LHAHS Chapter 321
A darkened room.
Creak.
A window slid open, and a small, silver-glowing figure slipped through the blackout curtains.
[Hehehe! I've been waiting for this moment.]
Kiran, who had just broken in, wore a meaningful expression. The room he had infiltrated was none other than that of Len's guest professor, Tina.
[Robbing an empty house while everyone is distracted by midterms! The basics of strategy.]
Feeling pleased with himself, Kiran flapped his wings, scattering silver dust into the air.
[Now, where are my wings?]
Rubbing his palms together, he began rummaging through Tina's office. When his eyes landed on a certain gemstone, they lit up.
[Found it! My wings!]
Bursting with excitement, he zipped through the air, his voice echoing throughout the room.
[With this, the prestige of the Fairy Prince will rise! Just you wait! That fat phoenix will kneel before my noble form!]
Clenching his fist, he imagined Fiora bowing before him. Just as he reached for the gemstone…
Thud!
Something stabbed into the floor right in front of him.
Kiran's gaze fell on the object, a scalpel gleaming under the dim light.
His body stiffened. Slowly, his eyes followed the hand gripping the scalpel upward, only to meet a pair of golden eyes glinting ominously.
"My, my. What an adorable little moth." Tina smiled lazily, twirling the scalpel she had just thrown.
[Who are you calling a moth?! I'm a fairy!] Kiran snapped indignantly.
"Oh my, that's wonderful." Tina's expression brightened into an unsettling smile. "I just happened to be practicing fairy dissection."
Kiran followed her gaze. Beyond the office, a partially open door revealed another room. She must have come from there. Through the gap, he could see a fairy mannequin, its body covered in scalpels identical to the one Tina held.
His face turned deathly pale.
"I've always wanted to dissect a fairy, you know?" Tina's cheeks flushed as if truly excited. "Don't worry, I'll stitch you up beautifully afterward."
[Kyaaaah! Stay away, you witch!]
"Kyahahahahaha!"
Kiran bolted in terror, but Tina, grinning maniacally, swung her scalpel through the air as she chased after him.
The office turned into a disaster zone, but she didn't care.
Cornered against the wall, Kiran pressed himself against the surface, trembling violently.
As Tina raised her scalpel…
Fwoosh!
He vanished.
[Waaahhh! I almost died!]
Now summoned onto Leo's palm, Kiran hugged himself, his voice still shaking.
"…What's with all the fuss?"
[That crazy elf almost dissected me!]
Tears welled in his eyes as he wailed.
Leo looked at him, unimpressed. "I should've known the moment you started pulling pranks on the students."
Sniffling, Kiran grabbed Leo's sleeve and loudly blew his nose into it.
Leo swatted him like a mosquito.
[Comfort me! You should be comforting me! You're my dad's friend! When your friend's son is crying, aren't you supposed to console him?]
"If you don't shut up, I'll hit you again."
Kiran pursed his lips in a sulky pout.
Leo ignored him and said, "Get ready."
[Huh?]
Hovering into the air, Kiran flapped his wings and scanned the surroundings. His eyes widened. Then, his lips curled into a triumphant smirk as he crossed his arms with a self-important look.
[So the time has finally come for me to reveal myself to the world!]
While Kiran reveled in his own grandeur, Leo calmly slid his sword back into its sheath.
Extending his hand into the air…
Fwoosh!
Scarlet flames surged, forming a crimson spear.
Gripping the weapon firmly, Leo turned to face Walden and Duran, both watching him warily.
"Now then… let's start the real hunt."
"He's taking on all three at once?" Hark, who had been half-drowsing, suddenly looked alert.
"Our student council president never runs out of surprises." Elena, casually crossing her legs, chuckled as she watched Leo with interest.
At their words, Aina—who had been silently watching the massive magic display—spoke for the first time. "What do you think will happen in this fight?"
As the first-year representative, Aina had the best seat in the house. Many took an interest in her, not just because she was Kalian's great-granddaughter, but because she was considered his successor, inheriting the legacy of the Sword Saint. Some wanted to befriend her out of admiration, while others harbored ulterior motives.
Yet Aina had remained as silent as a doll until now.
Elena twirled a strand of hair and smirked. "Why even ask? The answer's obvious." Her seductive smile deepened. "Leo will win, overwhelmingly."
"But those three seniors aren't weak," Aina countered.
She wasn't wrong.
Walden had summoned an Elemental Lord. Duran's swordsmanship was too fast for the eye to track. Even with Leo's exceptional ability, an overwhelming victory against them seemed nearly impossible.
Hark rested his chin on his palm and grinned. "The reason our former student council president handed Leo his position wasn't just because of potential."
