Chapter 90 - 53

Somewhere in the central region of the Alba Mountain Range, it wasn't long before Princess Iris returned to her camp. The teachers, Merlick and King Leonida were drinking tea while talking about the progress of the academy students.

"Please report the progress of the students from your class." Merlick sat with King Leonida looking at the reports from each homeroom teacher.

"As for class S, we managed to kill a lot of high-level magical beasts. Their cooperation is solid too. I don't think there will be any problems until this exam is over." Flavio Hendrique, the homeroom teacher of class S started the report.

"Class A is the same, it's just that there was an incident last night and ended up staying at the same camp as Class S." Ashley Arianel explained with a bit of embarrassment.

"Class B doesn't encounter many high-level magical beasts. It's just that they end up with class S too." Beatrix smiled bitterly as she said that.

"Did something happen?" Merlick was confused and asked them.

"Oh, that is..." Flavio began to tell the chronology of the incident.

"Hmm... I see. So class A brought armored gorillas to class S? Class D helped them and they're currently camping with 3 other classes? Is that how it is?" Merlick asked Kalya for confirmation.

"Yes, it is true." Kalya only answered briefly.

"I can't blame them. This is a test of survival. As long as they don't kill each other directly, I don't think this is a problem." Merlick then received reports from other teachers. Their reports are more or less the same. It's just that the classes below him don't dare to go to the border to look for rainbow crystals.

The homeroom teachers monitor students using magic tools as their medium of distance vision. The magic tool was in the shape of a ball slightly larger than a marble and had one eye in the middle. It has two legs and a pair of wings that allow it to fly. By establishing a temporary connection with the device the teachers can share their vision. That magic tool could also be called an artificial familiar.

"I should add, there seems to be an internal problem between class S and class A. Because Prince Fritz couldn't accept what Biron from class A had done. And they almost fought each other several times." Flavio glanced at Ashley and King Leonida then returned his gaze to Merlick in front of him.

"In that case, I won't interfere. If my son is found guilty, then he will follow the academy's rules even if he has to be expelled." King Leonida smiled and said his opinion but his eyes were only on Kalya. It made Kalya uncomfortable.

"Fine if that's what you want. But I'll just let it go if no one gets seriously injured. Do you have any objections?" Merlick looked at the seven teachers in front of him. Then he continued his words.

"Okay, it's the fifth day of the exam. You can continue monitoring..."

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....!

Merlick stopped his words by a shrill scream that sent chills down their spines. They all got up from where they were sitting and looked in the direction the voice came from.

A combined camp of all four classes.

"Flavio what happened!?" Merlick shouted frantically. He felt terrible pressure from the screaming sound. Flavio closed his eyes and made a connection with the artificial familiar.

"I can't see clearly, someone is coming to the campsite. She's covered with dense black mana so I can't see her face. But she looks like... Princess Iris!" Flavio was shocked after taking a closer look at her face.

"Are you sure?" Merlick still doubted what Flavio saw. He believed what he said. It's just that he knows Princess Iris. With the strength of only a senior mage, she couldn't exert such pressure.

"I'm also not sure. We'd better check it in person." Flavio opened his eyes and prepared to go to the camp.

"Okay, let's go." Merlick looked at them. All the teachers including King Leonida nodded and they flew towards that place.

Kalya who closed her eyes also silently watched the situation there. But she didn't see who was screaming but where was Ziel.

(Ziel, where are you?)

She was worried in her heart. Even though she knew how strong he was, but she couldn't help but feel anxious when she was in this kind of situation. She looked at the four-class combined encampment and dark mana soared into the sky.

***

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!" Princess Iris suddenly screamed in front of them. It wasn't just an ordinary scream, but similar to the supersonic scream of the behemoth that class D fought earlier. The students who were not strong immediately fell to their knees clutching their ears in pain.

"Argh..."

"Shhh... stop!"

The students' screams of pain made the previously quiet camp very lively. One by one the students fell to the ground.

Princess Iris walked towards them, dark mana slowly enveloped his entire body. The mana condensed and formed the figure of a woman in a long black dress with half of her face covered in a veil. Her eyes were full black and kept crying blood. Her skins were pale white and his nails were red long and sharp.

"Iris! What happened to you!?" Clara is currently standing opposite Princess Iris. She was one of the people who was not affected by her screams other than Princess Aishia.

"Freya! Fritz! Are you all right!?" Princess Aishia quickly checked their condition. She immediately cast healing magic on them.

[Minor Heal]

Gradually their condition began to improve. Princess Freya and Prince Fritz slowly stood up with the help of Princess Aishia.

"I'm fine Aishia. Thank you." Princess Freya spoke with a breath that was still panting.

"What's with her!? How could she be like that!?" Prince Fritz draws his sword and prepares to fight Princess Iris.

"Brother! Wait a minute! You can't fight her now. You're no match for her!?" Princess Freya prevented her older brother from going against Princess Iris. She could feel that the current Princess iris was much stronger than him.

