Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 80: Winning is everything

Chapter 80: Winning is everything

"Alright, future corpses," I said, pacing slowly in front of them, cane tapping against the cold stone floor. "Lesson time isn’t over. Now that we’ve covered what not to do..."

I paused, my cyan eyes narrowing.

"Let’s talk about how to win."

Julien groaned, rubbing his face. "Professor, I thought you said we could rest..."

"I did," I said cheerfully. "And you did. For exactly twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Felix muttered, slumping against the wall. "That wasn’t rest. That was a damn nap."

"Be grateful you got that." I gave him a pointed look. "You think Kellan’s giving his class nap breaks right now?"

That shut him up.

"Now," I continued, ignoring their exhausted glares. "Let’s talk about the battlefield."

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Control the battlefield? Like you said before?"

"Part of it," I said with a nod. "But there’s more to it than that."

I knelt down, dragging the tip of my cane through the dirt, sketching out a rough diagram.

"What’s the battlefield?" I asked, looking up.

"The terrain?" Julien guessed.

"Wrong." I pointed at him. "Try again."

"The... environment?" Mira tried.

"Closer." I smirked. "But still wrong."

They all looked at me, confused.

"The battlefield," I said slowly, standing up, "is everything."

Silence.

"Everything around you," I clarified. "The ground. The trees. The rocks. Even the damn weather." I tapped my cane against the wall. "And if you’re smart, you’ll use all of it."

"Use it... how?" Wallace asked, his brow furrowing.

I smiled.

"As a weapon."

Blank stares.

"A weapon?" Leo echoed, hesitant.

"Exactly." I nodded, pointing to the cave’s entrance. "You see that overhang outside?"

They glanced toward the entrance.

"If someone chased us in here," I said, my voice calm, "what’s stopping us from collapsing that and burying them alive?"

Their eyes widened.

"Wait..." Julien blinked. "You mean..."

"Yes." I gave him a deadpan look. "I mean exactly that."

"But..." Felix looked uneasy. "That’s..."

"Unfair?" I arched an eyebrow. "Dirty? Dishonorable?"

He nodded hesitantly.

"Good." I smiled coldly. "That means it works."

Mira frowned. "But... that’s against the code of combat."

"The code." I let out a harsh laugh. "Let me ask you something, Trickster." I met her gaze, my expression hardening.

"If Kellan was about to kill one of you... would the ’code’ stop him?"

Mira’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"Would he hesitate?" I stepped closer, my tone deadly quiet.

She didn’t answer.

"No," I said softly, my voice like steel. "He wouldn’t."

Silence filled the cave.

"Let me make something clear." I swept my gaze across them.

"The moment you step onto the battlefield..." My voice was cold, cutting through the air like a knife.

"There is no code."

Felix shifted uncomfortably.

"There’s only one rule." I tapped my cane against the ground.

Thud.

"Survive."

I let the word hang in the air.

"If you’re not willing to use everything at your disposal..." I looked at them one by one.

"Then you’re already dead."

Leo swallowed, his jaw clenched.

"But..." Wallace spoke up hesitantly. "Doesn’t that make us..."

"Monsters?" I finished for him, my expression hard.

He looked away.

"No." I shook my head. "It makes you alive."

Silence again.

"I know what you’re thinking," I said, softer now. "That fighting dirty makes you no better than them."

They didn’t respond, but I could see it in their eyes.

"But let me ask you this..." I took a step closer.

"Would you rather die with your honor intact?" I met their gazes, my tone low and sharp.

"Or live to fight another day?"

The silence was deafening.

"Because I guarantee you..." My voice was like ice.

"Your enemies won’t hesitate."

Julien’s jaw clenched. Mira’s eyes narrowed. Leo’s gaze hardened.

Good.

"So..." I paced again, voice calm but firm.

"You use what’s around you." I pointed at the walls of the cave. "Loose rocks? Traps. Uneven ground? An advantage."

I turned to them, eyes sharp.

"A battlefield isn’t just a space where you fight." I tapped my temple.

"It’s a weapon."

Mira’s eyes narrowed slightly. "And what about using... anything as a weapon?"

I smirked. "Ah... good question."

I grabbed a small rock from the ground, tossing it lightly in my hand.

"This?" I tossed it up. "Looks harmless, right?"

They watched as I caught it.

"But throw it at someone’s face?" I mimed a throw. "It’s a distraction. A second to catch them off guard. A second that can save your life."

I knelt down, brushing my hand over the dirt.

"Loose dirt?" I grabbed a handful and let it fall. "Thrown into someone’s eyes? They’re blind."

I stood up, brushing my hands off.

"Everything is a weapon." My voice was calm but unwavering. "If you’re smart enough to use it."

Felix frowned. "But... isn’t that... cheating?"

"Cheating?" I laughed softly.

"Felix," I said quietly, stepping closer, "would you rather be dead and honorable..."

My cyan eyes locked onto his.

"Or alive and called a cheater?"

Felix swallowed hard.

"Because if you’re worried about playing fair..." I let the silence stretch for a moment.

"You’re not ready for war."

The weight of my words settled over them.

"But if you learn to adapt?" I continued, my voice softer now. "If you learn to use everything to your advantage?"

I glanced around.

"You won’t just survive." I smirked.

"You’ll win."

The tension in the air was thick.

"Understood?"

Julien’s expression was grim, but he nodded.

Mira’s eyes were sharper now, calculating.

