Book 1 Chapter 575

The Golem's activation sound echoed.

The Golem's first target was none other than Leah.

"Tch!"

Thump-! Splish-! Thump-! Splish-!

Leah clicked her tongue as she saw the Lava Golem charging at her.

"Annoying."

It was unfortunate that the Lava Golem had been summoned so close by, putting her within its range.

Golems were not difficult to design for those knowledgeable in magic engineering.

They were also easy to modify due to their simplicity.

Of course, most modified Golems were crude.

However, a Lava Golem was a different story.

First and foremost, a Lava Golem itself was extremely difficult to create.

A Golem covered entirely in lava boasted immense destructive power on its own.

'Lava Golems are resistant to water-attribute magic, which is a weakness for fire-attribute creatures. Moreover, the surrounding area has turned into a lava field, making it difficult to defeat!'

As the Lava Golem was made entirely of lava, its attack and defense power increased overwhelmingly in a lava field.

'Not fighting would be best.'

Whoosh-! Bang! Splatter-!

As Leah dodged the Lava Golem's attack, waves of lava surged.

Feeling the intense heat, Leah lightly used her fly magic to escape the Lava Golem's attack range.

Medvez appeared next to Leah.

"Leah Tingel. Are you going to leave me and only target that coward Luke Elda?"

"While it's true that Luke Elda is timid, he's more worth defeating than you."

"Oh? Then I must prove that I am more worth defeating than Luke Elda."

"Do you think that's possible?"

Leah smirked.

Just then.

Tap-!

"Luke!"

A sound of someone kicking off the ground was followed by Eina's bewildered voice.

At that moment, a silver flash quickly pierced through the space between the two.

"Luke Elda?!"

"What?"

Seeing Luke charging directly at the Lava Golem, both of them widened their eyes.

Quack-!

As he kicked off the ground, the surrounding lava scattered in all directions.

Luke's entire body was shining with a silver light.

A power that pushed his mana trait, where mana surged when his emotions stirred, to its limit.

Luke's unique magic, which granted him power beyond his limits for a short time.

'Transcendence.'

Flash-!

Rumble-!

A silver wall, soaring as if to pierce the sky, was a colossal sword strike.

The Lava Golem, split in two, collapsed.

Splat! Pffft-!

Waves of lava surged high like a tidal wave.

Wooooooah-!

Thunderous cheers poured from the stands.

"In a single blow!"

"I thought it was strange that he only ran away and seemed weak! He's not the year representative of Rumern for nothing!"

"Amazing!"

Enthusiastic reactions poured in.

Even after the opening match began, the spectators cheered for the spectacular auras, magic, and summons of the first-year students.

Although they were young and inexperienced, their skills after a year at the Hero Academy were no ordinary.

Being young and inexperienced was a relative standard compared to the seniors.

In the eyes of ordinary people, just attending the Hero Academy made them extraordinary superhumans.

However, what Luke had shown moments ago was an overwhelming performance that defied comparison with other first-year students.

"He's really Leo Flove's mentee for a reason!"

Leah's ears perked up at the shouts of some spectators.

"Luke… Elda…!"

Leah glared upwards.

"I will also be recognized by Senior Flove! By defeating you!"

"Hiiiiiiik!"

"Stop!"

Seeing Leah charging at him with a roar, Luke fled in terror, and Aina stepped in to block Leah.

"Leah! How long are you going to act alone!"

"Aina! Leave Leah Tingel alone! Luke won't be easily defeated!"

Yoinia and Juen approached Leah and Aina, shouting, and their eyes met.

The two girls, looking at each other, simultaneously aimed their wands.

Flash-! Rumble-!

Magic collided with magic, causing a large explosion.

"Ugh! Let go! Let go! I'm going to defeat Luke Elda!"

"Calm down!"

Anr forcibly dragged Leah away.

Meanwhile, Medvez, who had been standing still, recalled the recent events.

'He was definitely smiling.'

Luke was definitely smiling when he charged at the Lava Golem.

'Why was he smiling?'

Medvez could also defeat the Lava Golem in one blow.

However, in the current situation, there was no merit in defeating the Lava Golem in one blow by greatly consuming his own power.

'Does he enjoy fighting? No, that wasn't his personality. Then why?'

Medvez looked at the crowd enthusiastically cheering for Luke.

Then, his eyes met Ar's from the Azonia students' side.

