The battlefield had completely changed. What had once been the heart of Reikosha Academy was now a maze of broken classrooms, shattered stone, and enormous gaps carved through the main building. Students had been evacuated to safer areas, but the strongest fighters remained behind, desperately trying to keep Akira away from everyone else.
Akira stood silently in the middle of the ruined courtyard, the Aether Reaper resting against her shoulder. Her expression hadn't changed since the battle began. She wasn't breathing heavily. She wasn't showing signs of exhaustion. She simply watched them, as though she were studying every movement they made.
Yura wiped the dust from her face and stepped forward again.
"You're not getting past us."
Akira disappeared.
Yura's eyes widened.
"She's—"
A silver flash crossed the courtyard.
Yura immediately ducked.
The Aether Reaper passed above her head.
She countered with a punch, but Akira was already gone.
A second flash appeared behind Kimimaru.
He raised his Zweihander just in time.
CLANG!
The impact forced him backward.
"She's switching targets!"
Shougo shouted from across the battlefield.
"Don't separate!"
But Akira had already moved again.
She crossed the distance between the students so quickly that her movement looked almost like a series of silver lines cutting through the battlefield.
One direction.
Then another.
Then another.
Her movements began forming a pattern.
An enormous invisible X seemed to appear across the ruined courtyard as she passed between them.
Tyouro barely dodged the first crossing strike.
Oko wasn't as fortunate.
Akira appeared beside him and the Aether Reaper flashed across his defense. Oko was knocked backward, his weapon flying from his hand as he crashed onto the broken pavement.
"OKO!"
Griffin's students immediately rushed toward him.
Akira turned.
She was already moving toward them.
Griffin's eyes widened beneath his hat.
"Everybody, MOVE!"
Too late.
Akira crossed through the group in a single fluid motion.
SHING!
One student was knocked away.
Another barely blocked the weapon.
A third stumbled backward after Akira passed.
She didn't stop.
She didn't need to.
Her entire fighting style was built around never remaining in one place.
Every movement flowed into another.
Every dodge became an attack.
Every attack became another change of position.
It was like fighting a blade that had learned how to move like a person.
Yura suddenly appeared behind Akira.
"Got you!"
She swung.
Akira tilted her head.
Yura's fist missed.
Akira rotated around her.
The Aether Reaper flashed.
Yura's body jerked as the weapon struck her, forcing her backward.
She landed on one knee.
For a moment, she remained still.
Then she stood again.
Her breathing was heavier now.
But her eyes were still glowing with determination.
"I'm..."
She clenched her fist.
"...not done."
Akira looked at her.
Nothing.
No expression.
No response.
Yura suddenly vanished.
She accelerated forward again.
Akira moved at exactly the same moment.
The two crossed paths.
A silver flash and a burst of light collided in the center of the battlefield.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave threw dust into the air.
Yura emerged from the other side and immediately turned around.
Akira was already there.
Yura blocked.
CLANG!
The force pushed her several meters across the ground.
Shougo watched carefully.
"She's deliberately attacking everyone."
Kairo looked at him.
"Why?"
"She's testing us."
Shougo's eyes followed Akira's movements.
"She's learning how we react."
Kimimaru tightened his grip on his weapon.
"Then we change our formation."
Shougo nodded.
"Exactly."
Yura suddenly smiled.
"Then let's make her guess."
She rushed forward.
Kimimaru attacked from the opposite side.
Tyouro fired from behind.
Kairo charged directly through the center.
For the first time, Akira was surrounded.
Four attacks approached from four different directions.
Akira lowered the Aether Reaper.
Then...
She moved.
One step.
A turn.
A crossing motion.
The four attacks missed.
Akira passed through the center of their formation like a blade cutting through paper.
Kairo spun around.
"Where is she?!"
A silver line appeared behind him.
Shougo instantly activated his intangibility.
The Aether Reaper crossed through his body—
Yet the attack still reached him.
Shougo's expression hardened.
"That weapon..."
Akira suddenly appeared beside him.
"...can reach me even when I'm untouchable."
She swung again.
Shougo disappeared before the strike could fully connect.
Yura took advantage of the opening and attacked Akira from behind.
Akira turned.
Their eyes met.
Yura grinned.
"Found you."
Her fist collided with Akira's weapon.
The impact created a shockwave across the courtyard.
Neither moved.
For the first time...
Akira's expression changed slightly.
Yura pushed harder.
"You're fast."
Her eyes glowed brighter.
"But I'm not giving up."
Akira's grip tightened around the Aether Reaper.
Then she moved her weapon into the same crossing position she had used against everyone else.
Yura's eyes widened.
She recognized the movement.
"That move again..."
Akira disappeared.
A silver streak crossed the battlefield.
Yura immediately followed.
The two became blurs, crossing each other again and again as the ruined academy shook beneath their movements.
Shougo watched them carefully.
"...Yura is adapting."
Kairo looked toward the battlefield.
"But Akira..."
Shougo's expression remained serious.
"She's adapting faster."
Another enormous crossing strike tore through the courtyard.
Yura barely escaped.
Akira landed several meters away.
The Aether Reaper rested at her side.
The two stared at each other.
Yura was exhausted.
Akira still looked completely calm.
But Yura smiled.
"...Okay."
She raised her fists again.
"Let's keep going."
Akira slowly raised the Aether Reaper.
The next exchange...
Was about to be even faster.