Chapter 199
Chapter Title: The Grand Obstacle Race
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[Ah! The three flag-bearers are breaking away from the pack! And the one in the lead is… Eiran! Seirun’s first-year salutatorian! Eiran Ersar! Right behind her, Lumerne’s Duran Moira and Eliza Hergin are in hot pursuit!]
Eiran ran at the head of the pack, her long silver hair trailing behind her.
Following Eiran, who moved like a gust of wind, Duran smirked.
“A magic swordsman? Quite nimble on your feet.”
Crackle—
Fierce sparks began to fly from Duran’s body.
Clad in golden lightning, Duran lowered his stance.
Fwoosh—!
Duran closed the distance with Eiran at incredible speed.
“How about you show me what you’ve got? Seirun’s salutatorian!”
CRACK—!
Duran drew his sword with lightning speed, threatening Eiran.
Whoosh—!
“……!”
In an instant, Eiran leaped lightly into the air, dodging Duran’s attack.
Thump—!
Then, as if stepping on solid ground in mid-air, she righted herself and widened the gap between them.
Watching Eiran so easily evade his attack, Duran’s lips curled into a smile.
“Interesting.”
He could tell at a glance.
The Seirun salutatorian before him was not a magic swordsman who specialized in spells, but one who excelled in physical movement.
Fwoosh—!
A ferocious aura of lightning swirled around Duran’s body.
His competitive spirit ignited, Duran raised his sword.
Flash! Crackle—!
As if his sword had become a lightning rod, a bolt struck down from the sky and into his blade.
Fwoosh—!
Wreathed in an even fiercer lightning aura, Duran tensed his legs.
CRACK!
“Draw your sword! Eiran Ersar!”
Duran’s terrifying strike aimed for Ersar’s back.
This time, too, Ersar nimbly dodged, avoiding all of Duran’s erratic and unpredictable attacks that rained down from all sides.
Duran’s eye twitched.
The first attack might have been a light probe, but this one was a complex pattern.
Yet Eiran had dodged it as if she were a ghost.
Moreover, while displaying such god-like agility, she didn't even spare Duran a glance.
“Heh heh. So this is Seirun’s salutatorian? Not someone to be taken lightly!”
A fire lit in Duran’s eyes.
Swish—!
“There you go again, thinking only of plowing through with brute force.”
Just then, Eliza, who had been observing from a short distance behind, caught up to Duran on her Wind Wyvern.
The Wind Wyvern, shrouded in a storm, let out a screech.
It seemed to be mocking Duran, just like its master.
“A detestable master and a detestable pet mount.”
As Duran spoke in a cold voice, Eliza’s Wind Wyvern tried to strike his head with its tail.
Thwack—!
Of course, Duran easily blocked the attack and said.
“Shall I skin it for you?”
Duran’s eyes flashed.
But the Wind Wyvern merely snorted.
“If I had my way, I’d punish you for your insolence, but the Lu-Se Festival comes first, so I’ll let it slide for now.”
Eliza drew a whip from her waist.
“Watch. I’ll show you how to catch prey. Let’s go! Bbibbi!”
With a sneer, Eliza pulled on the Wind Wyvern’s reins.
Watching the Wind Wyvern charge toward Eiran at incredible speed, Duran muttered.
“I can never get used to that beast’s name.”
The arrogant and haughty Eliza’s main summoned beasts were all extravagantly powerful.
Each one was strong enough to shake a battlefield, but their names were so cute he could never get used to them.
Regardless of Duran’s disdain, Eliza quickly approached Eiran and said.
“Bbibbi. Block that elf’s path with a storm.”
At her command, the Wind Wyvern soared into the sky at tremendous speed.
Then, it dove, building momentum, and instantly cut across Eiran’s path.
As it did, it whipped up a storm in front of her.
Whoooosh—!
With the Wind Wyvern’s special ability, Air Manipulation, an invisible wall of air blocked Eiran’s path.
As Eiran’s speed began to decrease, Eliza smiled slyly and cracked her whip.
Swish—! Thwump—!
“Alright, got you— Kya?”
Eliza, who had been smiling in triumph, was nearly pulled off her mount by Eiran, who had regained her speed and burst through the storm.
Barely regaining her balance, Eliza wore a look of shock.
“What? Why didn't Bbibbi's storm work?”
“The Armor of Animus.”
“Wait! Where do you think you’re climbing!”
Eliza scowled at Duran, who had leaped up and landed behind her.
“This is the Lu-Se Festival. Isn't this level of cooperation to be expected?”
“Hmph!”
“The Armor of Animus. A powerful technique passed down through the Ersar family for generations.”
