Chapter 40
“Leo’s surprisingly relentless.”
“Good thing we’re in the same class.”
Nella clicked her tongue as she watched the match unfold on the magic screen from the spectator stands. Eliana shivered.
The [Summoning Department] students who had been shredded by Walden Thaiden were now nothing but easy prey for Leo.
“Serves them right! Go, Leo! Smash them all!”
“Go, Leo! Do you know how much money I bet on you?!”
Chelsea, who had been the angriest over the group sabotage, was jumping excitedly, while Carr, who had placed a high-risk bet on Leo, spun his uniform jacket over his head as he cheered with wild enthusiasm.
“Nella.”
“Yes, Professor Harrid.”
“Bring Carr Thomas to me immediately. I need to ask who told him he could treat the school uniform like that.”
At the cold summons of Professor Harrid, Nella walked over to Carr.
As Carr was getting scolded by their homeroom professor, the Class 5 students burst into laughter.
—Ah! At last, Walden Thaiden and Eliza are clashing in the lead group!
The magic screen shifted to show the front pack.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as the [Summoning] aces finally began to square off.
—
Eliza, soaring through the sky at high speed, spotted a small flame manifesting ahead and quickly banked midair.
Fwoosh—!
The rapidly intensifying flame shrank in an instant before exploding in a massive blast.
Eliza furrowed her elegant brows at the sight.
‘An explosive attack using fire and wind [Spirits].’
The principle was simple.
Use a fire [Spirit] to create intense flames.
Then compress that fire using a wind [Spirit] to prevent the heat from spreading outward.
The compressed flame grew stronger, and once the energy peaked—it was unleashed.
Issuing two commands to a single [Spirit] of the same element was already difficult.
But Walden was simultaneously issuing commands to different elemental [Spirits]—one to amplify power, the other to suppress it.
‘That’s not something you can do just by being skilled at handling [Spirits]. I never heard he was even enrolled in the [Magic Power] course.’
The technique clearly didn’t rely on [Spirit Power] alone.
He was applying magical principles to operate the [Spirits].
Eliza chuckled softly.
‘Definitely worthy of being called a monster.’
But Eliza wasn’t any weaker.
She was a direct descendant of a renowned [Summoning Heroic House] and had ranked second in the northern entrance exam—only barely edged out by Chloe.
Walden’s [Spirit] control was formidable, but Eliza’s control of her [Griffon] was near divine.
Unlike other students who had been hit directly by Walden’s attacks, she avoided them without difficulty.
“No matter how strong an attack is, if it doesn’t land, it’s meaningless!”
To her shout, Walden responded with a cold smile.
“Then let’s see if you can dodge this.”
Around Walden, countless droplets formed.
Then, they sharpened into spikes and launched at Eliza.
With a smirk, Eliza activated her [Spirit Power].
Screeeech!
Her [Griffon] let out a cry as it began to grow—nearly one and a half times its original size.
Walden’s eyes narrowed.
‘[Summoned Beast] enhancement?’
The [Griffon] inhaled deeply and unleashed a [Breath].
A powerful gust of wind blew away Walden’s attack.
‘She made the [Griffon] use a [Breath] attack? Impressive.’
[Griffons] weren’t [Summoned Beasts] known to use [Breath] attacks.
Yet she manipulated the creature to mimic that ability.
She had pushed the [Summoned Beast] past its limits.
A testament to her incredible aptitude as a [Summoner].
While the crowd marveled at the fierce battle between the two aces—
“Hiyah!”
Chen Xia surged forward, pushing her [Griffon] as she charged into the lead.
She had avoided Walden’s earlier assault and was lying in wait near the rear.
Watching her try to steal the lead, Eliza grinned.
“I won’t allow that.”
Whish!
“Hup—?”
Eliza pulled out a whip and snapped it.
The whip, nearly 10 meters long, moved like a living snake and lashed around Chen Xia’s neck.
At the same time, fire began to gather before her.
Reacting quickly, Chen Xia used her legs to drive the [Griffon] downward.
Fwoosh—!
The [Griffon] dove rapidly, pulling her out of the blast radius, and she tore the whip away with sheer force.
Chen Xia began to fall midair—but her [Griffon], having dodged the explosion, rushed in and caught her.
“Phew! Cough cough—That was a bit much, Eliza.”
Even amid a brutal fight, there was no room for others to slip through.
Then it happened.
Fwoooosh—!
A massive wingbeat echoed across the sky.
Chen Xia’s eyes widened.
“A black wyvern?”
“Daaamn it!”
A voice cursed loudly.
Turning their heads, they saw Sen Ryu—assumed eliminated—approaching from the rear on a small black wyvern.
“Ryu! You can’t ride anything but a [Griffon]! That’s against the rules!”
“Shut up! Like I care! This was my secret weapon! Walden! Eliza! Chen Xia! I’m taking you all down! Let’s go!”
KUAHHHHH!
The black wyvern Ryu was riding let out a deafening roar.
“How the hell did that idiot form a contract with a black wyvern?”
“That’s not a black wyvern… looks like a mutated variant.”
Walden looked puzzled, while Eliza narrowed her gaze.
