As Lucas and Moka continued their fierce battle, Tsukune, Kurumu, and Yukari watched with a mix of astonishment and unease.

Although both monster girls had unwavering confidence in Inner Moka’s strength, they never imagined a human could infiltrate the academy—let alone one bold enough to challenge Moka directly.

Beside the two monster girls, Tsukune watched the battle with such intensity that it seemed as though his gaze alone might burn a hole through Moka’s clothes. Despite the dull ache from his freshly healed wounds, his thoughts were in complete turmoil.

How is he moving like that?

Lucas’s superhuman speed left everyone, except Moka, stunned, but it was Tsukune who was most affected. As a fellow human, the idea of hunting and battling monsters seemed absurdly out of reach.

Sure, he’d managed to fend off a lizardman once or twice, but even then, it was more luck than skill. The idea of standing against a monster in a real fight, with real stakes, felt impossible—until now. Watching Lucas, Tsukune’s assumptions about human limitations were beginning to unravel.

Lucas, despite falling short of Moka’s almost divine athleticism, was moving with enough speed and precision to surpass ordinary humans and rival some monsters. The memory of their first attacker, Saizou, sprang to Tsukune’s mind.

Lucas could run circles around him, Tsukune realized.

As the clash between Lucas and Moka continued, Tsukune’s understanding of humans and monsters continued to shift. For months, he had seen himself as helpless compared to the creatures around him, reliant on Moka and his friends for survival.

But now?

If… If I can figure out how Lucas does this… maybe, I can do more…

While Tsukune was lost in thought, Yukari broke the silence. “Have hunters always been this skilled at using spells?” she remarked, her eyes fixed on the fight. “It’s like watching an expert witch.”

For a brief moment, her thoughts flickered to her mother—the most accomplished witch Yukari had ever known.

Hearing Yukari's comment, Tsukune couldn't help but feel a pang of dejection. If Lucas had trained to the level of an expert witch to gain his current skills, then it seemed impossible for Tsukune to ever reach such heights. Once again, he felt destined to remain a burden to Moka and the others.

But then a thought struck him.

"Wait!" Tsukune blurted out. "Yukari, is Lucas a witch?" he asked, turning to the young girl beside him.

Yukari shook her head. "No. If Lucas were a witch, he’d be emitting youki," she explained. "And honestly, if he really wanted to make himself stronger, he’d stack youki enhancement on top of his physical boosting spells. But so far, he’s only using anki to amplify his strength."

"If that's the case, that means he's purely human, right?" Tsukune asked, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

Yukari nodded. "Yes, but where are you going with this, Tsukune?"

"Look, he's not using a wand to cast spells. How is he doing it?" Tsukune pressed.

Despite the impressive display of power Lucas had shown, Tsukune still clung to the belief that witches, as monsters who had mastered magic, were naturally superior to human mages. He assumed Lucas must have been using a wand or some other tool to channel his abilities.

Yukari tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, I can sense his anki moving around... so, his clothes might be enchanted," she suggested.

Tsukune’s eyes narrowed as he observed Lucas closely, searching for any sign of something unusual about his uniform. "His uniform... it looks just like mine," he pointed out, puzzled.

Yukari frowned, her gaze shifting to Lucas, scrutinizing every detail of his attire. She was trying to pinpoint the source of his spellcasting.

"My guess is that... inside his clothes, or maybe sewn into the fabric itself, there are magical circles. Similar to the ones I inscribe on my wand," she deduced.

“So, if I had those magical circles on my clothes, I’d be like Lucas?” Tsukune asked, his attention split between the ongoing fight and Yukari’s explanation.

Yukari shook her head firmly. “Not exactly. For him to be this fast and strong, he’d need to be using at least a mid-circle spell. No offense, Tsukune, but you don’t have the anki or youki reserves to power something that demanding. Maybe with a low-circle spell and a lot of practice, you could manage something similar,” she added, her tone matter-of-fact.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She wasn’t entirely sure why Tsukune was so curious, but it didn’t stop her from relishing the opportunity to flex her magical knowledge.

While Tsukune and Yukari discussed the intricacies of Lucas’ powers, Kurumu watched the fight with a different perspective. Though she lacked Yukari’s technical understanding of magic, her practical experience gave her a unique insight.

Her eyes, trained to detect the flow of power—whether anki or youki—saw Lucas as a brilliant, burning light in a canvas of darkness, while Moka stood out as a concentrated orb of red energy. It was obvious to Kurumu that Lucas was expending an enormous amount of personal energy to maintain his enhanced abilities, whereas Moka was keeping her power in reserve.

It was also clear who held the advantage in experience. Moka’s control over her youki was nothing short of masterful, like watching a virtuoso at work.

Kurumu frowned, the realization hitting her hard: the gap between her and Moka had widened again. While her own control over her power surpassed Lucas’, she knew it was mostly due to the natural instincts of monsters. Unlike humans, who had to painstakingly train to harness their energy, monsters were born with an inherent ability to control their powers. Yet, despite that advantage, she felt increasingly outclassed.

If Kurumu had fought Lucas back when she first encountered Moka, there was a real chance the human hunter might have defeated her. Unlike Tsukune, Kurumu doubted Lucas would have shown mercy.

But as she listened to Tsukune talk about the fight, a realization struck her: the man she loved wanted to learn how to use magic. Despite the rumors about him being a vampire, Kurumu knew that Tsukune was just an ordinary monster with barely any youki to speak of. Yet, she had seen him throw himself into danger time and again, all for Moka’s sake. It frustrated her, but she understood his desperation to grow stronger.

