Chapter 680

Leo gazed into the distance with folded arms.

At this moment, Leo and his companions had assembled a patrol squad to scout the perimeter surrounding the stronghold.

This region marked the very core of the Tartarus domain.

Before long, the onslaught of vicious beasts commenced.

“The three of them are overflowing with energy.”

“True. They seem to have been deeply impacted by the match between Kal and Kanea.”

Hearing Leo’s remark, Chelsea reflected on what had transpired two days ago.

That clash had certainly left a profound impression on the prospective heroes.

Observing the sophomore trio from the Knight Department, Chelsea turned her gaze toward the heavens.

Leo inquired, never taking his eyes off the second-year students.

“Are you capable of handling them?”

Fiends had manifested in the atmosphere above.

Brandishing her mystical staff, Chelsea offered a gentle grin.

“Naturally. Who do you think I am?”

With that, Chelsea soared upward into the firmament.

Leo let out a soft laugh as he tracked her ascent.

‘Chelsea’s advancement is truly astonishing.’

Her current strength made it impossible to view her as a mere child anymore.

She had matured into an accomplished sorceress, fully capable of carrying her own weight.

Uwoooooooh!

A deafening bellow from a monstrous creature reverberated through the air.

Leo focused his attention directly ahead.

A brilliant streak of golden light erupted.

Sss-s-s-thwack!

A gruesome, slicing noise signaled the parting of muscle and bone.

A colossal creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull fell.

The Minotaur was thoroughly carved to pieces.

Thud-!

Having butchered three Minotaurs in mere moments, Aina touched down upon the earth.

Clad in lightweight armor designed for agility, her form was drenched in crimson.

Observing her stance, Leo muttered to himself.

“Her combat style remains absolutely frightening.”

In the heat of battle, Aina shows no regard for her personal safety.

She massacres her adversaries like an unsheathed weapon showing its true edge.

Her gaze radiating an intense thirst for slaughter, Aina surveyed the battlefield.

‘What about the others?’

Moving with tempestuous speed, Habidun drove his lance straight through a Minotaur’s chest.

Meanwhile, Luke transformed into a silver streak, cleanly decapitating another foe.

Right as Aina noted their success and prepared to strike down a fourth adversary.

Grwoooooooh!

With a roar, a dark silhouette cast a shadow over her.

An immense gray-skinned Minotaur descended from above, swinging a massive warhammer.

‘A Lord Minotaur!’

Though it bore an imposing title, its physical traits largely mirrored those of its lesser kin.

Its primary distinction lay in its ashen hide, contrasted with the usual brown complexion.

Yet, a mere palette swap alone would not earn it such a lofty designation.

‘Just as I suspected, a leader is present.’

Standard Minotaurs rarely gather in massive packs unless guided by a beastmaster.

However, the horde currently ambushing the group numbered nearly fifty.

Creatures designated as Lords possess the authority to subjugate and bolster inferior breeds, mimicking the skills of a handler.

Furthermore, the personal might of such an alpha was immense.

In raw physical power, a Lord Minotaur rivaled a 3rd-rank demon.

Spotting this formidable foe, a golden light sparked within Aina’s eyes.

Crack-!

With a resounding crash, the behemoth’s weapon slammed into the dirt.

Sinister, corrupt energy erupted outward from the Lord Minotaur in every direction.

Anything caught in the wake of this malevolent force crumbled into fine ash and drifted away.

Surveying the shattered ground, the creature curled its lips into a cruel smirk.

Elite beasts, while driven by primal urges, are endowed with sophisticated cognitive abilities.

A Lord Minotaur governs its base instincts using its sharp intellect.

They become far more calculating and vicious.

The Lord Minotaur recognized that the young human woman opposing it possessed immense capability.

It was quite shocking.

It had slaughtered countless warriors on the battlefield throughout its existence, yet it had never encountered a human of such tender years wielding this level of power.

And she was not an isolated case.

The remaining humans likewise displayed a level of strength entirely unsuited to their age.

Nonetheless, the Lord Minotaur remained unbothered.

This territory no longer belonged to humanity; it was their domain now.

It was certain that regardless of a human’s exceptional traits, it would ultimately claim triumph.

And it would feast upon the powerful.

