Raziel Phoenix's instincts screamed danger.

Ray didn't rush at his opponent. He didn't provoke him either with nonsensical movements or words. He simply adjusted the net, step by step, calmly waiting.

In his heart, Ray knew the truth. Raziel Phoenix and Leiza were worlds apart. With rank 18 soul power, Raziel Phoenix could afford patience. If this dragged on, Ray would be the first to run dry.

Yet Ray wasn't anxious.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the golden scales to appear again.

Raziel Phoenix circled him three full rounds before suddenly exploding forward like lightning.

Silverfalls Vine surged outward in response, sealing the path instantly.

Raziel Phoenix slashed.

Pu!

The Light Dragon Dagger struck the grass. A ring of light rippled outward, blue waves spreading through the woven net. The attack was blocked cleanly, but Ray felt his soul power dip noticeably.

Alfred's brows lifted slightly.

That strike alone was enough to show that this Silverfalls Vine was anything but ordinary.

Raziel Phoenix retreated immediately after the failed strike, widening the distance again.

Ray didn't chase. He knew better. Raziel Phoenix's speed was terrifying, and a single opening would be enough for him to appear at Ray's side in an instant.

This time, Raziel Phoenix was patient. Very patient.

He circled, probed, struck lightly, then withdrew. Over and over again.

Gradually, a smile crept onto Raziel Phoenix's face.

Ray's soul power was only rank 11.

No matter how extraordinary his Silverfalls Vine was, the gap was too large. As long as he drained Ray's soul power, victory was inevitable.

Alfred remained motionless, arms crossed, observing without a word.

Finally, Ray felt it.

His soul power was nearing exhaustion.

He had no choice but to withdraw the Silverfalls Vine.

That instant was all Raziel Phoenix needed.

His body flickered, and he was suddenly beside Ray, dagger flashing toward him.

Dodging was impossible.

But—

Ding!

A crisp metallic note rang out as sparks flew.

Raziel Phoenix's dagger stopped short.

Ray's right hammer was already there, blocking the strike perfectly.

Raziel Phoenix's pupils shrank.

He spun instantly and slashed again.

Dang!

The second hammer rose in perfect timing, intercepting the blow.

"How…?" Raziel Phoenix stared in disbelief. How can he be this fast?

Was he pretending all along? Acting weak to lure me in?

Ray's eyes had narrowed, his mind entering a strange clarity.

He had been thinking nonstop during the match.

Speed.

That was the problem.

Against an Agility System Battle Soul Master, his body would never keep up. Control or strength alone wouldn't be enough.

Golden scales were unreliable.

Then the answer had come to him.

His body wasn't fast.

But his hands were.

Forging.

For three years, his world had been hammers and metal. Swinging, striking, adjusting by instinct. His hammers were extensions of himself, responding faster than thought.

With the heavy Heavy Silver Hammers, speed wasn't possible.

But these—

These Thousand Refined Tungsten Hammers were lighter. Faster. Perfect.

If he treated Raziel Phoenix like a piece of metal…

Then all he needed to do- was to forge him.

That was exactly what Ray did.

In his eyes, Raziel Phoenix was no longer a person.

He was metal.

A piece of metal waiting to be forged.

As that thought took root, Ray's mind emptied. The noise of the battlefield faded away, replaced by the familiar stillness he had known for years in the forge. Breath steady, thoughts cleared, his consciousness slipped into that strange, focused state where nothing existed except the work before him.

Raziel Phoenix's movements, once dizzying and hard to track, slowed.

Every step. Every shift of weight. Every flicker of intent became clear.

The Thousand Refined Tungsten Hammers moved.

Clang! Clang!

Two precise swings each time, neither rushed nor wasted, intercepting Raziel Phoenix's attacks with uncanny accuracy. The rhythm was identical to forging, the cadence drilled into Ray's bones after countless hours at the anvil.

Before Raziel Phoenix could even initiate his third move, a violent gust of wind blasted toward him.

Ray swung.

The hammer cut through the air with an ear-splitting howl, its weight evident from sound alone.

Raziel Phoenix dodged in alarm.

