Interlude: Those Who Turned Away

As the core group of heroes prepared for their final assault on the Divine Nexus, tension filled the Academy's great hall where the other summoned heroes had gathered. Ayame's fingers crackled with nervous energy, small sparks of lightning dancing between her knuckles. Mei sat in the corner, her healing magic pulsing erratically as she tried to calm her trembling hands. Kaito paced the shadows, his usual confidence replaced by a haunted look that hadn't left his eyes since Jason's death.

They had all witnessed what Kael was capable of. The image of him tearing out Jason's heart was branded into their memories, a constant reminder of the gulf between their power and his. It didn't matter that Jason had been a bully—watching him die had shattered their illusions of heroic destiny.

"We can't do this," Ayame finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. Lightning sparked around her as her control slipped. "You all saw what he did to Jason. And Jason was the strongest of us."

Mei looked up, tears in her eyes. "But Akari and the others—they're still going to fight. Shouldn't we help them?"

"Help them?" Kaito's bitter laugh echoed through the hall. "We'd just be getting in their way. Or worse, getting them killed trying to protect us." His shadows coiled around him protectively, responding to his fear. "This isn't some game. Kael isn't just powerful, he's... he's something else entirely."

The other summoned heroes murmured in agreement. They had trained, learned to harness their powers, but what they had seen in that battlefield had shown them the truth: they were children playing at being warriors. Kael's presence alone had been enough to make them question everything they thought they knew about power.

When Akari came to rally them for the final battle, she found them already packing their belongings.

"I'm sorry," Ayame said, unable to meet Akari's eyes. "We're not built for this. We're just... we're just high school students. We were never meant to fight something like him."

Akari's face showed no judgment, only understanding. "I know. And he knows too. That's why he killed Jason the way he did—to show us what we're really facing." She touched Ayame's shoulder gently. "Go home. This isn't your fight anymore."

Mei stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "I want to help, I do. But every time I close my eyes, I see what he did to Jason. My healing magic... it wouldn't make any difference against power like that."

"Your magic grew stronger here," Akari acknowledged. "Use it to help people back home. That's just as important as what we're doing."

Kaito emerged from his shadows one last time. "You're really going through with this? Even knowing what he is?"

"We have to." Akari's voice was soft but firm. "Not because we're heroes, but because we knew him. Because somewhere inside that being of pride and power, Hoshi still exists."

The other heroes watched as Akari left to rejoin Renji and Shiro. There was shame in their hearts, yes, but also relief. They had seen their limits and chosen to acknowledge them rather than die pointlessly.

Using the Academy's transportation magic, they returned to Japan that night. As they materialized in their old classroom, the familiar sight of desks and chalk dust seemed surreal after everything they had witnessed. They would carry the memory of their failure, of their fear, for the rest of their lives. But they would also live to see another day, to use their powers in smaller ways, to help where they could without trying to challenge gods.

They were not cowards, they told themselves. They were simply smart enough to know when a battle was beyond them. But in the quiet moments, in the dark of night, they would remember Akari's face as she walked away to face what they could not. They would remember her courage, her determination, and they would wonder if, perhaps, they had chosen wrong.

But they would live with that doubt, that shame. It was better than dying pointlessly against a power they couldn't hope to match. And so they returned to their normal lives, carrying powers that set them apart but no longer bearing the burden of being heroes.

Sometimes, survival meant knowing when to walk away. Even if that knowledge came at the cost of one's pride.