Book 1 Chapter 400

400.

Azonian students reacted to Ar's howling by performing a sign.

It wasn't just them.

*Clang-!*

The shadow lord, Kirin, who had also performed a sign, decapitated the hero hunters with immense speed.

*Snap-*

Kirin, tearing off their necks with its claws, flexed its finger joints.

Meanwhile.

It muttered while watching Chen Xia hunt hero hunters.

The way Chen Xia hunted hero hunters with fluid movements captivated the eye.

'The princess has become capable of shining even when she steps into the darkness herself.'

As a shadow, Kirin had witnessed countless heroes.

And Chen Xia's appearance resembled those heroes.

'Speaking of which, that cat. It's amazing.'

It didn't know how it was done, but Ar's howling bestowed an effect similar to a full moon upon the beastmen.

'The world is certainly changing.'

For a long time.

Kirin, who had been immersed as a shadow, clearly felt that fact.

'Leo Flob must be at the center of it.'

Dion, ranked second in Azonia's second year, swung his massive greatsword ferociously.

*Boom-!*

"Hahahaha! Not bad!"

The hero hunter laughed as he blocked Dion's greatsword.

But his laughter held clear mockery.

"For a wet-behind-the-ears brat!"

The hero hunter, who had been laughing scornfully, wore a fierce expression.

"What's the point of shouting that you're a descendant of Arion? You can't even properly use the sign language ability that Arion left behind!"

At those words, Dion glared at the hero hunter with a blank expression.

"Hey, brat. If we, who use Arion's sign language ability, are descendants of Arion? Or are you, who cannot, a descendant of Arion?"

Dion spoke, looking at the hero hunter who continued to mock him.

"At least, you, with your vulgar appearance, don't seem to be a descendant of Arion."

"What?"

The hero hunter's face stiffened at Dion's words.

"You damned brat! I'll kill you!"

The hero hunter, whose eyes had rolled back at Dion's silent, weighty remark, bared his teeth and lunged.

Dion clenched his fist.

'A strong enemy… and on top of that, sign language ability.'

It was a difficult opponent for Dion at this moment.

'But I can't back down. Especially if the opponent is someone who defiles the name of a hero.'

It was then that a fighting spirit flared in Dion's eyes.

"Kuh-hweeeeeeooong!"

A howling sound echoed.

As if reacting to it, Dion's ears perked up.

At the same time, his heart began to pound.

His body began to overflow with power.

Dion realized precisely what change was occurring in his body.

'Sign?'

Dion's expression turned to one of shock.

It wasn't just Dion.

The hero hunter facing Dion also widened his eyes.

"What in the world is this!"

Dion looked down at the golden aura emanating from his body.

It was identical to the aura of Arion described in the texts.

But there was another power imbued in this aura.

'Ar…!'

Dion clenched his fist.

'I don't know how it was done, but…'

Dion tightened his grip.

'For now, I will eliminate the traitor before me.'

*Gooooo-*

An unusual fighting spirit emanated from Dion's body.

"This brat…!"

A spark flashed in the hero hunter's eyes.

"If you're a brat, act like one!"

*Kwahhhhhh-*

The hero hunter roared, unleashing his aura.

"Don't challenge an adult and just cower!"

*Kagagagag! Huddudududk-!*

The aura bursting from the hero hunter's sword engulfed Dion.

Thick dust rose, and dirt rained down like hail.

"You're getting what you deserve for running around without fear!"

It was when he smirked at Dion, curling the corners of his lips.

*Fwoosh-*

"…!"

Dion, covered in blood, emerged from the dust and approached the hero hunter's face.

He had injuries that would be considered near-death.

But a fighting spirit flickered in Dion's eyes.

"Just… what is that? Those eyes…"

The hero hunter muttered, as if he couldn't accept it.

"Why are you glaring at me with those insolent eyes, thinking you're so great?! Just give up already and break!"

Despite possessing overwhelming power over Dion, the hero hunter grew weary of Dion's relentless onslaught, which refused to break.

At that cry, Dion spoke.

"I cannot break to a traitor who has already broken and fled."

*Fwoosh-*

Dion swung his greatsword.

"If you have received courage, you will advance even unto death."

*Clang-!*

Dion's sword decapitated the hero hunter.

"That is the teaching I received from Lord Arion!"

The hero hunter's head flew through the air and fell to the ground.

*Thump-*

Dion coughed up blood and knelt.

Then, he looked towards Ar.

"I don't know how you did it… but now, you truly seem like a successor to a hero."

***

*Fzzt-!*

Golden lightning swirled around Duran's body.

With golden eyes blazing, Duran charged at a massive lump of darkness.

A two-handed sword was in his hand.

*Kwagagag-!*

Duran approached the darkness with immense speed, becoming a streak of colossal lightning.

*Kwagagag-!*

At that moment, a blade of darkness, rising like a shadow, flew towards Duran.

*Zeeeeeeeng-! Kwang-!*

Just before the shadow engulfed Duran.

A spell from behind changed the shadow's trajectory.

Juen's sniper magic.

It wasn't just that.

*Tzrzrzr-*

Chloe's mentee, Betty's ice magic, ensnared the shadow.

