Raziel Phoenix's dagger stabbed straight into it.

Then his expression froze.

An invisible force pressed in from both sides, like a raging gale. His Light Dragon Dagger stopped dead in midair, unable to advance even an inch.

Before he could react, the green light abruptly turned red.

A fist-sized fireball appeared directly in front of his face.

At that instant, Raziel Phoenix's instincts screamed.

He twisted violently in midair, his waist snapping sideways as his body spun.

The fireball skimmed past his face, scorching a few strands of hair before blasting into the ground behind him.

The moment his feet touched down, Raziel Phoenix kicked off again, retreating at full speed.

In just a few breaths, he had opened a distance of over twenty meters.

He stared at Lily, his expression now grave.

What was that power just now?

Lily, meanwhile, looked faintly surprised.

She hadn't raised her hand late due to slow reactions. She had done it deliberately, planning to end the fight in a single exchange.

She hadn't expected Raziel Phoenix to dodge.

Her sharp gaze pierced into him.

Alfred's eyes narrowed as well.

He couldn't tell what her martial soul was.

The green light had clearly been wind-element.

But that fireball was undeniably fire-element.

Twin martial souls?

If that were true, then this girl was a treasure far beyond expectations.

Raziel Phoenix took a deep breath and charged again.

This time, his speed increased even further. He didn't rush straight at her. Instead, he circled her like lightning, his figure blurring as he closed the distance from all directions at once.

Lily's yellow soul ring flickered faintly. She stood calmly in place, not even turning as Raziel Phoenix moved around her at high speed.

Five meters.

Raziel Phoenix suddenly burst forward at a slanted angle.

At that instant, his hundred-year soul ring flared brilliantly.

He slashed out with his Light Dragon Dagger.

"Roar—!"

A blade of golden light tore through the air, accompanied by a dragon's cry.

Hundred-year soul skill.

First soul skill of the Light Dragon Dagger.

Light Dragon Blade.

As the light blade flew, it grew brighter and sharper. Then, when it was less than a meter from Lily, it twisted unnaturally in midair, changing direction as if alive.

A high-class martial soul.

A powerful hundred-year soul skill.

Yet the opponent he faced today was anything but reasonable.

Just as the Light Dragon Blade was about to cut into Lily's shoulder, a streak of green light shot up to meet it.

It was another blade of light.

Green, precise, and razor-sharp.

The green blade shattered almost instantly under the Light Dragon Blade's power.

But that single moment was enough.

Lily took one step to the side.

The Light Dragon Blade sliced through empty air.

Raziel Phoenix had never expected to end the fight in a single exchange.

As his Light Dragon Blade flew toward Lily, his body followed immediately after.

While Lily shifted to evade the blade, Raziel Phoenix had already calculated the distance and timing in advance. In the next instant, he appeared at her side, dagger raised, as if she had stepped straight into his attack.

Even Alfred gave a slight nod at this maneuver.

Although Raziel Phoenix had yet to reach two rings, he had already begun to grasp the true essence of an Agility System Battle Soul Master: prediction, positioning, and killing intent woven together in a single motion.

Ray watched closely from afar. The match made him acutely aware of the vast gap between himself and Raziel Phoenix. His earlier victories had been accidents, miracles, or borrowed power.

In truth, Raziel Phoenix's real combat ability far surpassed his own.

Raziel Phoenix landed about a meter away from Lily, precisely where he intended. Close enough to attack, yet far enough to retreat. Facing such a powerful opponent was pushing him to draw out his full potential.

But Lily was far tougher than expected.

The instant Raziel's feet touched the ground, he felt a sudden pull from below. It was as if he had stepped into thick mud. He instinctively shifted his weight, preparing to spring away, but his movement turned into a grounded struggle instead.

Lily staggered slightly and leaned forward, narrowly avoiding his strike. At the same time, she flicked her wrist.

An icicle shot out.

Its target was not Raziel Phoenix himself, but the ground beneath his trapped leg.

The icicle struck the muddy patch and froze it solid. Raziel Phoenix's foot was locked in place.

Lily turned smoothly, her hand sweeping forward as a fireball formed and shot straight toward him.

At this distance, dodging was impossible.

Yet this was when Raziel Phoenix revealed his true strength.

His Light Dragon Blade flashed again, slicing cleanly through the incoming fireball.

The flames exploded into scattered sparks.

Lily raised both arms. Icicles and fireballs flew toward him in rapid succession. With only a single Light Dragon Blade, Raziel Phoenix was quickly pushed to his limits.

Still, his eyes sharpened, and his left hand lifted as a faint gleam flickered between his brows.

Though restrained in movement, he was still an Agility System Battle Soul Master with twin martial souls. Close combat was where he excelled.

Both were one-ring Soul Masters. Lily's control was terrifying, but Raziel Phoenix possessed rank 18 soul power and twin martial souls. He was confident that, even if nothing else, he could win through soul power endurance alone.

Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger appeared together.

The twin daggers danced in tandem, their strikes precise and merciless. Under the relentless pressure, Lily was forced back, her defeat seeming inevitable.

Alfred's eyes reflected complex emotions.

Raziel Phoenix had performed brilliantly, but Lily's display was equally shocking.

Ice. Fire. Earth. Wind.

She had freely manipulated four elements in the fight, blending control and offense seamlessly.

