Chapter 320
Chapter Title: Dragon Tongue
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Whoooooosh-!
Watching Leo emit a gray mana, Duran tightened his grip on his sword.
‘He wants the three of us… to attack him together?’
Duran's eyes narrowed.
‘He wants us to prove we're worthy of standing on the same stage as him?’
It was a statement he couldn't comprehend.
But one thing was certain.
‘You… you intend to test us, Leo Flove.’
From the moment they'd enrolled, Duran had never liked Leo.
It was only natural, given that some unheard-of nobody had beaten out all the other formidable students, including himself, to become the class representative.
But in the blink of an eye, the person he'd considered beneath him had become a target he had to catch up to.
Before he knew it, no matter how frantically he ran, he could only see Leo's back growing more distant.
Until his fingers felt like they would break, until his arms felt like they'd fall from their sockets.
He swung his sword madly, again and again.
He achieved incredible growth as a result, but there was no sign of him catching up.
Stubbornness and tenacity took over.
Without giving up, he devoted himself to his training, desperately trying to catch up to Leo Flove.
Crackle-!
An unusual golden current flowed from Duran's body.
“Woreden Tiden, Eliza Hergin.”
Duran looked back at the two, his eyes flashing with a golden light.
“You two, stay out of this.”
With those words, Duran stepped in front of Leo.
Crackle-
An extraordinary current swirled around him.
Vwoom-!
A gray Aura formed on Leo's sword.
Seeing this, Duran narrowed his eyes.
‘Leo Flove, I know you sometimes use a gray Aura instead of the Jerdinger Family's Flame Aura.’
He recalled the times he'd seen Leo use that gray Aura.
‘If the Jerdinger flames are specialized for offense… his gray Aura is a well-balanced type, excellent in both offense and defense.’
His swordsmanship is also far more stable when he uses the gray Aura.
Duran knew.
He knew that Leo's demand for the three of them to attack together wasn't a bluff or mere bravado.
It was a statement born from confidence.
And that was why he disliked this situation even more.
‘Your gaze has always bothered me, Leo Flove.’
A golden spark flashed in Duran's eyes.
‘That look in your eyes, as if you're gazing at some distant place, with nothing else in your view.’
Duran knew it.
Not just Duran, but everyone chasing after Leo knew it.
That Leo was looking somewhere far away.
A distant place they couldn't see.
Since childhood, Duran had achieved everything through his own skill.
The Moira Kingdom.
As a prince of a nation known as the Knight Kingdom, he seemed to have lived a life without want, but securing the position of crown prince had required blood-soaked effort.
He had earned a reputation befitting his grandfather, the founder of the kingdom.
Though he had obtained the crown prince title as the third prince, he sought to gain even more by cultivating greater power.
Only the strong are granted such a right.
That's why Duran acknowledged Leo.
For a strong person to not even have their peers in their sights was, in a way, natural.
But…
‘I couldn't help but feel my anger rise.’
In such a situation, Leo had looked back at them for the first time.
And now he said he would test them.
His intentions were unclear.
However…
‘I won't play by your rules.’
Even if I'm utterly crushed in a one-on-one fight right now.
Duran resolved that he would never attack as Leo wished.
Seeing Duran like this, Leo let out a small laugh.
Fzzt-!
The moment he saw the gray current erupt on Leo's sword, Duran's eyes widened.
“You…”
As Duran's face contorted, Leo lowered his stance.
Fwoosh-!
At incredible speed, Leo dashed toward Duran.
A gray flash accompanied him, and gray sparks decorated the path Leo had run.
Clang-!
Fzzzzzzzt-!
Crackle-!
The golden and gray lightning clashed, destroying everything around them.
Leo's mana attribute was Pure.
It was the ability to freely wield all attributes without being specialized in any one.
Screech! Scrape!
The crossed swords battled for dominance.
Screee-! Thump-!
Duran was pushed back, his feet sinking into the ground.
Incredible power.
Duran was taller and had a larger build.
But in terms of pure physical strength, the strongest among the second-years was none other than Leo.
His face hardening, Duran put strength into his sword and pushed Leo away.
Crackle-!
At the same time, he summoned a greatsword in his free hand.
Whoooosh-! Crackle-!
The greatsword, imbued with a lightning Aura, was swung with a murderous intent.
Swish-!
The sword, swung with lightning speed, cut through the air.
Duran's eyes turned to Leo, who had landed on the greatsword.
‘I expected that!’
Just as Duran, having anticipated Leo's move, was about to infuse Aura into the longsword in his other hand.
Fzzzt!
“Guhk?!”
A gray Aura extending from Leo's hand momentarily paralyzed Duran's body.
“Hah!”
Duran shouted, shaking off the gray Aura that had enveloped his body.
Flash! Crrrrackle-!
For a moment, lightning raged in the area around Duran.
Thump-!
But Leo had already escaped Duran's Aura range at incredible speed.
“Leo… Flove!”
Duran tried to chase after Leo.
But while Duran's lightning was more powerful, Leo was faster.
Easily leaving Duran behind, Leo charged at Woreden and Eliza.
“If you won't attack me as a trio, then I'll force you to.”
Seeing this, Woreden summoned a spirit.
Spirit Armored.
The highest level of spirit arts, which armors the body with a spirit.
Seeing that, Leo extended his hand.
A summoned lesser spirit of water formed in Leo's hand.
The same Spirit Armored.
But Woreden wasn't flustered.
He had never thought Leo would be incapable of something he himself could do.
Woreden took a stance as if loading a punch.
Crackle-!
Leo's gray lightning, enhanced by the water, raged even more wildly.
