The deadly dance between Theo and Jonghak continued, each movement more destructive than the last.
The classroom floor was covered in cracks, destroyed desks, and fragments of concrete. The few cadets who hadn't yet fled were pressed against the walls, their eyes wide with a mixture of terror and fascination.
Jonghak, consumed by a berserker fury, attacked with total abandon, each blow carrying enough force to kill an average cadet. His body, now visibly covered by the pulsating red energy, looked more like a beast than a man.
Prominent veins marked his skin like dark rivers, swollen muscles threatened to rip his already tattered uniform, and his eyes were pits of crimson madness.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"
His roar was primitive, the words almost incomprehensible under the distortion of rage. Each attack was wilder than the last, each movement more desperate.
Theo, in contrast, remained unperturbed.
He moved with an economy of motion that bordered on the supernatural, as if he could predict each of Jonghak's lunges seconds before they happened.
There was no waste, no visible effort, only a clinical precision that made Jonghak's fury seem even more pathetic by comparison.
"You look like a child throwing a tantrum."
Theo observed calmly, dodging a punch that passed millimeters from his face.
"But I understand... You must have grown up without anyone ever telling you no."
He counterattacked with a precise blow to Jonghak's solar plexus, strong enough to knock the air from his opponent's lungs, but not to cause permanent damage.
"You're pathetic, Jonghak. But it's amazing that someone as pathetic as you is still capable of making me feel angry."
Jonghak staggered backward, his face twisted into a mask of hatred and pain. The red aura around him intensified even further, like flames fed by fresh fuel.
With an inhuman scream, he focused all his energy into a single attack, a descending blow with both fists that cracked the floor beneath his feet before it was even launched.
The impact, if it connected, could easily crush bones and organs. The pressure of the displaced air was so intense that windows cracked and notebooks flew like confetti in a gale.
But Theo simply wasn't there anymore.
In a movement so fluid it seemed to defy the laws of physics, he slid to the side, letting Jonghak's fists hit only empty air. The momentum of the blow caused Jonghak to momentarily lose his balance, creating a microscopic opening in his defense.
It was all Theo needed.
It was time to end this game.
Theo's voice was calm as his fist met Jonghak's chin in a perfectly executed uppercut.
It wasn't a brutal or excessive blow, it had exactly the force needed to temporarily shut down Jonghak's central nervous system.
The sound of the impact was surprisingly soft, almost anticlimactic after the preceding violence. A dry crack, followed by absolute silence.
The red aura around Jonghak flickered like a flame in the wind before extinguishing completely. His eyes, still bloodshot, lost focus, rolling upwards as his body collapsed a few meters away like a puppet with its strings cut.
Theo stepped back smoothly, watching Jonghak fall unconscious onto the destroyed classroom floor. There was no triumph in his gaze, only a clinical assessment of the outcome.
"FREEZE! EVERYONE FREEZE RIGHT NOW!"
The thunderous voice cut through the air like a whip, reverberating off the room's walls. In the entrance, framed by the wide-open door, stood Instructor Park Jin-ho, his face a mask of controlled fury. Behind him, several other instructors and Cube security personnel crowded, drawn by the chaos.
Instructor Park was an imposing figure even on normal days, almost two meters tall, shoulders as broad as a garage door, and a presence that made even the most arrogant cadets think twice before challenging him.
Today, with fury radiating from him in almost palpable waves, he seemed even larger.
His eyes swept the room, taking in the destruction in an instant: the cracked floor, the destroyed desks, the damaged walls, the terrified cadets pressed against the walls, Jonghak unconscious in the center of the room, and Theo, standing, seemingly untouched by the chaos around him.
The instructor's voice was pure ice.
"Explain yourself. Now."
Before Theo could answer, the hallway behind the instructor stirred with the arrival of more people. Yoo Yeonha pushed her way through the onlookers, her usually composed face now marked by genuine concern.
Right behind her came Kim Hajin and Kim Suho, followed closely by Rachel Elisabeth Louise, all with expressions ranging from shock to worry.
Lastly, Hazuki appeared, her eyes quickly finding Theo amidst the chaos.
Yeonha was the first to speak, her voice betraying a concern she rarely showed in public.
"What happened? Are you and Nayun okay?"
Instructor Park raised a hand, silencing her with an abrupt gesture.
"All of you, out of the hallway. Get inside and close the door. This isn't a spectacle."
The newcomers quickly obeyed, entering the room and closing the door behind them.
Their gazes shifted between Theo, Nayun (who had moved closer again after the confrontation ended), and the fallen figure of Jonghak.
The instructor continued, his tone tolerating no lies.
"I want to know exactly what happened here. Sagan, you have ten seconds."
Theo met the instructor's gaze without hesitation. There was no defiance in his posture, only an unshakeable calm.
"Jonghak tried to assault my girlfriend."
Theo began to speak, calmly explaining how it all started.
"I intervened to protect her. He then tried to attack me, and I defended myself."
The instructor narrowed his eyes, and then asked Nayun.
"Chae Nayun, is that true?"
Nayun took a step forward, her face serious.
"Yes, instructor. My back was to him when Theo pulled me away. Jonghak was about to hit me with a punch."
"And the rest of you?"
The instructor addressed the other cadets present.
"Did anyone see how this started?"
A short-haired girl with a dirt-covered uniform raised her hand hesitantly.
"I did, Instructor Park. Shin Jonghak was yelling at Nayun, saying strange things. When she turned her back on him, he raised his fist to attack her. That's when Theo showed up."
Other cadets nodded in confirmation, murmuring their agreement.
The instructor absorbed the information, his face an impenetrable mask. Finally, he turned to the newcomers.
"You five, were you here when it started?"
Yeonha stepped forward, her usual composure quickly returning.
"No... Most of us were on our way to class, to attend classes as usual, but on the way, when we heard a noise coming from here, we ran to see what had happened... And, as you can see, we just arrived too."
The instructor nodded briefly before turning his attention back to the unconscious figure on the floor.
"Someone call the infirmary. I want Shin Jonghak examined and then taken directly to the disciplinary office."
Two security personnel immediately left to carry out the order.
"As for the rest of you,"
The instructor continued, addressing everyone present.
"This room is off-limits until further notice."
He paused, his eyes meeting Theo's again.
"Cadet Theo Sagan and Chae Nayun, you two are coming with me."
As the cadets began to move toward the exit, Yeonha approached Theo, her voice low enough for only him and Nayun to hear.
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you for your concern."
Yeonha moved away, and Hazuki approached from the other side, her expression a mixture of worry and relief.
"Are you really okay?"
She asked, her eyes scanning Theo for any sign of injury.
Theo replied, his voice calm.
"Don't worry, something can't hurt me."
Kim Hajin and Kim Suho exchanged meaningful glances before Suho spoke.
"I guess everything is settled, right?"
Hajin shrugged at Suho's question.
"Sagan and Chae Nayun!"
The instructor's voice cut through the conversation.
With a final look at their friends, Theo and Nayun followed the instructor out of the devastated room, leaving behind the whispers and speculation that were already beginning to spread.