Skyfrost Sword.

That was the name of his martial soul.

It had been far too long since he last summoned it. Long ago, he had condensed his spiritual power into this blade, refining it until sword and will were nearly one. Its reappearance felt like meeting an old companion after years of separation.

For the first time, the cold indifference on Alfred's face softened. There was a trace of foolish tenderness in his gaze, as if he were looking at a beloved partner rather than a weapon.

"Hou—!"

Eren suddenly roared at the heavens.

He had been forced into a corner.

If he retreated now, in front of all his subordinates, how could he ever command them again? Pride, authority, and survival demanded that he fight.

His first soul ring flared brilliantly.

Metallic light exploded across his body as Armored Dragon Body activated. His already massive form surged with power.

With a violent push of his left foot, Eren shot forward like a hurricane, the ground cracking beneath him. At his level, both speed and strength were terrifying beyond reason.

His enormous fist swung upward, carrying the force of a collapsing mountain. If it struck, death would be inevitable.

"Teacher, be careful!" Ray shouted from afar.

Alfred finally moved.

His right wrist rotated gently.

In an instant, all six soul rings vanished from the Skyfrost Sword. He raised the blade calmly, its tip meeting Eren's fist head-on.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding…

Crisp, brittle sounds rang out in rapid succession.

At the very first note, Eren's overwhelming momentum halted abruptly. With each following chime, metallic scales were torn from his body, scattering through the air. By the final sound, even his formidable physique was forced back a full step.

Eren tried to roar, to surge his soul power higher, to unleash another soul skill—

But the moment Skyfrost Sword touched his fist, icy sword qi pierced into his body like a needle, racing along his veins. It forced him to divert all his soul power merely to suppress it.

How could he activate a soul skill under such conditions?

Seven crisp notes echoed.

Seven steps back.

And yet, Alfred had only executed a single sword strike.

A pale blue radiance burst forth from Alfred's body. His imposing aura condensed into something sharp and absolute.

His deep green eyes suddenly turned purple.

A cold, terrifying light bloomed from his pupils as he thrust forward with the Skyfrost Sword.

The motion was simple. Almost careless.

From beginning to end, his gaze never left the blade.

Yet at that instant, Eren felt as though his body had been ignited by freezing fire. Countless strands of extreme cold sword qi erupted inside him. His thoughts slowed. His blood began to freeze.

Worst of all, the martial soul he had relied on his entire life… failed him.

It was as though the Armored Dragon had abandoned him completely.

At last, Eren's thousand-year purple python spirit soul stirred. Its massive body expanded explosively, silver scales bursting forth as its tail whipped sideways toward Alfred in a desperate attempt to save its master.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

Alfred did not dodge.

He did not even shift his stance.

Azure light surged upward as the purple glow in his eyes intensified. His entire body seemed to merge with his sword, becoming a blade identical to Skyfrost Sword itself.

The python's tail struck the tip of that blade.

Chi.

A soft sound.

Purple light flashed—then was cleanly severed.

The spirit soul shrieked in agony as its luster dimmed, retreating in fear. In that same instant, the Skyfrost Sword had already reached Eren.

Eren clenched his teeth.

He could no longer draw on his martial soul. The tyrannical, freezing sword qi had severed his connection completely. In the end, all he could do was raise both hands and pour every last shred of soul power into his palms.

Pu.

The blue blade stopped.

It halted just in front of Eren's nose.

Yet the icy aura surrounding it formed a net of invisible swords, an unmistakable aura of death that enveloped his entire body. His palms were pierced, frozen into the same pale blue color as the Skyfrost Sword.

"Y-your eyes…" Eren trembled, voice shaking with fear more than cold. "You're… from that place…"

Alfred replied indifferently, "I was expelled from there because of my temper."

He lowered the sword slightly.

"So don't let me see you again."

The blue light vanished.

A stream of icy energy flowed back into Alfred's body. The Skyfrost Sword disappeared without a trace. He had already turned around, walking calmly back toward West Ocean Academy.

The chilling sword enregyer embedded within Eren's body followed him, drawn back as though obeying its master.

White robes.

Blue sword.

Sky-frosted ice and snow.

Alfred.

When Alfred vanished from sight, the entire area fell into a dead silence, as if every sound had been frozen solid.

