Upon arriving at the lake in the south of Neigrang, Leo clicked his tongue.
"Guess this isn't it. This is the second dead end, right?"
Leo took out a map and marked an X on the lake.
'Now, one in the east, one in the north. The last one is... '
Leo turned his head to look at the ruined castle.
'One in the castle ruins.'
Since his final destination overlapped with the castle ruins, he could check the lake there last.
'By the way.'
Leo put the map away and looked behind him.
"So, why have you been chasing me all this time?"
At his question, the person who had been hiding between the buildings appeared in front of Leo.
"Did you know I was following you, Young Master Leo?"
"Yeah."
"Indeed, you are impressive."
"So, the castle ruins are in the opposite direction, right? Why did you follow me here?"
"Why did you come here, Young Master Leo?"
"I have some personal business."
"I also have some personal business."
"What is it?"
Whoosh-!
"It's a challenge."
As Chen Xia activated her aura, a silk-like wave formed around her.
Wrapping it around her body like a cloak, Chen Xia extended her right hand toward Leo and lowered her stance, her left hand pressed against her back.
"Why suddenly?"
"I wanted to know. The gap between Young Master Leo and me. And..."
Chen Xia's expression turned serious.
"Who you are, to what extent."
Leo drew his sword.
"Is that all?"
"I also want the position of class representative."
At her words, Leo burst into laughter.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Not that. It seems this is the first time you've openly shown your ambition."
Chen Xia is one of the top students in the first year.
And the top students all coveted Leo's position as class representative.
Having lived at the top all their lives, they couldn't be satisfied with anything less.
But among them, one student had always kept a step back.
That was Chen Xia.
'She definitely had ambition, though.'
"I'm curious about why you suddenly revealed your ambition."
"Because it's a Battle Royale. A stage where true strength can be measured. And..."
Her eyes darkened.
"I came to watch."
"Huh?"
Whoosh-!
Chen Xia dashed at Leo, her feet pounding the ground.
'First attack?'
Chen Xia was fundamentally a defensive warrior.
Water, her attribute, was more advantageous for defense and evasion than for attack.
In the Knight Studies department, there were often debates about who could break through her soft defense.
'Selia and Duran were considered the only ones with a chance.'
But that was just a possibility.
Even the two students with the strongest offensive power in the department weren't sure they could break through Chen Xia's defense.
Her defensive capabilities were that overwhelming.
She had abandoned that advantage to launch a preemptive strike.
'But, that doesn't mean her attacks are weak.'
Whoosh-!
Leo activated his fiery aura.
Chen Xia's small hand moved gracefully.
But the attack that followed was truly vicious.
Chen Xia's water aura turned into tiny droplets that scattered in all directions.
Each droplet became a sharp needle.
"......!"
Leo hastily wrapped himself in his fiery aura.
Whoosh-!
Hundreds of needles attacked from all sides.
Sizzle!
The water needles collided with the wall of fire, creating steam.
Despite the overwhelming number, the wall of fire held firm.
"You need a spear, not needles."
Chen Xia formed a palm-sized water droplet in her hand, which quickly turned into a sharp spear.
Whoosh-!
The spear-shaped water aura pierced through Leo's fiery aura, aiming for him.
Whoosh!
Leo dodged by leaning his body back.
As he straightened up, Chen Xia's foot came into view.
Her main skill was martial arts.
The biggest drawback of martial arts was the difficulty in closing the distance against an opponent with a weapon.
But conversely, once the distance was closed, the opponent could be rendered helpless.
Leo blocked Chen Xia's attack with his unarmed hand.
Bang-! Thud-!
A bone-crushing impact hit his right forearm, and his feet sank into the dirt.
But he had no time to worry about that.
Chen Xia's fist aimed for his right side.
Leo quickly blocked her attack with his left hand, which was not holding a sword.
Smack-!
Leo's body was sent flying as if hit by a giant club.
Splash-!
Leo's body slammed into the lakeside, sending a column of water high into the air.
"Indeed, Young Master Leo... to counterattack even in such a situation."
Chen Xia frowned and tore the left sleeve of her scorched blouse.
Even as he was sent flying, Leo's fiery aura had managed to penetrate her defense.
Splash.
Leo emerged from the water, shaking his numb right hand and looking at Chen Xia.
Chen Xia smiled at him.
"Indeed, Young Master Leo is impressive. I attacked with all my strength, yet you're unharmed."
"Unharmed? Does this look unharmed to you? It hurts like hell."
Chen Xia smiled bitterly at Leo's grumbling.
'The fact that you still have the energy to joke means you're unharmed, doesn't it?'
Even as she thought this, Chen Xia prepared for Leo's attack.
'I've already tried a surprise attack. Young Master Leo won't fall for the same trick.'
While other tactics were available, now was not the time to launch a hasty attack against Leo.
'I need to block that sword strike.'
Chen Xia recalled the first day she learned the Breath of the Hero.
'That was definitely the maximum firepower Young Master Leo could unleash.'
Roar-!
Chen Xia released her aura.
Her black hair fluttered in the wind, and her obsidian-black eyes turned a sapphire blue.
'If I can just deflect that sword strike!'
"Uncharacteristic of you, Chen Xia."
"Huh?"
"Water always has the power to change according to the flow."
Leo tilted his head.
"But you're too rigid now."
"......!"
"Is something wrong?"
Chen Xia, who had been staring at Leo with a tense face, smiled.
"Nothing's wrong."
Leo extended his hand.
Hum-!
The sword, reacting to his aura, was drawn into his hand.
Whoosh-!
'If I can just block that sword strike!'
Seeing Chen Xia focus, Leo adjusted his stance.
Roar-!
A powerful heat wave enveloped Chen Xia's skin.
Chen Xia tensed her entire body.
