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Everyone looked baffled as Katariu, draped in swirling white flames, appeared before them.
‘Why was this one summoned?’
However, the person most bewildered was Leo, who had summoned Katariu.
He had merely used his spirit energy to bring out Fiora’s power further.
But Katariu was the one summoned.
Moreover, in the form of a contracted familiar.
Leo had never contracted with Katariu.
Even back in the days of Kyle, this was not the case.
A contract had been formed without his knowledge.
‘Is such a thing… possible?’
Leo’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Katariu.
[I’ll ask again, human. Why do you possess my contract sigil?]
In response to Katariu’s words, Leo said, “I don’t know either. I just used spirit energy to bring out my contractor’s power.”
[Contractor?]
Katariu glanced briefly at Leo’s sword.
A fiery roar followed as the flames swirling around the sword coalesced into the shape of a small bird.
“Cheep.”
Katariu’s expression shifted uneasily as a round, fist-sized chick came into view.
[Young phoenix, why are you so plump?]
“I don’t know.”
It was the aftermath of mindlessly accepting snacks from other students, but Leo felt justified.
‘It’s not my fault.’
As Katariu gazed momentarily at Fiora, his eyes narrowed upon returning their gaze to Leo.
[Are you an All Class user?]
Katariu, who had instantly seen through Leo’s abilities, was now engulfed in flames.
Bang!
Standing before them was a woman with pure white hair and crimson eyes.
“So besides the insolent Kyle, there’s another All Class talent. This is surprising.”
Momentarily observing Leo, Katariu narrowed his eyes.
“I’ll ask. Has your family had a deep connection with the phoenix?”
Katariu had seen through the bloodline of the Zerdinger family that flowed within Leo.
“Yeah.”
“Hmm. Indeed. While it’s rare, this appears to be a case of a contract passing down through inheritance. The contract made by a former Phoenix King seems to have awakened within you after being passed down through your family.”
Katariu was deducing the reason why Leo could summon him without a contract.
Leo also pondered internally about why he could summon Katariu.
‘So… it must be due to obtaining Lissinas’s Dragon Heart.’
Just before the final battle with Erebus, Leo had received Lissinas’s Dragon Heart and inherited her power as she was dying.
It wasn’t forced but a continuation through Lissinas’s will.
In the process, Leo also inherited the contracts Lissinas had with spirits and familiars.
When Lissinas’s mana faded with Kyle’s body, the mark of succession was imprinted on his soul instead of his physical being.
“Mel said it; the mana inherited from Lissinas in the Hero’s World is under my control.”
Contracts were similar.
The contracts Lissinas had in this era clearly recognized Leo as “Lissinas.”
Leo glanced down at his own hand.
“And yet, for someone of your age to contract with a phoenix… it’s astonishing.”
Katariu’s expression turned amused.
“Also, the fact that there’s a phoenix I’ve never even known of, who appears to have just been born… it’s incredible.”
Cheep-cheep!
Fiora, flying around Katariu while flapping her wings, seemed intrigued.
A hint of warmth surfaced in Katariu’s usually arrogant eyes.
Fundamentally rude as Katariu was, he was a gentle phoenix toward both his vow keeper and his kin.
“I cherish the talented.”
The last Phoenix King leaned forward to extend his foot to Leo with an elegant face.
“I give you the honor of kissing my foot and showing respect. Young vow keeper of the phoenix. Of course, after that, don’t forget to sever the contract.”
Katariu tilted his head slightly.
“Although I cherish the talented, I have no desire to maintain a contract with someone like a human. Furthermore, I have no intention to uphold a contract I did not form.”
Cheep-cheep!
Fiora, who approached Leo and chirped as if urging him to hurry, had instinctively realized Katariu was the last Phoenix King and decided to support him.
“Whose side are you on?”
Sighing, Leo kneeled down.
Katariu smirked at the kneeling Leo.
?
Leo suddenly grabbed the nearby Fiora and rubbed it across Katariu’s face.
“Pfugh?”
!
Katariu flailed and Fiora squealed.
“You insolent brat! Do you even know who I am?! Do you want to turn into ashes?!”
“Didn’t Lissinas say not to harm people?”
