Chapter 75

【75】74.

“Leo! What on earth is that thing!”

Lunia and Eiran rushed anxiously toward Leo.

“Skeleton King.”

At those words, Lunia and Eiran drew in sharp breaths.

Skeleton King.

One of the strongest undead that a necromancer can command.

“R, running away might…!”

Seeing Eiran pale and speaking rapidly, Leo shook his head.

“No. It would be better not to do that.”

“It’s correct to retreat as Eiran said! Now’s not the time to be reckless!”

Even if Lunia and Eiran were the top students of Lumeran and Seirun’s first year, they were no match for the Skeleton King.

Lunia and Eiran had a perfectly reasonable point.

“It might actually be more dangerous if we retreat too hastily.”

Leo glanced at Kargor and Rauta.

“There’s no way they’ll just let us back down quietly.”

Lunia gritted her teeth and Eiran wore a frightened expression.

Indeed, fleeing with the top-tier undead, the Skeleton King, at their backs would be a risky decision.

“What do we do then?”

“What else?”

Leo stepped forward.

“We need to take it down.”

Saying it as if it were obvious, Leo made Lunia’s eyes widen.

“Impossible!”

“It might be impossible under normal circumstances, but…”

Leo smirked while looking at the Skeleton King.

“The Skeleton King wasn’t summoned in the usual way.”

“What?”

“Rauta made a contract with Hel Kaiser through d*ath and obtained his power. It seems the Skeleton King was summoned by combining that force with the power of the curse of the dead here.”

Leo gripped his sword.

“It’s only barely fulfilling the conditions for summoning. This Skeleton King can’t stay summoned for long.”

The most fundamental condition of summoning.

That was the spiritual energy needed to sustain the summoned being.

Since necromancer summoning falls into the same category, if the sustaining energy diminishes, the summon wears off. That’s a natural principle.

“So if we wait until the magic power sustaining the Skeleton King runs out, that would be enough?”

“But on their side, we have not only the Skeleton King but also Rauta and the d*ath Knight. Can we really hold out?”

“Let’s see. Lunia, you take care of Rauta. Eiran, you handle the d*ath Knight.”

“What?”

“Are you seriously going to fight the Skeleton King alone?”

Stunned by the two girls’ reactions, Leo nodded.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

Watching Leo speak so casually, Lunia shouted.

“Too reckless!”

“Even if it is reckless, there isn’t any other choice right now. Trust me. If the Skeleton King is a top-tier undead…”

From his robes, Leo revealed something.

Piiyak?

“I happen to have the strongest familiar on my side.”

At Leo’s words, Lunia clenched her teeth.

‘Indeed, there isn’t any other option with what we have now…’

Lunia took a deep breath.

“You! Don’t you dare d*e on me.”

“…”

“What? Why are you smiling?”

“Well, I’ve heard the exact same sentence before.”

Leo tousled Lunia’s hair, catching her off-guard, and grinned.

“Don’t worry. There’s no way I’ll let an old bonehead like that k*ll me.”

*

“Hahaha! Power! So much power!”

Unable to contain the surging strength, Rauta let out a shout.

“Skeleton King! Destroy the barrier in front of you immediately!”

Uooohhh-!

Following Rauta’s command, the Skeleton King pressed his massive hand onto the ground.

KWAHAAHK!

A run-down yet massive sword emerged in a grayish glow.

GOOOOOH!

The Skeleton King lifted his hand, preparing to wield the sword adorned with a chilling black aura.

HAAHAHK!

Just that alone stirred a powerful gale, flinging snow in every direction.

“This is incredible!”

Rauta, filled with exhilaration, spotted the shape of Leo.

“You! You had the audacity to k*ll me!”

Rauta spat flames and chanted a spell.

WHOOSH-! KWAHAAHK!

A black fire arrow shot toward Leo’s back.

KWAHAAHK! PHEWNG-!

But a fiery red wall formed, blocking the attack.

Rauta’s face distorted.

“I will deal with you.”

Lunia stepped forth in front of Rauta.

