Chapter 90
Chapter 90
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Catching the Crown Prince (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Crown Prince Leonhardt von Orsia.
Stella Academy's undisputed strongest 1st Year.
Even among the Four Emperors, he stood at the pinnacle. Beating him head-on at this point was next to impossible.
So?
‘Obviously, I’ve gotta cheat.’
Comprehensive Evaluation Round 2.
This was the only window where I could catch the Crown Prince.
I lay in wait with Stealth activated.
At the exit from the Forgotten Ruins, no less.
This was where battle maniac Karen and dopamine addict Ciel had clashed with Leonhardt.
If I’d stuck around from the start, I’d have been collateral damage in their whale fight.
But striking after all the battles ended, when the victor was exhausted and off guard? That changed everything.
A precise position and timing known only to veterans.
Plus, I’d already received Yuria’s damage boost buff.
In that state, what if I unleashed my strongest ultimate?
“Magic Severance Strike, Shredding.”
…And that’s exactly what was happening now.
The moment the Crown Prince entered my Stealth reveal range.
‘1. Fire off Shredding.’
I immediately blasted him with Face Cannon.
KABOOM—!
A vicious roar echoed as the ruin’s stone pillar shattered at the waist.
Debris flew everywhere as the pillar crumbled.
However.
‘He’s gone.’
The Crown Prince’s figure had already vanished from that spot.
“Hmm….”
I blinked once.
That split second.
WHOOSH!
The instant I opened my eyes again.
A red fireball came flying from the sky amid the scattering debris.
The Crown Prince’s magic.
A counterattack through that tiny opening.
‘As expected of a crazy monster.’
Even utterly exhausted, this reaction speed?
But my hand was already flipping the hourglass on my necklace.
Click.
[Hourglass of Rewind]
Description: Immediately resets the cooldown of the selected skill.
‘Reset Magic Severance Strike’s cooldown.’
Now, the Severance Strike’s cooldown—24 hours due to Shredding’s backlash—dropped back to zero.
SLASH—!
The reactivated strike cleaved the fireball in half.
The spell lost power midair and dispersed.
But once more, the Crown Prince’s form vanished into thin air.
‘What kind of insane speed is this?’
Even with my Agility maxed out, I couldn’t keep up.
But I could react.
Because the faster he moved, the slower the world became for me.
It was Keen Eye’s ‘Crisis Detection’ enhancement.
‘Behind me.’
I casually glanced back.
Sure enough, there was the Crown Prince.
Humm—.
Another spell was slowly manifesting in his hand.
‘Reflect. Then Severance Strike.’
I elegantly swung my hand like a maestro.
A combo: activate the Lesser Reflection skill to bounce the magic, cancel the motion, and immediately follow with Severance Strike.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
Every attack landed on Leonhardt.
‘Got him?’
The world snapped back to normal speed.
Dust clouds billowed with the explosions.
“Hahaha! Cadet Jeron Airgia!”
‘…Don’t say it.’
BAM—!
Bloodied Leonhardt burst through the dust cloud, sword raised.
With a smile full of ecstasy.
‘Is that even human?’
Even though I’d braced myself, chills ran down my spine.
KABOOM!!!
Leonhardt’s sword halted right before my nose.
My pre-deployed [Shadow Barrier] had blocked his slash.
“…I’ve longed to meet you!”
His pristine golden eyes met mine in midair.
‘Ugh, this guy’s tough as nails.’
I stared at him with hollow eyes.
Ha…. I was done.
Completely fed up.
I’d wanted to end it solo, but it was impossible.
I’d used up all my tricks.
Mana was running critically low.
‘…One-on-one is just too much.’
Sure, I could’ve fought using Kerr too, but that was risky.
With zero points in Vitality, one hit and I’d be gone.
Unless it was a desperate deathmatch, this was the line for slothful, leisurely combat.
So what now?
Only one answer.
‘Artel…! Yuria…!’
Help me!
***
“—Shredding.”
The moment he was hit by the ambush.
Leonhardt instinctively surged his stamina and mana to protect his vitals.
He leaped into the air, deflecting the attack.
‘Ngh…!’
Even so, he took heavy damage.
It was a barrage at insane speed.
‘That was close…!’
By a hair’s breadth.
Any sloppier, and he wouldn’t have reacted in time—straight to elimination.
‘Jeron Airgia. So it was you!’
Leonhardt’s eyes sparkled as he floated in the air.
The white-haired man on the ground filled his vision.
He’d finally come.
The cadet he’d been waiting for…!
‘You targeted my opening.’
An ambush, but he didn’t find it cowardly.
Quite the opposite—he was impressed.
Without prior knowledge, how had he pinpointed his most vulnerable moment so precisely?
Was it the superhuman senses rumored about him?
Or exceptional tactical judgment?
‘…Questions for later!’
