Book 1 Chapter 791

The dormitory at Lumerne is burning.

Has there ever been an incident in Lumerne's history where an outsider infiltrated the school and attacked the dormitory in the dead of night?

"Not that I know of."

Chelsea's lips moved.

It was, quite literally, an unprecedented major event since Lumerne's founding.

"…Am I going to get in serious trouble for this?"

She had that thought for a moment.

It would be a big deal if the duty professors came running upon hearing the commotion.

Up to that point, Chelsea felt something strange.

"Why aren't the professors reacting at all?"

A few seconds had passed since Leo summoned Phoenix and attacked the dormitory building.

A short time, if you think about it.

But considering the abilities of Lumerne's professors, it was certainly strange.

Among the professors who teach the hero candidates at Lumerne, there are more who have not reached the rank of hero than those who have.

However, that's only because they haven't achieved feats worthy of being a hero.

Some professors possess power that rivals or even surpasses that of active heroes.

Take the two professors who represent Lumerne.

Even for students, it's hard to accurately gauge the skills of Halind and Sedjen.

It made no sense that such professors wouldn't detect an attack of this magnitude.

"That means the professors aren't going to intervene!"

Up to that point, Chelsea quietly asked Leo.

"Leo oppa. Have you spoken with the professors by any chance?"

Leo smiled.

'When did he even talk to them?'

As Chelsea showed a surprised expression.

FWOOSH-!

WHOOSH-!

A giant flame descended from the sky.

Seeing that, Chelsea drew her staff.

WHOOSH-! BANG-!

Compressed air exploded, scattering the flames.

TAP-!

Someone appeared from within the scattered flames.

Black hair, fiery red eyes.

'Celia.'

Celia pointed her sword at Leo and said in a cold voice,

"What are you two?"

Seeing Celia, whose eyes burned as if flames were about to erupt, Chelsea stepped forward.

Leo nodded as if she intended to handle it herself.

Karl, who was slowly backing away, asked.

"Hey, Leo. What should we do?"

Seeing Karl whispering, Leo said.

"You conduct guerilla warfare against the first-years."

"What?"

"You can do that much, right?"

"Me, me?"

Iliana asked in a flustered tone, and Leo glanced up at the sky.

"It seems a friend you need to face has appeared."

"Huh?"

ZZZT-!

"Die!"

With a fierce battle cry, a lightning aura descended from the sky like a bolt of lightning.

FLASH-! CRASH-!

Leo raised his hand.

Then, like a lightning rod, Duran's aura gathered at Leo's fingertips.

Seeing that, Duran's eyes twitched.

ZZZT-!

As Leo, who had captured the lightning in his hand, clenched his fist.

FSSST-!

The lightning disappeared.

"You bastard…"

As Duran made a fierce expression, Iliana's lips moved.

"Y-you want me to fight Duran?"

"Do your best."

"Aaaargh-!"

Iliana trembled.

Leo, watching Iliana's stiffly standing back, gently pushed her back.

"Leo?"

"Iliana."

Leo spoke to Iliana, who turned back to him.

"I guarantee it. You are the fastest among the third-years."

"……"

At those words, Iliana's eyes widened.

Although her face was hidden by her hood, Leo imagined she had a flushed expression for some reason.

"I… am fast."

Iliana murmured softly and drew her sword.

"Speed of Light Sword…!"

'She seems to really like it.'

Leo chuckled and tried to pass Celia and Duran and head towards the dormitory.

"Where do you think you're going!"

"You think I'll let you go!"

Celia and Duran exclaimed, unleashing their fire aura and lightning aura.

WHOOSH-!

FLASH-!

However, their attacks were repelled by a strong wind and a flash of light before they could reach Leo.

Celia and Duran's eyes twitched simultaneously.

Chelsea and Iliana blocked the two of them.

"I really hate wind-attribute mages. It reminds me of a nasty little kid."

As Celia approached Chelsea with a fierce smile, Chelsea tightened her grip on her staff.

"Move aside. I'm interested in your leader, not you."

Duran, without even glancing at Iliana, glared at Leo.

"Hoo."

Iliana took a breath, watching Duran.

RUMBLE-

"A magic swordsman? A light-attribute magic swordsman. That reminds me of someone I know."

Duran chuckled.

Watching Duran, Iliana gripped her sword with both hands.

Indeed, Iliana's talent in both aura and magic was outstanding, making it impossible to determine which was superior.

However, due to her personality, she was inevitably drawn more to swordsmanship.

Rea wanted Iliana to become a magic swordsman with no flaws in either swordsmanship or magic.

It wasn't just Iliana.

Even students who weren't dual-class pursued perfection in combat with no significant weaknesses.

This was the result of projecting the image of Kyle, who had no particular weaknesses as an all-class, onto the Lumerne students.

Iliana used magic.

Magic imbued her body.

It was magic that Luna gifted to Iliana in Leo's worldline.

Iliana named this sword "Speed of Light Sword."

'Faster than anyone else.'

Iliana stared at Duran.

She didn't like complicated things.

She found overwhelming the opponent with sheer speed to be the best.

However, this was Iliana's biggest weakness.

Fast, but simple, making her predictable.

If she only moved fast, there were plenty of ways to counter her.

Therefore, the tactic of correcting her habit of charging blindly and instead moving quickly from the rear, launching magical bombardment, and engaging in close combat when an opening appeared seemed perfect.

But it wasn't a suit that fit Iliana.

