The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character

The ground cracked beneath my feet as I accelerated forward, air whipping past my ears like I'd broken through sound itself. My first target was a man wielding a warhammer nearly the size of his body.

He raised it with both hands, shouting something.

I didn't care what.

By the time his weapon started to fall, I was already inside his guard. I drove my palm into his chest. Not a punch. Just a palm.

Crack!

He flew back like he'd been hit by a truck, crashing into two of his comrades and taking them down with him.

Someone screamed. Another enemy came at me, twin daggers flickering with poison.

She was fast. Agile. Slippery.

But now?

Too slow.

I sidestepped, caught her wrist mid-swing, and twisted.

"Ahhh!"

She let out a short, sharp gasp—then a crunch as I flipped her over and slammed her into the dirt.

Two more rushed in.

Spears. Synchronized. No wasted movement.

I leapt into the air, their tips missing me by inches.

Mid-flight, I kicked one down, landing on the other with a spinning heel to his jaw. He crumpled.

Four down. In under five seconds.

Behind me, Violet's whip cracked like lightning. She stared at me with wide eyes.

"…What the hell did you eat?" she muttered.

"Something useful," I said, not looking back.

A fireball exploded to my right—Mira's spell connected, sending an enemy tumbling with half his armor melted.

Ama followed up, slamming her staff into the ground, healing light spreading toward me.

I didn't need it.

Not yet.

I dashed forward again.

There were more of them, pouring in like a wave. Ten, maybe twelve left. Still coordinated. Still dangerous.

But they weren't fighting the same version of me anymore.

This wasn't the tired, hesitant Rin from before.

This was the Rin Evans who had finally stopped holding back.

The next one came with a flurry of kicks—blindingly fast. I could see his technique was clean. Disciplined. He'd trained for this.

Didn't matter.

I caught his ankle mid-kick, lifted him, and threw him into his teammate like a ragdoll.

The air vibrated as I turned—

And I saw Ama, of all people, staring at me, mouth open.

"Buff me," I said.

"Huh?!"

"Now!"

She stammered, raised his her, and sent a shaky support spell my way.

The glow settled into my back—barely a layer, but it helped.

I surged forward again.

More screaming.

Another enemy tried to flank Mira. I was there before he even got close.

He didn't even see my punch. His lights went out before his brain registered I'd moved.

Step. Hit. Move. Breathe.

Enhancement wasn't just a Talent.

With this much power flowing through me—it felt like breathing. Like I was built for this.

And it wasn't just about strength. I could see. Feel. React.

Every heartbeat in this battlefield was mine to read.

They were breaking now. I could see it in their eyes.

The ones who had mocked me seconds ago…

They were backing away.

No strategy. No formation.

Just fear.

A hush fell over the battlefield—not complete silence, but enough to notice.

The remaining enemies didn't rush in this time. They hesitated. Something in the air shifted.

And then—

Step. Step. Step.

Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed across the broken stone.

A tall figure walked through the parting crowd of villains, dragging a massive sword that sparked against the ground with every step.

He was built like a fortress, wrapped in a blood-red cloak. Black tattoos curled around his neck and arms, glowing faintly with unnatural light. His eyes locked onto me—not with arrogance, not with fear.

Just focus.

Like a predator that had finally found something worth killing.

"…You're not part of the plan," he said, his voice deep, calm, almost curious. "But you've killed seven of our team."

"nine," I replied, wiping blood from my cheek. "You're slow at counting."

He stopped. His expression didn't change.

Then he smiled.

"Good."

Boom!

He vanished from sight.

I barely had time to react. I crossed my arms—

And caught a kick that sent me flying back like a cannonball.

Crash!

I slammed through a wall, bricks exploding around me. Dust choked the air as I coughed, pain spiking through my ribs.

What the hell was that?

My heart pounded, my vision shaking as I pulled myself from the rubble.

That kick—

That strength—

He was faster than the others. Way stronger.

Not quite on Leo's level, but close.

I raised my head—

He was already there, walking through the hole in the wall I'd made, his sword resting on his shoulder.

"You're tough," he said. "Most people break after the first hit."

"I'm not most people," I growled, summoning Enhancement again.

Glow.

My body lit up—three-layered enhancement stacking to the limit.

My bones screamed. My muscles tightened.

But this time, I didn't care.

He came at me with a downward slash that would split a car in half.

