Chapter 185

185

Whoosh-

Fiora flapped her wings and hovered in the air.

Ris, who had been astonished by the sudden appearance of the Phoenix, regained his composure upon seeing her.

He focused his mind and summoned his aura.

Whoosh-!

The same flames that Fiora exhaled enveloped Ris’s sword.

“Fiora.”

Pee-yak-

“Do as you please.”

Teeek- Teek-

At those words, Fiora happily flapped her wings and soared high into the sky.

Whoosh-!

The power of the flames that Fiora exhaled grew even stronger.

Leo kept drawing out Fiora’s latent abilities using his spirit power.

Snap-!

Fiora’s movements, as she had soared high into the sky, suddenly stopped.

Whoosh-!

Then she dove down toward Ris at an incredible speed.

Goooooo-!

The space around Fiora seemed to warp due to the flames she exhaled.

‘Stay calm.’

Ris steadied his stance while watching such a Fiora.

‘No matter how incredible the Phoenix may be as a familiar, it’s still a young one, judging by its earlier appearance. The current state must be because Leo is drawing out its latent power.’

Thanks to Ulta, who had competed with him for the position of class representative for five years, Ris knew all too well how much spirit power was consumed and required to draw out and maintain the hidden abilities of high-level familiars.

Whoosh-!

Teeek!

KABOOM-!

As Fiora flapped her wings hard, a massive wave of flames surged throughout the arena.

Blocking the attack by swinging his sword, Ris looked up at Fiora, who had soared back into the sky, and muttered.

“This level of endurance isn’t manageable.”

Ris glanced at his cousin with a slightly exasperated look.

Meanwhile, the audience was similarly shocked.

“It’s unbelievable!”

“A Phoenix? A Phoenix! This guy’s only in his first year!”

“No way! Whether first year or not, it’s not that level! Can you, even being in a higher year, contract with one of the three great familiars?”

First year students, as well as upperclassmen, burst out in cries of astonishment.

The Department of Summoning’s reaction was the most intense.

Even the professors found it hard to believe the scene right before their eyes.

Of course, one professor alone was celebrating with glee.

“So that’s it! Now you’ve summoned the Phoenix!”

Yura, sitting among the professors in the audience stand, jumped to her feet and shouted.

For Yura, this was the long-awaited moment.

The moment Leo brought out the Phoenix in front of everyone!

‘Now, no one can deny that Leo belongs to the Department of Summoning!’

As Yura cheered, Ain, who had barely managed to compose himself, frowned and said.

“Sit down. You’re being disruptive.”

Yura looked down at Ain with a smug expression.

“Did you see, Ain-senpai? This is why Leo fits in the Summoning Department!”

“The Phoenix may be impressive, but do you think it’s easy to overpower Ris with just martial skills?”

“Not on the same level as the Phoenix.”

“Truly, truly, you’re spouting nonsense again.”

With a sigh, as if to say ‘nothing can be done,’ Ren approached and said.

“Student Leo belongs to the Department of Magic. Leo’s bible is, to wizards, akin to a miraculous magic. It is unprecedented magic. Yes, magic comparable to the Magic of the Stars created by the progenitors of the Star Cloud. Yet you want to take such a talent merely because he knows martial arts and summoned the Phoenix? That’s absurd.”

The trio caused the assistant professors, Clarice, Carlo, and Anna, to wear uneasy expressions.

“Knights Department.”

“Summoning!”

“Magic!”

As the three shouted, Halind, who had been watching the duel evaluation from a corner while grading, said to Serah next to him.

“Serah. Bring those three to me right away.”

At his words, Serah approached and summoned the three.

They had no choice but to kneel with their hands up in front of Halind.

Halind didn’t even spare a glance at his former students and current junior colleagues, keeping his focus on Leo standing in the arena.

Even Halind, who rarely showed emotional fluctuations, wore an expression of exasperation as he watched his student.

‘Just what exactly are this guy’s limits?’

*

Ris chuckled as he watched Fiora flapping her wings in front of him.

“Never thought he’d make a contract with the Phoenix.”

Even seeing it directly was hard to believe.

