LHAHS Chapter 317
"What?" Abad's expression hardened at the news coming through magical communication about the rear detached force. "Leo appeared there? Aside from Leo, how many of them are there?"
[It's just Leo! Emio's already been taken out!]
Abad fell into deep thought. Leo was supposed to be part of the strike team attacking the other dorms, so why was he showing up at the rear of their stronghold?
"What are the chances Carl Thomas's intel was wrong?" Duran, listening alongside him, asked.
Abad shook his head. "No. Impossible. I watched Carl gather the info firsthand. The information was solid."
"Then maybe our own movements leaked, and the enemy turned that against us…"
Before Duran could finish his thought, his expression sharpened.
Flash—! Crackle—!
He drew his sword, golden sparks flaring to life.
Kwagagagagagang!
A thunderous roar filled the battlefield as lightning surged, spreading like a net of crackling energy.
Swoosh—!
The incoming ice spikes evaporated under the intense heat of Duran's lightning aura.
The Noble students watching let out gasps of admiration.
"As expected of Duran."
"That's practically the power of a high-level area spell."
"Kyaaaaah! Duran is so cool!"
Standing there, wrapped in a cloak of crackling electricity, Duran did indeed look amazing, but he wasn't done moving.
Crackle—!
Golden currents coiled around his feet. Using Aura Step, he shot through the air at frightening speed.
"Isn't it dangerous for a mage to be on the front lines like this?" he said, flashing a grin at the platinum-blonde girl before him. "Chloe."
Flash—!
Golden lightning raged. Chloe's blue eyes followed the sword's path.
Crack—!
An ice wall formed in an instant.
Duran's eyes flickered. He hadn't sensed any magic buildup. To cast a defensive spell this strong, there should have been some sign. A familiar… Was this the new summoning approach the magic students had been discussing?
Before he could analyze further, though…
Bzzt—!
Chloe's mana surged.
"Frost Nova."
The moment she completed the chant, freezing winds howled.
Just before he was swallowed up, a Wind Wyvern snatched his arm, lifting him into the sky. Duran used the momentum to climb onto its back.
Crackle—! Fwoooosh—!
Lightning surged through his hands, coalescing into a greatsword.
'A two-handed sword?'
Chloe recalled how the knight department had to learn a secondary weapon. It seemed Duran had chosen a two-handed blade.
She focused her mana.
A two-handed sword… has far more destructive power than a longsword.
Flash—! Crackle—!
Lightning struck Duran's blade, sending golden waves of electricity spiraling around him. Chloe responded by gathering her own mana.
Whoooom—!
Complex runes filled the air.
"Ice World."
A frost of absolute zero engulfed Duran.
"Ugh!" He winced and withdrew his attack.
The Noble students, alarmed, scrambled back from Chloe's magical domain, while their magic department students hurried to cast counter-spells.
However, Chloe had already pulled back from the battlefield.
"That was a scary ambush," Abad said, sticking out his tongue in amazement. He lifted his palm. "Instant Contract."
Powerful mana exploded across the area.
"What sort of magic is that? Sounds like a contract spell."
"A summoning contract?"
"Yes. A mass summoning contract with nearby animals."
It was a new spell developed for the magic department's project assignment. Under Len's guidance, they had studied Artificial Creation to create familiars.
Abad, with assistance from Len and Tina, had modified the standard contract formula to temporarily grant the effect to local animals. Even though he hadn't crafted a single familiar himself, he had essentially taken control of hundreds at once.
As an all-rounder, Abad could provide powerful long-range fire support like Chloe or fight on the front lines like Chelsea. Typically, an all-rounder was a "jack of all trades, master of none," but his overwhelming talent made him a near-flawless exception.
To him, the best way to secure victory in battle was through information. That was why he had developed Instant Contract, a spell that let him create countless familiars to collect intel.
I want that spell. Eliza's eyes shone. As a summoning major, she was already thinking of ways to apply it to her own discipline.
She was still lost in thought when Abad said, "…All the Glory students are in their stronghold."
The Noble students reacted in surprise.
"Was Carl's intel wrong?"
"No, the intel was correct. Glory probably assumed it would leak and planned around it."
Eliza frowned. "Then what's with Leo Plov? Isn't he supposed to be defending?"
Abad replied, "Right now, among Glory's forces that moved out, it's just Leo alone. We've been completely tricked."
"But even Leo can't single-handedly pick off dozens of students, right?" one Noble student asked anxiously.
Duran, having returned, replied, "…Among our grade, aside from the dorm heads or top students, who can stand up to Leo Plov?"
Silence fell over the Noble side.
"You're mistaken about one thing. Let me make it clear."
Crack—!
Lightning sparked around Duran's body. "He's not just someone who has multiple class abilities."
Eliza snorted, then mounted her summoned beast. "He's a monster who understands and uses every class power to perfection. Numbers alone won't help, you'll just be sacrifices. There's only one way to handle him."
Szzzzt! Whoooosh!
"Overwhelming strength!"
Duran launched forward, and Eliza's Wind Wyvern charged after him.
Right before the test started…
"Chloe, Carl probably saw right through our plans," Leo said, gathering the Glory students.
