Book 1 Chapter 185

185

Flames roared.

Fiora flapped her wings, lifting herself into the air.

Reese, who had been stunned by the sudden appearance of the phoenix, regained his senses as he watched.

Then, he focused his mind and generated his aura.

Flames roared!

Flames identical to the ones Fiora was emitting shimmered on Reese’s sword.

"Fiora."

Peep-

"Go wild as much as you want."

Chirp- Chirp-

At those words, Fiora flapped her wings rapidly, as if pleased, and soared high into the sky.

Roar!

The power of the flames Fiora emitted grew even stronger.

Leo was continuously drawing out Fiora's potential using his spirit energy.

Drip-!

Fiora's movement, which had been soaring high into the sky, suddenly stopped.

Whoosh-!

And she descended towards Reese at tremendous speed.

Gooooo-!

The space around seemed to warp due to the flames Fiora was emitting.

'Stay calm.'

Reese adopted a stance, watching Fiora.

'No matter how amazing a mythical beast a phoenix is, if you saw her earlier, she's still a young mythical beast. This current form must be Leo drawing out her potential.'

Having competed for the representative position of their grade for five years with Ulta, Reese knew all too well how much spirit energy was consumed to draw out and maintain the potential of high-ranking mythical beasts.

Whoosh-!

Peep!

Kwagagagagang-!

As Fiora flapped her wings mightily, a giant wave of flames swept across the entire training ground.

Reese, who had defended against the attack by swinging his sword, looked up at Fiora, who had soared into the sky again, and muttered.

"This is more than I can handle."

Reese looked at his cousin with a slightly bored expression.

Meanwhile, the spectators were also in shock.

"Unbelievable!"

"A phoenix! A phoenix! They're only a first-year!"

"No! It's not a matter of being a first-year! Can you contract with one of the Three Great Mythical Beasts even if you're a senior?"

Not only first-years but also seniors let out screams of shock.

The reaction from the Summoning Department was particularly intense.

Even the professors had difficulty believing what they were seeing.

Of course, only one professor was cheering.

"That's it! You're finally summoning the phoenix!"

Yura, who was sitting in the spectator stands with the professors, jumped up and shouted.

For Yura, this was a moment she had eagerly awaited.

Leo revealing the phoenix in front of everyone!

'Now, no one can deny that Leo belongs in the Summoning Department!'

Just as Yura was cheering.

"Sit down, you're distracting me."

Ain, who had barely regained his composure, said with a frown.

Yura looked down at Ain with a smug expression.

"See, Senior Ain? That's why Leo is the kind of person who fits in the Summoning Department!"

"A phoenix is amazing, but do you think it's easy to overwhelm Reese with martial arts?"

"Not as much as a phoenix."

"Oh, dear. You're saying strange things again."

Ren, who approached, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe it, said.

"Student Leo is from the Magic Department. Student Leo's bible. That's a miracle magic, an ideal for mages. It's unprecedented magic. Yes. It's great magic, comparable to the star magic created by the progenitor of constellations. To try to poach such talent just because they can do some martial arts and summon a phoenix. You have no conscience."

As the three of them united, their assistant professors, Clarissa, Carlo, and Anna, began to look anxious.

"Knight Department."

"I said Summoning Department!"

"Magic!"

As the three shouted, Halind, who was observing and scoring the sparring match from a corner, said to Serah next to him.

"Serah. Bring those three to me immediately."

At those words, Serah scurried over and brought the three of them.

And they had to kneel before Halind and raise their hands.

Halind, without even looking at them, his former students and current junior colleagues, watched Leo standing in the arena.

Even Halind, who rarely showed emotion, wore a look of exasperation as he watched his student this time.

'What is this guy's limit?'

***

Reese let out a hollow laugh as he watched Fiora flapping her wings before him.

"I can't believe they actually contracted with a phoenix."

He couldn't believe it even seeing it with his own eyes.

Had anyone in Lumern history contracted with one of the Three Great Mythical Beasts in their first year?