“This boy! How do you dare violate the terms of my vow with Lissinas!”
!
A dragon contractor who shamelessly thought about rubbing a phoenix’s face against the face of a Phoenix King was a first.
As Leo was causing a commotion with the two phoenixes,
“Ah! Master Aron! What brings you here?”
“It’s good to see you’re safe, Berkiya.”
“Of course I’m fine. But anyway…”
Berkiya, who had returned without them noticing, narrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Leo.
“Why is this pestering phoenix here and why are you fighting him?”
“…It seems there’s a complicated reason.”
Aron scratched his cheek awkwardly while smiling as he said this.
He muttered when he saw Leo grabbing Katariu’s collar.
“You really remind me of Kyle.”
Thinking of his friend in various ways, Aron smiled softly at the boy he met for the first time today.
Kwaaaang!
“Keuhk?!”
A beastman staggered and dropped unconscious as he was hit in the stomach by Ar’s powerful kick.
Bang!
After landing on the ground, Ar bent his left knee and extended his right leg.
Using her left foot as the pivot, she spun like a top.
Whirl!
“Uh?”
“Buh?!”
The soldiers surrounding Ar lost their balance and collapsed due to the swift low attack.
Ar’s white ears twitched.
Kwaaang!
A massive battle axe plunged into Ar’s previous spot.
“Quite impressive physical arts.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“And also your sign language skills from Master Aron. What are you?”
The towering bear beastman retrieved his battle axe, his eyes flashing.
The bear beastman saw Ar’s sharpened claws.
“Magnificent women often have secrets.”
“Hmm. Though I’d love to duel another day, I can’t allow these suspicious ones to continue wreaking havoc.”
Goooooo!
A formidable aura and overwhelming spirit surged from the bear beastman’s body.
‘This beastman is strong.’
Ar tensed upon witnessing it.
He was entirely different from the ordinary opponents she had faced up until this point.
Ar, who had been heading to rescue Eiran by clearing the way using a relentless assault, couldn’t help but feel on edge.
When Ar reached the bear beastman’s assault range,
“Flame Explosion.”
A crimson spark erupted in front of Ar upon hearing the incantation.
Startled upon seeing this, Ar leapt away.
Kwagagagagang!
“Kkkkeeeah!”
The bear beastman was sent flying and slammed down after being hit directly by Lunia’s magic at point-blank range.
“What are you doing?”
When Ar protested by shoving her face close, Lunia replied nonchalantly.
“It’s fine. He won’t d*e from that.”
Pointing at the scorched bear beastman on the ground, Lunia spoke matter-of-factly while Ar’s fangs showed with a “Kyaaa!” sound.
“Not that! You almost involved me too!”
“Surprise attacks should be done when the opponent is off-guard. By the time you reached them, I wasn’t paying attention to you, so a magic attack would’ve been effective. I assumed your reflexes would be enough to avoid it.”
“Guess so if that was your calculation.”
“It’s likely that even if you were hit, you’d be fine due to the enhanced state by sign language.”
“So it basically means you didn’t care if I got involved.”
Ar was enraged.
“We don’t have time now! And once we climb these stairs, it’s the first floor!”
The instant they released the mana seal, breaking through the underground prison happened in the blink of an eye.
Even if they had engaged the formidable warrior from earlier, someone as great as Ar would have been overwhelmed if not for Lunia’s magic that quickly broke through all the way to the last gatekeeper.
‘Eiran! Hold on just a little longer!’
As Lunia clenched her teeth and ascended the stairs to the first floor,
“Behold my splendid antics.”
“…”
Seeing the dwarf who revealed himself before them, a sense of despair washed over Lunia’s face.
Ar’s tail bristled as she realized the dwarf was none other than Dwenno.
The surrounding area of the underground prison’s entrance was a vast open space.
There was no one else present besides Dwenno.
Yet, Lunia felt an overwhelming sense of despair.
The individual before her was none other than the legendary Great Hero.
No matter how much Lunia and Ar struggled, they could not possibly handle this person.
‘First, we must escape…!’
Just as Lunia quickly scanned for an escape route,
Hueeeeng! Kwaaang!
A massive axe flew into the spot she thought was a gap.
“It’s best not to think about running.”