Chloe nodded. "That's why we'll all stay to defend our stronghold. So, Leo, I want you to earn kill points against the other dorm students." A thin smile crossed her lips. "They'll assume we made you King if you go running around. Of course, Walden, Duran, and Eliza will come for you, but…"
Her plan hinged on their strongest card.
"You won't lose to them."
Clang—! Fwoooosh—!
Nella parried Leo's sword strike.
The rest of the squad, mostly mid-range fighters chosen for mobility and stealth, couldn't even get close to him. Nearly all the top scorers and dorm leaders had gone to assault Glory head-on.
Among them, Emio, the only one who could stall Leo for some time, had already fallen, his overconfidence sending him straight to the respawn point.
That left Nella as the only one capable of holding him back.
Even so, the gap between them was insurmountable.
"No openings at all!"
"He's a fellow second-year, but this is insane!"
Everyone knew Leo was the strongest of their grade. Still, none had grasped the sheer scale of that difference until now. This wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.
Overwhelming strength—like fighting a fourth or fifth-year.
A chill ran down their spines.
"This is… the youngest student council president."
A student barely had time to mumble those words before Leo's flames swallowed them whole.
Clash—!
Nella gritted her teeth, her body wreathed in fire. "You've never fought like this before."
Leo replued, "Right. Back in first year, we were the class rep and deputy rep. We only ever sparred lightly."
Breathing heavily, Nella summoned her aura.
Fwoosh—!
Instead of retreating, she dove into Leo's flames, her aura of healing offsetting the damage.
Leo watched, unimpressed. "That's not the best plan."
"What?" Nella barely had time to register Leo's words before he moved.
Leo had seen this approach countless times. Desperation-fueled suicide tactics, enemies gambling on regeneration—none of it had ever worked. He had faced worse.
Just as he was about to finish her, though…
Rumble—!
The ground shook.
Leo stepped back from Nella and turned his gaze upward. "You showed up first, huh?"
He smirked. From the sky, his opponent descended.
Tap—
Walden landed before him.
"I've been waiting for this moment, Leo Plov."
With the first-year exams over, the students hurried to their assigned seats in the stands, each class sticking together, relieved that their trials had ended.
By design, no first-year had been recommended for forced withdrawal this semester, a departure from Lumene's usual ruthless tradition. While they had fought hard, they could now relax.
The exam site was being cleaned up, and magic screens projected the second-years' mock battle for the spectators.
Powerful families filled the seats, already buzzing over the so-called golden generation's clash.
Pushing through the crowd, a black-haired woman made her way to the front row.
Some of the nobles took notice, their expressions sharpening.
"Showing up alone, with no entourage?"
"Must be from a no-name family."
"There are no seats left. If she's late, she should sit in the back. Why bother coming?"
A middle-aged noblewoman, hiding her mouth behind a fan, approached with a condescending air.
"The front row isn't open to just anyone. Only Lumene alumni may sit there."
The black-haired woman smiled gently. "Yes, I'm aware."
"What did you say?" The noblewoman blinked in annoyance.
"…Senior Reina?" a voice softly called from behind.
The woman named Reina turned, her face brightening at the familiar voice. "Len! Long time no see!"
"Indeed, I thought it might be you, Senior Reina!" Len beamed as he approached, the easy familiarity between them startling the surrounding parents. "Why didn't you come earlier to cheer on Leo?"
Reina chuckled, "That boy's not exactly the type to be encouraged by anyone cheering for him."
Len grinned and gestured toward a quieter spot. "Come, let's talk. There's something important I want to discuss regarding Leo's future."
Nearby parents stiffened, suddenly realizing their mistake.
They had gossiped about her? The mother of the unprecedented All-Class? The youngest student council president?
They quickly averted their gazes.
Of course, Reina ignored them. "Len, the stands are that way."
"I'd like somewhere quieter. This is important."
Reina smirked. "You plan to take a married woman somewhere secluded?"
"It's that important."
Reina narrowed her eyes. "This isn't the place for nonsense, you…"
Before she could finish, Yura appeared behind them and hooked an arm around Len's neck.
"Hey, let go, you gorilla-armed woman! I need to talk with her about a critical matter!"
"…Why don't you try being strangled by my gorilla arms!"
Watching the usual chaos between her underclassmen, Reina burst into giggles. The surrounding onlookers flinched at the sheer recklessness of their exchange.
Unlike them, Reina carried the composure of a true Lumene alum.
"…Reina Zerdinger?"
"Oh, Ain?" Spotting a familiar figure, Reina smiled. "It really has been too long!"
Ain stiffened. "…I just remembered something urgent."
He tried to slip away, but Reina grabbed his collar.
"What's the rush? An old classmate is trying to say hello."
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he avoided her gaze.
Reina's eyes narrowed. "Keep acting cold, and I might tell these people what happened during our first-year midterms."
Ain's entire demeanor shifted. Yura and Len immediately fell silent, their squabble forgotten.
"…Truly, the name 'Flame Witch' suits you well, Reina Zerdinger," Ain sighed in resignation.
Reina laughed. "Been a while since I heard that nickname."
At that moment, Leo's face filled the magic display screen.
Opposite him, Walden stood firm.
Ain's gaze sharpened. "This will be a good one."