“Where?” asked Sura, not wasting a second.

In answer, Alice held out a piece of paper. Frowning, he took it and unfolded it, eyes flashing when he read the message on it. Without a word, he dashed off, disappearing from sight right away and leaving a gale in his wake. The crumpled piece of paper floated to the ground. Alice stared at the empty hallway for a second before bending down and picking it up. She turned to Fiona.

“We need to go after him,” she said firmly.

Fiona hesitated to answer. Her heart was still pounding hard, and she instinctively glanced at the scene behind her. Lying on the ground was the amputated mech, the mangled metallic stumps of its limbs sparking with electricity from exposed and torn wires. Next to the cracked glass of the reinforced cockpit were the very legs that had been forcefully ripped off from the mech itself. Fiona could still see the scene in front of her eyes: the Flawed fighter pulling the construct’s limbs off one by one. Swinging the dismembered parts like weapons, hammering away at the cockpit. The entire room had shaken with every hit; the strength behind each blow was unreal, inhuman. It wasn’t a matter of whether he could break through: it was a matter of when. The glass, armoured by who knew what degree of Enhancement Magic, would give way. And once it did… Fiona didn’t know if Sura would stop. She had always thought the boy was the underdog, fighting back against the same Mages that had bullied them both since they were children. Now, she wasn’t so sure. The rage in those eyes went far beyond justice, or even righteous vengeance. It was sheer, unrelenting anger… and it was terrifying.

“Hey.” Alice’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “What’s the matter with you? We need to go, now.”

Looking past the Engineer, she looked at the devastation left behind in the lab. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together and figure out what must have happened, but there was no time to dwell on it. They needed to help. “Now isn’t the time to be lost in thought.” She threw the crumpled note at Fiona. Blinking, the dark-haired girl unfolded it, her face growing pale as she read it.

“We have your friend, Glasses Girl. An interesting fact about the Rule of Conflict: accidental deaths don’t count as murder. If you feel like preventing it, come to the History Specialization Classroom. We’ll be waiting.”

She got to her feet as quickly as she could, her balance unsteady. She nodded, and the two of them took off, running as fast as they could.

“Ya tried telling any teachers?”

“What do you think? As if any of them would help.”

Fiona grunted. It was true: the note would likely be dismissed as a “harmless prank”. She wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few of the teachers were hoping something like this happened. Miss Muramasa would have helped, but she wasn’t on campus at the moment. That was probably the reason why the ones behind this had even dared to pull a stunt like this.

“We’re on our own then…”

She considered heading to the Muramasa house to pick up her Faust Cell. She could use it as a last resort threat. No good. We’d have to run a long way. It’ll take too long. There wasn’t enough time: they’d have to head straight to the History Classroom. She came to a stop and slung the bag off her back, rummaging in it to see if there was anything she could use. The only thing she could find was the grappling hook glove she had made for Sura. She swore. The classroom was an enclosed space, and it was obvious they had an ambush ready. The hook wouldn’t be much use.

“Hey, there’s no time to stop, we need to hurry”, said Alice. “I texted my brother.” Her face twisted with anger and distaste. “We won’t be alone there.”

Fiona nodded. It was far from ideal, but they needed any help they could get. She didn’t trust the Student Council, but she had to hope they wouldn’t play along with outright murder.

Murder… are they really planning to kill Asuka?

Her blood was cold in her veins as she ran. She shook her head. It had to be a bluff, meant to lure Sura in. She wanted to believe that. It was the rational conclusion. Why would anyone risk expulsion and imprisonment just for some Flawed? Even as she asked that question, she knew that it was rhetorical. The lives of a few Flawed meant nothing to the Kingdom. The kind of elites that attended this school could easily buy their way out of a trial. She sped up, ignoring the burning in her legs and her lungs.

Ten minutes ago:

Asuka packed up her books and belongings. From the podium at the front of the room, Professor Maynard reminded them not to forget their homework for the next day. It was a relatively simple assignment, and Asuka planned to finish it off as soon as she got back to the Muramasa house. This would leave the evening free for her to train and spend time with Sura. Her heart sped up slightly at the thought of that, and she couldn’t stop a warmth from spreading in her chest.

Well, I’m aware that humans tend to be attached to their mates, but you take it three steps further than even others of your kind, don’t you?

Nya’s voice in her head was smooth and slightly amused.

She blushed slightly.

You’re quite the pervert, aren’t you? She said, attempting to rally back.

Perhaps, but I’m not the one wet between the legs with desire.

The redness suffusing Asuka’s cheeks grew slightly.

Stop rummaging through my body!

It’s not intentional! But I do happen to live here, so whatever sensations you’re experiencing transfer over to me.

