A cold wind howled through the battlefield as Tyuji dragged Isugami outside, the massive ice dragon slithering infront of him like a spectral guardian. He exhaled sharply, his breath visible in the frigid air.
"I'll let Takeru handle your friend," he said with a smirk, rolling his shoulders as his muscles tensed in anticipation. "Because I know for a fact he's gonna kick his ass."
Isugami, silent as ever, simply smirked in response. His hands moved in an intricate sequence, forming a flurry of hand signs at an almost inhuman speed.
Tyuji cocked his head to the side, frowning. "What, are you deaf or something? Now that I think about it, you haven't said a damn word this whole time, huh-"
Before he could finish his sentence, bandages erupted from Isugami's body like ravenous serpents, surging toward him with terrifying velocity.
Tyuji's eyes widened, but before he could react, he was already launched skyward, his body crashing against the top of the academy with a deafening impact that sent debris flying in all directions.
Isugami followed with unnatural agility, leaping through the air and summoning a barrage of razor-sharp spikes. The deadly projectiles rained down toward Tyuji like a storm of spears, each one poised to impale him where he stood.
Tyuji clenched his fists, eyes narrowing. A massive ice wall erupted before him, shielding him from the onslaught. The spikes shattered upon impact, but Isugami was already adapting, his attacks relentless.
Without hesitation, Tyuji channeled his energy, sending a river of ice surging along the surface of the wall, rushing toward Isugami with blistering speed.
In the same instant, he extended his palm, launching a powerful ice stream that engulfed his opponent, freezing him mid-air like a statue trapped in time.
Isugami thrashed, his body contorting as he struggled against the ice's grip.
Tyuji roared, charging forward, his fist encased in a massive construct of jagged ice, ready to shatter his enemy in one decisive strike.
But in the blink of an eye-
CRACK!
Isugami shattered the ice encasing him, his hand plunging forward with unholy speed, piercing straight through Tyuji's torso.
Blood erupted from the wound, spurting in violent arcs, drenching the battlefield in crimson. Tyuji gasped, his vision blurring as pain shot through his body like wildfire.
Isugami grinned, a wide, grotesque expression stretching across his face. And then, for the first time in the fight, his voice, a horrendous screech, like nails on a chalkboard, tore through the air.
"I sure as hell kicked your ass."
Tyuji's eyes bulged, his breath ragged. A vein pulsed in his forehead, his rage boiling over into raw fury. He screamed at the top of his lungs, his aura exploding outward as he lunged forward to retaliate.
But Isugami moved first.
In a blink, he seized Tyuji's arm and tore it clean off.
"N-No!" Tyuji's scream echoed across the battlefield, his severed limb spiraling through the air, blood cascading like a waterfall.
Before he could even process the pain, Isugami drove his foot into his chest, launching him like a broken doll back into the academy building, his body smashing through layers of stone and steel.
Isugami stepped forward, his piercing gaze locked onto Tyuji's motionless form. He exhaled. "One down."
Before Isugami could fully rise, a shadow tore through the sky.
He looked up just in time to see Jale, the butler, hurled upward, his body twisting as he fought against the momentum. And then, descending like a falling comet, a man with stark white hair, his eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
Nata Yoshi.
Jale twisted in mid-air, his hands flicking forward as he hurled potion vials toward Nata in rapid succession. The glass containers whistled through the air, each one containing a deadly concoction, but Nata didn't falter.
With effortless precision, he dodged each vial, weaving through them as if foreseeing their trajectory before they were even thrown.
And then, in an instant, he was upon Jale, his skull rocketing forward, ready to cave his opponent's head in with a brutal headbutt.
But Isugami intercepted.
With a flick of his wrist, his bandages unfurled, wrapping around Nata in an instant. With a powerful swing, he slammed Nata into a tree, the impact sending tremors through the battlefield.
Isugami landed smoothly beside Jale, who exhaled in relief. "T-Thank you, Lord Isugami."
Isugami simply gave a thumbs-up, his nonchalant demeanor unwavering.
But the battle was far from over.
A wave of pure force erupted from Nata's body, pushing both of them back. The air trembled under the weight of his overwhelming aura, and his voice, filled with indomitable conviction, thundered across the battlefield. "I AM THE ULTIMATE HERO! ALL VILLAINS SHALL FALL!"
In a blink, Nata rushed forward, his fist rocketing toward Isugami's face. The impact was immediate.
