The Iroha stood atop a large rock, their eyes fixed on me. I had just finished dispatching a new pack of leech spirits, preparing to sheathe my sword, when I sensed their presence.
"So, it was you who's been tailing me," I said, glaring at them, my hand tightening around the hilt of my sword, ready for any sudden attack.
The leader of the group, positioned at the center, smirked as he spoke. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you had it in you to come this far. Watching your fight against those creatures changed my mind about you being a weakling."
The four of them exuded a thick, oppressive aura as they surrounded me, trying to force their presence upon me.
"You should be honored, boy. We're offering you the opportunity of a lifetime. Money, fame, power — our company can provide it all. All you need to do is abandon the Izana and join us. They have nothing to offer you. Make the wiser choice."
I kept my expression blank. "And if I say no?"
The leader's grin turned sinister. "You're smart enough to know better, but if you refuse... you'll fail this final test miserably." His group flared their killing intent, making their intentions clear.
I narrowed my eyes. "You already rank among the top five of this exam. What do you gain by picking a fight with someone just minding their own business? Sure, the instructors never banned fighting outright, but everyone knows it's not advisable."
The leader chuckled. " Well, you see we Iroha and Izana go way back — a long-standing rivalry."
"More like a massacre," one of his goons added, snickering. "After that incident, the Izana fell hard."
"They should've been disbanded," another sneered. "But like cockroaches, they keep coming back."
Their laughter rang out, sharp and mocking, their eyes hungry as they closed in on me.
"Well, I warned you," the leader said, brandishing his weapon, talisman glowing in his hand. "Don't blame us for what happens next."
I exhaled slowly, my gaze sharpening. "If you think four of you are enough to bring me down, you'd better give it everything you've got."
Unleashing my spiritual pressure, my eyes glowed a fierce crimson. Outnumbered, I knew I couldn't afford to hold back. I would have to play my cards carefully.
One of the Iroha launched an incantation spell, while the others spread out, moving swiftly to surround me. One, moving at the speed of a racing car, lunged forward, his blade aimed straight for my face. I dodged instinctively — but immediately sensed another spell coming from my flank. Channeling my spiritual energy into my sword, I parried the attack just in time.
"Nice reflexes," another Iroha sneered, leaping high into the air, bringing his sword down hard.
We clashed in a furious dance of blades, the sparks from our strikes lighting up the arena. The spectators and instructors fell silent, every eye glued to our fight.
Mid-combat, two more opponents coordinated an attack: one aiming for my legs, the other for my head. I twisted my body acrobatically, dodging both strikes by a hair's breadth, then somersaulted backward to create space.
Meanwhile, the fourth Iroha completed his chant altering "CHITETSUSA", slamming his hands onto the ground. Chains of spiritual energy burst from the earth, racing toward me.
Another conjured a talisman, igniting flames that he wrapped around his sword, unleashing a barrage of fiery slashes.
Increasing my Focused vision, slowing the world around me, I charged forward.
The chains were the first obstacle. Infusing more spiritual energy into my blade, I slashed through them. But even with heightened senses, the fire slashes proved difficult to avoid entirely — I had to block several, resulting in a series of violent explosions. Smoke billowed across the battlefield, sending birds scattering into the sky.
The Iroha squinted into the smoke, searching for signs of me.
I struck.
Bursting from the smoke, covered in burns and small injuries but very much alive, I hurled my sword like a spear at the flame-wielder. It pierced his shoulder, knocking him down in a single, devastating blow.
"Impossible!" he screamed. "Stop him!!"
Two others rushed at me; confident I was defenseless without my weapon. They were wrong.
I darted toward the one on the left, hitting him with a full-speed punch to the abdomen. He collapsed, unconscious.
The other hesitated, fear flickering in his eyes. Desperation fueled his swing toward my neck.
I snatched up the fallen sword and parried, slashing into his joints and rendering him immobile. His scream tore through the battlefield.
Only one opponent remained — the one who had conjured the chains. Frozen in terror, the Hell Gas beginning to take hold of him, he attempted to crawl away. I ended it swiftly, knocking him out cold.
Breathing heavily, I surveyed the wreckage around me.
One Iroha, barely conscious, glared at me.
"You... how did you break through our attacks?" he gasped, bleeding heavily.
"You should worry more about stopping your bleeding than asking questions," I said, my crimson gaze cold and expressionless.
I took their point-counting devices, leaving behind thirty points for them.
"Next time, try playing by the rules," I said coldly before walking away.
The crowd erupted into excited chatter. No one had expected me to defeat the Iroha — not even the invigilators, who stared at me in stunned silence.
"This is unacceptable!!" Celestina's voice thundered across the hall, snapping everyone's attention toward her.
"What's wrong now?" Shizu asked coolly, her voice tinged with irritation. "You guys started it."
"He can't just steal points! It's against the rules!" Celestina shouted.
"Technically, it's not," Chifuyu cut in.
"There's no rule that says you can't take points from others," Shizu said sharply.
"Know your place Yuzuara!" Celestina, losing her composure, unleashed a burst of spiritual pressure that crushed the air around her. The closest spectators staggered under the weight affecting both Endo and Chifuyu too.
"And what exactly are you planning to do about it?" Shizu countered, releasing her own pressure to clash against Celestina's.
The air between them crackled, drawing the full attention of the hall.
A voice, calm yet venomous, cut through the tension. "That's enough."
The invigilators' cold glares bore down on them, pinning them to the floor with their oppressive presence.
"We're sorry!" Shizu and Celestina cried out in unison.
"Competitiveness is allowed," the head invigilator said coolly. "And given the history between the Izana and Iroha, conflict was inevitable. Yes, stealing points and combat against one another is allowed — though unwise. It causes injuries and slow progress. I expect better conduct from senior trainees like you two. Let this be the last time."
"Yes, sir!" they replied.
Celestina turned toward Shizu, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, Shizu. I lost control when I saw my people hurt."
Her sudden switch from fury to calm left Shizu visibly confused.
"Yeah... sure," Shizu muttered, watching her leave with Endo.
"I can never understand her," Chifuyu said with a relieved sigh.
"Neither can I," Shizu replied, her gaze lingering on Celestina's retreating figure, a shadow of heartbreak flickering across her face.