Korosensei's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Was that arrow… alive?
Through their constant training with high-level summon cards, their strength and instincts had developed rapidly. Their bond with their summoned creatures had deepened as well, making their summons willing to aid them beyond simple commands.
This allowed them to tap into abilities from their third transformation state while still in their second form.
"How fascinating…" Korosensei's mouth curved into a crescent grin.
The locust arrow zipped through the air, bouncing off bullets as it hurtled toward him. His machine guns couldn't keep up with its unpredictable movements.
With a flick of his tentacle, he conjured a pistol as if by magic.
Bang!
The bullet struck the locust dead center.
The arrow detonated on impact, releasing the stored Wind Release energy inside.
A swarm of razor-sharp wind blades exploded outward like a cloud of locusts, engulfing Korosensei in an instant.
Jin smirked. "You're right, Korosensei. A knight without a backup plan isn't worthy of the title."
Their objective wasn't to kill him—it was to steal the knight's badge.
From within the howling winds, Korosensei's voice rang out. "Swap."
In a flash, his tentacles whirled, generating a cyclone that dispersed the locust wind in an instant.
The once-deadly storm of green-yellow chakra vanished as if it had never existed.
Unscathed, Korosensei hovered in the air, still grinning.
"Exams are interesting, aren't they? You cram all night, only to forget most of it when you graduate and enter society. But the effort you put in, the way you compete under the same set of rules—that's the real lesson. The experiences you gain are what truly matter."
His gaze sharpened. "And right now, your test is still ongoing."
A voice suddenly called out from behind his head.
"Ryuuchi Cave—Knight Kick!"
Katsuragi's foot shot forward like a viper striking its prey, aimed right for the back of Korosensei's head.
He had used his contract with the White Snake Sage to blend into the shadows, sneaking behind without detection.
"Hah! Eat this, you smug octopus!"
His powerful kick connected squarely.
For a split second, he thought he had won.
Then Korosensei barely flinched.
Katsuragi's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
Without even turning around, Korosensei flicked a tentacle.
Wham!
Katsuragi was sent flying through the air like a ragdoll.
He tumbled midair, groaning. "Damn it, I forgot to coat my attack in venom!"
His kicks were usually laced with viper venom—enough to paralyze even the toughest enemies.
Korosensei's tentacles flexed. "Hmph. Trying to poison me? How naive." He pulled out an RPG launcher and aimed it straight at Katsuragi. "Take this!"
KABOOM!
The explosion sent Katsuragi spinning even further through the sky.
For now, the battle hit a brief pause.
Korosensei floated above them, gazing down at his students.
"Hmm… People show their true nature when faced with important decisions. It's when they take things seriously that they reveal who they really are. You're all fighting with everything you have—and that's why you don't even realize it yet."
His voice softened. "Sometimes, battle is an opportunity to understand one another."
Then, his eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Now, let's continue. If you aren't serious, you won't graduate."
He waved them forward. "Come on, everyone."
"You're dead, octopus head!"
"Perverted monster!"
"I'm gonna kill you!"
And so, the chaos resumed.
Korosensei didn't rely on his firearms this time. Instead, he engaged them in close combat with his tentacles.
He dodged, parried, and countered every attack effortlessly.
All while offering commentary.
"Raise your staff a bit higher—then you might actually hit me."
"Dual-wielding swords is great, but you need to move your feet, not just stand there swinging."
"Faster! Your swordsmanship is too predictable."
"Ah, this is proper archery technique. Not bad."
"Your crossbow can transform into a staff? Now that's interesting."
The six of them clashed with Korosensei in a fierce melee, weapons ringing against his swift tentacles.
All around them, students and teachers gathered to watch, cheering wildly.
"Come on!"
"Take him down!"
Most of the students had long since wanted to beat up their unreasonably fast teacher.
Even among the staff, those unfamiliar with Korosensei's methods found themselves annoyed at the substitute teacher who constantly destroyed school property.
Even Terumi Mei noticed Ao tensing beside her.
She turned to him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Ao muttered under his breath. "Too fast… way too fast…"
His Byakugan was fully active, yet he was struggling to track the movements on the battlefield.
At first, it had been manageable.
But as the fight escalated, he could barely see anything but afterimages.
The most shocking part?
He couldn't even see the chakra flowing through their bodies.
His breath caught in his throat. "How… how are they doing this?!"