Was there really someone in Lumeran’s history who had made a contract with one of the three great familiars in their first year?

As far as Ris knew, Leo was the only one.

Ris looked at the Phoenix with an expression of marvel.

The Phoenix, the source of strength for the Zerdinger family.

From Ris’s perspective, his gaze at Fiora could only be special.

Fiora, lifting her head with dignity, let out a mighty cry.

Pee-yak-

But to Ris, it sounded like nothing more than a chick’s chirp.

“The cry of the Phoenix is said to be very beautiful…”

“It is beautiful. This one’s just young, so it chirps like a chick.”

At the word ‘chick,’ Fiora pecked Leo’s head in annoyance.

Ignoring such Fiora, Leo spoke.

“Shall we fight seriously then?”

“Was the earlier attack not a serious one?”

“Cousin Ris, you’re quite the drama queen.”

“Hmph.”

It was true.

Despite the overwhelming attack earlier, not even a shred of Ris’s clothes had burned.

He had neutralized the Phoenix’s flames.

‘Even with the Phoenix summoned, I can’t win against Ris.’

The current Leo had merely gained equal attacking power to Ris.

As Ris had predicted, Leo had limits in drawing out and maintaining Fiora’s abilities.

‘Furthermore, if Ris targets me in this situation, it’ll get troublesome.’

Fiora can only be used for offense.

Of course, Leo also had the other two great familiars: the Fairy and Pegasus.

However, with the current situation, summoning and strengthening Fiora was already taxing.

He couldn’t summon Kiran and Arti too.

Even if he had the energy, the Fairy and Pegasus were cards that shouldn’t be revealed recklessly.

‘There shouldn’t be any more revealing of cards.’

All the spies of Tartarus within Lumeran had been uncovered.

But still, there were external matters to consider.

Leo was already marked for caution by Tartarus.

How many people in the school knew that Leo was the contractor of the Phoenix?

Maybe even Tartarus might already know.

But no one knew that he was also the contractor of the Fairy and Pegasus.

‘I cannot attract more attention.’

The cards that can be revealed here and now are only Fiora, whose existence is already known, and Elshi, whose true identity was only known by Leo and the Demon King.

Meanwhile, Ris also carefully observed Leo.

‘I can’t easily overlook him.’

The fact that the Phoenix in front of him was still young was evident.

Even if labeled as the strongest familiar, a young one would naturally have limited power.

But he showed no real openings.

One would naturally feel urgency with time constraints.

But there was no sign of such tension from Leo.

This battle was to simply prove that Leo was qualified to be the Student Council President. In some sense, just by summoning the Phoenix, that fact had been proven.

‘But if that were the case, he wouldn’t have gone through such a hassle, facing everyone here in a duel.’

He could’ve simply gathered people and announced that he was the contractor of the Phoenix.

‘Leo truly intends to defeat me.’

Ris could sense that determination.

And Leo’s strength was threatening him.

‘Haha. Indeed, a terrifying cousin.’

Ris chuckled.

Of course, he had no intention of simply letting him win.

‘How long can Leo draw out the Phoenix’s power? That’s the key.’

If this dragged into a prolonged battle, Ris would surely win.

Teeek!

But Ris gripped his sword and pointed it at Leo.

A first-year was going all out to defeat him.

‘But if a fifth-year were to avoid a direct confrontation in this situation, it would be embarrassing.’

Ris smirked.

Whoosh-!

Flames began to swirl around his body.

The secret technique of the Zerdinger family.

‘Prominence.’

Whoosh-

Flames started engulfing the sword.

Ris lifted the sword high.

Goooooo-!

Unlike Celia’s Prominence which was for piercing, this one seemed to be for slashing.

Seeing this, Leo spoke.

“Fiora, get ready.”

Pee-yak!

Following Leo’s words, crimson flames began to form around Fiora.

Seeing this, Ris widened his eyes.

‘Prominence?’

The same crimson flames as his own aura.

But Leo enveloped Fiora with his crimson flames.

Combined with the flames exhaled by Fiora, the fire grew even fiercer.

“This will be entertaining.”

Teeek!

KABOOM!

