Chapter 621

Book 1 Chapter 621

“You carry yourself with immense pride. Then again, an untamed sense of self-belief is a luxury exclusive to the young, wouldn’t you agree?”

Zorua gave a small nod, observing Leo’s declaration while the boy held a blade pointed directly at him.

The tension in his hardened features had dissolved, replaced once more by an easy composure.

“Particularly for a legendary figure of your unprecedented caliber. I do believe you have earned the right to be arrogant. Even so, it might benefit you to learn just how limitless the world truly is.”

Zorua offered a faint smile as his gaze rested on Leo.

“I shall refine you into something far more flawless than your current self…”

Thud!

Having closed the distance entirely unnoticed, Leo swept his leg out to trip Zorua.

Under normal circumstances, such a move would merely cause someone to lose balance and tumble backward.

Yet, the moment Leo’s kick connected, Zorua’s legs below the knees shattered into countless fragments.

“No.”

Leo’s response was entirely devoid of emotion.

Thump—

Left without knees to support him, Zorua dropped heavily to the ground, forced to cast his gaze upward toward Leo.

“You possess no right to stand and look down upon anyone.”

Leo stared back down at Zorua, his eyes carrying the profound coldness one might reserve for a common insect.

“A bug belongs on the earth, crawling in the dirt where it belongs.”

Thud!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Leo brought his boot down, crushing Zorua’s head into the ground.

Even though the creature wore the familiar visage of Reina, there was not the slightest flicker of reluctance in his movements.

Shwaaaaaaah!

Zorua’s physical form dissolved into a cloud of drifting dust, leaving behind nothing but a stark skeleton.

“Your strikes lack refinement. Is that wrath I feel bleeding into your blows?”

“Wrath?”

Leo’s features twisted into an expression of genuine bewilderment.

“I am entirely disconnected from such romantic notions.”

Whoosh!

In a flash, Leo closed the gap between them once more.

Blazing torrents of fire erupted violently from Leo’s blade, swirling through the air.

Faced with a fiery aura so volatile it threatened to consume everything in its path, Zorua hastily unleashed a counter-spell.

Craaaack-craaaack-craaaack!

A tempest of frost erupted, spiraling tightly around Leo.

The roaring flames were snuffed out instantly, leaving Leo completely encased within a dense block of ice.

Shwaaaaaaah!

As the temperature plummeted drastically in a matter of seconds, a thick layer of frost spread rapidly across the earth.

Zorua looked toward the frozen figure of Leo and remarked smoothly,

“A reckless assault will never yield victory.”

Right then, a subtle smirk played on Zorua’s lips.

Craaaack!

A sharp fracture split across the surface of the ice.

The smirk vanished from Zorua’s face in an instant.

‘What is this? I felt no trace of mana being channeled, nor any summoning circle being cast.’

Crumble-crumble-crumble—

The ice shattered into harmless fragments, and Leo stepped out, standing completely unbothered upon the frozen ground.

Leo cast a brief, analytical glance at the remnant magic that had briefly bound him.

“Ice Shackles. Is this the star magic developed by Seirun?”

“Correct. It is a modified and enhanced variation of the Comet Mage’s signature spell, adapted by my own hands. Do you still find reason to mock my capabilities?”

“It is amateurish. The entire structure falls apart the moment a single node of the underlying mana is severed.”

“What did you just say?”

Leo turned a thoroughly exhausted, indifferent gaze back toward Zorua.

“Do you possess any actual talent beyond desecrating the creations of far better people?”

Zorua’s expression turned utterly rigid.

“Allow me to enlighten you.”

A small, mocking smile touched Leo’s lips.

“To show you just how thoroughly the powers you stole have rotted under your stewardship.”

“Hoo-up!”

Jamua locked his breath in his chest.

An immense wave of fire roared directly toward him.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang!

The destructive magic detonated with tremendous force.

Right as the panicked citizens of Flobe Territory began to wail and scatter in desperation.

“-!”

A melody of striking beauty, entirely mismatched with the violent chaos of the battlefield, echoed through the air.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

A fierce gale whipped through the immediate surroundings.

Yet, almost instantly, the rushing wind seemed to obey a conscious intent, gently enveloping the fleeing townsfolk mere moments before the expanding inferno could touch them.

The currents safely carried the civilians out of the path of the flames.

Witnessing the display, Jamua offered a genuine word of praise,

“Magnificent!”

The gale did more than just pull the citizens away from the brink of detonation.

As structures crumbled under the sheer weight of the conflict, many individuals found themselves trapped beneath the wreckage.

The wind swept the heavy debris aside with ease, pulling the survivors safely from the ruins.

Chelsea had achieved total mastery over the air currents in the zone.

‘When did her capabilities reach such a height?’

Jamua looked upon Chelsea, filled with genuine respect.

She had nowhere near this level of finesse during the winter intermission of her second year.

In the brief span of time since he had last seen her, she had transformed into an entirely different caliber of mage.

‘Is this the result of Leo’s guidance?’

