Chapter 36 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title:
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"Lucky me, going first."
Leo stepped forward with a smirk.
The practical exam for the Knight Division was simple.
Win five times in a series of duels.
The moment you hit five wins, you passed the exam.
Of course, victory or defeat wasn't the absolute measure of one's score, as detailed points were awarded based on the opponent and the content of the duel.
Still, it was important to rack up wins and pass the exam quickly.
Naturally, Leo's goal was an undefeated streak.
"Lucky to be first? I guess you don't even see me as a threat!"
Howl, Leo's first opponent, said with a laugh.
Howl Snape.
He hailed from a renowned heroic family in the Tull Kingdom of the southern continent.
While his family's fame was less than that of the Jerdingers, they still held the title of a heroic noble house.
He was particularly known for his ever-changing spear technique, the Snape Spear.
In fact, among the Knight Division students of Class 1, he was considered the third strongest after Celia and Duran.
Flicking out his tongue, Howl retrieved a spear from his subspace bracelet.
It was a long spear, one and a half times the length of a standard one.
Seeing this, Leo also drew the sword from his waist.
"As discussed beforehand, the winner is the one who renders their opponent incapable of combat. Treat this as a real battle."
Ain stepped back after his brief explanation.
There were no out-of-bounds rules.
Literally, the entire training ground was the dueling arena.
Facing each other, Howl flicked his tongue again.
"I've been looking forward to this. Ever since we lost to your Class 5 in the combat studies class at the beginning of the semester, I've been thinking I had to pay you back."
"You're still holding onto that?"
Leo asked with a smirk, and Howl smiled coldly.
"The Snape family never forgets a humiliation."
"Was cleaning the bathrooms that bad?"
"Grr! Do you have any idea how much the other classes teased us?!"
Howl clenched his fist.
"I will repay the humiliation from that day! Leo Flove!"
*Shwing-!*
Readjusting his grip on the spear, Howl lowered his stance.
It was a preparatory posture reminiscent of a striking snake.
Watching Howl, Leo let his sword hang loosely.
"Leo. I've heard all about your incredible performance during the entrance exam."
The corner of Howl's mouth curled up.
"But you're clearly lagging behind the other students from the very start! I heard you hadn't even awakened your Aura during the entrance exam! Do you really think you can block this attack?!"
*Fwoosh-! Whoosh-!*
The tip of Howl's spear aimed for Leo's chest.
Incredible speed!
Normally, a spear thrust is a straight line.
So, no matter how fast, it's easy to dodge if you can predict it.
'But that's where the Snape Spear truly begins!'
The spear thrust of the Snape family was like a living snake, its tip moving unpredictably.
Carelessly dodging it would lead to disaster.
'The moment you dodge, you'll be cornered!'
Any average student would have been defeated by Howl without being able to do anything after the first exchange.
But Leo was a student who defied the category of average.
*Thump-!*
"...!"
Howl's eyes widened.
Just before it reached him, Leo had grabbed the shaft of the spear.
"You said you heard about me from the others, but did you not hear about me from your classmate, Celia?"
Leo smiled coolly.
*Whoosh-!*
"Huh?"
Leo lifted Howl straight into the air, spear and all.
Howl, who had been preparing for an Aura attack, stared wide-eyed as Leo lifted him with pure physical strength.
"That I'm strong!"
*Whoosh-! Crash-!*
Leo slammed Howl onto the ground.
Of course, Howl used his Aura Armor just before impact to minimize the damage.
Getting into a stance, Howl chuckled.
"Of course I heard. I was just a little surprised that you were stronger than I expected."
*Woooong-!*
The spear shaft glowed green.
"But just because you have great physical strength doesn't mean your fundamental weakness is resolved!"
Howl's green eyes flashed.
Leo quickly let go of the spear.
*Sizzle-!*
A small puff of smoke rose from the ground where Howl stood.
'Poison Aura? A unique attribute.'
Leo's expression turned amused.
It was an Aura attribute overwhelmingly advantageous in a prolonged fight.
He could understand why Howl was so confident.
'But you're still a long way off.'
"You talk about my weakness."
Leo smirked.
"Aren't weaknesses meant to be overcome?"
*Fwoosh-!*
The Flame Aura that erupted from Leo's body pushed back Howl's Poison Aura.
Seeing this, Howl grinned.
'An Aura with a flame attribute is certainly a weakness for me! But unless it's on Celia's level, I can easily turn the tables on the matchup!'
*Fwoosh-!*
An even more potent toxin emanated from Howl's body.
In response, Leo increased his firepower.
'I told you it's useless! Unless you're at Celia's level!'
*Fwoooosh-!*
*Fwoooosh!*
As if in a competition, every time the poison grew stronger, the flames blazed even more fiercely.
As time passed, Howl's expression hardened.
'Unless… it's on Celia's… level?'
His face now pale, Howl's gaze met Leo's red eyes.
'No way! Firepower on par with Celia?!'
Leo had only shown promise at the beginning of the semester.
Moreover, he had never properly demonstrated his skills in a duel that assessed overall combat prowess.
That's why most had predicted Howl's victory in this exam duel, where the overall skill level of the first-years had rapidly increased.
But as if to mock such predictions, Leo was pressuring Howl with a powerful Flame Aura.
Watching the situation from the sidelines with her arms crossed, Celia wore a surprised expression.