Iliana recalled the memories of the past week.

'Leo told me. Simple can also mean being able to focus only on moving quickly without complex movements.'

She just needed to move so fast that she was unpredictable.

A simple but incredibly difficult path.

And impossible without faith in oneself.

Iliana lowered her stance.

FLASH-!

"……!"

CRACKLE-!

Duran hurriedly dodged.

And he parried the sword that came at his neck.

Sparks flew from the crossed longswords.

'What is this speed?'

Duran tried to counter with a hardened expression.

SWISH-!

But Duran's sword cut through empty air futilely.

And that was the beginning.

FLASH! CLANG-! CLANG! CLANG! CRASH-!

Moving in a straight line, Iliana began to charge at Duran recklessly.

Duran's golden eyes followed Iliana.

The path was clearly visible.

The opponent was very honest.

There were no tricks or mind games.

She just charged headlong.

Duran was also confident in his speed.

But Iliana's speed was one step ahead of that.

If it wasn't Duran facing Iliana, she might have been subdued long ago.

'Strong.'

Duran took his eyes off Leo and began to focus on the opponent before him.

ZZZZZT-

Lightning began to surge around Duran's body.

Further away, Chelsea was being chased by Celia.

WHOOSH-!

The fire aura Celia unleashed destroyed all of Chelsea's magic.

Celia's firepower was stronger than Chelsea's high-speed incantations.

'This magic… from somewhere…'

Celia narrowed her brow.

The magic was familiar.

Up to that point, Celia's eyes widened suddenly.

"Hey! You're Chelsea Lewalin, aren't you!"

"Oh my? I've been found out."

"What is this! Attacking the dormitory!"

As Celia raised her voice, Chelsea stuck out her tongue.

"It's something I got permission for! It's something I can legally teach you a lesson for!"

Seeing such Chelsea, Celia snorted.

"Rea wouldn't permit something like this, would she? And what? Teach me a lesson?"

Celia smirked.

"You?"

"……"

Chelsea wore an indignant expression.

With Celia, since the entrance exam.

No, to be precise, they had been rivals since childhood.

But "rivals" was an exaggeration; Celia had always been superior in skill.

She felt indignation, but at the same time, she accepted it.

She secretly acknowledged Celia.

Regardless of her dislike, Celia was Abad's rival, whom she admired.

As Chelsea, who chased after Abad's back, she had no choice but to acknowledge her superiority.

'Come to think of it, I don't like it.'

Chelsea grinned.

GOOOO-

Mana swirled.

'How strong will the magic Leo oppa taught me be?'

Chelsea opened her mouth.

"-♬"

"…? A song?"

As a melody flowed from Chelsea's lips, Celia's eyes twitched.

"You're quite relaxed. To think of singing in this situation…!"

POW-!

For a moment, Celia felt her consciousness blur from the impact she felt from the side.

"What?!"

Celia, letting out a cry of shock, quickly regained her balance.

It was magic.

Wind magic.

Celia's eyes hardened.

At the same time, wind magic began to surge at incredible speed.

Chelsea's song dominated the surroundings.

'Chelsea can use magic like this?'

Celia looked at Chelsea with astonished eyes.

'This is even more so than Abad…!'

WHOOSH!

"Kuhk?!"

Celia shouted as she narrowly dodged Chelsea's magic.

"What in the world happened!"

***

'The will to move forward is important to everyone. Even if they are great heroes.'

STEP- STEP-

Leo gripped his sword, watching the Lumerne students approaching from afar.

'If you don't look forward, you will inevitably stagnate, and if you stagnate, you cannot move forward.'

You can't do anything just by staying in place.

The ones who taught him that fact were none other than his companions.

Leo recalled Lisinas, who reached out to him when he was lost and wandering in place.

That hand led him.

Not only that.

Luna, who pushed him from behind.

Arion, who gave him the courage to move forward.

Dwenno, who showed him the direction.

Leo swung his sword.

SWISH-!

A deep line was carved into the ground.

THUD-

Someone involuntarily collapsed, their nose barely grazing the slashes.

It was Chen Sia, her lips moving.

She was blocked after trying to go towards Celia and Duran, evading Leo's senses.

Chen Sia made eye contact with Leo.

"I'm sorry, but don't cross that line."

Leo smiled.

"I think I need to have a talk with you guys."

"You guys…?"

"Yes."

Leo raised his hand.

WHOOSH-! CRACKLE-!

His fire aura and ice magic clashed.

As he blocked Chloe's magic, Abad's magic immediately flew in.

WHOOSH-!

THUD-! CRASH-!

Leo created an earthen wall using spirit arts to defend against Abad's attack.

CRASH-!

As the earthen wall surrounding Leo was destroyed, Warden appeared without a moment to breathe.

His hand was imbued with Spirit Armor.

Leo raised his foot, seeing Warden who had embodied the great earth spirit.

CRASH-! WHOOSH-! CRASH-!

Warden's face hardened.

Leo, who had made Warden's attack miss by stepping on his foot, looked down at him.

'Your arm…'

Warden couldn't move as if he were being crushed by something enormous.

As everyone froze in awe of his overwhelming skill,

"From now on, what you are about to see will be the destination of the path you are walking."

Leo said calmly.

At those words, the hero candidates looked puzzled for a moment.

'When you realize you can never reach it, people despair.'

"Still, never be broken."

GOOOO-

Gray mana flowed from Leo's body.