur.
She crossed the entire courtyard in an instant, appearing directly beside Akira with her fist already swinging toward her face.
Akira turned.
That's all.
She simply turned her head.
Yura's fist passed beside her cheek.
Akira vanished.
Yura's eyes widened.
"She's gone?!"
A sharp metallic sound came from behind her.
CLANG!
Yura barely raised her arm before the Aether Reaper struck.
The impact sent her crashing across the courtyard.
"Kairo!"
Kairo immediately rushed forward.
Kimimaru moved at the same time, his Zweihander slicing through the air as he attempted to intercept Akira.
Akira stepped between their attacks.
One movement.
Two blades passed through empty air.
She appeared behind Kimimaru.
Kairo swung the Black Spartan toward her.
Akira ducked.
The blade passed over her head.
She spun around and struck Kairo in the chest with the flat side of the Aether Reaper.
BOOM!
Kairo was launched backward.
Tyouro immediately released a powerful energy blast.
Akira disappeared before it reached her.
The blast destroyed several abandoned structures behind her.
"She's too fast!" Tyouro shouted.
Shougo watched carefully.
His expression remained calm.
"Don't chase her."
Everyone stopped.
"She's waiting for us to attack recklessly."
Akira looked toward Shougo.
Their eyes met.
Shougo slowly raised one hand.
Dark Yami energy covered his body.
Then...
His body began fading.
The physical world passed through him.
His passive intangibility had activated.
Yura immediately understood.
"Sensei..."
Shougo stepped forward.
"Everyone stay behind me."
Akira lowered the Aether Reaper.
Shougo walked directly toward her.
For the first time...
Akira smiled faintly.
She raised her weapon.
Shougo's body became completely intangible.
The Aether Reaper swung.
SHING!
The blade passed directly through Shougo.
Nothing happened.
Kairo exhaled.
"She missed."
Shougo looked toward Akira.
"Your weapon can't touch me."
Akira didn't answer.
She simply raised the Aether Reaper again.
Shougo's eyes narrowed.
"Wait..."
The second slash came.
It didn't travel through the air like an ordinary attack.
It seemed to ignore the distance between them.
The blade reached Shougo.
Even though he was intangible...
It touched him.
BOOM!
Shougo was thrown across the courtyard.
He crashed through the remains of a wall before stopping himself.
Everyone froze.
Yura stared.
"...Sensei?"
Shougo slowly stood.
A thin line of blood appeared across his clothing.
His eyes became serious.
"That attack..."
He looked at Akira.
"...doesn't follow ordinary physical rules."
Kimimaru tightened his grip.
"How did it hit you?"
Shougo looked at the Aether Reaper.
"It didn't simply reach my body."
"It reached beyond the space separating us."
Akira slowly raised the weapon again.
Shougo's expression hardened.
"Intangibility doesn't matter if the attack itself can ignore the boundary between what can be touched and what cannot."
Tyouro swallowed.
"So..."
"She can bypass your defense?"
Shougo nodded.
"Yes."
Akira disappeared.
Everyone immediately prepared themselves.
A flash of silver crossed the battlefield.
Kairo blocked.
CLANG!
Kimimaru attacked from the side.
Akira ducked.
Yura appeared above her.
Tyouro attacked from behind.
For a brief moment, all four coordinated perfectly.
Akira moved through them like water.
She avoided Kairo's blade by centimeters, slipped beneath Kimimaru's strike, stepped around Tyouro's attack, and caught Yura's wrist before she could land her punch.
Yura's eyes widened.
Akira threw her downward.
BOOM!
The ground cracked.
Kairo charged.
Akira released Yura and immediately swung the Aether Reaper toward him.
Shougo appeared between them.
His body became intangible again.
"Everyone!"
The blade descended.
Shougo didn't move.
The Aether Reaper crossed his intangible body.
For a fraction of a second...
Nothing happened.
Then—
A thin cut appeared across Shougo's shoulder.
His eyes widened.
"...Again."
Akira's weapon had bypassed his defense once more.
Shougo immediately grabbed Kairo and pulled him away.
"Don't let that weapon touch you."
Kairo nodded.
But his expression had changed.
He finally understood.
They weren't fighting someone who simply possessed overwhelming speed.
They were fighting someone whose weapon could reach targets regardless of the defenses protecting them.
Akira slowly lowered the Aether Reaper.
Her silver hair moved gently in the wind.
She looked at the group.
Then...
She vanished.
Shougo's eyes widened.
"She's coming."
The entire group immediately prepared.
A silver flash crossed the academy.
BOOOOOOM!
The battle continued.
And for the first time...
Shougo's intangibility was no longer an absolute defense.