Chapter 183
Watching the two standing at the center of the arena, Elena curled her lips into a smile.
“This should be interesting.”
Takon, standing next to her, replied to her murmur.
“What’s there to be interested about? It’s obvious Leo Plov can’t possibly be a match for Rhys-senior.”
The surrounding third-years nodded in agreement.
“Yeah.”
“No matter how impressive he is, he’s still just a first-year.”
Elena chuckled at the comments.
“That’s how it looks at first. But…”
Her eyes sparkled.
“Leo has many unknown abilities.”
Smiling gently as she looked at Leo, Elena continued,
“This match won’t end so easily.”
Elena had set the stage.
She wanted Leo to become student council president—and she had the power to make it happen.
But Leo was using that stage to seize the position on his own terms.
‘He never lets a chance slip away.’
Leo’s calculated moves never ceased to surprise Elena.
The excitement in her gaze was something even her classmates had never seen before.
‘Leo Plov.’
Takon crossed his arms as he looked at Leo.
The proud Queen of Lumene now looked like an ordinary girl, thrilled by a crush.
‘Just what are you?’
Takon frowned slightly.
Meanwhile—
“Hm? Is it finally starting? Yaaawn!”
Hark, wearing an eye mask in the fourth-year section, stretched and yawned.
The other fourth-years looked at him with exasperation.
“You seriously slept through all that?”
“I wasn’t asleep. I watched a few of the matches.”
Hark chuckled lazily, still half-asleep as he smacked his lips.
A few fourth-year girls glanced away, blushing.
When it came to looks, Hark was absolutely devastating.
‘No! Don’t fall for that face!’
‘That guy’s nothing but a lazy, unmotivated slacker!’
“Still, I don’t get what Elena Zeron’s thinking.”
Tul Benia from the fourth-year Magic Department pushed up his glasses and muttered.
Hark replied in a half-hearted tone.
“She just really wants Leo Plov to be student council president.”
“Why go through all that? Is she trying to make him a puppet? Wouldn’t it be easier to take the role herself?”
“She’s not interested in that kind of thing.”
Hark, who had known her since childhood, smirked.
“She must’ve seen something in that first-year. Maybe I should fight him next time.”
As Hark’s battle spirit flared, Tul let out a small sigh and stared at Leo with a colder gaze.
‘If that first-year really becomes president, it might be smart to win him over early.’
From a fourth-year’s perspective, a first-year would be far easier to deal with than Elena.
Meanwhile, the second-years were glaring at Leo with clear displeasure.
“Who does he think he is, trying to fight the student council president?”
“He needs to get embarrassed to come to his senses.”
Lily, on the other hand, nervously looked back and forth between Leo and Rhys.
‘Leo really does have the charisma of a class rep! I could never do something like that!’
She admired him as a remarkable junior.
Elsewhere, the professors were also watching closely.
“Popcorn! Get your popcorn!”
“You there.”
“Yes, Professor Yura!”
Carr, selling snacks near the stands, was approached by Professor Yura.
“One bucket, caramel, please.”
“Right away!”
“Thanks.”
As she smiled and handed over the money, Carr suddenly grabbed her hand.
“Professor Yura.”
“What?”
“Would you like a drink to go with it?”
“I’m not really—”
Skkk—
Carr lifted the lid on a paper cup, showing a golden liquid.
He whispered,
“Buy now and get buttered squid, too…”
“What? Are you really trying to sell me this trash while I’m watching a sacred duel?”
Yura gave a cold smile.
Carr flinched at her gaze.
‘Crap! Too bold!’
“Got anything stronger?”
“…No, ma’am.”
“Tsk. No guts. Back in my day, we didn’t mess around with beer! It was the expensive stuff! The good stuff!”
Despite her grumbling, Yura took the buttered squid and returned to her seat.
Chewing on squid, she looked over at Ain.
“Want some?”
“You eat it.”
“Then could you fire up some [Aura]?”
“Why?”
“To chill my drink.”
As she shook the cup with a grin, Ain bonked her on the head.
Meanwhile, from afar, Len crossed his arms and watched the arena intently.
“What do you think about Leo becoming president, Professor Len?”
“I’m all for it. A first-year president from the Magic Department? Nothing could make me prouder!”
“…But he’s not in the Magic Department yet.”
“Even so! Those damn beasts and pointy-ears will stop throwing dirty glances at him!”
Anna shook her head at Len’s response.
While the entire school focused on the match…
Chiera stepped between the two standing in the arena.
“Don’t push yourselves too hard. Just show us a great fight.”
With that, she left the arena.
“I never imagined you’d choose me.”
“I prefer solving things myself over receiving help.”
“Independence is admirable. But are you confident?”
“Please watch and see.”
“Haha. I’m looking forward to it.”
Smiling at Leo’s confidence, Rhys channeled [Mana] into the bracelet enchanted with [Dimensional Storage].
A longsword appeared from the space.
Seeing that, Leo opened his own [Dimensional Storage].
Tap—! Whirl—!
Rhys tilted his head when he saw the weapon Leo brought out.
The audience buzzed.
“A spear?”
“Did he always use spears?”
Leo’s weapon was a spear.
Rhys chuckled internally.
