Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 74: All out war

Chapter 74: All out war

"Alright," I muttered, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "That’s enough."

Julien glanced back, eyebrows raised. "Enough of what, Professor?"

"The jokes." My tone was sharp. "We’re done messing around."

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Felix, who had been about to throw another sarcastic comment, froze. Mira’s smirk faded, her posture straightening. Even Julien’s playful demeanor disappeared, his expression growing serious.

"Why?" Garrick asked, his tone low.

I stopped walking, turning to face them.

"Because we’ve got one item left," I said, my voice steady but firm. "And it’s not going to be easy."

"Silver Wolf Fur," Wallace murmured softly, his face pale.

"Exactly." I nodded. "And if we don’t get it... all of this was for nothing."

A heavy silence settled over the group.

"Professor," Mira said quietly. "Silver Wolves... they’re not exactly small prey."

"I know," I muttered. "Fast. Strong. Pack hunters."

"Great," Felix whispered, his face already turning pale. "So... suicide?"

"Not if we’re smart," I said, my eyes narrowing. "We move quietly. Stay together. No distractions."

"Distractions?" Julien muttered, his tone dry. "You mean like Felix screaming when a branch cracks?"

"Julien." My tone was sharp.

"Sorry," he muttered, but the grin was gone.

"Listen," I said, my gaze sweeping over all of them. "This is the last item. We finish this, and we’re done. But if we screw it up..."

I didn’t have to finish that sentence.

They all understood.

"Alright." Garrick’s jaw clenched. "Where do we start?"

I turned, scanning the dense forest ahead.

"Silver Wolves prefer higher ground," I murmured. "Near the ridges."

"Then we head north," Mira said, her tone serious.

I nodded. "Formation. Same as before."

They moved instantly, slipping back into position.

No jokes.

No laughter.

Just focus.

Good.

We pushed forward, the forest growing thicker. The air was colder here, the wind carrying the faint scent of pine and damp earth.

"Professor," Wallace murmured softly, his tone cautious. "Something’s... off."

I felt it too.

The mana in the air was different.

It was thicker.

"Stay sharp," I murmured, eyes narrowing.

"Movement," Julien whispered, his sword already in hand.

"Where?" I asked softly.

"Left. About fifty meters."

I didn’t see anything.

But I trusted him.

"Hold position," I murmured. "Don’t engage."

We waited.

Seconds passed.

Nothing.

"False alarm?" Felix whispered hopefully.

"Maybe," I muttered.

But I didn’t believe it.

We moved again, slower this time.

Each step felt heavier.

And then—

"Stop."

The word left my lips before I even realized it.

They froze instantly.

"Professor?" Mira’s voice was barely a whisper.

"Eyes up," I murmured.

And that’s when I saw them.

Figures.

Moving through the trees, barely visible in the fading light.

Too many.

"Professor..." Wallace’s voice was tight. "That’s not just one group."

"No," I murmured, my jaw clenched.

It wasn’t.

It was both.

Class A and Class B.

Two groups.

Moving as one.

"Shit," Julien muttered under his breath.

"Why are they together?" Garrick murmured, his voice low.

"Doesn’t matter," I said softly, my eyes narrowing. "They’re here for the same reason we are."

"The Silver Wolf Fur," Mira whispered, her tone grim.

I nodded.

"Damn it," Felix hissed. "We don’t have the numbers for this."

"We don’t need numbers," I murmured.

They all looked at me.

"We need strategy."

Julien’s lips quirked into a smirk. "So... what’s the plan, Professor?"

I exhaled slowly, my mind racing.

"Alright," I murmured. "Listen carefully."

"We can’t take them head-on," I said softly. "Too many of them. But if we’re smart... we don’t have to."

"Ambush?" Garrick asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Not quite," I murmured. "We need to divide them first. Separate the groups. Make them easier to deal with."

"And how do we do that?" Julien muttered.

"Simple," I murmured, a cold smile forming.

"We give them a reason to split up."

"Bait," Mira murmured, her eyes narrowing.

"Exactly." I nodded.

Julien’s grin widened. "I’m liking this plan already."

"Don’t get cocky," I muttered. "We’re still outnumbered. One mistake..."

"We won’t make one," Garrick rumbled.

"Good." I exhaled slowly.

"Everyone," I murmured, my tone sharpening.

"Get ready."

Because this wasn’t just a fight.

This was a war.

The forest was too quiet.

I could feel it.

That tension in the air.

Class A and B weren’t moving. They were waiting. Watching.

But I wasn’t focused on them anymore.

Not after I saw him.

"Lucian Drelmont!"

The voice echoed through the trees like a damn thunderclap.

I knew that voice.

"Ah, shit," I muttered, my grip tightening on my cane.

Branches snapped as someone stepped out from behind the combined ranks of Class A and B.

Tall. Broad. His uniform was still pristine despite everything that had happened, but his expression?

Pure rage.

Kellan.

His hair was gone—burnt down to an uneven mess. His usually polished appearance was wrecked, and his right leg was bandaged hastily. Even through the cloth, I could see the burn marks.

His eyes locked onto me, and I didn’t miss the bloodlust.

"Professor," Julien muttered, his grip tightening on his sword.

"Stay back," I murmured, my tone flat. "This isn’t your fight."

Kellan stepped forward, mana crackling around him. Wind surged, swirling at his feet as his magic flared to life.

"I knew it was you," he hissed, his voice laced with venom. "You think I wouldn’t remember?"

My lips twitched. "Hard to forget someone who shoved a Flame Lance through your thighs, huh?"

Kellan’s face twisted, his jaw clenched so tight I thought his teeth might crack.

"You burned my hair," he growled. "My hair!"

