The goblin stepped inside.
Slow.
Careful.
Like a predator entering new territory.
No one moved.
The classroom—once loud and chaotic—fell into a suffocating silence.
The creature's eyes moved from one student to another.
Studying.
Choosing.
Then—
It tilted its head.
And smiled wider.
"W-What is that thing…?" someone whispered.
The goblin didn't answer.
It lunged.
A blur of green and steel.
The nearest student didn't even react in time.
A blade flashed.
Blood sprayed across the floor.
Screams erupted.
"RUN!!"
Panic exploded again.
Students rushed toward the back, some slipping, others pushing past each other.
Desks toppled. Chairs crashed.
Chaos returned.
But in the middle of it—
Kai didn't move.
His eyes followed the goblin.
Every step.
Every motion.
Fast.
But not unpredictable.
"…Reyn," he said quietly.
"I KNOW!" Reynard snapped, grabbing a chair and pulling it up defensively. "We're fighting, right?!"
Kai stepped forward.
The goblin turned toward him.
Its grin sharpened.
It rushed.
Fast.
Too fast for a normal person.
But Kai moved first.
A slight shift.
A step to the side.
The blade missed him by inches.
Kai's hand shot out—
Grabbing the goblin's wrist mid-strike.
The creature's eyes widened.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
Kai twisted.
Hard.
A crack echoed.
The goblin shrieked as its arm bent unnaturally.
Without hesitation—
Kai drove his knee into its chest.
The impact sent it stumbling back.
Reynard didn't waste the opening.
"MOVE!"
He charged forward, chair raised—
And slammed it straight into the goblin's head.
CRACK!
The wood splintered on impact.
The goblin dropped to one knee.
But it wasn't dead.
It snarled—
And swung wildly.
Reynard barely dodged, the blade grazing his sleeve.
"…Okay, that's not good!" he muttered.
Kai stepped in again.
Closer.
Faster.
His eyes were different now.
Sharper.
Colder.
He grabbed a broken piece of wood from the shattered chair.
Not ideal.
But enough.
The goblin lunged again—
Kai moved into it.
Not away.
Forward.
The distance vanished instantly.
Before the goblin could react—
Kai drove the sharpened wood straight into its throat.
A wet sound followed.
The creature froze.
Its body trembled.
Then—
Collapsed.
Silence.
Heavy.
Thick.
Unreal.
Reynard stared.
"…Bro…"
Kai pulled the wood free slowly.
Blood dripped onto the floor.
"…It's not that strong," he said quietly.
Reynard blinked.
"…You just stabbed it like you've done that before."
Kai didn't answer.
Because something felt…
Off.
Not the situation.
Himself.
His breathing was steady.
Too steady.
His hands didn't shake.
And the way he moved—
Felt natural.
Too natural.
"…Kai?" Reynard called.
Kai snapped out of it slightly.
"…We're not done."
As if on cue—
More footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Multiple.
Not one.
Not two.
A group.
The doorway darkened again.
Another goblin appeared.
Then another.
Then—
Five.
Their eyes locked onto the room.
Onto the bodies.
Onto them.
One of them let out a sharp, guttural sound.
A signal.
They rushed in together.
Reynard exhaled sharply.
"…Yeah. Definitely not done."
Kai shifted his stance.
Low.
Controlled.
No fear.
Only focus.
"…Stay close," he said.
Reynard smirked despite everything.
"Like always."
The goblins charged.
And this time—
There was no hesitation.
The real fight had begun.