As Crowne and Satsujin clashed, the other teachers held the line, cutting through the relentless swarm of machines with brutal efficiency.
Vayne moved with sharp accuracy, his cane whipping through the air in quick, decisive arcs. With a flick of his wrist, the seemingly unassuming weapon extended, its tip piercing through the skulls of multiple machines in one motion. The impact sent ripples of force outward, crumpling metal like paper. A combat unit lunged from behind—he didn't even turn. He just twisted the cane, slamming it into the machine's core and sending it flying into the wreckage of a collapsed building.
"Sloppy," he muttered, stepping over the debris and cutting down the next wave without a second glance.
Zara tore through the machines with sheer brute force. She grabbed a damaged mech by the arm, twisted, and hurled it into another, sending both crashing into a burning structure. Her speed was terrifying—fists smashing through reinforced plating like it was nothing. A line of artillery units locked onto her, but before they could fire, she was already behind them, tearing out their power cores with her bare hands.
Miu lifted entire squads into the air with her gravity magic, the space around her warping before she sent them rocketing into the remains of a skyscraper. Steel groaned under the weight before the structure collapsed, burying the machines in a cascade of debris.
"Keep pushing!" she called. "We just have to hold until Takashima gives the signal!"
The battle raged, but the teachers refused to give an inch.
Meanwhile, Crowne and Satsujin fought in the eye of the storm.
Crowne spun his twin blades, their edges catching the firelight. "You're stalling, aren't you?" he said, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Waiting for something?"
Satsujin's face remained unreadable, his stance unshaken. "I don't need to wait," he said flatly.
Then he vanished.
Crowne barely caught the movement before Satsujin reappeared behind him, blade cutting down in a ruthless arc. He twisted, catching the strike just as steel met steel. Sparks flew, the force of their clash sending violent shockwaves through the air.
But Satsujin wasn't letting up.
His strikes came faster, sharper—erratic yet impossibly precise. Crowne countered, deflecting each attack, but even he could feel the weight of the fight. The demon was strong—too strong.
Still, he grinned, wiping blood from his lip. "You demons always think you're untouchable," he muttered. "Let me remind you—you're not."
He shot forward, twin blades flashing. Satsujin blocked the first strike—but not the second.
A deep gash split across his side.
The demon staggered, his expression flickering with the faintest trace of annoyance.
Crowne twirled his blades. "Now this is getting fun."
Satsujin exhaled, rolling his shoulders like the wound was an afterthought. His grip on his weapon tightened. "You're amusing," he admitted. "But you're wasting my time."
Crowne barely saw him move.
The attack came from above.
He lifted his blades just in time to block, but the force sent him skidding back, boots tearing through cracked pavement. No time to recover—Satsujin was already closing in, pressing the assault.
Crowne dodged left, the demon's blade slicing clean through the space where his throat had been. He twisted into a counter, a downward strike. Satsujin sidestepped, but Crowne was ready—his second blade came up fast, cutting across the demon's ribs.
Satsujin let out a low chuckle, fingers brushing over the wound. "Not bad."
Crowne grinned. "I know."
Another explosion tore through the battlefield. The teachers pushed forward, forcing the machines back inch by inch.
Vayne slammed his cane through a heavily armored combat unit, the ground shaking under the impact. "We need to wrap this up," he muttered, eyes flicking to the sky where the evacuation ships were still under fire.
Zara plowed through another row of mechs, metal crunching under her fists. "Tell them that!" she barked.
Miu ripped a chunk of the ruined street from the ground and sent it crashing onto the next wave of enemies. "We just need five more minutes!"
Crowne, breathing hard, wiped blood from his brow and rolled his shoulders. "Then let's make this quick."
Satsujin's eyes darkened. "You're awfully confident for a man about to die."
Crowne smirked, flicking the blood from his blade. "You sure about that?"
Boom. Boom.
Crowne was so cocky.
Vayne looked over, whispering to himself—
"Don't get cocky."
"Enough!!!"
Satsujin's aura exploded—a sudden, crushing force that warped the air around him. In an instant, he blasted forward, closing the gap before Crowne could react.
