Chapter 41 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Phoenix's Flame
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Chen Xia and Eliza's eyes widened.
"That's strange. I've never heard of a demonic beast like that."
"That's right. There are no demonic beasts of the wyvern lineage."
Eliza added to Woreden's words.
"It is a demonic beast. One that was driven to extinction by the Great Heroes during the Age of Calamity. I don't know why it's appeared in this era, though."
Fwoooosh-!
Fafnir unleashed its breath.
Leo, who had lightly dodged the attack, said.
"Besides, that thing doesn't look normal, does it?"
"Indeed… It's similar to the side effects of contracting with a demonic beast."
Eliza stroked her chin.
"Then we'll need a plan. When it comes to dual familiars, I know the most about them here."
Eliza said, puffing out her chest.
"Are you telling us to follow your orders?"
"I didn't intend to put it that way, but to get to the point, yes."
"Hilarious."
Woreden gave a cold laugh and spurred his griffin, charging at Liu alone.
Fwoosh! Craaash-!
A fierce explosive attack using spirits erupted.
Watching him, Eliza clicked her tongue.
"As expected, there's no getting through to that man. The two of you, at least, should follow my instructions."
Chen Xia scratched her cheek.
"I agree that you know the most about familiars among us, Miss Eliza. But since Young Master Leo seems to know a lot about that demonic beast, I think it's right to follow his lead."
"Hmph, even if he knows something about this beast, I can give more proper directi—."
"This isn't the time for giving orders. It's obvious we won't be able to coordinate properly in this situation."
Leo gripped his griffin's reins.
"We just need to work together as the situation demands."
"Wait! Are you planning to charge in recklessly? I knew I couldn't entrust command to you! As the direct heir of the Hergen family, I—!"
Whoosh-!
Before Eliza could finish, Leo charged toward The beast.
Following him, Chen Xia gave an apologetic smile and charged as well.
Left all alone, Eliza's shoulders trembled.
"I'm the direct heir of the Hergen family! Don't you dare ignore me!"
Glaring fiercely, Eliza also spurred her griffin and charged.
Fwoooosh! Craaash!
An intense explosion engulfed The beast.
When the smoke cleared, The beast emerged from within, completely unharmed.
"Haha… Hahahaha! Amazing! My familiar is truly amazing!"
Liu, who had been pale with fright, let out a laugh filled with ecstasy.
"This is it! With this, I can aim for first place in Summoning… no! I can even become the class representative! Yes! I am the best! I always have been! There's no way I'm not the best!"
Watching Liu clench his fists and laugh like a madman, Woreden clicked his tongue.
"He's completely lost it."
"Looks like you're having a tough time."
At Leo's words as he flew up beside him, Woreden scoffed.
Grooooooowl-!
Behind Woreden, a huge mass of earth began to gather.
Leo's eyes widened.
'A golem magic formula?'
A massive, artificial doll created through magic.
He had combined that formula with an earth spirit to create a giant spirit golem.
'This guy is a monster too.'
While Leo was marveling at it.
Liu's face turned deathly pale at the sight of the giant earth golem.
Fwoom-!
With a tremendous sound that tore through the air, the earth golem swung its arm.
"D-Dodge it! Dodge it!"
Terrified by the immense physical attack, Liu urgently gave the command.
However, The beast did not listen to Liu's command.
Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Instead, it let out a ferocious roar.
Just before the earth golem's arm could strike the beast, it crumbled and fell apart.
Woreden's eyes twitched.
"Fear?"
It was a skill that disrupted the flow of mana for a moment by emitting a powerful aura.
The griffins trembled in fear for a moment.
'That Fafnir is just a hatchling. Fear is a skill only adults should be able to use!'
Leo frowned.
'To say the summoner's ability drew out its latent potential, that kid Liu's skills are pathetic. How did this happen?'
Chirp! Chirp!
Just then, Piora, who was in Leo's inner pocket, cried out in annoyance.
Grrrr!
In an instant, The beast's murderous gaze turned to Leo.