"Self-defense," I said casually, my tone deliberately nonchalant. "If I hadn’t done that, you would’ve killed me. And them."

I gestured to my students.

"They’re my responsibility. You were out for blood."

"You trapped me in that damn illusion!" he roared, his mana spiking. The wind around him sharpened, blades of compressed air forming around his body. "You burned me. You humiliated me."

"Again," I said, my voice flat. "Self-defense."

Kellan’s eyes narrowed, his face twisting with fury.

"Don’t give me that bullshit, Lucian." His tone was deadly calm now, which was worse. "I should’ve killed you when I had the chance."

"You tried," I murmured. "Didn’t work out so well."

That did it.

The wind surged.

"Enough!" Kellan roared, his mana exploding outward. The wind tore through the clearing, rustling the trees and kicking up debris.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was tight.

"Stay back," I said softly, my eyes locked on Kellan.

"Not this time."

Kellan’s hand rose, and I saw it—compressed wind, swirling violently around his palm.

Wind Lance.

Fast. Deadly.

I was already moving.

"Down!" I barked.

My students dropped, instincts kicking in immediately.

The lance of wind shot forward, a blur of compressed air that tore through the space where Julien’s head had been a second ago.

"Too slow," I muttered.

Kellan’s eyes narrowed. "You won’t dodge forever."

"I don’t need to," I murmured. "I just need to outlast you."

"Cocky as ever," he growled, mana swirling violently around him.

"Professor," Julien murmured, his tone tight. "Permission to—"

"No," I cut him off.

"This isn’t your fight."

"But—"

"That’s an order," I snapped, my tone sharp.

They fell silent.

Good.

"Lucian," Kellan hissed, his voice dripping with hatred. "I’ll make sure your class watches you die."

My jaw tightened.

"Over my dead body," I muttered, mana flaring around me.

"Funny," Kellan sneered, his wind growing sharper. "That’s exactly the plan."

He moved.

Fast.

I barely had time to register the shift before he was already in front of me, his palm thrusting forward.

Wind Burst.

I raised my cane just in time, mana surging through it as I blocked.

The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing.

But I held my ground.

"Nice try," I muttered, shoving him back with a burst of mana.

Kellan skidded to a stop, his eyes narrowing.

"Not bad," he murmured, his voice dangerously calm. "But you’re not getting out of this alive."

"Funny," I said, my tone dry. "I was just about to say the same thing."

His eyes flared with rage.

"Let’s see how long that attitude lasts."

The wind around him surged again.

Shit.

"Wallace," I murmured, barely turning my head. "You’re in charge."

"Wait, what?" Wallace blinked, his face paling.

"If this goes south," I muttered softly. "Get them out."

"Professor..." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Promise me."

Wallace’s jaw clenched. "I... I promise."

"Good."

I turned back to Kellan, my grip on my cane tightening.

"Alright," I murmured, mana building around me.

"Let’s finish this."

Kellan’s grin was all teeth.

"Gladly."

He moved first.

Wind surged around him, propelling him forward like a damn arrow.

But I was ready.

Flame Pulse.

Mana surged through my veins, and I slammed the cane into the ground. Fire erupted around me, a burst of heat and energy that clashed with the wind.

Kellan’s attack faltered for a split second.

That was all I needed.

Flame Lance.

My cane pointed forward, and the lance shot out, aimed directly at him.

But Kellan wasn’t that easy to hit.

He twisted mid-air, the wind propelling him sideways. The lance missed, slamming into a tree and setting it ablaze.

"Close," he muttered, landing gracefully. "But not close enough."

"Don’t worry," I murmured, mana surging around me. "I’ll fix that."

His eyes narrowed.

"Try it."

I didn’t need another invitation.

Flame Surge.

The ground beneath me heated instantly, mana flooding through the earth. Flames erupted in a wave, rushing toward Kellan.

He reacted instantly.

Wind Barrier.

The air around him compressed, forming a shield that pushed the flames back.

But I wasn’t done.

"Julien," I murmured softly.

"Now?" he whispered, barely audible.

"Now."

Julien didn’t hesitate.

"Disrupt!"

He surged forward, his sword glowing faintly with mana.

Kellan’s focus snapped toward him, but it was too late.

Julien’s blade slashed forward, a sharp arc of mana slicing through the air.

Kellan barely managed to dodge, but the disruption was enough.

His barrier flickered—

Got you.

"Flame Lance."

This time, I didn’t miss.

The lance of fire shot forward, striking true.

Kellan’s barrier shattered, and the flames connected.

"Gah!"

Kellan stumbled back, smoke rising from his shoulder.

"Not so fast now, are you?" I murmured, my voice cold.

But Kellan wasn’t done.

"Bastard!" he growled, his mana surging again.

"Professor!" Julien shouted, moving to cover me.

"No!" I barked. "Stay back!"

This was my fight.

Kellan’s eyes locked onto mine, and I saw it.

Desperation.

"I’ll kill you..." he whispered.

"Not today," I murmured, mana building around me one last time.

"Flame Burst."

Kellan moved—

But he was too late.

The explosion of fire erupted around him, engulfing the clearing in a wave of heat.

When the flames cleared—

Kellan was on his knees, his body smoking.

I stepped forward, my cane resting lightly against his throat.

"Yield," I murmured.

Kellan’s jaw clenched.

But he knew.

"Damn you..." he whispered.

I didn’t move.

"Yield," I repeated softly.

Seconds passed.

Then—

His head dipped.

"Fine," he growled.

"Smart choice."

I stepped back, exhaling slowly.

"Professor..." Julien murmured, his voice cautious.

"It’s over," I said softly.

But I wasn’t sure I believed that.

Because deep down—

I knew.

This war wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.