The ruins of Reikosha Academy were covered in smoke.
Broken buildings continued collapsing while the wounded students were quickly carried away by Aoi, Yuki, Oko, Griffin, and the others. Some could barely stand after surviving Akira's Last Eclipse, yet none of them left the battlefield completely.
Shougo slowly stepped forward.
His calm eyes never left Akira.
"Everyone... buy me three seconds."
Yura immediately smiled despite the blood running down her face.
"Three seconds? That's all?"
Shougo nodded.
"...Three."
Without another word, Yura disappeared.
She accelerated faster than before, appearing directly in front of Akira. A barrage of punches forced the Aether Reaper to move repeatedly while Kimimaru rushed in from the opposite side, swinging the Zweihander with overwhelming force.
CLANG!
Akira blocked.
Tyouro fired several compressed spiritual blasts from long range, forcing Akira to continue moving without stopping.
Griffin calmly reloaded his flintlock before firing.
BANG!
The bullet narrowly passed Akira's shoulder.
She dodged it effortlessly—
But another bullet came from a different angle.
Then another.
Griffin wasn't trying to hit her.
He was controlling where she moved.
"One second."
Shougo whispered.
Golden Hikari surrounded his body.
His breathing slowed.
The light became brighter...
And brighter...
Until nobody could look directly at him anymore.
Akira suddenly noticed him.
She disappeared instantly.
Yura's eyes widened.
"Sensei!"
Shougo opened his eyes.
The ground exploded beneath him.
BOOOOM!!
His speed became unbelievable.
He vanished in a burst of golden light, leaving behind nothing but a flash brighter than lightning itself. Even Yura momentarily lost sight of him.
Akira searched for him.
Nothing.
Only light.
Shougo suddenly appeared beside her.
"Hikari..."
He snapped his fingers.
FLASH!!
A blinding explosion of light consumed the battlefield.
The academy disappeared beneath pure white brilliance.
Even Akira instinctively closed her eyes for the briefest moment.
"NOW, KAIRO!"
Kairo planted the Black Spartan into the ground.
Darkness exploded around him.
The shadows beneath the ruined academy began rising like black flames. The earth trembled violently as countless streams of Yami gathered behind his back.
The students immediately recognized it.
The Black Monarch.
A gigantic humanoid guardian of darkness slowly emerged behind Kairo, towering above the shattered academy. Its crimson eyes opened, shaking the surrounding air with overwhelming pressure. Black armor covered its enormous body, and in its hands rested a colossal greatsword formed from condensed Yami.
The guardian silently stood behind its master.
Kairo slowly lifted the Black Spartan.
Behind him...
The Black Monarch raised its gigantic blade as well.
The sky darkened.
The ground cracked beneath the giant's weight.
Kairo's eyes glowed black.
"Yami..."
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"...Black Monarch."
Akira's vision finally returned.
She looked upward.
For the first time...
She had to look up at her opponent.
Kairo swung the Black Spartan.
At the exact same moment—
The Black Monarch unleashed its colossal sword.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A wave of darkness larger than the academy itself surged across the battlefield.
The earth split apart.
Entire sections of the ruined courtyard were swallowed by black energy as the gigantic slash raced toward Akira.
The pressure alone blew away every remaining cloud of dust.
Yura shielded her face.
Kimimaru dug his sword into the ground to stop himself from being blown away.
Griffin lowered his hat against the violent wind.
Akira remained perfectly still.
She slowly tightened her grip around the Aether Reaper.
Then...
She swung once.
A silver slash met the enormous wave of darkness.
The two attacks collided.
KRRRRRRRAAAAAAAASH!!
Darkness and silver light exploded across the battlefield.
The Black Monarch continued pushing forward.
Akira's feet finally slid backward across the broken ground.
Deep cracks formed beneath her boots.
Kairo gritted his teeth.
"Push!"
The Black Monarch roared without making a sound, forcing even more Yami into the clash.
For several seconds...
Neither attack gave way.
Then—
BOOM!!
The explosion engulfed everything.
A massive pillar of black and silver energy shot into the sky, visible far beyond Reikosha Academy.
Silence followed.
Smoke slowly drifted through the battlefield.
Everyone stared toward the center of the explosion.
Akira's silhouette slowly appeared.
Her clothes were torn in several places.
A fresh cut stretched across her shoulder.
A single drop of blood fell onto the broken ground.
Yura smiled.
"...We actually pushed her back."
Kimimaru rested the Zweihander on his shoulder.
"Not enough..."
Akira touched the blood on her shoulder before looking toward Kairo.
Her emotionless face remained unchanged.
But her spiritual pressure...
Rose dramatically.
The Aether Reaper released a low metallic hum.
The surrounding air distorted once more.
Shougo's expression immediately became serious.
"...She's finally fighting seriously."
Akira slowly raised the Aether Reaper.
"This time..."
Her silver eyes glowed faintly.
"...none of you will have the chance to interrupt."
The battlefield trembled once again as an even more terrifying aura spread throughout the ruined academy.