Chapter 263
Chapter Title: The Boss Cat
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“Who's next?”
Duran, having defeated Borman, asked in a cold voice.
“This looks fun.”
“Should I take a turn?”
At the sight of Duran's strength, the Azonia students reacted with excitement.
*‘They’re certainly different from the guys at our academy.’*
Watching them, Duran curled his lip into a smirk.
Lumerne students generally try to avoid fighting overwhelmingly strong opponents.
While they don't hesitate to fight when it's unavoidable, they don't go out of their way to pick losing battles.
But the Azonia students, despite the overwhelming power gap, only burned with more fighting spirit.
*‘Interesting.’*
Duran gave a belligerent smile.
At that smile, the Azonia students who had been vying to fight Duran flinched.
They were momentarily overwhelmed by his presence.
But just as they were about to rush forward, unable to contain their excitement any longer.
“Duran~”
Chen Xia called out to Duran.
“Chloe escaped on her own, you know. She apparently turned all the Azonia students who caused the trouble into frozen statues, so there's no reason to fight them anymore.”
“Hmph. They seem pretty fired up regardless of that.”
Duran snorted.
At his words, Chen Xia smiled brightly.
“You don't need to worry about that. They say the boss cat is coming soon.”
“Boss cat?”
Bang-!
Duran's question was soon answered.
This was the garden of the hotel where the Azonia students were staying.
Kicking open the hotel's main gate, Ar appeared, her blue eyes blazing fiercely.
“Hey, you brats! Didn't I tell you not to cause trouble?!”
“Ugh… Was I knocked out…?”
Just then, Borman, who was coming to, clutched his head and tried to sit up.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-! Whack-!
“Gah?!”
Ar, her eyes glaring, ran up and kicked Borman in the jaw.
Thud-!
Borman, who had just barely regained consciousness, rolled his eyes back and passed out again.
Ar charged into the crowd of Azonia students and began to beat them indiscriminately.
“What do you think you're doing! Even if you're the grade representative, you can't just lay a hand on students from other factions…”
“Shut up!”
“Gyaaaaaah!”
Baring her claws, Ar growled and clawed the face of the protesting student.
Stomping on the heads of the students writhing and clutching their faces, Ar shouted fiercely.
“Do you have any idea what you've done?! You kidnapped a Lumerne student! And then you got into a brawl with the Lumerne kids who came looking for their friend!! Can you take responsibility if this turns into a diplomatic incident?!”
Her blue eyes flashing and fangs bared, Ar roared as if breathing fire.
Ar's voice overwhelmed the crowd.
The Azonia students stumbled back in fear.
Duran summoned his aura to shake off the pressure of Ar's presence that was bearing down on him.
*‘Howling.’*
A unique aura skill for Beastkin, created long ago by the Brave Hero Ar-on and passed down among them.
But just because it was a unique Beastkin skill didn't mean everyone could use it.
Only a very small number of Beastkin could use Howling.
*‘Those with the innate qualities of a leader.’*
That is why Beastkin who can use Howling are special.
*‘And I heard its effects differ from user to user.’*
The basic effect of Howling is to instill fear in the enemy.
It intimidates foes with a powerful shout.
But beyond that, there were individual effects.
Some could enhance their own attack power, defense, or agility.
A type of buff effect.
Duran tightened and loosened his grip on the sword in his hand.
*‘The strongest of Azonia's second-years.’*
Duran was well aware of Ar's reputation.
*‘A terrifying monster, they say?’*
Duran's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
*‘And Leo Flove defeated this one.’*
As that thought crossed his mind, Duran spoke.
“Ar Tune.”
“Huh?”
At Duran's call, Ar looked at him.
Then, wagging her white tail, she said.
“We met during winter break, right? It seems our damn beasts caused you some trouble. As the grade representative, I apolo—”
“No need for apologies. We beat up our fair share of your people, too.”
Before fighting Borman, he, Celia, and Chen Xia had beaten up dozens of Azonia students.
Besides, Chloe had apparently escaped on her own.
*‘Knowing Chloe's personality, there's no way she escaped quietly.’*
They had already paid them back in full.
Lumerne also had no desire for a small incident to escalate into a diplomatic issue.
“Ah, thank you for understa—”
Shing-
“What is this?”
Ar narrowed her eyes at Duran's sword pointed at her.
“I'd like a round.”
Duran said with a cold smile.
