The academy shook—not from collapse, but from pressure.
Every ward still standing screamed in protest as Yanshi released more of himself into the fight. Flames didn't explode wildly anymore. They compressed, folding inward, turning dense and sharp, like steel heated beyond reason.
Three attackers.
Three directions.
One teacher who had long ago stopped being "just" a teacher.
From the cracked rooftops, from shattered hallways, from sealed corridors and hidden vantage points—
They all watched.
---
The Ones Who Watch
Miss Shiratori stood at the edge of the evacuation barrier, hands steady, eyes calculating faster than any spell circle. Her breath was even—but her grip on the charm at her waist betrayed her tension.
"He's pushing it," she murmured.
Ishawa's talisman burned hot in his apartment. He winced, then laughed under his breath.
"Yeah… that's Yanshi for you."
Across the grounds, Mizumi had climbed onto a broken stair rail, eyes wide, heart pounding.
"He's… fighting all of them alone?"
Iruka stood beside Tobi, jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
"That's what real strength looks like," he said quietly. "And the price of it."
Sumi said nothing.
She felt it.
Fire like this didn't just burn the enemy.
It burned the soul that wielded it.
And high above the battlefield—
Hideo watched.
Arms crossed. Expression unreadable.
"This is where men break," he thought.
"…or prove they were never meant to."
---
The First Clash
The attacker with the heat-absorbing field moved first.
He stepped forward calmly, darkness folding around him like armor.
Yanshi didn't rush.
He exhaled.
The fire around him dimmed.
Then vanished.
For half a heartbeat, the watching world thought—
Then Yanshi appeared inside the man's guard.
A knee strike landed square in the attacker's ribs, followed by an elbow wrapped in concentrated flame that detonated after impact.
The attacker flew backward, smashing through two reinforced walls before skidding to a stop.
Mizumi gasped.
Ishawa's grin widened.
Hideo's eyes sharpened.
"Efficient," Hideo muttered.
---
The Second and Third
The shadow-user struck from below, blades emerging from the ground itself.
Yanshi jumped.
Mid-air, flames erupted beneath his feet—not propulsion, but detonation. The shockwave shattered the shadow blades before they could fully form.
Above him—
The third attacker descended, weapon glowing with cursed runes.
They collided.
Steel screamed.
Fire wrapped the blade, not consuming it—but testing it.
"You're slowing," the attacker said.
Yanshi smiled through clenched teeth.
"Good," he replied. "Means you're finally worth the effort."
He twisted, releasing a ring of fire so tightly condensed it sliced stone like paper.
The attacker barely blocked.
Barely.
---
The Cost Becomes Visible
Miss Shiratori stiffened.
"His internal balance—"
"I know," Sumi whispered.
Yanshi's flames flickered.
Just once.
Iruka noticed.
So did Tobi.
The sword inside Tobi reacted—not to join the fight, but to record it. To learn.
Yanshi wiped blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You came here hunting monsters," he said. "But you walked into a den of people who decided to become them."
The shadow-user finally spoke, voice low.
"We're not here for you."
"I know," Yanshi said. "That's why you won't leave."
---
Everyone Holds Their Breath
The three attackers moved together now.
Perfect synchronization.
Darkness, absorption, cursed steel—closing in from every angle.
Yanshi planted his feet.
The fire around him no longer roared.
It listened.
Every watching soul felt it.
This wasn't rage.
This was resolve.
"For my students," Yanshi said quietly.
The ground exploded upward in a pillar of white-hot flame, forcing all three attackers back simultaneously.
The academy screamed.
The sky above cracked with heat distortion.
And from the far edge of the battlefield—
Hideo finally smiled.
"…There it is."
---
The Turning Point
As the smoke cleared, Yanshi stood alone at the center.
Breathing hard.
Still standing.
The attackers regrouped—damaged, wary, no longer confident.
Miss Shiratori exhaled slowly.
Ishawa leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
Mizumi clenched her fists.
Iruka whispered, "Don't fall…"
Sumi closed her eyes in silent prayer.
Tobi took one step forward.
Not into the fight.
Into decision.
And the sword inside him answered.
The night wasn't over.
But the hunters had learned something crucial—
This school did not raise prey.
And Yanshi—
Had not yet finished burning.