She groaned in annoyance. Of course, being contracted to an otherworldly imp had its caveats.

If it’s any consolation, I think it’s the right attitude, he said. You should be possessive, because the other females around him certainly haven’t given up. If anything, the desire they’ve been emanating has only gotten stronger. I suppose it’s the human tendency to want what one can’t have. Then again, considering the breeder stallion your mate is, I wouldn’t be surprised if monogamy seems boring to him-

He would never! Asuka said indignantly. Also, stop calling him a breeder stallion!

That’s funny, because you didn’t seem to mind his horse-sized cock at all-

Nooo, I don’t want to hear it! It was embarrassing enough that the catlike creature was privy to everything the two of them were doing. She certainly didn’t need him reminding her of that fact. She shut off the mental channel linking their thoughts.

Picking up her bag, she got up and began to make her way out of the classroom, when she heard a voice behind her.

“Umm, excuse me…”

Turning around, she saw a familiar face. A short boy with a slight build, combed down dark hair that covered his forehead, and a nervous face was standing before her. He was a student of the History Specialization with her, Yosuke. While she was wary of Mages, Yosuke wasn’t the typical Elysium student. The few times she had seen him outside the History Class, he had been soft spoken and timid. He also seemed to be bullied a lot by the others. Asuka suspected he didn’t possess a lot of Magical power, which probably led to his low standing in school. From his grades, she knew that he was a good academic, however, so it was likely he had gotten into the school on the basis of that. Most of the students in the History Class, for one reason or another, didn’t seem to be as against 3F as the rest of the school. While Asuka certainly didn’t go out of her way to talk to them, her few interactions with them were cordial enough. Because of that, she didn’t immediately suspect anything when Yosuke approached her.

“I-if it’s not too much of a bother, could I ask for help with something? My previous assignment’s pending, and I’m not sure of how to go about it…”

Searching her memory, she found that he had indeed been reprimanded for failing to turn in their last bit of homework. It wasn’t unusual for students in this class to assist each other. The assignment itself wasn’t too difficult. In hindsight, she should have taken that as a warning sign: there was no reason Yosuke wouldn’t have been able to finish it on his own.

“All right.”

The two of them stayed behind as the classroom emptied. Professor Maynard had left a while ago, and before long, the two of them were the only ones left in the room. Something began to feel off to her. While she had reached for her books, he hadn’t made any move to do the same. She let slip the barrier blocking off her thoughts from Nya’s, and immediately, the cat’s alarmed voice filled her head.

Asuka! You need to get out, now! This boy… his emotions reek of betrayal.

Eyes widening, Asuka shot him a quick glance, and saw a smile flicker across Yosuke’s face. Nya was right. Grabbing her books, she began to leave, when the classroom door slammed shut.

“A little late for that, I’m afraid.”

Several more Mages, boys and girls alike, had filed into the room. Evidently, they had been waiting aside. Asuka mentally cursed: there were far too many of them. Had she not shut off Nya’s thoughts, he would have been able to warn her of the danger.

This isn’t any time for regrets. Stay sharp!

She nodded, dropping her bag, she backed away to the far wall of the classroom, putting some distance between herself and the enemy. She felt Nya approve the decision. While felines didn’t like being cornered, it was a good choice to make sure there was a solid wall at her back rather than Mages.

Can we take all of them?

Nya had already felt out the Magic signatures of the lot. Individually, none of them were anything special. He would have been able to defeat any of them. Together, however…

No. And it would be foolish to try. The moment we make a mistake, it’s all over. The only choice is to escape.

Asuka took stock of the situation. There was only one door leading out of the room, and there was a mob of Mages between her and it. The Magic sense she was able to access from Nya told her that there was a Sealing Skill cast on the door itself, but it wasn’t very good. They would be able to break through. But in order to do that, they needed to get to the door first. Should she try to blitz past them? With the strength and agility boost she gained from the Shadows, it was possible.

No, it’d be a mistake.

Her thoughts flashed back to the very first encounter she had had with the school’s Mages, on her first day. Alice had attempted a surprise attack against them using a Lightning Crystal, but the leader of the lot had already had a Barrier in place. The constant fighting in this place had conditioned people to be wary, even of those who seemed harmless. She was certain this group had taken similar precautions too.

Sura’s words echoed in her mind.

“Don’t overreach. Don’t be too eager.”

He was right, she needed to be patient. None of these Mages knew she had powers of her own now. They weren’t aware of Nya’s existence. The most they would be expecting was a sneak attack from something like a Crystal. She needed to play off that.

I need to lure them in.