The initial prey would be the human girl standing directly before it.

Filled with a sense of malice, the Lord Minotaur tracked Aina with its gaze.

An agile human.

Predictably, she effortlessly evaded the oncoming blow, but such efforts were futile.

Its strike carried enough destructive force to obliterate the entire vicinity.

Furthermore, mere swiftness was irrelevant.

The young woman before it was radiating an overwhelming wave of animosity toward it, a mere beast.

The Lord Minotaur’s perceptions aligned perfectly with that murderous intent.

Hoo-wook-!

Exhaling a heavy snort, its massive musculature flexed across its frame.

In that very instant—

Aina, leaping off a mound of earth displaced by the shockwave, positioned herself gracefully.

Swoosh-!

She lunged toward the Lord Minotaur with staggering velocity.

The beast swung its heavy hammer directly at Aina.

At that exact moment—

A concentrated, sharp aura manifested along the edge of Aina’s blade.

Her weapon glided with fluid elegance.

As though executing a rhythmic performance.

Exquisite swordsmanship manifested in midair.

The combat style of the Sword Saint, a legendary warrior who once defined an era, materialized through Aina’s blade.

The trajectory of her weapon was breathtaking.

Yet the wounds inflicted by her strikes were horrifying.

Clang-clang-clang! Thump-!

Roaaaaaaar!

The Lord Minotaur bellowed in agonizing frustration.

Its severed appendages, now reduced to unrecognizable shreds of flesh and shattered iron, slammed heavily onto the ground.

Observing this sequence, Leo narrowed his vision.

‘Her precision has heightened.’

A blade can be wielded in numerous manners.

‘Cleaving, thrusting, striking, parrying.’

Every single aspect is vital.

However, the element that truly elevates the core nature of a blade is, without a doubt, the act of cleaving.

And Aina’s innate capability for cleaving was unmatched.

‘In terms of pure cutting ability, Aina’s gift rivals that of Arion.’

Naturally, Arion was a rare genius who did not restrict himself merely to slashing, but pushed the absolute boundaries of the weapon itself.

‘Then again, that individual masters every implement of war in that fashion, not just blades.’

He shook his head slightly, recalling a companion whose fundamental nature was entirely distinct.

Though he harbored a distaste for conflict, Arion was, paradoxically, an unmatched prodigy in battle.

Dismissing his memories of Arion, Leo focused his gaze back on Aina.

‘Judging strictly by innate gift, she surpasses her ancestor, the Sword Saint.’

Kalian, who had carried the destiny of an entire age, performed legendary deeds by eliminating the Monster Queen before drawing his final breath.

Of course, possessing superior latent capability does not instantly guarantee one will eclipse the Sword Saint.

Innate gift is merely latent capability.

‘Even so, she will outshine him.’

Had it been the Aina of the previous year, it might be debatable, but the current Aina is bound to outpace her ancestor.

‘During our initial encounter, she was on a dangerous edge.’

Aina, entirely driven by animosity in every action, resembled a naked blade.

A weapon lacking a scabbard.

A scabbard serves to protect others from being inadvertently harmed, but it simultaneously shields the blade from external deterioration.

A weapon wielded recklessly loses its edge and eventually shatters.

Yet Aina had been entirely indifferent to that reality.

She was simply overwhelmed by resentment, blinding her to her own environment.

She gave no thought to self-preservation, consumed solely by a desire for vengeance against Tartarus, the entity that destroyed her lineage.

‘Kalian’s final decree specified that I must give her my validation for her to claim the full inheritance of the Sword Saint, correct?’

The Sword Saint, in his concluding moments, discovered Leo’s true identity, found peace, and passed away.

However, prior to drafting that decree, he remained unaware of who Leo truly was.

‘He undoubtedly anticipated that Aina would enroll at Lumern.’

His objective must have been for her to absorb vital wisdom from Leo during that tenure.

As a legendary figure who guided an entire epoch, Kalian possessed an extraordinary capability to evaluate individuals.

Naturally, Leo did not formally instruct Aina.

He simply steered her path to ensure she did not wander into ruin.

Yet that minor guidance altered Aina entirely.

‘Even if her ultimate target remains absolute.’

She persists as a razor-sharp weapon, maintaining her deep-seated animosity and lethal intent toward Tartarus.

