Book 1 Chapter 228

It was evening when Celia entered the Imperial Magic Library with Leo's Knights.

The people in the Imperial Magic Library looked surprised at Celia's visit.

Celia was such a famous person that everyone in the empire knew her.

However, the mages, who knew that she rarely entered the Imperial Magic Library, couldn't help but look puzzled by her appearance.

And then they looked at the Slayer Knights accompanying Celia.

"The trainees from Zerdinger?"

"Are they the trainees who entered Rumern this time?"

"What? Did you come to show off?"

Dissatisfied reactions erupted from here and there.

The Slayer Knights looked flustered by the reactions.

The Rodren Empire had a strong sense of rivalry not only between Zerdinger and Ruwalyn, but also among knights and mages.

Thanks to the fact that five Zerdinger trainees were accepted as new students at Rumern this time, the entire Rodren Empire's knights were in a celebratory mood.

On the other hand, the mages looked at them with displeasure.

"Miss Celia, is it okay to be here?"

Martina asked cautiously, and Celia chuckled, brushing her hair back.

"Yes. We're just here to meet Leo. Don't be intimidated. Instead, enjoy this attention."

'Miss Celia is amazing too.'

To enjoy such a hostile gaze.

It was when Martina was shaking her head in disbelief.

"How dare you come here so brazenly?"

Chelsea walked over with heavy steps.

Seeing Chelsea, the Slayer Knights became very tense.

'Chelsea Ruwalyn!'

She was a powerful figure rumored even within the Zerdinger family.

"I came to pick up Leo."

"Oppa Leo is talking with Aunt."

Chelsea, who answered curtly, glanced at the Slayer Knights.

"Are those the knights who entered Rumern this time, Oppa Leo's knights?"

"That's right."

"In that case, we'll be seeing each other often."

Abad walked over from behind Chelsea.

'Even Abad Ruwalyn!'

As formidable figures appeared one after another, the entire Slayer Knights couldn't help but become extremely tense.

These were the seniors who formed the core of Rumern's golden generation.

It was when various gazes intersected.

"It's unusual. Three people are here at the Imperial Magic Library."

At the voice from behind, everyone's gaze turned there.

A girl with brilliant golden hair was walking in, accompanied by imperial knights and mages on either side.

All the mages who had visited the Imperial Magic Library knelt and bowed their heads.

The Slayer Knights also knelt and paid their respects as knights.

Celia, Abad, and Chelsea did not kneel, but bowed their heads and paid their respects as subjects.

It was the appearance of Shasha, the future empress of Rodren.

"Welcome, Your Highness the Princess."

Abad, who had the highest public status among those present, greeted the princess on behalf of everyone.

Celia, Abad, Chelsea, and Shasha were childhood friends who had grown up together and were very close.

They spoke casually in private but used polite language in public.

Shasha smiled as she watched Abad reach out and kiss her hand.

"Abad, you're always so dignified."

"You flatter me."

"Ew. How cheesy."

Shasha said playfully, Abad replied slyly, and Celia stuck out her tongue slightly.

Chelsea glared at Celia with narrowed eyes.

They were future power holders who would lead the Chacha Empire, but they were still just boys and girls in their mid-teens.

It was when they were playing like that.

"By the way, Your Highness Shasha, why are you here at the Imperial Magic Library?"

"I came to meet Leo Flov. I want to invite him to my Rumern entrance celebration party."

"You came all this way for that? You could have sent someone…"

"You will all, as well as Leo Flov, the Phoenix Summoner, receive a lot of help in your school life from now on."

Shasha, who was smiling shyly, asked,

"So where is Leo Flov?"

"He is currently having a meeting with the Vice-Leader of his main family."

"I see. Then shall we wait for a while?"

The Imperial Magic Library bustled with activity at the princess's arrival.

It was when Leo's knights were nervously lining up next to Celia.

"You're all entering Rumern this time too, right?"

"Yes, that's right, Your Highness the Princess."

Martina bowed her head on behalf of the group.

Shasha smiled brightly as she looked at Martina.

"Please take good care of me as your classmate. Please make sure to attend the party too."

"It's an honor, Your Highness."

Martina paid her respects.

Having received proper etiquette training as a Zerdinger trainee, her actions were flawless.

It was then.

Someone who appeared to be Shasha's attendant approached and spoke softly to Shasha.

After hearing the report, Shasha's eyes widened.

"What? A sparring match? With the representative of Azonia?"

***

"Hmph, Black Rabbit. You've finally decided to spar with me."

Ar came to a halt in the middle of a wide open space with a smug expression.

Looking at Ar, Leo said,

"Didn't you just say a moment ago? You said the spar was to see how well you could handle Arion's beastification."

"Of course!"

Ar puffed out his chest.

"I'm handling it perfectly!"

"We'll see about that."

Leo raised his wooden sword.

Looking at Leo, Ar lowered his stance as if he were about to spring forward.

He placed his hands on the ground and raised his hips, like a cat hunting prey.

'Is this my first spar with the Black Rabbit like this?'

Ar's eyes sparkled.

'The Black Rabbit's skill, which I only saw during the Azonia entrance exam, was amazing.'

After that, Leo became the youngest student council president of Rumern.

'And he was amazing during the entrance exam too.'

His ears perked up and his tail wagged.

Ar, whose beastly combativeness was clearly evident, bent his knees.

Looking at Ar, Leo took a step forward.

Thud-! Whoosh-!

That was the signal, and Ar charged.

Ar, who seemed to disappear from his spot, closed the distance to Leo at tremendous speed.

The superior physical abilities unique to beastmen combined with the power of aura.

Whoosh-!

Ar swung his hand.

