The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student-Chapter 18: The Spark of Rivalry

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The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

[Original — Yerona]

[TL — MiT7]

[PR — Spades]

[QC — Lumi]

Chapter 18 — The Spark of Rivalry

——————

Students parted, forming a path with Leo and Duran at the center.

The clash of Freshman Representative vs. Top Ranker electrified the air.

"Who's gonna win?"

"Duran, obviously!"

"Yeah, he was famous even before enrollment."

"But the representative's gotta show something, right?"

"Nah, he wasn't even top ranker. And I heard he hasn't mastered Aura Step."

Every first-year bet on Duran's victory.

Celia, concerned, asked, "You sure about this?"

"Don't trust me?"

"You only learned Aura Step's theory just now."

"Don't worry. I'll win."

Duran pointed to a large tree against the training yard's wall.

"The race is simple. Round that tree and return here first to win."

"Got it."

Both warmed up.

Leo removed his wrist and ankle bracelets, recalling Ain's Aura Step theory.

After stretching, they lined up at the starting point.

A student referee raised a hand.

"Ready."

Leo tensed his muscles.

"Go!"

They shot forward, kicking off the ground.

Leo took the lead.

Duran, trailing, grimaced.

'Ridiculously fast.'

"Nice! So quick!"

"Leo oppa, fighting!"

Carl clenched his fists, cheering. Chelsea bounced with excitement.

But Celia's face remained grim.

'Duran hasn't used Aura Step yet.'

Both were running on pure physical strength.

Leo's athleticism was so exceptional even Celia acknowledged it.

Without Aura Step, Leo's lead was natural.

But it was only an early edge.

When Duran activated his aura, the gap closed instantly.

Crackle—! Golden sparks enveloped Duran's legs.

Lightning aura.

"I'm taking the lead, slowpoke," Duran sneered, surging ahead.

He rounded the tree far faster than Leo, sprinting at breakneck speed.

To anyone watching, Leo's defeat seemed certain.

Then, Leo exploded toward the wall with ferocious acceleration.

"Aura Step? Didn't they say the representative can't use it?"

"Was that a lie?"

Students murmured. Celia's eyes widened.

'No, that monster learns way too fast!'

Screaming internally, she watched.

Even as the wall loomed, Leo didn't slow.

Whoosh—!

"Wait, he's not stopping?"

"He'll crash!"

Students screamed as Leo charged the wall at terrifying speed.

Thud—!

Leo focused strength in his legs and leaped.

Planting both feet on the wall, he glanced at Duran's back.

Crack—!

The wall splintered as Leo launched off, chasing Duran.

Students gasped in shock.

Duran, glancing back, froze.

Leo flew like a bullet.

'This guy!'

Panicked by the unexpected pursuit, Duran quickly regained composure.

'He lost momentum landing!'

Maintaining his speed, Duran felt secure.

Leo hit the ground and surged forward.

With Aura Step activated, his speed was incomparable to before.

Yet the gap with Duran didn't close.

Halfway to the finish line.

"Leo, you got this!"

"Duran, run!"

Students split, cheering loudly.

Celia bit her lip.

'No, he can't catch up.'

Leo knew it too.

Whoosh—!

Flames sparked at his toes.

'The technique Professor Ain used to walk in the air.'

He recalled Ain's demonstration.

Replicating it fully was impossible.

Leo was a mere Aura Step novice.

But he could borrow Ain's method.

Activating Phoenix Breath, Leo focused aura at his toes.

Blaze—!

And then...

'Kick off the ground!'

Thud—! Boom!

A sudden explosion startled the students.

Celia's jaw dropped.

'Phoenix Step? Leo hasn't mastered that yet!'

Boom—! Boom—!

Consecutive small explosions echoed.

Leo accelerated dramatically.

Burning all his limited aura, he closed in right behind Duran.

"Guh? This guy!"

"I'm taking the lead, slowpoke."

Leo grinned, kicking the ground hard.

Boom—!

"Leo Flove!"

Duran roared, eyes blazing, chasing close behind.

The gap didn't widen, but Duran couldn't overtake Leo's newfound speed.

Leo's fiery aura and Duran's lightning aura streaked through the air.

By a hair's breadth, Leo crossed the finish line first.

