Chapter 038
Chapter Title: Payback
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“Haha! Serves you right!”
“So much for being the class representative and the top student from the south! He can’t even start, guaranteed last place!”
The Summoning Department students who had ganged up on him snickered.
“Hey! How about that, Eliza? Satisfying, isn’t it?”
The male student who orchestrated it, Liu from Class 3, chuckled as he called out to Eliza, who was ahead of them.
They were currently among the top-performing first-year Summoning Department students, forming the lead group in the race.
In response to Liu, Eliza, who was at the very front, spoke.
“I'm not pleased.”
“What?”
“I can beat the likes of Leo Flove anytime. The same goes for Woreden Tiden.”
Eliza looked at the students with reproachful eyes.
“Interfering like this as a group will only make Leo Flove and Woreden Tiden stand out more. On top of that, what do you think people will think of the Summoning Department?”
“Hahaha. B-but, at least those guys will be thoroughly humiliated...”
“Next time you do something, try thinking first. And right now, we're in the middle of an exam. Focus.”
Eliza spoke coldly, then turned her head and soared high into the air.
Watching her leave, Liu scowled.
*‘Damn bitch! Acting all high and mighty just because she was born into a good family!’*
Cursing Eliza inwardly, Liu snorted.
*‘With a gap this big, even that Woreden guy won't be able to catch up. Besides Eliza, I'm the best at handling flying beasts! I can easily take second place now. And I just contracted a new beast, didn't I?’*
Liu exhaled sharply through his nose.
Right before the exam.
A summoning catalyst he'd been lucky enough to buy in Lumeria City!
*‘I only got it because of that stupid merchant who didn't know its value! I can't control it yet... but if I summon it at the last minute and take down even Eliza... first place will be mine! Let's see if you can still act so high and mighty then, Eliza!’*
“Huh? Liu. Someone's coming from behind.”
A female student from the Summoning Department looked puzzled.
They thought they had an overwhelming lead, yet someone was catching up.
“What? Who... Huh? Chen Xia?”
Chen Xia was flying toward them at incredible speed.
But her posture on the griffon was a bit strange.
Chen Xia was squatting on the saddle, her feet planted on it.
“What's with that stance?”
“She caught up in that position? That's impressive.”
“We only got caught because we slowed down. If we speed up, she won't be able to keep up.”
For a summoner, spiritual power wasn't just for controlling beasts; it was also for strengthening them.
Because they had enhanced their griffons' abilities with spiritual power, it would be difficult for Chen Xia to catch up to the Summoning Department students in terms of speed.
“No, we don't know what kind of variables she might create.”
Liu grinned.
“Let's just eliminate her while we're at it.”
Cooperation was permitted in the Beast Race.
As such, it was possible to team up against a strong competitor.
At the front, Eliza glanced back and narrowed her eyes.
“Hmph. It would have been better to just run away quickly, but she insists on choosing the hard path.”
The corners of Eliza's lips curled up as she watched, as if enjoying a show.
“Top of the East, my ass. How annoying.”
A female Summoning Department student summoned a spirit with a vicious smile.
“I'll humiliate her by making sure she can't even finish the race! Go!”
A wind spirit shot like a bullet toward Chen Xia, who was standing unsteadily on her saddle.
Sensing it, Chen Xia lowered her stance even further.
*Whoosh-!*
Chen Xia's griffon suddenly shot upward.
As the Summoning Department students were caught off guard, Chen Xia's griffon flipped over so that its saddle faced the ground.
Now hanging upside down from the griffon, Chen Xia kicked off the saddle and let go of the reins.
“W-wh-what?”
The female student who had attacked Chen Xia was horrified.
She had never expected the rider to attack directly.
Summoning a wind spirit to adjust her trajectory in mid-air, Chen Xia smiled sweetly and launched a kick.
Kicked by Chen Xia before she could react, the female student screamed as she plummeted to the ground.
“Aaaaaaaah! Th-this is against the ruuuuuules!”
“Well, it's not like I used Aura.”
With her characteristic friendly smile, Chen Xia grabbed the reins of the now riderless and panicked griffon, calming it down.
“Ugh! Chen Xia! You!”
“Hello, Liu.”
“Not bad. But look at your situation! You've made the wrong choice!”
They were caught by surprise the first time, but now that they knew her attack method, there were plenty of ways to counter it.
