One of the few benefits of having an almost nonexistent presence… was precisely this.
Being easily ignored.
When the students began collapsing one by one, defeated by the drug mixed into the wine, I did not need to expose myself. I simply sat on the bench where I was, crossing my legs in a posture similar to meditation.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing.
The air I inhaled felt like dense smoke, cold and heavy. With each cycle, I felt the mist respond.
For the next several minutes, I remained completely still, listening to every word exchanged between the three of them, every shift in tone. At the same time, I focused entirely on the mist's breathing, releasing it little by little.
Layer by layer. Until the entire hall was consumed.
In the end, I was still just a Rank E-. Facing a Djinn like Elijah head on would have been foolish.
So I changed the battlefield. I turned the environment into something where I held the advantage.
And that is how we arrived here.
I emerged from the mist after ending the ocarina's melody, staring at Elijah with indifference.
"Hello, President…"
"You…"
Elijah looked at me suspiciously, digging through his memory until recognition finally surfaced. His expression twisted into pure contempt.
"Rank 2055… Kazehara Yuto."
"Oh… I'm surprised you remember my name."
"How could I forget the little worm who dared to sleep during my lectures?"
His tone grew heavier with anger as his gaze shifted between me and Ren.
"You two are nothing but irritating insects."
Black claws rose, pointed directly at me.
"It will be a pleasure to tear you apart piece by piece. But first…" his eyes narrowed,
"why didn't the drug affect you?"
Ren felt a chill run down his spine.
His original plan involved pretending to suffer the effects of the drug to create an opening. He had completely forgotten about that detail.
But it was not too late. Maybe he could fake it now…
"Ah, I don't like alcohol, so I drank grape juice," I replied calmly. "As for that one over there… I think I saw him drinking from his own bottle."
…
"Damn brat…"
Ren cursed internally as he watched his plan crumble from such a casual answer.
"Hehe… well, well. Two clever little ones. But that won't—"
Swoosh.
Elijah was interrupted by a sudden advance cutting through the mist.
"Mist Breathing — Fourth Form: Iryuukiri (Shifting Flow Slash)"
A fast, precise draw. A movement meant to initiate combat.
This time, I would not be passive.
I had to seize the advantage and take the initiative.
The attack was swift, but Elijah raised his arms just in time. Even so, he could not avoid a deep cut on one of them before stepping back.
"How dare you…!"
Elijah's teeth ground together so hard they looked ready to shatter. His eyes burned with hatred. In an instant, he lunged, claws ripping through the mist, aiming straight for my neck.
"Mist Breathing — Third Form: Kasan no Shibuki (Scattering Mist Splash)."
Swoosh.
A wide circular slash exploded around me, shaping the mist into a cutting ring that repelled the attack. Elijah was forced back, giving me space to recover my stance.
Urgh…
Even so, part of the blow slipped through.
Pain flared as a gash opened above my chest. Barely, I avoided my neck.
Fwoooosh.
I exhaled slowly, releasing another wave of mist as I stabilized my breathing.
Despite being at similar levels, Elijah was clearly inferior to the Everblood clone I had faced before.
Not in strength. Not in speed. But in experience.
His attacks were less precise, more impulsive, as if pride blinded every movement.
Even so… he was strong.
I would need a hidden card.
✦☀✦──────────────────────⚔──────────────────────✦☾✦
"W-who is that guy…?"
Amanda could barely process the situation.
The scene that had once seemed absolutely impossible had shifted the moment the mist appeared. A boy, injured but standing firm, was facing that monster on equal footing.
Elijah snarled within the mist, completely focused on him.
And then Amanda saw it. An opening.
The bow emerged from her dimensional storage. She pulled the string back hard, aiming with absolute precision at the Djinn's nape.
I have to take advantage while he's distracted.
She released the taut string.
Swooooosh.
The arrow cut through the air like a white trail, whistling as it tore through wind and mist. But it did not reach its target.
CRACK!
A dry sound echoed as Elijah caught the arrow midair and snapped it in half with his hands.
He slowly turned his face, locking eyes with Amanda.
