Ren was exhausted, injured in his right arm.
"Damn… what am I going to do…?" he thought, when he heard Akira shouting his name.
Ren: Akira, what are you doing here?
Akira: Ezonku told me to come help you.
From the corner, Shoji watched, smiling with a psychotic grin.
"Is this all you have to offer… pathetic."
Without wasting time, he charged at Akira.
Akira: Ren, watch out! His technique lets him harden his own body.
Ren looked seriously at Akira and replied:
Ren: So that's why it felt like I was hitting a wall.
Shoji threw a punch toward Akira.
With no time to react, Ren pushed Akira out of the way and took the punch himself, being thrown backward.
Akira: Ren!!!
Shoji: You'll never stand a chance against me now!
Akira ran to help Ren, who was still on the ground.
Akira: Ren, are you okay?
Ren: You saw.
Akira: Saw what?
Ren: He can't harden his whole body.
Akira was impressed. Even she hadn't noticed Shoji's technique weakness.
Akira: Even knowing that, how can we beat him?
Ren, with a confident smile: Relax. We can beat him… as long as we work together.
Akira: Yes.
Ren: Hey, Akira, what exactly is your technique?
Akira: My technique? Well… I can release an acidic substance from my body.
Ren: Like snot?
Akira: Yes.
Ren: Okay, can you distract him?
Akira: Yes.
On Akira's body, several substances started to appear, resembling slime.
Shoji: That's your last resort? What a joke.
The two advanced. Shoji hardened his chest, convinced Ren would attack there.
Akira appeared and sprayed acid. Shoji used his arms as a shield, but the opening allowed Ren to strike his face.
Shoji recoiled, not understanding what had happened.
Ren moved to throw a punch, but Shoji had hardened his body, thinking he had hit Ren.
Akira appeared again, hitting Shoji with acid, causing burns.
Shoji stumbled back in pain.
Shoji: Damn it… you'll pay for this.
Akira: My technique lets my body produce acid. It's not lethal, but it burns and irritates.
Ren and Akira continued their combination attack, leaving Shoji no chance to counterattack.
Shoji: What's happening? I'm being defeated by these trash!
He looked to the right and saw Ino standing, watching.
Desperate, he ran to her.
Shoji: Ino, you wretch! What are you standing there for? Come help me!
Ino looked at him with disgust.
Shoji thought that with Ino's power, they would win.
But Ino turned and began to walk away.
Shoji: Where are you going? We have to finish this…
Ino: You meant "we"? I've already done what I needed to. I have no reason to waste more time with useless people.
Shoji tried to stop her, grabbing her right arm, but was thrown back by a fire creature wearing a mask.
Creature: I won't repeat myself.
Ren and Akira watched from a distance.
Shoji, still burned, attacked Ino again.
Suddenly, Ren appeared from nowhere, striking Shoji squarely in the face. He fell unconscious.
Ino watched.
Ren: I don't need your thanks. I was just helping a friend.
Ino: Friend?! What a joke…
Ren and Akira simply watched as she walked away.
Akira: How arrogant…
Ezonku: Are you done here too?
Ren: Ezonku, I knew you would win.
Ezonku: You piece of crap, who thinks…
Akira: You can't go a day without being angry.
Ezonku: Say that again…
Ren: Where are the others?
Ezonku: The rest ran out of fear. Idiots… I'd run too if faced with a monster.
Ezonku just stared, fire in his hands.
Ren: We should take them to the infirmary.
Ezonku: I'm not taking them.
Ren, dissatisfied: We're the ones who left them like that. They attacked first, you piece of crap.
The two stared at each other.
Suddenly, someone shouted their names: Hana.
Hana: What happened here?
Ren: It's nothing serious…
Hana looked at Ren's hand and used her technique to heal it.
The two blushed.
From a distance, Tadashi watched.
Tadashi: Interesting to see.
Hayato: Yes, Director. Something serious could have happened.
Hayato: But it didn't. Still, we're here to make sure nothing gets out of control.
He looked at the students, all standing on edge.
Hayato: Hey, Tadashi, don't let Keiko and Takahashi know.
Tadashi just nodded.
Hayato (thinking): Ren takes full advantage. Because from now on… this is only the beginning.