She joined her senses fully with Nya’s. Since the two of them had been joined by the contract, she had entered battle a few times with him, and gotten used to the shared state of mind. The training with Sura had helped too. Although it had only just begun, she was better at operating in that state of shared consciousness.

She could sense the Mages gathering their Magic. It was relatively weak, and Nya could read its flow: it was slow, oppressive. They were planning to subdue her.

We need to let them think they’ve got us.

And once they do, they’ll let their guard down. They aren’t used to Magic from my world. They won’t be able to sense it right away.

Slowly, the two of them began to gather power, building up Nya’s unique form of Shadow Magic within Asuka’s body. They would only have one chance at this. They needed to make sure they had enough energy built up. All the while, Asuka did her best to make sure she looked afraid. It wasn’t hard: while Nya was powerful, she wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to make it. For it to work, they needed to underestimate her.

“Hmph.”

Telekinetic force wrapped around her, though it didn’t quite reach her: a thin, barely noticeable layer of Nya’s power was protecting her. She felt herself being lifted up into the air and carried till she was hovering in the air, right in the middle of the room.

“And with that, the bait’s been set up,” said one of the group. “You’re sure he’ll take it?”

To her surprise, Yosuke was the one who answered.

“You’ve all seen him, haven’t you? He’s only too eager to help them. I mean, I can sort of see why.”

His eyes traced her body hungrily. She was taken aback by the change in his expression: he was completely different from what he was in class. Had he been hiding his true nature all along?

“Maybe we’ll make him watch while we have fun with her.”

She felt sick to the stomach, her blood boiling with anger as the mob laughed.

Stay calm, said Nya. Don’t let his words bait you.

The two of them sensed that the telekinesis holding them was getting stronger, meaning they were putting more and more of their concentration and Magic into it. This plan was evidently to bait Sura into coming here, meaning they would be focused on ambushing him… and not at all prepared for an escape attempt.

“Well then. I suppose we should set up the trap itself.”

Asuka looked on in surprise as the ones who weren’t holding her began to move the desks aside, clearing space in the classroom. Having moved the furniture right to the edge of the room, they climbed on top of it. The room had an amphitheater-like construction, meaning the teacher’s podium was located on the bottom-most level, while each semicircular row of desks going backwards was placed on a higher level. Between standing atop desks and the room’s inherent form, anyone entering the room would immediately be on low ground, while the Mages had both distance and high ground to strike from.

That’s… not fair!

Sura was a hand-to-hand fighter. His success in battle was dependent on getting close to Mages and striking before they could use their Magic. Surrounded on nearly all sides, and with this much ground to cover, he wouldn’t be able to dodge for long enough to reach them.

That wasn’t all, however.

To her horror, one of them produced a Water Crystal and promptly crushed it. Liquid poured onto the floor, and before long, the room was flooded to just below ankle height on the lowest level. All around the perimeter, Mages tossed Lightning Crystals into the water.

Asuka stared at them in shock.

They’ve lost their minds! They’re going to electrocute themselves too!

No… look closely. They’ve already enclosed themselves in Barriers. There are twenty of them in total. Of the lot, four are holding us in the air. Eight of them are focused exclusively on defence, using all their power to shield every one of them with a Barrier. That high ground they’ve set up… is fortified. That leaves eight more of them, and I assume their task will be to hit him with offensive Skills. Most likely, they’ll simply trigger the Crystals in the water to electrocute him.

Nya’s usual confident tone was missing.

This isn’t good. He’s tough, but even he can’t survive that much electricity.

Asuka looked at the scene in dismay. She had taken too long, gotten distracted by what they were doing. Escape would be difficult now. The two of them had gathered enough power to break free of the telekinesis holding them. Once they did, however, they would immediately be attacked from all sides.

It doesn’t matter. I can’t let him get trapped here.

Nya, realizing her intentions, unleashed his power explosively, breaking through the force holding her in place. As she began to fall, his Shadows covered her from head to toe, giving her the appearance of being composed entirely of darkness. She landed on the wet floor with a splash, her shadowy feet somehow not slipping.

Cries of alarm burst forth from the Mages. Reacting on instinct, they shot at her, hurling the first Skills they could think of. Most of them missed; she had already leapt towards the door with incredible agility and force, planning to break through in a single bound.

Right as she was around halfway there, a fireball crashed into her. Nya’s Shadows were the only thing that prevented her from being burnt. Even so, the force of the attack knocked her sideways, leaving her sprawled on the ground.

From somewhere above, she heard a familiar voice, hating it.

“I was warned to watch out for a ‘surprise’ from you. It’s a good thing I listened”, said Yosuke.

Once more, she was grabbed by telekinetic force and lifted into the air.