The powerful magic of both students from the first-year magic department.

However, even with their full power, their magic only managed to barely halt the dragon-tongue magic.

But that was enough.

*Flash-!*

Duran, with immense speed, slipped through that momentary gap and approached the main body.

Duran boasted the highest speed among Lumere's second-year students, known as the Golden Generation.

Duran swung his sword with both hands.

*Flash! Fabababaababababa-*

Along with a lightning-like flash, lightning bolts sprang in all directions.

*Fabababaababababa-*

Powerful firepower reminiscent of magic.

The darkness seemed to lose its power under the intense light.

Duran's sword cut through the darkness.

However, a blade emanating from the darkness soon tried to pierce Duran.

*Fwoosh-*

But a gust of wind was faster, snatching Duran away.

"If you had just a little more…"

"You would have been impaled!"

"Couldn't you have supported me a bit faster?"

"Do you think I'm here to clean up after you?!"

Chelsea shouted, glaring.

Duran scoffed in response.

"If you're slow."

"I'll throw you away!"

Chelsea ground her teeth.

In the second year, Duran was second only to her in speed.

Abad, though a wind mage like Chelsea, was a traditional mage, making Chelsea, a combat mage, much faster than her older brother Abad.

However, even so, she was inevitably slower than Duran.

*Kwahhhhhhhh-*

The shadow's blade pursued Chelsea at high speed.

Seeing that, Chelsea scoffed and raised her staff.

"Cyclone."

*Whoooooooosh!*

Chelsea, creating a high-level spell with rapid incantation, blew the shadow away.

"Raphael."

Chelsea completed another spell towards the shadow.

*Kugagagagagagaga-*

A fierce gale engulfed the shadow.

The vacuum blade hidden within the gale tore through the darkness.

Seeing that, Juen gritted her teeth.

"She's the same age as me…!"

Both Cyclone and Raphael were high-level spells that would be difficult for ordinary mages.

She completed such high-level spells with rapid incantations.

The one-year difference in Lumere was significant.

However, the fact that they were on different stages, with only a one-year difference, was almost shocking.

Meanwhile.

*Gooooo-*

A wind that couldn't be compared to the wind Chelsea had created blew.

*Fwoosh-*

As if that wasn't enough, a colossal flame appeared.

"Are you ready? Abad."

"I hope you are, Celia."

"As long as you are, it's enough."

Celia scoffed.

Abad, smiling at Celia, unleashed his magic.

"Tempest."

Abad cast his unique magic.

*Kwagagagagagaga-*

Wind concentrated on Celia's sword.

"Prominence."

The wind of Rwalin and the fire of Zerdinger combined and blazed fiercely.

Squeezing out their maximum firepower, Abad and Celia aimed at the darkness.

*Flash! Fwwoooosh-*

The wind of magic and the fire of aura covered the shadow.

*Kwahhhhhhh-*

Most of the shadow was blown away, revealing a human shape.

But it wasn't over.

*Ssssmear.*

The dragon-tongue magic was activated again, and pitch-black darkness surged.

Just then.

*Kooooooo-*

A colossal giant's fist descended from the air.

It was the fist of Titam, the Great Earth Spirit, a sworn ally of Warden.

*Kwahhhhhhh-*

The darkness distorted from the attack that surpassed imagination.

But that wasn't the end.

*Tzrzrzrzrzrzr-*

The ground began to freeze.

At the rear of the Lumere students stood Chloe, clad in the magic of ice.

Terrifying magic swirled around her.

Currently, among the second-years, Chloe, the purest mage, was the strongest in terms of sheer 'power.'

Since the battle began.

She had been chanting spells continuously.

For a mage, time was power.

Chloe's blue eyes stared straight at the darkness.

The darkness also sensed Chloe's danger and charged at her.

*Kwak-*

Warden dragged the darkness.

The darkness, which had been lunging at Chloe, faltered under that immense force.

But soon, it unleashed blades of darkness and aimed at Chloe.

"Block!"

Chelsea shouted urgently.

The ones who blocked the path of those blades of darkness were, prepared for any contingency, Aina, Habiden, and Sasha, who were protecting Chloe.

Habiden used wind aura to block the blades of darkness.

Sasha also defended with her summoned creature.

However, the blades of darkness split into multiple branches.

At that, Aina swung her sword.

*Fwoosh! Chajaejaejjaejjaeng-*

A golden flash flickered, and she struck the split blades of darkness with immense speed.

It was truly astonishing swordsmanship that made one's jaw drop.

The blades of darkness were momentarily repelled by that dazzling swordsmanship.

*Clang-!*

However, soon, blades of darkness that even Aina couldn't fully block aimed at Chloe.

Chloe, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, opened them.

The moment a mage unleashes firepower is a moment of despair for the enemy.

But conversely, at that moment, the mage is also defenseless.

However, precisely because of that, Chloe had also prepared for any contingency.

A short-range spatial transfer magic.

Of course, her magic's power would be reduced due to her inability to fully concentrate on the spell.

But enough magic had gathered to inflict significant damage.

The moment Chloe was about to unleash her magic.

A silver flash struck away the blades of darkness.