However, the tragic outcome of self-destruction brought about by an inability to govern her malice will no longer come to pass.

Roaaaaaaar!

The Lord Minotaur bellowed once more.

Fresh limbs began to sprout rapidly from the ruined flesh of its stumps.

A terrifyingly potent display of rapid regeneration.

Yet that was the boundary of its power.

Undeniably, the Lord Minotaur’s raw capability matched a 3rd-rank demon.

‘However, its overall threat level is lower than those of the 3rd-rank entities.’

The most perilous trait of fiends lies in their hexes.

Minotaurs, existing merely as corrupted beasts, are incapable of utilizing such hexes.

Watching the newly healed beast, Aina stepped lightly back onto the earth.

An intense aura of lethality radiated from her serene countenance.

The oppressive pressure of her killing intent grew suffocatingly dense.

And then…

Thud?

The Lord Minotaur’s pupils contracted.

The entire space within the reach of Aina’s blade became saturated with pure animosity.

The beast’s perceptions, which had been tracking Aina’s positioning by reading her lethal intent, became completely disoriented.

She had diffused her own lethal focus into her generalized malice.

Aina had advanced to a stage where she could employ her raw sentiments as an actual asset in combat.

Slash-!

The Lord Minotaur’s head soared into the atmosphere.

Aina, having executed a flawless decapitation, landed softly on the terrain.

She returned her weapon to its sheath and began to walk away with effortless strides.

Crimson fluids erupted like a geyser from the severed neck.

The spasming frame of the Lord Minotaur extended a hand.

A Lord Minotaur does not perish instantly merely from decapitation.

Its physical form operates purely on predatory drive and continues to display formidable combat potential.

Swoosh-!

The creature’s colossal arm swung downward in an attempt to obliterate Aina.

In that precise moment.

Aina rotated her body with a completely neutral expression.

Simultaneously.

A bright silver radiance descended violently from above.

Crash-!

The dense and durable form of the Minotaur was forcefully ripped apart.

“Aina, are you unharmed?”

“I am.”

“Did something happen? Letting your guard down like that isn’t your usual style.”

She responded flatly, looking at the visibly anxious Luke.

“Because I was certain you would intervene to assist me.”

A Minotaur deprived of its head and guided solely by instinct becomes an uncontrollable hazard.

It persists in its assault until it destroys the individual responsible for its decapitation.

Consequently, it exposes numerous defensive flaws.

Aina was thoroughly well-versed in this creature’s traits.

The moment Luke witnessed Aina engaging the Lord Minotaur, he rushed forward to support her.

Recognizing this, Aina intentionally commanded the Lord Minotaur’s focus, leaving it completely exposed to an unexpected strike.

“I placed my reliance on you.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Luke appeared slightly taken aback.

Following the conclusion of her initial term in her first year, Aina had gradually revealed her guarded emotions to her peers.

Even so, she had chosen to engage in combat entirely on her own up until the final examinations of the first year.

Aina’s approach to engagement, shaped by solitary warfare, had been classified as her primary vulnerability.

Yet the current circumstances were entirely altered.

‘She has become fully capable of harmonizing with her allies.’

A faint smirk appeared on Leo’s face.

The tactic Aina just utilized would have been entirely impossible had she not harbored total reliance on Luke or Habidun.

‘Indeed, the younger generation advances with remarkable speed.’

Luke’s progression was equally undeniable.

Even with Aina creating a flawless opening, Luke’s capability to obliterate the Lord Minotaur in a single blow was highly impressive.

“You are truly remarkable, Aina, as expected.”

Aina’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing Luke’s praise.

Then, a vibrant grin graced her features.

“You are remarkable as well, Luke.”

“Pardon?”

“You looked impressive.”

Observing Aina offer a cheerful smile typical of a young woman her age, Luke’s face flushed, and he began scratching his neck while replying haltingly.

“You looked impressive too.”

“Yes.”

Aina remained a lethal weapon.

However…

‘She has acquired an excellent sheath.’

Leo shifted his gaze toward Habidun.

Habidun was approaching the group, resting his lengthy polearm across his shoulder while looking up into the firmament.

Luke spoke up.

“Habidun, did you sustain any injuries?”