Whether they were teachers or students of West Ocean Academy, or the hardened Mecha Masters of the mecha brigade, what they had just witnessed was far too shocking.

This had been a clash between six-ring Soul Emperors.

They had seen a thousand-year spirit soul. They had even seen ten-thousand-year soul rings. Yet what left everyone bewildered was this:

Both sides stood at the same cultivation level.

So why had Alfred defeated Eren in two sword strikes?

Eren was the captain of the mecha brigade, a veteran forged through countless battles. His cultivation, experience, and resolve should not have been lacking in the slightest. Even accounting for Alfred's superior soul rings, the gap should not have been so overwhelming.

The only explanations were frightening ones.

Either their martial souls existed on entirely different planes…

Or Alfred's combat realm, comprehension, and battle experience had surpassed Eren by an unimaginable margin.

"Prince Charming—!"

A shrill cry suddenly pierced the silence.

In the next instant, West Ocean Academy erupted into a roaring sea of cheers. Students from both the intermediate and advanced divisions shouted Alfred's name with feverish enthusiasm. The voices of Class Five were the loudest of all.

Every student from Class Five stood tall, faces flushed, chests puffed out with pride.

Most of them had never felt good about being assigned to the lowest-ranked class. Yet this single battle had filled them with an indescribable sense of honor. Their teacher was that strong.

Among the teachers, Claire stared after Alfred, her beautiful eyes dazed. She murmured softly, "Sister… I didn't like him at first. Too cold, too distant. Even if he was handsome, he felt like ice. But now… I think I've fallen for him. He's so handsome that his flaws don't even matter anymore."

Standing beside her was a woman of similar age, her features closely resembling Claire's. Her eyes were also unfocused, filled with complicated emotions.

"Six rings," she said quietly. "He really has six rings. I once thought I still had a chance to surpass him… to get my revenge. But now, it seems impossible. From what he showed today, he could probably defeat a seven-ring Soul Sage. There's no doubt he's from that place."

Claire turned to her sister and forced a bitter smile. "Sister, aren't you being too stubborn?"

Lara's beautiful eyes burned with fierce resolve. "No one has ever rejected me. He was the first. He will pay for that."

*

Eren stood rooted to the spot for more than ten minutes.

Only then did the biting cold within his body slowly fade. His pulse steadied. His soul power and martial soul gradually returned.

Blood began dripping from both of his palms.

He lowered his gaze to his injured hands, fear flashing through his eyes.

That man… is terrifying.

He's definitely not an ordinary figure.

"Captain, what should we do?" A valiant subordinate hurried over, lowering his voice. "Should we activate our soul devices and mechas?"

Eren raised his hand and struck him aside. "Are you stupid? If you want to die, don't drag me with you! It's already hard enough to clean up today's mess. If we activate our mechas here, do you think we'll survive? Withdraw. Now!"

He let out a deep sigh and looked toward the stretcher where Sebastian lay motionless.

If this had been anyone else, he would never have interfered. He knew all too well that this matter would eventually reach the Administrative Department of West Ocean City.

But this was his younger brother.

Eren had always doted on him.

Eren had been gifted with extraordinary strength since childhood. Sebastian possessed similar talent, but their family simply couldn't support two cultivators. Even though Sebastian performed well at the academy, he couldn't afford to fuse with a spirit soul, and his progress was delayed again and again.

Eren had done everything he could to help his brother. Yet by the time Sebastian finally fused with a spirit soul, he had already missed the best cultivation window.

That guilt had never left Eren's heart.

Sebastian had gradually given up on himself, collecting protection fees, drinking, and getting into fights, turning into a petty criminal. With Eren backing him, he became a lawless existence in West Ocean City.

When Sebastian was beaten so badly, Eren's fury exploded. He brought his men to stir up trouble—only to get his head into an immovable steel wall.

*

Ray, Raziel Phoenix, and Lily were escorted back to their dormitories by a wave of ice-cold soul power.

"Return and continue training," Alfred said flatly, his tone as cold as ever.

"Teacher… aren't you going to punish us?" Ray couldn't help asking. After all, they were the root cause of this mess.

Alfred shot him a brief glance. "Did you do anything wrong? Why would I punish you? Return and train. From now on, none of you is allowed to leave the academy at night. That includes rest days."

"Yes!"

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