[ Asmodeus Household – Bamboo Garden]
The garden was a mess of slashed bamboo stalks, their clean cuts glistening under the morning sun.
A cool breeze passed through the clearing, but Iruma and Asmodeus Alice were both dripping with sweat, their breathing ragged.
Alice walked over with two chilled cups of water, handing one to Iruma.
"Here. You look worse than when we fought Sabro."
Iruma took the cup with trembling hands and gulped it down.
"Thanks... I needed that."
They collapsed onto the cool stone bench nearby, exhausted but proud.
[ A New Presence – Amaryllis Appears]
A playful chuckle echoed from the corridor.
"Oh my, it's only been thirty minutes and you're already this worn out?"
Amaryllis, dressed elegantly as ever, walked gracefully into the garden, her presence radiating warmth—and mischief.
Iruma managed to bow politely, though he nearly fell over from fatigue.
"T-Thank you for the training, Lady Amaryllis, but with your illusion magic... it felt like a whole month went by…"
His voice cracked. He looked haunted.
Amaryllis beamed sweetly.
"Oh yes~ I may have cast a temporal illusion distortion spell on you both."
Her tone was soft and affectionate, but there was no mistaking the glee in her eyes.
"You said you had an affinity for illusion-type magic—what was it again? Genjutsu?"
Iruma's eyes flickered slightly. The Rinnegan glowed faintly beneath the surface.
"Yes. Genjutsu. Illusions that manipulate perception of others…"
"Exactly! That makes things so much easier. I'm going to train those beautiful eyes of yours~"
Her voice was syrupy sweet, but Iruma could tell—she was serious.
He shivered slightly.
[ Amaryllis Turns to Alice]
Amaryllis turned, eyes now soft and proud.
"And as for you, my sweet little flame~"
She cupped Alice's chin lovingly, who blushed deeply and looked away in embarrassment.
"You're using red flames still. Why not step it up to blue? Hotter. Faster. Cleaner. You could mix it into your martial style too—blue flame for range, fists for close-quarters."
Alice's eyes widened.
"You think... I could pull that off?"
"Of course. Especially when you train alongside someone like him~"
She nodded toward Iruma.
Her smile returned, sly this time.
"He's shockingly good at close combat. Swordplay, timing, footwork… even your fire and electric magic, if I were on the same level as you two, I think I might've lost to you, sweetie~"
She winked at Iruma.
Iruma flushed, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
"Ah… thank you, Lady Amaryllis. That's… very kind of you."
[Scene Ends: A New Training Regimen Begins]
Amaryllis clapped her hands lightly.
"Alright boys, water break's over. From now on, we train hand to hand and fire.—let's raise it even higher."
Iruma and Alice stood up slowly, pride still burning in their eyes despite the soreness.
The training had just begun.
---
[Scene: The Spar Begins – Asmodeus Estate, Bamboo Arena]
Amaryllis clapped her hands once with a cheerful tone.
"Alright, boys. Are you ready? It's sparring time~"
Iruma and Alice rose from the stone bench, eyes locked in calm determination.
Without a word, Iruma activated both his Sharingan and Rinnegan. The air shifted instantly.
A wave of lightning burst out from his body—crackling, untamed, and fierce. The earth around him sizzled as a faint crater formed under his feet.
He slowly drew his sword—the very same design as Sasuke's chokutō, the blade humming with his energy.
"Thanks to Opera-san's speed training, and my own endless drills in swordplay and hand-to-hand,"
he said calmly, "I was even acknowledged by one of the Thirteen Crowns. That alone… is an honor."
Across from him, Amaryllis gave a soft, sweet laugh.
"Yes, sweetheart. It shows. But don't expect me to go easy on you."
She didn't even flinch.
Then, her eyes began to glow a royal violet hue. In an instant, illusions of graceful women—dancers, warriors, nobles—appeared behind her, lounging and standing in perfect silence.
