Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 81: Thin line

Chapter 81: Thin line

"Alright," I said, tapping my cane lightly against the ground. "Let’s see if any of that actually sank in."

They were still watching me, but their expressions had shifted. The humor was gone. Good.

"So..." I turned, giving them all a once-over. "Let’s talk about something more... unpleasant."

Felix shifted uncomfortably. I smirked.

"What happens when you lose?" I asked, my voice quiet but sharp.

Silence.

"Come on." I tilted my head, eyes narrowing. "Don’t make me spoon-feed you."

"We..." Julien spoke up, his voice hesitant. "We die."

"Correct." I nodded. "But that’s not always the worst thing that can happen."

Their eyes widened.

"Dying is easy," I murmured, my tone cold. "It’s everything that comes before it that’s the problem."

Mira’s jaw clenched, her eyes hardening.

"Captured."

I nodded.

"Tortured."

Wallace swallowed hard.

"Used."

Leo’s face paled.

"Do you think your enemies will be merciful?" I asked softly. "Do you think they’ll treat you with honor because you fought fair?"

"No," Julien said quietly.

"Good," I murmured.

I paused, letting the weight of my words settle over them.

"But..." Felix, of course, had to open his mouth.

"But what if—"

I cut him off with a look.

"Don’t."

"But—"

"Felix."

He shut up.

"There is no ’but.’" My tone was ice.

"What if the enemy shows mercy?" I scoffed. "They won’t."

"What if we surrender?" I snorted. "You’ll wish you hadn’t."

I looked at each of them again, my expression hard.

"This isn’t a game. There’s no second chance." I tapped my cane lightly, the sound echoing in the cave.

"You lose once... and it’s over."

"But—"

Felix. Again.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Felix," I muttered. "Do you enjoy embarrassing yourself?"

"N-No..." he mumbled.

"Because every time you ask another question, I lose a little more faith in humanity."

Mira snorted, trying to hide her grin.

"But I just—"

I held up a hand, stopping him.

"No."

Felix blinked.

"No more ’what ifs.’" I glared at him.

"Because in battle, there’s no room for hesitation."

"But what if—"

"Felix."

I stared at him.

"I swear, if you ask me ’what if’ one more time..." I tapped the cane against my palm.

"I’ll personally throw you into the next fight and let you figure it out yourself."

Felix’s mouth snapped shut.

"Thank you." I sighed.

"But, Professor..." Wallace, of all people, spoke up.

I arched an eyebrow.

"What if—"

"Wallace."

He froze.

"No."

Wallace looked away, wisely deciding not to finish that sentence.

"Good choice."

"Professor..." Mira started, but her tone was more cautious.

I gave her a look.

"Don’t."

"But I—"

"Mira."

She fell silent, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Thank the gods," I muttered under my breath.

"Look," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose again. "I know you all have questions. I get it."

I paused, eyes narrowing.

"But if I have to explain basic survival one more time..."

My gaze swept over them.

"I’ll start running drills in the middle of the night."

Felix’s eyes widened.

"And I’ll make sure they’re painful."

"Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good." I took a deep breath, calming myself.

"Now..." I straightened, my expression hardening again.

"Let’s talk about what happens when you can’t win."

They stiffened.

"Sometimes..." I said softly, "no matter how hard you fight, no matter how smart you are..."

I looked at them, eyes cold.

"You can’t win."

Silence.

"And when that happens..."

"We... run?" Leo asked quietly.

"No." I shook my head.

Their brows furrowed.

"You survive."

Confusion flickered in their eyes.

"Survive?" Julien frowned.

"Yes."

I stepped forward, my tone quieter now.

"Running isn’t always an option."

"Then... what do we do?" Mira’s voice was barely above a whisper.

"You adapt," I murmured. "You outlast."

"How?" Leo asked softly.

I smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"You become..."

I paused.

"Worse than your enemy."

They went still.

"What?" Felix blinked.

"You heard me."

"But that’s—"

"Wrong?" I cut him off.

"Is it?" I tilted my head.

"If your enemy’s willing to do anything to win... and you’re not..."

I stepped closer, my voice deadly quiet.

"Who do you think is walking away alive?"

Felix didn’t answer.

"Honor doesn’t matter when you’re dead."

I looked at them all again, eyes hard.

"You want to survive?"

No one spoke.

"Then be ready to do what your enemies won’t."

Silence.

"But—" Felix opened his mouth again.

I gave him a look.

"Felix..." I said softly.

He froze.

"Don’t."

His mouth snapped shut.

"Good."

I exhaled, letting the tension drain from my body.

"Lesson’s over."

They didn’t move.

"Go on." I waved them off. "Get some rest. You’re going to need it."

Slowly, they stood and shuffled toward the back of the cave.

"And Felix..."

He paused.

"What?"

"No more questions."

He didn’t argue.

