Chapter 327
Fwoooosh—!
Flames burst from Celia’s sword.
Seeing her, Chloe swung her staff.
Whirrr—!
The blue orb at its tip shone sharply.
“Ice Storm.”
A storm of frost swirled out.
The icy wind from Chloe’s staff clashed with Celia’s flames.
Crackle—!
At the same time, the magic turrets on the fortress wall roared to life.
Celia moved swiftly, stepping through her Aura.
Fwoosh—!
Flames flickered beneath her feet.
Each step she took left behind a blazing trail, like a phoenix spreading its wings.
[Phoenix Step].
It was one of the signature Aura Steps of the Zerdinger family.
A barrage of magic blasts rained down on the spot where Celia had just been.
Currently, Harmony and Noble were leading their charge against Glory’s base, with Celia and Duran at the front.
Glory was suffering from being outnumbered.
Even though they were pouring everything into defending the base, Harmony and Noble were equally throwing their full strength into attacking it.
“Mana cannon, ready to fire!”
“Ready!”
“Fire!”
Whoooosh—! Boom!
Students from Harmony and Noble’s Magic Departments had even built siege-grade magic weapons to pierce Glory’s walls.
Even though they were only students, they were still cadets of the Hero Academies.
Anywhere else, they could’ve easily reduced a fortress wall to rubble.
If the defenders weren’t fellow Lumene students, the walls would have already fallen in an instant.
“Once we destroy the barrier, we win!”
“Yeah! All we need to do is break in and—”
Flash—!
A flash of blue light streaked across the sky.
“It’s Chloe’s [Ice Breath]! Everyone, get back!”
Crackle—!
From a floating magic circle, a chilling fog poured out.
One of Noble’s male students from the Magic Department, who was commanding the turrets, shouted urgently.
Crack—!
“You told everyone to dodge, and you’re the one not dodging!?”
“Healer! Healer!”
As the frozen student stood stiff, others screamed.
Then Nella approached, spreading her Aura.
Hum—!
Her healing Aura wrapped around the boy, but moments later, he was marked as defeated and returned to base.
“He’s out.”
“Damn it!”
“That wicked ice witch!”
“Ugh… we won’t let your death be in vain!”
The Magic Department students of Harmony and Noble began a dramatic act as if their fallen comrade had truly died.
Nella, watching their exaggerated play, tilted her head.
“Magic Department students sure know how to entertain themselves.”
Still, her face soon turned serious as she looked up at Chloe standing atop the wall.
“As long as Chloe’s holding that position, we’ll never cross the wall.”
She turned to Celia.
She wasn’t the only one—everyone’s gaze followed.
Here, only Celia could face Chloe.
Duran had already entered a one-on-one duel with Chen Xia.
The killing intent and Aura between those two were so intense that no one else could approach.
Feeling everyone’s eyes on her, Celia tightened her grip.
“I’ll handle it somehow.”
Cheers broke out around her.
“As expected from the top student of the Knight Department!”
“With your flames, you can overpower Chloe’s ice magic! You’ve got the strongest fire among all of us!”
Carr had indeed chosen Celia for this assault because her attribute gave her the advantage.
But hearing their praise, Celia’s lips twisted into a wry smile.
‘…The strongest flame, huh.’
She had already been burned once by Leo’s fire.
‘Will my flames… work against Chloe’s too?’
Grinding her teeth, Celia stepped toward the wall.
‘Right now… I just have to push through.’
Flash—!
She launched herself forward.
“It’s Celia!”
“Celia’s coming!”
The Glory students guarding the wall shouted urgently when they saw her, flames cloaking her body.
“Focus fire on Celia!”
“If she breaks through, the wall will fall in one hit!”
Magic shells and spells rained down on her from the turrets and the Magic Department students.
Spirit Beasts and elementals joined the attack.
Fwoosh—! Crack—!
Celia stepped forward with her Aura Step, slamming the ground.
Flash! Fwoooosh—!
Leaving a blazing trail behind her, she charged toward the wall like a streak of light.
Boom—!
She dodged every attack that came her way.
“S-she’s so fast!”
“Can the top of the Knight Department really move like that!?”
It was near godlike movement.
What she couldn’t dodge, she deflected with her sword.
Watching her, Chloe began a chant.
Hum—!
From the sky, countless ice shards began to form.
They turned into sharp icicles and poured down toward Celia.
Celia’s crimson eyes gleamed.
“Crimson Wing.”