Kyaaaaaaaah!
It opened its maw wide and charged at Leo.
Leo calmed his trembling griffin and soared into the sky.
Woreden unleashed a spirit explosion.
Boom-! Boom-!
Despite being hit directly by the explosions, the beast didn't change its target.
It chased Leo relentlessly, as if it held a grudge against him.
'Did it sense the phoenix's aura?'
Phoenixes and demonic beasts possessed opposing attributes.
Drawn by that power, The beast was displaying intense hostility.
"Leo Flove! Prepare yourself!"
'The contractor's obsession seems to be playing a part as well.'
Leo glanced back.
It was closing the distance at an incredible speed.
'If it's only targeting me, this might end surprisingly easily.'
Leo glanced at the annoyingly chirping Piora in his coat and tightened his grip on the griffin's reins.
Flap-!
Kyaaaak!
The griffin let out a roar and accelerated with a powerful beat of its wings.
Kyaaaaaaaak!
The beast shrieked as it pursued Leo.
"Wait! Young Master Leo! If you get too far away by yourself…!"
"What in the world kind of familiar's blessing did you receive! And why are you going alone! We should be fighting together!"
Chen Xia and Eliza, who were about to join in, were flustered.
Leo and Liu disappeared from their sight at an incredible speed.
***
-Oh! What is happening! Contestant Liu! He suddenly violated the rules and…!
-Hey! You idiot! Is this any time for commentary!
Yura ran up to the flustered announcer, Runba, kicked him in the rear, and snatched the microphone.
-Summoning teaching assistants! Prepare your flying familiars immediately! This is an emergency! The match is suspended!
She shouted.
While the students were murmuring, the professors gathered around Yura.
"What's going on, Yura?"
Sedjen asked with a frown, and Yura spoke urgently.
"I don't know how it happened, but Sen Liu has undoubtedly contracted with a demonic beast!"
"What?"
The professors' expressions changed instantly.
"Doesn't this seem strange? Sen Liu isn't the type of student to cause this kind of trouble!"
Yura said as she took out a crystal ball from her pocket.
The magic screen for the audience was off, but the crystal ball in Yura's hand was still broadcasting the video feed.
At Yura's words, the homeroom teacher of Class 3 spoke in a grave voice.
"He certainly showed signs of an inferiority complex as the semester progressed… but that's true for other students as well. It was never this serious."
All freshmen at Lumerne feel a sense of inferiority at the beginning of the semester.
Though they had always been the best since they were young, at Lumerne, they were bound to meet students more talented than themselves.
Some students accept it and strive harder, while others deny it and grit their teeth.
There were various types of students, and Sen Liu belonged to the latter category.
But as Yura said, he wasn't the type of student to cause this much trouble.
"Anger management issues, loss of reason, and so on. The behaviors student Liu is exhibiting are typical signs of contracting with a demonic beast."
The professors' faces hardened at once.
"But for a demonic beast to have that much influence on a summoner, it would have to be a high-ranking one, wouldn't it?"
At Halind's question, Sera, who had been staring intently at the screen, spoke cautiously.
"Could that variant wyvern species student Liu is riding be the demonic beast?"
"...!"
"...!"
The professors flinched.
"Don't tell me…"
"Then could it be an unknown, new species of demonic beast?"
Watching the agitated professors, Yura said.
"For now, the important thing is to stop student Liu…"
Just then, on the screen, Liu began to chase after Leo.
"Wait! Hey! Leo! It's dangerous to go alone! Quick, turn the screen back!"
Yura freaked out as she watched Leo disappear at an incredible speed.
A magic major professor took the crystal ball from Yura with a flustered look and manipulated it.
"It seems they've gone beyond the range of the magic!"
"Aaaaaaaargh! Seriously!"
Yura summoned her spiritual power and called forth a black wyvern.
"Teaching assistants! Let's go! Find students Leo and Liu right now!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
***
Leo flew at a tremendous speed, sharpening his senses.
'I'm out of the video magic's range.'
