Chapter 319
Chapter Title: The Same Stage
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Ruuuumble—!
The Great Earth Spirit, Titaum, raised its hand.
Seeing this, Leo quickly threw himself aside.
Whoosh—! Kra-ka-ka-ka-boom! Ruuuumble—!
Titaum's attack made the earth tremble and the entire island shake.
The other students, watching Leo and Woreden's duel from a distance with horrified eyes, staggered from the aftershock.
Leo's eyes narrowed as he escaped Titaum's attack range.
‘When did he make a contract with a Great Spirit?’
Looking at Woreden, who stood with Titaum at his back, Leo clenched and unclenched his fists.
Leo was one of the people at Lumerne who knew Woreden's talent and potential best.
In terms of skill alone, he was the strongest among the second-years, aside from himself.
In terms of combat power, he was on par with or even surpassed Lunia and Ar.
His innate strength and talent were exceptional… he was a spirit summoner who truly lived up to the moniker of "monster."
But Woreden never revealed his presence more than necessary.
He wasn't active in departmental events either.
He didn't get along well with other students.
Although it was also part of his taciturn nature to prefer being alone.
Leo knew well what Woreden's goal was and what he was always looking at.
The person who stood in the position he aimed for.
Woreden was always watching Leo.
And he made blood-sweat efforts to defeat Leo.
Silently, by himself.
He walked the path of aiming to be the strongest.
Among the Lumerne second-years, Woreden was the one who had trained the most since enrollment.
‘Is the result of his insane effort to catch up to me… a Great Spirit?’
Leo looked at Woreden, who was watching him, and extended his sword.
Whoooosh—!
Flames enveloped Leo's body.
Fwoosh—
The shape of fiery wings blazed behind Leo's back.
Whoosh—
Leo's body soared into the air.
Ruuuumble—!
Titaum lowered its head and extended a hand, and Woreden stepped onto it.
Rumble—!
From a distance, the students looked up at Leo and Woreden.
Gulp—
The students swallowed dryly at the sight of the Phoenix and the Great Earth Spirit facing off.
Standing on Titaum's shoulder, Woreden raised his head.
And he looked up with a blank expression at Leo, who was looking down at him.
Looking at Woreden, Leo spoke.
“I never thought you'd have contracted a Great Spirit.”
Leo smiled faintly.
Seeing Leo, Woreden opened his mouth.
“Every time I see you, I realize something, Leo Flove.”
“What's that?”
“The feeling of looking up at someone else.”
“Are you just going to keep looking up?”
At that question, Woreden's lips curled up.
“When I was young, I read a book about a foolish man.”
Spiritual power swirled from Woreden's body.
“It was the story of a fool who flew high to reach the sun, only to fall to his death.”
Ruuuumble—!
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“The other children laughed at the story's protagonist, but I did not.”
Woreden raised his hand.
Following his lead, Titaum also raised its arm.
“A life of looking up, unable to even make proper eye contact… I have no interest in that.”
Woreden reached his hand toward Leo.
“Even if I ultimately fail to reach it and end up falling…”
Ruuuumble—!
“I will not stop… reaching for my goal with everything I have!”
Simultaneously with Woreden's shout, Titaum's arm swung at a tremendous speed.
In response, Leo shot higher into the sky.
Fwoosh—!
As Leo raised his sword, flames surged.
Kra-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom—!
Fire and earth.
In terms of elemental matchups, Leo was at an absolute disadvantage.
But Leo didn't care.
Leo's body blazed dazzlingly, like a burning sun.
Kra-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom—!
The Phoenix flames extending from Leo's sword turned Titaum's arm to ash.
Ruuuumble—!
The ashen arm lost its form and collapsed to the ground.
Fwoosh—!
But the arm was restored in an instant.
Kra-ka-ka-kak—
When Titaum stretched out its hand, massive tendrils made of rock shot out like a spider's web.
Leo's red eyes quickly traced their trajectory.
Whoosh—!
He swiftly dodged the numerous rock tendrils and charged toward Woreden.
Seeing this, Woreden swung his arm.
Thwump—!
Titaum's hand swiftly grabbed Leo.
The moment all the students' eyes widened.
Titaum slammed its fist straight into the ground.
Ruuuumble! Kra-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom!
“Aaaaaah!”
“They really don't know how to hold back!”
The students watching the fight fled in terror.
Fwoosh—!
Despite the unimaginably massive impact, flames erupted from Titaum's fist.
Woreden, who had slammed the clenched fist into the ground, felt his grip being forced open by a powerful force and grimaced.
Currently, Woreden and Titaum were in a state of Assimilation, one of the skills of spirit arts.
A high-level spirit art that allowed one to assimilate with a spirit and control its power at will.
The downside was that the spirit summoner received all the damage the spirit took.
“Titaum, Earth Wave.”
At Woreden's words, the ground began to ripple.
Kra-ka-ka-boom—!
Woreden smashed Leo, still caught in his grasp, deep into the earth.
A thick cloud of dust rose up.
The intense flames of the Phoenix and the earth controlled by Titaum had already cleared away all the mist.
-As expected… you live up to your reputation as a monster, even among the spirits.
Titaum expressed its admiration.
“…”
-But it was reckless. To think you'd try to fight me with the Phoenix, which has a poor matchup.
“Titaum.”
-Hm?
“He's coming.”
Kra-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom—!
Leo, who had been smashed deep into the earth, shot up into the sky.
-No!
Titaum was horrified, and Woreden took a combat stance.
Blood was trickling from a wound on Leo's forehead.
Leo, with a belligerent smile, spoke.
“Impressive.”
Whoooooooosh—!
The flames of the Phoenix raged around Leo's sword.
Woreden tried to move hastily.
