Book 1 Chapter 329

329

"Dara, who overcame limitations and accomplished the impossible…"

Leo looked at Chelsea, who was staring straight at him, and said.

"You know it's not as easy as it sounds, right, Chelsea?"

Leo burst out laughing.

It was different from his usual gentle smile.

A sharp laugh.

An absolute aura that overwhelmed everything.

Just facing it made one's hair stand on end.

But.

'I can't just be whining!'

She vowed not to give up to be recognized as a comrade.

As if trying to shake her off.

Because she had made up her mind to chase after Leo, who was far ahead.

Whoosh-!

Wind blew around Chelsea.

Leo, who was looking at Chelsea, armed with wind, tightened his grip on the reins.

Crackling-!

Arti snorted, spewing massive lightning bolts, and charged towards Chelsea.

Leo quickly closed the distance with Chelsea, embroidering the sky with white flashes of light.

Chelsea pointed her staff at Leo.

"Wind Sickle!"

As Chelsea unleashed her spell, numerous wind sickles assailed Leo.

Crackle-!

Leo easily dodged hundreds of wind sickles by controlling Arti.

Leo's evasion maneuvers, perfected through Pegasus control, were almost god-like.

Seeing that, Chelsea gripped her staff tightly.

'I've already fully expected this.'

No matter how much Chelsea unleashed her magic, suppressing Leo would be difficult.

The opponent was Leo Flobe.

A possessor of overwhelming power.

Chelsea chanted a spell.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-!

Chelsea's body multiplied into several.

'Wind Clone.'

A magic that creates clones using the main elemental attribute.

Among the second-year students, Chloe was the best at clone magic, and Chelsea was next.

Ten Chelseas simultaneously charged towards Leo.

Leo's eyes narrowed.

'Her clone magic level has improved.'

Leo was also aware of Chelsea's specialty magic.

Using clones to disorient opponents in close combat was Chelsea's forte.

'It seems impossible to distinguish between real and fake by the flow of magic.'

The magic had become even more refined.

Leo glanced at the Chelseas.

"Wind Boom!"

As Chelsea's spell was completed, ten magic attacks flew towards Leo.

Leo's red eyes flashed for a moment.

Whoosh-!

Just before reaching Leo, Chelsea's magic turned into a gentle breeze.

He neither blocked it nor dodged it.

He nullified the magic itself.

Chelsea's specialty was high-speed chanting.

The advantage of high-speed chanting, which completes magic at an incredible speed, is naturally the rapid completion of spells.

However, its disadvantages are equally clear.

That is, the magic incantation used is simple.

Of course, even so, it's not simple enough to be analyzed and nullified in an instant.

Especially for a mage of Chelsea's caliber, even the incantations used for high-speed chanting are complex.

'But the opponent is big brother Leo.'

Chelsea gritted her teeth.

As a mage in combat, their 'capabilities' themselves were different.

She knew that fact.

Flash-! Roar-!

Leo charged towards Chelsea, emitting a white flash of light.

Chelsea took a deep breath, opened her eyes wide, and dispersed her clones.

"Wind Chain."

Clatter-!

Wind chains extended from Chelsea's staff, wrapping around Leo's body.

Leo, his body restrained, looked at Chelsea.

Chelsea's role wasn't to defeat Leo.

It was merely to tie him down until Woredan's attack preparations were complete.

She just needed to stall Leo for a bit.

Therefore, buying time like this was not a bad choice.

"If this were a normal situation, that is."

Clatter-! Crack-!

Leo forcibly broke free from the Wind Chain that was restraining his left arm.

Then, grabbing a Wind Chain, he pulled one of Chelsea's clones towards him.

Whoosh-!

Chelsea's clone, yanked by Leo's brutal strength, struggled in mid-air.

Pop-!

As Leo swung his hand, the clone exploded like a bursting balloon and vanished without a trace.

Leo's emotionless eyes focused precisely on one of the nine Chelseas.

'I've been found out!'

Chelsea's expression changed.

"Even with a perfect clone, finding the real one is surprisingly easy."

Grab! Whoosh-!

Leo grabbed Chelsea's Wind Chain and pulled.

With terrifying strength, Chelsea was instantly yanked forward.

Grab-!

"Gah!"

Leo's hand gripped Chelsea's nape.

"I can tell by your movements."

Squeeze-!

"Ugh!"

