The battlefield was quiet at last.
Smoke curled from craters and shattered walls, the ruins of the Academy scattered across the devastated training grounds. Senior students who had rushed in to support Celestial Tempest stood frozen in disbelief, their eyes locked on the center of the destruction — where Bolt had defeated Kairos.
Even the strongest upperclassmen, hardened by missions and near-death encounters, struggled to comprehend what they had witnessed.
A figure dropped from a broken rooftop, landing lightly among the rubble. His dark blue hair and the golden crest pinned to his chest marked him unmistakably as the Student Council President — Valen Cross.
Rumored to be the second strongest student in the entire Academy, only surpassed by the silent powerhouse who headed the Disciplinary Committee.
Valen's gaze swept the battlefield before settling on Bolt. A slow, impressed smile tugged at his lips.
"So this is the storm everyone's been whispering about…" Valen murmured. "Impressive. Truly impressive."
A second form landed beside him — slim, sharp-eyed, twin daggers strapped to her thighs.Liana Hearthvale, Vice President of the Council.
"He didn't just match Kairos," she said, still breathless. "He dominated him."
A sudden chill swept over the ruins.
From behind them, almost appearing out of nothing, came Rei Tsukihara, the head of the Disciplinary Committee — the strongest student in the Academy.
His amber eyes flickered toward Bolt.
He neither smiled nor praised, yet the single nod he gave carried more weight than a hundred speeches.
Valen chuckled."That's Rei's equivalent of a standing ovation. You should be honored, Bolt Titan."
Bolt exhaled, tired and overwhelmed. "Thank you… seniors."
The ground trembled slightly as Rei surveyed the broken Academy — shattered buildings, smoking debris, collapsed towers.
"It'll take months to repair this," Rei said quietly.
Valen crossed his arms. "Then we rebuild… stronger."
He raised his voice, addressing every battered student, every survivor.
"The Student Council and Disciplinary Committee will oversee restoration efforts. No one is left behind. No one is forgotten."
He pointed directly at Bolt.
"And when your wounds heal, you and Celestial Tempest will join us. Your squad has proven itself the strongest of your generation — perhaps the strongest the Academy has ever seen."
Akane, Valea, Damian, Aether, Sylva, and Kaori stepped closer to Bolt, all battered, all exhausted — but alive because of him. Their pride in him radiated like a second sun.
Liana approached with softened eyes. "You saved us… all of us. Even if you terrified us doing it."
Bolt clenched his fists, grief flickering across his expression."Darian… Ren… everyone who fell… this shouldn't have happened. They deserved better."
Valen placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"And we will honor them. Starting with rebuilding this Academy from the ground up."
The surviving students raised tired cheers, hope flickering like light returning after a long storm.
For the first time since the battle, Bolt looked out over the broken Academy not with despair… but with determination.
He didn't know what the future held.
He didn't know what higher powers were whispering beyond their reach.
But he knew this:
The storm wasn't over.
And the Academy would rise again — stronger than ever.