Chapter 263
“Who’s next?”
Duran’s voice was cold as he spoke, having just defeated Borman.
“This is getting interesting.”
“Should I be the next to face him?”
The Azonia students were buzzing with excitement over Duran’s strength.
‘They’re definitely different from our school’s lot.’
Duran smirked to himself as he watched them.
Lumene students didn’t go out of their way to fight overwhelmingly stronger opponents. If a fight was unavoidable, they would charge in without hesitation—but they wouldn’t deliberately seek out a battle they knew they’d lose.
But Azonia students? The greater the power gap, the more their fighting spirit burned.
‘Interesting.’
A combative grin spread across Duran’s face.
That smile alone was enough to make the Azonia students, who had been eager to fight him next, instinctively flinch.
They’d been momentarily overwhelmed by his presence.
Still, their excitement quickly reignited, and several stepped forward—until—
“Duran~”
Chen Xia called out to him.
“Miss Chloe escaped on her own. And from what I hear, she turned all the Azonia students who caused this into frozen statues. So there’s no reason to keep fighting them.”
“Hmph. This side seems eager to keep going regardless.”
Duran scoffed.
“No need to worry about that,” Chen Xia said with a smile. “Because the boss cat is on her way.”
“Boss cat?”
BANG—!
Duran got his answer soon enough.
This was the garden of the hotel where Azonia’s students were staying.
The front doors slammed open, and Ar Tune appeared, her blue eyes blazing.
“You little punks! I told you not to cause trouble!”
“Ugh… was I out cold…?”
Borman, just regaining consciousness, was trying to get up when—
THUD-THUD-THUD—CRACK!
“Guh?!”
Ar, eyes sharp as knives, dashed in and kicked him in the jaw.
THUMP—!
Borman, who had only just recovered, rolled his eyes back and passed out again.
Ar charged straight into the gathered Azonia students, laying into them mercilessly.
“What do you think you’re doing?! Even if you’re the grade representative, you can’t just lay hands on students from other schools—”
“Shut it!”
“Gaaah!”
With her claws out, Ar slashed the face of the protesting student. She stomped on the heads of the others writhing on the ground, her voice like a whip.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! You kidnapped a Lumene student! Then you picked a fight with the ones who came looking for their friend!! If this turns into a diplomatic incident, can you take responsibility?!”
Her blue eyes flashed, fangs bared as if she were breathing fire.
Her roar cowed the entire crowd.
The Azonia students backed away in fear.
Duran dispersed the oppressive weight pressing on him by flaring his Aura.
‘Howling.’
A beastkin-exclusive Aura skill created long ago by the Hero Arron and passed down among their kind.
Even among beastkin, only a rare few could use Howling.
‘Those born with the qualities of a leader.’
That’s what made Howling users special.
‘And I’ve heard each user’s effect is different.’
The basic effect of Howling was to instill fear in the enemy—an overpowering roar to make them shrink back.
But beyond that, each user’s Howling had a personal trait—enhancing attack, defense, agility… a kind of buff.
Duran flexed his grip on his sword.
‘Azonia’s strongest second-year.’
Even Duran had heard of Ar’s reputation.
‘They say she’s a terrifying monster.’
His golden eyes narrowed.
‘And Leo Plov defeated her.’
With that thought, Duran spoke.
“Ar Tune.”
“Hm?”
Ar looked his way, her white tail swishing.
“We met over winter break, right? Seems my damn beasts have caused you trouble. As the grade representative, I should apolo—”
“No need. We beat your people just as much as they beat ours.”
Before facing Borman, he, Celia, and Chen Xia had taken down dozens of Azonia students. And Chloe had escaped on her own.
‘Knowing her, she didn’t just quietly slip away.’
The debt was already paid.
Lumene didn’t want a small incident blowing up into a full diplomatic problem.
“Ah, thanks for underst—”
Ssshhk—
“What’s this?”
Ar narrowed her eyes at the sword Duran had pointed at her.
“I’d like a match.”
Duran’s smile was icy.
‘That fighting spirit… not just like our school’s… maybe more. Dangerous one.’
Ar’s lips curled upward too.
CLANG—!
BAM—!
Ar knocked his sword aside with her fist.
Duran tightened his grip.
‘As expected.’
The tingling in his hands made him squeeze harder.
‘She’s a monster, just like they say.’
As Ar’s demeanor shifted, Duran’s grin turned savage.
Ar crouched low with a wicked smile.
“Quite the change in mood,” Celia remarked, surprised.
She’d seen Ar several times last winter break.
‘Though I never had the chance to spar her.’
Back then, Ar hadn’t radiated this kind of presence.
As Azonia’s grade representative, she’d seemed lacking in charisma—almost silly at times, flustered whenever Leo called her “stupid cat.”
But now she was entirely different.
The murderous aura reaching even this far made Celia’s back prickle with cold sweat.
“She’s a scary cat,” Chen Xia said with her usual smile.
“That’s why,” Ruewen replied, stroking the tail she was sitting on, “even those outside her faction call her boss cat.”
Chen Xia tilted her head. “Sounds like a cute nickname to me.”
“It would, to you. And she does look cute on the outside.”
Ruewen’s eyes narrowed.
Unlike her earlier sly calm, they now glinted with the beastkin’s inherent aggression.
“But Azonia students don’t accept leaders easily. Especially not from other factions.”
Azonia valued strength above all. The strong were always seen as future prey to be brought down someday.
Only after two or three years of failing would they acknowledge someone as a leader.
Ar had gotten the majority of her peers to call her “boss” in just half a year.
“To other faction leaders like me, she’s a monster cat.”
BAM—!
Ar’s punch shoved Duran backward across the ground.
