Chapter 68 : But i am Honored to have you my student . IRUMA

The canopy above Block 4 was thick, heavy with mist, and the ground cracked from scattered magic trails. Several students crept through the underbrush, weapons drawn, eyes focused—not on Boss-class beasts, but on a single target: Iruma Suzuki.

Above the area, Professors Dali, Suzy, and Balam hovered in projection form, magical eyes surveying the event.

"Block 4 is... rather chaotic," Suzy murmured as she stirred her tea, amused.

"There's no clear leader yet."

Balam folded his arms, his expression serious.

"They're all converging on one student… Iruma. But why? He is strong through"

Dali raised a brow, leaning into the projection.

"He must be hiding something. No demon attracts this much attention without reason. Or maybe he is Quite famous."

--

Meanwhile, in the Depths of Block 4

Iruma stood still, hand lightly grazing the bow now secured on his back. The whispers of leaves underfoot surrounded him—he wasn't alone. His senses, honed through Sasuke's intuition and battle instinct, could feel the eyes watching.

They're all trying to eliminate me early… But why?

His Sharingan pulsed crimson, spinning softly. In tandem, a faint ripple flickered through his Six Paths Rinnegan.

A flash of movement.

Four students lunged in unison.

Before the first spell could be cast, Iruma vanished.

Amenotejikara.

He reappeared behind them, expression calm, lips pressed in a tight line.

"I don't want to fight you. But I'm not going to lose either."

The ambushers turned in shock—only to be met with a wave of compressed wind pressure. Iruma had drawn a flaming arrow into his ring-forged bow and fired into the air. The explosion split the clouds overhead.

"If you're serious about taking me out, come at me properly, Although i may not need to use my full power." Iruma said, voice low, commanding.

--

Flashback – The Resolve Forged in Shadows

As Jazz and Allocer watched their ill-gotten spoils pile up, they thought back to the hellish weeks under Furfur.

The adult club had been a haven of illusion—seductive lights, smooth jazz, whispered negotiations. But behind it, there had been long hours of work, swindles, and exhaustion. Every day, they were taught how to smile when frustrated, how to bow when angry, how to bluff when cornered.

"We were being polished," Allocer muttered, arms crossed now in the present.

"Polished like gemstones, even if Furfur's hands were rough."

Jazz leaned against a tree, staring down at the map.

"Still can't believe I didn't catch his coin trick. Not until we turned it on him…"

He remembered the patrons' laughter, the pride in Furfur's eye… and the sting of still losing.

He already had the real coin in the other hand. He cheated before the game even began.

But something shifted in them that day—not just spite, but ambition.

"Let's beat this whole damn festival," Jazz had said.

"And next time… we take Furfur's coin with pride," Allocer finished.

--

Back to Block 4 – Rising Tension

The trees burst open as more students closed in on Iruma. They'd heard the blast. They wanted the points. Iruma, still holding back, gritted his teeth.

I can't go all-out… not yet.

The sound of movement from above. He looked up—

Three arrows shot downward. Iruma spun, fire in his eyes, lightning forming around his hand.

Chidori Senbon—crackling needles of raw electricity shot upward, exploding the arrows mid-air.

But then—

A student activated a manipulation spell, redirecting a new barrage of arrows in mid-flight. Iruma's eyes widened.

"Not again—!"

He jumped, but this time he felt the sting—an arrow grazed his shoulder. Blood, just a little.

Iruma landed hard. He reached up, steadying himself. But even then—

I won't fall.

His chakra surged. His bow glowed, black and red, and his arrow formed—this time imbued with gravity magic. He fired it straight into the enemy's trajectory—counteracting the pull.

The arrows were blocked. But the impact left him shaken.

Observers' Reactions

Suzy gasped.

"He's using gravity-based magic… that's a basic demon magic casting. So beautiful ."

Dali smiled faintly.

"It's something entirely different."

Balam whispered under his breath.

"He's adapting on instinct. And that bow… that's no ordinary summon. When i see it's keep reminding me Bachiko."

--

Final Word – Bachiko's Judgment

Far from the battle zone, Bachiko sat atop a high rock with a spy glass, observing Iruma's progress. Her sharp eyes caught the techniques he used—lightning, fire, space-jumping, gravity-infused shots.

"Tch… impressive."

