Book 1 Chapter 263
263
“Who’s next?”
Duran, who had defeated Bormann, asked in a cold voice.
“This looks interesting?”
“Shall I be next?”
The Azonia students reacted with excitement to Duran’s strength.
‘They’re definitely different from our school’s guys.’
Duran curled up the corner of his mouth as he watched them.
Lumen students try not to fight against overwhelming strong opponents if possible.
If it’s unavoidable, they’ll charge without hesitation, but normally they don’t deliberately pick fights they’re likely to lose.
However, Azonia students burn with even more fighting spirit despite the overwhelming power difference.
‘Interesting.’
Duran wore a warlike smile.
At that smile, the Azonia students who were eagerly trying to fight Duran flinched for a moment.
They were momentarily overwhelmed by Duran’s momentum.
But soon after, unable to hide their excitement, they were about to step forward in front of Duran.
“Duran~”
Chen Sia called Duran.
“Miss Chloe escaped on her own. And she turned all the Azonia students who caused trouble into frozen humans, so there’s no longer any reason to fight Azonia students.”
“Hmph. This side is eager to fight, regardless of that?”
Duran snorted.
At his words, Chen Sia smiled faintly.
“You don’t have to worry about that. The Boss Cat is coming soon.”
“Boss Cat?”
*CRASH-!*
Duran’s question was soon answered.
This was the hotel garden where the Azonia students were staying.
Ar, with fiercely glowing blue eyes, appeared, having kicked open the hotel’s main gate.
“You brats! I told you not to cause trouble!”
“Ugh… was I knocked out…?”
Just then, Bormann, who had regained consciousness, was clutching his head and trying to get up.
*Thump-thump-thump-thump-! SMACK-!*
“Gah?!”
Ar, with furious eyes, ran over and kicked Bormann’s jaw.
*Thud-!*
Bormann, who had barely regained consciousness, rolled his eyes back and fainted again.
Ar rushed into the group of Azonia students and began pummeling them indiscriminately.
“What do you think you’re doing?! No matter if you’re the class representative, you can’t just lay your hands on students from other factions…”
“Shut up!”
“Kyaaahhh!”
Ar, with her claws extended, growled and scratched the protesting student’s face.
Stomping on the heads of the students who were clutching their faces and flailing, Ar roared fiercely.
“Do you even know what you’ve done?! You kidnapped a Lumen student! And you fought with Lumen kids who came to find their friend!! Can you take responsibility if this causes a diplomatic incident!!”
Ar, her blue eyes flashing and fangs bared, roared as if spitting fire from her mouth.
Ar’s voice overwhelmed the entire group.
The Azonia students, terrified, backed away.
Duran conjured aura to shake off Ar’s oppressive momentum that weighed down his entire body.
‘Howling.’
A unique aura skill of beast-folk, created by the hero Arion long ago and spread among the beast-folk.
But even though it’s a unique beast-folk technique, not everyone can use it.
Only a very small number of beast-folk can use Howling.
‘One who is born with the qualities of a leader.’
That’s why beast-folk who can use Howling are special.
‘Moreover, I heard that the ability differs for each user.’
The basic effect of Howling is to instill fear in enemies.
It makes enemies cower with a powerful shout.
But besides that, there are effects specific to each individual.
It has the effect of strengthening one’s attack power, defense, or agility.
A kind of buff effect.
Duran gripped and ungripped the sword in his hand.
‘Azonia’s strongest second-year.’
Duran was well aware of Ar’s reputation.
‘A fearsome monster, they say?’
Duran’s golden eyes narrowed.
‘And Leo Flov defeated this guy.’
Duran, whose thoughts had reached that point, opened his mouth.
“Ar Tune.”
“Hm?”
Ar looked at him at Duran’s call.
And wagging her white tail, she said.
“We met during winter break, didn’t we? It seems our blasted beasts caused you trouble. As the class representative, I apologize…”
“No need for an apology. After all, we’ve beaten up your side enough already.”
Before fighting Bormann, he, along with Celia and Chen Chen Sia, had beaten up dozens of Azonia students.
Moreover, Chloe also reportedly escaped on her own.
‘Given Chloe’s personality, there’s no way she just quietly escaped.’
They had already repaid as much as they needed to.
Lumen also didn’t want a small incident to escalate into a diplomatic issue.
“Ah, thank you for understanding…”
*SWISH-*
“What are you doing?”
Ar narrowed her eyes, looking at Duran’s sword pointed at her.
“I’d like to have a match.”
Duran said with a cold smile.
‘His belligerence… no, it’s more than our school’s kids. He seems dangerous.’
The corners of Ar’s mouth slowly rose as well.
