Book 1 Chapter 102

-! Sizzzzz-!

The aura flames burning on Leo's arm extinguished, and smoke billowed up.

"Kirian."

At Leo's words, a small summoning circle opened, and Kirian appeared.

[Ugh! What a barbaric act!]

Kirian looked at Leo's left arm with a disgusted expression and chanted a healing spell.

A gentle, silvery healing light healed Leo's burned arm.

[Leo! Fairy magic's healing is not omnipotent! It becomes ineffective when your stamina reaches its limit!]

"I know."

Having recovered his arm, Leo casually rotated his wrist.

[By the way, is that a Gigantes? Ugh! It's disgustingly ugly!]

Kirian stuck out its tongue, openly showing its displeasure.

To the highest-ranking mythical beast, a fairy, a Gigantes was a monstrous beast that was its complete opposite.

The flames stuck in the Gigantes' back extinguished.

Thump-!

The Gigantes got up.

Grrrrrr-!

A murderous gaze was directed at Leo.

The Gigantes opened its mouth wide.

Uraaaaaaaaaaah!

A purple light flickered.

Sizzzzzzzzzzzz-! Flash!

A breath, spewing out like a beam, scraped the ground and flew at an incredible speed.

Leo threw himself without hesitation.

Whoosh-! The purple breath narrowly grazed Leo.

Kwagagagagagag-!

The area directly hit by the breath caused a chain reaction of explosions.

Kugugugugung-!

The outer wall collapsed.

'Even a graze would be the end.'

Despite the chilling situation, Leo calmly unleashed his aura.

Leo, emitting his aura thinly like a thread, draped it over the surrounding buildings.

Then, with force, he retreated.

Like an arrow nocked on a bowstring, Leo retreated as far as he could, then released the force in his legs at maximum rebound.

Whoosh-!

Leo flew towards the Gigantes like an arrow.

Woooooah!

The Gigantes, enraged, raised its clenched fist.

Seeing this, Leo spun his body.

It was Kyle's aura skill, Vortex.

Coupled with Zerdinger's aura, a whirlwind of flames erupted.

Pwahahahak!

Kkeeeeeeeeeeeeo!

Leo, mercilessly slicing off the Gigantes' right arm with slashes and flames, flew towards the inner wall.

Kaduck-!

As he landed on the inner wall, his soles dug in.

As Leo got up, he looked at Chloe, standing defiantly towards the Gigantes, and said,

"You've become quite something, Chloe."

"What?"

"Your current appearance. Like a hero."

"……!"

At his words, Chloe was slightly flustered and her cheeks reddened slightly.

"I, I was just imitating someone."

"Who might you be imitating?"

At Leo's teasing words, Chloe lightly hit Leo's head with her staff.

"Hey! Where have you been until now!"

"I had some personal business to attend to."

Ggweoooooooah!

At that moment, the Gigantes, having recovered the arm Leo had injured, let out a roar.

The students flinched, but Leo remained calm.

"Leave it. That monster isn't stupid. It knows it's dangerous to rush in rashly now."

"What?"

"It's trying to recover its stamina."

"How is it recovering its stamina?"

To Chloe's question, Leo gestured with his chin.

Crackle!

Kiiiiiiiiak!

Kruang!

The Gigantes, opening its mouth, began devouring the fleeing monsters indiscriminately.

The students looked disgusted at the sight.

"Leo-oppa!"

"Leo!"

Chelsea and Karl, along with the students of Class 5, rushed over.

"Chloe! Leo! Here are mana potions."

Karl urgently handed over mana potions, and Leo and Chloe drank them.

"What's the situation?"

As Leo asked, Karl said with a grim expression.

"No one has been seriously injured since entering the inner city. However…"

Karl looked at the Gigantes with a terrified expression.

"Everyone is terrified because of that monster."

"Then the solution is simple. Defeat it."

"What?"

Everyone was surprised by Leo's nonchalant words.

Seeing their reactions, Leo tilted his head.

"Why are you surprised? It's obvious."

"A, I know! I know…!"

Celia replied, clenching her teeth.

Celia's hands were trembling, despite her usual confident demeanor.

It wasn't just Celia.

Most of the students' faces were filled with fear.

'It can't be helped. Even if they are called hero candidates, they are still teenagers.'

Unrefined raw gems.

Yet, they sparkled.

"There is another option."

Everyone focused on Leo's words.

"It's to run away. No matter how powerful that monster is, if over a hundred people run away at once, it can't catch everyone."

"Th-that's right!"

"Fighting back is logically… "

"Of course, most of you here will die."

The students gasped at Leo's words.

"The moment you scatter, you will be massacred indiscriminately. Anyone who wants that can go. I won't stop them."

Not a single person moved away.

As the atmosphere weighed heavily upon them, Leo spoke.

"So, I'm saying."

Leo crossed his arms.

"Don't you want to give me command?"

"What?"

"I'm going to defeat it. That monster."

Everyone was dumbfounded and stared at Leo.

Looking at Leo, Chen Shia said,

"I'll listen to Lord Leo's words."

"I, I too!"

Chelsea also came to Leo's side.

Chloe, of course, was already there.

"Hmph! You're showing off again, Leo Flob."

Eliza scoffed.

"Well, running away isn't my style. Instead! I will have the command authority next to you…!"

"Stop the idle talk and join us, Eliza Hergin."

"Wa, wait a minute! Warden! What rudeness is this!"

Warden, with a poker face, pushed Eliza towards Leo.

Everyone looked at Warden with surprised eyes.

It was certainly surprising that Warden, known for his solo play, would stake his life on Leo's words without hesitation.

While his classmates were surprised, Eliza's lips curled up.

"Why are you, so arrogant, following someone else's words?"