Jamua smiled to himself as he recalled the individual currently commanding the third-year pupils of Lumen.

In that exact moment.

Grrrrrrrooooaarrrr!

An ogre unleashed a deafening cry, hoisting a massive chunk of ruined masonry into the air.

Gooooooooo!

A deep crimson haze began to radiate around the colossal stone.

Jamua’s brow twitched sharply at the sight.

‘Aura?’

His eyes narrowed in sheer disbelief.

The distinct energy utilized by monsters.

There was no mistaking it; it was aura.

Demons, fiends, and monsters were all corrupted entities spawned from the depths of Tartaros.

While demons were the true denizens of Tartaros, monsters were merely their mutated beasts of burden.

Fiends, on the other hand, represented a higher echelon of existence compared to standard monsters.

The foundational source of all their abilities was demonic energy.

Just as mankind refined mana into aura, magic power, or spiritual power, the denizens of Tartaros manipulated demonic energy to fuel their desires.

Consequently, the properties of the energy they manifested were fundamentally different.

‘Yet that ogre is explicitly wielding aura.’

It lacked the corrupted, dark quality inherent to demonic power.

It was untainted, pure aura, identical to the energy he channeled himself.

This was not a power a common monster should ever be capable of grasping.

Though a brief flash of confusion crossed Jamua’s mind, his reflexes remained impeccably sharp.

A standard wide-area strike would fail to pierce the protective winds Chelsea was currently maintaining over the zone.

However, a projectile reinforced with pure aura was an entirely different matter.

Thwack!

Kwa-ga-aaaaaah!

As Jamua pushed off the ground, the ogre hurled the aura-infused boulder straight toward Chelsea.

“Hryaaaaah!”

Jamua coated his entire frame in a thick layer of aura, letting loose a fierce battle cry.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang!

Intercepting the projectile head-on, Jamua was forced backward by the sheer momentum.

Creak-creak-

The crushing weight of the massive stone bore down heavily upon his frame.

Thud!

Digging his heels firmly into the dirt, Jamua halted his backward slide, stabilizing his stance.

“Uryaaaaaaah!”

With a massive surge of strength, Jamua shattered the debris upward with a powerful strike.

Kwa-aaaaah!

The remnants of the building shot into the heavens with incredible velocity, dissolving into nothingness.

Jamua gave a brief snort, rolling his shoulders casually as he remarked,

“It has been quite a while since I enjoyed a proper exertion.”

Despite using his own body to intercept an assault capable of rendering high-tier defensive magic completely useless, Jamua appeared entirely unfazed.

His protective gear was shredded, yet his muscular physique remained completely unblemished by a single scratch.

Jamua glared toward the ogre, a slow smile touching his face as he ran his tongue across his upper lip.

From her position behind him, Chelsea called out,

“Senior Jamua.”

“What is it?”

“Would it kill you to utilize a shield or some form of defensive tool?”

“Shields are nothing but a hindrance. If I attempt to block an attack and the shield shatters, the flying splinters would only cause additional collateral damage.”

“I understand that… but isn’t relying entirely on your body far too reckless?”

“Hmph.”

Jamua let out a proud laugh, bringing his fist down hard against his chest.

“I have weathered a thousand storms relying solely on this flesh! This unyielding frame is the very reason I stand here today! If I cannot place my faith in my own body, what else is there to trust?”

Chelsea could only shake her head in exasperation as she watched his muscles flex with every movement.

“Chelsea Rewallin! With the right regiment, you too could forge a physical vessel this formidable!”

“I believe I will pass on that particular opportunity.”

“An aspiring Knight should instinctively seek to conquer adversity through physical might alone!”

“I belong to the Magic department.”

The two exchanged quick, familiar banter.

By this time, the surrounding civilians had completely cleared out, successfully retreating to a secure zone.

While Jamua served as a bulwark against the incoming magical salvos, Chelsea had focused entirely on ensuring the rapid evacuation of the populace.

“Though, looking closely,”

Chelsea’s gaze sharpened as she scanned the immediate warzone.

“There isn’t a single Hero Hunter in sight.”

The moment they had bypassed Lysinus’s magical barrier to enter the heart of Flobe Territory, they were met with devastating spells tearing the environment apart indiscriminately.

Yet, the actual perpetrators were nowhere to be found.

There was only this solitary ogre.

‘Are they lying in wait? Yet the wind detects nothing of the sort.’

Just as Chelsea attempted to read the air currents to decipher the anomaly, her brow furrowed.

Thump! Thump!

The titanic ogre began to advance toward them.

Grrrrrrrooooaarrrr!

A deafening, soul-shaking shriek erupted from the beast’s throat.

Chelsea winced, covering her ears and clamping her eyes shut against the volume before looking back up at the creature.

Her expression turned to one of utter disbelief.

The ogre was weeping.

“Stained with tears of blood, I see.”

Jamua’s eyes narrowed into slits.

“And Chelsea. Take a closer look at its hands.”