Leo’s jaw was tight, but his gaze was steady.

Wallace...

He was thinking. Good.

"Understood." Julien’s voice was the first to break the silence.

"Good." I nodded. "Because next time?"

My cyan eyes hardened.

"We’re not running."

"Now that we’ve covered survival..." I said, twirling my cane lazily as I paced in front of them. "Let’s move on to something even more important."

They watched me with tired eyes, but I wasn’t feeling generous.

"Dueling."

Julien perked up, eyebrows rising. "Like official duels?"

"Yes." I nodded. "One-on-one, formal rules, honor, respect, blah blah blah..." I waved my hand dismissively. "But don’t get too excited."

"Why not?" Mira asked, leaning against the wall.

I stopped pacing and gave them a look.

"Because a duel... is not a fight."

Silence.

"Huh?" Felix blinked.

"What’s the difference?" Leo frowned.

I sighed.

"A duel," I said, tapping my cane against the ground, "is a performance."

"Performance?" Wallace tilted his head.

"Yes." I turned to face them fully. "In a duel, you’re not just trying to win. You’re trying to prove something. Skill. Honor. Discipline." I scoffed. "It’s all about showmanship."

"And a fight?" Julien asked, crossing his arms.

I smiled coldly.

"A fight... is survival."

Their expressions hardened.

"In a duel, there are rules," I continued, voice calm but sharp. "Boundaries. Etiquette. You’re expected to follow them."

I stepped closer, my eyes narrowing.

"But in a real fight?"

Silence.

"There are no rules."

Julien’s jaw clenched. Mira’s eyes narrowed.

"A duel," I went on, "gives you a chance to showcase your skill. But a fight?" I tapped my temple. "It’s all about survival. And survival means..."

"Doing whatever it takes to win," Mira murmured, her voice quiet but steady.

"Exactly." I nodded approvingly.

Felix shifted uncomfortably. "But... doesn’t that make it..."

"Dirty?" I finished for him, smirking. "We’ve been over this."

He looked away, not meeting my eyes.

"Professor..." Wallace spoke up, cautious. "But if it’s a duel... aren’t we supposed to fight fair?"

I stared at him for a long moment.

Then I laughed.

"Fight fair?" I echoed, amusement dripping from my tone. "Wallace..."

I shook my head, a wicked grin tugging at my lips.

"What part of ’don’t die’ didn’t you understand?"

"But if it’s a duel—"

"If you’re losing a duel," I cut him off, my tone dead serious, "and you have the chance to end it—"

I leaned in slightly, eyes locked on his.

"You take it."

Silence.

"But... that’s against the rules," Felix muttered.

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"And what happens if you lose, Felix?" I asked softly.

He blinked, caught off guard.

"You die."

My words hung in the air like a death sentence.

"You’re not at the academy anymore when you step onto a real battlefield," I said, voice low. "Out there? There’s no referee. No one’s going to stop the fight because you played fair."

I looked at each of them in turn.

"You think your enemies care about the rules?"

Silence.

"No," I said quietly. "They care about one thing."

My eyes darkened.

"Winning."

Mira’s gaze sharpened, her expression thoughtful. Julien’s jaw tightened. Even Wallace’s usual hesitation was fading.

"So let me make something very clear," I murmured, my tone cold and sharp.

"If you ever find yourself in a duel... and you’re at a disadvantage..."

I smirked, the corner of my mouth tugging upward.

"Cheat."

Felix’s eyes widened.

"What?" Julien blinked.

"You heard me." I shrugged, leaning against my cane.

"But... that’s—" Felix began, but I cut him off with a look.

"What’s worse?" I asked softly.

"Breaking the rules?" My cyan eyes narrowed.

"Or dying because you followed them?"

Silence.

"I know what I’d choose," I said, voice calm but deadly.

They didn’t respond.

"But..." Leo finally spoke, his voice hesitant. "Won’t that get us disqualified in a real duel?"

I laughed.

"Leo..." I tilted my head, looking at him like he’d just asked if the sky was blue.

"If you’re losing so badly that you need to cheat to survive..." I smiled coldly.

"Do you really care about being disqualified?"

He blinked.

"Because if you’re dead..." I shrugged. "You won’t be around to worry about it."

They all looked... uneasy.

Good.

"But..." Wallace spoke again, hesitant. "What about honor?"

I sighed.

"Honor is a luxury," I said, voice flat.

"And it’s a luxury you can’t afford when your life’s on the line."

I straightened, my tone hardening.

"So remember this."

They all looked at me, eyes wide.

"In a fight..." I said softly, voice deadly calm.

"You do whatever it takes to win."

I let the words sink in before smirking again.

"Of course," I added, my tone suddenly light and mocking, "if any of you prefer to die with your ’honor’ intact..."

I gave Felix a pointed look.

"Feel free."

"I’ll make sure to put ’died with honor’ on your gravestone."

Felix’s face turned red, and Mira snickered.

"Or maybe..." I tapped my chin, pretending to think.

"’Here lies Felix. He played fair.’"

Julien choked back a laugh.

"Or better yet..." I grinned.

"’Died because he followed the rules.’"

Even Wallace cracked a smile at that one.

"Point made, Professor," Julien said, trying not to laugh.

"Good," I said, smirking. "Because if you idiots forget this lesson..."

I tapped my cane against the ground one last time.

"I’m not dragging your corpses home."

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