On the seventh day, the training grounds stirred.
The massive doors stood sealed, their surfaces cracked and scorched from the battles fought within. The air around them was unnaturally still, as if the world itself was waiting.
Rich arrived alone.
He stopped before the doors and raised a single hand.
With a dull, heavy sound, they opened.
One by one, the Crimson Class stepped out.
No one spoke.
Their footsteps were steady. Their breathing controlled. Yet the moment each of them crossed the threshold, the atmosphere shifted.
Pressure spread outward—not explosive, not reckless, but dense.
It was power that had learned restraint.
Rich watched them carefully, his gaze lingering longer than usual.
"…Even with the time you had," he said at last, "you now have a fighting chance."
Ard rolled his shoulders, wincing slightly.
"I didn't expect fighting myself to be that hard."
"It felt like everything I avoided doing was thrown back at me," Mia added quietly.
Some nodded. Others clenched their fists.
They turned toward Rich together.
"Thank you for helping us, Sensei."
Rich nodded once.
"Homeroom's over. Rest today."
He turned to leave, then paused mid-step.
"One more thing," he added without looking back.
"Conceal your presence better. Let your enemies feel uneasy without knowing why."
And then he vanished.
"…On guard, huh," Dice muttered, a grin spreading across his face.
The class slowly dispersed.
⸻
"Can I talk to you?"
Raya's voice stopped Lina just as she was about to leave.
Lina turned. "Sure."
"…It's about Kira."
The name alone made Lina stiffen.
"…What about him?"
Raya hesitated.
"This test. If we lose—"
"Chris won't come back," Lina interrupted, turning away. "Is that what you're saying?"
Raya lowered her head, then forced herself to speak.
"Kira will die."
Lina stopped.
Slowly, she turned back.
"…You're joking," she said, her voice thin. "Right?"
Raya shook her head.
"There's no way," Lina whispered, taking a step back. "He wouldn't accept that kind of deal."
"I thought the same," Raya replied. "But that's what I heard."
Silence pressed down on them.
"…Why would he do that?" Lina asked.
"I don't know," Raya said. "That's why I want to ask him. Together."
After a long moment, Lina nodded.
"Six in the evening," she said quietly. "In the classroom."
Raya watched her leave, then pulled out her phone.
She will come.
⸻
That evening, the classroom lights were already on.
Raya arrived through a portal and immediately felt it.
The tension.
Kira stood near the window. Lina was seated a few steps away. Neither had spoken.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Raya said.
"It's fine," Kira replied.
"No, it's not," she insisted. "I was free all day."
She exhaled and met his gaze.
"So why did you call us here?"
"Do you remember what I told you?" Kira asked.
Raya remembered clearly.
I'll teach you how to control it.
"…Is this about that?" she asked.
"Yes."
"…Then why involve her?" Raya asked, glancing at Lina.
"You're both on the same side," Kira replied calmly. "And stamina matters."
Raya looked down. She understood.
Lina hesitated.
"…Is it true you're going to—"
She stopped when Kira looked at her.
"Were you saying something?"
"…Forget it."
The air twisted.
In the next instant, they stood before the Shadow King's castle.
Raya exhaled sharply.
"You already planned this."
"I assumed you'd figure it out," Kira replied faintly.
He turned to Lina.
"Do you still want to continue?"
"Yes," she said immediately. "You wouldn't have brought me here if you thought I'd quit."
They moved through the dark corridors, each step echoing.
At the chamber doors, Kira stopped.
"Ard isn't here," he said quietly. "The Shadow King can use everything."
"We know," Lina replied.
Raya nodded.
The doors opened.
Darkness poured out.
Pressure crashed into them like a wave, forcing Raya back a step.
Then—
Movement.
Kira was struck from behind before he could react, his body sent flying into a pillar. Stone exploded as he smashed through it and slammed into the wall beyond.
Lina barely managed to draw her daggers before the Shadow King appeared in front of her. A brutal strike hit her abdomen, knocking the air from her lungs and sending her skidding across the floor.
Raya felt it a split second too late.
A kick slammed into her side, hurling her into the opposite wall.
"He's fast—!" Kira muttered, forcing himself upright amid the rubble.
"Told you," Aqua said calmly. "Use that."
"…Adaptation?"
"Yes. But he has it too," Aqua replied. "So it becomes a race."
Kira wiped blood from his mouth and smiled faintly.
"…Then let's see who adapts faster."
The Shadow King turned.
And the room shifted.