Leo swung his aura-infused sword towards Ar's fist.

Clang-!

It sounded like iron clashing.

Kagagagag-!

Sparks flew from Ar's hands as he gripped Leo's sword.

Thwack-!

"…!"

Ar's eyes widened as Leo pushed him away.

He hadn't fallen behind in aura power.

'I lost in pure physical strength.'

Ar snorted.

'Amazing!'

Due to their species' characteristics, humans are bound to be physically inferior to beastmen.

However, Leo had overturned such species-specific traits.

'Excitement!'

Ar's eyes sparkled.

It didn't matter that he was outmatched in strength.

Among his classmates at Azonia, there were many students stronger than Ar.

Despite that, what made Ar the representative of Azonia's grade was his flexibility and speed.

Whoosh-!

Ar, who jumped from his spot, aimed his heel at Leo's arm.

Thwack-!

Wobble-!

Leo's knee buckled as he blocked Ar's attack.

As Leo tried to counter, the claws of Ar's opposite hand gleamed sharply.

Whoosh-!

As Ar swung his hand, Leo deflected the attack with his remaining hand.

Fwoosh- Swish-!

Ar, having escaped Leo's grasp, landed on the ground with a somersault.

"Hyaa!"

Then he took an attacking stance.

Leo tilted his head, feeling a slight sting on his cheek.

Ar licked the blood on his fingertips and smiled like a cat.

"Hmm."

Leo smiled.

"You're amazing."

"You're the one who's amazing, Black Rabbit. You're already this strong without even showing your full power."

"Isn't that true for both of us?"

Fwoosh-

Fire aura bloomed from Leo's body.

Seeing Leo, Ar clenched his fist and shivered.

'You're serious now. In that case, I too…'

Whoosh-

Golden aura shimmered around Ar's body.

Seeing that, Leo narrowed his eyes.

The aura was too familiar.

A friend who stood at the forefront in impossible battles.

'Arion's aura.'

Along with that, a change came over Ar's body.

His eyes became sharp like a cat's, and his claws became even sharper.

Although it is fundamentally called beastification, there is not much external change.

The beastly traits that were originally there are further strengthened, and physical abilities are overwhelmingly increased.

"Grrrrrr-!"

A cat's purr rumbled from Ar's throat.

'Here it comes.'

The moment Leo thought that.

Thwack-!

The ground Ar stood on cracked.

Leo's transcendental eyesight rapidly followed Ar's movements.

But before his body could react, Ar's kick struck Leo's shoulder.

BOOM-!

Leo was sent flying and crashed into the wall.

This was a magic laboratory attached to the Imperial Magic Library.

Therefore, it was spacious, and since it was late, there was no one using it.

'But if they heard a noise like this, someone might come.'

Crack-!

Leo quickly ducked his head as he emerged from the wall.

CRASH-! CRACKLE-! KAGAGAGANG-!

Ar's fist embedded itself in the spot where Leo had been.

The wall cracked and then collapsed.

'He's definitely a monster.'

Leo shook his head.

Overwhelming physical abilities.

'It's definitely Arion's beastification.'

Leo closed his eyes as he looked at Ar, who was charging like a berserker, baring his claws and teeth.

'Although he can't use it properly.'

Swish-

Leo's eyes opened.

Ar flinched for a moment and hurriedly distanced himself from Leo.

Then, he bristled and eyed Leo warily.

Ar broke out in a cold sweat.

'For a moment, from the Black Rabbit… I glimpsed Arion-nim's shadow.'

The image of Arion, whom he had seen directly in the hero's world, flashed through his mind.

Ar shook his head back and forth.

'It's an illusion, an illusion.'

He was overwhelmed by the aura.

Thinking so, Ar unleashed even more powerful aura.

Golden energy shimmered in Ar's aura.

'I'll settle this with the next attack!'

He was dominating the fight.

'I have to defeat him quickly before he uses magic or summoning!'

Whoosh-!

Ar closed the distance to Leo.

Momentarily-

Crack-!

Veins bulged in Leo's hand.

Whoosh-!

The moment Ar reached Leo's vicinity.

Grab-!

"Nyahk?"

Leo's palm covered Ar's face.

BOOM-!

For an instant, Leo slammed Ar into the ground.

"Sorry."

Under the moonlit night sky, Leo apologized to Ar, who had a dazed expression.

"This is my first time using this ability, so I couldn't control the power."

Leo, who had subdued Ar with a single blow, got up and looked down at his mangled right hand.

"If I use this wrong, I might self-destruct."

His arm was swollen from not being able to withstand the explosive aura power.

Ar blankly called out to Leo, who was sighing.

"Black Rabbit."

"Why?"

"Were you a wolf, not a rabbit?"

In Ar's eyes, Leo's glowing golden right pupil was visible.

It reminded him of the pupils of a beastified wolf.

And Ar thought it looked very similar to the eyes of any beastman he knew.

'Arion-nim.'

Seeing Ar with a dazed expression, Leo chuckled.

"A wolf? Don't be ridiculous. I'm human. I was just imitating a friend of mine. Though I'm nowhere near his level."

Leo had obtained three spoils of war from Arion's world in the past.

Elsie, Arion's breathing technique, and Agon's book.

Agon's book could be considered the original text of Arion's aura cultivation method.

Based on this book, Leo, after long research, was able to use Arion's awakened ability obtained from Arion's world.

'I've regained the ability to use his power like in my past life. Even though it's only a part of it and in this state.'

Leo looked at his tattered right hand.

'Still, I can imitate him.'

Leo's eyes returned to their original color.

Then he said,

"It seems like it's not me who needs to transfer, but you who needs to come?"

"Huh?"

"You are being swayed by the hero's beastification ability."