Book 1 Chapter 323
323
Kugugugung-!
A pillar of flame shot up, as if to pierce the sky.
Chwaahak-!
Celia, who had been blown back, desperately plunged Flame Storm into the ground to regain her balance.
Celia, gripping Lancea tightly and seeing Leo approaching, gritted her teeth.
'It hasn't been that long since I received Lancea…'
Weapons with powerful abilities are difficult to wield.
This is because if one is not careful, they can be swept away by the weapon.
It took Celia a long time to properly wield Flame Storm.
'And Leo did it in just a few days…'
Kkuuk-
Celia strengthened her grip on the sword.
'Come to think of it… Leo has been like that since the first time we met.'
Swordsmanship that overwhelmed Celia.
Powerful physical abilities.
The sense to enter Aura in the blink of an eye and use Zerdinger's flame.
In a way, she had been with Leo the longest among the second-year students.
'We've also had a lot of time training together.'
That's why Celia was the one who knew the gap between her and Leo better than anyone.
Celia gritted her teeth.
'I've never once wanted to truly fight Leo.'
Because I always ended up knowing the gap.
Because the more I tried to narrow it, the more painfully I felt it.
Except for the first time they met, she had never ignited her competitive spirit.
Though she never gave up on chasing him.
On the other hand, she was already intimidated in front of Leo.
A top student befitting the family name.
But that was all.
In such a situation.
In front of many people.
Leo had seriously initiated a fight first.
'I can't back down.'
Hwareuk-
Flames ignited from Celia's body.
Flames shimmered at the tip of her rapier-shaped sword.
'Prominence.'
From the start, Celia pushed her maximum firepower to the limit.
Flame Storm spewed out powerful flames.
A treasure of Zerdinger, imbued with the will of a phoenix, the storm of flames.
It was a sword that would never break, rust, or chip as long as the user's will burned.
Shwik-!
A sharp sound of the sword piercing the air echoed.
Along with it, a blade of flame flew to pierce Leo.
Seeing that, Leo spun Lancea.
Hung-! Huhghunghunghunghung! Kwaaahak!
Lancea, spinning at incredible speed, simply wrapped around Celia's flames.
Hwareureuk-!
Lancea burned even more intensely.
Celia's face stiffened as she saw it.
'My maximum firepower…!'
"Flames are bound to be devoured by stronger flames, Celia."
Celia clenched her teeth.
"Especially if they wield 'the same' flames."
Wielding Zerdinger's flames.
Furthermore, a covenantee of the 'Phoenix,' which could be considered the source of those flames.
As Leo approached, Celia stepped back.
"Well, the biggest reason."
Hwareureuk-
Flames ignited from Leo's body.
"I think the biggest reason is thinking that I can't win."
"N-no! Shut up! That's not true!"
Celia, provoked, re-gripped her sword and charged at Leo.
Shwik-!
Celia took out a small dagger from her pocket.
Parrying Dagger.
It was the weapon Celia chose as a secondary weapon.
Celia, a knight with powerful firepower, was already a student with a strong advantage in area attacks.
Leo recommended the parrying dagger, which enhances close-quarters combat, to such Celia.
Chaeng-!
Celia deflected Leo's thrust aimed at her with the parrying dagger and aimed for Leo's neck.
Hwak-!
Leo charged forward, evading Celia's thrust and burrowing into her embrace.
Chaeng-!
Leo pulled out a parrying dagger from his pocket.
Small daggers crossed at close range.
"Kk？」
Celia, who had allowed Leo to get this close, gritted her teeth and re-gripped her rapier.
Leo, who had let go of Lancea, grasped Celia's wrist holding the rapier.
"Giving up easily isn't like you."
"Who said I gave up?"
Celia, provoked, released Aura.
In an instant, Leo was blown away by the Aura released at maximum output.
Suddenly, a wind blade flew towards the retreating Leo.
Leo, creating Aura at his fingertips, spun his body.
Kwagagagagagagak-!
The gale-force wind hit Leo's hand and bounced off in all directions.
Hwahak-!
Leo, who stopped spinning, looked back.
Tak-!
"Wow! Wow! As expected, Leo Oppa! Amazing!"
Chelsea exclaimed with admiration.
Seeing Chelsea, Celia gritted her teeth and shouted.