BOOM.
A single strike—raw, overwhelming power—connected with Crowne's chest.
The impact sent him hurtling backward like a missile, his body tearing through the first building in an eruption of steel and concrete.
CRASH!
The second building—obliterated on impact.
BOOM!
The third—a shockwave rippling through the city as debris rained down.
SMASH!
The fourth—Crowne hit the ground hard, skidding through rubble and dust, leaving a deep trench in the pavement before finally slamming into a collapsed overpass.
"It looks like Crowne got carried away..." He exhaled sharply, his gaze settling on the crater where Crowne had landed.
Vayne's attention shifted upward.
Above them, the evac ships cut through the sky, their engines flaring against the darkness. Even from the ground, they could see the flashes of battle—enemy fire still hammering against the hulls, desperate to stop them.
But they were moving. Rising. Breaking free.
Miu, hovering just above the wreckage, let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "They're almost clear..."
Zara, fists still clenched, watched the final ships pierce the upper atmosphere, slipping beyond the reach of the enemy's firepower.
A moment passed. Then another.
Vayne nodded.
"We did it."
The weight of those words settled over them—not as triumph, but as cold, quiet truth.
The battle wasn't over. The war wasn't won.
But those ships had escaped. The people aboard them would live. That was enough.
For now.
Vayne turned, his voice calm but firm. "Zara, Miu. It's time for us to go."
A small ship burst through the sky, engines roaring as it plummeted toward them, kicking up dust and debris with its descent. The side hatch slid open, and the comms crackled to life.
"Crowne, get up already! Or we're leaving without you!"
But Crowne was already next to them.
In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance, tapping his shoulder with a lazy smirk.
"Yeah, yeah." His tone was casual, but his eyes never left Satsujin. "But, I don't think he's gonna let us leave that easily…"
Satsujin dusted himself off, rolling his shoulders like he hadn't just torn Crowne through four buildings. His smirk widened.
"I'm going to enjoy this."
Then—something shifted.
Inside his mind, a voice snapped to life, deep and commanding.
"Satsujin!!"
His eyes flickered for a fraction of a second. Lionel.
"Master…"
"Don't toy around any longer! I need you to lead my troops and destroy those evac ships!!!"
The amusement drained from Satsujin's face.
"Yes, Master."
Then—he moved.
The air cracked.
One second, he was standing still—the next, he was on Crowne. His blade swung with twice the speed, twice the force. Crowne barely had time to react before the impact exploded outward, shockwaves splitting the ground beneath them.
Satsujin was no longer playing.
Crowne raised his blades to block it… but—
Slice!!
Satsujin's blade tore through his defense like it was nothing.
Crowne twisted his body at the last second, barely shifting enough to stop it from cleaving through his skull. But it still ripped across his face—flesh peeling, blood spraying in thick streaks across the battlefield.
"AAAGHHH!!"
Crowne's scream tore through the chaos, raw and guttural. His vision blurred, pain white-hot as blood dripped down his cheek.
Vayne moved instantly.
His cane struck out, a precise force slamming into Satsujin's chest, pushing the demon back—
But only for a second.
Satsujin barely staggered before his head snapped toward them, eyes burning with murderous intent.
"He won't let us."
"We won't have enough time to fight him and escape," Vayne said, eyes locked on Satsujin.
Crowne started to laugh. His skull was showing, flesh torn away, but he barely seemed to care. He pressed a glowing hand to his face, healing the wound just enough to stop the bleeding—leaving behind a jagged, ugly scar.
"You three escape. I'll hold him off."
"No," Vayne said flatly.
Zara scoffed. "Are you stupid and ugly now? We're not leaving you to get chopped into pieces." She cracked her knuckles. "If we run, we run together. If we fight, we fight together. No dumbass hero acts."
Miu, despite the tension, puffed her cheeks. "Yeah! We're a team, dummy!"
Punches him a bit.
Crowne looked at his team. His vision blurred, not just from pain, but from something deeper.
A memory surfaced—one soaked in despair. Regret.
