The battlefield remained covered in smoke.
The clash between the Black Monarch and the Aether Reaper had left another enormous crater in the middle of Reikosha Academy. Broken walls continued collapsing while countless students evacuated the injured to safer areas. Despite the destruction, nobody lowered their guard.
Akira stood at the center of the crater.
The cut on her shoulder slowly bled, staining the silver edge of her clothing. She quietly glanced at it before lifting her gaze toward the students.
Shougo smiled faintly.
"...She's finally taking damage."
Akira answered with silence.
Then—
Yura disappeared.
A sonic boom echoed across the battlefield as she reached Akira almost instantly. Her fist shot forward with incredible force, forcing Akira to block with the Aether Reaper.
BOOM!
The impact cracked the ground beneath Akira's feet.
Before Akira could counterattack, Kimimaru appeared behind her.
"Astral Lock."
Invisible chains wrapped around Akira's soul once again.
Her movements immediately slowed.
"Now!" Kimimaru shouted.
Tyouro didn't hesitate.
Dozens of compressed spiritual bullets rained down from above, exploding around Akira and leaving her no room to escape.
Griffin calmly fired another round.
BANG!
The bullet struck the side of the Aether Reaper, slightly changing its direction.
That tiny opening was all Kairo needed.
The Black Monarch stepped forward.
Its enormous sword descended from the sky like a falling mountain.
Akira raised her weapon just in time.
KRRRAAAANG!!
The collision shook the academy once more.
For the first time since arriving...
Akira was forced onto one knee.
Yura smiled.
"That's it!"
She accelerated again, landing a spinning kick across Akira's side before following with another punch that sent her sliding across the broken courtyard.
The students watched in disbelief.
"...We're pushing her back..."
Aoi immediately joined the assault, throwing several smoke bombs made from compressed dust into the air.
The battlefield disappeared beneath another cloud.
"Yuki!"
"I know!"
Yuki raised both hands.
Gigantic chunks of broken buildings floated into the sky under her telekinesis.
"Go!"
The massive debris crashed toward Akira from every direction.
Inside the dust cloud, silver flashes repeatedly appeared.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Akira sliced through every piece of rubble.
But every swing slowed her just enough.
Daiki suddenly appeared.
His strange dance began once more.
His movements distorted Akira's perception, filling her vision with overlapping colors and countless afterimages.
Even though she had broken through the illusion before...
This time was different.
She was being attacked from every direction simultaneously.
Yura.
Kimimaru.
Kairo.
Griffin.
Tyouro.
Aoi.
Yuki.
Daiki.
Every attack arrived with perfect timing.
Akira blocked one strike—
Only for another to reach her immediately afterward.
She dodged Yura's punch.
Kimimaru's Zweihander forced her backward.
Griffin's bullet narrowly missed her head.
Tyouro's blast exploded beneath her feet.
The Black Monarch's sword descended once more.
BOOOOOOM!!
The explosion blasted Akira across the battlefield.
She rolled through the broken ground before stopping herself with the Aether Reaper.
Dust surrounded her.
Yura breathed heavily.
"...We actually did it."
Kimimaru lowered his sword.
"We've finally taken control of the fight."
Shougo watched Akira carefully.
"No."
Everyone turned toward him.
"No?"
Shougo's eyes never left Akira.
"She's letting us believe that."
Silence filled the battlefield.
The dust slowly drifted away.
Akira stood once again.
More cuts had appeared across her arms and shoulders.
Her breathing had become slightly heavier.
But her expression...
Hadn't changed at all.
She calmly brushed the dust from her sleeve.
Then she looked at every student standing before her.
One by one.
Almost as if she had finished studying each of them.
"...I understand."
Her quiet voice echoed across the ruined academy.
"I've seen enough."
The Aether Reaper slowly rotated within her hand.
A silver aura spread across the battlefield, causing the ground beneath everyone's feet to tremble once more.
Yura's smile slowly disappeared.
Shougo stepped forward.
"...Everyone."
His voice became serious.
"Get ready."
Akira slowly took a single step.
This time...
It wasn't the students who were dominating the battlefield.
It felt as though they had merely been allowed to.