F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 169: Soren Vs... Ambush? (2)

The holographic screens crackled to life, blue light spilling across the arena as streams of data assembled in midair. Lines of code flickered, then settled into clear combat declarations.

Cadet Sophia – Second Year (E Rank)

vs

Cadet Soren – First Year (F Rank)

A second screen appeared beside it.

Cadet Jo – Second Year (D Rank)

vs

Cadet Cynthia – First Year (A Rank — Abnormal)

The air seemed to tighten as all attention was drawn to the platform.

Everybody had seen the way Soren wiped the floor with Goldsworth and the latter had been A rank.

Even though the rumors stated that soren was still injured from that fight, it was expected that he should wipe the floor with sophia.

A sharp mechanical tone rang across the arena.

— FIGHT —

Soren exhaled quietly and nodded to himself. With measured calm, he stepped forward, his walking stick tapping softly against the polished arena floor.

Tap.

Tap.

Sophia watched him approach, a faint side smile appearing on her lips. The wind lifted the end of her ponytail as she stepped forward as well.

Then she raised a hand.

"I forfeit."

For a heartbeat the arena froze.

Then the crowd erupted.

Gasps rippled through the scattered spectators.

Some groaned.

Others sighed in weary understanding, and the whispers quickly followed.

"I knew it..."

"Another arranged match."

"Of course."

"now its not just nobles gaming the system. What a stupid waste of time."

It was not the first time. But it was not a trick commoners usually used.

They were not so selfless to other commoners.

Noble families often orchestrated these things. Carefully arranged forfeits. Controlled victories. All designed to help someone with the Clown status earn their tunic without risking humiliation.

Across the platform, Jo stepped forward.

The silent skinny young man raised his hand as well.

He forfeited.

The holographic screens flickered again as the academy’s system processed the result.

A bright declaration burned across the air.

WINNERS CONFIRMED

Cadet Soren — Victory

Cadet Cynthia — Victory

A second message appeared beneath it.

ACADEMY RULES ACKNOWLEDGED

BLACK TUNIC STATUS GRANTED

A faint murmur spread through the arena again.

Soren’s wristwatch suddenly vibrated.

Beep.

He glanced down.

A notification blinked across the glass.

[Madam Wawa gifted you 20 points.]

[Congratulations on earning your Black Tunic.]

Soren allowed a faint smile.

Another notification appeared immediately after.

[Lady Quiet gifted you 100 points.]

[Congratulations on earning your Black Tunic.]

His smile deepened slightly.

Then subconsciously, he looked at the other chats.

A lot of it was filled with insults from other Sponsors—mostly those that still hated him from his battle with Goldsworth.

But Soren did not care. The means did not matter. What mattered was that he had achieved it.

For a moment, he simply watched the numbers settle.

Then he slowly raised his head.

His gaze met Sophia’s.

She had been watching him the entire time.

Her playful smile had vanished.

Now her eyes were sharp.

Calculating.

"We have fulfilled our end," she said calmly.

Her gaze narrowed slightly.

"Now it’s your turn."

Soren knew what she meant.

The Hunting grounds.

Soren nodded slowly.

A few hours later, they stood before a gate so enormous that it dwarfed everything around it.

The structure rose like a black cliff, its surface was forged from a dark soul-steel that seemed to drink the light rather than reflect it.

Before the gate stood something even more imposing.

A giant black mecha. It was at least 80 meters in height. Just a few meters taller than the Bulb back in his home town.

Unlike the decorative guardians Soren had seen when he first entered through the North Gate, this one looked... restrained.

Its body was wrapped in what appeared to be a thin metallic veil, dull and muted, obscuring the elegant lines beneath it.

The covering gave the colossal machine an almost humble appearance, as though its true form had been deliberately hidden.

It was the first time Soren had seen a mecha like this.

And immediately, his curiosity stirred.

He had always loved mechas.

And this one was different from most. Its frame was noticeably more slender than the typical Soul Mecha stationed across the academy—leaner even than the one belonging to Lady Vera. (Lady Quiet)

Yet something about it felt... heavier.

Not in shape.

In presence. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

It gave the quiet impression that beneath that veil rested a power far greater than its modest appearance suggested.

Normally, a trained eye could determine a Soul Mecha’s class just by studying its exterior design. Soren had always been good at that. But the veil covering this one distorted too many details.

He could not read it.

"That," Sophia said beside him, noticing where his attention lingered, "is the Guardian of the Hunt."

Her voice carried a strange reverence.

"Legend says its core is the only reason the hunting grounds remain stable."

Soren frowned slightly at her words.

The core of a Soul Mecha was its Glassheart.

Did that mean the Glassheart was still inside this one?

Also, Glasshearts did not function without their Soulbound warrior.

Which meant...

Someone had to be inside it.

His mind lingered on the thought.

Was there truly a person sitting within that machine? A warrior who had remained there since the founding of the academy?

The idea sent a faint chill down his spine.

His attention shifted to the gate itself.

Unlike the northern entrance, this one had no walls stretching out from its sides. Just the towering black doors standing alone like a sealed wound in the world.

In fact, one could go behind it, and see nothing.

Meaning, this was essentially a kind of portal.

On it were a few bounties posted. Soren saw his. His face was clearly drawn with the hundred thousand points reward boldly underneath it.

But he really didn’t care about that. Other details caught his attention.

The soul-steel surface of the gate was carved with disturbing imagery.

Skinny, malnourished figures reached upward in desperation, their skeletal hands stretched toward a single symbol carved above them.

A Neuralink rune.

But it was not one Soren recognized.

Something about it was different.

Wrong.

The moment his eyes settled on it, irritation surged through him without warning.

It was subtle at first.

Then it deepened.

A strange heat stirred somewhere deep in his blood, like a buried instinct clawing toward the surface.

For a brief moment, the urge to walk forward and punch the gate became overwhelming.

His fingers even twitched.

Then Sophia spoke again, breaking the tension in his mind.

"The Mohawk Party is already inside," she said calmly. "I’ve sent you the details of their hunt."

Ding.

Soren’s wristwatch chimed.

Soren forced his gaze away from the rune.

"What are they hunting?"

"A Grade Zero Eldritch," Sophia replied. "An aquatic creature."

She paused briefly.

"Be careful. From what we know, It feeds on attachments."

Soren’s eyes narrowed slightly at that. "If i didn’t know better, I’d say you care."

"YES... I do. The peace I, my brothers, and the other lower ranked commoners enjoy is dependent on how you do in there."

Soren snickered.

She continued.

"Like I said before. If you help us resolve the bullying problem in the academy..."

Her gaze shifted toward the massive gate.

"...I will heal you."

Soren remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"And how am I supposed to trust that you’ll keep your end of the deal?"

Sophia sighed softly, as if she had expected the question.

Without embarrassment, she loosened the collar of her uniform slightly.

Just enough to reveal the skin at the base of her neck.

There, etched faintly into her flesh, was the Neuralink rune.

It glowed dimly.

"This doesn’t only bind you," she said. "It binds me as well."

Her fingers brushed the mark lightly.

"The moment you fulfill the necessary conditions, the healing will begin."

Her expression remained calm.

"Whether I want it to or not."

Soren studied the rune for a moment.

Then he nodded.

Satisfied.

Then he turned to Cynthia by his side—but before they would go, Sophia called out. "Oh, Soren. The Gate will not open for thirty minutes after entry... Just thought to remind you."