'When did he get that strong?'
Celia was one of the few who had predicted Leo's victory.
But she hadn't expected Leo to have raised the firepower of his Flame Aura to this extent.
Watching the scene, Duran smirked.
"It seems Howl isn't enough."
"Don't be so certain. Howl hasn't lost yet."
When a Knight Division student from Class 1 chided him, Duran scoffed.
"Are your eyes just for decoration? He's already at a disadvantage in compatibility, and now he's completely overpowered in the strength contest. Do you really think Howl has a chance?"
"Even so, Howl still has his Snape Spear. Aura compatibility isn't the only factor that decides victory or defeat."
"Hmph! Do you really think Howl can overwhelm Leo Flove with technique?"
"He's the number four in our class."
"It doesn't matter if Howl is the fourth strongest in our class or not."
Sparks crackled around Duran's body.
"I'm the one who will defeat him."
"You? I don't think so."
Celia, who was standing next to him, scoffed.
"Are you taking his side just because you hang around him? Celia Jerdinger."
"I'm not taking sides. I'm the one who will defeat Leo. You can't even beat me, can you?"
"Nonsense. I'll show you who's superior right now."
"Fine. I'll shatter you."
*Crackle!*
*Fwoosh!*
Duran, who sought to crush anyone above him, and Celia, who possessed a strong pride in being the best, were on extremely bad terms.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing, fighting amongst ourselves?! We should be cheering for Howl! Huh? Hey! I said stop raising your Auras!"
A Class 1 student frantically tried to stop them, but they showed no signs of calming down.
"You two. If you fight now, it won't end with just a simple apology letter, you know?"
Just then, Chen Xia smiled and dissuaded the two.
At her words, Duran snorted and walked away, while Celia elegantly swept her hair back.
"Class 1 is full of fighting spirit."
"It's not fighting spirit. I just want to smash that annoying bastard's face in."
"Isn't that what fighting spirit is?"
Professor Sedjen had forbidden duels between students of the same class, so Celia and Duran never had a chance to settle their score.
"And you, Xia. You say that, but you want to fight Leo too."
"I do admit I'd like to fight Young Master Leo. But he's not my only target."
"Then?"
"I'd like to fight you too, Miss Celia, and Duran as well. My goal is to defeat all three of you."
"In the end, you have the most fighting spirit of all."
Celia sighed, looking at Chen Xia whose dark eyes sparkled.
The surrounding students, who had been watching the tense confrontation among the top Knight Division students with nervous faces, breathed a sigh of relief as things settled down without incident.
"Leo is quite popular."
Nella commented in her characteristically languid voice, and Iliana, who was next to her, shook her head.
"If that's what popularity is, I'll pass."
***
"Hah!"
As Leo swung his flaming Aura, Howl hastily used Aura Step.
He had to create distance, somehow.
But Leo wouldn't allow Howl to pull away.
'I have to stop him!'
He swung his poison-infused spear toward the approaching Leo.
*Fwoosh-!*
But Leo's Aura incinerated all of Howl's poison.
Not only was he at a disadvantage in compatibility, but he was also outmatched in power.
He was clearly inferior.
"Keuk!"
The bewilderment from completely misjudging his opponent pressed down on Howl.
But he soon collected himself and lowered his stance.
'This is unexpected, but I can't just let him beat me down!'
Howl's eyes became like those of a snake eyeing its prey.
'I've already prepared a countermeasure!'
Howl, who had been called a genius since he was young, had failed to take the top spot in the entrance exam.
But while he felt a bit of regret, he didn't feel frustrated.
'Because that monster, Woreden Tiden, was there!'
There was no one from the southern region who didn't know of Woreden.
His electrifying power was enough to be called not just a genius, but a monster.
But among the Knight Division, he had thought himself the best.
And he was, in fact, one of the most skilled among this year's first-year Knight Division students.
But he couldn't claim to be the strongest.
'Celia Jerdinger! Chen Xia! Duran Moira!'
The three who were called the best of their year.
From the moment he first saw them, he knew they were a cut above him.
For Howl, who had always been the best when it came to martial arts, it was a tremendous shock.
Celia, in particular, was on a level that induced despair.
She overwhelmed him not only in skill but also in compatibility.
'Against Chen Xia or Duran, I could at least form a strategy! But against Celia, all I felt was helplessness!'
At the beginning of the semester, she was an insurmountable wall.
But after months of grueling training, he had devised a countermeasure against Celia.
'I was planning to keep it hidden for a duel with Celia, but this is actually for the best!'
Howl's eyes gleamed.
'He's a good opponent to test my new technique on! And Leo Flove! I cannot lose to you!'
*Whirrrr-!*
He spun his spear with a flourish.
'Especially not to you, who's so close to Celia!'
He had already erased the thought that his opponent was weaker than him from his mind.
He was now seeing him as an equal to the people he aimed to surpass.
'I thought he was just some gloomy guy, but he has pretty decent eyes, doesn't he?'
He was gathering his power, carefully and deliberately, in order to defeat him.
'It seems you've worked incredibly hard to overcome an unfavorable matchup.'
Howl's eyes were certainly looking at him, but they were also looking at something else beyond him.
'Celia, is it?'
Leo, having easily seen through it, grinned.
The boy before him was burning with a challenger's spirit.
'I accept that challenge.'
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