“It was a good attempt, but not quite enough. I have no idea what kind of power you’re using. Some kind of Artifact, maybe? It doesn’t matter. We’ll find out soon enough. But we’ll start with your friend first. Can’t dissect the bait before the prey takes it, after all.”

Helpless, Asuka could only grit her teeth as she was trapped.

Sensing the attacks coming for them, Nya enclosed her in a shadowy dome, breaking through the telekinesis holding her once more. The Skill bounced off the outer surface of the extended Barrier. Asuka could hear their voices from outside.

“This wasn’t part of the plan, but it might be a good idea after all. Roughing you up a little before he gets here might make him take us seriously.”

The attacks continued to come, and she could feel Nya’s strength dip alarmingly. It was incredible he had managed to block this many Skills at all. Unlike humans, the Shadow Dweller’s entire life essence was connected to his Magic energy on a much deeper level, to the point where they were almost inseparable. While this meant that he was much stronger than the average Mage, it also meant that the more of his power he used, the more he tapped into his own life force. Beyond a certain point… he was burning his own life to sustain the use of his powers.

Please… that’s enough, stop. You’ve done enough already, Asuka said to him.

Nya didn’t reply.

This entire situation was his mess. He had taken his teasing too far, and made her uncomfortable, which had led to her breaking their telepathic contact. Had that not happened, he would have been able to warn her of the boy’s ill intentions, and they could have avoided all of this. No, he had gotten them into this. It was his responsibility to get her out of this, unharmed. This was his duty as one soulbound to her.

With each hit he took, he felt his Barrier come closer and closer to the breaking point. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer.

With no other choice, he hoped that before that happened, he arrived.

Damn it. I shouldn’t have left her side for a second.

Sura dashed down the hallways as fast as he could, blitzing past students and teachers alike. The History Class was located some distance away and a few floors down from the Engineering Lab. Turning a corner, he found a group of students occupying the entire width of the hallway, and unceremoniously backhanded them aside. He felt a few bones break when they came in contact with his fist, but he didn’t so much as glance at the group as he sprinted past.

This is it.

Up ahead, he could see the History Classroom door, shut.

Sliding to a stop in front of it, he kicked it in without preamble.

The Sealed, Enhanced door splintered under his foot right away, its pieces flying across the room. Standing at the threshold, it took only a microsecond for him to take stock of the situation. Floating in mid-air in the centre of the room was an orb made of darkness, large enough to contain a single person. From all around, various Magic attacks were hurtling towards it.

His self-restraint, already at its limit, finally broke.

With blinding speed, he leapt at the Mages, the force of his jump enough to clear the diameter of the class. As he shot through the air, he focused his Ki into his palm. The Mages hadn’t even been able to finish reacting to the door shattering, much less spot his movements. However, they didn’t need to. The Barriers they had set up pre-emptively did their work, and repelled his strike.

Sura was launched backwards, landing on the wet floor.

What the hell? That isn’t the Outer Barrier Skill they’re using. It’s something else.

His eyes darkened even further.

If that was how it was to be, then he had a way of breaking past this new defence too.

Before he could do so, however, a small, mousy looking boy yelled out a command.

“Do it, now!”

From all around, Skills were fired. Sura prepared to dodge, but none of the attacks were aimed at him. Instead, the Crystals that had been pre-arranged all around the room were shattered.

Had it been any other human being in his place, the battle would have ended then and there.

But the instinct forged through hundreds of fights kicked in, warning him of imminent ruin. With no other option, Sura flared his Ki, flooding his entire body with it, armouring himself with it. Not a moment later, the electric currents reached him. Even protected by his own energy, he clenched his teeth, feeling the voltage tearing at his protective shroud of Ki. He knew all of this had been done to lure him here, but he hadn’t expected a trap like this. He breathed deep, focusing on maintaining his concentration.

Sensei had warned him not to use the Warrior’s Armour. But under the circumstances, there was no other option. However, he had acted with caution: the amount of Ki he was channelling was considerably less than his full capacity.

“Oho, he can endure it!”

“Hahaha… what a monster.”

While the Mages chuckled, their faces had paled slightly: there was enough electricity flowing through the water right now to immediately fry anyone who so much as touched it. The only reason they themselves were safe was because of the insulation offered by the wooden desks, and the protection of their special Barriers. This particular protective Skill wasn’t one they were capable of casting on their own: they’d needed to purchase Artifacts in order to do it.

Even so, the Flawed boy was somehow not only still standing, but looked unharmed.

“He’s a little stronger than an ordinary human, but it doesn’t matter: he’s still flesh and bones, no Magic to protect him. Stick to the plan!” the mousy boy yelled.