As Dwenno cut off their path having sensed Lunia’s intentions,
“Representative of Seirun, go ahead.”
Ar stepped forward one step.
“Lord Dwenno, let me try to stop you!”
“It’s impossible alone!”
Ignoring Lunia’s urgent call, Ar smirked.
“Impossible even with two since you’re Lord Dwenno.”
“…”
“But I can at least create a path for your escape.”
As Ar stepped forward,
“What a reckless kitten.”
“As long as it’s Lord Aron, they would never…”
“Actually, Lord Aron would have run away as well.”
“…”
Ar was left speechless, mid-sentence about the Lord Aron she knew, being instantly contradicted.
“Lord Aron was never a cowardly man…”
“The cowardliest man of all.”
“Aaarrrgggh! Don’t dare insult Lord Aron!”
Ar, bristling in outrage, let out a growl.
“That fool…”
At the sight of an infuriated Ar,
Lunia covered her face in her hands.
“Huh, an interesting miss.”
While laughing boisterously, the sharpness in Dwenno’s eyes intensified.
“A transformation without a full moon?”
Dwenno glanced at the sky briefly and then saw Ar charging at him.
Though it seemed like an reckless assault towards Dwenno, in reality Ar was moving along an intricate path.
‘Dwelling on preventing this elf girl from interfering with me, right?’
Dwenno’s lips curled up seeing the sharp eyes of Ar, observing his every movement.
‘While this elf girl was extraordinary, this feline girl is extraordinary too.’
Worthy to be hailed as a beacon of hope.
Pshaat!
Ar’s movements became rapidly erratic.
With chaotic movements, Ar disoriented Dwenno’s perception.
‘Even just a little opening will suffice!’
Ar was drenched in cold sweat.
She was all too aware of the gap between herself and Dwenno without needing to be told.
He wasn’t merely a blacksmith who forged divine-grade weapons; he was, first and foremost, the legendary warrior who stood at the forefront with Lord Aron and the extermination team, a pillar among the great heroes.
Kwaak!
Ar’s fist aimed for Dwenno’s face.
And just as she braced herself for Dwenno’s counterattack, tightening her body,
Kwaanggggg!
Whoosh!
“…”
The enormous sound was accompanied by a powerful blast of wind that swept all the dust away in the vicinity.
Ar’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Shockingly, Ar’s powerful punch had cleanly struck Dwenno’s cheek.
But Dwenno stood unmoving like a rock.
Seeing Dwenno showing no reaction whatsoever after an attack imbued with all her might, a chill ran up Ar’s spine.
And another nickname of the God’s Blacksmith Dwenno surfaced in her mind.
If the warrior Lord Aron, who butchered enemies in the frontlines, was known as…
Then the God’s Blacksmith Dwenno was…
‘The unyielding shield that repelled any attack…!’
The pillar among great heroes, who took on the toughest tasks in combat.
Even Ar’s all-out strike didn’t make him flinch even slightly.
“Excellent.”
Praising Ar’s attack, Dwenno grabbed her wrist.
Kwaang!
“Keuhk!”
Then he drove her into the ground.
As Ar writhed in pain,
Hwarrrk!
Blazing flames erupted.
‘This magic formation?’
Detecting familiarity in the magic formation, Dwenno was startled.
Kwagagagang!
Phoenix flames engulfed Dwenno.
Hwarrrrkk!
But the golden flames bursting from Dwenno’s hands consumed Lunia’s magic.
“Nice to meet you, innate user of flames.”
Dwenno, smiling warmly, stared determinedly at Lunia with gritted teeth.
“Elves have a strong sense of kinship. Aren’t you here to rescue your captured friend?”
“I am going to rescue her. Bringing her with me.”
Lunia clenched her teeth and shouted.
“That’s impossible. In truth, you guys are exceptional. But by my standards, you’re nothing more than fledglings. It would have been possible if you had given up one of you.”
Dwenno said coldly.
Dwenno nudged Ar lying at his feet with the tip of his foot.
“Anyway, since you’ll end up in my hands, it would be better to give up this friend here.”
“Don’t kid yourself…!”
Flash!
Shards of light emerged around Lunia.
