Chapter 58: Chapter 17

Rindou twisted her body to the side, narrowly avoiding the clawed swipe of a masked student.

The sound of air being torn apart filled the hallway as the student stumbled past her, dark mist spilling out of his mouth like smoke from a furnace.

His now red eyes were dull and empty, his veins pulsing black, his movements jerky and unnatural, like a zombie.

Another came from behind, grabbing her shoulder.

Rindou gritted her teeth, spun her body, and drove her elbow into his throat.

A guttural noise escaped the boy’s lips before he crashed to the floor.

She didn’t even pause, her heel smashed down on his jaw, knocking him out cold.

Behind her, Rei flinched. "S-She’s so... violent. Sh-She probably killed him!"

Suzune, leaning on the wall and pressing a hand over her bruised side, chuckled through the pain. "Don’t act so surprised. She’s not the Student Council President for nothing. The delinquents used to call her the ’Crazed Gorilla of Shunji.’"

Rindou froze mid-punch, her eyebrow twitching as she kicked another student across the face, sending him flying before yelling, "I am not a gorilla, damn it!"

Her roar echoed through the corridor, louder than Basuta’s laughter in the distance.

Rei blinked, watching as three more students charged at Rindou from the front.

She sidestepped the first, caught the second by the collar, and used his body to block the third’s kick before throwing both into a nearby wall.

Their masks shattered on impact, the fragments scattering across the floor.

"She’s saying she’s not one, but..." Rei whispered, while glancing at the pile of twitching bodies on the floor. "...it kind of makes sense. So this is the power of a female gorilla."

Suzune just smirked, supressing her laugh, because she knew her ribs would hurt so bad if she did.

"Well, that took care of that." Rindou sighed in relief, dusting off her hands. "Now then...hm?"

The victory was short-lived as the low hum of something dark filled the place and a thick back mist seeped from the fallen students’ mouths and wounds.

One by one, their bodies convulsed, bones cracking, limbs twisting unnaturally until they rose again.

Their glowing red eyes locked onto Rindou.

"Tch. Figures." Rindou stepped forward, cracking her knuckles, her breathing steady but sharp. "I guess they’re really not going to down before that fat bastard does."

She shifted her stance, her legs lowering, her center of gravity steady. Her fingers curled into a guard position that is both refined and aggressive, a mixture of karate skills and practical brutality.

After all, she learned karate from her father, who was a police officer, and she has been taught the practical side of karate used to take down criminals, and not for tournament use.

"Fine," she muttered, exhaling through her nose. "Let’s see how many times you can stand back up."

Then she raised one hand, palm up, and crooked her fingers. "Come at me."

The corridor exploded into chaos.

The reanimated students charged with inhuman shrieks as Rindou dashed forward to meet them.

Her fist smashed into one’s temple, sending his head snapping to the side.

She spun, swept another’s legs, and delivered a rising knee to his jaw.

She ducked under a wild punch and slammed her palm into a chest, breaking ribs with a sickening crack.

Every move of hers was incredibly efficient and brutal, like she was fighting to the death.

To Suzune and Rei, she looked like a storm that is completely uncontrolled, ferocious, and unstoppable.

Her uniform sleeves tore at the shoulders, her hair came loose from its tie, and sweat glistened on her face as she fought without hesitation.

Blood splattered the floor, the sound of fists, bones, and roars echoing through the building.

Suzune smiled faintly despite her pain. "See that, Rei? Don’t you think the name Crazed Gorilla make sense now?"

Rei nodded weakly, clutching Suzune’s arm. "She’s scary... but kind of amazing."

Rindou kicked the last student through a broken door, chest heaving as she turned back to glare at Suzune.

"Next time you call me a gorilla, I’m punching you."

Suzune grinned, her tone light despite the danger. "Fair enough, Gorilla-chan."

"You—!" Rindou’s shout shook the hallway again, right as more footsteps approached from the distance.

The fight wasn’t over.

Rindou turned, her eyes annoyed and tired, but she went to a fighting stance.

"Alright then, come at me. I can do this all day."

*

*

*

Seijirou’s heel smashed into Basuta’s head, the impact echoing through the ruined corridor.

The floor cracked beneath the vice principal’s weight as he stumbled, nearly falling on his back.

Seijirou flipped back lightly, landing with his fists up, bouncing on his toes like a seasoned fighter warming up.

Basuta’s round face twisted in rage, blood spilling from his nose.

"Why?! I have the power of a god! You’re nothing but a mortal! You shouldn’t be able to touch me!" he screamed.

Seijirou smirked, wiping a bit of sweat from his chin. "Heh. Isn’t it just common sense? You’re an elite mob, at best. I’m the final boss. Isn’t it common sense for a final boss to enter a second stage when their health bar turned to red?"

Basuta blinked, confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" he roared, running towards him. "Are you mocking me!?"