'You're good at everything, but you have a surprisingly petty side, don't you? You surrendered faster than I thought?'

These were the words he heard from Ar after challenging her after enrolling.

Even though he knew he would lose, Medvez challenged her to confirm the gap between himself and Ar.

And he surrendered without even seeing the true gap.

'Thinking is good, but sometimes acting on your heart is also good. Isn't that what a challenge is? To charge in without thinking ahead.'

Medvez asked Ar, who was looking up at the sky with her arms crossed under the moonlight.

'Is that why you're so reckless, Senior?'

With those words, he was punched in the chin and immediately lost consciousness.

For some reason, he recalled that incident.

"Indeed, he plans to defeat the Lava Golem, crush all other schools, and then claim victory."

He had heard of people like that.

The type who couldn't control their excitement when facing something close to impossible.

And the crowd cheered for this challenge against the impossible.

"How courageous. More like an Azonia student than me."

Medvez smiled as he looked in the direction Luke had disappeared.

"I apologize again, Luke Elda. You are a man worth defeating."

"Kyahhh!"

"Are you a beast? You're usually calm, so why do you have a seizure whenever Luke Elda is involved?!"

Anr shouted as he carried Leah, who was trying to run towards Luke, like a sack over his shoulder.

"In Seirun, I'm the best among my grade! So I'll prove I'm the best among other grades from other schools! Defeating Luke Elda is the start of that!"

"That's just your personal grudge!"

"I'll settle the grudge and prove I'm the best! It's killing two birds with one stone!"

"Recall Senior Lunia's advice!"

At Anr's words, Leah paused and pouted her lips.

'You stole Luke's food during the training camp, right?'

She recalled Lunia's expression of disbelief.

'Are you a gangster? Why did you steal his food? Do you know you've embarrassed our school?'

'I'm not the gangster, Senior Lunia is.'

*Squeeze*!

'Cough! *Gag*!'

Lunia, without hesitation, choked her junior with her beautifully sculpted hands.

'I understand why you're so fixated on Luke Elda. But, you know. Don't get too fixated on what's in front of you. You might trip over something at your feet.'

'…Miss Lunia, Leah has fainted.'

'Tsk, did she faint from just a little choking? So weak.'

'Usually, choking like that kills people.'

Leah had fainted, hearing Lunia and Eiran's displeased voices in her fading consciousness.

'Indeed, being too fixated on Luke Elda might not be good?'

Competitors are not only external.

There are classmates within Seirun who threaten her position.

'…I vowed when I saw my ancestor. I will become someone who can proudly hold my head high in front of the people I admire. That's why I want to be recognized.'

What Luke Elda is envious of is that point.

Being recognized by Leo.

Lunia's expression turned serious.

Fwoosh-!

"We can't let our guard down."

"When did you get here?"

Suddenly, Rixen, the representative of Demian, appeared with a meaningful smile.

"This is the invisibility cloak I made. It even erases your presence!"

Rixen swung his giant combat hammer at Anr.

KABOOM-!

The immense impact caused Anr to drop Leah.

"Ah?!"

As Leah, falling into the lava field, tried to use her fly magic in a hurry.

"Checkmate!"

Rixen struck Leah down with his KABOOM-! Battle Hammer, plunging her directly into the lava field.

"If she's judged as eliminated, she'll warp out automatically, so she won't get hurt!"

Rixen said with a smug smile.

"I knew there would be an opportunity if it was Leah Tingel, who is strangely fixated on Luke Elda!"

Rixen cried triumphantly.

"Ugh! That's cowardly!"

Anr clenched his sword and glared, but Rixen shrugged.

"What's cowardly in a match? Well, Senior Dryana was particularly furious about my methods, saying they weren't beautiful."

Rixen recalled his senior, Dryana, from a year ago.

'Rixen, your actions are low and cowardly! They are not beautiful!'

'Isn't it enough if the result is good? Does it need to be beautiful?'

'It does! Even Lord Dwenho pursued beauty! Students of our Demian must be beautiful not only in their creations but also in their actions! Aren't you an excellent talent? You can achieve victory with dignity, not through cowardly means! If you act cowardly, you'll be pointed at as ugly.'

'Aren't your works rather ugly…?'

At those words, Dryana immediately hit Rixen on the head with a hammer, and he fainted.

'Well, it was a bit too cheap.'

Rixen scratched his cheek.