But Leo was faster, blowing Titaum's head off.
“Kgh.”
Woreden felt his consciousness fade for a moment.
Ruuuumble—!
In an instant, Titaum was unsummoned.
The massive mound of earth collapsed.
Caught in the collapse, Woreden also fell to the ground and was buried in the pile of dirt.
‘That Woreden… he really is a monster.’
Landing on the ground, Leo took a deep breath against the pain he felt in his body.
‘To think he was hiding a trump card like this.’
Of course, he couldn't handle Titaum perfectly.
His capabilities were still insufficient to fully draw out the power of a Great Spirit.
But the very fact that he summoned a Great Spirit at the age of seventeen was proof of how incredible Woreden's potential was.
‘…To think an uncut gem is this powerful.’
He clicked his tongue in amazement as he looked at the pile of earth.
‘And besides… he's not down yet.’
Although he had taken a massive blow, Woreden had not yet been judged as "dead."
It was then, as Leo tightened his grip on his sword.
“I'm first!”
“Don't be ridiculous! I'm first!”
The familiar sounds of bickering could be heard.
Leo planted his sword in the ground like a staff and looked up at the sky.
Duran, cloaked in an aura of lightning, and Eliza, riding a Wind Wyvern, were approaching at incredible speed.
Seeing them, the other students' faces brightened.
The arrival of Duran and Eliza.
Even the great Leo had taken considerable damage from his fight with Woreden.
They thought that if those two joined in this situation, even Leo would have no choice but to retreat.
Thud—! Thud—!
Duran and Eliza stood before Leo.
Zap— Leo smiled as he watched the two glaring at each other.
“Going to attack me together?”
“Don't be absurd, Leo Flove.”
Eliza took a whip from her bosom.
“My pride won't allow me to join hands with Duran Moira to defeat you.”
“Hoh, for once you've said something right, Eliza Hergin. I'd rather defeat you and then fight Leo Flove than join hands with you.”
“Oh my, you're the one who'll be defeated.”
Watching Duran and Eliza growling at each other, the students screamed internally.
‘Hey! You're on the same side!’
‘Why are you fighting each other to the death with Leo right in front of you!’
It was then, as the Noble and Harmony students clutched their heads.
Ruuuumble—!
Woreden emerged, pushing through the pile of earth.
“My fight with Leo Flove is not over yet.”
Woreden looked at Duran and Eliza with a blank expression.
“So both of you, get lost.”
“The match seems decided, so you should be the one to back down, Woreden Tiden.”
“Hmph. I'll just take you down along with him.”
Eliza and Duran sneered coldly.
Watching them, Leo burst out laughing.
‘These kids don't know the meaning of giving up.’
The three of them should know the difference in power best.
And yet, they struggle and thrash about.
They hold their heads high and challenge him without fear.
They should be intimidated.
No, even though they are intimidated, they continue their reckless challenge.
‘The fighting spirit of teenagers is scary.’
Leo learned how not to give up from his comrades.
Lisinas taught him how to find light in endless darkness.
Luna showed him how to advance toward that light, and from Ar-on, he learned how not to lose courage along the way.
Finally, Dweno made him realize that he had comrades he could trust and rely on.
It wasn't just Woreden, Duran, and Eliza.
‘Celia, Chloe, Abad… and even Chen Xia.’
Though their ideals and destinations differed, their goal of aiming for Leo remained the same.
They struggle to follow behind him.
Himself, the Great Hero.
And the budding new heroes.
The starting lines were bound to be different.
But from their perspective, it must have seemed like they started at the same line, only to look up and see Leo's back already far ahead.
‘They'll all grow into great heroes.’
Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
‘They'll grow into comrades who can fight alongside me.’
He believed his classmates at Lumerne would one day become comrades he could entrust his back to.
‘That's why I tried to walk at the same pace as them.’
He matched their eye level.
So they wouldn't fall into despair and break from the vastly different levels.
As a far-ahead senior hero.
He had been considerate of his juniors.
But recently, he'd been wondering if it was okay to keep doing this.
To his classmates who came at him with all their heart.
Was showing them only the side of Leo Flove… really the right thing to do?
“I'm saying you should believe in the future you've chosen.”
Dweno's advice came to mind.
‘If there's a chance you all will truly stand on the battlefield against Erebos as heroes.’
Leo opened his eyes.
‘That possibility…’
Whether they could stand up after encountering overwhelming despair.
‘It wouldn't be a bad idea to test it now.’
Leo unleashed his aura.
At that, Duran, Eliza, and Woreden, who had been keeping each other in check, flinched.
Until now, he had only shown his classmates the side of Leo Flove.
But from now on, it would be different.
The look in Leo's eyes changed.
The three of them flinched in response.
“Stop fighting.”
If he were Leo Flove, the second-year student council president of Lumerne Academy.
It would be right to back down here.
Even for Leo Flove, fighting Woreden, Duran, and Eliza.
Fighting these three would be too reckless.
But…
If he were Kyle, the story would be different.
“All three of you, come at me at once.”
“Are you looking down on us? Leo Flo—”
Kra-ka-ka-ka-kak—!
“…!”
Eliza hastily threw herself aside.
Duran instinctively extended his sword to deflect the aura's path.
But he couldn't deflect it completely.
If Duran had been even a little late in striking away the aura Leo had launched.
If Eliza hadn't dodged.
She would have been judged as "dead" right then and there.
Duran tightened his grip on his sword against the chillingly sharp sword energy.
‘…What is this.’
Duran stared at Leo.
“I'm not looking down on you.”
Leo said with a blank expression.
“Prove it yourselves. That you…”
Killing intent and fighting spirit poured from Leo's body.
“Are worthy of standing on the same stage as me.”