‘Now that I think of it, during the entrance exam he used all kinds of weapons.’
Since joining the academy, Leo had only used swords—so most people had forgotten.
The first-years looked confused.
“What’s with the spear all of a sudden?”
“Showmanship?”
“Leo’s not the type for that.”
As Class 5 students looked baffled—
“Wow! Wow!”
Chelsea bounced in her seat, eyes sparkling.
Eliana looked puzzled and asked,
“What’s with you?”
“Leo’s good with all weapons!”
“Huh?”
“He looks so cool when he uses them!”
Chelsea couldn’t help but recall the entrance ceremony.
Back then, Leo had stopped a monster without even using [Aura].
‘He was so amazing that day!’
Chelsea clenched her fists in excitement.
Back in the arena, Rhys lightly touched the hilt of his sword.
‘Alright then. Let’s see what you’ve got.’
Step—
Rhys took a step forward.
Fwoosh—!
Leo gripped his spear tightly and lunged at Rhys at incredible speed.
Whoosh—!
Rhys dodged the strike.
The speed and precision aimed at vital points were impressive, but not enough to stop Rhys.
‘You can’t allow close range in a sword-versus-spear fight.’
If he got too close, it’d be over.
Rhys charged straight into Leo’s range.
In that moment—
Flash—!
Leo swung his other hand—the one not holding the spear.
Rhys quickly retreated.
Leo had already pulled a sword from his [Dimensional Storage] and swung it.
‘Spear in the right hand, sword in the left. Dual-wielding?’
Rhys smirked.
‘But maintaining balance between two weapons is no easy feat.’
Using the spear for ranged offense, the sword for close defense.
It seemed like a well-balanced strategy.
But a single misstep would create an opening.
Especially against a swordmaster like Rhys—it was risky.
‘Confident, are you, Leo?’
Rhys charged again.
Whip—! Clang—!
Leo swung his spear, and Rhys blocked.
Sparks flew as spear shaft and sword blade clashed.
Crash—!
Rhys didn’t stop. He pressed into Leo’s range with his blade.
Clang—!
Leo blocked with his sword, unfazed.
But his stance was shaky.
Rhys pressed harder, and Leo staggered from the force.
“Ah!”
“This might end too quickly.”
Even as a pure skill-versus-skill match—before [Aura] was involved—Leo seemed at a disadvantage.
Rhys saw his chance and prepared to end it.
Just then, Leo dropped both his weapons.
He was momentarily defenseless.
Rhys narrowed his eyes.
‘Trying to catch me off guard? That’s a shallow trick.’
Rhys had seen far too many battles for something like that to work.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword at the unarmed Leo.
Whoosh—! Tap—!
Rhys’s eyes widened.
Leo had read the path of his sword perfectly and slapped the flat of the blade aside with his palm.
That wasn’t all.
Tap—! Tap tap—!
Like a tightrope walker, Leo leapt and spun, using the moment to bring down his heel toward Rhys’s shoulder.
Wham—!
Rhys’s eyes twitched.
He tightened his muscles and withstood the blow, but the impact sent pain shooting through his body.
Whoosh—!
Using the recoil, Leo flipped behind Rhys.
Grabbing the end of his still-floating spear, Leo launched a barrage of strikes.
Clang! Crash! Swish! Bam! Clang!
A storm of spear thrusts exploded toward Rhys.
He parried and looked for a counter.
Fwoosh! Slam—!
Rhys swung his sword, but Leo blocked it with his spear shaft, holding it horizontally.
Their eyes met.
Still in that position, Leo charged forward, pushing Rhys’s sword with the spear shaft.
Thunk! Slam! Shing—!
Leo allowed the gap to close and swept his leg.
Rhys recovered instantly, pulling back and swinging his sword.
Leo jumped back and landed, increasing the distance.
Schrrr—!
From his right shoulder, across his chest, down his side—
His uniform was slashed.
A thin line of blood seeped through the fabric.
It wasn’t a serious wound, but the pain throbbed.
‘Just enough to be annoying.’
Leo ignored it and got into stance.
Rhys let out a hollow laugh as pain flared from his own shoulder and side.
‘What is this kid?’
Leo’s martial skill didn’t fall behind his own at all.
In fact, he’d landed two solid hits with startling spear and unarmed technique, exploiting Rhys’s openings with precision.
‘No… he’s better at tactics than me.’
It was chilling.
In a pure contest of skill, Leo had overwhelmed Rhys—widely known as the strongest in the academy.
The students all stared at Leo in shock.
Rhys looked at him with awe.
As a swordsman who had reached the top with a lifetime of training—
Leo’s near-supernatural movements felt like pure artistry.
‘Leo isn’t just a genius. He’s something beyond that.’
Admiringly, Rhys ignited his [Aura].
Fwoooosh—!
The Zerdinger flame roared to life.
“Then let’s get started for real.”
Leo and Rhys both knew—everything so far had just been a warm-up.
“Shall we?”
Fwoosh—!
Leo’s body erupted in identical flames.
But that wasn’t all.
Zzzzzzz—!
Dozens of magic circles lit the air.
Rhys gripped his sword tightly.
“Looks like I finally get to see the power of an All-Class.”
Craaaack—!
A whirlwind of fire raged around Rhys.