*CRACK-!*
*BANG-!*
Ar punched Duran’s sword.
Duran firmly gripped his sword again.
‘As expected.’
He clenched his hand, putting strength into the tingling sensation he felt.
‘A monster, just as the rumors say.’
At Ar’s suddenly changed demeanor, Duran smiled fiercely.
Ar, lowering her stance, looked at Duran and gave a vicious smile.
“The atmosphere just changed completely.”
Celia made a surprised expression.
Celia had seen Ar several times during last year’s winter break.
‘Though she never had a chance to spar with her.’
The Ar she had seen back then had a different vibe from now.
It wasn’t that she denied Ar’s strength, but she thought Ar lacked charisma as Azonia’s class representative.
In fact, she often seemed like a scatterbrain, just stammering whenever Leo teased her by calling her “Stupid Cat.”
But now, she seemed like a completely different person.
The murderous atmosphere emanating from her made cold sweat trickle down Celia’s back.
“She’s a very scary cat.”
Chen Sia said with her usual smiling face, and Ruen, toying with the tail she was sitting on, replied.
“Of course. There’s a reason why she’s called ‘Boss Cat’ by students outside her faction, too.”
At Ruen’s words, Chen Sia tilted her head.
“I think it’s quite a cute nickname. Boss Cat.”
“To you, it might sound cute. And in fact, she looks cute.”
Ruen narrowed her eyes.
Unlike the calm and cunning aura she had exuded until now, her eyes contained the strong belligerence unique to beast-folk.
“However, Azonia students don’t easily acknowledge others as leaders. Especially students from different factions.”
Azonia pursues strength.
Therefore, they consider anyone stronger than themselves as a target to eventually defeat.
Of course, if they live and train together for about two or three years, they’ll acknowledge an unbeatable strong opponent and treat them as a leader, but until then, they will relentlessly challenge them.
Yet, Ar is called ‘Boss’ by the majority of her classmates in just half a year.
“To me and the leaders of other factions, she looks like a monster cat.”
*BANG-!*
Duran’s body was slid back by Ar’s swinging fist.
“She certainly is a monster.”
Chen Sia smiled faintly at the sight of Ar, fur bristling and hissing.
“Anyway, this is serious. Once she gets fired up, she doesn’t calm down easily.”
“Duran is the same. I’d like to stop them now, but it doesn’t look easy to stop them in that state.”
It was then that Chen Sia wore a troubled smile.
“Hoo-up!”
Ar took a deep breath.
“KRRROOOOAAAARRRRR-!”
The roar of a fierce beast echoed from her mouth.
*CRUNCH-!*
The air was instantly crushed.
“Gah!”
“H-Howling!”
The Azonia students clutched their ears and staggered.
Celia and Chen Sia also clutched their ears and grimaced.
It was a powerful Howling, incomparable to the one from moments ago.
A Howling literally meant for battle.
“Oh dear.”
Ruen covered her mouth with the hem of her uniform and narrowed her eyes.
“It seems like she’s going to get serious.”
‘Hmph. Stupid Cat. Trying to stop a fight and ending up causing big trouble herself. If she gets disciplined for it, it’s all good for me.’
It was then that Ruen narrowed her eyes and smiled.
*GRAB-!*
“Oh? President of Lumen’s student council, are you going to stop them?”
Ruen asked Leo with a bright smile.
“We can’t just leave them like that.”
“She might get even more excited and attack if she sees you, you know? She’s an idiot, once she’s fired up, she doesn’t care who she’s fighting.”
Ignoring Ruen’s words, Leo intervened between the two.
‘Shall I see what he can do?’
Ruen’s eyes curved.
‘There’d be no chance in a spar.’
The unprecedented All-Class.
And Lumen’s youngest student council president.
On top of that, he had already conquered the world of the Great Hero in his first year.
The difference in power was clearly obvious.
‘But in a spar limited to martial arts, there’s a chance.’
Leo’s strength was the strength of the All-Class.
The Azonia students believed there was a chance in a martial arts spar purely for skill.
‘Shall I try to find a weakness?’
Ruen, who had stood up, wagged her fox tail gently and her eyes gleamed.
Chen Sia smiled profoundly as she watched Ruen’s back.
Chen Sia instantly saw through Ruen, realizing she was a considerably cunning student, unlike a typical Azonia student.
‘Moreover, it seems she’s targeting Young Master Leo.’
If she purely requested a spar, Chen Sia intended to let it be, but if she played tricks…
‘I won’t stand for it.’
As Chen Sia smiled faintly, Ruen shivered and looked around.
‘Did I just feel a chill?’