"Chelsea! Now is not the time to be dealing with Leo Oppa lightheartedly! This is a test!"
At Celia's words, Chelsea protested, flustered.
"I-I've never dealt with Leo Oppa lightheartedly?"
"Then be serious! Such shallow magic won't work on Leo!"
"What? Hey, shallow? This…!"
Just as Chelsea was provoked by Celia's more nervous-than-usual demeanor.
Seuk-!
Leo's fingertips pointed towards Chelsea.
Uung-!
Powerful magic was released.
Hwaaaahwang!
"Oof?!"
As a powerful gust of wind blew in an instant, Chelsea's eyes squeezed shut.
'Wind magic!'
It was when Chelsea was desperately trying to counter Leo's magic.
Kwagagagagaga-!
A whirlwind swirled around Chelsea.
"Wind Storm."
Seeing Leo instantly complete the magic, Chelsea felt goosebumps all over her body.
'High-speed incantation!'
Chelsea's specialty, high-speed incantation.
Moreover, the completed spell was a high-level magic.
Chelsea hastily chanted a dispel spell and flew into the air, escaping Leo's magic.
"Chelsea!"
Celia, pale, urgently called out to Chelsea.
"……!"
Chelsea's face also turned pale as she looked at Leo before her.
Leo aimed a kick directly at Chelsea.
"W-Wind Shield!"
Peong-!
Wind clashed with wind, and a deafening roar echoed.
Hwaahwak-!
The shockwave generated by the collision between Leo and Chelsea caused the surrounding blades of grass to bend in the opposite direction.
The surface of the earth flipped and flew away.
"Ughhh!"
"What was that!"
The students who had been attacking the Glori wall for a while screamed at the sudden storm.
Kwang-!
"Something flew!"
"Is it artillery? What is it?"
Then, as something flew towards the wall, they showed confusion.
As the thick cloud of dust cleared.
Chelsea was seen stuck in the wall.
"Huh!"
"Che, Chelsea!"
Harmony students rushed to support Chelsea.
At that moment.
"Kweeeek!"
"Leo's coming!"
Everyone wore horrified expressions upon spotting Leo flying towards Chelsea at incredible speed.
It was then.
Shwik-!
A spear, flying with a sharp sound, stopped Leo.
"Howl!"
Howl Neuf, a top student in the Knight Department, blocked Leo's path.
Howl, who used Poison Aura, threatened Leo with his characteristic snake-like spear techniques.
Seeing such Howl, Leo laughed.
"Nice! Like a knight guarding a king."
Howl swung his spear with a grim expression.
Hwiririk-!
"Celia is quite a strategist too."
Skilled in both military and civil arts.
It was the motto of a top student befitting Zerdinger's direct lineage, which Celia desired.
"Chloe told me."
Leo smiled faintly.
"Celia would have chosen Chelsea, who has the best mobility among the second-years and can escape from a chaotic battle, as the King."
The reason for sending Chelsea to the front was to hide that fact.
"Judging by your reaction, it seems to be true."
Leo chuckled and swung Lancea behind him.
Chaeng-!
Flame Storm and Lancea crossed, emitting flames.
Using that opening, Howl swung his spear at Leo.
Shwik-!
Like a snake biting its prey.
Howl's spear aimed at Leo with unpredictable movements.
Kwaang-!
Leo kicked away Howl's spear.
"Kk？」
Howl was blown away.
Along with that, Leo punched Celia in the abdomen with his bare fist.
Kwaang!
"Kuk?"
With a fist imbued with flame Aura, Celia's body bent and flew away.
Leo's gaze turned to Chelsea.
The Harmony students who were supporting Chelsea screamed, "Hiiik-!"
"Run! Run!"
"Protect Chelsea!"
"Chelsea! Escape!"
The moment the King died, Harmony would be eliminated.
Regular students charged at Leo.
Celia, stumbling to her feet, gritted her teeth.
'To be put on the defensive from the start of the test.'
Normally, even if Chelsea being the King was discovered, she wouldn't be in such a critical situation.
The reason for making Chelsea the King was as Leo explained.
Mobility that doesn't easily get pushed back.
And speed and combat ability to break through any crisis.
Even if Warredan and Celia cooperated, catching Chelsea wouldn't be easy.
That's why Chelsea was made the King.
But…
'What is that!'
