Book 1 Chapter 621
621.
“You're arrogant. Well, an uncontrollable self-confidence is a privilege of youth, isn't it?”
Zorua nodded, watching Leo declare while pointing a sword at himself.
His hardened face had also regained its composure.
“Especially for an unprecedented hero like you. I believe you are fully deserving of it. But it wouldn't hurt to let you know how vast the world is.”
Zorua smiled and looked at Leo.
“I will make you even more perfect than you are now…”
*Thud!*
Leo, who had approached Zorua unnoticed, tripped Zorua's leg.
Normally, he would have lost his balance and fallen.
But at Leo's kick, Zorua's legs below the knees shattered into pieces.
“No.”
Leo said indifferently.
*Thump—*
Zorua, whose knees were gone, involuntarily knelt down and looked up at Leo.
“You don't deserve to stand and look at anyone.”
Leo looked down at Zorua with eyes that seemed to view a lowly insect.
“An insect should crawl on the ground like an insect.”
*Thud!*
Leo then stomped on Zorua's head, crushing it.
Though he had the appearance of Reina, there was no hesitation in his action.
*Shwaaaaaaah!*
Zorua's body turned to dust and scattered, then became a skeleton.
“Your attack is rough. Is it anger being vented?”
“Anger?”
Leo made a puzzled expression.
“I'm far from such a romantic emotion.”
*Whoosh!*
Leo closed the distance with Zorua.
Flames explosively swirled from Leo's sword.
Zorua, seeing the fiery aura flickering as if to devour him, unleashed a spell.
*Craaaack-craaaack-craaaack!*
An ice spell swirled and enveloped Leo.
The flames extinguished, and Leo was trapped in ice.
*Shwaaaaaaah!*
Due to the rapidly dropping temperature, frost thickly covered the ground.
Zorua looked at Leo, trapped in the ice, and said,
“You can't win by attacking so recklessly.”
It was then that Zorua smiled faintly.
*Craaaack!*
Cracks appeared in the ice.
Zorua's expression changed instantly upon seeing it.
'What? There was no sign of magic or summoning being used?'
*Crumble-crumble-crumble—*
Leo shattered the ice and stood calmly on the ground.
Leo subtly glanced at the magic that had imprisoned him.
“Ice Shackles. Is it a star magic created by Seirun?”
“Yes. It's a reinterpretation and enhancement of the Comet Mage's unique magic that I made. Do you still doubt my abilities?”
“Crude. The magic collapses just by severing a single link in the magic power.”
“What did you say?”
Leo's bored gaze turned to Zorua.
“Do you have no talent other than ruining what others have made?”
Zorua's face hardened.
“I'll kindly teach you.”
Leo smiled faintly.
“How much the abilities you stole are rotting thanks to you.”
***
“Hoo-up!”
Jamua held his breath.
A massive flame swirled towards Jamua.
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang!*
The magic exploded.
It was when the residents of Flobe Territory were screaming and fleeing.
“-!”
A beautiful song, out of place for the urgent situation, was heard.
*Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!*
A powerful wind swirled across the surrounding area.
But the wind soon seemed to gain a will of its own, gently wrapping around the residents just before they were engulfed in flames.
The wind gently rescued the people from the flames.
Jamua, seeing this, admired,
“Splendid!”
The wind rescued not only the people before they were caught in the explosion.
Buildings collapsed due to the fierce battle.
And many were buried beneath them.
The wind cleared away all the debris and rescued the people from the ruins.
Chelsea literally dominated the wind in the surrounding area.
'When did she grow so much?'
Jamua admired Chelsea as he looked at her.
She wasn't this capable even until the winter break of her second year.
She had literally grown beyond recognition in the time he hadn't seen her.
'Is it Leo's influence?'
Jamua recalled who was leading the third-year students of Lumen and grinned.
It was then.
*Grrrrrrrooooaarrrr!*
An ogre let out a roar and picked up a piece of building debris.
*Gooooooooo!*
A dark red aura began to flicker around the massive rock.
Jamua's eyes twitched upon seeing it.
'Aura?'
Jamua's eyes twitched.
The power used by monsters.
It was clearly an aura.
Demons, fiends, and monsters are all cursed creatures born from the land of Tartaros.
Demons are inhabitants of Tartaros, and monsters are their deformed livestock.
And fiends are higher life forms than monsters.
And their source of power was demonic energy.
If humans process mana into aura, magic power, and spiritual power for use, the creatures of Tartaros process demonic energy for use.
Naturally, the power they emit is fundamentally different.
'But that ogre just used aura.'
It wasn't the dark aura used by demons.
It was pure aura, like what he used.
It wasn't a power a monster should use.
Jamua felt a momentary doubt, but his actions were swift.
A normal mass attack wouldn't reach Chelsea, who was now controlling the surrounding wind.
But a thrown attack using aura was different.
*Thwack!*
*Kwa-ga-aaaaaah!*
As Jamua leaped, the ogre threw the debris, imbued with aura, towards Chelsea.
“Hryaaaaah!”
Jamua enveloped his whole body in aura and let out a battle cry.
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang!*
Jamua, who blocked the attack, was pushed back.
*Creak-creak-*
The pressure from the massive debris weighed down his entire body.
*Thud!*
Jamua, being pushed back, put force into his feet and dug them into the ground.
“Uryaaaaaaah!”
Jamua then struck the pile of debris upwards.
*Kwa-aaaaah!*
The building debris, soaring into the sky at tremendous speed, vanished without a trace.
Jamua snorted and loosened his shoulders, saying,
“It's been a while since I had a proper workout.”
Despite blocking an attack that could tear apart even powerful defensive magic like paper with his bare body, Jamua was completely nonchalant.
His armor was tattered, but his sturdy body had not a single scratch.