His gaze remained fixed on Leo's figure on the screen. "He knew Leo would surpass him in no time. That's why he passed the title down."
Narrowing his eyes, Hark continued, "The second-years are undeniably strong. But if I had to fight Leo right now… I wouldn't be confident in winning. That's how much of a monster he is."
Elena chuckled, leaning back. "And I bet Leo still has cards up his sleeve."
Hearing their evaluation, Aina's fingers clenched tightly.
"Oooh! Leo! You're amazing!" A cheerful voice rang out.
Turning, they spotted Lily, the third-year representative, beaming as she arrived with snacks.
"Oh my, Lil. Thanks for the food." Elena, grinning, promptly snatched the bag of sweets.
Lily pouted in protest. "Elena-senpai! That's mine!"
Elena simply flashed her signature queenly smile and kept the stolen treats. "My, my, how generous of you to share with your seniors."
"You're a straight-up thug. Stealing from underclassmen now?" Hark clicked his tongue and reached out to Lily.
Using her summoned elemental, Lily retrieved a chilled drink she had bought earlier—only for Hark to grab it.
"Hark-senpai! That was for me!"
"Sorry, but I need to stay awake, and my throat's dry."
Watching the school's top students casually rob their underclassman of food and drink, Rina shook her head. "As principal, I am deeply ashamed that you two represent our school."
Neither Hark nor Elena seemed remotely concerned. Lily, looking utterly defeated, slumped into her seat.
Then, noticing Aina sitting stiffly beside her, Lily smiled warmly. "Aina, are you enjoying the match?"
"…Lily-senpai, how do you see this fight playing out?"
"Leo will win, of course. He's still holding back his trump card." Lily, too, shrugged as if it were obvious.
Hearing that, Aina lowered her head and clenched her fists.
How… How do I earn his acknowledgment? Why was he acknowledged, but not me?
She hated comparing herself to others, but the fact remained—someone the same age as her had gained Leo Plov's recognition.
Biting her lip, Aina's eyes darkened.
"…A fairy?"
"Did he just summon a fairy?"
Just then, startled voices rang out from all around.
Aina jerked her head up. On the screen, Leo stood with a fairy perched on his palm.
Her eyes widened as she turned to the seniors beside her.
"Just as you said, Leo-senpai was hiding a trump card. Did any of you know that he had a contract with a fairy?" Aina asked.
However, Elena, Hark, and Lily looked nothing short of bewildered.
"No way. Who would've expected that?"
"Yeah, that's way over the line."
"…Every time I watch Leo, I just feel defeated."
Elena scoffed in disbelief, Hark shook his head, and Lily slumped her shoulders.
Aina blinked.
…That person is just a cheat character.
Leo gripped Lancea, one of the Zerdinger family's heirlooms that had been sent to him after he was formally acknowledged as a direct descendant.
"Kiran."
At Leo's call, Kiran stirred up mana.
As a wave of healing magic washed over Leo's body, layers of defensive spells activated simultaneously.
The Three Great Summons were powerful by nature, but each had a unique specialization.
The phoenix, known as the King of Flames, was specialized in offense.
The pegasus, the Lord of Thunder, excelled in mobility.
The fairy, the Master of Illusion, was specialized in defense and healing.
A spirit beast perfectly suited for combat support.
Fwoosh!
Leo twirled Lancea lightly in his grip, eyes locking onto Duran and Walden.
Boom!
Flames burst from Leo's airborne form as he shot toward Duran.
Clash!
Duran's eyes widened.
From behind, Walden swung a fist at Leo's exposed back.
Boom!
A grimace twisted Walden's face as his gaze landed on the fairy hovering before him.
Kiran waggled a finger at him, as if taunting.
Narrowing his eyes, Walden poured his spiritual energy into his next strike.
Leo Plov's weakness is his mana capacity. He's maximizing efficiency, making use of every single drop of mana without waste.
His mana control was exceptional, far beyond natural talent—this was the result of experience.
But that also means if he fails to fight efficiently, he won't be able to drag this battle out for long.
No matter how efficiently he managed his mana, there was still a limit.
And right now, he's using both the phoenix and the fairy simultaneously.
Even with controlled consumption, his mana had to be burning at an extreme rate.
If I can just hold out a little longer…!
Walden clenched his fist tighter.
Duran, too, released an even fiercer surge of aura.
"You're trying to drain my mana," Leo said calmly, raising his spear.
Crack—! Boom—!
Flames erupted in a tidal wave around him.
Caught in the inferno, Duran and Walden quickly retreated.
"Too bad. You'll fall before that happens."