“Tsukune, if you want, I can teach you the basics of low-circle spells. Maybe that’ll help you,” Kurumu offered, her voice steady but determined. It didn’t matter if Tsukune’s heart leaned toward Moka; Kurumu was resolute. She would find a way to close the gap—whether in battle or in love.

Tsukune turned to her, surprised but grateful. “Really? You’d do that?”

Kurumu nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips, though Yukari’s annoyed voice quickly interrupted the moment.

“Hey! No flirting without Moka! Or me! Tsukune, I’ll teach you too!” Yukari declared, puffing up indignantly.

Tsukune nodded enthusiastically at her as well. “Thank you, Yukari! I’d really appreciate that!”

Watching the girls’ excitement to teach him, Tsukune couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. With their guidance, there was a real chance he could grow stronger—not just for himself, but for their sake as well.

Maybe this way… I won’t be a burden to them anymore.

The fight between Lucas and Moka built to an intense crescendo as Moka continued to demonstrate her dominance. With her superior skill and power, she delivered what should have been a finishing blow. However, Lucas’ defensive spell absorbed the attack, fracturing but holding just long enough to protect him.

It was clear Lucas was outmatched, and with no other options, he activated his trump card.

Moka frowned as she sensed a dark, oppressive power emanating from the rosary Lucas plunged into his chest.

Is that?

The transformation began immediately. Lucas’ body went limp as though he had lost all control, his limbs sagging and his movements ceasing entirely.

“Wha—” Tsukune started, but his thought was abruptly cut short.

An instant later, Lucas’ aura erupted outward, once a bright, controlled light, now dark, heavy, and oppressive. The air around them felt suffocating, and for a moment, Tsukune and the girls could only watch in stunned silence.

Kurumu gasped, her heightened senses screaming danger. Yukari clutched her wand, instinctively defensive.

Moka, however, narrowed her eyes, anger bubbling beneath her composed exterior. The oppressive aura reminded her of herself—a reflection she didn’t appreciate.

Before Moka could voice her contempt, Lucas reabsorbed the dark energy into himself. The sudden surge of power amplified his speed and strength to terrifying levels, and with blinding agility, he lunged at Moka.

The blade he swung toward her crackled with the raw energy of his transformation. His hand burned where it gripped the silver weapon, the acrid smell of scorched flesh filling the air. Despite the pain, Lucas pressed forward, his movements swift and unrelenting.

Moka responded instantly, her youki flaring as she dodged to the side. Her counterattack came in the form of a roundhouse kick aimed at Lucas’ head, the speed and power of which could have ended the fight.

But Lucas was faster than before, raising his left arm to block the kick. Where his arm should have shattered under the force, it instead held firm. He immediately grabbed Moka’s leg, anchoring himself to the ground as he twisted in an attempt to throw her.

Moka, however, used the momentum to leap into the air. As she ascended, she adjusted her position midair, her movements fluid and precise. She brought her heel down in an axe kick imbued with an Obrac, aiming to crush Lucas with a devastating strike.

Lucas sensed the danger and rolled to the side just in time. Moka’s heel missed him by mere inches, striking the ground with enough force to fracture the earth beneath her.

Using the ground as a pivot point, Moka spun into another kick aimed at Lucas, her relentless assault giving him no room to breathe.

This time, Lucas swung his blade to intercept her strike. The blade met her leg, but instead of cutting cleanly through, it clashed against her youki-hardened skin. The collision produced a metallic clang that echoed across the field.

The momentary clash drained both combatants, Moka’s youki reserves diminishing as the silver blade bit into her defenses. Yet, she continued her relentless assault, pressing the fight with calculated precision.

Lucas knew he couldn’t keep up. Moka’s mastery over her youki and her refined combat techniques were proving insurmountable. Despite his transformation, she maintained the upper hand.

I can’t win without going all out, Lucas thought, the dark power coursing through him urging him to push further.

Pouring every ounce of his remaining anki into his enchanted clothing, Lucas stacked his enhancements, combining human and monstrous power. The energy coursing through him blurred the boundaries of human limitation.

Disappearing from view, Lucas reappeared behind Moka, his blade arcing toward her with deadly intent. He poured his full strength into the strike, knowing this would be his final gambit.

But even with his amplified abilities, Lucas’ movements were still an imitation of the true thing.

An imitation is just an imitation, no matter how flattering it is, Moka thought, her body reacting faster than Lucas anticipated.

As the blade neared her, Moka countered with a spear hand aimed directly at the weapon, aiming to shatter it to pieces. Lucas felt a surge of confidence—vampires were vulnerable to silver, and even Moka couldn’t risk such direct contact.

But just as their strikes were about to collide, Lucas caught a glimpse of something he didn’t expect—a smirk forming on Moka’s lips.

She’s proud, but not reckless, he remembered his original judgement of her.

Moka disappeared in a blur, using Flash Step to make a precise adjustment to her movement, perfectly evading his strike. Before Lucas could react, she reappeared just inches to his side, her spear hand already driving forward.

Lucas willed his body to move, but his current limitations betrayed him. Moka’s hand, powered by her immense strength and sharpened by her vampiric precision, closed the distance toward his chest like a blade. With his Anki reserves drained, he couldn’t use the defensive spell he used earlier.

Did I lose?

The thought echoed in his mind as Moka’s strike neared its target, Lucas’ heart.