Isugami was sent flying, his body smashing into a tree, a star-shaped imprint burned into his cheek from the sheer force.
Snarling, Jale retaliated, kicking Nata away and hurling another barrage of potions. This time, the glass shattered against Nata's skin, and it worked.
Nata's body convulsed, his limbs twitching as the toxins flooded his system.
Jale smirked. "You should be dead in ten seconds."
He turned, moving to retrieve Isugami. But before he could take another step-
A bloodcurdling scream split the sky. Stars appeared overhead, glowing with an eerie radiance.
Jale's breath hitched. He turned back, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Y-You aren't dying…"
Nata was powering up.
His body crackled with divine energy, his eyes turning pure gold, his very presence warping the battlefield.
The stars overhead rained down, turning into deadly projectiles that ripped through Jale's body in a violent cascade of destruction.
And then, silence.
Smoke billowed across the battlefield. The ground trembled beneath the weight of the carnage.
Beyond the battlefield, outside the academy's shimmering barrier, a chaotic scene unfolded.
Security personnel, professional heroes, and government operatives were scrambling in a disorganized frenzy, their voices clashing over one another in a desperate bid for control.
The air was thick with tension, panic simmering just beneath the surface.
"Damn it, what the hell is going on in there?!" one security officer barked, his grip tightening around his rifle.
"The academy's distress signals are going off like crazy! We're detecting unprecedented power surges inside!" Elite hero, Rei Ayano shouted, frantically analyzing the data on a glowing holographic screen.
"Then why the hell haven't we gotten in yet?!" another hero growled, his fists trembling with barely restrained frustration. "The longer we wait, the more bodies pile up in there!"
"We're trying!" an armored enforcer snapped, adjusting the frequency on his energy rifle before aiming directly at the translucent green barrier encasing the academy. "Everyone, hit it with everything you've got!"
In an instant, a barrage of attacks rained down upon the barrier.
Explosive mana bolts, piercing energy lances, concentrated beams of light, and even elemental surges lightning and wind collided against the barrier in a dazzling display of raw destructive force.
But the barrier remained unscathed.
The devastating impact that should have shattered through mountains barely caused a flicker.
The green veil merely rippled before reforming, pristine and untouched.
"What the hell?!" A high-ranking hero, Pronto Vone, his body clad in advanced battle armor, clenched his teeth. "That should have melted through anything!"
"It's not just any barrier." A new voice cut through the commotion.
All heads turned to KoKo, the Second Commander of Operations, who stood calmly amidst the chaos.
His raven-black hair was neatly swept back, a sharp contrast to his rugged beard. His black-and-gold combat uniform bore a single sheathed sword at his side, one that had not yet been drawn. His golden eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation, his mind already piecing together the puzzle.
"This is no ordinary defense mechanism," KoKo continued, his tone sharp with certainty. "It's reinforced by an energy we don't fully understand. But if it's been deployed, it means whatever's inside has escalated beyond control."
A wave of unease swept through the gathered forces. "Then what do we do?!" Is there anyone here who can break through this?!" a security officer questioned.
A heavy silence fell over the group.
KoKo's gaze hardened. If they didn't breach the barrier soon, they would be nothing more than helpless spectators to a massacre.
Then-
A voice, small yet unshaken, broke the silence.
"I can."
The entire crowd turned in unison, their gazes snapping toward the source of the voice.
There, standing at the edge of the gathering, was a young girl no older than ten.
She was tiny, almost doll-like, her short black hair cut into an even bob. Her wide, unblinking violet eyes shimmered with an unnatural clarity, an eerie contrast to the chaos around her.
She wore an intricately designed costume, a cross between a magician's outfit and a carnival performer's attire. A deep purple cloak, embroidered with golden stars and constellations, draped over her small frame.
But most notably..
In her hands, she clutched a balloon in the shape of a dog.
The balloon was unusually detailed, its material glistening with an otherworldly sheen, as if it weren't just rubber but something far more potent, something alive.
"T-The hell?" One of the heroes muttered. "A kid? What the hell is a kid doing here?!"
KoKo's golden eyes locked onto her, assessing. "You say you can break the barrier?"
The little girl nodded once, clutching the dog-shaped balloon tightly.
"Then do it." he said.
A gust of wind swept through the air as the little girl took a step forward, her expression blank, unreadable.