Chapter 108 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Monster Carnival
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"Quite the energetic batch this year."
Berga, a beastkin with cat ears and a tail, remarked as he reviewed the documents.
Typically, the cat tribe was known for being a slender and beautiful race of beastkin.
But Berga was different.
He stood two meters tall, with a large and brawny build.
He was so massive you would have believed him if he said he was a bear beastkin, not a cat.
His face was also grim, and a scar over his left eye made his appearance even more intimidating.
"I-I will punish them severely at once, Instructor Berga!"
Aljeya, the assistant instructor and a fellow cat beastkin who had just reported a fight among the prospective students, exclaimed forcefully, his ears and tail standing on end.
Berga was an object of fear not only to the students but to the assistant instructors as well.
"Why should they be punished?"
"Sir?"
Berga Tune.
He had become an instructor at Azonia's request three years ago and was a hero whose name was in the Hero Record.
In his teaching, he pursued only one value.
Strength.
For that reason, he was a man respected by countless students of Azonia.
Berga rose from his seat and walked to the window.
*Fling-!*
*Waaaaaaaaaaah-!*
As he threw the window open, a roar of cheers, previously blocked by soundproofing magic, flooded in.
Listening to it, Berga's lips curled into a grin.
"Conflict is the very path we at Azonia must pursue!"
At Berga's words, Aljeya swallowed dryly.
*As expected of Instructor Berga! He's the most fitting instructor for Azonia!*
The coliseum was packed with spectators.
And in its center, the prospective students were making their entrance.
A moment later, the iron bars of the arena opened, and a mammoth, a demonic beast from Tartaros, revealed itself.
It was a beast captured alive by Azonia.
Seeing the mammoth, the prospective students quickly scattered.
Then, they raised their respective weapons and began to hunt it.
They cornered the mammoth, showing off their individual skills.
Each time a flashy technique was unleashed, the crowd roared its approval.
*Thud-!*
Watching the mammoth finally fall, Berga asked.
"How long did it take to bring it down?"
"Thirty-six minutes!"
"What are the grades of those ten from the independent lectures?"
"They're all in the upper-middle ranks!"
"I'm not pleased."
"Sir? Thirty-six minutes is a respectable time, isn't it?"
"Hmph. That's only under normal circumstances. Assistant Instructor Aljeya, have you not also heard the stories of this year's Lumerne first-years?"
At Berga's words, Aljeya fell silent.
The news that Lumerne's first-years had succeeded in a Gigantes raid was already a famous topic.
If it hadn't been an official event, no one would have easily believed it, not even from Lumerne.
It was that much of an absurdly major event.
"Moreover, Seirun is no pushover either. Especially that fellow Ellen's daughter, Lunia, was it? Rumor has it she's exceptionally talented."
Berga snorted, recalling the elven hero of his generation with whom he had long competed.
"Which is all the more reason our new students this year must be outstanding!"
With the pride of their races on the line, the hero academies couldn't help but feel a strong sense of rivalry.
Hearing Berga's words, Aljeya nodded.
"It's true that Lumerne seems to be taking the lead this generation! But our candidates are spectacular too! Especially this year!"
*Waaaaaaaaaaah-!*
"After all, your daughter is participating, Instructor Berga!"
At Aljeya's words, Berga snorted.
"Of course!"
Even in Berga's eyes, his daughter, Ar, was a warrior with the potential to surpass him.
*That child could easily become the year's representative!*
As Berga proudly watched his daughter, his eyes fell upon a rabbit beastkin boy with black hair, entering at the very end.
The moment he saw the boy, Berga unknowingly drew a sharp breath.
"Instructor?"
"Aljeya. Do you know anything about the half-blood boy at the very end?"
"Sir? Hmm… I don't recognize his face."
Aljeya, flustered, began to search through the list of prospective students.
He had already familiarized himself with the faces and names of the candidates who had some level of skill.
If Aljeya didn't know a student, they were either a low-ranked, unremarkable candidate or had entered through a recommendation.
While Aljeya frantically shuffled through the list.
Berga narrowed his eyes, watching the boy.
*Those eyes… they resemble Reina's!*
His academy days.
Berga thought back to the woman who had been Lumerne's year representative and the one he had aimed to surpass.
*Come to think of it, Reina received a letter of recommendation for Azonia.*
Recalling a long-forgotten memory, Berga's eyes widened.
*Could he really be Reina's son?!*
***
"Waaaah!"
"We're counting on you!"
"Show us something amazing!"
Entering the arena, Leo looked at the cheering beastkin with a puzzled expression.
Leaning against a wall, Leo wore a look of confusion.
*Is this part of the entrance ceremony too? Wasn't the Azonia entrance ceremony just a desert-crossing marathon?*
He looked at the other candidates and saw they were busy showing off for the crowd.
Some were displaying their weapons and brandishing them flamboyantly, while others showed off their strength by revealing their sharp claws.
Among them were some familiar faces.
*The guys who picked a fight with me earlier are here too.*
The three beastkin who had started the earlier altercation were flexing for the crowd.
Of course, there was another familiar face as well.
It was Ar, the cat girl, drawing gasps from the spectators with her agile movements.
Ar, who had been leaping about, spotted Leo leaning against the wall and gave him a pleased look.
"How'd we end up in the same group?!"
"Is this part of the Azonia entrance ceremony?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I thought the entrance ceremony was just the desert-crossing marathon."
Hearing Leo's words, Ar looked at him incredulously.
"This isn't the entrance ceremony! It's the Monster Carnival!"
"Monster Carnival?"
"You don't know about the Monster Carnival? Are you really a beastkin?"
"I'm a half-blood, so I've mostly lived in human society. I don't know much about beastkin culture."