Hearing Duran’s words, Eliza narrowed her eyes.
“High mobility and powerful defense. She certainly is specialized for this obstacle course.”
“Right. So, as much as it pains me, Eliza Hergin, I propose an alliance.”
“Fine.”
Eliza readily agreed.
Truthfully, she wanted to take down Eiran by herself, but this was the Lu-Se Festival, a time to set aside personal feelings.
Though the two were famous for being rivals, they immediately chose to cooperate as the flag-bearers representing their year.
Whoooosh!
Eliza summoned her spiritual power, and the Wind Wyvern’s speed increased even more.
Crackle—!
Duran generated an aura of lightning.
In reality, the two of them could have overtaken Eiran if they had truly wanted to.
But the leading group currently consisted of three people—Eiran, Duran, and Eliza—a two-on-one situation.
If they could eliminate Seirun’s salutatorian here, Lumerne would have a clear advantage in this event.
Swish—!
Eliza, having pulled far ahead of Eiran, commanded her wyvern to charge at her.
Meanwhile, Duran, having pushed his aura to its limit, sent a lightning-infused sword strike flying toward Eiran.
Thwump—!
Seeing this, Eiran ducked her head.
‘Don’t tell me she’s already given up?’
Just as Duran and Eliza shared a look of confusion.
Flash—!
An energy reminiscent of new growth enveloped Eiran’s entire body.
Eiran covered her face with both arms and charged forward, increasing her speed.
Crackle—!
CRACK—!
Lightning and storm winds crashed down upon Eiran’s body.
But Eiran broke through the assault and rushed past the two of them.
A frontal assault, as bold as could be.
At this, Duran and Eliza’s faces hardened.
“She didn’t even counter our attack…”
“She just ignored us and ran off?”
The two stared at Eiran’s rapidly retreating back.
She looked battered and bruised, having taken a considerable blow from their powerful combined attack.
But Eiran never once looked back, pressing onward.
The two, infamous for their nasty tempers, were the type who couldn't rest until they retaliated for any attack.
As such, Eiran’s charge, without so much as a glance back despite the threatening assault, felt like a deliberate slight.
“Heh heh, truly Seirun’s salutatorian. I heard she had a gentle personality, but she’s quite arrogant.”
Duran dismounted the Wind Wyvern and cracked his neck.
Eliza habitually tidied her fingertips and muttered.
“If she won’t look our way, then I’ll just have to force her to turn around.”
“Eliza Hergin. I don’t need your help anymore. I’ll take that one down myself.”
“That’s my line, Duran Moira.”
The two, now thoroughly incensed, glared daggers at each other.
Then they shot forward at incredible speed.
“Stop right there! Eiran Ersar!”
“Fight me for the honor of your school! Seirun’s salutatorian!”
As the two pursued her, unleashing an almost murderous, chilling intent, Eiran let out a shriek, “Eek!”
Her reason for not retaliating in the slightest was very simple.
‘Scary! Scary! Scary! The Lumerne students are so scary!’
The reason she had poured all her strength into the Armor of Animus and focused her family’s secret art, Evergreen, entirely on defense, and the reason she hadn’t fought back while taking the full brunt of their attacks, was because she was terrified.
In truth, she never wanted to be a flag-bearer.
She hated being the center of attention, and she was terrified of being targeted by the Lumerne students.
It was a position with far too much responsibility for her timid nature.
But…
‘Eiran! There’s no one more suited to be the flag-bearer than you!’
‘N-No! Madam President! I’ll just get scared and run away!’
‘That’s exactly it! I’ve never seen anyone better at running away than you!’
The student council president, Riennia, had given the tearful Eiran a thumbs-up and forcibly registered her.
So, Eiran had resolved to avoid fighting other students as much as possible and just run.
But her timid strategy had been spectacularly misunderstood, succeeding brilliantly in provoking the two most belligerent first-year students from Lumerne.
“Stop right there!”
“Stop!”
“Hiiiiiiiiiiieeeek!”
Eiran fled like mad, her face on the verge of tears.
Using the power of Evergreen, which granted her limitless vitality, Eiran became a tireless runner. She paid no mind to conserving her stamina, simply running and running like a herbivore pursued by predators.
Seeing Eiran, who seemed just about to be caught but never was, dodging every attack with insane evasiveness, only made Duran and Eliza more furious.
“I’ll destroy you!”
“I won’t let you get away when I catch you!”
“Heeek! I’m soooooorryyyyy!”
Eiran’s apology was more of a scream, but it didn’t reach the ears of her two pursuers.
RUMBLE—!
Just then, the ground rose up before them.