Alfred still couldn't determine the true origin of her martial soul. Yet the fact that she could wield so many elements with a single soul ring proved one thing beyond doubt.

Her martial soul was extraordinary.

A cold smile tugged at Raziel Phoenix's lips.

You're strong, but your soul power can't compare to mine. Rank 18, twin martial souls… even by consumption alone, I'll grind you down.

The frozen mud began to crack. Raziel Phoenix forced his leg free. The momentum was shifting in his favor.

Then he saw it.

A smile.

Lily's smile.

Instead of another fireball, a sphere of white light bloomed in her palm.

The light exploded.

Raziel Phoenix's vision went completely white.

Not good!

Instinctively, he slashed wildly with both daggers, unleashing a flurry of attacks to keep his opponent at bay.

"Enough. We stop here," Alfred said calmly.

Several seconds later, Raziel Phoenix's vision slowly returned, his eyes stinging and filled with tears.

"You lost," Alfred said.

Raziel Phoenix protested, "Teacher, I didn't lose! My attacks were continuous. She couldn't break through them!"

Alfred replied coldly, "You lost. While you were blindly swinging your daggers, she had already moved to your side."

Lily smiled faintly. A silver glow flickered across her body, and in the next instant, she reappeared three meters away.

Raziel Phoenix froze.

That was… spatial movement?

Lily turned to Alfred. "Teacher, am I admitted to the academy now?"

Alfred nodded. "I keep my word. But tell me, what is your background, and what martial soul do you possess?"

Lily took out a letter from her chest. "This is a recommendation letter from my elementary academy. As for my martial soul… it is called Elementalist."

Elementalist?

Alfred was stunned.

Despite his vast experience, this was the first time he had ever heard of such a martial soul.

Lily had displayed control over ice, fire, earth, wind, light, and space.

Six elements.

Even possessing a single elemental martial soul was rare. Six was almost inconceivable.

Seeing the shock in Alfred's eyes, Lily continued calmly, without concealment. "I can control all six elements, but I can't attach my soul ring to any of them. I can change and manipulate elements, but strengthening them is difficult. My first soul skill is Elemental Tide. It allows my soul power to last longer and improves my control over elemental output."

Alfred finally understood.

She didn't possess six martial souls. She had one martial soul capable of manipulating multiple elements, but without specialization. None of her elements was individually powerful. What made her terrifying was her control, her timing, and her understanding of elemental properties.

Her victory over Raziel Phoenix wasn't due to brute force, but intelligence.

Even so, her martial soul was undeniably top-tier.

Alfred nodded. "Very well. I understand now. From today onward, you are a student of First Year, Class Five."

Lily had officially joined them. "Thank you, Teacher." Lily nodded, a bright smile flickering across her face.

Alfred's expression cooled instantly. "Join them. Running is compulsory physical training. Raziel Phoenix, you as well."

Raziel Phoenix's face twisted with bitterness. "Teacher, didn't you say I'd be exempt if I fought her?"

Alfred replied flatly, "Did you win?"

"I…" Raziel Phoenix felt his chest tighten with frustration. There was no arguing with that. Against Ray, he could console himself with excuses. Against Lily, he had given everything. And still lost. Her martial soul was simply… absurd. Stranger even than his twin Dragon Daggers.

Lily only smiled. Without complaint, she jogged toward the track and seamlessly merged with the running students.

Raziel Phoenix let out a long sigh and followed, shoulders slumped.

Watching their backs, Alfred's steel-hard expression softened, just slightly. A rare smile crossed his lips before he turned and headed toward the academic building.

Lily's stride was light and rhythmic. As she caught up to Ray, she tilted her head curiously. "Why are you wrapped in iron chains?"

"To get stronger," Ray replied honestly. "The teacher set stricter standards for me. You're really amazing."

Lily shook her head with a grin. "Not really. None of my elements are strong. I just control them well. Martial souls aren't that different from each other. With enough soul power and proper understanding, any soul can surprise you."

Ray's heart stirred.

Control…

"Your waist doesn't hurt after all that standing and lecturing?" Raziel Phoenix's lazy voice drifted in from Ray's other side. Without weights and after resting, he looked far more relaxed. "Who can control a martial soul in as many ways as you?"

Lily glanced at him calmly. "That's because you don't fully understand your own."

Raziel Phoenix bristled. "And how do you know that?"

Lily replied lightly, "You just lost. Isn't that enough proof?"

"I—!"

Raziel Phoenix nearly choked. Since entering this academy, everything had gone wrong. Worst class. Constant defeats. And now even a new girl was stepping on his pride.

Alfred entered the school building. Classes were still ongoing, leaving the hallways eerily quiet.

Reaching the teaching office, he paused, then knocked.

"Come in," Aaron's voice sounded.

Alfred stepped inside.

Aaron sat behind his desk, clearly in a foul mood. He had been wrestling with how to deal with Alfred all morning. Punish him? Impossible. Expel him? Laughable. The man had already been relegated to Class Five. What more could be done?

When he looked up and saw Alfred, his expression froze.

"Teacher," Aaron said coolly. "What brings you here?"

Alfred walked forward, stopped, and bowed.

"I'm here to apologize, Director."

Silence.

If Aaron's irritation had been a simmering pot, it now exploded into disbelief.

An apology? From Alfred?

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