Kazim didn't look up when I walked in.
"Don't move," he said. "Unless you want your arm permanently fused with crystal."
"I'll take my chances," I replied, stepping closer anyway.
He sighed. "You're impossible."
The workshop smelled like hot metal and ozone. Crystals melted into glowing liquid, poured into molds shaped like armor plates. The material cooled fast—too fast for normal physics.
Aira picked up a half-finished piece and knocked on it. "This feels illegal."
"It probably is," Kazim said. "Good sign."
Ren watched quietly. "Will it hold?"
Kazim finally looked at him. "I tested it."
I raised an eyebrow. "How?"
He nodded toward me. "He tried cutting it."
I flexed my hand, remembering the sound—my black-coated blade scraping across the armor without leaving even a mark.
"…Yeah," I said. "That was humbling."
Aira grinned. "Finally. Something that scares you."
When the suits were done, Kazim laid them out one by one.
Mine was last.
White. Completely white. Smooth armor plates, no markings—except the mask.
An oni.
Sharp horns. Hollow eyes. A mouth twisted into something between a snarl and a grin.
I picked it up.
Aira tilted her head. "Subtle."
"You picked a fox," I shot back.
"Foxes are clever."
Ren lifted his own—dark green with a serpent-haired Medusa mask. "At least mine matches my vibe."
Kazim held up his dragon mask. "I didn't choose this."
"Yes, you did," Aira said instantly.
Monisha stood quietly, holding hers—a simple mask, almost plain, but unsettling in its emptiness.
"It's too much," she said softly.
"It's protection," I replied. "And anonymity."
She nodded.
Aira exhaled. "Okay. Masks, armor, terrifying aesthetics. Anything else before we go save an entire group of kids from an academy?"
Ren shrugged. "We could panic."
"Later," Kazim said. "After."
I looked at all of them. "Last chance to back out."
No one moved.
Aira smirked. "If we die, I'm haunting you."
Ren added, "Only if I get the first pick of who I haunt."
Kazim adjusted his gauntlet. "Focus."
I took a breath. "Alright. Roles."
I tapped the table. "I engage security. Loud. Obvious."
Aira raised an eyebrow. "You? Loud?"
"I'm wearing an oni mask," I said. "I think subtlety is already dead."
Kazim continued, "While they're focused on him, I destroy transport and defenses. No vehicles. No reinforcements."
Ren nodded. "Aira and I move with Monisha. Extraction only. No unnecessary fights."
Monisha swallowed. "Planet Mongula. That's where we take them."
Ren met her eyes. "Supplies are ready. Shelter too."
Aira placed a hand on Monisha's shoulder. "You won't be alone."
Silence settled.
Heavy.
I put the mask on.
The world narrowed.
"Alright," I said, voice echoing slightly inside the oni's grin. "Let's go break an academy."
Kazim chuckled under his breath. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
And with that—
We moved.
Masks on.
No names.
No hesitation.
Just shadows stepping into enemy ground.