"What do you mean I'm weaker than her, Freya?" Prince Fritz was annoyed by Princess Freya's words.

"What Freya said is true, Fritz." Princess Aishia agrees with Princess Freya.

"Even you too Aishia?" Prince Fritz gritted his teeth in disapproval of their words. He felt inferior to Princess Iris. But just as he was about to deny it, he saw someone running towards Princess Iris at high speed. That person is Princess Reina.

Princess Reina stepped forward to attack Princess Iris with the red sword in her hand. But the closer she got, the harder it was for her to breathe, and her speed began to drop. Princess Iris completely ignored Princess Reina who was coming towards her. Princess Reina is angry because she feels underestimated. She swung her sword intending to kill Princess Iris.

"Stop it!" Clara screamed from afar when she saw Princess Reina wanted to slash her best friend. She was afraid that Princess Iris would be killed by Princess Reina's attack. But what she imagined did not happen. Princess Iris deflected Princess Reina's sword with her nails.

Clank...

"What!?" Princess Reina was startled and was about to back off, but Princess Iris swung her nails at her.

"Aaargh...!" Princess Reina was blown away with a large wound on her chest due to being hit by Princess Iris' attack. The students who saw it widened their eyes. Likewise, Prince Fritz, who previously wanted to attack Princess Iris. He was grateful that his sister had stopped him. Princess Reina who was one of the best students in the academy was defeated with a single attack by her.

"Iris! What are you doing!?" Clara was about to run to him but Rhea held her hand with her trembling body. She is shocked to see Rhea's condition.

"Clara, you can't go near her! She's dangerous! She's been controlled by her mana!" She spoke in fear. What she said immediately came true. Princess Iris moved forward towards the crowd of students while spreading pressure from her mana. She started targeting class A students.

The first person to target was Biron. He wanted to quickly leave that place but, the pressure from Princess Iris made him feel like he was suffocating and couldn't move. Princess Iris swung her nails at him and she shared the same fate as Princess Reina. After that Princess Iris started attacking the other students one after another.

"Aaaaaahhhh!"

"Help me!"

"Aarrgh!"

The student's screams of pain echoed throughout their camp. Clara who saw it couldn't keep quiet anymore. She forcibly removed her hand from Rhea and ran towards Princess Iris.

"Iris please stop!" Clara slowly approached her. But when Princess Iris saw Clara, she also attacked her as the other students. Princess Iris disappeared from where she was and reappeared in front of Clara. She stabbed her nails at her.

Clank...

[Clamshell Barrier]

A layer of gray shell-shaped barrier blocked Princess Iris' attack. It was a barrier from the hairpin that Ziel had given her. Clara wasn't surprised because Ziel had already told her.

"The mana used for the barrier is very similar to the bracelet that was given to me." Princess Aisha muttered under her breath after seeing the gray barrier.

"All of you are gathered here!" Princess Rinne shouted at the students who were standing with trembling bodies. She quickly set up a barrier formation by stacking his magic tools since Princess Reina was defeated in one hit. She realized that they weren't the current Princess Iris' opponents. Dozens of magic tools were used to strengthen the barrier.

The students who heard her shouting immediately ran towards it. They didn't waste the opportunity when Princess Iris was busy with Clara. Including Prince Fritz and the other two Princesses. It wasn't long before all the classes were inside the barrier formation. Rhea, who was scared because she could see Princess Iris' true form, had also entered there.

"Clara! I beg you please help her!" Rhea sadly looks at Clara who continues to be attacked by Princess Iris. She pleaded with the other students but they just took their eyes off her. She gritted her teeth and started shedding tears as she also felt helpless at the moment. When she was about to come out and help Clara, she was hit by the person behind her and lost consciousness. Princess Freya who wanted to help but was stopped by Princess Aishia and Prince Fritz.

Princess Iris continued to attack Clara who was inside the barrier. The dark mana that enveloped her body grew thicker. Her nails are getting longer and sharper.

"Iris please stop! Please wake up iris!" Clara knelt in tears seeing her best friend's condition. It wasn't long before the barrier protecting Clara shattered like glass. The barrier that should have been able to withstand the power of a saint or sage had been broken which meant that Princess Iris' current strength was on par with that of a demigod. 

Clank...

Princess Iris quickly strangled Clara's neck which was no longer protected by anything.

"Iris.." Clara had difficulty speaking because she was suffocating. Clara had difficulty speaking because her neck was choking. Tears kept flowing from her eyes seeing her friend who didn't recognize her.

"Cla...ra..." Princess iris unconsciously said her name. Her eyes returned to the familiar Princess Iris.

"Iris...you remember me!?" Clara was happy after hearing what Princess Iris said, But that was only temporary as Princess Iris's eyes turned dark and empty again.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa...!"

Princess Iris screamed and slammed Clara to the ground.

Boooooooommmmmm

"Gaaahh..." Clara vomited blood from her mouth and broke many of her bones. Princess Iris just looked at her with empty eyes.. And with her other free hand, she stabbed Clara with his fingernail, and blood scattered in the air.