He could feel boos pouring from all around.

"It seems the criticism is harsh because it happened after Luke Elda's feat, but this is the most efficient…"

Thump-!

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a small hand emerged from the lava field and grabbed Rixen's ankle.

Rixen looked down at the floor with a surprised expression.

There was Leah, covered in shields, smiling eerily.

"It's cold because it's winter, right? It's very warm here."

"I, I'd like to decline…"

"No need to decline."

"Kyaaaak?!"

Rixen, who was pulled into the lava by Leah, was soon eliminated.

Leah, dusting off her hands, snorted.

"What a nuisance."

Just then.

Rumble-!

Bubbling-bubbling-!

The lava field, which had been gradually expanding, began to shake again.

Rumble-!

"Another Lava Golem?!"

"There are four this time!"

"No! Are we supposed to fight other schools or not?!"

"It was called survival! It's not about fighting other schools anymore, it's become a complete survival game!"

Screams erupted among the students.

The students who initially tried to attack the opposing team's territory, avoiding the lava field and the giant Lava Golem, were inevitably forced into a situation where they had to face the Lava Golems.

"Cough! The real enemy isn't the other students, it's this terrain itself!"

Students cried out in the face of the extremely harsh environment.

When a Lava Golem was defeated, more Lava Golems continuously swarmed in like waves.

Even amidst this, collisions continued to try and wear down the enemy's strength.

The terrain where fighting was possible gradually shrank due to the lava.

Eventually, the four schools converged in the center of Erech.

Bubbling-bubbling-

Lava surged, leaving no place to retreat.

"Hoo… will the last one be decided here?"

Medvez stepped forward, clenching his fist.

"This is what I wanted."

Leah replied, loosening her finger joints.

"It's time to clash."

In Rumern, Haviden muttered with a smile and looked back.

"Luke, aren't you going out?"

"If I go out, those two will probably target me first."

"As the Rumern year representative, you must overcome it."

"Go out! You're our representative!"

"Th-that!"

Shasha also joined in and pushed Luke's back.

Forced by the crown prince of one country and the crown princess of another, Luke had no choice but to step forward with a distressed expression.

Just then.

Beep-!

A strange cry echoed.

Tuck- Roll-!

A red furball fell from the sky and rolled to Luke's feet.

Luke picked up the furball with a puzzled expression.

Cheep!

"Fiora? Long time no see! How have you been?"

Seeing Leo's Phoenix, Fiora, whom he had seen several times in the first semester, Luke smiled brightly and greeted her happily.

Cheep-! Cheep-!

Fiora flapped her wings and cried incessantly.

Seeing that sight, the faces of all the survivors turned pale.

"N-no way. It can't be. Even so…"

Shasha mumbled, denying reality with a trembling voice.

No matter what, could it be that harsh?

"Give her to me!"

"Hiiik!"

Just then, Leah lunged at Luke.

Overwhelmed by Leah's momentum, Luke dropped Fiora.

Leah, who had snatched Fiora, greeted her with a smile as Fiora landed in her hand.

"Nice to meet you. Are you Fiora? I've wanted to meet you."

Leah, who unconditionally liked anything related to Leo, greeted Fiora with a bright smile.

Just then.

Suddenly, Fiora's eyes widened, and her body began to swell.

"Huh?"

Gooooooo! Fire-!

As Fiora's body grew larger and larger, it caught fire.

"…"

Leah, watching the scene, threw Fiora at Luke like a bomb.

"I-I'll give her back."

"Don't throw her at us!"

"R-run!"

The Rumern students scattered in terror.

Kyaaaah!

Fire! Rumble-!

Fiora roared and mercilessly began to attack all the first-year students.

"Even so, that seems a bit much."

Chelsea shook her head as she watched the first-year students, who were desperately fleeing in terror, encountering the disaster that was a Phoenix.

It was truly agonizingly harsh.

This was not about who could defeat more opponents, but about who could tenaciously survive.

Chelsea's words were met with a shake of Karl's head.

"Why do you think she's called the Demon King?"

***

Nothing remained on the Erech training grounds.

A man clenched his fist as he watched the embers begin to die down in the center of the Erech training grounds.

"What are you looking at so intently? Rumern."

"It's nothing. Rodia. More importantly, I have something to say about Erebus."

Rumern bit his lip tightly, leaving the training grounds where black embers had risen behind him.