Leo tightened his grip on Chelsea's neck.

Chelsea, being choked, made a pained expression.

"It's over."

Looking at Leo, who had spoken nonchalantly, Chelsea curled up the corner of her lips.

"Hmph, you think I'd give up… that easily?"

Hum-!

Magic incantations appeared all over Chelsea's body.

Leo's eyes twitched at the sight.

Powerful magic surged.

'Self-destruct?'

"You'll just be judged as dead, and it'll be over for you, won't it?"

"Isn't it natural to have to take a gamble like this against big brother Leo?"

Chelsea grinned.

Leo felt that her smile somehow resembled his own.

Looking at such a Chelsea, Leo said.

"Excellent."

Flash-! Boom-!

Leo was engulfed by the flash of light that erupted from Chelsea's body.

An explosion that burned magic in an instant.

Leo felt his head spin from the powerful explosion that occurred at close range.

The bracelet indicating his life glowed orange.

Leo looked at Chelsea falling to the ground.

'She barely avoided a death judgment.'

Magic that burns all one's mana to cause a magical explosion.

It's a risky magic, but it was Chelsea's most certain way to inflict damage on Leo.

Leo lifted his head.

Rumble-!

The colossal earth summoned by Woredan instantly enveloped Leo.

Whoosh-!

Abad, having dispelled his wind magic, urgently descended to save Chelsea.

Splash-!

Eliza's Delphinus deployed a water barrier, blocking Leo's escape.

The 'one big hit' they had desperately struggled to prepare enveloped Leo.

"Why do these kids grow so fast?"

Leo burst out laughing.

Just a year ago, they were mere greenhorns.

'Well, it's still true that they're greenhorns… but.'

In just one year, they had grown enough to bravely face trials.

For them, today must have been the worst.

Leo's peers were different from him.

He, who had barely subjugated Erebus after enduring endless trials, countless despairs, and losing everything.

And these young boys and girls, in their mid-to-late teens, who hadn't even fully bloomed yet.

'Their starting line was different from the beginning.'

For Leo's peers, Leo was an insurmountable wall.

That's why he had been considerate until now.

But…

'There are some things you can only truly learn by falling down or bowing your head.'

People call that a trial.

'Because the way to stand up and raise your head… can only be learned by falling down and bowing your head.'

Leo thought it would take more time for them to stand up.

The difference Leo showed was that despairing.

But they overcame it in the blink of an eye.

Whether it was the fearless spirit unique to teenagers.

Or simply childish defiance, he couldn't tell.

But more than Leo had thought.

His peers were strong and knew well how to fight against trials.

Looking at the earth that had reached right in front of him, Leo muttered.

"…I don't intend to go down gracefully, though."

CRASH-!

The earth enveloped Leo.

***

"P-Prefect…"

Illiana slumped to the ground.

Other Glory students were similar.

Harmony and Noble students, who had been caught in the tidal wave and found themselves under attack, clenched their fists and cheered.

"I-It's over!"

"This means Glory is finished, right? Right?!"

"Whoa-oh-oh!"

Celia and Duran also stopped fighting.

Chloe sighed, and Chen Xia smiled faintly.

Whoosh-!

The water of Lake Rumeria, which had been under Leo's control, slowly receded.

It wasn't just a landslide.

An attack as if an entire mountain had struck.

"It's not even a Mountain Attack, what the hell."

Carl, who had devised the strategy, looked exhausted.

"It was a good strategy."

Abad, supporting the unconscious Chelsea, came forward to Carl with his characteristic smile.

"Ahem! If we get Chelsea judged as dead right now, does our dorm win?"

"That's true… but Duran or Eliza wouldn't forgive you, would they?"

"It's a joke. Chelsea and Celia would try to kill me too, wouldn't they? What's the point of winning the exam if I die?"

Carl slumped down in his spot.

"My legs are all jelly."

Woredan and Eliza also approached Carl.

"Seriously… we barely won, almost half by luck. It's a good thing Leo insisted on an all-out battle to overwhelm us with sheer power."

At Carl's words, Woredan looked at the place where Leo was buried.

"…There won't be a next time for this. Win or lose, I will face him alone."

"Hmph, I agree."

"Oh, come on, that was excellent teamwork, don't be so harsh!"

Carl gave his characteristic charming smile.

But Woredan snatched Chelsea from Abad using a wind spirit.

Abad and Eliza protected Carl.