But Ray did not stop.

The hammers unfolded into a storm.

Wu—wu—wu!

Each strike crashed down like thunder, pulverizing the ground and sending dust flying. The relentless barrage forced Raziel Phoenix into constant retreat, his footing unsteady under the pressure.

Raziel Phoenix did not dare meet the blows head-on with his Light Dragon Dagger.

As an Agility System Battle Soul Master, he knew better. Against pure, overwhelming strength like this, blocking was a losing gamble. One miscalculation and his bones would shatter.

With a flicker of movement, he pulled away and widened the distance.

Ray did not chase.

He stopped his hammering, shoulders rising and falling, eyes locked firmly on Raziel Phoenix. He knew his limits. Speed was not his domain.

Damn it! Raziel Phoenix cursed inwardly, his gaze sharpening.

His expression grew solemn.

The Light Dragon Dagger trembled faintly in his hand as he raised his left arm. In an instant, his aura changed. His entire body surged with renewed vigor.

With a light tap of his toes, he exploded upward.

Whoosh!

He shot into the air, afterimages trailing behind him as his speed increased by at least thirty percent.

Ray raised both hammers instinctively.

Midair, Raziel Phoenix lightly tapped one of the tungsten hammers with his dagger, borrowing its momentum. Twisting his body, he redirected that force and struck with his left hand.

Pu!

Pain exploded across Ray's back as a fresh wound opened.

The sudden agony snapped him out of his forging trance. He staggered, a burning sensation spreading across his spine. Yet within that pain, something else stirred.

Heat.

A familiar, scorching warmth surged from his spine and flowed into his body.

Ray's shock turned to delight.

The golden scales? Are they coming out again? So it's true… they only appear when I'm injured?

But before the heat could swell further, it vanished.

No eruption.

No transformation.

No golden scales.

Everything returned to normal in an instant.

"Stop!"

Alfred appeared between them like a phantom, his voice cutting through the tension.

"Raziel Phoenix wins."

Raziel Phoenix froze for a heartbeat, then exhaled deeply. Relief flooded his face, followed by uncontrollable joy. Tears welled up in his eyes.

He had finally won.

Yet confusion lingered. Why hadn't Ray's golden scales appeared? Was he hiding them again? Or was he truly unable to control them?

Alfred turned to Raziel Phoenix. "You are responsible for getting Ray a new uniform."

"Eh?"

Raziel Phoenix's smile instantly collapsed.

I won… didn't I? Shouldn't I be rewarded?

Darkness descended upon his world.

Why does this guy always cost me money!?

Alfred ignored his silent suffering and faced the class.

"The competition is over. You have all seen the results. What do you feel?"

He answered his own question without pause.

"Rotten wood cannot be carved."

The words struck like ice.

"It is no mystery why you were all assigned to Class Five. You are trash. However, even scrap iron can be tempered."

His gaze swept across the students.

"Look at Ray. What is his martial soul? Silverfalls Vine. A universally acknowledged trash martial soul. Yet he reached the finals and nearly won."

I did win… Raziel Phoenix mourned silently.

Alfred continued unperturbed. "He relied not only on his martial soul, but on his physical strength. Some say physical power is only useful at the early stages and becomes irrelevant later."

He paused.

"Then tell me. How many of you will reach the stage where you possess a second soul skill? A third? A fourth? Before dreaming of many soul skills, ask yourselves if you can even survive that far."

"As Mecha Masters, soul power alone is no longer the sole standard. With energy-storage soul tools, even ordinary people can pilot mecha. But without a strong body, you will shatter under the impact of combat."

His voice grew colder.

"Starting tomorrow, those with weak martial souls will undergo physical training with me in the mornings. Theory and knowledge in the afternoons."

"This morning's class ends here. Reflect on what you have seen. This afternoon, I will teach meditation. Dismissed."

It was the longest speech Alfred had given so far, yet it felt less like a lecture and more like an unyielding statement of truth.

"Raziel Phoenix. Ray. Follow me."

He turned and walked toward the Academic Building.

Raziel Phoenix's eyes lit up briefly.

A reward?

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