A dizzying, mind-sapping scene.
But Iruma didn't even blink.
He took a single step back, his Rinnegan spinning—and in that brief motion, the illusion was shattered.
"Dispelled."
Iruma whispered.
Iruma stood back up slowly, something sparking in his eyes—more than defiance. It was resolve.
The illusions still hovered like specters.
And then—he looked upward.
The clouds began to swirl.
Dark. Furious. Crackling with divine power.
A storm was forming.
Not naturally. Not by chance.
Iruma was calling the sky itself.
From the core of his chakra and the knowledge passed down through Sasuke's soul, he raised one hand into the heavens.
"Kirin."
The name echoed like a divine judgment.
In the blink of an eye, a violent bolt of lightning tore down from the storm clouds, shaped like a roaring beast—a dragon-like thunder god descending at terrifying speed.
It wasn't summoned.
It wasn't created.
It was borrowed directly from nature.
The illusionary women around Amaryllis barely had time to blink before the strike hit.
BOOOOOOM!!!
In a split-second, raw lightning crashed onto the battlefield, engulfing the illusion army in pure destruction. The shockwave lit the sky, the heat vaporized the air, and the terrain around them lit up in an unholy white flare.
The illusions—beautiful, deadly, countless—were annihilated instantly.
Not even ash remained.
As the air sizzled and thunder echoed across the Asmodeus estate, Amaryllis stood calmly amidst the smoke, her cloak flapping.
The glow in her violet eyes slowly dimmed.
She clapped once.
"Bravo, sweetheart."
Her tone was soft—but behind it was genuine amazement.
Iruma panted, his shoulders heaving. The storm above began to calm, clouds scattering.
He looked at her, sweat trailing down his temple.
"Your illusions… they aren't just images. They have presence. Weight. Substance."
He narrowed his eyes.
"You can summon things that feel real. Move like they're alive. Even I couldn't tell at first."
Amaryllis giggled.
"They're not truly alive, no. But I feed them enough magic, and they believe they are. They feel real… because I make them dream it."
Iruma tightened his grip on his sword.
"That's terrifying."
She smiled sweetly and leaned slightly forward.
"That's why I'm your teacher now, darling. With your eyes, and illusion resistance… you're going to learn how to shatter lies—
—and maybe, someday, create dreams of your own."
He weaved hand signs.
"Fire Style: Flame Dragon Jutsu!"
From behind him, a massive three-headed dragon of roaring fire erupted, surging across the field like a blazing typhoon.
Amaryllis dodged with elegance, flipping lightly over the heads of the dragons, but—
"Now!"
Before her feet hit the ground—Alice struck from behind, a spiral of compressed blue fire burning in his fist.
Their plan had worked flawlessly. They didn't even speak—a glance had been enough to communicate.
Amaryllis landed softly, dust trailing off her dress. She looked down.
"…Well, you didn't hurt me—"
A pause.
"But my dress is burning. Naughty boys."
She smiled sweetly.
Then, the atmosphere shifted.
Her playful smile remained, but a heavy pressure fell upon the battlefield like a storm cloud. One of thirteen crown Magic pressure.
20%.
Both Iruma and Alice braced, their bodies trembling slightly—but they remained upright.
30%.
Still standing, sweat beginning to bead on their brows.
45%.
Alice faltered. He dropped to one knee, breathing sharp—but he pushed himself back up.
50%.
Alice's knees gave out. He collapsed, gasping for air.
55%.
Iruma stood, barely. Sweat dripped from his chin. His legs wobbled. His vision blurred.
"This pressure... it's like gravity. I can't even move my fingers."
60%.
His legs bent slightly. The sword's tip touched the ground.
62%.
His body collapsed.
A pause. Two soft claps echoed.
The pressure vanished.
Amaryllis walked over, calm and proud.
"That was delightful."
She knelt between them and ruffled both their hair with a motherly smile.