As Woreden threw his fist, Leo threw his own.
Clang-! Crrrack-!
Fist met fist, and the surrounding area was devastated.
Woreden's body, armored with an earth spirit, steadfastly endured Leo's attack.
Leo looked at Woreden and raised his sword.
“……!”
The sword was faster than Woreden could harden his expression and retreat.
Slaaash-!
Leo's sword left a long gash on Woreden's body.
But he wasn't judged as defeated.
The powerful defense of the Spirit Armored had protected Woreden.
But it was enough to make Woreden back off.
“Leo Flove!”
Duran had already caught up and was right behind Leo.
Seeing Duran, Leo kicked off the ground.
Crackle-!
Leo's final destination was Eliza.
Eliza's face hardened as she summoned her spiritual power.
Whoosh-!
A summoned Wind Wyvern instantly took Eliza and flew up into the sky.
“Hmph.”
Leo let out a light breath and swung his sword at Duran, who was aiming for his back.
Woreden was also now aiming for Leo's back.
Flash-! Crrrrrackle-
Leo's sword emitted a gray flash.
Clang-clang-clang-!
Duran quickly defended with his sword.
Fzzt-!
But he couldn't block all the attacks and was wounded.
Duran's face twisted.
‘His swordsmanship…!’
It was different from Leo's usual swordsmanship.
His sword was imbued with killing intent and was far sharper.
Duran created some distance.
Woreden, who had forced his way into close range, slammed into Leo with his massive body.
Craaash-!
With a loud noise, Leo was sent flying.
The impact was like being hit by a giant cannonball.
Crash-! Splaaaaash-!
The flying Leo crashed right into the water.
Water shot up into the sky.
Bubble bubble bubble-
Submerged in the water, Leo narrowed his eyes.
A dolphin came into his view.
Delphinus.
It was Eliza's summoned beast, known as the highest-ranking water beast.
Delphinus began to circle around Leo.
Its speed gradually increased, creating a whirlpool.
Whoooooooosh-!
A waterspout formed.
“If you want to face the three of us at once, then be prepared! Leo Flove!”
Eliza snarled with a fierce voice.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-!
Duran raised his greatsword.
Flash! Craaaaaack-boom!
A bolt of lightning struck Duran's sword.
A giant golden sword the size of the waterspout was created.
Splooooosh-!
Woreden summoned a water spirit and created a massive spear.
The Wind Wyvern Eliza was riding opened its jaws wide.
A powerful breath of wind formed in its mouth.
Flash-!
Gush-!
Whoosh-!
The attacks of the three rained down on Leo, who was trapped in the waterspout.
Seeing this, Leo stirred his magic.
Flash-!
Boom-! Pitter-patter-!
The waterspout, which had swelled for a moment, vanished as if it had exploded.
The lake water fell upon the surrounding area as if it were raining.
The lightning Aura meant to cut Leo.
The water spear meant to pierce Leo.
The breath of wind meant to blow Leo away.
They vanished as if they had never existed.
Leo wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth and raised his head.
Seeing him, the three felt a shiver run down their spines.
For an instant, Leo's pupils glowed black before returning to red.
***
“What just happened?”
“How did he nullify the attacks?”
Murmurs came from the audience.
The first-years also wore bewildered expressions.
“Wh-what happened? It was d-definitely magic.”
Juen was flustered, unable to make sense of it.
“It's Dragon Tongue magic.”
Mel explained to the first-year magic students with a smile.
At that, all the students' eyes widened.
“Dragon Tongue magic?”
“But you have to understand the Dragon Tongue to use that magic!”
The students looked shocked at the mention of Dragon Tongue magic, a magic unique to dragons.
“Yes. You all know it's a magic that can be used as long as one understands the Dragon Tongue, right?”
The problem was that understanding the Dragon Tongue was no easy feat.
In a way, it was a magic as difficult as ‘Star Magic.’
While the first-years stared in astonishment, Mel looked at the screen.
‘Lord Lisinas's unique magic, Nihil.’
A defensive magic that returns all things to nothingness.
‘He's really fighting seriously against the second-years.’
***
‘It'll be difficult to use magic for a while.’
Using Nihil just now has overloaded my mana circuits.
‘I can handle Duran and Woreden. But…’
Leo's gaze turned to Eliza.
Right now, the most difficult opponent to deal with is Eliza.
No, in a one-versus-many battle, a skilled summoner like Eliza was the most troublesome kind of enemy.
Thanks to her powerful summoned beasts, her firepower is comparable to a mage's.
On top of that, a beast summoner can also support the front-liners.
Therefore, the biggest threat here and now was none other than Eliza.
Fwoosh-!
Leo called Piora.
Piora elegantly landed on the back of Leo's arm.
“Piora, keep Eliza in check.”
“Peep.”
Whoosh-!
Piora, who had been flapping her wings gracefully, flew fiercely toward Eliza.
Seeing this, Eliza gripped her whip tightly.
‘Facing Woreden and Duran without your phoenix should be difficult, even for you, shouldn't it?’
As Eliza narrowed her eyes at Leo, her gaze wavered for a moment.
Vwoom-!
A summoning circle could be seen forming on Leo's palm.
And the moment she identified the sigil of the summoning circle.
Eliza's eyes filled with astonishment.
As a beast summoner, it was impossible for her not to recognize that sigil.
The summoned being symbolized by that sigil was…
‘A fairy…?!’
In an instant, a noble silver light spread out from Leo's palm.
And with it, a being exuding a noble presence revealed itself.
The fairy, Kiruan, appeared.