Leaving the range of the magic was no accident.
It was entirely Leo's intention.
"Piora."
Chirp?
"It's time for you to shine."
Leo took the contractor out of his coat, grinned, and simultaneously unleashed his aura and spiritual power.
Fwoosh-!
Piora's feathers began to burn.
Fwoooosh-!
The feathers of Piora, who was perched on Leo's palm, stood on end one by one.
Piora seemed bewildered by the change in its own body, spreading its wings and looking around.
Soon, Piora's body began to swell.
Fwoosh!
Piora's feathers burned even more fiercely, and it soon grew to the size of Leo's torso.
"Now you look a bit more like a phoenix."
At Leo's words, Piora lifted its head and elegantly landed on his forearm.
Piora had shed its small, red-chick-like appearance and taken on the form of a beautiful firebird.
While it couldn't be called an adult phoenix yet, it emanated a power incomparable to before.
Kyaruk?
Even The beast, who had been exuding killing intent, wore a bewildered expression.
"Fly!"
At Leo's command, Piora flapped its wings and soared high into the sky.
Kwaaaaaaah-!
Piora shot up high, leaving a trail of flames.
Chirp-! Chirp-!
Pleased with its 180-degree transformation, Piora chirped with joy.
'Still cries like a chick, though.'
While Leo let out a dry laugh.
Piora, having soared high into the sky, spread its wings wide and began to descend.
Fwoosh!
An even more intense flame flickered around Piora's body.
Drawing out a familiar's latent potential is the summoner's ability.
But Leo possessed one more special ability on top of that.
It was the ability to strengthen a familiar with aura.
Familiars are beings of spiritual power.
Therefore, they cannot accept aura.
But Kyle had made it possible.
'I was a jack-of-all-trades, but I couldn't reach the ultimate level in any one thing.'
In terms of aura, Kyle fell short of Ar-on and Dweno.
In magic, he couldn't match Luna, and in summoning, he couldn't follow Lisinas.
So, what Leo chose was to fuse his abilities.
Aura and magic power.
Magic power and spiritual power.
Spiritual power and aura.
If he couldn't reach the pinnacle, he had to create something similar.
It was absolutely necessary to end the Age of Calamity.
However, everyone who saw it, even his comrades, said it was impossible.
'They said that the moment the pure form of mana was lost, the powers could not be blended.'
After countless attempts, he succeeded, and Kyle, along with his comrades, rose to the rank of Great Hero and saved the world.
Gwoooooh-!
Aura gathered on Piora's wings.
Piora's eyes widened, and it flapped its wings with even more excitement.
"Ugh! What is this bird!"
Liu shouted in annoyance.
"Get rid of it!"
Kyaaaaaaaak!
The beast let out a piercing shriek.
Piora charged toward the beast and slammed into it.
Kwaang-!
"Keuk?"
The beast was sent flying and fell helplessly toward the ground.
Liu also seemed to have fainted from the impact, his eyes rolling back as he fell to the earth.
"..."
Leo stared blankly at Piora as it flew elegantly toward him.
"What? Why is it so strong?"
He had used spiritual power to draw out Piora's latent abilities and aura to strengthen it.
That alone should have been enough to defeat the beast, which was still just a hatchling.
However, Piora's power just now had far surpassed Leo's expectations.
As he stood there stunned, Leo noticed that his own aura, imbued in Piora's body, was burning even more fiercely.
Leo looked down at his palm.
'The aura I've learned now is the Jerdinger family's aura. And the Jerdinger family's aura originates from the phoenix.'
A strange light gleamed in Leo's eyes.
'What if the phoenix flames fused and enhanced each other's power?'
This was an effect that even Leo hadn't anticipated.
'Does this mean there's still room for refinement and enhancement?'
Just as Leo's lips curled into a smile.
Flash-!
The eyes of the unconscious Fafnir flashed open.
Then, with Liu on its back, it flew up in front of Leo.
Meeting The beast's gaze, Leo's face hardened.
"You… who are you?"
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