The moment Iris dashed across the field and reached the valley, I witnessed something so surreal that I could hardly believe my eyes.
Although they weren’t as young as Headmaster Dragos, there were two very young-looking children leisurely playing in the water.
I soon recalled that they were Pai and Yui, ranked 9th and 10th in the Junior Division.
That realization made me instinctively frown.
With the battlefield shrinking due to the sleep powder, I expected to run into high-ranking students sooner or later.
But I never imagined we’d encounter the duo with the best synergy in the entire academy.
“Oh? Isn’t that Iris? What’s that on your back? Don’t tell me you actually packed a bunch of books so you could study even on this trip?”
“Pai, you idiot. Outside items are banned except for what the instructors provide. Obviously, that’s not it. She probably stuffed that ‘eternal dead last’ guy in there instead.”
“Huh?
She turned him into an actual piece of luggage and is carrying him around?
That’s a genius idea!
No wonder you’re ranked first.
Oh, right!
I have something to show you, Iris!
Check this out!
These are all the bracelets from the students we eliminated.
Cool, right?”
Pai grinned as he proudly displayed a string of wooden beads, each one attached to a bracelet taken from fallen students.
Even though not all of them were necessarily from top-ranked students, the sheer number alone was enough to prove just how dangerous these twins were.
Pai, born with A-rank Fire Magic.
Yui, born with A-rank Ice Magic.
In some ways, their natural talent even surpassed Iris’, allowing them to enroll in the academy at an accelerated pace.
However, despite their remarkable skills, they were still children.
I figured there was a chance we could talk our way out of this fight—at least, that’s what I hoped.
But then Pai suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“Oh, right! I should thank you, Iris! Because of that weird stunt you pulled during the Pantheon Induction Ceremony, I was able to make a contract with the Sun Guide! And guess what? That Sun Guide is really eager for a fight with you!”
“Honestly, I’d lose for sure in a 1v1… but the sun is shining bright right now, and Yui is here with me, so…”
“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of fighting you two. You’re still young. The idea of using violence against children… it’s just not something I can accept.”
“That’s what all the older students said before we took them down.”
Pai smirked.
“If you really think that way, then you should be stronger than us, right? But you know what? After contracting with the Sun Guide, I’ve gotten way stronger too!”
“So let’s settle this. Let’s see who’s stronger—no more talking!”
Swoosh!
BOOM!
Without another word, the battle began.
Pai suddenly dashed forward at an incredible speed, swinging down a hammer so massive that it looked like something meant for demolishing concrete buildings rather than simple carpentry.
Even at a glance, the hammer was far too heavy for a child like Pai to wield so effortlessly.
Which could only mean one thing—Pai was currently under the Sun’s Blessing, his physical abilities massively enhanced by the Celestial Sun Guide.
Yet, Iris proved that all her training had not been in vain.
She caught the hammer’s impact with the tip of her foot, redirected its force, and then pushed forward with strength, disarming Pai in a single fluid motion.
But the true danger of the Pai-Yui duo had only just begun.
The moment Pai lost his hammer, he snapped his fingers.
BOOM!
An explosion erupted exactly where Iris had been standing just a second ago.
At the same time, Yui froze the valley water, conjuring dozens of sharp ice shards that locked onto Iris, relentlessly pursuing her evasive maneuvers.
“We won!”
“No, we didn’t, you idiot. You didn’t even hit her once.”
Just as Yui pointed out, Iris was completely unharmed.
She had instinctively wrapped Aura around her feet and used the force of the explosion as a launchpad, effortlessly dodging every single attack.
There was no doubt—Pai and Yui were an incredibly powerful duo.
But if Iris fought seriously, she could definitely win.
The real problem was that Iris had no intention of fighting seriously.
Pai and Yui weren’t like Headmaster Dragos, who merely looked young but was actually a thousand-year-old dragon.
They were real children.
And Iris, being who she was, couldn’t bring herself to use excessive force against them.
The ideal approach was to subdue them without causing injury and simply destroy their bracelets.