"Everyone knows that monster must be defeated. But because they lacked the confidence to defeat it, everyone remained silent. I was no different."

Warden looked at Leo.

"Then it is right to follow the command of someone who has the confidence to defeat it. You also have that confidence, which is why you have staked your life on this person, isn't it?"

"Hmph! As a member of the Hergin family, running away upon seeing that hateful demon beast is unthinkable."

Eliza glared at the Gigantes with venomous eyes.

Duran also approached Leo and said,

"I look forward to your leadership skills, Leo Flob."

"You won't be disappointed."

Leo finally looked at Celia and Abad.

"It's just like the entrance exam."

Abad chuckled bitterly.

"Back then, you also rushed into impossible battles without hesitation."

Although Celia and Abad were the ones who defeated Talatunia, it was Leo who led them to victory in that battle.

"I thought I had caught up a little."

Abad mumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Still. Not yet. Celia. You're the same as back then, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Butter."

Celia swept her hair back.

"Since Leo is doing it, there's no way I would refuse."

All the key members of the first-year students joined forces.

Seeing this, Karl let out a hollow laugh.

"With that lineup, it actually seems possible to defeat it."

When the strongest first-year students, who bickered like rivals, joined forces, it felt like an unseen path was opening up.

"W, what about us?"

A student asked cautiously, and Celia swept her hair back, saying,

"Only the nine of us can land effective hits on that monster. Be prepared for any contingencies."

At her words, the students swallowed nervously.

"What formation are you planning to set up?"

To Abad's question, Leo devised a formation and discussed the plan.

After the strategy meeting, the nine students, having checked their equipment, stood on the city wall.

Leo stepped onto the railing of the city wall.

Thud-

"Well then."

The ones who would hold back the Gigantes from the front were Leo, Chen Shia, Duran, and Warden.

The central role of inflicting continuous damage was for Celia and Abad, who possessed fast attack speed and powerful destructive force.

Chelsea and Eliza were assigned the role of supporters, facilitating close coordination between the front and center.

And finally, the rear main damage dealer was Chloe.

Leo looked at the Gigantes, still ravaging the monsters, and shouted,

"Let's go!"

At his words, the four in the front charged forward in unison.

Ggweo?

The Gigantes, which was chewing on monsters, turned its red gaze towards the four.

"Chelsea Lewalin. Lift me as high as possible."

"What?"

At Warden's sudden words, Chelsea was startled but quickly used magic to lift Warden high into the air.

A powerful spiritual energy emanated from Warden, floating high in the air.

Kugugugu-!

Rising rocks encased Warden's body like armor.

Whoosh-!

Warden's body plummeted towards the Gigantes at an incredible speed due to gravity, as if it were a meteor.

Kuwang!

Ggweoooooooah!

As Warden's body plunged into the Gigantes' head, the Gigantes let out a monstrous cry and staggered.

"How can a spirit master be so reckless?! No! First of all, how did you even do that?!"

Eliza exclaimed in astonishment.

'Spirit Armored?'

Leo, looking at Warden, was impressed.

Spirit Armored.

It was a high-level spirit art that allowed one to embody a spirit and imbue its power into their physical body.

Seeing this, Leo also unleashed his spiritual energy.

'Kirian.'

[Yeah.]

'Request protection for the four in the vanguard.'

[Understood.]

Kirian closed its eyes and spread its arms.

Along with it, fairy protection settled upon Leo, Chen Shia, Duran, and Warden.

Fairies were mythical beasts with the power of life.

And fairy protection bestowed inexhaustible stamina upon the recipient.

As the fairy protection settled, the three flinched and looked at Leo.

They all felt their bodies become lighter.

[Haha! How do you like that! Youngsters! Consider it an honor to receive the protection of the Fairy Prince and deal with that unpleasant lump…]

Leo grabbed Kirian, who was triumphantly shouting from his shoulder.

[Why?]

"You're too noisy. Stay back for a bit."

After removing Kirian, Leo looked at the Gigantes, which was rising again, and unleashed his magic.

Kwak-!

Leo, stomping on the ground, flew towards the Gigantes.

Seeing this, the Gigantes raised its hand.

Ggweoooooooah!

The blood vessels in its massive forearm bulged.

The Gigantes swung its arm with ferocious power.

Fwoong-!

The monstrous palm, slicing through the air, descended upon Leo.

Just as the Gigantes' attack was about to reach Leo.

Woong-!

Leo's body split into dozens.

Mirage.

The Gigantes flinched at Leo's illusions, created with the magic of stars.

As Leo raised his sword, dozens of aura flames appeared.

Seeing the dozens of aura flames, the Gigantes wildly swung its arms at Leo's illusions.

"Where are you looking, lump."

Duran's sword, wrapped in golden lightning aura, sliced into the Gigantes' left knee, which had been distracted.

Thump-!

The Gigantes knelt.

As the giant physique bent, its face neared the ground.

At that moment.

Celia, standing on the roof of a building, made eye contact with the Gigantes.

Fwoosh!

Crimson flames ignited at the tip of Celia's sword.

Celia, unleashing Zerdinger's flames to their extreme, generated flame wings on her back.

Swish-!

As Celia assumed a thrusting stance, the flames were drawn into the tip of her sword.

'Prominence!'

Flash-! Kwak-!

The crimson flames pierced the Gigantes' head.

The Gigantes' body, with its head half-blown off, twitched.

Celia snorted and swept her hair back.

Crackle! Crrkrk!

However, seeing its head begin to regenerate, she scowled.

The Gigantes' terrifying vitality remained intact even with half its head blown off.

Celia rapidly stepped out of the Gigantes' attack range with aura steps.

Kwagagag-!

As the Gigantes violently swung its arm, the spot where Celia had stood was devastated.

Seeing this, the first-year students thought.

'We can defeat it!'