"Your growth... It makes me so happy. You've come far."
She stood up, dusted off her slightly burned dress, and turned with a swish of her cloak.
"But alas, one hour is over. I have work to do~"
She waved without turning around.
"Bye, honey~ And goodbye, sweetheart~"
And with that, the One of thirteen crown was gone.
---
[ Iruma's Bedroom – Present Day]
The room was a mess.
Open books, scattered scrolls, and torn notes surrounded Iruma, who lay face-down on the floor. His eyes were dull. A pen dangled limply from his hand.
So much to study... and I'm still behind...
Despite the throne, despite the aura and power he once projected during his Evil Cycle, Iruma now looked utterly defeated.
[ Dining Room – Morning]
Iruma listlessly bit into a sandwich.
"You look tired, my boy," Lord Sullivan said with a hint of concern.
"Exams," Iruma muttered.
"Oh! I could ask the teachers to give you the questions ahead of time," Sullivan offered with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Or perhaps charm them into making the test very easy~?"
Opera set down their cup of tea with a light tap.
"That would only cripple him long-term."
Iruma didn't respond.
Opera glanced at him, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I believe in him. He's earnest. That's always been his strength."
It was meant as encouragement.
But Iruma just stared into his cup, quiet.
Earnest isn't enough anymore...
[ Iruma's Room – Later That Night]
Ali emerged from the Ring, arms behind his head.
"Hey, Iruma~ Just a reminder: if you fail and get demoted, you won't be eligible for Royal One anymore."
Iruma sat up slowly.
"And if that happens... I'll lose you too, right?"
Ali paused, slightly caught off guard.
"W-Well yeah, technically. If you drop out of rank, I'd... vanish again."
Iruma clenched his fist.
"...Then I won't fail."
His tone was cold. Determined.
Ali blinked. For a second, the aura around Iruma looked eerily like that calm, collected presence from his Evil Cycle.
[ Royal One – Classroom Study Hall]
Almost everyone was buried in books.
Clara sat on a desk, flipping her notes with surprising speed.
"I don't wanna do supplementary classssss!"
Azz snapped his fingers dramatically, turning to Iruma and Clara.
"Let's turn this into a quiz battle! Ready? Category: Curses and Wards!"
Iruma nodded with grim determination.
"Let's go."
"First question! A ward that prevents transformation magic is called—?"
"Transforblock?"
"WRONG!"
"Next: Which herb neutralizes a love curse?"
"Spicy spinach?"
"WRONG!!"
Iruma's head slowly hit the desk with a loud thunk.
[ Moments Later]
A book with a strange glow caught his attention.
"Encyclopedia of Netherworld Mythical Creatures — Author: Balam Shichiro"
As he opened it, the pages fluttered and pulsed with a dim green light.
Suddenly, the book rose slightly into the air.
"QUESTION ONE!"
"Which beast is known for its deceptive crying in the Southern Wastes?"
Iruma blinked.
"Uh… Banshee Drake."
"CORRECT!"
"QUESTION TWO: Which creature disguises itself as a mushroom to avoid predators?"
"Spore Squat."
"CORRECT! Final question—!"
The classroom fell silent as Iruma continued answering rapidly, his tone becoming increasingly calm and confident.
The book snapped shut with a glowing stamp on the final page.
"CHAPTER ONE COMPLETE."
His classmates rushed over.
"Woah, Iruma! You're amazing at this!"
"You're like… secretly a beast expert!"
Iruma stood slowly, posture upright, eyes sharp.
"I just got into the flow. I'm in a… Study High."
His Sharingan flickered faintly for a second—too brief to notice.
Kerori scowled slightly in the corner.
"Hmph. Showoff..."
[ Alice's Suggestion]
Alice placed a history book in front of Iruma.
"If you're in a Study High, how about Netherworld History?"
Iruma stared at the heavy tome.
Then, slowly opened it with a smirk.
"Bring it on."