A time when he had been powerless. A time when he couldn't save them.
His fists clenched. His teeth grit.
"Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!!!"
His voice broke, raw and desperate. "We can't all die!!!"
He turned to them, chest heaving. "We all know how this goes. Someone's not making it out of this! So it might as well be me!!!"
CRACK!
Vayne's hand slammed across Crowne's face.
"You idiot."
His voice was cold. Controlled. But there was rage beneath it.
"In the grand list of stupid things you've said, that might just be at the top. How inelegant you are—self-sacrificing like some tragic fool. You think throwing your life away makes you noble? No, it makes you reckless. It makes you useless to the people who still need you."
He lifted his staff and slammed it into the ground. The impact cracked the stone beneath him, a clear statement.
Then—his voice lowered.
"...But you're right."
Zara scoffed, arms crossed. "Figures. The first time you admit someone else has a point, it's about them dying."
Miu's usual bubbly demeanor dimmed. "I hate this part," she muttered.
Before anyone could argue further, a voice rang out—smooth, confident, but laced with something inhuman.
"Well, it's best if you don't bicker any longer."
The ground trembled.
Then—
BOOM.
Something landed in front of them.
Dust and energy rippled outward. The sheer force of his presence pressed against them, thick like a storm about to break.
And when the dust cleared, there he stood.
The Sovereign himself.
Kaelus Redspire.
Kaelus Redspire stood before them, his presence crushing.
"Will you guys stop bickering already!!!"
His voice boomed, slicing through the tension like a blade.
Red plasma seethed from his body, pulsing through his veins like molten fire. Energy leaked from his skin in wild, erratic streams, twisting the air around him. The ground beneath his feet cracked and sizzled, unable to withstand the sheer force radiating from him.
His gaze swept over them, unimpressed.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Everyone shouted at once.
Kaelus threw his head back and laughed—grand, thunderous.
"I can't let you guys have all the fun!"
Before another word could be spoken—
Satsujin attacked.
His blade flashed, slicing toward Kaelus in a streak of pure, lethal speed—
BOOM.
Kaelus barely moved.
His hand caught the sword mid-strike, fingers gripping the steel like it was nothing.
Satsujin's eyes widened.
"We're talking," Kaelus said simply.
Then—he swung.
The force behind the strike launched Satsujin through the air. He crashed into a half-collapsed structure, debris exploding outward as metal and stone caved in around him.
Kaelus cracked his neck. "Now, where was I? Oh, right!"
His gaze swept over them again, sharp and unyielding.
"As your Sovereign, I order all of you to flee. Now."
Miu's eyes widened. "You can't—"
"What kind of leader would I be," Kaelus cut in, his voice unwavering, "if I didn't stand my ground? I've fought to save this planet time and time again. I've watched too many of my soldiers die on this battlefield…"
His fists clenched, red plasma boiling around them.
"It's time I pitched in!"
His lips curled into a grin.
"I wasn't elected to this position by sitting around!" He laughed, fire burning in his eyes.
Vayne exhaled, then stabbed his cane into the ground.
"As you wish."
The team exchanged one last glance.
Then, without hesitation, they all slammed their fists against their chests in salute.
Dark, shadowy auras surged from them, magic coiling like living storms, ready to strike.
Satsujin was already recovering.
And he was ready to kill.
Kaelus turned his head slightly, voice calm, steady—
"Go.
NOW!!!"
They ran, sprinting for the ship as the hatch began to close.
Satsujin charged.
The ground shook. Cracks splintered beneath his feet, his speed rupturing the earth itself. The force of his movement sent a small earthquake rippling across the battlefield.
He was almost there.
The evac ship's engines flared.
Satsujin's blade gleamed, raised for the final strike—
"I WON'T LET YOU!!!!"
Kaelus dashed.
Red plasma erupted from his body as he collided with Satsujin at full force.
BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
The impact split the sky—light and energy detonating as both titans clashed.
The ship shot upward.
The battlefield shattered.
And as the dust settled—
Kaelus stood.
Holding Satsujin back.