Drip— Drip—!
Just then, rain began to fall.
Leo tilted his head upward.
Eliza.
His eyes narrowed.
She enhanced Delphinus's abilities through elemental summoning? She struggled with summoning for so long… and now, the moment she succeeds, she's already using elemental arts at this level?
In terms of sheer combat power, Walden was overwhelmingly superior, but in terms of adaptability and field control, Eliza's summoning was just as astonishing.
Crackle—!
With Eliza's support, Duran's lightning aura intensified.
Walden, too, switched his summoned elemental from Earth to Water.
Eliza had reshaped the entire battlefield to their advantage.
She's providing this level of support while still fighting Fiora…
Leo tightened his grip on Lancea.
She needs to be taken out first.
His gaze flicked toward Eliza, locked in aerial combat with Fiora.
"You don't have time to be distracted, Leo Plov!" Walden roared, swinging his elemental-infused fist at him.
Leo activated Aaron's Breath, aura flaring to life. In an instant, an explosive surge of power gathered in his palm.
Boom! Rumble—!
A powerful shockwave erupted, momentarily halting the downpour in their immediate area.
Walden gritted his teeth, forcing more power into his punch, but before he could follow through…
"Stay down." Leo grabbed him and slammed him into the ground.
Kwoom!
Kiran flicked his fingers, and roots sprouted from the earth, binding Walden's limbs.
"Urgh!"
As Walden struggled against the restraints, a golden flash streaked through the air.
Crackle—!
Leo charged headlong into the incoming lightning.
Clang!
He deflected Duran's sword with his spear.
The force of the impact left Duran's upper body briefly exposed.
I'm vulnerable! Realizing this, Duran clenched his jaw and activated his aura armor, but Leo's foot slammed into his chest.
"Urk!" Blood spewed from Duran's lips.
Crash! Crack! Crackle! Crack—!
He smashed through several trees before crashing into the forest floor.
Duran grimaced, trying to push himself upright.
Tap—
Leo adjusted his grip on Lancea.
Flames surged violently. Aside from Dweno's weapons, this was the strongest among all the armaments in his possession.
Fwoosh—!
He hurled his spear straight at Eliza.
"Keuk!"
"Piyaaaaak!"
"Don't make such a chick-like noise while attacking so fiercely!"
Fiora's sharp cry as she charged at Eliza was enough to throw her off.
Still, it's a relief that she's just a young phoenix! She's not skilled in battle yet!
If Fiora had been even slightly more adept at combat, Eliza wouldn't have been able to fend her off while supporting Walden and Duran.
I just have to hold out a little longer, and we have a chance to win!
Eliza, more than anyone, knew that Leo's greatest weakness was drawn-out battles.
No matter how strong Leo Plov is, he can't take all three of us down instantly…
Just as she thought that, Eliza's Wind Wyvern let out a startled cry.
Beep—! Wham—!
"Huh…?"
A flash of fire consumed her vision.
I… got hit.
As blood gushed from her mouth, the bracelet on her arm blinked red for a moment before going dark.
Fwoosh—!
Her vision blurred, and she disappeared from the battlefield.
As soon as Eliza was declared dead, the rain ceased.
Retrieving Lancea, Leo charged at Walden, who had just broken free from Kiran's spell.
Boom! Crash! Whoosh!
Flames roared, the earth split apart, and towering waves crashed down.
Flash! Crackle!
A golden bolt of lightning struck.
The battle raged on fiercely, but the short, intense fight ended in an instant. Having already summoned his Elemental Lord and clashed with Leo multiple times, Walden was the next to fall.
Leo then approached Duran, who was floating limply in the water.
Step— Step—
Duran thrashed, gripping his sword as he watched Leo advance.
Was this… all I had? he thought, but no matter how he looked at it, there was no way forward.
Every time he thought he was barely keeping up, Leo was already far ahead. He couldn't even see Leo's back.
The moment Leo unleashed his full power, the match was decided in an instant.
Leo loomed over the fallen Duran, his gaze devoid of emotion.
Grinding his teeth, Duran clenched his jaw.
What am I supposed to do…?
He couldn't see a path forward.
How do I defeat this monster?
Fwoosh—!
Leo's spear pierced Duran without hesitation.
Flash—!
Duran, having been declared dead, vanished from sight.
Leo turned and headed back to the base.
A student who had been watching from afar swallowed dryly, muttering, "…That was a fight between absolute monsters."
Gazing at the battlefield—where the terrain itself had been completely reshaped—the students trembled in fear.
Even Nella's expression was filled with despair.
"How in the world… are we supposed to defeat someone like Leo?"