“Hmm. I'm certainly at a disadvantage in an aerial battle. But I'm not the only enemy you have, am I?”
“What?”
“There's someone who's quite upset about your little prank.”
A smiling Chen Xia pointed behind them with her finger.
*BOOM!*
A massive explosion erupted from the rear.
“Wh-what was that?”
*BOOM! BOOM!*
The explosions occurred in a chain reaction.
In the distance, eliminated contestants could be seen falling.
“It seems Woreden is the type to pay back what he receives in full.”
With that, Chen Xia waved and leaped off the griffon without a second thought.
Her own griffon, which had been waiting, caught her as she fell and soared high into the sky.
“Ugh! Grab her and drop...”
*Screeeeeech!*
Just as Liu shouted urgently, the cry of a griffon was heard from afar.
Startled, he turned his head to see Woreden's griffon flying toward them at incredible speed.
Woreden, having caught up to the lead group in an instant, laughed.
“Thanks for the gift. You small fry.”
*Fwooooosh!*
A massive flame gathered around him.
“This is my way of returning the favor.”
“Scatter!”
*KABOOOOOM-!*
Along with Liu's desperate cry, a massive explosion engulfed the area.
***
Dead last, Leo climbed over the fence.
And approached the last remaining griffon.
*Grrrrr-!*
Seeing the highly wary griffon, Leo looked puzzled.
*‘Aren't all the griffons provided for this race managed by Lumerne?’*
Beasts tamed by humans don't show hostility toward them.
Still pondering, Leo soon realized the griffon was limping on one wing.
*‘Is it injured?’*
Leo frowned as he examined the wing closely.
*‘This isn't an injury from fighting another griffon. Someone did this on purpose.’*
Leo recalled the group that had cornered him before the start and clicked his tongue.
“Looks like someone's playing dirty.”
Leo smirked and walked closer.
*Screech!*
The griffon reacted fiercely, but Leo didn't back down.
*Screeeech!*
-Ah! Contestant Leo! He's approaching too forcefully! Even if a griffon is a low-level beast, approaching it recklessly while it's this wary could make taming it very difficult! He's making a mistake out of impatience!
Watching from the stands, Celia stomped her feet in frustration.
“Oh, come on! Why is he being so reckless?”
Seeing Celia's frustrated expression, Lis stroked his chin.
“He must have a plan.”
*Screech! Screeeech!*
Leo grabbed the reins of the agitated, thrashing griffon.
*Screeeeeeaaach!*
Finally losing its composure, the griffon swiped its claws at Leo.
Just as everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
*Grip-!*
Leo yanked hard on the griffon's reins and glared intensely.
“Kneel.”
As Leo spoke with a commanding voice, the griffon flinched.
It lowered its raised claws, glanced around nervously, and then lowered its posture.
Seeing the griffon offer its back as if in submission, Leo smiled with satisfaction and mounted the saddle.
“Good boy.”
He stroked its neck, but the griffon trembled.
-Um. What is happening? The griffon is submitting on its own! Contestant Leo, his taming time is the fastest yet.
The commentator, Runba, said in a bewildered voice.
Just as he said, the time it took Leo to tame and mount the griffon was the fastest of all.
Yura, who was watching, was amazed.
*‘He subdued it with sheer presence? Is there anything this kid can't do?’*
The thought that he would be weak in a real fight was a complete misjudgment.
*‘If Woreden has overwhelming power, Leo has overwhelming skill.’*
Yura's eyes shone.
*‘This race... might just get interesting.’*
*Screeeeeaaah!*
When Leo pulled the reins, the griffon roared and soared into the sky.
However, it flapped its injured wing awkwardly, struggling to gain speed.
-Ah! Contestant Leo's griffon! Its wing is injured! He barely managed to start, and now he's hit with more bad luck! It really looks like last place is guaranteed!
Runba shouted, his voice full of pity.
Leo stroked the neck of the griffon as it struggled to flap its wings, then focused his spiritual power.
“In the name of the contractor, I command thee. Reveal thyself before me.”
*Fwoosh-!*
Flames flickered around Leo, and a great sphere of fire concealed his form.
“What is that?”
“Looks like he summoned a fire-type beast?”
“Didn't they say he hadn't contracted any beasts or spirits yet?”
The sudden beast summoning caused a stir among the spectators.
“What? What is that fire?”
Celia's eyes went wide.