Several of the Mages cast Skills, hurling them at Sura. He swatted aside fireballs and lightning bolts alike with his bare hands. The sheer absurdity of a human being able to perform such a feat, while standing in electrified water no less, left the entire room speechless, and for a moment, they simply stared at him.

Sura knew he was in a bad situation. The pseudo Warrior’s Armour he was using right now still took energy to maintain, and he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. He needed to finish the fight within that time. But it wouldn’t be easy. They had distance, and the high ground, as well as their strange Barrier.

He would need to use that technique against them.

But using it while also maintaining the Warrior’s Armour wasn’t possible.

Things weren’t looking good. Above him, he had the feeling Nya’s Barrier wouldn’t last long either. When it disappeared, Asuka would fall into the electrified water below…

No.

He stamped the ground, shattering it right away, and causing a football sized chunk of marble to fly up. Swiping at it, he chipped it with his fist, leaving it with a jagged point. With zero hesitation, he hit it with the heel of his palm, while infusing it with a bit of his Ki.

The projectile shot forward as though fired from a cannon. The point went through the Barrier, which hadn’t been designed to handle impacts from sharp objects, before burying itself in a Mage’s thigh, having gone clean through the quadriceps muscle, the femur and the hamstring at the back. The boy screamed in agony, his remaining leg giving way as he began to tumble, on his way to landing in the deathly water below. At the last moment, the one next to him managed to grab his arm, barely saving his life. The pair looked at Sura, one of them with tears streaming down his face, the other with utter horror in his eyes.

The Flawed boy’s gaze was beyond cold. His words when they came weren’t a threat.

They were a statement of fact.

“Not a single one of you will leave this place whole.”

Surrounded, outnumbered and stuck in a deathtrap he might be, there wasn’t a Mage in that room who did not feel primal fear course through their very core.

“He’s… an actual demon…”

“S-stay back!”

Yosuke, who had put the plan together, struggled to keep his knees from shaking.

“Take him out!” he shouted. “He can’t deflect everything! Just keep striking, it’ll wear him out!”

Unfortunately, it was a sound strategy. Sura was constantly burning energy simply to avoid electrocution. If he had to defend against an extended barrage on top of that, it was only a matter of time before his reserves ran out. Realizing this was the end, he prepared to jump upward. From here, he would be able to break Nya’s Barrier, grab Asuka and throw her clean out of the room to safety. If he did that much, he would be able to die without regrets.

“Sura!”

A voice pierced through the air. Wheeling around, he saw Fiona standing on the threshold. For a moment, Sura was terrified that she would enter the room. But the Flawed girl stared at him without moving. For a moment, she hesitated. Sura could see the fear in her eyes. She had seen that side of him, and it had left its mark. He could practically see the struggle taking place within her.

He had been here before.

This was the part where people left. People always left, and he carried on. It was how things were. How they would always be. Sooner or later, everyone went away. He had made his peace with that a long time ago. It might be foolish, but he would never change. The one thing he could do was swing his fists. And if that was the case, he must swing his fists until the end.

And so, for a brief moment, he met her gaze defiantly, dropping all the walls he kept up constantly. In that moment, he let his true self show through.

Fiona ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Up ahead, she could see the doorway to the History Class. The door itself had been broken off its hinges. Coming to a stop in front of it, she looked inside, knowing it was a trap. Rushing in blind would be a mistake. Quickly, she analysed the scene. None of the Mages had noticed her: their attention was focused solely on the Flawed fighter who stood in the middle of the classroom, facing them down.

They positioned the desks to get the high ground against him. But that can’t be all: he’d blitz them anyway. Level Three Barriers shouldn’t be able to stop him at all. They might be using Artifacts for protection. But wait, the floor’s wet. Are those… Lightning Crystal fragments? Those fucking assholes… they electrified the floor!

Up above was a dark orb, which must be a Barrier Nya had created to protect Asuka.

All in all, the situation wasn’t good at all.

And yet, Sura wasn’t flinching. He was standing his ground when he should be dead.

For a moment, even Fiona’s formidable devotion to rationality gave way as the thought flashed in her mind that he might truly be some kind of demon, immune to all human weaknesses. How else was he enduring that much electricity? It seemed like the only possible explanation. Only a demon would be capable of the kind of anger she had seen from him. Of the kind of violence she had seen from him.

But… he did it to help me.

Her thoughts turned to Sura as he was around the Muramasa house. She couldn’t remember a single time he had lost his patience or his temper with anyone from 3F. It was actually the exact opposite. He often went out of his way to help them. The very first time they had met, he had gone out of his way to protect them.

