Asmodeus and Clara, on the other hand, encountered a strange magical plant. While Clara was playing, it directly swallowed half of her body.
"Cough, cough, Asmodeus… Asmodeus, I might not be able to go on with you. Thank you for everything until now… Please don't forget me, Asmodeus~" She sounded like she was saying goodbye.
"Then let go!" Asmodeus said, pointing at the clothes Clara was still clutching. Immediately after, the plant's vines seemed to come alive, attacking both of them. Seeing this, Asmodeus quickly used his Flame Sword to cut down everything, and also split the flower that had eaten Clara in two, rescuing her.
Clara slid right out.
"I'm back, Asmodeus, Asmodeus~"
"Iruma and Lord Shesi haven't arrived yet. Going to greet them, isn't that what Iruma-kun meant by a friend? No… perhaps the two adults have already reached the finish line. Did they fly off while I was dawdling? Or perhaps, like Sabnock, they went to Golden Scissor Valley?"
While Asmodeus was still thinking, Clara had already climbed onto his back.
"Asmodeus, Asmodeus, don't be disheartened, cheer up! Go!"
"Don't climb on me!" Asmodeus said, a dark line appearing on his forehead.
As for Shesi and Iruma…
Just as Golden Scissor [Leader] was about to deliver the final blow to Sabnock, sending him into the lava, a figure suddenly stood in front of Sabnock. This person was Iruma, who had rushed over. Seeing Sabnock injured, he instinctively shielded him. Golden Scissor [Leader]'s child also quickly stood in front of the two, blocking his mother's attack.
"Nani, get out of the way!"
Shesi also rushed towards the two, or more accurately, towards Iruma, wanting to push him away, but the attack didn't come down.
Shesi, who was nearby, broke out in a cold sweat. If that attack had landed just now, it would have surely pierced through both of them.
Seeing that the attack didn't come, Sabnock looked at Iruma.
"Why are you here?"
"Why do you ask? Because I saw you, so I hurried over."
While Golden Scissor [Leader] and his child were talking, Sabnock looked at the weapon nearby.
"Now is a good time to attack!" Sabnock directly bit the necklace around his neck, creating a weapon and preparing to attack. However, he was held down by Shesi, who had run over, and then Shesi looked at Iruma.
"You scared me to death." Then he looked at Sabnock.
"You idiot, can't you consider the situation before deciding whether to attack?" Shesi scolded him, fuming.
Sabnock looked at the [Leader] opposite him, who had become alert because of his weapon. His mind also cleared a bit, and then he raised his hands, like Iruma, to show that he was not a threat.
The [Leader] and his child also bowed their heads to Iruma to express their gratitude.
Iruma quickly returned the bow.
"No, no, you're too kind. Your child is fine now, but that was still very dangerous," Iruma reminded them, while Sabnock looked at Iruma in shock.
"This is the special admission… Iruma… a demon like this…"
"My brother is strange, isn't he?" Shesi walked over at this moment and said to the [Leader].
"He's clearly weak, but unexpectedly strong," Shesi thought, recalling how Iruma had jumped down from the air without hesitation and directly shielded Sabnock.
"Honestly, with his physique, if that attack had really landed, it would have gone straight through his body, wouldn't it? He's so reckless," Shesi said with some lingering fear.
Kalego at the finish line muttered,
"Someone should have arrived by now, right?" Before Kalego could finish speaking, a figure, or rather, two figures, flew in. It was Asmodeus and Clara on his back.
"Are you first?" Kalego asked Asmodeus, then he saw Clara on Asmodeus's back.
"Huh? Who is this child? A ride? Second place then…"
"You, get back and fly again yourself!" Asmodeus angrily glared at Clara.
But Clara ignored Asmodeus and just looked around.
"Huh? I don't see Iruma-kun and She Si-chin…"
"I thought the two adults had already reached the finish line," Asmodeus also said.
They waited as other people also successively reached the finish line, but even as the sun set, they didn't see the three of them.
Kalego saw this and said directly,
"No need to wait any longer. Now we will announce everyone's ranks." As he spoke, he crossed out Shesi's, Iruma's, and Sabnock's names from the list.
"Wait, Iruma and Lord Shesi aren't here yet," Asmodeus still wanted to try to get them a chance.
"Those who didn't arrive can only forfeit." Just as Kalego finished speaking, a huge gust of wind blew, making everyone unable to open their eyes.
Kalego looked over, his face full of disbelief. The boss of Shriek Valley, the [Leader], had actually come out of Shriek Valley!
"Why are you here? You actually came out! Everyone, retreat quickly!" Kalego was about to cast a magic attack when he heard Iruma's voice from the [Leader]'s side.
"Hey~ everyone~" Iruma said, waving and smiling at everyone.
Clara also waved, "She Si-chin~ Iruma-kun~ and Golden Scissor~"
Asmodeus looked at Iruma and Shesi with admiration.
These were the people he wanted to follow. They even made the [Leader] bring them over… "Now, we will announce everyone's ranks." Kalego said to the crowd, while three people were assigned to the side, wearing signs that read "Reflecting."
After Kalego finished speaking, a three-eyed owl flew onto Kalego's shoulder.
"This is the Rank Owl, which has been observing and evaluating all of you." As soon as Kalego finished speaking, Shax Lead immediately started complaining,
"Today is full of strange birds." Andro M. Jazz also chimed in,
"By the way, after a certain teacher was summoned by a familiar, his appearance should also count as a strange bird, right?" He only said it in a low voice; Andro M. Jazz wouldn't dare say it to Kalego's face.
"As long as you put your hand into his pocket, he will give you a rank badge." After saying this, Kalego looked at the three people on the side.
"Those useless ones at the very end will get theirs last."
"Tch…" Sabnock looked at Kalego and grumbled,
"How gloomy." Suddenly feeling stones being thrown, the three looked over. Clara was throwing shiny golden objects. If you ask her why she wasn't throwing at Shesi and Iruma, Clara could only say that those two would play with her, and if she broke them, how would she play?
"This is to make an example of them. Be ridiculed and have stones thrown at you as much as possible."
Just as Kalego was lining up the others to receive their rank badges,
"How humiliating," Sabnock said.
"Relax, at least the boss bringing us here means we weren't expelled," Iruma said.
Sabnock smiled at this.
"Hmph, everyone was looking at us just now, weren't they~" Sabnock finished speaking and then looked seriously at Iruma and Shesi.
"Iruma, I owe you a favor this time. Thank you for saving me. I lost. Please forgive my previous rudeness. You are a very impressive fellow. And from today onwards, you are my rival! And you, Shesi!" Sabnock said, looking at Shesi beside him.