Aura shaped like crimson wings flared from her sword.
When she swung, a massive wave of flame evaporated the falling icicles.
Fwoosh—!
Thud—!
Deflecting Chloe’s spell, Celia planted her foot on the wall.
She began sprinting upward.
“Uaaaah!”
“She’s unstoppable!”
The Glory students defending the wall clutched their heads in despair.
Fwoosh—!
Celia ran up the wall, reaching Chloe in a blink.
“Brace yourself, Chloe!”
Celia shouted sharply, swinging her sword.
Just before her flaming blade struck—
Flash! Clang!
A longsword blocked her attack in a burst of white light.
“Heheh, can’t let you lay a finger on our Ice Queen so easily.”
It was Eliana, grinning confidently.
“The guardian of our Queen of Ice! The Holy Magic Swordswoman Eliana has arrived! All hail me!”
The Glory Knight Department students assigned to protect Chloe cheered.
“Wooaaah!”
“Eliana!”
“She might be a musclehead, but she’s reliable at times like this!”
“Who just called me a musclehead!?”
Eliana barked before glaring back at Celia.
“As long as I’m here, you won’t touch a single hair on Chloe’s head—eek!”
Celia pressed forward with strength, pushing Eliana back.
Fwoooosh—!
As flames surged from Celia’s body, Eliana shrieked.
“Guys! Help me!”
“Ugh! I can’t believe we trusted her!”
“Form up! Protect Chloe!”
The Glory knights attacked Celia.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Eliana retreated and began chanting.
A magic swordswoman’s strength came from the balance of Aura and magic.
At full power, Eliana could be a formidable opponent even for Celia—but in pure swordsmanship, it was another story.
“I’ll show you my secret weapon!”
Eliana smirked, summoning a shield from subspace.
For her midterm in the Knight Department’s “Sub Weapon” exam, she had chosen a shield.
“A shield is your secret weapon?”
Celia asked, puzzled.
Eliana gave her a knowing look.
“Of course not!”
Celia frowned, and Eliana puffed out her chest.
“This shield is an [Ego Weapon] born from my own personality—my familiar!”
Eliana grinned proudly.
“It supports my spellcasting! With it, I can chant even faster now!”
The surrounding knights gasped.
“She can make a familiar that complex?”
“No way!”
“Hmph! Be amazed!”
Eliana declared proudly.
“So she’s not an idiot after all!”
“You think an idiot could cast magic?”
“She’s a ‘smart’ idiot!”
“What the hell’s a smart idiot!?”
Eliana snapped, glaring at them.
Fwoooosh—!
Then flames erupted from Celia.
“You’re in my way.”
Celia narrowed her eyes.
“Move.”
Boom—!
A column of fire shot up from the wall.
Celia’s crimson eyes burned as she searched for her prey amid the sea of flames.
The surrounding students were all marked as defeated.
Barely surviving, Eliana stood protectively in front of Chloe.
Tap—!
Celia charged at Chloe, while Eliana raised her shield and met her head-on.
Clang! Clatter—!
“Urgh!”
Eliana staggered as Celia’s attack hit her.
‘Close combat puts me at a huge disadvantage!’
As a magic swordswoman, distance favored Eliana.
But she couldn’t retreat—she had to protect Chloe.
“Haa!”
Eliana swung desperately.
Fwoosh—!
For a moment, she thought she’d struck Celia.
But it was only the afterimage of flame.
Gritting her teeth, Eliana spun around to swing her shield—
Slash—!
Celia’s blade cut across her back.
“Gaaah!”
Eliana rolled across the ground.
Then—
Crack—!
Chloe finished her spell and unleashed it.
“Wha—?!”
Celia leapt back instinctively.
Everything around her froze solid.
Smiling faintly, Chloe watched her.
Celia gritted her teeth and steadied her sword.
“Haaap!”
Fwoooosh—!
Her blade flared with flame, surrounding Chloe.
Chloe struck her staff against the ground.
Whoosh—!
A wall of ice rose, scattering Celia’s fire.
‘No chanting?’
Celia’s eyes twitched.
“Your familiar?”
“Yeah. A slime specialized for defensive protection.”
Chloe stretched out her hand as chunks of ice gathered at her fingertips.
Celia bit her lip, then drew in more Aura, igniting her flames.
Fwoooosh—!
Chloe began chanting again.
Fwoosh—!
Celia quickly closed the distance.
Crack—!
“It’s useless!”
Icicles shot up from the ground, but they melted with a single slash.