Seijirou didn’t bother explaining, instead, the he moment Basuta charged, he raised a knee to block the clumsy attack, then countered with a sharp right jab that smashed into Basuta’s cheek.

The vice principal’s head jerked back, a spray of spit mixed with blood went flying.

Seijirou followed it up with a brutal combination, low kick, elbow strike, knee to the gut, then a roundhouse to the temple.

Each hit echoed like thunder, his movements flowed seamlessly, a perfect mix of aggression and control.

Basuta stumbled back, his heavy body struggling to regain balance.

Every time he tried to retaliate, Seijirou was already one step ahead, slipping past his slow punches and hammering another blow into his ribs or legs.

"Stop moving, you brat" Basuta bellowed, swinging wildly.

A black mist flared from his hand, slashing across the air like claws, but Seijirou ducked low, sliding forward, and drove his elbow into Basuta’s stomach.

The impact made the man wheeze, his fat rippling like waves.

"You talk too much," Seijirou said flatly, grabbing Basuta’s wrist and twisting it, forcing him down. "Maybe your god should’ve given you a workout routine."

Basuta roared in fury, his face contorting as the mist around him exploded outward, forming semi-transparent claws that slashed across the walls.

He pounced forward with surprising speed, forcing Seijirou to backflip away.

But Seijirou’s counter came instantly.

He charged back in, driving his knee into Basuta’s chest, followed by a spinning elbow that cracked against his jaw.

Basuta’s massive body stumbled, crashing through a pillar, coughing blood.

Even then, Seijirou didn’t lower his guard. He tightened his stance, eyes locked on the vice principal struggling to rise.

Basuta’s breathing was ragged, his once-proud "divine" aura flickering like a dying flame.

"You... you can’t beat a god..." he growled weakly.

Seijirou tilted his head, stepping closer. "Then you’d better pray harder."

And with that, he lunged forward, fist first.

Basuta wheezed, sweat pouring down his face, his swollen body trembling from the beating.

His punches came slower, his movements clumsy, while Seijirou darted around him like a predator.

Every strike from Seijirou landed cleanly.

A jab snapped Basuta’s head to the side.

A low kick crushed his knee.

A spinning back elbow split his lip open.

The field echoed with the dull thuds of fists meeting flesh, as dust shook from the ground.

Basuta tried to defend, but his arms could barely stay raised, his breath came in wet, desperate gasps, and the dark mist that once surrounded him flickered weakly, fading with every hit.

"Still think you’re divine?" Seijirou taunted, ducking under a sluggish swing.

He drove a sharp knee into Basuta’s ribs, hearing a crack.

Basuta screamed, spitting blood, before Seijirou spun and slammed a final kick into his chest.

The impact sent the man flying backward like a wrecking ball, he crashed into a wall, the plaster shattering from the force, before crumpling to the ground.

His cat-like transformation vanished instantly, the fur retreating, the claws dulling into fat, shaking fingers.

As soon as he hit the floor, the students around them collapsed, their red eyes dimmed, the black mist evaporating into thin air.

It was as if invisible strings had been cut.

Rindou froze mid-punch, her chest heaving, then turned toward Seijirou, seeing Basuta lying motionless, she exhaled deeply.

"Finally..." she muttered.

Suzune smirked faintly, wiping the blood off her cheek. "That was one hell of a mess."

Rei nodded, eyes wide in awe. "He actually did it..."

They walked toward Seijirou, who was catching his breath, his knuckles bruised and red.

Despite the exhaustion, there was a faint smirk on his lips.

But before any of them could say a word, a deep, guttural sound came from behind.

Basuta’s body twitched, his fingers clawed against the floor as he slowly pushed himself up, blood dripping from his mouth, his eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging across his face.

"You... filthy... insects..." he spat. "You dare humiliate the priest of a god?! I’ll... I’ll show you what divine punishment looks like!"

He raised a trembling hand, dark mist beginning to swirl weakly in his palm, the floor beneath him cracked slightly as faint sigils began to appear.

Seijirou’s expression hardened.

Before Basuta could even speak a word of his incantation, Seijirou moved.

In an instant, he closed the distance and unleashed a brutal kick to the side of Basuta’s head.

The blow landed with a sharp crack as Basuta’s eyes rolled back, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

Silence filled the hallway again.

Seijirou exhaled slowly, lowering his leg.

"Yeah, no. Whatever it is you’re trying to do, I ain’t letting you do it." he muttered.

Rindou blinked, then broke into a tired grin. "Well, now that he’s down, we should have him arrested."

Suzune chuckled quietly. "Yeah, he’s a sick bastard."

Rei simply nodded, still stunned at the raw power she’d just witnessed.

The four of them stood among the debris and unconscious bodies, the air heavy with the stench of smoke and blood.

The battle was finally over.

...or is it?