***
*CRACK-!*
As Ar swung her arm, giant claw-shaped scars appeared on the floor.
Duran, having evaded it, conjured his aura.
*CRACKLE-!*
‘Aura Armor.’
Duran, clad in lightning across his entire body, gripped his sword firmly again.
Aura Armor was typically for defense.
But Duran could also use Aura Armor as an offensive tool.
*CRASH-!*
Duran charged towards Ar.
Ar quickly plunged into Duran’s space and clenched her fist.
In close combat, Ar, who used fists and feet, had an advantage.
Ar reached out a hand to grab his neck.
Duran grabbed Ar’s hand with the hand not holding his sword.
“Hm?”
“It’s going to sting quite a bit.”
*CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE-!*
“Nyawk?!”
Ar’s fur stood on end as she was electrocuted.
“EEEEEK-!”
Ar, having been thoroughly electrocuted by the lightning aura, threw her head back and writhed in pain.
*FLASH-!*
But she straightened her head, which had been thrown back, and glared at Duran with flashing eyes.
*CLENCH-!*
“That’s going to hurt quite a bit.”
With a vicious smile, Ar’s other hand flew towards Duran’s face.
Duran, without hesitation, put distance between himself and Ar.
*BANG-!*
But as Ar’s fist cut through the air, a massive wind pressure enveloped Duran’s body.
‘Just from a shockwave?!’
Duran’s eyes widened, and he was sent flying backward.
*THUD! CRRRRUMBLE-!*
He braced himself by plunging his sword into the ground.
But Duran’s body, unable to withstand the impact, was pushed far back.
*THUD-!*
Duran, who had barely managed to stop himself by putting strength into the soles of his feet, curled the corners of his mouth.
“Interesting.”
“I’m having fun too!”
It was when Ar grinned and lowered her stance.
“That’s enough.”
Leo intervened between them.
Ar paused, and Duran frowned.
“It’ll be troublesome if you fight any more. Outside, our school’s kids and Azonia students are fighting everywhere. Shouldn’t stopping that be the priority?”
At Leo’s words, Duran slung his sword over his shoulder.
“Chloe has escaped, so they’ll probably stop on their own, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps. But if you two keep fighting, the incident won’t be contained.”
“Hmph. We just need to finish it quickly.”
“Then recover your condition and fight.”
“What did you say?”
“You’re not in normal physical condition after the previous fight, are you?”
Leo gestured with his chin towards the unconscious Bormann.
At Leo’s words, Duran, who had been staring intently at Leo, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“I dislike your ‘seeing right through everything’ attitude the most, Leo Flov.”
Duran sheathed his sword and left.
“I was having so much fun, and you had to interfere? Black Rabbit.”
Ar crossed her arms and made a disgruntled face.
But soon after, she grinned.
“Well, I’m still excited. It works out perfectly. I’ve wanted to fight you during this Smith contract period!”
Ar bared her fangs and smiled.
“The opportunity came sooner than I expected! Let’s fight! Black Rabbit!”
Ar, unable to easily quell her excitement, lowered her stance.
“You’re definitely more disobedient than usual.”
“Do you think I’m your pet cat?! To always obey your words! If you take a wild animal lightly, you’ll get bitten!”
*Hiss-!* Ar hissed and pounced on Leo.
The Azonia students who saw this clenched their fists, exclaiming “Oh!”
The fight between Azonia’s second-year representative and Lumen’s second-year representative!
It was a great spectacle for Azonia students, who loved watching fights as much as fighting themselves.
Leo smiled at Ar, who had approached right in front of him, and muttered softly.
“Roar.”
“……!”
*WHOOSH-!*
Ar’s eyes widened instantly, and she frantically put distance between herself and Leo.
Like a cat with its fur bristling all over, she had her rear end raised and her upper body lowered, with her hands on the ground.
Her tail stood stiffly like an exclamation mark, and cold sweat dripped from her chin.
Leo, looking at Ar, let out a chuckle and spoke to Celia and Chen Sia, who wore puzzled expressions.
“Let’s go back.”
Leo left Azonia’s lodging.
“That’s not like you.”
Ruen, making a bored expression, yawned and went back into the lodging.
Ar, who had stood up, looked down at her hands.
They were soaked in cold sweat.
For a moment, she saw the silhouette of a wolf behind Leo.
She had experienced something like this during the last summer break.
But it was different from then.
And the shock she felt was incomparable to that time.
‘That was definitely… Howling.’
Ar wiped her hands on her uniform skirt.
A human using Howling.
It was an unbelievable story.
But it was true.
Ar tilted her head, looking at Leo’s retreating back.
‘Black Rabbit. What exactly are you?’