Chapter 168

168

“What is it?”

“Is this guy crazy?”

In response to the sudden unexpected situation, those around showed expressions of bewilderment.

“No matter what, isn’t this guy going a bit overboard?”

As Leo curled the corner of his mouth upward, the male student grinned.

“It doesn’t matter. I plan to k*ll all the brats around here, including you.”

“Is that even possible?”

Whrrr-!

Leo surged with aura.

Seeing the crimson flame of aura burning, the male student smirked and stretched his hand out into the air.

Gooouuuuu-!

The air split open as space itself was torn apart.

A pitch-black void opened up from which a deep red greatsword emerged.

Upon seeing it, Leo’s eyes twitched.

‘A cursed blade? Could this be a close-range demon?’

“Let me see what skills you have, shall we?!”

With that battle cry, the demon swung the greatsword.

Hooowwwaaaaang! Kwagagagajak-!

A spiraling cyclone of crimson energy surged forth.

The attack, aimed at Leo, devastated the surrounding area.

Upon seeing this, Leo propelled himself forward.

Kwaang-!

Leo repelled the energy cyclone using his flame aura.

However, the demon’s aura tore Leo’s flames into shreds.

Leo dodged.

Thud-

Kwagagajak-!

The crimson whirlwind obliterated the spot where Leo had been standing before dissipating shortly afterward.

“Hmph. I heard this was the all-class battle, but you don’t seem like much.”

When the demon spoke, Leo tightened his grip on his sword.

‘Could it be that a demon of merely this level is rampaging in Lumeran?’

Leo narrowed his eyes.

The demon before him was strong.

But only by Lumeran 1st year standards.

Attempting to attack Lumeran with merely this level of strength didn’t make sense.

And just then.

Kwaang-!

A loud explosion erupted from the cafeteria.

The students, caught by surprise, stood in shock, startled by this sudden incident.

“What the, what the hell is it?”

“What’s happening?”

As the students looked toward the cafeteria in bewilderment, an intense sound effect was heard.

Zzzzap-!

A fierce spark crackled through the air.

And then,

Panbangbangbangbang! Kwagagang!

“Kraaaah!”

From the heavens, a bolt of golden lightning struck down.

The demon who had been targeting Leo let out a cry of pain.

“You seem to have gone mad enough to court d*ath! Rampaging around the heart of Lumeran with just this level of power?”

Hwaak-!

Duran landed gracefully in the air, wearing a cold smile.

Together with him, a few students from Duran’s faction prepared for battle by his side.

“Guhkkrk.”

The demon, who had been grimacing in pain, soon fixed bright eyes on Duran.

“Duran Moira, I don’t have time to deal with someone like you. My target is Leo Flove, the representative of the first-year classes.”

Duran’s expression flickered.

“Hmph, arrogance. You aim for Leo Flove right under my nose?”

Duran’s lips curled.

His golden eyes sparked, Zzzzap! causing the nearby students to shiver.

“Ugh!”

“Get back! This guy’s angry!”

As they panicked and quickly dispersed, the demon stretched his hand in the sky.

Shhhk-! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!

Through the torn space above, armored and weaponized troops began to emerge.

The students stared in horror at the sight.

“In Lumeran territory, shouldn’t spatial movement be impossible!?”

“How are you summoning this many troops!?”

Everyone was shocked to realize this wasn’t merely a solo rampaging demon.

‘He didn’t summon reinforcements from the outside. All these troops are his subordinates.’

Furrowing his eyebrows, Leo carefully observed the troops the demon had summoned.

‘They’re corpses.’

An entity capable of using corpses to launch a full-scale attack on Lumeran crossed Leo’s mind.

‘Commander Hel Kaiser?’

However, he shook his head.

The Commander is known for his cunning and secretive tactics.

‘No. This brute-force method isn’t his style.’

Leo narrowed his eyes.

‘It’s more likely something the Demon Queen would do.’

The image of a reckless and brutal monster crossed his mind.

Regardless, the demon before him wasn’t a subordinate of either the Commander or the Demon Queen.

There was no trace of the auras of the two Legion Commanders.

Decisively, what was animating the corpses wasn’t necromancy.

‘Then what is it?’

As Leo frowned, the demon yelled.

“Get ready, Leo Flove!”

The demon grinned with demonic energy coursing through his body and rushed at Leo.

Leo blocked the greatsword that slashed for his neck.

Chiiing-! Kwaang-!

A sharp sound rang out, and Leo’s feet dug deep into the ground creating a crater.

As he leaned his blade against the demon’s, narrowing his eyes and about to push him away, a crackling noise rang out.

Zzzzap-!

“You’re ignoring me to fool around with another guy? Bold move.”

Breaking through the troops, Duran arrived with a cold sneer, targeting the demon’s back.

In an instant, the demon jumped back hastily from Leo.