A chill ran through her entire body.
"Krrk… worms…" he growled. "You think you can kill me with tricks this filthy?"
The next instant, Elijah vanished into the mist.
Amanda's heart sank.
An oppressive presence rose behind her. Claws lifted, ready to tear into her neck.
"Shit!"
I snarled, already moving.
This was exactly why I had not attacked again. Underestimating this guy was not an option. I forced my breathing, energizing every muscle.
"Mist Breathing — First Form: Suiten Tougasumi (Distant Haze)."
I charged.
My body cut through the hall like a trail of fog. But midway, I realized it. I would not make it in time.
I saw the claws closing in on Amanda's neck. I pushed my legs harder. A useless effort.
Desperation took hold. And then, suddenly…
A white flash exploded behind Amanda.
"First Movement. Swift Flash!"
A blinding streak of white light cut through the air.
An invisible sword strike slammed into Elijah's claws, deflecting the attack at the very last instant and saving Amanda from certain death.
H-he used the Keiki Style…?
I was certain Ren would not resort to that style. Revealing it to the world now would be far too dangerous. But looking closer, I realized it. Ren had been clever.
The mist was dense enough to conceal nearly all movement. Without prior knowledge, it was impossible to recognize the style of that strike. To them, it looked like nothing more than a normal slash.
Still, I owed Ren. He had saved Amanda and bought me a few precious seconds.
"Y-you bastard…"
Elijah snarled, eyes blazing with fury as his shredded claws regenerated before everyone's eyes. But before he could advance on Ren, he was forced to respond to a new torrent of attacks.
"Mist Breathing — Second Form: Yaekasumi ( Eight-Layered Mist)."
I attacked from behind.
A storm of strikes erupted through the air, invisible blades slicing at multiple heights, like fans of sharpened fog closing in on their target. A fast, fragmented, tearing assault that completely engulfed Elijah.
But the moment I finished the sequence… a black fist burst out of the haze.
"USELESS!"
The blow struck me square in the solar plexus.
The air was ripped from my lungs as my body was launched backward, flying several meters across the hall, leaving a crimson trail suspended in the air.
"Urgh…"
I forced my body to move, pressing my wounds to stem the bleeding. Through the mist, I saw Elijah advancing, his presence crushing, his fury almost tangible.
"…The cuts were superficial?"
I could see them all over his body. Many of them. Too shallow. In the blink of an eye, they were closing.
His body was absurdly durable.
And that regeneration… a true nightmare. Not on the level of a pure demon, but for a Djinn, healing like that was trivial.
"Ha… ha… ha!" Elijah laughed. "You really think you can kill me with scratches like these?"
He flaunted the already healed wounds, confident, until his smile faltered.
A chill ran down his spine. His gaze shifted to Yuto.
The boy's expression had completely changed.
His eyes shone like lost beacons in the mist, cold and intense. From between his teeth escaped a heavy, rhythmic breathing, like the bellows of a steam engine.
"From now on…" Yuto's voice came out low and steady, "you won't be following me anymore."
"Huh…?"
The declaration drew a disbelieving laugh from Elijah, who clenched his teeth hard.
"Mist Breathing — Seventh Form: Oboro (Obscuring Clouds)."
Yuto exhaled.
Mist poured from his mouth like smoke from a locomotive. The hall, once covered in shallow, uneven fog, began to fill completely.
Until then, Elijah could still make out his enemies' outlines.
But now…
In just a few seconds, everything was swallowed.
"Tsk… what's the point of this crap?"
Even blind, Elijah did not seem worried. He was far stronger. One clean counterattack would be enough to crush that worm.
The last pocket of clean air closed.
Yuto vanished.
Elijah knew he was far away, almost on the other side of the hall.
Then… a deadly chill crawled over his body.
A blade appeared right beside him.
"Mist Breathing — Fifth Form: Kaun no Umi (Sea of Clouds and Haze)."
Elijah blocked on instinct.
Claws collided with the blade, exploding into a shower of sparks. The impact was so violent that his body nearly locked up from the shock.
"H-how…?!"
Speed.