"Now that Leo Flobe is dealt with, you lot are next."

"Hmph. Now that Leo Flobe has been dealt with, there's no reason for us to cooperate with you."

Woredan and Eliza said simultaneously.

At those words, Carl muttered.

"…I was deliberately not saying that."

"What do you mean?"

When Abad asked with a puzzled expression, Carl said.

"You know, in novels, there's always that thing? When you say you've dealt with the enemy, they don't actually fall…"

Rumble-rumble-rumble-

"…and reappear…"

Rumble! BOOM-!

The earth that had covered Leo shot upwards.

And on top of it, Leo appeared.

At the sight of Leo emerging from the rubble with a cold smile, Carl's face turned white.

Woredan, Abad, and Eliza instinctively took combat stances.

However, they couldn't help but look exhausted as they saw Leo appear with a menacing aura.

"Good, isn't it? So, is there anything else?"

Leo smiled and raised his hand.

Whoosh-!

He unleashed tremendous flames.

But this was their limit.

Woredan, Abad, and Eliza. All three had squeezed out every last bit of their strength in the previous attack.

Leo's bracelet, indicating his life, was also glowing red.

However, the three of them now had no strength left to protect the unconscious Chelsea and Carl, who had low combat ability, from Leo's flames.

Leo glanced at his friends and said coldly.

"If there's nothing else, shall we end it here?"

At that chilling sight, Carl muttered in a voice filled with despair.

"…At this point… he's practically the Archdemon King."

BOOM-!

Leo's flames engulfed everything.

***

Chelsea opened her eyes.

'Infirmary…?'

Chelsea blinked, then gasped and shot upright.

"The tournament is! Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow?!"

Chelsea, who had cried out in a hurry, screamed in pain that engulfed her entire body.

"Are you up now?"

Celia, whose eyes were slightly red, asked.

Chelsea urgently asked in response.

"What happened with the tournament?"

"…"

Celia let out a small sigh and turned on the magic communication device installed in the infirmary.

Hum-!

"-Now, we will proceed with the MVP award ceremony for this dorm tournament. Professor Sedgen, the second-year supervisor, will personally present the plaque and trophy. MVP, student Leo Flobe, please come forward."

Along with Lunba's words, Leo could be seen walking onto the stage.

"-Congratulations on your victory in the tournament."

"-Thank you."

"…We lost."

Chelsea gave a bitter smile.

Seeing her, Celia stood up from her seat.

"Now that I've confirmed you're awake, I'll head back."

"Okay."

Chelsea replied without taking her eyes off the screen.

After Celia left the room, Chelsea clenched her fist tightly.

Whenever she saw Leo's achievements, she was happy as if they were her own.

But today…

She did her best, but she couldn't win.

She knew the gap between her and Leo.

Yet…

'It's frustrating.'

Chelsea bowed her head, gritted her teeth, and held back her tears.

In the hallway, Celia slapped her own cheek.

'Don't cry. Crying won't change anything.'

Celia took a deep breath and straightened her posture.

Now was the time to congratulate her cousin, Leo, as a direct descendant of the Zeldinger family.

Noble Dormitory.

"Du-Duran. I told you not to overdo it, why are you like this?"

"Shut up."

Duran was training his muscles in the training room.

He replied coldly to the student from the same dorm who was trying to dissuade him.

"Abad~ It's a party today, aren't you getting ready? You've just been looking at that grimoire since earlier. Even if losing is frustrating… the exam is over, so we should celebrate."

Noble female students grumbled as they watched Abad reading a grimoire in the Noble library, but Abad merely gave his characteristic smile.

Eliza was at the top of the Noble dormitory, refining her spiritual power with her eyes closed.

Woredan was communing with spirits in the Harmony dormitory.

Center of Lumern.

Mel, standing on the rooftop of the Hero's Tower, looked down at the landscape of Lumern, which was already bathed in the twilight as the sun set.

"You wanted an indomitable hero who could stand up… even after being frustrated… falling… and hitting their limits, didn't you?"

The great hero, who had blamed himself for not being able to stand up,

wanted the students to walk a different path from his own.

That's why he left the words 'transcend your limits' for future generations.

"Your will is still being well conveyed to future generations. So, please, just hold on a little longer."

Mel looked at Lumern, bathed in twilight, and clenched her fist tightly.

"Because the person you admired… will save you."