"So..." Julien was the first to break the silence, his voice low. "We just... do whatever it takes to win?"

I gave him a look.

"I said survive, Julien. Not win." I tapped my cane lightly against the floor. "Winning is a luxury. Survival is a necessity."

He frowned but didn’t argue. Good.

Mira, however, wasn’t as easily convinced.

"But Professor..." Her tone was hesitant, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Isn’t there a line? A point where we..."

"Cross into something worse?" I finished for her.

She nodded.

"Yes."

They all looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"And when you find that line..." I paused, my voice quieter now. "You’ll be standing on the edge of death."

Silence.

"Because that’s the only place you’ll find it."

Wallace shifted, his usual confidence absent.

"But..." he murmured, eyes flickering with doubt. "Isn’t that... dangerous?"

"Of course it is." I smirked, but there was no humor in it. "But you tell me, Wallace."

I tilted my head, eyes narrowing.

"Would you rather die with honor... or live to fight another day?"

Wallace swallowed hard, his jaw tightening.

"Live," he muttered softly.

"Good." I nodded, glancing at the others. "And what about the rest of you?"

Julien’s eyes hardened.

"Live."

Mira’s expression was grim, but she gave a curt nod.

"Live."

Leo’s fists clenched, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Live."

Even Felix, who looked like he was about to puke, nodded.

"Live."

I shifted my gaze to Garrick. The big guy was quiet, but his expression was set.

"Live," he rumbled softly.

Wallace gave a weak, but firm nod.

"Live."

And then... Cassandra.

I glanced at her, half-expecting silence.

But she spoke.

"Live."

Her voice was calm. Too calm. Like she wasn’t fully there.

I felt it again—that strange, detached aura surrounding her. Like a puppet whose strings had been loosened but not cut.

Her eyes met mine for a brief moment.

Empty.

But she was answering. That was something.

"Good," I murmured, my gaze lingering on her for a second longer before looking away.

I didn’t want to poke at whatever was going on with Cassandra. Not now.

Not yet.

"Alright." I tapped my cane again, the sound echoing through the cave.

"Since you’re all so determined to live... let’s make sure you actually know how."

A few groans echoed around the cave.

"Don’t look so excited," I drawled, smirking. "This is the fun part."

"Fun?" Felix muttered, eyes narrowing. "Your definition of fun is broken, Professor."

"I know." I grinned. "And you’re all about to experience it firsthand."

I stood up, stretching slightly.

"Lesson two," I said, my tone shifting back to that of an instructor.

"Using the battlefield to your advantage."

"But, Professor..." Leo spoke up, his voice hesitant.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What now, Leo?"

"Isn’t that... against the code of duels?"

I blinked.

And then I laughed.

Loudly.

"Oh, gods..." I wiped at my eyes, trying to compose myself.

"Leo..." I said, my tone dripping with mock sympathy. "What part of this looks like a duel to you?"

He blinked.

"Uhh..."

"Exactly." I snorted. "This isn’t some honor-bound duel where the rules matter."

I stepped closer, leaning slightly on my cane.

"Out there..." I pointed toward the mouth of the cave. "The only rule that matters is staying alive."

Leo’s face turned red, but he didn’t argue.

"But..."

"No." I held up a hand, cutting him off.

"Let me make this simple." I looked at all of them.

"If someone comes at you with a sword..."

I paused.

"And you have a rock..."

Silence.

"What do you do?"

"Throw the rock?" Garrick asked slowly.

"No." I smirked.

"You bash their skull in with it."

They all blinked.

"Professor..." Mira muttered, looking a little disturbed.

"What?" I gave her an innocent look.

"It’s effective."

"But that’s... barbaric."

"And?" I arched an eyebrow.

"You’d rather die with a sword through your gut than crack someone’s skull open with a rock?"

Mira didn’t answer.

"Thought so."

"But..." Felix started.

"Felix."

"I just—"

"Felix."

"What if—"

"Felix."

He shut up.

"Thank you." I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Look." I straightened, my expression serious.

"There’s a difference between a duel... and a fight."

I glanced at them all, eyes narrowing.

"A duel is about honor."

"A fight..." I paused, voice dropping lower.

"Is about survival."

Silence.

"In a duel, you fight fair."

I smirked.

"In a fight..."

"You do whatever it takes to live."

Julien’s jaw clenched, but he nodded.

"If you’re losing in a fight," I murmured, "you don’t fight harder."

"You fight dirtier."

Their eyes darkened slightly.

"And if your enemy’s playing fair..." I added, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Then they’re a fool."

The cave was dead silent.

"Any more questions?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

No one spoke.

"Good." I smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"Now..." I tapped my cane against the floor, the sound echoing through the cave.

"Let’s talk about how to make the battlefield work for you."

"And maybe," I added with a smirk, "I won’t have to save your sorry asses next time."

Felix opened his mouth.

I gave him a look.

He shut it.

Smart boy.