The black wyvern unleashed a stream of dark breath.
Screeeeech!
From afar, a [Griffon] cried out.
Fwooooosh—!
At incredible speed, Leo soared into the lead group.
“Lord Leo!”
Chen Xia smiled and waved.
Leo gave a brief wave in return, then his eyes locked on Ryu.
“Hah! I don’t know how you caught up, but great timing! Leo Plov! You’re going down with them—!”
“Hey.”
Leo spoke in a low voice.
Instantly, the air around them turned heavy.
“That lizard—where the hell did you get it?”
Leo’s crimson eyes gleamed viciously.
What Ryu was riding wasn’t a [Wyvern].
It wasn’t a [Summoned Beast], either.
‘Fafnir.’
One of the ancient demonic beasts controlled by Tartarus during the Age of Catastrophe—hunted to extinction by the great heroes of old.
“What?”
Ryu flinched under Leo’s intense gaze.
“I asked you where you got that lizard.”
“This is the [Summoned Beast] I contracted with! Jealous I got something this good?”
“[Summoned Beast]?”
Leo’s expression twisted.
To call one of Tartarus’s ancient beasts a [Summoned Beast]—it was absurd.
Leo looked around.
None of the others showed anything beyond caution.
They clearly thought Fafnir was just another high-rank [Summoned Beast].
‘Right… in [Summoning] class, they never taught anything about Fafnir.’
Fafnir had been a primary demonic beast used by Tartarus during the Age of Catastrophe.
That’s why Kyle and his comrades had made it their mission to wipe them out.
‘By the end of the Age of Catastrophe, they were nearly extinct.’
If they had completely vanished, then it made sense no one in the current era would recognize one.
‘But that just makes one thing even stranger.’
Leo’s face hardened.
‘Why is an extinct demonic beast appearing now?’
While Leo sank into thought, Ryu grinned triumphantly.
“Hah! I knew you’d be shocked to see me contracted with a high-tier [Summoned Beast]!”
“Ryu. I don’t care how powerful your summon is—you’ve been eliminated from the race. Stand down. If you keep pushing this, you’re not getting off with just a warning.”
“Shut up! This whole race is rigged with restrictions—it’s ridiculous! I’ve got the power to crush all of you! I’ll prove it right now!”
Kyaaaahhh!
Fafnir opened its jaws and charged while unleashing a [Flame Breath].
“You really don’t know your place.”
Eliza scoffed at Ryu.
“Shut up! You only have anything because you were born into a good family!”
Grinding his teeth, he turned his sights on Eliza.
Fafnir possessed power and speed that far exceeded a [Griffon].
But Ryu’s ability to handle it was a joke.
Leo clicked his tongue as he watched Eliza dodge its movements with nearly acrobatic control.
‘That’s not riding a demonic beast. That’s being dragged around by one.’
Rather than controlling Fafnir, Ryu was being influenced by its immense power—unable to make proper decisions.
Just then, Chen Xia leapt off her [Griffon] and landed on Fafnir’s tail.
Fafnir thrashed violently, but she held on tight.
Maintaining her balance, she charged straight at Ryu.
Coated in blue [Aura], Chen Xia’s dash made Ryu’s face go pale.
“H-Huh?!”
He tried to react, but he stood no chance in close combat.
Fwoosh! Crack-crack-crack!
“Wha—?!”
Fafnir’s wings twisted at an unnatural angle.
Chen Xia, in mid-dash, lost her balance as the beast’s warped movement threw her off, and she fell.
“Hahahah! See that?! That’s the power of my [Summoned Beast]!”
Ryu sneered as Chen Xia plummeted.
Her [Griffon] dived to catch her—
“You’re not going anywhere!”
—but Ryu blocked its path, forcing it to miss the timing.
Eliza clicked her tongue and dove to catch Chen Xia herself.
Fwoosh—!
“…!”
But Leo passed her in a flash, diving and catching Chen Xia by the waist, pulling her up in front of him.
“Thank you, Lord Leo!”
“Don’t do reckless stuff like that.”
Leo gave a faint smirk and resumed gliding.
‘He’s fast… What did he do to that [Griffon]?’
Eliza narrowed her eyes as she stared at Leo’s flight.
“Leo Plovvvvvv!”
Ryu screamed in rage.
‘He’s losing himself… the demonic beast is taking over.’
Leo shot a glance at Ryu, then dropped Chen Xia off on her own [Griffon].
Walden and Eliza flew over to them.
“You really do live up to being class rep.”
Eliza narrowed her eyes.
“You pretended like you didn’t have a [Summoned Beast], but secretly made a contract with a high-tier one that can even grant [Blessing] skills, huh?”
“Sharp eyes.”
“You can’t fool someone from the Hergin family. So what did you contract with? Looks like a fire-type [Summoned Beast], right?”
“That’s a secret.”
Leo put a finger to his lips and smiled.
Eliza snorted.
“Hmph. Whatever. Ryu may not be controlling it well, but that’s still a high-tier [Summoned Beast]. Its specs are overwhelmingly superior. We’ll need to work together.”
“That’s not a [Summoned Beast].”
“What?”
“That’s a demonic beast.”