As far as Reese knew, Leo was the only one.

Reese looked at the phoenix with awe.

The phoenix was the source of power for the Zerdinger family.

From Reese's perspective, his gaze towards Fiora was inevitably different.

At Reese's gaze, Fiora proudly lifted her chin.

Peep-

And she cried with as much dignity as possible.

Of course, from Reese's perspective, it sounded like a chick's chirp.

"I heard the cry of a phoenix is very beautiful…"

"It is beautiful. But this one is still young. Its cry sounds like a chick."

At the word "chick," Fiora pecked Leo's head in dissatisfaction.

Ignoring Fiora, Leo said.

"Then, shall we fight in earnest?"

"You mean the previous attack wasn't in earnest?"

"Brother Reese, you're being overly dramatic."

"Hmph."

It was as Leo said.

Despite the tremendous attack just moments ago, Reese's clothes were still not singed.

He had canceled out the phoenix's flames.

'Even if they summon Fiora, they can't defeat Reese.'

For Leo now, he had merely gained attack power equal to Reese.

As Reese predicted, Leo had a limit to drawing out and maintaining Fiora's abilities.

'Furthermore, it would be problematic if Reese targeted me in this situation.'

Fiora could only be used for offense.

Of course, Leo also had the other two Great Mythical Beasts, the fairy and the pegasus.

However, at this moment, it was already a struggle to summon Fiora and strengthen Fiora's abilities.

It was not a situation where he could summon Kieran and Atty.

Moreover, even if he had the capacity to summon them, Kieran and Atty were not cards to be revealed carelessly.

'I can't reveal any more cards.'

All the spies from Tartarus within Lumern had already been identified.

However, there was still the matter of external perception.

Leo was already a target of concern for Tartarus.

How many people at school knew that Leo was a phoenix contractor?

Perhaps Tartarus also knew.

However, no one knew that he was a contractor with the fairy and the pegasus.

'I can't draw any more attention to myself.'

The cards he could reveal here were Fiora, whose existence was already known, and Elsie, whose true identity, apart from Leo, was known only to the Lich King.

Meanwhile, Reese also cautiously looked at Leo.

'I can't take this lightly.'

He knew that the phoenix before him was still young.

Therefore, no matter how powerful a phoenix was said to be, a young one had limitations in the strength they could exert.

However, it rarely showed any openings.

If there were a time limit, one would feel rushed.

But Leo showed no such signs.

This sparring match was to prove that he was sufficient as student council president, and in a way, that fact might have been proven the moment he summoned the phoenix.

'But if that were the case, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of sparring with me in front of everyone.'

He would have gathered people and announced that he was the phoenix's contractor.

'Leo is genuinely trying to defeat me.'

He felt that determination.

And Leo's power was threatening Reese.

'Haha. What a formidable younger cousin.'

Reese let out a wry laugh.

Of course, he had no intention of losing willingly.

'The key to the match will be how much of the phoenix's power Leo can draw out.'

If it turned into a prolonged battle, Reese would surely win.

Thud-!

However, Reese gripped his sword and pointed it at Leo.

A first-year was putting everything on the line to defeat him.

'But it wouldn't look good for a fifth-year to avoid a head-on confrontation.'

Reese's lips curled up.

Flames roared!

Crimson flames began to swirl around his body.

The Zerdinger family's secret technique.

'Prominence.'

Flames roared-

Flames began to swirl around his sword.

Reese raised his sword.

Goooooo-!

It was different from Celia's Prominence.

'If Celia's was a thrust, this one is a slash.'

Seeing that, Leo said.

"Fiora, get ready."

Peep-!

With those words, crimson flames began to gather around Fiora's body.

Seeing that, Reese's eyes widened.

'Prominence?'

An aura of crimson flames identical to Reese's.

However, Leo enveloped Fiora with that crimson aura.

Moreover, the flames intensified due to the flames Fiora emitted.

"This will be interesting."