Kwagagajak-!

Golden aura danced in the air.

Thud-!

Duran landed lightly on the ground, his eyes flashing intently as he looked at the demon.

“What did you do to my troops?”

“Are you talking about this garbage?”

Duran mocked and flicked his chin toward the troops the demon had summoned.

At their feet lay the mangled, melted corpses—burned to crisp by the lightning.

“Duran, there are attacks by the demons elsewhere as well.”

“I know.”

Duran curled his lips in a smirk.

“So, go deal with those other demons. This one is my prey.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

The demon before them was no easy opponent.

“Huh?”

Duran looked incredulous.

“Do you know who you’re talking to, Leo Flove?”

Duran grinned.

Zzzzap-!

Lightning surged violently around Duran’s body.

“Your worry about me is unnecessary.”

“Well, I’ll leave it to you then.”

With Duran’s words, Leo darted off.

“You!”

The demon urgently tried to pursue Leo.

Zzzap!

However, a golden wall of lightning suddenly blocked his path.

“Isn’t this the wrong moment to lose focus?”

Duran said coolly.

“I’ll make you regret ever setting foot in Lumeran.”

The uppermost floor of the Hero’s Tower.

The principal’s office, where Kalyn and Riven were, instantly sensed the unusual event happening in the school.

Kalyn rose from his desk, and Riven was about to leap toward the window when:

Uuuung-!

In an instant, dark magic enveloped the principal’s office, making both of them tense.

‘The Severing Curse?’

At the sudden powerful curse, both Kalyn and Riven turned their heads toward the principal’s room door.

Creeeak-!

At that moment, the door opened, revealing the principal’s secretary, Erena.

“Indeed. You were closer than I expected.”

Riven sighed deeply, while Erena gave a slight smile.

“How was my performance? Wasn’t it perfect?”

“Where is the real Erena?”

“She’s here.”

Erena tapped her stomach.

“She’s been inside me for a long time.”

Even her tone changed as she smiled.

Riven summoned his magic.

Kwad-!

The next instant, the demon’s head soared into the air.

“So, lizards really lack feelings, don’t they? After being so close, you’re still this merciless.”

The demon’s head floating in the air burst into laughter, Kakkal-!

As Riven watched, his expression remained unchanged as he stretched out his hand.

Thin strands of magic materialized around the demon.

Dd-!

As Riven clenched his fist, the strands of magic coiled like threads.

Kwajik-!

bl**d and flesh flew between the threads of magic.

The demon was completely crushed without leaving any form, and Riven dispelled his magic.

Cheppk-!

The grotesque lump of flesh hit the ground.

Chi-iiiiik-!

The principal’s room floor melted as a powerful poison emerged.

Guemtil-!

But the lump of flesh and bl**d quickly began to gather and re-form into human shape.

Seeing this, Riven frowned.

‘An incredible recovery speed. If it’s so fast, then…’

“Legion Commander?”

Upon hearing the question, the lower half of the demon’s face, now restored, smiled deeply.

“Correct. Kehehe.”

With a chilling laugh, the lump of flesh took form.

Grml- Grml- Kwad-!

“Shall I introduce myself? Kekeke”

The woman with a newly formed face wore a crazed expression.

“My name is Silatuna.”

Upon hearing that, Riven’s face hardened.

“I am the entity you so fearfully call the Demon Queen.”

*

Thud- Thud-

The Grand Library was eerily quiet.

It couldn’t be any other way.

The unexpected invasion by Tartarus.

In Lumeran’s history, there had never been an instance where the school was attacked by Tartarus.

Given this unprecedented incident, it was only natural for all attention to be focused on neutralizing the Tartarus invaders.

‘The most troublesome Sword Saint and Dragon will be dealt with by Silatuna.’

Of course, it wouldn’t endure for long.

The current leaders of Tartarus consist of three Legion Commanders.

The Demon Queen, the Demon King, the Giant King.

Even among those who were born after the Era of Catastrophe, the Legion Commanders were monstrously powerful.

But even then, they were just ‘fragments.’

Even one fragment attempting to confront the Sword Saint, who had once slain a Legion Commander, would struggle.

‘Even so, a little time is enough!’

All he needed was to infiltrate before someone realized Tartarus was targeting the Hero’s Hall.

‘Once I lay my hands on that detested sword…! I will again! Again!’

His crimson eyes flashed.

With a gleam of excitement, he stretched his hand toward the door of the Hero’s Hall when,

Hweeiiiik-! Kwaag!

“…!”

A sword wrapped in gray energy flew by, piercing through his palm.

“So, you were indeed aiming for here.”

A cold voice came from behind.

“It seems my instincts are still sharp. From the way you’ve acted, I can still predict your patterns.”

When he turned around, a boy with white hair smirked.

“Or is it that you haven’t evolved at all?”