“Ice Bolt.”
In an instant, hundreds of icy projectiles flew toward Celia.
Her eyes gleamed.
Boom—!
Flames erupted, blowing away Chloe’s spell.
Celia lunged, thrusting her sword.
‘Got her—’
Crunch—!
Her blade pierced through Chloe’s chest.
At that moment, Chloe smiled and grabbed her hand.
‘Damn it! An ice clone!’
The clone exploded, freezing Celia solid.
‘I fell for it…’
Celia lowered her head.
Watching her, Chloe spoke softly.
“Not using [Flame Storm]?”
The sword Celia held wasn’t Flame Storm, but an ordinary rapier.
A masterpiece, but nothing compared to her beloved weapon.
Celia clenched her teeth.
“This isn’t like you, Celia.”
“What?”
“The Celia I know was always confident—never backing down from any challenge.”
Chloe smiled gently.
“Mature, dependable… someone I admired as both a friend and a classmate. I always tried to live up to your example as class rep.”
Celia bit her lip.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Losing to Leo… did it shake you that much?”
Celia lowered her head.
It was easy to win against someone whose spirit had faltered.
But Chloe didn’t want to win that way.
Back in their first year, Celia had been her pillar of strength.
Even if they now stood as rivals, that hadn’t changed.
‘I want to lift her back up this time.’
A year ago, after the first semester midterms, Chloe might have broken if not for Celia.
Even if they were opponents now—
‘We’re still students.’
As a close friend, she couldn’t leave Celia drowning in despair.
Having once felt that same hopelessness toward Leo herself, she understood too well.
“Celia. You have your own—”
“Ahaha! So that’s it? I was wondering why you looked off today. You were scared of the class rep, huh?”
It was Eliana, somehow back on her feet after narrowly avoiding defeat.
Nodding sagely, she said, “See? I’m never scared of the class rep! But Celia is!”
Hands on her hips, Eliana burst out laughing.
“Well, it can’t be helped! Even the great Celia is equal before the class rep! Still, to be scared—pfft! Who knew the perfect honors student had such a cute side?”
She babbled as always.
“Well! In that case, Glory’s victory is guaranteed!”
Snorting proudly, Eliana watched Celia lower her head.
“Who are you calling… scared?”
“Huh?”
A dangerous light flashed in Celia’s crimson eyes.
Fwoooosh—!
“I’ve never been scared of ‘anything!’”
An intense wave of heat erupted from her body.
“Eek!?”
Eliana shrieked.
Celia, her face flushed red, drew [Flame Storm] from its sheath.
Fwoooosh—!
As the blazing blade ignited once more, Eliana ducked behind Chloe.
“Wh-what’s with her!?”
“…Good job. Not what I intended, but at least she’s fired up again.”
Watching Eliana’s unintentional success, Chloe let out a small laugh.
“[Prominence]!”
Celia unleashed her Aura with all her might.
Chloe’s expression turned grim.
“She’s ‘too’ fired up, though.”
Celia was normally calm and composed—but once her temper exploded, she lost all restraint.
Knowing that, Chloe sighed and pushed Eliana forward.
“Huh? What?!”
“Please, Eliana?”
“For what?”
“[Friend Shield].” (T/N: HAHAHAHA)
Chloe’s witch-like smile made Eliana want to cry.
Then—
Rumble—!
“What the heck is that!?”
A massive tidal wave surged toward them.
Even Eliana and the Glory defenders froze in shock.
“Ugh… only one person would pull something like this.”
Celia gritted her teeth.
Chloe sighed.
“Who else indeed?”
Crash—!
A colossal wave engulfed the entire battlefield.
—
Watching the now waterlogged battlefield, Eliza frowned.
‘He really is a monster.’
As a summoner herself, she could tell how absurd Leo’s spirit magic was.
Just as she was bracing herself against him, Leo raised his hand.
All four of them tensed.
Crackle—!
A white spark danced at his fingertips.
Recognizing it, Eliza gave a hollow laugh.
“If this is a nightmare… please let me wake up.”
Flash—! Boom—!
Lightning struck Leo’s outstretched hand.
When the blinding light cleared, a pure-white horse stood before them.
Mounted atop Arti, Leo spoke calmly.
“Shall we begin Phase Two?” (T/N: OHHHHH MYYYYYYYYY GAAAAAAHHHHHHDDDDDD!!! LETS GOOOOOO!!!! Leo’s looking more like a raid boss now!)