The three in the lead group skidded to a halt.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Seeing the monster that had burst from the ground, the three of them stiffened.
“A Cyclops?”
***
Grrrrrrr!
The Cyclops hadn’t just attacked the lead group.
The second group, where many students were clustered, also came under assault by Cyclopes.
Seeing this, Leo muttered.
“Cyclopes captured by Seirun?”
Leo’s eyes spotted the control devices on the Cyclopes’ necks.
It seemed they were monsters captured by Seirun for research purposes.
And true to the nature of an obstacle race, they were now being used as obstacles.
The appearance of high-level monsters sent the students into a momentary panic.
Just then, Leo threw himself aside.
RUMBLE! BOOM—!
A fierce flame engulfed the spot where Leo had just been.
“Hey! You bastard! I told you to fight me!”
Seeing Lunia with her blazing red eyes, Leo let out a faint smile.
“Sorry, but I refuse.”
“It doesn’t matter if you refuse or not!”
Looking into Lunia’s burning eyes, Leo pointed behind her.
“Watch out.”
“Huh?”
A giant Cyclops’s palm descended upon Lunia.
Seeing it, Lunia’s eyes flashed.
Fwoosh—! CRASH—!
Grroooooooooo!
With a single spell, the Cyclops’s arm was reduced to ashes.
Without even glancing at the Cyclops writhing in pain, Lunia said.
“You think these things can get in my way?”
Though it was a high-level monster, its power was restricted by a restraint device, and with no monster tamer present, the Cyclops posed little threat to Lunia.
Watching Lunia snort in derision, Leo said calmly.
“No, that’s not what I was talking about.”
“Hm?”
Fwoosh—! CRACK—!
An aura of flames rained down on Lunia.
The clash of aura flames and mana flames sent a violent inferno whipping out in all directions.
Celia, now standing before Leo, swept her hair back.
“Your opponent is me, Lunia El Lundua.”
Staring into red eyes that mirrored her own, Lunia narrowed her gaze.
‘Celia Jerdinger. Lumerne’s top knight-in-training.’
In a way, she was a direct descendant of a family that was a rival to the Lundua family, who also wielded the power of the Phoenix.
‘I wanted to target the flag-bearer, Leo, first.’
Lunia glanced over at Leo.
This wouldn’t be easy now.
Moreover, the real obstacles were beginning to activate.
Lunia, who had initially been recklessly targeting only Leo, quickly regained her composure.
‘If I let Celia Jerdinger run wild, our side will suffer heavy losses. It’s better to pin her down here.’
Fwoosh—!
Lunia conjured flames.
“Lundua, Jerdinger. It’s about time we settled which of us is superior.”
At Lunia’s provocation, Celia’s lips curled into a smirk.
“I suppose we should. Though I’ll be the one to win, of course.”
As the two clashed, Leo slipped away.
He surveyed his surroundings.
Everyone was preoccupied with the activated obstacles and keeping an eye on each other.
‘The Seirun students are no pushovers.’
Here in the second group, the students from Seirun’s advanced class 1, whom he’d seen during the school trip, were particularly noticeable.
They, too, had grown into formidable individuals, incomparable to how they were in the first semester.
Whoooosh—!
Just then, another Cyclops burst from the ground.
But this one was different from the others.
Though it wore restraints, it was significantly larger than the other Cyclopes.
At its threatening appearance, the surrounding students flinched and backed away.
THUD—! THUD—! THUD—!
The Cyclops spotted Leo and charged.
Seeing this, Leo smirked.
“Perfect timing. I’ve been wanting to try this out.”
Leo reached out his hand.
A subspace rift opened, and a longsword appeared.
At first glance, it was an ordinary longsword.
But this was a magic sword forged from Dragon Bone.
Vwoom—!
A magic formula materialized on Leo’s sword.
The magic circuits etched onto the blade began to glow brightly.
The nearby elf students flinched.
Having activated the magic formula, Leo swung the sword.
CRACK—!
A massive beam of light, reminiscent of a comet, shot out from the sword, leaving a trail as it soared into the sky.
Seeing this, the Seirun students wore looks of astonishment.
“Don’t tell me… Lampas…?”
“Isn’t that Star Magic, something you learn in the third year?”
Leaving the stunned Seirun students behind, Leo started walking.
THUD—!
The Cyclops’s massive body collapsed to the ground.
Thump— Thump—!
Leo walked past the fallen Cyclops and looked down at his sword.
Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm—!
The sword was trembling slightly.
It was overloaded from withstanding the complex magic formula.
Looking down at it, Leo smirked.
“Hmm. Not bad.”