"Stay back."
My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Julien's grip on his sword tightened, but he didn't move. Mira's dagger twitched in her hand, her eyes flickering with hesitation.
"Professor…" Wallace's voice was barely above a whisper, but I caught it.
"This is my fight."
Kellan's eyes were locked onto me, his rage boiling just beneath the surface. The wind around him had settled, but I could feel it—his mana was building again.
"Lucian," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't get to walk away from this."
I stepped forward, my cane tapping lightly against the ground.
"I wasn't planning on it."
The air thickened as mana flooded the clearing, the pressure almost suffocating.
"Julien, Mira, Felix, Wallace, Garrick, Leo, Cassandra," I murmured, my tone calm but sharp. "Handle the other students. Keep them off me."
They didn't move.
"Professor…" Julien's voice was hesitant, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sure?"
"Move."
Silence.
"That's an order."