Leo grabbed the sword with both hands, causing the flames to swirl even more violently.

Fiora crouched down.

Whoosh-!

From above to below.

Leo swung down the sword.

A massive blade of crimson fire surged toward Leo and Fiora.

Pee-yaak!

Fiora spread her wings wide.

Two wings of crimson fire extended out and clashed with the blade.

KABOOM!

The world was engulfed in crimson flames.

“Kk!”

“The, the aftermath is this intense?”

The flames burst out of the arena, covering the audience seats.

Of course, the professors and students of Lumeran easily blocked the flames with no issues.

But the fact that the flames had broken through the shield magic of the arena and affected the audience to such a degree was astonishing.

The flames dispersed.

Pong!

Fiora returned to her original form with small smoke and tumbled to the ground.

Tok! Tok! Tok!

Teeek! Teeek!

Unable to regain her balance, Fiora rolled on the ground a few times and wailed in annoyance.

Ris looked at Leo with an astonished expression.

“Still… more?”

A dark void in spherical form enveloped Leo.

Of course, his figure was not visible.

The pitch-black darkness concealed Leo entirely.

‘…A Spirit?’

Ris narrowed his eyes.

Then.

The darkness writhed a bit before getting absorbed into Leo’s shadow.

‘To withstand the impact of the flame clash head-on… Truly monstrous. A monster is a monster.’

Even among flame aura users, it was remarkable to withstand such flame power directly.

If Leo hadn’t used the remnants of his spirit power to summon Elshi, he wouldn’t have been able to stand.

‘All spirit power and magic power are used up. Only mana remains. But not enough to draw out Fiora’s full latent abilities.’

Fiora, looking up at Leo while flapping her wings to fight more, had reached her limit.

The spirit subordinate to Leo, Elshi, could use only as much power as Leo’s spirit power allowed.

‘What kind of Spirit is it? It’s definitely an attribute of darkness.’

On the other hand, Ris kept his guard up while observing Leo’s shadow.

Leo had always surpassed expectations.

How many times had he gone beyond what was expected in just this dueling evaluation?

‘There seems to be no limit to his abilities. I must consider that in the battle.’

Ris tightened his grip on the sword.

At that moment.

Whoosh-!

“!”

Leo’s shadow stretched toward Ris at an incredible speed.

KABOOM!

Ris deflected the shadow blade by swinging his sword.

‘Spirit Armored?’

The technique of spirit magic.

A high-level spirit magic where spirits are wrapped around the body like armor.

Yet Leo had used it.

‘Does he excel that much in spirit magic too?’

It felt as if there was nothing he couldn’t do.

In the truest sense, he could be called ‘All Class.’

Leo raised his hand.

Goooo-!

Darkness enveloped Leo.

While Ris tried to adjust his grip on his sword upon seeing Leo enveloped thus,

Crack!

A crack appeared in Ris’s sword.

Both Leo and Ris flinched upon seeing this.

Snap!

Ris’s sword couldn’t withstand the pressure and broke.

“Hmm.”

Ris lightly sighed.

“I still have a long way to go.”

The sword used today was Ris’s practice sword.

Of course, it was a considerable famous sword, worthy of being used by the heir of the Zerdinger family, but it wasn’t a sword for actual combat.

Thus, it wasn’t surprising that it couldn’t withstand Ris’s powerful spirit power.

Of course, a knight of Ris’s level wouldn’t be incapable of combat without a sword.

But this was a dueling evaluation, not an actual combat scenario.

The loss of a weapon for a student using such weaponry is considered a defeat.

Ris swallowed and smiled wryly.

“I lost. Leo.”

Cries of disbelief echoed all over.

Leo dismissed Elshi and picked up Fiora, placing her on his shoulder.

“Such a result… it’s hard to accept.”

“Still, winning is winning.”

Ris approached Leo and patted his shoulder.

“You are fully qualified to be the Student Council President. You’ve proven that yourself.”

Ris smiled at Leo.

“I pass the baton to you, Leo. Take care of Lumeran.”

Leo grinned while holding up the Phoenix on his shoulders.

“Thank you, Ris.”