LHAHS Chapter 320
A deep hum filled the air as Leo's gray mana surged around him.
Across from him, Duran narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his sword.
He wants all three of us to attack together? He's telling us to prove whether we deserve to stand on the same stage as him?
It made no sense, but one thing was clear.
Leo Plov! He's testing me… testing us.
From the moment he entered Lumene, Duran had disliked Leo. A complete nobody had emerged out of nowhere and taken the top spot, surpassing all the other outstanding students, including himself. It was only natural that he resented him.
However, before he could even comprehend what had happened, the one he looked down on had become the target he had to chase. By the time he came to his senses, all he could see was Leo's back, growing ever more distant no matter how madly he ran.
He swung his sword until his fingers nearly shattered and his arms almost tore apart. Over and over, without rest. And though his growth was astonishing, the gap never seemed to close.
Pride turned to obsession. He refused to give up. Day after day, he threw himself into training, driven only by the goal of catching up to Leo Plov.
Crackle—!
Golden lightning arced across Duran's body.
"Walden Tiden, Eliza Hergin." His golden eyes flashed as he turned to them. "Stay out of this."
Leaving those words behind, Duran stepped forward to face Leo alone.
Crackle—!
Lightning crackled fiercely around him.
Whoooom—!
A gray aura enveloped Leo's sword. Duran narrowed his eyes at the sight.
I know that Leo Plov sometimes uses this gray aura instead of Zerdinger's flame.
He recalled every instance he had seen it before.
If Zerdinger's flame is specialized for offense, then this gray aura is balanced, excelling in both attack and defense.
Even his swordsmanship became more stable when using it.
Duran knew that Leo's words weren't baseless arrogance. Leo genuinely had the confidence to challenge all three of them at once, and that made him sick to his stomach.
Your eyes have always bothered me, Leo Plov.
Golden sparks flickered in Duran's gaze.
That distant look, as if nothing around you matters.
It wasn't just Duran, everyone who chased after Leo knew it. Leo wasn't looking at them. He was looking far beyond. Somewhere they couldn't see.
Since childhood, Duran had claimed everything through sheer ability.
The Moira Kingdom was a land known as the Kingdom of Knights. It seemed like he had lived a life of privilege, but to claim his place as Crown Prince, he had needed to fight tooth and nail. He built his reputation to match that of his grandfather, the kingdom's founder. Though born as the third prince, he seized the throne's successor seat through sheer might.
Still, he wasn't satisfied. He had to grow even stronger. He had to claim more. Only the strong were entitled to such things.
That was why he acknowledged Leo. For someone like Leo, who towered above his peers, it was natural to ignore those below.
But… I can't stand it.
For the first time, Leo had turned to face them, and now, he was testing them.
I don't know what you're thinking, but I refuse to play along with your games.
Even if he were crushed in a one-on-one fight, he would never follow Leo's lead.
Duran made his decision.
Leo, watching him, smirked.
Crackle—!
A streak of gray lightning danced across Leo's sword.
Duran's eyes widened. "You…"
His expression twisted as Leo lowered his stance.
Flash—!
Leo shot forward at terrifying speed. A streak of gray light surged across the battlefield.
Clang—!
Crackle—! BOOM—!
Golden lightning clashed with gray, sending shockwaves in all directions.
Leo's mana was pure. Unlike others, his mana wasn't confined to a single attribute. He could wield all elements freely.
Clang! Clang!
Their swords met in a violent contest of strength.
Grrrrk—!
Duran's boots sank deep into the ground as he was pushed back by a monstrous power. Although hewas taller, bulkier, but in terms of raw strength, there was no one in the second year who could match Leo.
Grimacing, Duran pushed back with all his might and broke free.
Crackle—!
Then, in his free hand, he summoned a second weapon—a massive greatsword.
Whoooosh—!
A terrifying pressure radiated from the blade, lightning crackling along its length.
Fwoosh—!
Duran swung at lightning speed. His eyes locked onto Leo.
I expected that!
Anticipating Leo's movement, Duran prepared his longsword with a surge of aura.
Crackle—!
"Ugh?!"
A surge of gray aura shot from Leo's hand, paralyzing Duran's body for an instant.
"Gah!" Duran let out a sharp breath and forced his body free.
Flash—! BOOM—!
Golden lightning erupted around him, crackling across the battlefield.
Thwip—!
However, Leo was already out of his range.
"Leo… Plov!" Duran prepared to chase, but Leo was too far away.
Easily slipping past Duran, he shot toward Walden and Eliza.
"If you won't attack together, I'll make you."
Seeing this, Walden immediately summoned his elementals.
Elemental Armor.
The highest tier of elemental summoning, fortifying the caster's body with an elemental's essence.
Leo reached out, and a lower-tier water elemental materialized in his grasp.
He can use Elemental Armor too, huh.
Still, Walden wasn't fazed. He never once believed that Leo wouldn't be able to use it.
He clenched his fist, preparing to strike.
Crackle—!
Leo's lightning, enhanced by the water elemental, surged wildly.
Walden swung his fist, and Leo met him head-on.
BOOM—!
A deafening shockwave rang out as their blows collided.
Walden, clad in the protective embrace of the earth elemental, withstood Leo's attack. The impact barely made him stagger.
