Book 1 Chapter 377

"Hoo, that's brutal. A black rabbit."

Arga flicked his tongue as he watched the reflection on the screen through the video magic, his white tail wagging.

"I think you're the black rabbit, not the Lumern student council president?"

"Who are you calling a rabbit? I'm a cat, you silly tiger."

Arga glared at Borman, who approached him and linked arms.

Borman, a tiger beastman ranked fifth in Azonia's second year, looked down at Arga and said,

"Should I show you a mirror?"

Arga scoffed at his words.

"By the way, it's surprising."

"What's surprising?"

"That the Lumern student council president is this tough."

Borman pointed at Leo, reflected on the screen, with admiration.

On screen, Leo was holding a dwarf warrior armed with a massive combat hammer by the face.

It wasn't just that he had an advantage in strength and skill.

"I thought he was far from being a warrior."

"Are you an idiot? He's an all-class! If he's not a warrior, what is he?"

"Heh, not all warriors are the same."

Seeing Arga's dumbfounded expression, Borman clenched and unclenched his fist.

"There are many warriors who, avoiding direct confrontation with their opponents, rely on magic and spirits in a cowardly manner. I thought Leo Flove might be one of them, but I was foolish."

"What is a muscle-brain babbling about? Why are magic and spirits cowardly?"

"A righteous frontal assault, clashing with pure strength and skill, is the true fight!"

Arga looked at him with a look of pity, but Borman didn't care.

Borman Tisser.

One of the five beastman nations.

He is the son of Botek Tisser, a beastman hero and champion of the Steel Coliseum in the Iron Nation.

In the beastman nations, a race of fighters, there is no king.

Instead, the champions of the Coliseums in each nation wield power comparable to that of kings.

Of course, not all the strongest beastmen were gladiators in the Coliseum.

Arga's family, the Tuns, are not a family that excels in the Coliseum either.

However, it remains true that many prominent beastman families are active in the Coliseum.

The Coliseum is a place to showcase one's strength and make oneself known.

As the son of a champion, Borman grew up as a fighter from a young age.

As such, he possessed an exceptionally strong fighting spirit, even among the students of Azonia, who were known for their fighting spirit.

He was a man who felt excitement upon seeing a new strong opponent.

As Borman tightened his grip, his muscles twitched.

"Looking at him fight, I understand. He's a true warrior. A man like you and me!"

"Yes, yes. The black rabbit is a true warrior and a man like us…"

Arga, who had been nodding his head perfunctorily as if annoyed, paused.

"Why am I a man!"

"Cough?"

Then, glaring fiercely, he kicked Borman in the side.

Borman, writhing on the ground, recovered after a moment and got up.

"To have the chance for a duel with Leo Flove. A battle using aura is magnificent, but a struggle fought with pure physical strength is also exciting."

Borman said proudly, genuinely delighted.

"It was a good thing I incurred gambling debt. Arga, don't interfere. I'm the one fighting him."

"As you wish."

Arga scoffed.

Arga, as a student of Azonia, also wanted to face Leo, but he held back this time.

While he wanted to repay the debt quickly, he also had a strong desire to let Borman meet Leo.

'…If the black rabbit knew there was someone saying such foolish things, it wouldn't call me a silly cat.'

***

Thump-!

The beastman warrior, caught by Leo's face, collapsed with a caved-in face.

Leo casually shoved the beastman warrior, who had rolled his eyes and fainted, aside.

Normally, the underground arena should have been filled with cheers, gasps, and boos, but only silence hung in the air.

The only one exuding presence was Leo, with his glowing red eyes, and him alone.

The arena fighters Leo faced were all of poor quality.

Starting with criminals who deserved a death sentence, to skilled individuals who had committed crimes in the outside world and ended up here.

A fight for spectacle only, where honor did not exist.

In that fight, Leo showed no emotion.

Neither anger towards the criminals nor disgust towards those who reveled in killing for mere pleasure.

He showed no emotion even to those who fell by his hand.

As dry as a cleaner disposing of trash before his eyes.

His demeanor instilled instinctive fear in those present.

Leo's appearance seemed to resemble a judge.

It was far from righteous.

It was as if he was dispassionately slaughtering those who had lived unjustly.

Those who committed sins felt a fundamental fear at Leo's appearance.

Therefore, they dared not utter a word.

Leo casually flexed his fingers and looked at the commentator.

The commentator, meeting Leo's red eyes, swallowed dryly and turned his head.

Kal licked his lips, marveling at Leo, who had overpowered the entire casino with his aura alone.

"Leo, that guy is no joke."

It was a side of him even Kal, his closest friend at school, had never seen.

"It's… very different from the Leo-senpai we imagined."

Juen swallowed dryly.

Leo Flove.

The youngest student council president in Lumern's 3000-year history.

Leo's path has been so extraordinary that it is rarely seen even when compared to the many heroes whose legends and anecdotes are countless.

Currently, the most admired senior in school among countless first-year students is none other than Leo.

Leo in action was different from what they had imagined.

They had imagined a righteous figure who would embrace everyone and lead people.

And the majority of first-year students had imagined becoming like Leo.

If they were to become heroes.

They thought they had to achieve great feats like Leo from their first year.

That was the same for Juen.

However, he had never imagined him dispatching even sinners so dispassionately.

"Do we… have to be like that?"

"I am a knight, so I have no choice but to follow the young master."

As Betty mumbled with a confused expression, Austin replied in a dark voice.