I sidestepped, the blade missing by inches and slamming into the ground with a shockwave.

I countered with a low sweep—

He jumped.

I followed, twisting mid-air, elbowing him in the side of the face.

He spun with the impact—landed perfectly—and grinned.

"You're fast," he said, licking blood from his lip. "But not enough."

Clang! Clang!

We traded blows—enhanced speed against monstrous strength.

Each of his strikes felt like a landslide.

Each of mine was razor precision.

I punched, he blocked with his forearm. He swung, I parried with both arms.

He headbutted me.

I countered with a knee to his gut.

He staggered—

I went in.

One. Two. Three punches to the ribs.

A spinning heel to the jaw.

A rising elbow to his throat.

He roared and grabbed my arm, slamming me into the ground.

But I twisted, kicked off his chest, and flipped up.

We both paused—panting, bleeding, staring.

Around us, the battlefield had gone completely still.

Violet was frozen mid-whip. Mira's spell was flickering in her hand.

Even the enemies didn't dare move.

Because now it wasn't just a fight.

It was a duel.

"You're not bad," he muttered. "Name?"

"Rin Evans."

He smirked. "Remember mine. I'm Asher.

And I kill monsters like you."

I tightened my stance.

"Then try."

Asher lunged first.

He came in like a battering ram, blade raised, blood pumping. His killing intent exploded—

But I was faster.

Much faster.

I slipped under his swing, enhancement burning through my veins like fire.

Crack!

My fist smashed into his ribs—

Not once.

Not twice.

Three times.

Each strike layered with pure enhancement, each blow digging deeper.

He grunted, backing off, but I didn't let up.

I closed in—

Elbow to the side of his head.

Knee to the gut.

Palm to the chin—upward, brutal, fast.

He staggered—

Eyes wide.

I could see it.

The disbelief.

He realized it.

I was stronger than him now.

"Damn you—!"

He tried to swing again.

But it was already too late.

"[Triple Enhancement: Focus – Speed – Force]."

I muttered, voice low, eyes glowing gold.

The world slowed to a crawl.

My body blurred.

I slipped behind him, planted my feet, and unleashed the final blow.

"HAH!!"

My enhanced punch struck him square in the back, right between the shoulders.

Boom!

His body lifted off the ground—

Blasted forward—

Crashing into a broken wall and falling limp beneath the rubble.

Silence.

He didn't get up.

I stood there, panting, fists still clenched, heart pounding like a war drum.

The glow around me flickered… and began to fade.

My knees buckled slightly.

"…Damn it," I muttered, smiling despite myself.

That took everything.

But he was down.

And I was still standing.

"Rin!"

Violet's voice snapped me back. She ran up to me, wide-eyed. Mira followed close behind.

"You… you just beat that guy."

"Yeah," I said, breath ragged. "But…"

I looked down at my trembling hands.

Felt the strain in my muscles.

The burn in my lungs.

"…Can't use that again anytime soon."

The rest of the enemies looked shaken. Some even backed away.

They'd seen what happened.

And they were starting to realize—

We weren't the easy prey anymore.

----

Carl Thompson was starting to panic.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

They were just kids—and yet they were winning.

His plan had been airtight. Hit them hard, fast, and with overwhelming numbers. Crush morale early. Break them down and scatter them. It was supposed to be a show of force.

But now?

Now that kid called Rin Evans had destroyed Asher.

Asher.

The strongest member of Carl's vanguard squad. The enforcer. The one even the other mercs avoided on a bad day. That guy had been bodied in under a minute.

Carl's lips were dry. His fingers twitched against the control stone embedded in his gauntlet. His elites—the ones left—were waiting for orders. He could feel their eyes on him.

But he had no command to give.

Because what the hell do you tell people when the monster you hired is the one getting buried under rubble?

"This is bad," he muttered, eyes scanning the field. "This is really bad."

His communicator crackled. A voice on the other end—nervous, panicked.

"Sir! Half our members are down—some are retreating!"

"Hold your ground!" Carl barked. "We're not pulling back!"

"But sir—Asher's down and that kid is—he's not human! What the hell did you throw us into?!"

Carl crushed the transmitter in his fist.

He didn't need backtalk. Not now.

He took a breath, glanced toward Rin again—now surrounded by allies. Even from this distance, Carl could feel it.

That shift in momentum.

The entire battlefield was tilting.

And Rin was the center of gravity.