Chapter 102

Fwoosh—! Sssssss—!

The [Aura] flames burning on Leo’s arm extinguished, sending up a column of smoke.

“Kirran.”

At Leo’s call, a small summoning circle opened and Kirran appeared.

[Ugh! What was that reckless stunt?!]

Kirran looked at Leo’s left arm with a disgusted expression, then began chanting a healing spell.

A gentle, silvery light of healing magic soothed the burns on Leo’s arm.

[Leo! Fairy magic’s healing isn’t all-powerful! If your stamina runs out, it won’t work anymore!]

“I know.”

Leo, his arm recovered, flexed his wrist lightly.

[Still, is that really Gigantes? Ugh! That thing’s disgusting!]

Kirran stuck out his tongue, looking openly repulsed.

To a high-ranking Familiar like a fairy, Gigantes was practically their natural enemy.

The flames stuck in Gigantes’s back went out.

Thud—!

Gigantes pushed itself up.

Grrrrr—!

Its murderous gaze fixed on Leo.

Gigantes opened its jaws wide.

WOOOOOOOOOO—!

A purple light shimmered.

Sssssss—! Flash!

A breath attack shot out like a beam, scraping the ground and racing toward him at incredible speed.

Without hesitation, Leo leapt aside.

Fwoosh—! The purple breath just barely grazed Leo as it flew past.

KRAKAKAKAKANG—!

The area hit by the breath exploded in a chain reaction.

Rumble—!

The outer wall collapsed.

‘If that even grazes me, I’m finished.’

Even faced with such terror, Leo calmly drew out his [Aura].

Leo emitted a thread-thin [Aura] and hooked it onto nearby buildings.

Then, bracing himself, he pulled back.

Like an arrow on a drawn bowstring, Leo retreated as far as he could, and when the tension reached its peak, he released his legs.

Fwoosh—!

Leo shot toward Gigantes like an arrow.

WOOOO—!

Enraged, Gigantes raised a fist.

Seeing this, Leo spun his body.

It was Carr’s [Aura] skill, Vortex.

Adding Zerdinger’s [Aura] to that, a whirlwind of flames surged forth.

Fwoooosh!

GUOOOOOOOOO!

With a slash and a surge of flames, Leo mercilessly severed Gigantes’s right arm and was sent flying back toward the inner wall.

Crunch—!

When he landed atop the inner wall, the ground caved in beneath his feet.

Rising to his feet, Leo glanced at Chloe, who stood tall facing Gigantes.

“You’ve really come into your own, Chloe.”

“What?”

“You look just like a hero right now.”

“…!”

Chloe, a little flustered, blushed at those words.

“I-I was just imitating someone, that’s all.”

“And who would that be, I wonder?”

At Leo’s teasing, Chloe bopped him lightly on the head with her staff.

“Hey! Where have you been all this time!”

“I had some personal matters to attend to.”

GRRRRRR—!

At that moment, Gigantes, having regenerated the arm Leo had cut off, let out a roar.

The students flinched, but Leo remained unshaken.

“Leave it. That monster’s no fool. It knows if it rushes in recklessly, it could get hurt.”

“What?”

“It’s going to try to recover its stamina.”

“How is it going to do that?”

At Chloe’s question, Leo nodded toward Gigantes.

Chomp!

KYAAAAAAK!

KRAAAANG!

Gigantes opened its mouth and began devouring fleeing monsters without hesitation.

The students looked visibly disgusted at the sight.

“Leo oppa!”

“Leo!”

Chelsea, Carr, and the rest of Class 5 came running over.

“Chloe! Leo! Here’s a mana potion.”

Carr hurriedly handed over a mana potion, and Leo and Chloe drank it.

“What’s the situation?” Leo asked.

Carr replied with a grim expression.

“No one’s been seriously hurt since we got inside the inner walls. It’s just…”

He glanced fearfully at Gigantes.

“Everyone’s terrified of that monster.”

“Then the solution’s simple. We just have to take it down.”

“What?”

Everyone stared at Leo in shock at his calm response.

Leo tilted his head.

“Why are you all so surprised? Isn’t it obvious?”

“I-I know! Of course, but…!”

Celia gritted her teeth as she replied.

Her usually confident hands were shaking.

It wasn’t just Celia.

Most of the students’ faces were pale with fear.

‘Well, what do you expect? Hero candidates or not, they’re still just teenagers.’

Uncut gems.

Even so, they still shone.

“There is another option.”

Everyone focused on Leo.

“We could run. No matter how strong that thing is, if a hundred of us scatter at once, it can’t catch us all.”

“Th-That’s true!”

“It’s just common sense not to fight something like that…”

“Of course, most of you would die in the process.”

The students held their breath at Leo’s words.

“The moment you scatter, you’ll be slaughtered. If anyone wants to take that option, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”

No one moved.

As a heavy silence fell over them, Leo spoke.

“So here’s what I propose.”

He crossed his arms.

“How about letting me take command?”

“What?”

“I’m going to take down that monster.”

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Leo.

Chen Xia spoke up as she watched him.

“I’ll listen to Leo’s plan.”

“M-Me too!”

Chelsea moved to Leo’s side as well.

Chloe was a given.

“Hmph! Always acting so impressive, Leo Plov.”

Eliza scoffed.

“Well, running away doesn’t suit me anyway. But! After you, I get command…”

“Just join in, Eliza Hergin.”

“W-Wait! Walden! What do you think you’re doing?!”

With a blank expression, Walden pushed Eliza toward Leo.

Everyone stared at Walden in disbelief.

He was notorious for always playing solo, so it was truly shocking to see him put his trust in Leo without hesitation.

As the class murmured in surprise, Eliza curled her lips into a smile.