*‘His belligerence is on par with... no, it's even greater than the kids at our academy. He seems dangerous.’*
Ar's lips slowly curled into a smile as well.
Clang-!
Baaang-!
Ar knocked Duran's sword aside with her fist.
Duran steadied his grip on his sword.
*‘As expected.’*
He gripped his sword tighter, feeling the tingling numbness in his hand.
*‘A monster, just like the rumors said.’*
At Ar's sudden change in demeanor, Duran flashed a savage smile.
Watching him, Ar lowered her stance and gave a wicked grin.
“Her whole aura changed.”
Celia looked surprised.
She had seen Ar several times last winter break.
*‘I never had the chance to spar with her, but...’*
It wasn't that she denied Ar's strength, but she had felt Ar lacked the charisma of an Azonia grade representative.
In fact, seeing her get flustered whenever Leo teased her by calling her a ‘dumb cat,’ Celia had even thought her a bit of an airhead.
But now, she seemed like a completely different person.
The deadly atmosphere reaching all the way to where she stood made a cold sweat run down her back.
“She's quite a scary cat.”
As Chen Xia commented with her usual smile, Rwen, who was toying with her tail, replied.
“Of course. There's a reason even students outside her faction call her the boss cat.”
“I thought it was a rather cute nickname. Boss cat.”
“It might sound cute to you. And she does look cute on the outside.”
Rwen narrowed her eyes.
Unlike the calm, cunning aura she'd exuded until now, her eyes held the distinct belligerence of a Beastkin.
“But Azonia students don't easily accept others as their leader. Especially not students from different factions.”
Azonia pursues strength.
Therefore, they see anyone stronger than them as a target to one day overcome.
Of course, after spending two or three years together, they might acknowledge an unbeatable powerhouse as their leader, but until then, they just keep challenging them endlessly.
Yet, in just half a year, Ar had come to be called ‘boss’ by the majority of her grade.
“To me and the leaders of other factions, she's seen as a monster cat.”
Craaash-!
Duran's body was pushed back by the force of Ar's fist.
“She certainly is a monster.”
Seeing Ar with her fur on end, hissing, Chen Xia smiled brightly.
“Anyway, this is a problem. Once she gets fired up, she doesn't cool down easily.”
“The same goes for Duran. I'd like to stop them, but in their current state, it won't be easy.”
Chen Xia wore a troubled smile.
“Huuup!”
Ar took a deep breath.
“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawl-!”
A savage, beastly roar erupted from her mouth.
CRAAACK-!
The air was crushed in an instant.
“Ghk!”
“H-Howling!”
The Azonia students clutched their ears and staggered.
Celia and Chen Xia also grimaced, covering their ears.
It was a Howling far more powerful than the one before.
A Howling meant for combat.
“Oh my.”
Rwen covered her mouth with the hem of her uniform and narrowed her eyes.
“It looks like she's getting serious.”
*‘Hmph. Dumb cat. She came to stop them but ended up causing a bigger mess herself. If she gets disciplined for this, all the better for me.’*
Rwen narrowed her eyes and smiled.
Thump-!
“Oh? The student council president of Lumerne. Are you going to stop them?”
Rwen asked Leo with a bright smile.
“I can't just let them go on like this.”
“Seeing you might just excite her more, you know? That girl is an idiot; once she's fired up, she doesn't care who her opponent is.”
Ignoring Rwen's words, Leo stepped between the two.
*‘Let's see what you've got.’*
Rwen's eyes curved into crescents.
*‘I probably wouldn't stand a chance in a real duel.’*
The unprecedented All-Class.
And Lumerne's youngest-ever student council president.
On top of that, he had already conquered the World of Heroes as a first-year.
The difference in power was surely obvious.
*‘But in a spar limited to martial arts, I have a chance.’*
Leo's strength was the strength of an All-Class.
The Azonia students believed they had a chance in a martial arts spar that purely tested skill.
*‘Shall I look for a weakness?’*
Rwen stood up, her fox tail swishing as her eyes gleamed.
Watching her back, Chen Xia gave a deep smile.
Chen Xia had seen through Rwen at a glance, recognizing her as a student far more cunning than a typical Azonian.
*‘And it seems she's after Young Master Leo.’*
If she were to purely request a spar, she'd leave it be, but if she tried any tricks…
*‘I won't let her.’*
As Chen Xia smiled sweetly, Rwen shivered and glanced around.