But that was easier said than done—because Pai and Yui’s firepower was just too overwhelming.
“These damn little brats… Acting like fearless puppies that don’t even know to fear a tiger.”
“Iris-nuna, when are you going to show us the power of your new Celestial? Just using martial arts is kinda boring, so show us something cool!”
“It looks like you can’t fight properly because of the burden on your back. Why don’t you just set it down?
We’re not the type of people who would attack a weak partner just to win.
We just want to test our strength against you, that’s all.”
“Are you really not going to attack Kim Sunghoon?”
“Of course not. I swear it on the name of my Celestial— The Snow Woman of Eternal Frost.”
Swearing on a Celestial’s name meant they genuinely had no intention of attacking a partner.
So, Iris set down the carrier.
But contrary to the oath, Yui immediately froze the valley water, seemingly preparing an attack.
Or so I thought.
Instead, she constructed an ice wall, shielding me from the aftermath of their battles.
With everything now set in motion, flames and frost swirled violently around Pai and Yui as they unleashed their full power.
Realizing that words alone wouldn’t resolve this, Iris immediately moved to counterattack.
All I could do was helplessly watch.
But as time passed, Iris started to get pushed back little by little, and I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease.
‘Pai’s physical abilities are getting stronger.
Could it be because noon is approaching?
If that’s the case, we need to do something before he reaches his peak.’
The fact that a snot-nosed brat could fight Iris on equal footing in close combat (even if Iris was probably holding back) was proof enough.
The Celestial Sun Guide was powerful enough to justify its arrogance.
But that didn’t mean it was without weaknesses.
With that thought, I returned my focus to Kim Sunghoon’s body and spoke to Byakuya.
“Byakuya, I’ll pay the karma, so use a rain-summoning spell.”
How much rain do you need?
If you’re planning to cause a great flood and submerge the entire valley, the karma you possess won’t be enough.
“No, I don’t need that much.
I just need a brief fox rain that can block the sun—even if it’s only for 10 seconds.”
If that’s all, it’s not difficult.
Lend me control of your body for a moment.
As if such a spell was nothing but a simple trick, Byakuya casually placed my right hand near my lips and began chanting a mysterious incantation.
Then, behind me, several sheets of paper emerged, quickly forming into teru teru bozu dolls.
However, these teru teru bozu were not smiling.
They were crying.
And instead of hanging normally, they were upside down, as if standing on their heads.
Their eerie appearance sent a chill down my spine.
But the effect was undeniable.
Despite the sky being clear without a single cloud, dark storm clouds suddenly gathered, and soon.
Raindrops began to fall.
Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly shifted my focus back to Iris and spoke.
“Iris, the sunlight will be blocked for 10 seconds.
Take advantage of it to subdue Pai and destroy his bracelet.
We don’t have time to waste on these kids.
We need to claim the remaining fortunes for ourselves.”
“Understood.”
“Iris-nuna, what are you spacing out for?
You still have to play with me—ah?!”
The moment the sun’s blessing disappeared, Pai could no longer support the weight of his massive war hammer.
And collapsed under its weight.
Iris wasted no time.
She swiftly pinned Pai down and ripped off his bracelet with brute force.
CRACK!
Even Iris must have been irritated by Pai’s reckless charges, as he stubbornly rushed in without considering that she was holding back because he was just a child.
“Pai, you idiot! Because of you, I’m getting eliminated too!
Even if you had the Sun’s Blessing, what the hell made you think you could just charge at Iris unprepared?
I couldn’t even attack properly because of you!”
“What are you talking about?I was holding the front line so you could attack freely, Yui!”
“Pai, Yui, the fight is over.
Now, can you leave this place?
Instructor Maxim will be here soon to retrieve you.
You can get your feedback on the battle from him later.”
Even Pai and Yui, who usually ran wild without a care, shut their mouths at the mention of Maxim.
This was precisely why having a strict, no-nonsense instructor like Maxim was necessary.
Even if his teaching methods were harsh, they clearly left an impression.