“Have the audacity to block your senior?!”

“Senior? Don’t make me laugh. You’re nothing more than a traitor who besmirches Seirun’s name!”

Lunia, her gaze filled with disdain, prompted a sudden change in Rauta’s demeanor.

“It seems I need to teach you respect for your seniors!”

Rauta summoned a staff and struck it on the ground.

KUNG! GOOOH!

A magical circle appeared on the ground.

Simultaneously, undead began to manifest.

Looking at this, Lunia smirked and raised her spiritual force.

WHOOSHH-!

Numerous fiery familiars revealed themselves.

A summoner vs. a necromancer battle truly began.

“Heh, there’s nothing easier to fight than a foe trembling with fear.”

Cargor adjusted his sword and let out an eerie laugh.

Seeing this, Eiran took a few steps back.

“Uuugh…”

Since entering the forest, Eiran had been able to gather courage only because Leo and Lunia were behind her.

But now, Eiran had to face the d*ath Knight alone.

“Can I really do this?”

Eiran’s hands were trembling.

Eiran, who disliked fighting, wanted to flee.

But as Eiran retreated, she glanced at Leo and Lunia.

“If I fail, both Leo-sama and Lunia-san will be in danger.”

Eiran’s wavering eyes gradually steadied.

Watching Leo fight the Skeleton King with a smile, Eiran thought that he seemed like a hero from a tale.

And Lunia, supporting him in her way, shone brighter than ever.

“I’ve never once thought about becoming a hero. But… but…”

The girl who loved tales of heroism had entered Seirun with the desire to witness such tales from the side.

“I can’t hold back these two at least!”

GOOOH!

Eiran’s eyes began to burn with determination.

“Is it… is something about this girl changing?”

Seeing Eiran stabilize herself and assume a stance, Kargor’s face hardened.

Charging toward the Skeleton King, Leo smiled.

“Holding dreams of grandeur doesn’t necessarily make one a hero.”

Leo’s body was wrapped in an aura flame.

“Sometimes, small dreams that gather one by one can create a great hero. Though your personalities differ, in that sense, you remind me a lot of Berkiya, Eiran.”

Leo clenched his fists, recalling the small elf girl who once admired the footsteps of great heroes.

“Fiora!”

Fiora’s body was swathed in a powerful fiery aura.

HOOAWW!

GWWROOOAARRRR-!

The Skeleton King’s roar resounded far and wide.

Hearing the sound, a dark aura enveloped Leo’s body.

“A wailing cry of the undead.”

A type of curse in phantasm form used by the undead.

For those alive hearing the cry, defense decreases, while for the dead, the power increases—a curse that was currently the worst-case scenario.

But Leo smirked.

“Fiora, sing out!”

PIIIYAAAAAAAH-!

Fiora’s clear and sweet chirp echoed throughout the forest.

At the sound, red energy swirled around Leo, Lunia, and Eiran.

The power of the phoenix, the undying fire’s cry.

This was a blessing with effects completely opposite to the undead’s curse of d*ath.

“When do you plan to stop chirping?”

While laughing, Leo dashed towards the Skeleton King’s sword aimed at the barrier cast by the former Fairy King.

WHOOSHH-!

Tiny, cute baby bird Fiora transformed into the graceful form of a phoenix and delicately perched on Leo’s sword.

“Summoning Technique—Corporeal Manifestation.”

WHOOSHH-!

Fiora transformed into flames and melded into Leo’s sword.

A technique that channels familiars or spirits into a body or weapon to harness their power.

WHOOSH-!

Wings of flames emerged from the tip of Leo’s sword, forming a flaming blade that quickly grew as large as the Skeleton King’s sword.

Everyone looked at Leo in astonishment.

The moment Leo’s crimson eyes flashed, the fiery sword was swung towards the Skeleton King.

KWAHHAAA! KWAANG!

KWAHHHH!

GROOOOOOOAR!

With an immense roar, the Skeleton King’s arm was sent flying into the air.