An absurd speed, impossible to comprehend.
The instant he lost sight of Yuto, he appeared at his side, as if he had teleported.
This was the definitive form of Mist Breathing. A sea of fog that dulled the senses.
For the enemy, perception of speed became completely distorted. When they saw me, I seemed normal. The moment the mist swallowed me… I became abnormal.
That was why. That was why I said he would no longer follow me.
When the sparks faded, the mist wrapped around me once more.
I vanished completely.
Elijah spun in place, eyes hunting frantically, instincts screaming danger.
But at that moment… I was already beside a certain figure.
"Yo…"
Ren nearly had a heart attack when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. The scream died in his throat the moment he recognized who it was.
"W-what…? How did you get here so fast?"
The confusion was genuine. He could still hear, in the distance, the echo of the previous clash, and yet, within seconds, Yuto was already beside him.
"I'll explain later," I said quietly. "Right now, I'm going to need your help to bring this guy down."
Ren's expression hardened immediately. He understood the weight of an emergency, already mentally adjusting to act.
"We won't be able to finish him with normal attacks," I continued. "I'm sure you noticed how he reacts… even without seeing."
"Yes…"
Ren had noticed. Even when he attempted a lightning fast strike, Elijah reacted at the very limit, preventing his arm from being torn off. The same applied to me. Every offensive move was answered somehow.
"We need an unexpected attack…" Ren murmured, finally connecting the pieces.
"Exactly. And you'll have to take that role," I explained. "But it can't be just any strike."
A direct fatal blow would be impossible. Even blind, Elijah never dropped his guard. What we needed was a moment of weakness, an instant where he expended too much energy.
On top of that, Amanda was out of the fight. The drug was taking effect, and she was on the verge of passing out.
"Alright…" Ren took a deep breath. "What do you suggest?"
"I'll act as bait. I'll force him to use a big attack. When that happens… be ready."
Ren nodded, his hand briefly tightening around the hilt of the sword hidden in its sheath.
The next instant, the mist swallowed me, and I vanished.
"Where are you, you damn rat…?"
Elijah muttered, every muscle tense, every sense pushed to its limit. As long as he maintained that state, taking him down would be nearly impossible.
Then…
PLIN.
The dry metallic impact echoed. My blades clashed with his claws as I appeared in front of him. Before he could retaliate
The mist enveloped me, and I instantly reappeared behind him.
PLIN. PLIN.
Two more blocks. More sparks burst into the air.
So fast…
Elijah hated to admit it, but that brat was absurd. The moment the mist covered him, he moved as if teleporting. That cursed fog made it impossible to land a hit.
"Mist Breathing — Sixth Form: Tsuki no Kashou (Lunar Dispersing Mist)"
The attack came from behind.
Elijah twisted his body in a brutal reflex, claws tearing through the air toward Yuto's neck…
But he was already above.
He leapt over Elijah's head, his body tracing a crescent arc, delivering two descending cuts.
"URGH!"
Two deep gashes opened across his shoulders.
Black blood erupted like an uncontrolled fountain, splattering across the hall.
And before he could react… Yuto vanished again.
"KRRK… KRK… YOU DAMN RAT!"
Elijah roared in fury, clenching his teeth so hard they cracked. His body pulsed, energy overflowing chaotically.
"You know what? Screw it."
He exploded.
A torrent of blows swept across the hall in every direction. Razor sharp claws tore through the air with terrifying force, creating violent gusts of wind. The attacks were so fast they left afterimages of his arms.
It was indiscriminate slaughter. All to get rid of that cursed mist. Within seconds, the hall was torn apart.
When he finally stopped, Elijah remained standing, panting.
But the mist was gone.
The sleeping students' bodies lay scattered around. Elijah took a deep breath, recovering after that monstrous outburst.
Even exhausted… he smiled.
He believed he had won.
Spurt.
The sound was soft. Wet. His smile froze.
Looking down, all he saw was a black blade piercing through his chest, embedded straight through his heart.
"I-impo… s-sible…"
His final sight, as he looked back, was a pair of deep blue eyes like the ocean.
"Checkmate."