Celia gritted her teeth.
Leo's abilities far exceeded her expectations.
'Thinking that I can't win?'
Celia's hand trembled.
'No! I've never thought that… never…'
It was when Celia's eyes wavered.
"Celia!"
Howl urgently called out to Celia.
Startled, Celia regained her senses.
"Leo is chasing Chelsea! We have to stop him!"
"Understood!"
Shaking off the pain in her abdomen, Celia urgently got up and chased after Leo.
The Harmony students who rushed at Leo to protect Chelsea were being swept away.
Chelsea gritted her teeth, watching Leo chase her, and generated her magic.
'Thinking I'm dealing with Leo Oppa lightheartedly?! That's not true! I just…! So…!'
As Celia spoke, Chelsea, who had been objecting internally, was swept away by the storm.
Leo was completely overwhelming Chelsea with wind magic.
Chelsea, rolling on the ground, looked at Leo.
As she looked at Leo, who was approaching with his spear resting on his shoulder, she felt goosebumps all over her body.
She realized what Celia meant by 'lightheartedness.'
At the same time, Halin's words came to mind.
'Will you follow behind them? Or will you go your own way?'
Halin's words came to mind.
Kwagagagagak-!
Once again, a storm raged before Chelsea's eyes.
Chelsea, who narrowly dodged, looked at Leo approaching her with emotionless eyes.
Seeing the object of her admiration, who saw her as an opponent to be defeated, Chelsea gritted her teeth.
Except for the first time they met, she had never seen Leo as a rival or an opponent to defeat.
Like a hero from a fairy tale, he was merely an object of admiration…
An object she simply wanted to look at.
Without the desire to walk beside him or stand behind him.
Like a girl reading a fairy tale,
She had a wish to watch his exploits with a thumping heart, but today, for the first time, she felt the distance between herself and Leo.
She hadn't thought she could win.
Because Chelsea knew the gap between her and Leo as well as Celia did.
She thought that just looking from afar would be enough…
'I can't see.'
She realized now.
That he had become so far away that even reaching out wouldn't be enough.
'What should I do…'
Chelsea's eyes trembled.
"Chelsea?"
Then, she heard a familiar voice.
"Older brother."
She looked at another object of admiration.
Abad, seeing Chelsea looking at him with a gaze that seemed to be asking for help, generated his magic with a grim expression.
Kwagagagagak!
Abad, who sent Leo's magic flying, shouted.
"Celia!"
Celia, who had reached Leo from behind, was generating flame Aura.
"I don't like joining forces with you."
Flames sparked in Celia's eyes.
"But this is the only way now!"
Hwareureuk-!
Fire and wind.
Among the second-years.
A combination that could produce the most powerful force joined forces.
"Prominence."
"Tempest."
Celia's Aura and Abad's magic merged, creating a massive storm of flames.
Celia, raising her sword, shouted.
"Be ready, Leo!"
Seeing that, Leo generated Aura and magic.
Hwareureuk! Hwiioo!
A storm of flames was generated in Leo's hands as well.
"Haaaaaah!"
Celia let out a battle cry and swung Flame Storm towards Leo.
Kwaaaang-!
The storm of flames collided, sweeping through the surrounding area.
***
The flames subsided.
Chelsea stared blankly ahead.
"Chelsea."
Abad smiled bitterly and reached out to stroke his sister's head.
"Older brother…"
"Now… isn't it time for you to soar too?"
Abad, smiling wistfully, received a death judgment and disappeared.
Puk-!
Lancea, stuck in Abad's back, plunged into the ground.
Celia's hands, which had squeezed with all their might, trembled.
She looked at her hands, which firmly gripped the blades of Flame Storm in both hands.
Blood flowed from her hands, and she sustained burns.
But her hands were firmly holding on, blocking Celia's attack.
"You said you never thought you couldn't win?"
Leo tightened his grip.
A sword that remains unchanged as long as the owner's will burns.
Kwajik-! Hwareureuk-
The blade of Flame Storm, broken by Leo, scattered as flames.
Celia's face contorted.
"Even now?"
To Leo's cruel question, the battered Celia stumbled backward.
The light on her bracelet, indicating her life, extinguished.
"Chelsea."
Celia turned to Chelsea.
"Run."
Hwahak-!
Celia also received a death judgment and was transferred.