Thud-!

Kwagagag-!

As Leo gripped his sword with both hands, the flames swirled even more fiercely.

Fiora crouched down.

Whoosh-!

From top to bottom.

Leo swung his sword down.

A giant blade of crimson flames flew towards Leo and Fiora.

Peeyaaak!

Fiora spread her wings wide.

The wings of crimson flames extending from both wings flew towards the blade and collided.

Kwaga…ggagagagang-!

A world of red flames unfolded.

"Kk!"

"W-what is this aftereffect?!"

The flames pierced through the training ground and engulfed the spectator stands.

Of course, the Lumern professors and students easily blocked the flames.

However, the fact that it had such an influence on the spectator stands, piercing through the training ground's shield magic, was astonishing.

The flames all dissipated.

Poof-!

Fiora returned to her original form with a small puff of smoke and fell to the ground.

Tap-! Roll! Roll!

Peep! Peep!

Unable to regain her balance, Fiora rolled a few times on the ground and cried out in displeasure.

Reese looked at Leo, his eyes twitching.

"There's… still more?"

A spherical, dark veil spread around Leo.

Of course, his form was not visible.

The pitch-black darkness hid Leo completely.

'…A spirit?'

Reese narrowed his eyes.

Then.

Swoosh-

The darkness wriggled and was sucked into Leo's shadow.

'To withstand the aftereffects of that attack head-on. A monster is indeed a monster.'

Even for a user of flame aura, it was astonishing to withstand a collision of flames with such heat bare-handed.

If Leo hadn't squeezed out his remaining spirit energy to summon Elsie, he wouldn't have been able to stand.

'My aura and magic are already completely depleted. All that's left is spirit energy. But it's not enough to draw out Fiora's potential.'

Fiora looked up at Leo, spreading her wings as if wanting to fight more, but it was her limit.

Elsie, who was bound to Leo, could only use as much power as Leo's spirit energy allowed.

'What kind of spirit is it? It's definitely a dark-attribute spirit.'

Meanwhile, Reese did not let down his guard as he watched Leo's shadow.

Leo had always exceeded expectations.

How many times had he exceeded expectations just in this sparring match?

'I have to fight with the assumption that there is no limit.'

Reese tightened his grip on his sword.

At that moment.

Whoosh-!

"……!"

Leo's shadow shot towards Reese at incredible speed.

Kwaga…gagang-!

Reese deflected the shadow blade by swinging his sword.

'Spirit Armored?'

A technique of spirit magic.

It's high-level spirit magic where spirits are clad around the body like armor.

But Leo was using it.

'Spirit magic is also this powerful?'

He began to think that Leo might truly be capable of anything.

He deserved to be called 'all-class' in the truest sense.

Leo raised his hand.

Gooooo-!

Darkness gathered around Leo.

As Reese gripped his sword again, watching Leo.

Crack-!

A crack appeared on Reese's sword.

Seeing that, Leo and Reese froze.

Crackle-!

Reese's sword couldn't withstand it and broke.

"Hmm."

Reese let out a light sigh.

"I still have a long way to go."

The sword he used today was Reese's practice sword.

Of course, it was a formidable sword, as befitting a successor of the Zerdinger family, but it was not a sword used in actual combat.

Therefore, it was not strange that it couldn't withstand Reese's powerful aura.

Of course, a knight like Reese wouldn't be unable to fight without a weapon.

But this was a sparring evaluation, not actual combat.

The loss of a weapon by a student using one is considered a defeat.

Reese licked his lips and smiled bitterly.

"I lost. Leo."

Unbelievable reactions erupted from all over.

Leo dismissed Elsie, picked up Fiora, and placed her on his shoulder, saying.

"This result… I can't accept it."

"Still, a win is a win."

Reese approached Leo and patted him on the shoulder.

"You are fully qualified to be the student council president. You've proven it yourself."

Reese smiled as he looked at Leo.

"I entrust Lumern to you, Leo, to follow in my footsteps."