Doubts flashed through his mind, but now was time to fight.
Leonhardt counterattacked immediately.
WHOOSH!
He hurled a fireball at Jeron’s face.
Right after a massive Severance Strike.
A situation where any mage would face inevitable delay.
A vital strike exploiting that weakness, known to Leonhardt, proficient in both sword and sorcery.
But.
SLASH—!
‘…?!’
Leonhardt’s eyes widened.
It was severed.
His fireball, split in two by the returning Severance Strike, vanished.
A Severance Strike that cut magic.
The very feat he’d shown against Kaiser Fireheart.
Even more astonishing up close, but what shocked him more was…
‘…How?’
Possible to attack again right after such a massive spell?!
No time to marvel, though.
Leonhardt instantly seized Jeron’s blind spot.
Squeezing every last drop of mana, he prepared his final blow.
But Jeron turned his head leisurely, as if he’d anticipated even that.
‘He read me?!’
A purple magic circle activated in Jeron’s hand in an instant.
Inhuman casting speed.
BOOM!
Leonhardt was ultimately blasted back by the explosion.
“Cough!”
His body ached like it was shattering.
‘…And he mixed in another Severance Strike in that brief gap!’
The deep gash on his chest throbbed.
Yet pain only made laughter bubble up.
A duel with a worthy rival was this thrilling!
Gulping down the blood in his mouth, he kicked off the ground.
Thud!
Bursting through the dust, he closed in on Jeron’s face.
Out of mana? Then slice with the sword!
His blade rushed toward Jeron’s neck.
“Hahaha! Cadet Jeron Airgia!”
KABOOM!!!
However.
His sword didn’t connect.
A jet-black curtain blocked it.
‘He prepared for this too!’
Beyond the barrier, Jeron’s purple eyes gleamed.
No tension, even with the sword inches away.
Leonhardt shuddered.
‘Strong…!!’
His weary body burned hot.
“I’ve longed to meet you!”
Leonhardt shouted in ecstatic joy.
He wanted to see this bout through to the end.
Pour everything he had into it.
Thus, he greeted him with reverence.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
And Jeron returned the greeting.
He bowed his head slightly.
“…Farewell.”
“?”
A parting?
“What do you—”
Jeron vanished in a flash.
‘Teleport?!’
As Leonhardt turned in confusion.
Throb.
Sudden exhaustion hit, his body heavy as waterlogged cotton.
Vision blurred and shook.
“…?!”
He stared through the haze.
Far off, a brown-haired cadet with what looked like a white cotton ball on her head.
“Uwaaa… Jeron! You didn’t tell us we had to face the Crown Prince!”
‘Cadet Yuria Isolde?’
At that moment.
THWACK—!
An ice spike flew from his blind spot, slamming his side before he could react.
“Ngh…!”
Normally, he’d have dodged.
But his body wouldn’t obey.
Damage from Karen and Ciel’s fight.
Damage from Jeron.
And now this sudden heaviness, this drowsy curse.
Finally, limits caught up to his sturdy frame.
A cold-faced blue-haired girl charged in.
“Forgive my rudeness, Your Highness.”
‘Cadet Artel too…!?’
Chill poured from her palm.
CLANG!
‘Damn….’
The fierce duel with Jeron he’d hoped for was gone.
Round 2 began.
***
“……!”
When Leonhardt opened his eyes again, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted him.
The base camp recovery room.
“Y-Your Highness! Are you alright!? Are you conscious!?”
His worried teammates peered down.
“…I’m fine.”
Leonhardt sat up, staring blankly at his hands.
He’d lost.
Wounds healed, but defeat’s sting lingered vividly.
The final clash with Artel and Yuria.
An intense fight.
He’d battled to the end, but accumulated damage exceeded limits. Couldn’t perform at full capacity.
Thus, defeat.
‘Damn. A total rout.’
His first failure since entering the Academy.
A crushing loss, no less.
With the whole team eliminated, his evaluation score must’ve tanked.
His feelings after such a bitter defeat…?
“Hahahaha!!”
Pure joy.
So exhilarating he could go mad.
“C-Crown Prince?”
“Sudden laughter?!”
“D-Did he hit his head…!?”
Medical staff rushed in, but he ignored them.
He was replaying the battle in his head.
A fight packed with lessons in every aspect.
One odd thing, though.
‘…Jeron. Why didn’t you fight to the finish?’
A question nagged.
Out of mana?
Unlikely.
A mage of that caliber surely had mana reserves rivaling Ciel of the Magic Tower—or himself.
If he’d kept going, Leonhardt would’ve lost.
So why hand it off to his teammates?
Risking losing two members if they fell to him.
Then why?
Pondering, Leonhardt jolted as realization hit.
Just before Jeron teleported away, that final glimpse.
Eyes screaming he was done with it.
‘No way… was I just a nuisance to him?!’