F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 179: Li’s First Form

Soren’s interest was immediately piqued.

He leaned slightly closer to Buttermint, clearly expecting this senior of his to continue explaining.

Buttermint noticed. Of course he noticed. A slow grin spread across his butter-stained face.

Then he wagged a finger.

"If you want to learn more," he said lazily, "all you have to do is join the Tea Party."

He snapped his fingers.

Click.

Instantly, the butler-like student beside him moved.

Scholar stepped forward smoothly and placed several neat stacks of paper on the table in front of Soren.

Along with a pen.

Soren blinked and looked down. On the very front page was a symbol. A beautifully drawn jug pouring tea into a delicate cup.

The unmistakable emblem of the Tea Party.

Underneath it—

One word stood boldly across the page.

Contract.

Buttermint leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach.

"All you have to do," he said casually, "is sign it." His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Soren.

There was a cunning glint there.

The kind of look that silently said:

Hurry up. You’d be stupid not to.

But before Soren could even process what was happening—

SPLASH!

A ball of sizzling acid suddenly shot through the air and landed directly on the stack of papers.

SSSSSSSS—

The acid immediately began burning through the contract.

A smoking hole formed straight through the pages.

Soren jerked his head up.

From the distance—

Perched comfortably on the branch of a large tree—

Kiva waved a finger slowly from side to side.

"Tsk... tsk... tsk..." Her catlike smile widened.

"Just because Li is busy doesn’t mean I can’t see your sticky buttery fingers trying to steal the loot, meow."

Buttermint’s jaw tightened.

His teeth visibly gritted.

"You don’t even accept men in your party."

Kiva shrugged casually from her tree branch.

"True. Meow."

She rested her cheek in her palm.

"But you know me."

Her tail-like braid swung behind her as she grinned.

"I just never like you getting your way with things, meow."

She said it with complete shamelessness.

But before Buttermint could respond—

The battlefield suddenly shifted.Aegon lunged forward again.

The nunchucks whistled through the air in a brutal rhythm.

Li twisted aside—

But this time—

He was just a fraction too slow.

SLASH! The edge of the nunchucks clipped across his cheek.

A thin red line appeared.

For a brief moment, blood surfaced.

But before the drop could even fall— It hardened.

The blood turned to stone.

And shattered as it hit the ground.

The entire battlefield seemed to pause. Even Bambi stopped mid-fight.

"Boss!" she shouted immediately, worry flashing across her face.

But Li calmly raised a hand.

Stopping her.

His expression remained composed.

He glanced down at the soul steel dagger in his hand.

The blade was no longer pristine.

The edges were chipped.

Tiny fragments of stone clung to it where it had repeatedly struck Aegon’s petrifying energy.

The weapon was already failing.

Li sighed lightly.

Then he spoke.

His tone filled with casual arrogance.

"It would seem..."

"...the clown has improved."

Aegon frowned.

"Improved?"

He sneered.

"You mean stronger."

But Li slowly shook his head.

"No."

Then he raised the damaged dagger slightly.

"You’ve forgotten something."

His eyes locked onto Aegon.

"I am yet to use my First Form."

For a moment—

Silence spread across the battlefield. Then realization dawned as everyone suddenly understood.

Aegon was already fighting with his second form. But Li—

Hadn’t even begun using his first.

Li suddenly stopped moving.

Then—He released his soul energy.

The moment it burst outward, Soren felt something violently react inside his mind.

A loud hiss echoed through his thoughts.

It came from Chronovore.

The sound was sharp. Instinctive. Almost like a warning.

At the exact same moment—

Buttermint suddenly shouted.

"Look away!"

The command came so suddenly that Soren, Bloodshine, and Cynthia reacted on instinct.

All three immediately shut their eyes.

But Soren...

Soren’s curiosity betrayed him.

Just for a split second—

He peeked.

And what he saw made his breath catch.

Behind Li—

His soul energy had taken shape.

A massive blue snake towered above him, its body coiled like a phantom specter, its eyes glowing with cold intelligence.

The creature wasn’t fully solid.

It flickered like a spirit made from mist and light.

But it was there.

A manifestation.

Those who had also glimpsed it gasped in shock. Because they understood what it meant.

This was Soul Actualization.

A phenomenon so rare that most cadets would never see it even once in their entire time at the academy.

Only a handful of elites could force their Shade to partially manifest into the physical world.

(Like a certain instructor)

Even if it lasted for only a fraction of a second.

But that brief appearance alone proved something terrifying.

Li was incredible.

Soren swallowed.

"...Li... is C-ranked?"

He had not expected that. How was a cadet so talented, so low ranked?

At the same time, another thought appeared in his mind.

Why had Buttermint told them to close their eyes?

Before he could ask—

Li moved.

Bambi suddenly threw something toward him.

"Boss!"

The weapon spun through the air.

A katana.

Li caught it effortlessly.

The moment the blade landed in his hand—

He attacked.

His movements were completely different now.

It was Sharper and Faster.

Also More deliberate.

Aegon immediately reacted—

But strangely...

He raised one arm across his face.

Covering his eyes.

And as he did—

His movements became noticeably sluggish.

The once perfect rhythm of his attacks faltered.

His nunchucks still moved—

But the fluidity was gone.

Li’s katana flashed.

CLANG!

The blade slammed into the nunchucks, forcing Aegon back two steps.

Then three. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Aegon swung again—

But Li slipped past the attack like flowing water.

Soren frowned.

"What... is Aegon doing?"

Buttermint watched calmly as he chewed another bite of his sandwich.

"If it were me," he muttered, "I’d do the same thing."

Soren turned to him. "...Why?"

Buttermint swallowed. "Because of Li’s eyes."

Only now did Soren look carefully. And he noticed it.

Li’s pupils carried a faint blue glow. It was not bright. But unmistakable.

Soren frowned. "What’s going on?"