“And what’s with you, always so arrogant? Since when do you take orders?”

“Anyone can see that monster needs to be taken down. But no one wanted to say it out loud because no one felt up to it. Same goes for me.”

Walden looked at Leo.

“That’s why the smart move is to follow the one who’s confident he can do it. Isn’t that why you’re putting your life in his hands?”

“Hmph. As a Hergin, I could never run from a monster I hate so much.”

Eliza glared fiercely at Gigantes.

Duran also approached Leo and spoke.

“I’m counting on your leadership, Leo Plov.”

“You won’t be disappointed.”

Leo looked lastly at Celia and Abad.

“It’s just like the entrance exam.”

Abad gave a wry smile.

“You didn’t hesitate to jump into a hopeless fight back then, either.”

Even though it was Celia and Abad who defeated Talatunia, it was Leo who had led them to victory in that battle.

“I thought I’d caught up a bit, but…”

Abad clenched and unclenched his fist.

“Still a long way to go. Celia, you feel the same, right?”

“Shut up, butter.”

Celia brushed her hair aside.

“If Leo’s doing it, I’m not saying no.”

Every key member of the first-years was now united.

Carr let out a dry laugh at the sight.

“With that group, it might really be possible.”

The strongest first-years, who were always at odds, joined forces and for the first time, a path forward seemed possible.

“W-What about us?”

A student asked nervously, and Celia brushed her hair back as she replied.

“There are only nine of us who can actually hurt that thing. The rest of you, be ready for anything.”

At that, the students gulped.

“How are we organizing our formation?”

Abad asked, and Leo explained the plan and their positions.

After the strategy meeting, the nine students checked their equipment and lined up atop the rampart.

Leo placed his foot on the edge of the rampart.

Step—

“All right, then.”

The forward line blocking Gigantes consisted of Leo, Chen Xia, Duran, and Walden.

The center position, delivering continuous damage with fast, destructive attacks, was Celia and Abad.

Chelsea and Eliza were supporters, linking the front and center seamlessly.

And finally, the main rear attacker was Chloe.

Leo, looking at Gigantes still rampaging among the monsters, shouted,

“Let’s go!”

At his signal, the four on the front line charged out at once.

Grah?

Gigantes, chewing through monsters, turned its red eyes on them.

“Chelsea Lewellin. Get me as high up as you can.”

“What?”

Chelsea was caught off guard by Walden’s sudden request but quickly used magic to lift him high into the air.

Powerful [Spirit Power] surged from Walden as he floated.

Rumble—!

Rocks shot up, forming armor around his body.

Fwoosh—!

Like a meteor, Walden plummeted toward Gigantes with tremendous force.

BOOM!

GRAAAAAAAH!

As Walden crashed into Gigantes’s head, the beast let out a wail and staggered.

“How can a [Spirit Arts] user be so reckless?! No—how did he even do that?!”

Eliza was shocked.

‘Spirit Armor?’

Leo marveled as he watched Walden.

[Spirit Armor].

It was an advanced [Spirit Arts] technique that allowed the user to merge with a spirit, channeling its power into their body.

Inspired, Leo drew on his [Spirit Power] as well.

‘Kirran.’

[Yeah?]

‘Bless the four of us in the vanguard.’

[Got it.]

Kirran closed his eyes and spread his arms wide.

Leo, Chen Xia, Duran, and Walden were imbued with a fairy’s blessing.

Fairies were familiars with the power of life.

A fairy’s blessing granted inexhaustible stamina.

As the blessing settled on them, the three looked at Leo in surprise.

They could all feel their bodies growing lighter.

[Ha! How about that, brats! You should be honored to receive the Fairy Prince’s blessing—go smash up that disgusting lump…]

Leo grabbed Kirran, who was shouting proudly from his shoulder.

[Why?]

“You’re too loud. Step back for now.”

Leo brushed Kirran off and focused on Gigantes, who was rising once more, then summoned his magic.

Crash—!

Launching himself from the ground, Leo shot toward Gigantes.

Gigantes raised a massive hand.

GRAAAAAAAH!

Bulging veins popped up on Gigantes’s arm as it swung with monstrous force.

Whoosh—!

A savage palm swept through the air, coming down on Leo.

Just before Gigantes’s attack struck—

Whooom—!

Leo’s body split into dozens of copies.

Mirage.

With star magic, Leo created illusions.

Gigantes flinched at the sight.

As Leo raised his sword, dozens of [Aura] flames sprang to life.

Seeing the swarm of [Aura] flames, Gigantes wildly swung its arms at Leo’s illusions.

“Where are you looking, lump?”

Duran’s sword, wrapped in golden lightning [Aura], slashed across Gigantes’s left knee as it turned away.

Thud—!

Gigantes dropped to one knee.

Its massive body buckled, bringing its face close to the ground.

At that moment.

Celia and Gigantes, who was on the roof of a building, locked eyes.

Fwoooosh!

Crimson flames ignited at the tip of Celia’s sword.

As she summoned Zerdinger’s [Aura] to the extreme, wings of flame formed on Celia’s back.

Swish—!

Celia took a thrusting stance, and the flames gathered at her sword tip.

‘Prominence!’

Flash—! Crack!

The crimson flames pierced through Gigantes’s head.

With half its head blown away, Gigantes’s body twitched violently.

Celia scoffed and brushed her hair aside.

Crack! Crrrrrack!

But seeing its head begin to regenerate, she frowned.

Even with half its head destroyed, Gigantes’s monstrous vitality kept it going.

Celia quickly used [Aura Step] to dodge out of Gigantes’s attack range.

KRAKAKAKAKANG—!

As Gigantes swung its arms violently, the spot where Celia had stood was obliterated.

Watching this, the first-years all thought,

‘We can do this!’