Jamua looked at the ogre and licked his upper lip with his tongue.
Chelsea, watching him from behind, said,
“Senior Jamua.”
“Why are you calling?”
“Can't you just block it with a shield or something?”
“A shield is just cumbersome. If I block it with a shield and it breaks, and fragments scatter everywhere, the damage could be even greater.”
“No… even so, isn't it too dangerous?”
“Hmph.”
Jamua chuckled proudly and slapped his chest with his fist.
“I have overcome countless trials with this body alone! This powerful body is what made me who I am today! If I can't trust my body, who can I trust?”
Chelsea shook her head, seeing Jamua's dynamically moving muscles.
“Chelsea Rewallin! If you train, you can also gain such a strong body!”
“I'd rather not go that far.”
“A Knight student should naturally be able to overcome trials with just their body!”
“I'm a Magic student.”
Chelsea and Jamua exchanged light banter.
By now, all the ordinary people in the vicinity had finished evacuating to a safe place.
While Jamua defended against the pouring magical attacks, Chelsea quickly evacuated the surrounding people.
“By the way,”
Chelsea's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the surroundings.
“There are no signs of Hero Hunters.”
As soon as Chelsea and Jamua overcame Lysinus's magic and entered the city of Flobe Territory, what they saw was powerful magic that began to indiscriminately destroy the surroundings.
But there was no sign of people in the area.
There was only one ogre.
'Are they hiding? But there's no sign of that?'
It was then that Chelsea, who quickly analyzed the surrounding situation through the wind, frowned.
*Thump! Thump!*
A giant ogre walked over.
*Grrrrrrrooooaarrrr!*
A ear-splitting roar came from the ogre's mouth.
Chelsea, who had covered her ears and tightly closed her eyes at the roar, frowned and looked at the ogre.
And she showed a bewildered expression.
The ogre was crying.
“Tears of blood, huh.”
Jamua narrowed his eyes.
“And Chelsea. Look at his hands.”
“Yes?”
Chelsea looked at the ogre's two hands.
In them, a massive greatsword and a staff were now held.
“An ogre with a sword and a magic staff?”
As Chelsea looked perplexed, Jamua furrowed his brow.
“That's not all.”
*Gooooooooo!*
A dark red aura flickered from the ogre's sword, and dark red magic power pulsed from the staff.
Chelsea's expression changed upon seeing it.
Aura and magic power.
It was not power that a monster should use.
“Indeed.”
Jamua let out a low groan.
“Is this a turning point in the era?”
The world had witnessed countless miracles.
Then…
“It's only natural to witness nightmares comparable to them.”
“Senior Jamua, surely that ogre…”
“Yes.”
Jamua clenched and unclenched his fists.
“He must have been a Hero Hunter originally.”
“…”
Chelsea's face hardened.
Monsters are catastrophic beings in themselves.
Especially ogres, among such monsters, are a formidable presence.
Monsters with vitality and strength far exceeding humans.
And they also possess cunning intelligence.
But that's only superior intelligence for a monster.
Compared to demons or fiends, they are not threatening creatures.
Even a Lumen first-year student can face an ogre.
But what if human power is added to an ogre's overwhelming physical abilities?
And what if that power belongs to a Hero Hunter who hunts heroes?
'No, in this case, it's more accurate to say that the Hero Hunter acquired the ogre's power.'
Chelsea looked at the ogre with trembling eyes.
It wasn't out of fear.
“Are you pitying him?”
At Jamua's words, Chelsea flinched and said,
“I'm sorry.”
“There's nothing to be sorry about. I pity him too.”
What good is it to gain immense power if one degenerates into a monster?
It was no different from losing one's very essence.
“It's karma, though.”
“Yes.”
Chelsea nodded coolly at Jamua's words.
Pity is just pity.
The fact that the opponent is an enemy to be subdued remains unchanged.
“I'll take the front, Chelsea Rewallin.”
“Leave the back to me.”
“Heh. That kid has become so dependable.”
“Kids grow up fast, you know.”
“You're still a kid in height, though!”
Jamua laughed, “Ha ha ha!” and patted Chelsea's head with his large hand.
Chelsea smiled faintly, looking at Jamua.
'If he weren't my senior, I would have punched him.'
***
Chelsea and Jamua were not the only ones fighting Hero Hunters who had transformed into fiends.
*Thump!*
The ground shook.
Abard watched the Gigantes approaching in the distance and said,
“So that's a Hero Hunter?”
“Yes. It uses magic.”
Lys looked at the Gigantes with cold eyes.
The fiend Gigantes, originally known as a calamity of the battlefield itself.
Such a Gigantes uses magic.
“It's going to be troublesome.”
A murderous glint flashed in Lys's eyes.
***
*Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-*
“Ugh! There are so many!”
High above Flobe Territory.
Celia, riding on the back of a Pegasus, looked down with a disgusted expression.
Numerous flying fiends were soaring there.
“It seems they've tamed the fiends through summoning magic.”
Ulta narrowed his eyes and looked at Fafnir, who had summoned those fiends.
“So, it was originally a human being? Huh?”
*Screeeeeeeeeech!*
At that moment, a monster's scream was heard from above.
Celia and Ulta looked up simultaneously.
A flying fiend was plummeting towards the two of them, blood gushing from its neck.
*Thwack!*
A silver flash gleamed, completely severing the flying fiend's neck.
Someone jumped from behind the plummeting flying fiend towards the Pegasus.
*Whoosh!*
Celia looked at the person who barely clung to the Pegasus's wing with a look of shock.
“A-Aunt?!”
“Why is Lady Reina here?”
Ulta, who was rarely surprised by anything, also looked dumbfounded.
Reina smiled faintly.
“Hmm? Just happened to be?”