The impact caused the Skeleton King to stumble and collapse.

KUNGUGUGUGU! KWAANG-!

Several trees were flattened by the shockwave.

Leo floated in the air using magic.

HOOWW-!

Fiora, released from the sword, flapped her wings gracefully and perched atop Leo’s head.

[Wow! Leo! You can even use Corporeal Manifestation?]

Watching the scene, Kiran was utterly impressed.

Corporeal Manifestation was a technique even seasoned summoners struggled to use.

[You’re still young but you’re decent. Hmm. From now on, I’ll make you my number 1 subordinate…]

Upon Kiran’s words, Fiora chirped, PIKK-! and then proudly raised her chin.

[Hmph. That’ll suffice to be under my command. So I’ll… ack! You chick! I don’t eat!]

Kiran wriggled as his head was engulfed by Fiora’s beak.

“Let’s stop the nonsense.”

At Leo’s words, Fiora huffed and spat out Kiran.

KUNG-! KUNGUGUGUGU!

The Skeleton King rose to his feet.

Though thrown back by Leo, he hadn’t taken significant damage.

KUNG! KUNG!

The Skeleton King’s gaze fixed on Leo after rising.

HOOOOO-! KWAHHAAH!

The sword wielded by the Skeleton King swung downward with terrifying speed.

KWAHAHAHANG!!

The spot where Leo stood was instantly reduced to rubble.

The Skeleton King’s gaze then focused on Leo’s sword.

The red eyes of the Skeleton King locked onto Leo’s, who pointed at him with his fingertip.

“Kiran.”

[Huh? Oh?]

WHOOSH-!

From Kiran’s body emitted a soft silver light.

“Support.”

[Got it!]

From Leo’s fingertips, runes floated into the air.

It was none other than Fairy Magic.

“Luminance Ray!”

FLAAASH!

An incandescent magical circle of stars formed at Leo’s fingertips and a powerful ray of light was fired.

KWAHNG-!

GWWROOAAAARRRR!

A deafening roar escaped the Skeleton King, now with its right eye struck.

WHOOSHH-!

As the Skeleton King swung its sword madly, Leo quickly disengaged.

‘This is draining a lot of magic power.’

Leo sighed.

The spell cast just now was an upper-level spell far beyond Leo’s current ability.

But the reason he could still use it was entirely due to Kiran’s assistance.

With spiritual energy, he tapped into Kiran’s latent potential.

Fairy magic wielders are known for their great strength.

What was otherwise an impossible magical calculus was achieved through Kiran’s power.

‘If Kiran’s power was complete, I could have pulled it off without trouble.’

While it was true that Leo had managed to deal a blow with magic, his own mana had also been strained by the overload.

TSK!

Leo landed on the spot.

GROOOOOAAARR!

The destroyed Skeleton King eye began to regenerate.

‘The gap in power is too big.’

Leo wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead.

Two attacks that would’ve been beyond reach for the current him had already been pulled off.

‘But all I need to do is buy time.’

Leo’s goal was to merely hold the Skeleton King at bay.

While Leo took a lower stance and prepared for the next attack, there was a sound.

SSWUSH-!

The Skeleton King raised his sword again.

‘Even if it’s a powerful undead, without proper support from a necromancer, they can’t truly unleash their full strength.’

Undead and familiars were the same in that regard.

Just as Leo couldn’t properly channel Fiora’s power, Rauta also couldn’t bring out the Skeleton King’s true strength.

‘If I just buy time, I can manage to—’

UOOONNG-!

Suddenly, the Skeleton King’s sword glowed crimson red.

A realization struck Leo upon seeing that.

Simultaneously, driven by instinct, Leo swung his sword sideways.

KABOOM! THUD!

“…!”

A suffocating pressure emanating from the side caused Leo to gasp.

It was as if the space had been displaced, and now the Skeleton King’s sword was right beside Leo.

Before Leo could fully recognize it, his instincts kicked in, and he clenched his teeth.

KWAHAHAHANG!

Leo’s body was flung back from the spot.

——————==