But he wisely kept that thought to himself.

Rachel pinched his cheeks again, clearly enjoying herself. Bullying him is way more fun than being cold, she decided.

Soon, they reached the academy. Ray fled back to his dorm, rubbing his aching cheeks as Rachel's witch-like laughter echoed behind him.

*

"The Skysea Alliance Tournament?"

Ray mentioned it during lunch.

Raziel Phoenix's eyes instantly lit up.

Ray hadn't realized just how much Raziel Phoenix knew about the tournament…

"That's incredible!" Raziel Phoenix exclaimed, eyes shining. "There are eighteen first-class cities in the federation, divided into five regions: north, east, south, west, and center. Each region has several major cities, but the center only has two: Heaven Dou City and Central City. Even though there are fewer, those two alone make up for it with sheer influence."

He grew more animated as he spoke. "Our western region actually has five first-class coastal cities. Together, they form the Skysea Alliance, and West Ocean City ranks second among them."

"The Skysea Alliance Tournament is held once every three years," Raziel Phoenix continued. "Its purpose is to scout geniuses and evaluate the strength and development of each city. Anyone who shines there is basically guaranteed a bright future. The most outstanding participants might even be selected to represent the Skysea Alliance in the federation-wide tournament held every five years. That's a real continental event!"

He stared at Ray as if seeing an alien. "Don't tell me you've seriously never heard of this?"

Ray scratched his head awkwardly. "I… really haven't."

Who would talk about something like that in a small place like Ironspire City? Even if someone had, he would've been too young to remember.

"Isn't the federation tournament usually held in Central City?" Violetta asked, staring at Ray as he calmly swept another plate of food clean.

"That's right," Raziel Phoenix replied. "And luckily, Central Academy doesn't participate. Otherwise, there'd be no suspense at all. They've been the number one academy on the continent for ten thousand years."

Violetta's eyes lit up. "Then doesn't that mean we actually have a chance?"

Her enthusiasm instantly deflated Raziel Phoenix. "A chance? We're too young. I looked this up ages ago. The federation tournament is next year. We'll only be eleven. That puts us in the ten-to-fifteen division, competing against the greatest geniuses on the entire continent. And that's only if we even qualify. To do that, we'd need to place in the top six of our age group at this year's Skysea Alliance Tournament."

He sighed dramatically. "By the next federation tournament, we'll be sixteen and shoved into the fifteen-to-twenty division. Doing well then would be a miracle. We were born at the wrong time."

Ray swallowed another bite of food and said calmly, "Don't stress about rankings. As long as we gain experience and learn something, that's enough. You don't always need to win."

Lily spoke up coolly. "Who said eleven-year-olds can't be champions? If you don't believe in yourself, who will? If you're going to do something, then do it properly."

After saying that, she stood up and returned her tray.

Raziel Phoenix curled his lips. "She says that like we're definitely entering the Skysea Alliance Tournament. Isn't Ray the only one actually participating?"

Ray didn't even respond. Today's food was just too good.

Seafood flooded his senses with flavor, and a warm current spread through his body as it settled in his stomach. He'd grown up by the sea, but he'd never tasted seafood like this before.

After lunch, the four gathered to discuss Alfred's strength and possible tactics.

As for defeating Alfred?

None of them even dared to think about it.

Their only goal was to survive for as long as possible.

Ray felt more confident than ever about the upcoming combat training. His Silverfalls Vine had undergone a qualitative transformation after reaching the thousand-year level, and Gold, the grass snake, could finally play an active role in battle. Without Gold, the grass snake, earlier, he would've been too busy dealing with Lily's explosive fusion attack to defend against her follow-up.

In his eyes, Lily's greatest strength lay in her control over space. Teleportation allowed her to dominate positioning and unleash endlessly shifting tactics.

After much discussion, they arrived at a simple conclusion.

Only teamwork could prolong their survival.

"Violetta," Ray said, turning to her. "You mentioned you're stronger at night. Can you show us after dinner?"

Violetta hesitated for a moment. "Alright."

Her family had repeatedly warned her not to expose her unusual ability, but during the day, she felt utterly powerless beside these monsters. Staying in class zero depended on earning recognition.

If I don't show my strength, how can I stand alongside them? Observation alone won't be enough.

*

Night soon fell.

The four of them walked toward a small grove at the edge of the training fields.

Ray, Raziel Phoenix, and Lily were all curious about what would change once night arrived. Across the Douluo Continent, bizarre martial souls existed in endless variety. Lily's six-element control alone was proof of that. So just how special was Violetta's?

Inside the dim grove, Lily raised her hand, releasing a radiant golden glow that illuminated their surroundings.

Anticipation bubbled in Raziel Phoenix's chest. Doing mysterious things in a forest at night naturally stirred the imagination.

Violetta stepped forward and lifted her gaze to the sky. The canopy here was sparse, allowing starlight to pour down unhindered.

The stars glittered softly.

She nodded. "I'm starting."

A yellow soul ring rose beneath her feet as she raised her hand. A slender ice staff materialized in her grasp.

Lily's golden light brushed over the staff, coating it in a sacred, luminous sheen.

Violetta's expression grew solemn. She lifted the staff higher, light bursting from her eyes.

"Stars of the heavens, eternal and tranquil, grant me your strength! My starwheel!"

At her call, the tip of the staff flared. A golden beam descended from the sky.

An orb of light formed at the staff's tip, then rapidly transformed into a six-pointed golden star.

Ray's breath caught.

A variant martial soul?

And one that could be controlled?

Violetta's aura changed instantly. The timid girl vanished, replaced by confidence and purity under the starlight. A faint golden star appeared on her forehead, and specks of starlight clung to her soul ring.

With a flick of her staff, the starwheel shot forward and embedded itself at Raziel Phoenix's feet.

In that instant, his body stiffened. A bone-chilling cold flooded him, locking his movements.

The starwheel flared, then exploded into icy shackles that bound him in place.

Raziel Phoenix hurriedly circulated his soul power, but his expression changed. Some kind of mysterious seal was slowing his circulation.

"This…" he gasped.

Violetta's face paled slightly as she turned to Ray. "At night, I can draw power from the starwheel. That's why my martial soul is called the Starwheel Ice Staff. It's different from my brother's ice staff. This is a special variant martial soul passed down through my clan. It hasn't awakened in hundreds of years."

She took a slow breath. "The starwheel grows alongside me, and whatever spirit soul I fuse with will influence it. But I can only unleash its true power at night. During the day, I'm just an ordinary ice-attribute Soul Master. At night, I'm blessed by the stars."

"The starwheel isn't an ice attribute. It's astrological. It draws power directly from the heavens. The most terrifying aspect of this attribute… is its absoluteness."

Her gaze sharpened. "With my current strength, I can seal one person for at least one second. Longer, if they're weaker."

The grove fell silent.

How terrifyingly absolute.

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