A soft whimper broke the tense silence.
It came from the girl with the burn scar on her shoulder—Callie, if I remembered right. She had been doing her best to stay silent in the back, knees drawn up to her chest, lips pressed together.
But now... she was crying.
Just this horrible, trembling sound, like a kettle just beginning to boil over. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, locked onto the skittering shadows that crept just beyond the repellent barrier.
"Callie," Nolan whispered sharply. "Stay with us. Look at me. Just breathe—"
But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Her fingers clenched her sleeves so tightly her knuckles had gone white, and her mouth parted with shallow gasps.
"Here it comes," Ethan whispered.
His voice wasn’t cruel now.
He stepped closer, just outside the ring of protection, like a conductor ready to orchestrate a beautiful, bloody crescendo.
"Panic spreads. Fear’s contagious. Let her scream—and then they all will."
I felt it—that moment.
The whole room leaning toward collapse.
That was when I staggered forward, clutching my side like I’d been stabbed.
The device in my hand fell with a clatter. I dropped to one knee, breathing hard, sweat pouring down my face.
"D-Damn it..." I muttered loud enough for them all to hear.
Nolan froze. Callie looked up in alarm.
"Rin? What’s—what’s wrong?!"
"Time’s up," I said between ragged breaths, like I didn’t mean for them to hear it.
I saw Ethan’s smile widen instantly.
"Ah, there it is," he said, stepping forward again. "The hero has limits after all."
I shook my head slowly, my voice trembling as I forced a bitter laugh.
"You were right... I shouldn’t have come alone. I—I can’t hold them off anymore..."
I let my shoulders slump. My breathing hitch.
I even reached a hand toward Ethan—like I was begging.
He actually laughed. "Oh Rin Evans... how disappointing."
But he didn’t realize—
Everyone else was frozen. Breath held. Watching me fall apart.
That was what I needed.
Because if everyone was watching me, no one was watching my left hand reach into my sleeve.
Another enhanced repellent ignited at full power under the fog of my supposed collapse, flaring so suddenly that the monsters hissed and shrieked, scattering back violently.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
I stood up slowly, wiping my face with the back of my hand.
Taking few steps back to my original position.
All of it had vanished now.
"What a shame," I said coldly. "You almost had me."
Ethan’s smile twitched. "Shut up... or I’ll really kill you."
Damn it. I knew he could. If he used even half of his full strength, I was toast.
But I wasn’t stopping here.
Backup was still on its way—I just had to stall. And if I could, I needed to leave a mark. Something lasting. A crack in his perfect psychotic mask.
Mentally or physically—I didn’t care which.
"What’s this?" I asked with a smirk. "Now you’re telling me to shut up? Don’t tell me... are you actually scared?"
"What did you say?" he muttered, voice low and venomous. "Guess I’ll have to kill you after all."
"Then try it," I snapped. "Come on. Try it, you fucking bastard!"
In that moment, I channeled Leo Taylor—the arrogant, loud-mouthed, fearless cadet who never backed down from anyone, no matter how powerful.
I smirked wider. "What? Surprised? Don’t act like you know everything in this world. I know way more than you ever will."
Because I’ve read the novel, asshole.
I know your history, your tactics, your pathetic worldview. And most importantly—I know what breaks you.
"Ethan Caldwell. C+ Rank. Insect Tamer. Not even a good one—average at best. Below average, if I’m being generous."
"How the hell do you—"
"I’m not done," I cut him off sharply. "You hide behind your bugs and your twisted games, but deep down? You’re just a delusional coward. Spouting nonsense about how adulthood is a disease—about how everyone past a certain age is evil. You think you’re some tragic prophet?"
I took a step forward, reckless, my voice rising.
"You hate adults so much? Then why don’t you kill yourself, you hypocrite?"
"Shut up!" he roared.
"Oh, and let’s not forget the most disgusting part. You’re not just a murderer, are you?"
"You’re a pre-sex offender who can’t even function unless the target’s a student. That’s why you avoid adult women, right? What, scared they’ll see through your pathetic little act?"
The insects surged forward at his command, hissing and screeching as they broke the threshold of the repellent’s glow. Some of the students tied up behind me screamed in panic, others shouted at me to stop provoking him—but it was too late.
This was the moment I was waiting for.
I stopped holding back.
The primal Qi I’d been slowly leaking into the repellent devices all this time? I unleashed it in one massive burst.
A surge of raw energy flowed through my arms and into the repellents scattered around me. The glow flared violently—then erupted into a blinding wave of light.
For just a second, the entire room turned white.
The air was filled with the horrid screams of Ethan’s millipede monsters as several of them combusted under the concentrated magical wave. Their shells cracked. Smoke curled off their twitching bodies as they writhed in agony before shriveling into ash.
Ethan’s expression snapped.
He stared at the burnt remains of his familiars like they were his own limbs.
But I was already breathing hard.
The wave had lasted only a second, but the cost was heavy.
I was running dry. The enhancement was almost burnt out.
My legs shook. My arms felt like they were filled with fire.
I could feel blood in my mouth, my ear, my nose and my eyes.
I could drop dead right here and now but I don’t have luxury to do that.
Damn, the penalty of using my talent at fullest is really worst.
But I can’t afford to show weakness here.
So, I looked him dead in the eyes.
"That was just the start."
He didn’t laugh this time.