“Do I appear as someone who easily takes harm?”

“Wow! Incredible!”

Aina, returning to her typical stoic expression, remarked.

“Luke, why do you express concern for Habidun?”

“Are you looking to start an argument, Aina Vaidna?”

As Habidun’s expression soured, Aina continued.

“He does not sustain injuries that simply.”

“Hmph. That is accurate.”

“It would be quite embarrassing if he did get hurt. I would have concluded my fight even quicker. You are capable of the same. Honestly, confronting the Lord Minotaur carries far more weight. Therefore, Habidun’s achievement isn’t particularly astonishing.”

It appeared she felt slightly slighted that Luke’s focus had shifted away from her.

Watching Aina, a tense vein emerged on Habidun’s brow.

“You are definitively looking for a dispute.”

‘Reliance.’

They managed to accomplish results far exceeding their individual capabilities, rooted entirely in the mutual reliance shared among allies.

“Wow! I’ve returned! Are they engaged in another dispute?”

At that moment, Chelsea descended from the sky.

“Your return was prompt.”

“A 4th-rank demon poses no real challenge nowadays!”

A 4th-rank demon is classified as a superior fiend.

Nonetheless, given Chelsea’s current proficiency, it did not represent a grueling adversary.

‘Furthermore, they are fiends originating from the ancient era.’

The counterstrategies for dealing with fiends from five millennia ago were thoroughly documented.

Perhaps it would be different in a chaotic battlefield filled with unpredictable elements.

But in an isolated engagement, they were effectively just prey.

“They are quite capable, aren’t they?”

“The third-year students will need to remain vigilant.”

“What?”

Leo smiled, observing Chelsea’s perplexed demeanor.

She would discover the reality soon enough.

The reality that there were formidable underclassmen rapidly closing the distance.

Aina and Habidun continued their petty bickering.

Luke stepped in between them, trying to restore peace.

Watching their dynamic, Leo spoke up.

“Aina Vaidna.”

“Yes, Senior Leo.”

Leo addressed Aina, who instantly ceased her bickering and stepped toward him.

“The seal placed upon Clesis must have finally dissolved.”

“……!”

Aina’s gaze turned completely vacant with surprise.

Clesis.

The legendary weapon forged by Dweno, carrying the genuine title “Demon Slayer.”

In the current era, it stood as the definitive emblem of the Sword Saint and represented the heritage that Aina had yet to formally claim.

It was a weapon that could only be drawn with Leo’s explicit authorization.

With trembling fingers, Aina accessed her dimensional storage and pulled forth Clesis.

Sring—

The edge of Clesis, showing signs of age yet preserving an immense aura of power, showed itself.

‘I am capable of unsheathing it.’

The legacy left by her great-grandfather.

“My deepest gratitude.”

Aina, securing the blade back in place, smiled beautifully and proudly displayed the weapon to her fellow students.

“Observe this. This is the very blade my ancestor wielded. Clesis.”

“That is a spectacular weapon.”

“Indeed. I have finally earned Senior Leo’s validation, just as you did, Luke.”

She then cast a pointed look toward Habidun and added.

“Only Habidun remains without Senior Leo’s validation.”

“Luke. Keep your distance from Aina Vaidna.”

“Eh? For what reason?”

“I have noted it for a while now, but she possesses a highly calculating nature.”

Chelsea stood with her arms crossed, observing the squabbling sophomores.

“They possess an excellent dynamic. You can truly observe the reliance between them.”

“Precisely. It resembles the dynamic between you and Celia.”

“Huh? What are you implying? What aspect of my relationship with Celia Zerdinger resembles an excellent dynamic? I place absolutely zero reliance on her. She is a rival. A rival!”

Chelsea scowled intensely.

Leo reached out and pinched Chelsea’s cheek.

As Chelsea struggled against his grip, Leo burst into laughter.

Whether dealing with the second-year students or the third-year students.

Observing them engage in such juvenile bickering evoked memories of his own younger days.

Remembering Lysinas, Luna, Arion… and ultimately Dweno, Leo gently closed his eyes.

‘Reliance.’

Following a brief interlude of quiet, Leo let go of Chelsea and commanded.

“Let us resume our path now.”

Leo advanced to continue the scouting mission.

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