As everyone was starting to get cornered and overwhelmed by the continuously spawning Hunters, all hope seemed lost.
Kazuhiko, who had been fighting Gisurd, the man behind everything, finally figured out how to put an end to it.
There was a trump card Kazuhiko hid from everyone, an Ascension.
Kazuhiko placed his left hand behind his back and threw up one of his right hand's fingers at head level.
"Ascension: Definitiva regulkontrolo."
The surrounding area, the school, the sky, the barrier, all of it disappeared.
The scenery changed into a bright white sky, filled with clouds.
Below Gisurd's and Kazuhiko's feet was no visible ground; they stood in the middle of the sky.
There was a second of silence, with the wind flowing through their ears.
Another second after activating the Ascension, books started raining down, each representing a law of the universe.
Gisurd felt terrified, seeing all of it unfold before his eyes. It almost felt like he was dreaming due to how fantasy-like it seemed.
But it was real.
"What's with that look, Gislen?" Kazuhiko said, still holding one of his fingers up.
Gisurd took a step back, unsure if he was going to fall or not.
"Where... Where are we?"
Kazuhiko grinned.
Kazuhiko's Ascension had a unique twist to it. Unlike his Kensei, his base power of being able to change the course of something, Kazuhiko's Ascension could rewrite reality itself.
"This is my Ascension. It has taken me years to master it, but you're the first person I've used it on."
Gisurd's heart beat in his chest; he knew his gifted powers could never do something like that.
And now, he was unsure of what was going to happen to him.
The finger that Kazuhiko held up symbolized the one rewrite he could use.
"By the way..." Kazuhiko said, his voice a little quieter.
Gisurd looked him in the eyes, sweat dropping from his forehead.
"Those Hunters... They're already dead, aren't they?"
Gisurd's eyes shot wide open. How did Kazuhiko figure that secret out?
How did Kazuhiko develop this much since the last time they clashed?
"How did you...?" Gisurd decided to ask.
Kazuhiko took a short breath in before talking with Gisurd for one last time.
"The Hunters from the war long ago wore those very same suits. That was my first clue that something was off. And second, you seemed somewhat distracted the entire time we fought, possibly due to our past, or perhaps you were controlling all of them."
Gisurd gulped, but also managed to calm his heart rate a bit. Perhaps Gisurd had another trick up his sleeve.
"You're sharp... Makes me wonder why you became a teacher instead of being something greater."
"Seeking to be the greatest wouldn't make me Kazuhiko, would it?"
Gisurd was stumped. Kazuhiko was unique, almost the opposite of Gisurd. He had all that power, but became an average man.
Kazuhiko's slight smile faded, his finger slowly lowering.
"It's time we wrap this up..."
"Elektita Dia Regulo, Donu al Mi la Honoron Uzi Ĉi Tiun Povon, Ĉar Mi Estas La Decidanto."
Kazuhiko's finger lowered completely.
All the books stopped raining down and instead turned. In a flash, all the books flew upward, hitting against what seemed to be an invisible barrier above the two of them.
The books hitting the barrier and the pages flowing open were loud, even louder than Gisurd's own thoughts.
Gisurd decided to look above him, noticing that the books weren't randomly flying upwards, but instead every page was a part of a bigger image.
Together, they formed a bind rune symbol that Gisurd couldn't understand.
"With this..." Kazuhiko started speaking.
Gisurd's eyes fell to Kazuhiko, with the books hovering above them.
"The Hunters don't belong to you anymore," Kazuhiko said with a serious tone.
Everything went white, almost like a flashbang with them in the eyes.
When they returned to reality, the Hunters Gisurd had summoned near them lay lifeless like corpses. As they should've been from the start.
What Kazuhiko said was true; Gisurd couldn't control them anymore.
But the battle wasn't over, Gisurd still stood before Kazuhiko.
"Now, all that's left to do is deal with you, Gislen." Kazuhiko stood tall and confident.
The Ascension took a toll on Kazuhiko, but he tried to hide it.
Gisurd was careful, trying not to make any unnecessary moves, seeing clearly how Kazuhiko had overpowered him.
A sudden burst of force channeled through Kazuhiko, throwing both of their hair around.
"Another move...?!" Gisurd panicked; Kazuhiko seemed almost unbeatable.
Kazuhiko took a glance at the school building on his right before increasing the pressure.
That was a move known as Seikodo.
The pressure kept increasing, and eventually Gisurd's feet were pushed backwards, sliding slightly on the grass.
"What's this now?" Gisurd asked, trying to keep balance.
Kazuhiko didn't grin this time while talking.
"A move that will put an end to all of this.
Kazuhiko took a step forward, turning up the pressure twice.
Gisurd almost fell down this time.
They weren't too far away from a wall that was behind Gisurd, and Kazuhiko started walking slowly towards it.
With every step, the pressure of the force increased.
Gisurd kept sliding on the ground, unable to do anything.
He tried throwing an orb, but failed. Kazuhiko's Seikodo pushed his powers off his palms.
Kazuhiko's eyes looked tired, almost like he was using too much of his powers.
Gisurd felt so weak, almost like this power was nothing. He wanted more; he wanted to take down Kazuhiko.
Was he going to die here?
Gisurd eventually crashed into the wall, Kazuhiko's Seikodo still pressing on his chest.
"Make it stop..." Gisurd cried out.
Kazuhiko didn't listen. If he wanted to keep his students, his friends, his wife, his unborn child, the innocent citizens, all of them safe, he couldn't let his emotions get in the way.
Crack!
Gisurd felt the pressure cracking his bones and especially his ribs.
Just like back then...
"...It's over?" Gislen repeated.
Kazuhiko stretched out his arm toward him.
"Come on."
Gisurd declined Kazuhiko's offered arm.
Maybe it was the fear of not being approved, maybe it was the anger of loss, or something different.
He picked up a rock next to him and lunged at Kazuhiko without a second thought.
He wanted to get a cheap victory; now that the war was over, he had lost. He couldn't accept a tie.
Gisurd couldn't accept dying here; they had tied once again in Gisurd's eyes, despite his bones cracking with every passing second.
He used to be a loser, and he still was.
"Goodbye, Kazuhi...ko..."
A bluish-green portal appeared behind Gisurd, and Kazuhiko's Seikodo pushed him inside it.
"No...!"
Kazuhiko tried to catch Gisurd, but he was too slow.
Just like back then, even now, he let Gisurd get away.
A tear ran down his face. They had always battled, so why did he feel empathy?
Meanwhile, all around the school, every Hunter disappeared, along with the barrier set around the school.
Yamikuro was a second away from activating his Ascension when the Hunters crumbled to the ground.
Yamikuro and Kaminari shared glances, questioning what could've happened. Did Kazuhiko do something?
Kaminari stayed behind, letting Yamikuro check out the situation.
Isabella, Rye, Cedar, and Deia were completely surrounded, with Cedar thinking of pushing his eyes past the limit.
But even for them, all the Hunters fell, and they cheered.
The invasion was over.
Kazuhiko beat Gisurd, and the students held their best against the Hunters.