And since then, he had continued to do so.

She looked at him standing in the middle of the room. He had rushed here the moment he had heard Asuka was in danger. Surrounded, outnumbered, standing on a literal deathtrap, he was holding his ground. He hadn’t abandoned Asuka, nor had he run. Unable to help it, she shouted out his name, and he turned to look at her. As their eyes met, she wasn’t able to hide her fear.

She had seen what lay inside the boy, and it scared her.

She could see right away that her reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed. Hurt crossed his face. Somehow, seeing that hurt her, but not as much as the way it was replaced by acceptance. It was as if he wasn’t surprised at all by what he saw, as if he had resigned himself to it long ago. Standing tall, he met her gaze properly, and the facade he always maintained fell away. She realized that for the first time, she was seeing Sura as he truly was.

There was pride in his eyes: the pride of a warrior who had been through countless battles on his own, surviving, and fighting on. The absolute determination to continue to fight, even if it was on his own, even if it was against the entire world. He didn’t expect assistance, didn’t expect to be saved; had given up on such things long ago, along with the world itself. That’s why he wasn’t surprised at her reaction, why he had been able to accept it so easily.

He had resigned himself to being feared. Not just by the Mages responsible for his suffering, but even by the Flawed who counted him among their number.

It couldn’t have been easy to come to a resolution like that. Whether people knew or admitted it, they craved acceptance, craved a place to belong, no matter how different they might be. Even after being shunned, cast aside, ridiculed, human beings couldn’t easily give up on that desire. How many times would have had to be betrayed, let down, before one finally gave up on trying to belong? She didn’t know the specifics of his past, even now, but she was sure that was how it had been. All of a sudden, the fact that Sura alone of any Flawed she had met fought back against Mages made perfect sense, as did his incredible strength.

With a sudden shock, she realized just how much it truly meant that he had risked himself for 3F time and again, just how much he would have had to go against everything the world had taught him. His guardedness, his constant invincible stoicism, she finally saw the reason behind it.

He could never allow himself to depend on others.

And for good reason. After all, even the ones he protects are afraid of him.

It’s true, he can be scary at times.

But... it’s how the world’s made him, no, how he needed to be.

Gangs of Mages that shot to kill. An entire school looking the other way as its students attempted to have their way with them. And beyond that, an entire Kingdom where Flawed had to live with that, live with being treated as less than human.

She fought through her fear, and slowly, bit by bit, her faith replaced it. Sura wouldn’t ever change. He would never harm the innocent. And he would always, always deliver unrelenting pain to the unjust. He had never abandoned them. And so, she wouldn’t abandon her. She’d brave her fear, and stand by his side.

The world isn’t fair.

And if it takes an actual Demon to fight against it…

Reaching into her backpack, she grabbed the tool she had built. Looking into Sura’s eyes, she drew her arm back, and threw it.

The Flawed fighter’s eyes widened only for a moment in surprise, before it was replaced by laser focus as he caught it out of the air. With one smooth movement, he put on the grappling hook glove.

“Sura!” shouted Fiona. If she hadn’t been so eager to settle things with the Engineering Club, Sura would have been with Asuka, and this whole situation could have been avoided. “No matter what happens, please. Save my friend!”

Sura’s answer was simple and to-the-point, but the tone of his voice said it all.

“She won’t even have a scratch on her.”

Fiona nodded, heart pounding. Would the grappling hook really be enough to turn the tide? He could use it to get to the walls or ceiling, and get out of the electrified water, but once there, his attack options were limited. While it had been designed for mobility and quick shots, there was a limit to how fast one could move around with it.

To her surprise, Sura immediately used the one function she hadn’t expected him to, the throwaway function she’d installed only because he’d asked her to.

Of the changes he’d asked her to make, one was that in place of a wire, the line should be a metal chain.

The other was the addition of an alternative attachment. At the push of a button, the grappling hook at the end of the chain was replaced by a small metal form, weighing exactly 150 grams.

As Fiona looked on, Sura lowered the chain, gripping it lightly, with the weight dangling below.

Belatedly, she realized what was about to happen.

Despite this, when the chain shot out for the first time, she couldn’t see it at all, only hear the sound of metal on flesh. One of the Mages dropped to one knee, clutching his side as blood dripped from his mouth.

“What the hell just happen- UUURRRRGHH!”

Mid-sentence, another boy had his jaw utterly mangled by a horizontal swipe. Knocked off balance, he began to fall into the water below as the chain completed its arc and returned to Sura’s hand. Conserving its momentum, he changed its path, spinning it in a quick circle in front of him, before striking it with his palm, shooting it straight forward. The weight smashed into the Mage, shattering his sternum and several ribs, but pushing him backwards and saving him from a fall into the deadly water.