Leo observed him for a moment, then raised his sword.
"…!" Walden's expression tightened as he tried to retreat, but the blade moved faster.
Slash—!
A deep wound tore across his body.
It wasn't enough to take him out. The powerful defense of Elemental Armor had absorbed most of the damage, preventing a fatal blow. Still, the sheer force of the strike forced him back.
"Leo Plov!" Duran screamed. He had closed the gap and was already upon Leo.
Leo, sensing the approach, pushed off the ground.
Crackle—!
His focus shifted. His target was Eliza.
Her face hardened as she summoned spiritual energy.
Whoosh—!
A Wind Wyvern materialized beneath her, lifting her into the sky in an instant.
"Hm."
Leo let out a slow breath, then turned and swung his sword at Duran, who was closing in from behind.
At the same time, Walden lunged, launching a synchronized attack.
Flash—! Crackle—!
A streak of gray lightning burst from Leo's sword.
Clang—!
Duran barely managed to parry, but he couldn't block everything. A sharp slash cut through his side.
His face twisted in pain.
This swordsmanship…!
It wasn't like before. There was a distinct killing intent in his strikes, sharper and far more lethal than usual.
Duran quickly widened the distance, but before he could reset his stance, Walden barreled in, using his massive frame to ram into Leo.
Boom—!
With a resounding impact, Leo was sent hurtling through the air. It felt like being struck by a siege weapon.
Boom—! Splash—!
Leo crashed into the lake, sending a towering spray of water into the sky.
Bubbling—
Sinking into the depths, he slowly opened his narrowed eyes.
A dolphin came into view.
Delphinus.
Eliza's spirit beast. The highest-tier water summon.
Delphinus began circling him.
Its speed increased. A vortex of water started forming.
Whooooosh—!
The spiraling force grew larger, rising high above the surface.
"If you're so desperate to take all three of us on, then be prepared, Leo Plov!" Eliza's voice rang out sharply.
Crackle—!
Duran raised his greatsword.
Flash—! BOOM—!
A bolt of lightning struck down, surging into his blade. The energy coalesced into a massive golden sword, as large as the waterspout itself.
Whoosh—!
Walden summoned a water elemental, shaping a colossal spear in his hands.
Meanwhile, the Wind Wyvern beneath Eliza opened its maw. A violent gust swirled within.
Flash—!
Whooosh—!
Roar—!
The three launched their combined attack toward Leo, trapped within the vortex.
Leo ignited his mana.
Flash—!
BOOM—!
The spiraling waters exploded outward. As if a storm had struck, water rained down over the battlefield.
The golden aura meant to cut him down—gone.
The water spear meant to pierce him—gone.
The wind meant to sweep him away—gone.
It was as if their attacks had never even existed.
Leo wiped the blood from his lips and lifted his gaze.
The three opponents tensed.
For a brief moment, his eyes darkened to pure black before returning to their usual crimson.
"What just happened?"
"How did he erase their attacks?"
Murmurs spread through the audience as confusion rippled through the stands. Even the first-year students looked bewildered.
"H-how did he do that? It was definitely magic." Juen stammered, struggling to make sense of what he had just witnessed.
A calm voice cut through the confusion. "It's Dragon Magic." Mel smiled as she explained to the first-year magic students.
Their eyes widened in shock.
"Dragon Magic?"
"But that's a magic that requires understanding Dragon Speech to use!"
Hearing that Leo had used the unique magic of dragons, the students were stunned.
"Yes. As you all know, as long as you understand Dragon Speech, you can use it."
The problem was that comprehending Dragon Speech was no easy feat. In some ways, it was as intricate as Stellar Magic.
While the first-years gawked in astonishment, Mel turned her gaze to the screen.
Lysinas' signature magic, Nihil.
A defensive spell that nullified everything.
He's really fighting seriously against the second-years.
I won't be able to use magic for a while, Leo mused. Using Nihil had put immense strain on his mana circuits. Duran and Walden—I can handle them. But…
Leo's eyes locked onto Eliza.
She was the most troublesome opponent at the moment. In a battle of one against many, a summoner of her caliber was the worst possible enemy. With her formidable spirit beasts, her firepower rivaled that of a mage.
More than that, she could provide support to the frontline fighters. That made her the greatest threat on this battlefield.
Whoosh—!
Leo summoned Fiora.
With graceful poise, the phoenix perched on his forearm.
"Fiora, keep Eliza in check."
"Chirp."
Flap—!
The majestic phoenix soared toward Eliza, its wings igniting in a brilliant blaze.
Eliza, watching its approach, tightened her grip on her whip.
Even for you, handling both Walden and Duran without the phoenix will be difficult.
She narrowed her eyes at Leo, analyzing his every move… until she suddenly froze.
Buzz—!
A summoning circle flared to life in Leo's palm.
The moment Eliza recognized the intricate pattern, her eyes widened in shock. As a summoner, there was no way she wouldn't recognize that insignia. After all, the spirit beast represented by that symbol was…
A fairy…?!
A radiant silver light spilled from Leo's hand, illuminating the battlefield as a figure emerged, its noble presence undeniable.
Kiran, the fairy, had arrived.