“She is a monster,” Chen Xia agreed with a grin at the sight of Ar hissing, fur bristling.
“But this is bad. Once she’s fired up, she doesn’t cool down easily.”
“Duran’s the same,” Celia said. “Stopping them now won’t be easy.”
Chen Xia gave a wry smile—
“Hmph!”
Ar inhaled sharply.
“ROOAAAR—!”
A predator’s roar erupted from her mouth.
CRASH—!
The air itself seemed to press down.
“Ugh!”
“H-Howling!”
The Azonia students clutched their ears and staggered.
Even Celia and Chen Xia winced and covered their ears.
This was far stronger than earlier—a true battle Howling.
“Well now.”
Ruewen covered her mouth with her uniform sleeve, narrowing her eyes.
“She’s getting serious.”
‘Hmph. Stupid cat. She’s going to end up causing the biggest trouble herself. If she gets punished, that works out for me.’
Just then—
Step—!
“Oh? Will the Lumene student council president stop them?”
Ruewen’s smile was bright as she addressed Leo.
“I can’t just let this go on.”
“She might get more worked up seeing you. That idiot doesn’t care who she’s fighting once she’s lit up.”
Ignoring her, Leo stepped between them.
‘Let’s see what she’s got.’
Ruewen’s eyes narrowed.
‘No way he could win in a pure spar.’
He was an unprecedented all-class, Lumene’s youngest student council president, and had cleared the Hero’s World as a first-year.
The difference in power should be clear.
‘But if it’s purely martial arts, there’s a chance.’
The Azonia students thought so too—martial arts alone, without magic or Aura, might reveal a weakness.
‘Maybe I’ll find one.’
Ruewen stood, tail swaying, eyes gleaming.
Watching her back, Chen Xia smiled knowingly.
She could see Ruewen was unusually cunning for an Azonia student.
‘And she’s got her eyes on Young Master Leo.’
If she issued a fair sparring challenge, fine. But if she tried anything sneaky—
‘I won’t let it slide.’
Chen Xia’s smile made Ruewen shiver and glance around.
‘Why did I just feel a chill?’
—
CRASH—!
Ar’s swipe gouged claw marks into the ground.
Duran evaded, flaring his Aura.
CRACKLE—!
‘Aura Armor.’
Surrounded by lightning, he gripped his sword.
Aura Armor was usually defensive—but Duran could turn it into offense.
SLAM—!
He charged at Ar.
She slipped into his guard, fist ready.
In close quarters, fists and kicks gave her the advantage.
Her hand reached for his throat.
Duran caught it with his free hand.
“Hm?”
“This’ll sting.”
CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE—!
“Nyah?!”
Ar’s fur stood on end.
“Grrrr—!”
The lightning rattled through her, making her head snap back in pain.
FLASH—!
But she straightened, eyes blazing.
CLENCH—!
“It’ll hurt for you too.”
With a feral grin, her other fist shot for his face.
Duran instantly broke away.
WHOOM—!
Even missing, the punch’s shockwave slammed into him.
‘From the shockwave alone?!’
Eyes wide, Duran was blown back.
THUNK! CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH—!
He jammed his sword into the ground to stop, but still skidded backward.
Finally halting, he smirked.
“Fun.”
“I’m having fun too!”
Ar grinned, lowering her stance—
“That’s enough.”
Leo stepped in between them.
Ar paused. Duran frowned.
“If you keep going, this will get worse. Outside, our students and Azonia’s are already brawling all over. We should stop that first.”
Duran rested his sword on his shoulder.
“Chloe’s out, so they’ll stop on their own.”
“Maybe. But if you two keep fighting, nothing will settle down.”
“Hmph. We could just finish it quickly.”
“Then fight again once you’ve recovered.”
“What?”
“You’re not at full strength after that last fight, are you?”
Leo nodded toward the unconscious Borman.
Duran clicked his tongue in irritation.
“That all-seeing attitude of yours pisses me off, Leo Plov.”
He sheathed his sword and left.
“Just when it was getting fun, you interfere, black rabbit.”
Ar crossed her arms, frowning. Then she grinned.
“Well, I’m still fired up. Perfect, actually—I’ve been wanting to fight you during this smith contract period!”
Her fangs showed in her smile.
“And my chance came sooner than expected! Fight me, black rabbit!”
Unable to cool down, she lowered her stance.
“You’re really not listening today.”
“You think I’m your pet cat? Always obeying? Wild animals bite when underestimated!”
Hiss—!
Ar lunged at Leo.
The Azonia students clenched their fists in excitement.
The second-year rep of Azonia versus the second-year rep of Lumene!
For them, who loved watching fights as much as having them, this was a prime spectacle.
As Ar closed in, Leo smiled and murmured softly:
(T/N: Dame Un) “Grr.” (T/N: Un que?. If you know, you know. LOL)
“…!”
FWIP—!
In an instant, Ar’s eyes widened and she scrambled backward.
Like a cat with all its fur standing on end, she crouched low with her hands on the ground, tail ramrod straight, sweat dripping from her chin.
Leo glanced at Celia and Chen Xia, both puzzled, and smiled.
“Let’s go.”
He walked out of Azonia’s lodgings.
“Not like you,” Ruewen muttered, yawning before heading inside.
Ar looked at her hands.
They were damp with sweat.
For a moment, she’d seen the image of a wolf looming behind Leo.
She’d experienced this last summer too.
But this was different. The impact was nothing like before.
‘That was definitely… Howling.’
She wiped her hands on her skirt.
A human using Howling—it was unbelievable.
But it had happened.
Watching Leo’s back, Ar tilted her head.
‘Black rabbit… just what are you?’