As several Skills were hurled at him, Sura spun the chain around him in 360 degree arcs, deflecting every last one of them. Transitioning seamlessly from the defensive spin, he let out more of the chain, swinging it in a wide circle.

150 grams was not a heavy weight. But centrifugal force transformed it into a terrifying hammer capable of going through the Artifact-produced Barriers with ease.

The initial swing tore clean through the jaws of five Mages before Sura whipped it into reverse, the backswing smashing through their shins and bringing them to their knees.

Fiona blinked.

… Did I actually think for a second that a weapon in this guy’s hands wouldn’t be brokenly overpowered?

Ribs, knees, elbows, sternums, jaws, finger: nothing was safe. The modified kusari-fundo was swung with devastating precision and accuracy, never missing its target. Even more terrifyingly, it seemed to hit precisely the parts that each recipient tried to protect.

In seven seconds, nineteen of the twenty Mages had had their bones smashed.

Sura estimated he could hold out on the electrical floor for an hour more at the current rate. Which was good, because he was only getting started. He had deliberately avoided hitting the small, mousy boy who had been barking out instructions.

“Make sure you watch this,” he said.

The chain screamed through the air once more, as blows rained down upon the Mages from all angles, hitting them all over their bodies, but meticulously avoiding fatal impacts.

Fiona, who had read the note, realized what was happening.

What was it they said: accidental deaths?

He isn’t going to kill them. But he’ll sure as hell make sure they wish they were dead.

A movement from the black sphere above caught her attention, and she saw a crack had appeared in it.

She yelled out.

“Sura! Above you!”

Taking his last chance at victory, Yosuke chose to capitalize on the moment Sura looked up, by Casting at him once more.

Without even looking in his direction, Sura leaned back, avoiding the attack, while throwing out the chain in a straight line.

Yosuke’s entire hand was shattered, carpals, metacarpals and phalanges all smashed to bits by the metal weight.

Sura’s gaze remained focused upwards. As the Shadow Dome finally gave way, and Asuka began to fall, he leapt upwards, while hitting the button that replaced the weight with the grappling hook. Wrapping one arm around her securely, he used his free hand to aim the hook at the ceiling above. Sure enough, it hit the target, and latched onto it. Using his momentum, he swung forward while carrying her, and cleared the electrified floor, landing safely outside.

Asuka blinked. As she looked up at Sura’s face, a smile lit up her face. In sheer relief and joy, she hugged him right away. He returned the gesture, holding her tight and close.

“I tried to get away to warn you,” she said. “But I couldn’t do it.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re safe now.”

As Fiona looked on, the emotion that trumped all others in her heart was happiness. More than anything, she was glad that they were both safe. To her immense surprise, Sura looked up at her, a genuine and completely open smile on his face. She felt she was seeing things, but she was sure there was even a tear in the corner of his eye.

“Thank you,” he said with complete sincerity. “For saving Asuka.”

Fiona almost took a step back.

“I- I didn’t do anything though…”

He held up the glove.

“You did everything.

Fiona blinked back tears herself.

“The hell are ya talking about,” she found herself saying. “You don’t lose fights, period. It says so on the back of every physics book I’ve got.”

He shook his head.

“I couldn’t have done this one without you. Thank you, really.”

Something in his eyes had changed. Fiona realized she might never have a chance like this again. But seeing the happiness in Asuka’s eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to take it. Feeling an actual, physical pain in her heart as she did so, she grinned brightly.

“Ya kidding? It’s an engineer’s pride. I only make the best stuff.”

They were interrupted by screams of pain from the History Classroom. Yosuke was on his knees, clutching his destroyed hand.

Letting Asuka down, Sura straightened up.

“Give me a second,” he said. “I’ve got some trash to take out.”

“That won’t be necessary,” said another familiar voice.

The three of them looked up to find Alice approaching them.

“About time,” said Fiona. “Where’d you run off to?”

As the two of them had been rushing to the History Classroom, Alice had received a phone call. All of a sudden, she had told Fiona to go on by herself. The Engineer frowned, glaring at her.

“She’s been right here the entire time, with me.”

Fiona turned to face this new voice, which she didn’t recognize at all. Its owner was a tall, lean, bespectacled boy with silver hair. He wore a leather jacket over the Elysium uniform. There was a friendly smile on his face as he spoke, but something about him seemed off to Fiona.

“Uh-huh,” she said. “And just how long have you been watching?”

“Oh, I arrived long before you did,” he replied brightly. “Around the same time as you, actually.” He said that word while looking at Sura. “That was a nice touch with the floor, by the way. How did you figure out that the Barriers were weak to sharp objects?”