‘The phoenix flames won’t work against Lord Dwenno! In that case…!’
She had to use the Magic of the Stars.
Looking at the light fragments that resembled the starlight of the night sky, Dwenno’s expression changed.
“Indeed, this magic…”
The starlight fragments flew towards Dwenno.
“Hoo.”
Dwenno inhaled.
“Vvaak!”
A deafening roar shattered Lunia’s magic formation.
“Rudimentary.”
Seeing Dwenno destroy the magic formation with his kiai, fear enveloped Lunia’s face.
‘This… a Great Hero… the strength of someone who saved the world.’
Strength that exceeded common sense far too much.
“Relinquishing resistance would be better for your wellbeing.”
Dwenno said coldly.
As the commotion outside subsided, Kal cautiously headed towards the exit with Driana.
Escaping to the first floor, Kal went pale at the sight before him.
Ar was dangling, her collar grabbed by a dwarf.
Lunia, her back stepped on by the dwarf, panted heavily.
The dwarf who had easily subdued the strongest students of the second year from both Seirun and Azonia in a manner akin to dealing with children remained unscathed.
“Have you two also escaped?”
Dwenno’s indifferent gaze turned towards Kal and Driana.
Fear filled the two people’s eyes.
There was a potent sense of pressure within Dwenno’s words.
A force that could strip away the will to fight.
Despite that, Kal clutched the crossbow he had obtained upon escaping from the prison.
Driana was panicking in fear.
‘Indeed, most people would respond similarly to this girl.’
In the face of overwhelming despair,
One collapses.
That’s the norm.
Dwenno’s eyes narrowed.
And looked at the puny human wizard boy.
‘Yet why is he still thinking of fighting in this situation?’
!
Just then, the weakened Ar grabbed Dwenno’s wrist.
Ar’s blue eyes shimmered brilliantly.
Gooohhoo!
Even Lunia, under Dwenno’s foot, squeezed out her remaining mana.
‘Is this the courage from ignorance?’
Do these children not know his strength?
After pondering this, he shook his head.
‘No, these children understand his strength better than anyone else.’
The very first time in the Spirit Realm, both Lunia and Driana surrendered without the slightest resistance.
The same was true when escaping.
The moment they encountered him, the two girls immersed in deep despair.
These boys and girls, understanding Dwenno’s strength even better than he imagined,
Still gather the will to fight without giving up.
“To give up would be easier. Such a persistent stubbornness.”
Dwenno looked down expressionlessly.
“Because… I know someone who never gives up.”
At that moment, Lunia, who was crushed under Dwenno’s foot, said weakly but with determination in her eyes,
“I don’t want to be embarrassing in front of that person.”
Dwenno silently looked down at Lunia.
And then at Ar who was gripping his wrist.
‘These girls remind me of Aron and Luna… but…’
Dwenno’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Their gazes resemble Kyle’s. Even that magic boy over there.’
When Dwenno’s lips curled up,
“Stop this nonsense.”
An offhand voice sounded.
Lunia, Ar, Kal, and Driana all turned their heads wide-eyed.
Dwenno realized the newly appeared human boy dressed similarly to Kal was part of the group.
“A member of the escapees, it seems. Appeared to rescue your friends.”
Leo stood in front of Dwenno.
“Berkiya has already returned with Aron to Guardstron.”
Even in the face of the belligerent tone in Dwenno’s voice, Leo didn’t flinch.
“And would someone who appreciates beauty enjoy ruining these kids?”
“You seem to know me well. Tell me…”
Dwenno tilted his head and summoned mana.
Hwarrrruk!
Golden flames surged in an attempt to incinerate Leo.
“Isn’t the test sufficient?”
“…”
“Isn’t this scary?”
Dwenno chuckled in exasperation and asked, to which Leo shook his head.
“Not particularly.”
Within the flames, Leo said,
“The essence of fire isn’t destruction, right?”
At his words, Dwenno narrowed his eyes.
“Who… are you?”
“I’m Leo Flove.”
When Dwenno asked, Leo introduced himself casually.
Looking steadily at Leo, Dwenno pointed at the others.
“Then what are these children?”
At Dwenno’s question, Leo smiled faintly.
“Hope.”
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