...
Except for the knights who were born as ninjas and had trained in chakra, Korosensei made sure the rest relied solely on their physical and mental prowess, enhancing their abilities through psychic beast cards and advanced gear.
The current technological ninja equipment in the Sand Village was now on par with the power of ordinary ninjas—perhaps even surpassing them when outfitted with knight-grade enhancements.
But when it came to chakra, Korosensei held firm.
To him, chakra was a double-edged sword. The existence of the Otsutsuki clan made it clear: no matter how skilled a shinobi was, they couldn't stand against the overwhelming powerhouses like Naruto or Sasuke.
He had bigger ambitions.
Korosensei wanted his knights—his rising warriors—to surpass the Otsutsuki.
Until he fully understood the depths of chakra's mysteries, he wouldn't let his new force follow the old ways. The shinobi world had stagnated long enough. It was time for a new path.
Through rigorous training, experimental enhancements, and biotechnology, he honed his knights into something more.
And now, as he watched the battle unfold, he grinned.
"What excellent students."
Korosensei bared his teeth in excitement.
"Then allow me, your teacher, to give you one final lesson."
Excitement coursed through him, turning his body a deep green. Like a phantom, he flickered between his students.
CRACK!
The sound of pine cones bursting apart filled the air.
ZAP!
Bolts of energy lashed through the battlefield.
Yusuke, Jin, Michiki, Katsuragi, and Miyuki were caught in a storm of lightning.
Unlike that fraud Teacher Ma, Korosensei's lightning whip was no illusion.
SZZZT!
The energy snaked across their armor, delivering powerful shocks that made their muscles seize up.
They collapsed.
Pain exploded through their nerves, rendering them motionless.
Then, Korosensei's voice cut through the chaos:
"Students… in all our lessons, I seem to have forgotten one crucial thing. No matter how skilled you are at dodging a fight, there will always be moments in life where you must face the battle head-on!"
He held up a shining badge.
"Are you ready to face this moment with everything you have? Or will you wait for the next test?"
The fallen knights gritted their teeth.
Unforgivable.
They had to take that badge.
Summoning every ounce of willpower, they forced themselves to stand.
Their gazes sharpened as they connected with their psychic beasts.
Jin: "Locust! I'm pushing into the third form. Give me everything you've got!"
A pulse of energy rippled between them.
When the synchronization between a knight and their psychic beast reached over 50%, true communication became possible.
Locust Hongomeng: "The third form is risky. We haven't trained enough for it."
Jin: "Doesn't matter. If I don't push my limits now, I never will!"
Silence. Then, a growl of approval.
Locust Hongomeng: "Alright. I see the fire in your soul. Take my power!"
Jin's armor thickened. The colors darkened. His form grew more menacing.
He raised his locust longbow, and a massive spectral locust emerged above him before diving into the weapon. The longbow twisted, reshaping into a locust-head cannon.
He took aim at Korosensei.
Meanwhile, the others activated their own transformations:
"Wingsuit, deploy!"
Miyuki sprouted massive dragonfly wings, his twin blades becoming so sharp and clear they were nearly invisible.
"Venomous Serpent, rise!"
Katsuragi's aura darkened as his spectral viper coiled around him.
"Fortify!"
Michiki's armor thickened, making him an unstoppable force. His Green Dragon Staff and long sword pulsed with raw power.
The battlefield crackled with energy as they all reached their third forms.
Then—
"Locust Cannon! FIRE!"
A colossal yellow-green gust of energy roared toward Korosensei.
He instinctively tried to take to the air.
SHINK!
Miyuki blurred into motion, cutting him off mid-flight with a swift, invisible slash.
Korosensei's small tentacles hit the ground, severed cleanly.
His eyes widened.
"What the—?"
Before he could react, Michiki's staff and sword crashed into him, slashing through more tentacles.
Then—
BOOM!
The Locust Cannon struck dead-on.
Korosensei's scream was lost in the explosion.
As the smoke cleared, Katsuragi appeared, launching himself into the air. His spectral viper lunged with him.
"Knight Kick!"
His foot, infused with venomous energy, slammed into Korosensei's chest like a missile.
The impact sent Korosensei flying backward, arms flailing.
Miyuki was already moving.
His blade gleamed as it sliced toward Korosensei's right arm—the one holding the badge.
SNAP!
The tentacle was severed.
The badge soared into the air.