"Azonia's entrance ceremony isn't just an entrance ceremony! It's one of our biggest festivals."
"Miss Cat! We're counting on you to be amazing!"
As a young boy cheered energetically, Ar chuckled, balled her fist, and punched the wall.
*KRAAANG-!*
"Waaaah-!"
"That girl's no joke, huh?"
"They say she's the heir of the Tune family!"
"As expected!"
Seeing Ar shatter the wall with her fist, the crowd let out an even bigger cheer.
"Every year, huge numbers of beastkin visit Azrek to watch the entrance ceremony! This is one of the festivals to entertain those visitors!"
*Rumble-!*
"And while it's a festival for them, for us prospective students, it's also a ritual!"
"A ritual?"
"That's right! The threat of Tartaros is constant! So at this entrance ceremony, we shout out to our people!"
Placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest, Ar declared proudly.
"'We are here!'"
"Oh?"
Leo let out a sound of admiration.
Just then, *thump-! Thump-!*
The ground shook.
The candidates who had been showing off for the crowd now wore tense expressions.
Ar, too, chuckled and took a combat stance.
*Rumble! Clank-!*
*Kwooooooar!*
The iron bars opened, and a three-meter-tall demonic beast with orange skin burst out.
"A Cyclops! This should be fun!"
With a belligerent smile, Ar poked Leo's nose.
"*Boop!* Don't get scared like before. Let's see you fight well! Black rabbit!"
Winking one eye, Ar charged at the Cyclops.
"'We are here,' huh."
Leo smirked.
*I don't need to stand out, so I think I'll hang back and observe the skills of the Azonia candidates.*
If this wasn't the entrance ceremony, there was no need for him to step up.
The reason Leo was attending Azonia's entrance ceremony was because he wanted to see the hero candidates of other races with his own eyes.
*And I need to find someone worthy of inheriting Ar-on's techniques.*
Leo's goal was the complete annihilation of Erebos.
To achieve that goal, he needed allies.
To be sure, Kyle, as the final Great Hero, had succeeded in subjugating Erebos.
But that was only possible because he had inherited the essence of the power left behind by his comrades.
Moreover, even then, the best they could do was split Erebos into several pieces and seal them away.
No matter how much of his power from his time as Kyle Leo regained, it would be impossible for him to completely annihilate Erebos alone.
*I need new Great Heroes.*
For that, he needed people worthy of inheriting the powers of the friends he knew.
In a way, Leo was the Great Heroes themselves.
Leo quietly watched the nine Azonia candidates fight the Cyclops.
As Leo carefully observed the movements of the Azonia candidates, he tilted his head.
*Their skills are on par with the Lumerne kids.*
These were the ones who had survived the independent lectures held at Azonia for the past six months.
It was no exaggeration to say they had received an education practically equivalent to that of Lumerne's first-years.
*And she is definitely on a different level.*
Leo's eyes gleamed.
She imbued her sharp claws with Aura and slashed at the Cyclops.
*She's still not using her full strength.*
Ar was skilled enough to face the Cyclops on her own.
With the numerical advantage on top of that, they were practically toying with it.
Each time she swung her hands, the Cyclops's tough skin was shredded.
Her claws didn't cut to the bone, but if it hadn't been a high-grade demonic beast with tenacious life force, it might have died long ago.
Just as Leo was leisurely watching the fight.
*Whoosh-!*
Something flew toward Leo.
He turned his head to see jeers erupting from the crowd.
"What are you doing!"
"Everyone else is fighting hard, why are you just watching!"
"You cowardly rabbit!"
With all nine of them busy fighting the Cyclops, Leo was just standing there staring blankly, and the crowd's frustration had boiled over.
This was because the beastkin, who pursued strength, despised cowardice more than anything.
As Leo scratched his head at their reaction.
*Guooooooh!*
The Cyclops suddenly charged toward Leo.
Reaching Leo, the Cyclops raised its thick palm.
Seeing this, Leo sighed lightly and summoned his Aura.
***
*That damn rabbit!*
*Glare-!*
Standing at the forefront, Ar glared at Leo behind her.
The other prospective students felt the same way.
There was no way they would look kindly upon Leo, who was casually watching the fight as if it had nothing to do with him.
*What a total disappointment!*
Ar, who had taken quite a liking to Leo, let her cat ears droop.
The other candidates were just as displeased with Leo.
"That coward! I can't stand him!"
"Let's teach him a lesson!"
A few of the beastkin wore malicious expressions.
Then, they forcefully pushed the Cyclops toward the defenseless, spectating Leo.
The Cyclops, which had been getting unilaterally hunted by the nine of them, spotted the lone Leo and charged without hesitation.
*Goooooooh!*
The eyes of the Cyclops, which had only been taking a beating, were filled with thick killing intent.
*Whoosh-!*
Reaching Leo, the Cyclops raised its hand.
Seeing this, Ar urgently leaped forward.
*What? Dodge or fight back! Otherwise, you'll get hurt…*
*BOOM-!*
The crowd and the other prospective students wore expressions of shock.
When Leo swung his fist, the Cyclops's arm wasn't just crushed—it exploded.
The sight of Leo killing the Cyclops in a single blow was nothing short of thrilling.
"Ooooooh…!"
"Uwaaaaaaaaaah!"
An earth-shattering roar erupted.
Ar's eyes widened as well.
It wasn't because Leo had defeated the Cyclops in a single strike.
Ar could do that much herself, so it was nothing to be surprised about.
The reason she was surprised.
*Just now…!*
It was because of a change that occurred in Leo's body, one only Ar, who was facing him head-on, could have noticed.
Ar stared in disbelief at Leo, who had hastily covered his right eye.
*It's certain… just now, that guy… he used beastification!*
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