Fiona had no idea what he was talking about, but surmised that it must have been something Sura had done before she had arrived. She looked at the Flawed fighter, trying to gauge his reaction to the newcomer. Unsurprisingly, his face was blank as he replied in a neutral, matter-of-fact tone.

“It was worth a try,” he said. The reason this newcomer had just brought up that move hadn’t gone unnoticed: he was not-so-subtly proving that he had indeed been present during the entire fight, watching.

The silver-haired boy laughed lightly. “I see, I see.”

“So you were here all along, and you did nothing?” said Fiona. She turned to Alice. “Some help you managed to get.”

The boy laughed again.

“Well, I can’t deny that I wasn’t much use here. But you seemed to have things under control just fine.” He gave Sura a knowing look. “I also have a feeling you wanted to be the one to save her.”

Sura’s eyes flashed. The silver-haired youth gave a friendly smile before turning his attention to Yosuke, who was staring at him like he’d seen a ghost.

“This is quite the serious offence, you know. While Elysium does allow combat between students, there’s a strict no-killing rule. Considering everything you’ve done, I’m pretty sure this counts as an attempt to murder. I’m going to need you all to come with me.”

“Wai-”

Yosuke’s words were cut off as telekinetic force gripped him, enveloping his entire body. Pulled along as though by invisible wires, he floated out of the classroom, followed by the mangled and maimed others of the group.

Sura noted that there didn’t seem to be even the slightest signs of strain on him from the impressive feat of Magic.

“... Who are you?”

The boy faced him again.

“Ah, apologies. I never introduced myself. You see, Alphonse got your friend’s message, but he’s stuck with unavoidable Student Council work at the moment. I, however, happened to be free, so I came in his place.”

He held out a hand.

“Kamishiro Kazuya at your service. I’m the Student Council President.”

Sura reached out and accepted the handshake. Despite his lithe build, the boy’s grip was strong.

So this is the guy at the top of Elysium.

Post chapter bonuses:

We'll start off with the art for the protagonist himself, Sura Shen. While writing and drawing him, my idea was to have a figure who was masculinity and strength, dialled all the way to infinity. While real-life martial artists tend to be wirier than bodybuilders or powerlifters, I wanted to create a character who somehow had the skills, agility and mobility of a martial artist while also having the bulk and strength of a powerlifter or strongman. Essentially, something that's nearly impossible in real life, with only a handful of men having done it in recorded history. But that's the idea behind Sura's character: he is the impossible standard, the self-insert, the power fantasy. While doing all of that, I also wanted him to have a soul, a personality of his own, and be genuinely cool and inspiring. I would like to hope that I've succeeded at least a little at it.

Mizuki is to female character design what Sura is to male character design for me, though there are a few key differences besides sex. Mizuki is the mature, full grown warrior who's already been through countless trials and tribulations, and personal tragedies. The idea while creating her was to have a woman who was attractive and sexy, but also a straight-up badass. While the waifu points and hotness matter, I wanted her to be the character who elicites the immediate response of "damn, she's so cool". In terms of writing and development, she's extremely important as Sura's mentor, teacher, spiritual guide and idol. But beyond that, there are also her own motivations and reasons behind her actions, as well as all the ways her relationship with Sura and the rest of the main cast can grow.

As the resident Glasses Girl and academic of 3F, Asuka sort of automatically ended up being the one most likely to not stand out in a scene. She's shy, quiet, and generally dislikes confrontation. I wanted to figure out a way to give her combat abilities in a way that showed off all her inherent strengths, and to that end, I kind of like how the whole dynamic with Shadow Dweller Nya came out. In terms of visuals, I guess I have a thing for short, stacked women. Sura views her as immensely cute and hot, and as the story went on, I tried to highlight the contrast between her outward demeanour and her more aggressive, possessive side.

For a protagonist as capable and OP as Sura, I wanted an antagonist who could be suitably challenging. But rather than define him purely as an antithesis to the hero, I sort of like looking at him as the hero of his own tale. Visually, he's a little rougher and more built than the average Mage, showing that he does have some background in physical combat. He also looks every bit as much of a delinquent as Sura himself, and I thought the idea of the ultra-prissy prep school's Stu Co Prez being a complete chaos-addict and nutjob was too cool to pass up on. In some ways, I think Kazuya is closer to the norm for anime/manga/LN protags than Sura, especially in this day and age, and again, the idea of an Aizen-like figure, but as the hero rather than the villain is intriguing in and of itself. How exactly will that play out when he clashes with the Demon? Read and find out.