As Jun’s voice boomed, signaling the start of the match, a hush fell over the entire arena, each class holding its breath in its own distinct way. The air crackled with a palpable tension. Akari Minowa, a small, defiant figure against the overwhelming presence of Mai Shinonome, braced herself.

Mai blurred. No build-up. A fist drove into Akari’s midsection with the force of a wrecking ball. Akari’s knees buckled; her cry was swallowed by the cavernous silence that followed.

Class D erupted. "Oh no!" Nanase gasped, clutching Reiko's arm, her face pale. "She's down already!"

"Told you," a delinquent muttered, though his voice lacked its usual swagger, replaced by a hint of grim fascination. "She's finished."

Class C groaned. "Ugh, this is even more boring than I thought," Leoric drawled, rolling his eyes, though his gaze was still fixed on the two.. "Just get it over with, Shinonome."

His cronies offered weak nods, secretly disappointed by the swiftness of the attack.

Class B watched with a more critical, yet increasingly intrigued.

"A direct hit," Gota Shindou murmured, his brow furrowed in concentration. "She didn’t even waste time. That's pure power." He didn't know Mai, but he recognized the devastating efficiency.

Kaito, too, watched with an intensity Rem rarely saw. "That was brutal" he said. Rem, startled, glanced at him, but his focus was entirely on the fight.

But then, Akari, fueled by a desperate, animalistic instinct, snatched Mai's wrist, spinning, flipping her overhead. The mats trembled at the impact.

Class D erupted in a shocked, exhilarated roar. "WHOA!" The lanky boy shouted, jumping up, his glasses nearly flying off.

"SHE DID IT!" Reiko exclaimed, a genuine gasp of surprise. "A Seoi-nage! She knows judo! I didn't know she was a judoka!"

Even the delinquents leaned forward, a collective "No way!" escaping their lips, their cynicism momentarily forgotten. Rin, still recovering from his emotional turmoil, felt a jolt. Akari’s technique was rough, but the power behind it, the sheer will to fight back, was undeniable. A tiny spark of hope, sharp and painful, ignited within him, a fragile warmth against the cold dread.

Class C groaned in annoyance. "Ugh, she's actually trying," Leoric drawled, feigning boredom, though his eyes were now glued to the fight, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "How utterly tedious. Just end it already."

His cronies, however, were less composed. "She got Mai Shinonome!" one whispered, wide-eyed, clearly impressed despite himself.

"Beginner's luck," Leoric scoffed, though his voice lacked its usual conviction. When Akari threw Mai a second time, landing her on her feet, Leoric actually sat up straight, a hint of genuine annoyance, even a flicker of grudging respect, breaking through his disdain. 

Class B's attention was now fully captured, a somber quiet falling over their section.

"Two throws," Gota Shindou murmured, his brow furrowed in concentration, his analytical mind already dissecting Akari's movements. "Not clean, but powerful. She has good foundation. And incredible resilience." He didn't know Akari, but he recognized the raw talent, the strategic potential in her desperate attacks.

Kaito, too, watched with an intensity Rem rarely saw, leaning forward slightly. "She's tenacious," he observed, almost to himself. "More so than I expected. She's fighting with pure instinct."

Rem, surprised by his engagement, found herself leaning forward as well, her earlier frustration forgotten, replaced by a growing awe. "But Mai Shinonome… she's not even breaking a sweat. It's like she's just… toying with her."

Mai rushed, a blur of motion. Her spinning elbow slammed into Akari’s temple like a wrecking ball. Pain exploded behind Akari’s eye, and she was ripped off her feet—flung backward across the mat in a brutal arc. The impact jarred her spine.

Class D gasped, a collective groan of despair. "AKARI!" Nanase cried, tears welling in her eyes, her hand flying to her mouth. "No, no, no!"

Rin flinched, the sound of the impact echoing in his own memory of failure, the sharp, sickening crack of bone on hard ground. He saw Akari struggle, clawing her way back to her feet, and a profound, agonizing empathy washed over him. He knew that pain, that humiliation, that desperate fight for dignity against overwhelming odds. He wanted to scream at her to stop, to save herself, but the words caught in his throat. Daiki, beside him, reached out a hand, a silent offer of support.

Class C's fleeting excitement turned to fleeting satisfaction. "There we go," Leoric sneered, a smirk returning to his face. "Finally. The inevitable." But even he watched intently as Akari refused to stay down, pushing herself up with a desperate, trembling strength. "She's still standing? Stubborn fool. Just stay down!" His irritation was evident; this D-class was refusing to perform the swift, dignified defeat he craved.

Class B's attention was now fully captured, a somber quiet falling over their section.

"She won't yield," Gota breathed, a grudging admiration in his voice. "Even after that hit. She's got heart. A true fighter's spirit, even if the technique is… unrefined."

Kaito's eyes, usually so detached, narrowed. "Remarkable," he said, the word a soft exhalation of surprise. "She's pushing her limits. Beyond them." He watched Akari rise, trembling, but defiant. "This isn't about skill anymore. It's about… will."