She folded her arms.

"He's terrifying with that bow, even though it's not traditional. He's using everything at once—fire, lightning, displacement, and more."

She thought back to their training—how much he struggled, how unsure he was.

"But it's still just arrows. He's not a true archer yet," she said softly to herself.

"If he went all-out, maybe I'd lose. But this is a bow battle. I still win. But i am Honored to have you my student . IRUMA"

Yet… her heart beat just a bit faster.

That boy... might just surpass me in bow someday.

---

The sun—or whatever passed for it in the Netherworld—rose weakly over Block 4, filtering through the thick trees and illuminating a layer of faint mist that clung to the ground like a warning.

As the chime signaling the second day echoed through the forest, several students groaned from within their campsites. Exhausted, burned out, or nursing wounds—half the participants had barely made it through the night.

But two students stood tall—one gleaming with resolve, the other bracing for chaos.

"Alright, let's GO!" Lied declared, pumping both fists into the air.

Iruma blinked in surprise. "You're… oddly energetic today, Lied."

"Of course! We're at zero points, dude! This is when the comeback starts!" he said, already pulling his scavenging bag over his shoulder.

"We're gonna climb all the way to the top and grab the Legend Leaf!"

Iruma flinched, suddenly pale.

...We're at zero?

He froze, staring at Lied.

Wait. No. I ate almost all the ingredients yesterday when I thought it was regular hotpot food!

"U-uh… Lied…" Iruma stammered, sweat trailing down his temple.

"Huh?"

"About our points… I-I think I… might have…"

But Lied wasn't listening. He was too fired up.

"No need to explain, Iru-bro!" he said with a smug grin. "I get it. You're saving your energy. You already know how to get the Legend Leaf, don't you? That's why you've been so chill!"

No, you really don't get it.

Iruma sighed inwardly, clutching the strap of his bow.

"We really should—"

"Don't worry, I'll follow your lead!" Lied interrupted again, sparkling with confidence. "I'm lucky to be paired with someone like you! You attract enemies and luck like a magnet, bro!"

That… was not entirely wrong.

In fact, as if on cue, movement echoed in the distance. Iruma's eyes sharpened. Three shadows flickered through the mist.

"Get ready," Iruma said calmly, drawing his bow.

As soon as the first spell was fired, Iruma vanished in a blink—Amenotejikara—and reappeared behind one of the students. He knocked them down with the back of his fist before jumping to dodge a fireball, twisting mid-air, releasing an arrow infused with wind.

The second opponent was blown away.

Lied gawked from behind a bush. "…Dang. Maybe I am lucky…"

But then Iruma landed, panting slightly. His fingers tightened around the bowstring.

"Lied," he said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to Kamui."

Lied blinked. "Huh? Kamui? Why? What for?"

Iruma glanced down the path, where the trees grew stranger, more twisted. His Sharingan spun once, then faded.

"For some reason…" he murmured, "…I think he might know something about the Legend Leaf."

Lied tilted his head. "...Our kamui?"

"Exactly." Iruma's voice dropped slightly. "He's been collecting rare ingredients since yesterday, but not for himself. He's offering them to someone else… like he's waiting for something."

Lied blinked, then gave a long whistle.

"Whoa… You think he's trying to summon it? Or cook it?"

Iruma didn't respond.

No… It's more like he's trying to make something worthy of offering to it.

"Come on," Iruma said finally. "We don't have a lot of time. If the Legend Leaf really exists, then the clues will be around Kamui— Because of his beast communication."

Lied stared at him, nodding slowly.

"Alright, Iruma… Let's go for legend Leaf. Although we have 30,000 points but I know you Iruma."

"Yes, You sure"

--

[ Meanwhile, Back at Block 2 ]

Crocell Kerori tilted her head as a group of students bowed, offering rare mushrooms, glittering fruit, and lightly grilled meat.

"Hmm… Not bad. That smoked wyvern tail was properly seasoned."

Kamui grinned beside her, notebook in hand.

"If we continue at this rate, we might be able to recreate the conditions."

Crocell's eyes narrowed slightly behind her idol façade.

Just a little longer… If that tree exists, then maybe I can truly shine—not just as Kerori, but as me.

In the distance, two students emerged from the mist, their silhouettes familiar.

Iruma… and Lied.

-