“Pardon?”

Chelsea focused her attention on the ogre’s massive grips.

Clutched firmly in its hands were a gargantuan greatsword and a specialized magic staff.

“An ogre wielding a blade and a channeler’s staff?”

As Chelsea struggled to make sense of the sight, Jamua’s expression darkened considerably.

“The anomalies do not stop there.”

Gooooooooo!

A crimson aura began to roll off the edge of the greatsword, while matching dark-red mana surged aggressively from the staff.

Chelsea’s heart sank at the realization.

Aura combined with magic power.

These were disciplines that should remain completely foreign to a mere beast.

“Fascinating.”

Jamua let out a quiet, grim murmur.

“Are we witnessing a shift in the tides of this era?”

The world had played host to countless marvels of late.

Therefore…

“It is only logical that we must also face terrors of equal magnitude.”

“Senior Jamua, you don’t mean to imply that this ogre is actually…”

“Indeed.”

Jamua tightened his fists, then slowly relaxed them.

“That creature was undoubtedly a Hero Hunter before this.”

“…”

Chelsea’s face drained of color.

Monsters were living disasters by their very nature.

Ogres, in particular, represented one of the most perilous threats among common monsters.

They were creatures endowed with physical endurance and raw power that dwarfed human limits.

Furthermore, they possessed a malicious, calculating intellect.

Yet, that intelligence was only remarkable when measured against other beasts.

When compared to the cunning of demons or fiends, they were manageable.

Even a novice first-year student from Lumen could hold their own against a standard ogre.

But what would happen if the refined techniques of humanity were superimposed onto the monstrous physical attributes of an ogre?

Worse yet, what if those techniques belonged to a specialized killer trained to hunt down heroes?

‘No, it is far more precise to assume the Hero Hunter somehow assimilated the raw essence of the ogre.’

Chelsea’s gaze wavered as she stared at the monstrosity.

It was not a tremor born of terror.

“Do you harbor sympathy for it?”

Catching herself at Jamua’s inquiry, Chelsea gave a small start. “My apologies.”

“There is no need to apologize. I find the sight tragic myself.”

What value did ultimate power hold if the cost was stripping away one’s humanity to become a literal beast?

It was tantamount to erasing one’s very soul.

“Though, it is the price of their own choices.”

“Yes.”

Chelsea nodded firmly, her resolve returning at Jamua’s grounded words.

Sympathy was a fleeting sentiment.

The reality that this entity was a threat that needed to be put down remained absolute.

“I shall handle the vanguard, Chelsea Rewallin.”

“The rear is entirely secure in my hands.”

“Haha. The girl has grown quite reliable.”

“People tend to mature rather quickly, you know.”

“Your height certainly hasn’t caught up yet, though!”

Jamua let out a booming laugh, bringing a massive hand down to playfully pat Chelsea’s head.

Chelsea offered a tight, subtle smile as she looked up at him.

‘Were he not my upperclassman, I would have broken his nose.’

The struggle against Hero Hunters who had cast aside their humanity to become fiends was not isolated to Chelsea and Jamua alone.

Thump!

The earth groaned under an immense weight.

Abard kept his eyes locked on the titanic Gigantes lumbering toward them from across the horizon.

“So that thing is supposed to be a Hero Hunter?”

“Correct. And it is capable of casting spells.”

Lys stared down the approaching Gigantes with an icy, unforgiving glare.

The fiend variant of a Gigantes was already notorious as a walking disaster on any battlefield.

To face one capable of utilizing structured magic was unprecedented.

“This will prove to be an irritation.”

A dark, lethal intent flared within Lys’s eyes.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-

“Ugh! The sky is absolutely crawling with them!”

High above the clouds overlooking Flobe Territory.

Celia, seated firmly upon the back of a soaring Pegasus, looked down at the aerial theater with an expression of pure disgust.

A massive swarm of winged fiends occupied the airspace below.

“It appears they have bound these fiends to their will utilizing high-tier summoning arts.”

Ulta narrowed his focus, keeping his eyes locked onto Fafnir, the individual responsible for bringing forth the swarm.

“To think that creature used to be a mere human. Disgusting, isn’t it?”

Screeeeeeeeeech!

In that exact instant, a piercing, agonized shriek echoed from above.

Both Celia and Ulta snapped their gazes upward simultaneously.

A winged fiend was in a free fall directly toward them, a torrent of dark blood spraying violently from a deep gash in its throat.

Thwack!

A brilliant silver arc cut through the air, cleanly decapitating the falling monster.

A figure leaped off the back of the descending carcass, diving straight toward the Pegasus.

Whoosh!

Celia’s jaw dropped in sheer astonishment as she watched the newcomer deftly seize the wing of the Pegasus to stabilize herself.

“A-Aunt?!”

“What brings Lady Reina to this battlefield?”

Even Ulta, a man famously difficult to discompose, could only stare in stunned silence.

Reina offered the two a serene, easy smile.

“Oh? I simply happened to be passing through.”