Lis's eyes twitched.
*‘The flames of Jerdinger? No. It's not an Aura flame. Then what in the world is that?’*
Within the flames, a summoning circle was drawn on Leo's palm.
The summoning circle, which had been spewing flames, soon spat out a small bird.
*Peep- peep-*
“...You always look like a chick.”
At Leo's words, the baby phoenix, Piora, pecked his thumb.
“Oh? You can understand me now?”
On Leo's palm, Piora flapped her wings elegantly and lifted her chin.
It was as if she were trying to display the dignity of a phoenix.
Of course, to Leo...
*‘She's a chick, through and through.’*
“If we can communicate, this will be easy. Piora, can you bestow your blessing on this griffon?”
Blessing.
One of the unique abilities of a phoenix, it allows a target to manifest a portion of the phoenix's power.
This blessing was one of the reasons why phoenix summoners were called the strongest.
Piora nodded, hopped off Leo's palm, and landed on the griffon's head.
The griffon, already frightened of Leo, trembled even more.
It was instinctively terrified of the phoenix, a supreme-tier beast.
Piora elegantly stretched her neck and lightly pecked the griffon's head with her beak.
*Gwoooooo-!*
The griffon's feathers began to stand on end.
Strength began to flow into its struggling wing beats.
Its white feathers took on a reddish hue, and its yellow eyes turned orange.
Leo grinned and placed Piora on his shoulder.
*Whoosh-!*
The flames that had enveloped him scattered.
*Screeeeeeeaaaah-!*
At the same time, the griffon let out a powerful roar.
“Let's go!”
He pulled the reins, and the griffon shot high into the sky at incredible speed.
“What? It's so fast!”
“A first-year can use that level of beast enhancement?”
Gasps of astonishment erupted from the stands.
Soaring high in the sky, Leo spotted the rear group in the distance, narrowed his eyes, and began to descend.
Screams erupted from the spectators.
“Wait! Isn't that way too fast?”
“How is he going to avoid the obstacles at that speed?”
A pillar of light appeared in front of the descending Leo.
The magically created pillar relentlessly fired red mana bullets in all directions.
The most basic trap of the Beast Race!
Getting hit by a bullet would inflict massive physical damage, potentially leading to immediate elimination.
Naturally, the faster you flew, the harder it was to dodge.
But it wasn't random; there was a pattern.
*‘Up-down-down-left-left-right-up-left.’*
Leo's eyes instantly identified the pattern of the mana bullets.
*Whoosh! Swish-! Swish!*
And without slowing down in the slightest, he flew on, dodging the mana bullets at incredible speed.
Watching Leo's incredible control, as if he and the griffon were one, the crowd erupted in cheers.
-Oh! Contestant Leo! What incredible beast control!
The commentator shouted in excitement.
Having passed the obstacle in an instant, Leo pulled on the reins.
He had limited his speed with evasions in mind, leaving room to accelerate even further.
Leaving the starting area behind, Leo shot across the sky.
Along the way, he spotted other students flying unsteadily.
*‘That Woreden. Looks like he just smashed his way through everything in his path.’*
Of course, not everyone was eliminated.
But they had all taken considerable damage and couldn't maintain proper speed.
Thanks to that, Leo was able to quickly catch up to the rear group.
“Huh? L-Leo Flove?”
“You escaped that spirit arts? No, more importantly, how did you catch up so fast?”
The Summoning Department students were horrified to see Leo approaching from behind.
“Leo!”
Laura, a Summoning Department student from Class 5, looked relieved.
Leo saw Laura being harassed by other students and pulled on his griffon's reins.
“Looks like Woreden already got to you, but...”
The front paws of Leo's griffon snatched the scruff of the neck of the male student harassing Laura.
“Y-you bastard!”
“I'm the type to pay back what I receive, too.”
Leo gave the male student a bright smile.
The male student desperately tried to shake Leo off, but before he could do anything, Leo's griffon shot upward.
The male student flailed about, caught by the neck.
Leo steered his griffon and threw the student he was holding directly at another one.
“Uwaaaah!”
“H-hey, what are you doing, flying over here...!”
*Thwack-!*
They collided and the two students plummeted to the ground.
The students in the rear group watched this, stunned.
*Flap-! Flap-!*
From high above, Leo looked down on them and smiled coldly.
“Now then, I hope you're all prepared.”