'He's coming!'
Boom-!
Seeing Leo's fiery aura approaching, Chen Xia took a deep breath.
The Breath of the Hero activated, and a powerful water current formed around her.
The water aura that swallowed Leo's sword strike altered its flow.
At that moment, Chen Xia sensed something was wrong.
'This can't be all.'
"I told you."
Chen Xia flinched at the voice from behind.
"You're too rigid."
Thud-!
Leo's palm struck her back.
He concentrated his aura at the tip of his palm and pushed it into Chen Xia's back.
Boom-!
"Ugh?"
The compressed aura exploded, sending Chen Xia flying.
Chen Xia, who had been thrown to the ground, gasped as she saw the sword at her throat.
"You lost."
Chen Xia smiled helplessly.
"Young Master Leo, are you really fifteen years old?"
"Of course. How old do I look?"
"Like an uncle who's been through countless battles."
Leo playfully ruffled Chen Xia's hair and stepped back.
"What? You're not going to eliminate me?"
Chen Xia's face suddenly turned cold.
Her voice was so cold it was hard to believe it was her usual self.
"No matter who you are, Young Master Leo, I can't tolerate this. I don't need such mercy..."
"You seem to misunderstand."
Leo chuckled.
"This is a Battle Royale. I can use the loser however I want."
"So?"
"As a loser, you should listen to the winner. Some annoying people are chasing me. Deal with them."
With that, Leo took off.
"What...?"
Chen Xia, still in shock, saw a flash of light from the other side of the building.
"That guy is my target. Don't interfere, Eliza Herkin."
"Cut it out! Leo Flaubert is my prey!"
A familiar voice rang out.
A moment later, Duran and Eliza arrived at the lakeside and stopped when they saw Chen Xia.
"Duran, Eliza. The castle ruins are that way. Why are you here?"
"Rather, why are you here? Are you also after Leo Flaubert?"
Chen Xia smiled bitterly at the approaching Duran.
"Seems so."
'I see what he meant.'
Chen Xia understood what Leo meant by dealing with the annoying people and smiled helplessly.
"You lost?"
"Yes."
"Where did he go?"
Chen Xia replied to the question.
"That way."
As Duran was about to chase after Leo, Chen Xia spoke up.
"Duran, I'm injured, so could you help me get to Nella? Please?"
"Why should I?"
"It's the Inter-Departmental Competition. We're in the same department, aren't we? Surely you're not going to ignore a fellow student for a personal match?"
Duran frowned at Chen Xia's smile.
"You sly fox!"
Since she had mentioned the department, Duran couldn't ignore her.
"I'll do my best. I'm going to finish off Leo Flaubert."
Eliza sneered, and Duran's face crumpled.
"Eliza, I'm having trouble walking. Could you carry me? Please?"
"Chen Xia, if you were in the Summoning Studies department, I would help, but now we're enemies, right?"
"Are you serious? I've always helped you with your studies! Now you're just going to abandon me?"
"What, what?"
"Every time you borrowed my notes, you said you'd definitely pay me back!"
"I, I will pay you back! But there's no need to do it now...!"
Eliza frowned.
Eliza wasn't a diligent student outside her major.
The always kind Chen Xia had helped her study during midterms.
Now, Eliza was reminded of that.
"You act all high and mighty, but you're no different from the others."
Duran curled his lips, and Eliza's eyes widened.
Duran's smile suggested that if he couldn't fight Leo Flaubert, neither could she.
"Ah! We can go together! Just to the central castle ruins! After that, we're enemies!"
"Thank you, Eliza."
Manipulating the two students, Chen Xia sighed as she looked in the direction Leo had disappeared.
'I don't know why he's not going to the central castle ruins... but finish quickly, Young Master Leo.'
***
Central Castle Ruins.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Whoosh! Bang!
"Ugh! It's Selia Gerdinger!"
"Damn! We were so close!"
Naturally, the central castle ruins, the only safe zone in the city, were crowded with students.
To enter the central castle ruins, one had to pass through the gates on the east, west, south, and north.
While it was possible to climb the walls, doing so would expose one to concentrated attacks from the surrounding students, so no one attempted it rashly.
However, that didn't make crossing the gates any easier.
This was due to the students from other departments guarding each gate.
"Damn! This is impossible! Let's go somewhere else!"
The Jureddon party left the wall guarded by Selia and arrived at the west gate.
Seeing the student guarding the west gate, they were at a loss.
"Chloe Mueller!"
At the west gate, Chloe stood with a staff as tall as she was.
'The only ones left are the south and east gates. I hope no top students from other departments are guarding them!'
Eliza, the second-ranked student in the Summoning Studies department, had gone after Leo.
'Please, Woreddon! Just hold one gate!'
If the curse activated and weakened them while they were outside the castle ruins, they would become targets for the students inside.
Depending on the curse, even a well-prepared defense could be wiped out.
As Jureddon's mouth dried up, he was about to move to the south gate when a loud screech came from above.
"Wha?"
Confused, Jureddon looked up.
Chloe also turned her gaze upward, puzzled.
There, a vicious-looking black wyvern was flying.
"Black Wyvern?"
"No way! A top-tier summoned creature can't appear here!"
As the Jureddon party was shocked,
Squawk-!
The black wyvern opened its mouth and began to breathe a stream of acid at the Jureddon party.
"Aaah! What is this?!"
The acid breath melted the ground.
Jureddon looked up with a grim face.
'That's not a summoned creature! Could it be a monster? Is there such a creature?'
Jureddon tried to identify the unknown wyvern using the information in his head.
But it was impossible for him to recognize the wyvern, a beast that had been extinct since the Age of Catastrophe, known as Fafnir.
Fafnir, with its mouth wide open, aimed its breath at the Jureddon party.