He thought deeply in the serious atmosphere.

'…It's shocking, but… that's not the wrong path.'

Heroes are beings who must sometimes be ruthless.

In that regard, Leo's current appearance is also close to the virtues of a hero.

'But something is different.'

Juen, conflicted, looked at Luke and said,

"You're surprisingly calm."

"Huh?"

Luke looked at Juen with a puzzled expression.

"You also genuinely respect Leo-senpai, don't you? Didn't you want to be like Leo-senpai?"

"I did. But Leo-senpai said something to me recently."

"What did he say?"

"He told me not to be like him."

"What?"

"Don't be like me."

"Huh?"

Luke's eyes widened as he looked at Leo, who had said it out of the blue while they were training.

"No matter how hard you try, you'll walk a different path than me."

Leo smirked and looked at Luke.

"You're too kind."

"But… Leo-senpai is the closest person to a hero among Lumern students, isn't he? Everyone wants to walk the same path as Leo-senpai."

The younger one is naturally drawn to the closest and most intense light.

And for Lumern's first-year students, the closest and most intense light was none other than Leo.

"I'm not as noble as you all think. The path I've walked and will walk is not a path filled with dreams and romance… not a clean path like that."

Luke looked at Leo with a bewildered expression.

"Children your age think the most impressive path is the right one, but there is no right answer. There's just each person's own path."

"Leo-senpai said, 'Go down the path you want to go.'"

At Luke's words, Juen, Betty, and Austin's eyes widened.

Hearing that, Kal licked his lips.

"Sometimes, it's like he has an old man who's lived a full life inside him."

Licking his lips, Kal glanced at Chloe and Chelsea.

Perhaps it was those two who felt more bewildered by Leo's appearance than the first-years.

'Me? Well, I'm a slacker and never really dreamed of being a hero.'

To be precise, he knew too well that he couldn't be one.

Transcending limits is Lumern's lesson, but

Kal is one of the students who acutely feels the limits.

Therefore, his feelings towards Leo were quite different from Chelsea's and Chloe's.

Kal knew Leo's greatness better than anyone.

Although they were friends, he genuinely respected him and thought he would become a hero who would achieve feats no one else could.

He wanted to help Leo from behind, but he never thought of standing by his side.

But Chelsea and Chloe were different.

Chelsea, whom he had looked up to since the day they first met, and Chloe, whom he had received help from when he was lost.

The two who had strived to walk the same path, chasing Leo's back, saw a completely different Leo.

"Class president, you know, he's exuding the aura of a dangerous man. Isn't that cool?"

Meanwhile, Iliana chirped with wide eyes.

"You're lucky. You don't have to think about anything."

"What!"

Iliana glared at Kal.

Kal clicked his tongue and looked at Chelsea and Chloe with concern.

The two girls were silently watching Leo's frightening appearance.

Just then.

"WOOOOOOOOAR!"

A roar that seemed to change the atmosphere echoed.

Everyone was startled and looked towards the arena entrance.

A tiger beastman with a massive build was walking out, raising both arms.

"Huh?"

"That guy is…"

The second-years exclaimed in surprised voices.

"Do you know him?" Betty asked.

Chloe nodded.

"Yes, Borman Tisser, ranked fifth in Azonia's second year."

At Chloe's words, the first-years' eyes widened.

They couldn't help but be perplexed by the sudden appearance of another school's prominent figure.

"Long time no see! Leo Flove!"

"Borman of Azonia, wasn't it?"

Leo, whose atmosphere had completely changed, smirked.

Seeing Leo like that, Borman grinned.

"You remember my name! That's an honor!"

Snap-!

As the atmosphere shifted, the casino patrons began to cheer.

"I was moved by your unrestrained beastliness, Leo Flove! I'm genuinely thrilled to be in this situation, where I can compete with a warrior like you!"

"He's still the same." Chelsea licked her lips.

To that, Chloe asked, "Speaking of which, didn't you team up with Borman in Tarcam during that previous Smith exclusive contract?"

"Yeah."

"How was he?"

"A fool who only knows how to charge."

"You mean such a reckless person is ranked fifth in Azonia's second year?" Betty said, looking bewildered.

"Yeah. But he's strong. That's why he's ranked fifth."

"Since he can't use aura, Leo might struggle. Look at that immense physique."

Beastmen are the strongest race in close combat among all races.

Their beastliness exhibits tremendous power in battle.

In a situation where aura cannot be used, beastmen were the most powerful race.

"I don't think so?" Chelsea smiled.

"Like I said? Leo-oppa was skilled enough to take down monsters even without using aura during the entrance exam."

"Chelsea is right. Do you know when the second-year knight department classes are the most terrifying?"

Following Chelsea's words, Iliana pouted.

"It's when we spar with the class president purely using physical strength. The class president is a monster."

Iliana shuddered as if she didn't want to imagine it.

***

Delean was watching Leo from amidst the crowd.

'An all-class like the hero of the beginning? A second-year with unprecedented power? What does that matter?'

He turned around with a cold expression.

'Isn't it the same as the vulgar shadows that hunt in darkness, not even acknowledged by the gods? To appoint such a person as student council president at a time when a hero more noble than anyone is needed. Lumern has really hit rock bottom.'

Delean scoffed.

'As expected, Lumern is flawed. It's out of date.'

Delean clenched his fist and curled up the corners of his mouth.

'I will usher in a new era of heroes.'