*‘Did I just feel a chill?’*
***
KRAAAK-!
When Ar swung her arm, huge claw-shaped scars were carved into the ground.
Duran, dodging it, summoned his aura.
Crackle-!
*‘Aura Armor.’*
Duran, wreathed in lightning, readied his sword.
Aura Armor was typically for defense.
But Duran could also use his Aura Armor as a means of attack.
WHOOSH-!
Duran charged toward Ar.
Ar quickly closed the distance, entering Duran's guard, and clenched her fists.
In close-quarters combat, Ar, who used her fists and feet, had the advantage.
Ar reached out to grab his neck.
Duran used his free hand to catch hers.
“Hmm?”
“This is going to sting.”
Bzzzzzzzzzt-!
“Nyah?!”
Ar's fur stood on end as she was electrocuted.
“Grrrrrrrgh-!”
Zapped directly by the lightning aura, Ar threw her head back in pain.
Flash-!
But she snapped her head forward, her glittering eyes fixed on Duran.
SWIPE-!
“This is gonna hurt.”
With a wicked smile, Ar's other hand flew toward Duran's face.
Duran unhesitatingly put distance between them.
BOOM-!
But as Ar's fist cut through the air, a massive blast of wind pressure slammed into Duran.
*‘With just the shockwave?!’*
Duran's eyes widened as he was sent flying.
Stab! Scraaaaaape-!
He stabbed his sword into the ground to hold his position.
But unable to completely absorb the impact, Duran's body was pushed back.
Stomp-!
Duran, barely managing to stop by planting his feet, curled his lip into a smirk.
“This is fun.”
“I'm having fun, too!”
Ar grinned and was about to lower her stance when.
“That's enough.”
Leo stepped between them.
Ar paused, and Duran scowled.
“It'll be a problem if you fight any more. Out there, our students and Azonia's are starting fights all over the place. Stopping them should be the priority, don't you think?”
At Leo's words, Duran slung his sword over his shoulder.
“Chloe escaped, so they'll probably stop on their own.”
“They probably will. But if you two keep fighting, this incident won't be resolved.”
“Hmph. Then we just need to settle this quickly.”
“Then fight after you've recovered your stamina.”
“What did you say?”
“You're not in peak condition after your previous fight, are you?”
Leo gestured with his chin toward the unconscious Borman.
Staring intently at Leo, Duran clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“That attitude of yours, like you see right through everything, is what I hate most about you, Leo Flove.”
Duran sheathed his sword and left.
“Just when it was getting fun, you interfere? Black Rabbit.”
Ar crossed her arms with a dissatisfied expression.
But she soon broke into a grin.
“Well, I'm still fired up. This is perfect. I've been wanting to fight you during this Smith contract period!”
Ar bared her fangs and smiled.
“The opportunity came sooner than I thought! Fight me! Black Rabbit!”
Unable to easily calm her excitement, Ar lowered her stance.
“You're definitely not listening as well as you usually do.”
“You think I'm your pet cat?! That I'll always obey you?! Underestimate a wild animal and you'll get bitten!”
Hissing, Ar lunged at Leo.
The Azonia students watched, clenching their fists. Ooooh!
A fight between the second-year representatives of Azonia and Lumerne!
For the Azonia students, who loved watching fights as much as being in them, this was a great spectacle.
Leo smiled at Ar, who had closed in right in front of him, and muttered softly.
“Grrr.”
“...!”
Fwoosh-!
In an instant, Ar's eyes widened, and she hurriedly backed away from Leo.
Like a cat with all its fur on end, she was in a low crouch, her hands on the ground and her rear in the air.
Her tail was stick-straight like an exclamation mark, and cold sweat dripped from her chin.
Looking at Ar, Leo chuckled and spoke to the puzzled Celia and Chen Xia.
“Let's go back.”
Leo left the Azonia lodging.
“That's not like you.”
Rwen, with a bored expression, yawned and went back into the hotel.
Ar straightened up and looked down at her hands.
They were soaked in cold sweat.
For a moment, she had seen the form of a wolf behind Leo.
She'd had a similar experience last summer break.
But this was different.
And the impact was incomparable to that time.
*‘That was definitely... a Howling.’*
Ar wiped her hands on her uniform skirt.
A human using Howling.
It was unbelievable.
But it was true.
Ar watched Leo's retreating back and tilted her head.
*‘Black Rabbit. What in the world are you?’*