Rem watched Akari, a knot forming in her stomach. She’d expected a quick, clinical defeat, but this… this was something raw and brutal, a testament to an unbreakable spirit. Akari was fighting for something more than just the match.

Mai then delivered another brutal strike, sending Akari sprawling, the final, decisive blow. Jun’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and decisive. “Stop. That’s enough.”

A heavy silence descended upon the arena, absolute and crushing. Akari slumped, defeated, whispering, “So… this is the difference.” The words hung in the air, a desolate truth.

---

Class D slumped in their seats, a palpable wave of sadness and sorrow. Nanase openly wept, burying her face in Reiko’s shoulder. Reiko squeezed her hand, her own eyes glistening, a shared understanding of the pain of Akari’s defeat. The delinquents, surprisingly, were quiet, some even looking away, as if the raw defeat was too much to bear, a mirror to their own vulnerabilities. Rin closed his eyes, the image of Akari’s broken body superimposed on his own past. The taste of failure, filled his mouth, a familiar, suffocating shroud. Daiki remained beside him, steady as ever. But yet he couldn't control himself, he was disgusted at how the fight was so one-sided.

Class C offered a smattering of indifferent applause, a few bored claps. "Finally," Leoric grumbled, checking his watch. "Now perhaps we can find something truly entertaining." Yet, even he couldn't quite shake the image of Akari's stubborn refusal to quit. A grudging, almost imperceptible frown touched his lips, a fleeting acknowledgment of a spirit he couldn't quite dismiss.

Class B was somber, the usual chatter replaced by a thoughtful quiet. Gota Shindou let out a slow, heavy breath. "She fought with everything," he said, his voice quiet, almost reverent. "But power… it finds a way. Sometimes, will isn't enough against sheer force."

Kaito's gaze remained fixed on Akari, even after she lay still, his expression unreadable. "The difference isn't just power, Gota," he said, his voice surprisingly thoughtful, a depth Rem had rarely heard. "It's the willingness to use it without reservation. Mai Shinonome is a force of nature. Akari Minowa is… a force of will. Sometimes, one isn't enough. But sometimes," he paused, his eyes meeting Rem's, "sometimes, the will itself is the victory." He turned to Rem, a rare depth in his eyes. "Seiryuu…truly breaks you, doesn't it?"

Rem, still processing the brutal display, just nodded slowly, unable to form words. The match was over, but the echo of Akari's struggle, and the stark reality of the academy's hierarchy, lingered in the silent, underground arena, a profound lesson etched into the very air.

----

The silence in the Founder's private viewing room was profound, a stark contrast to the distant, muffled echoes of the arena below. Here, no fluorescent hum intruded, only the soft, ambient glow from a massive, panoramic screen that displayed a live feed of the now-still combatants. The Founder, an imposing silhouette, stood with his back to the room, his gaze fixed on Akari Minowa's defeated form. The air around him seemed to hum with an almost imperceptible energy, a sense of immense, quiet power.

His secretary, a woman whose composure rivaled the Founder's own, stood a respectful distance to his left, a tablet clutched in her hands. She waited, perfectly still, until the subtle shift in his posture indicated he was ready.

"The match concluded as anticipated, Founder," her voice was smooth, devoid of inflection. "Mai Shinonome remains undefeated in first-year combat. Her performance was… decisive. Zero wasted movements. Clinical efficiency. And her opponent, Akari Minowa, displayed remarkable resilience, though ultimately insufficient."

The Founder remained motionless for a long moment, the quiet hum of the room the only sound. Then, a low, pleased chuckle, a sound rarely heard, resonated through the space.

"Resilience, you say?" His voice was a deep, resonant rumble, ancient yet vibrant. "Yes. I saw it. A tenacious spirit. Good." He paused, a subtle shift of his shoulders. "And Mai. What of her?"

"Mai Shinonome's data confirms her continued growth," the secretary reported, her eyes scanning the tablet's glowing display. "Her genetic markers indicate a predisposition for extraordinary physical prowess. Her neural pathways show an almost unparalleled capacity for rapid combat adaptation. Her current trajectory places her at the pinnacle of first-year talent, with projections suggesting she will reach the highest echelons of our academy's combat arts within her tenure. She demonstrates a… singular focus. Unburdened by extraneous emotion."

A faint, knowing smile played on the Founder's lips, a subtle curve in the austere line of his profile. He remained facing the screen, the image of Akari's crumpled form still visible, a testament to Mai's overwhelming power.

"Unburdened," the Founder repeated, the word a soft echo in the quiet room. He took a slow, deliberate breath, the very air seeming to bend to his will. "Yes. Exactly as it should be. The pieces are moving. And the board… is set."

He watched the static image for another long moment, a profound satisfaction emanating from him. The secretary simply waited, an unblinking sentinel to his thoughts. The silent hum of the room continued, a subtle vibration of destiny unfolding.