"Wooo!"

"Insane! That was crazy fast!"

Students erupted in awe.

"Huff—! Huff—!"

Duran, panting heavily, glared at Leo.

Leo, hands on knees, drenched in sweat, took deep breaths.

"Dude! That was epic! Duran's the fastest first-year, and you beat him?" Carl exclaimed.

"It'd have been different in a longer race," Celia said.

"Huh?"

"She's right. His aura capacity's much higher."

Leo nodded at Celia's remark.

"Still, I won. Told you I would." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"Ugh, fine. You're amazing," Celia said, shaking her head at Leo's smugness.

"Leo oppa! Water!"

"Thanks."

Leo smiled softly, taking the bottle from Chelsea.

"Even guys think he's cool. Bet he's popular with girls. Is this what a refined gentleman's like?" Carl mused.

Chelsea shook her head. "Not a gentleman."

"Huh? Why?"

"During the exam, he threatened to burn my butt to get my cooperation."

Chelsea's face soured, pouting.

Carl muttered, "A perverted gentleman."

***

"I felt it yesterday, but Professor Albi didn't pick him as representative for nothing," Ain murmured, watching from the training yard's rooftop.

"Isn't stopping student fights part of a professor's duty, Professor Ain?" Assistant Professor Claria sighed, pointing out.

Ain smirked. "It's an annual tradition, isn't it?"

Lumern gathered elite students from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Clashes like this were routine early in the term.

"Knowing that and not intervening is the real issue," Claria countered.

"This year's first-years have many hero-caliber talents. The academy's watching closely. That's why we need to sort the gems from the stones early."

Lumern's professors upheld equality.

But favoritism was human nature.

Despite his stern exterior, Ain's passion for teaching earned him lasting respect from graduates.

He took pride in his students.

His one regret? None had yet become a hero.

"Raising a hero, Claria. You know how much I want that."

"I'm sure you do."

Sighing, Claria pulled out a notebook. "So, what now?"

Even in trial classes, unauthorized duels broke school rules.

"It wasn't a fight. Let it slide."

'He really likes Leo.'

Ain, strict about rules, overlooked this.

Claria chuckled, watching Leo chat with friends.

***

After class, Leo sat in the student café.

Word of his race with Duran spread across the school like wildfire.

"Day one, and you're the talk of the academy!" Carl said, giving a thumbs-up.

Sipping fruit juice through a straw, Chelsea added, "Leo oppa's performance was definitely impressive."

"Hey, Chelsea Lewallin. I've been wondering—why call Leo 'oppa' but me by name?"

"My choice."

Chelsea stuck out her tongue.

"You—!"

"Don't like it? Call my brother 'oppa' too!"

"I'll stick to names."

Celia gave up cleanly.

"Next is Summoning Studies. Anyone taking it?" Carl asked, checking his schedule.

"I am," Leo said.

The trio stared, their faces screaming, 'Why bother?'

Knight Studies taught practical skills, and Magic Studies boosted magic resistance.

Both were popular minors, but Summoning Studies was useless without innate talent.

Ignoring their looks, Leo sipped his juice, thinking, 'Wonder what faces they'd make if I said I'm taking all three majors.'

Parting ways, he headed to the lecture hall.

He recalled the reward from his entrance exam.

Normally, conquering a living hero's world yielded no reward.

'But I got one.'

An anomaly.

And another mystery lingered.

'Why the Pact with the Fairy King?'

Rewards in a hero's world tied to the world's master's power.

'Professor Albi's a pure mage.'

Logically, he should've gained a magic-related ability.

But Leo received a summoning ability.

The last recorded Fairy King contractor was Luna.

The Pact, severed since the Age of Calamity, now rested with Leo.

'But the Pact alone can't form a contract.'

Beast summoning required a catalyst tied to the creature.

For fairies, it was a World Tree leaf.

The World Tree vanished during the Age of Despair, destroyed by Erebos.

To contract a fairy now, one had to visit Fairy Land, the elves' domain.

'But Fairy Land's off-limits to humans. Even if I went, meeting the Fairy King's unlikely.'

For now, the reward was useless.

"You're taking Summoning Studies too?"

A voice called from behind.

Turning, Leo saw a female student.

'Let's see... the eastern top ranker, right?'