The academy did not sleep.
Lights remained dimmed, corridors sealed, classrooms converted into temporary shelters layered with wards old enough to hum when activated. Even the air felt heavier, like it had been told to stay still.
Tobi lay awake on a cold mat in the underground chamber.
He hadn't moved in hours.
Every time he closed his eyes, he felt it — not the attackers themselves, but the way the space around him seemed to listen. As if the darkness had learned his shape and was waiting for him to relax.
Across the room, Iruka sat with his back against the wall, knees pulled close, pretending to sleep. His breathing was just a little too controlled.
"You awake?" Iruka whispered.
Tobi didn't turn his head. "Yeah."
"Good," Iruka muttered. "Thought I was the only one."
They fell quiet again.
Somewhere deeper in the academy, something metallic creaked.
No footsteps followed.
That was worse.
---
The Weight of Waiting
Mizumi paced near the warded entrance, counting her steps under her breath like it was the only thing anchoring her. Every few minutes, she glanced back at the group — at Tobi, at Sumi.
Sumi hadn't slept either.
She sat cross-legged near the edge of the chamber, eyes closed, hands resting in her lap, breathing slow and precise. Anyone watching might think she was meditating.
Tobi knew better.
She was listening.
To something beneath the wards.
Her brows tightened briefly — just a fraction.
Tobi noticed.
"What is it?" he asked softly.
Sumi opened her eyes. "They're not moving."
Mizumi frowned. "That's… good, right?"
"No," Sumi replied. "They want us to think we're safe."
A faint vibration passed through the floor — not an impact, not an explosion. Just a pulse.
The sword inside Tobi responded instantly.
Not pulling.
Not warning.
Counting.
Tobi's fingers curled.
---
Elsewhere
Far from the academy, on a quiet rooftop overlooking the city, Hideo Sato stood with his hands in his coat pockets.
Emergency lights reflected off his eyes as he watched the sealed grounds from afar.
"They've tightened the net," he murmured.
A shadow shifted behind him.
"They're patient," the unseen figure said. "Too patient."
Hideo's mouth curved slightly — not a smile.
"Predators always are," he replied. "Especially when they've already chosen their prey."
Below, the academy's wards flickered once.
Hideo's gaze sharpened.
"Oh," he said softly. "That's new."
---
The First Crack
Back underground, Miss Shiratori stiffened mid-sentence.
"Did you feel that?" she asked.
Yanshi didn't answer immediately.
He had gone very still.
His heel shifted — fire flickering faintly against the stone without him summoning it.
"They're testing us," he said. "Mapping responses."
Iruka swallowed. "So… what do we do?"
Yanshi looked toward the sealed corridor.
"We stop waiting."
The lights dimmed further.
Not power failure.
Suppression.
Sumi stood abruptly. "Sensei—"
The ward at the far end of the chamber screamed.
Not audibly — spiritually.
A pressure slammed through the room, forcing breath from lungs, bending knees. The air itself warped, and for the first time since the attack began—
A presence crossed the boundary.
Cold laughter echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"Oh good," a familiar voice said. "You're all still together."
The shadows stretched.
Three shapes began to form.
---
The Moment Before Impact
Yanshi stepped forward, fire finally answering him in full.
"Stay back," he ordered. "All of you."
Tobi's sword burned.
Not in rebellion.
In agreement.
Sumi reached for Tobi's sleeve — then stopped herself.
Her voice was steady, but quiet. "Don't lose yourself."
He met her gaze.
"I won't," he said.
The shadows solidified.
Three attackers stepped fully into the light.
And this time—
They didn't smile.
Yanshi exhaled once.
Then moved.
The floor exploded beneath his step as flames surged forward—
And the fight began.