“Haha! Serves them right!”
“What kind of class representative or Southern top student are they? They couldn’t even start! They’re stuck in last place for sure!”
The Summoning students who had ganged up on them laughed mockingly.
“Hey, Eliza, how do you feel? Isn’t this satisfying?”
Liu, a male student from Class 3 who had led the attack, snickered as he spoke to Eliza, who was flying ahead.
They were among the top-performing first-year Summoning students and currently leading the race.
Eliza, at the front, responded.
“I don’t like it.”
“What?”
“I can beat Leo Plov anytime I want. The same goes for Warren Tiden.”
Eliza glanced at the students with a critical gaze.
“If you interfere like this as a group, it only makes Leo Plov and Warren Tiden stand out even more. And what do you think this does to the Summoning Department’s reputation?”
“Hahaha. W-Well, but they’ll still be humiliated…”
“Next time, think before you act. And right now, focus on the exam.”
With a cold tone, Eliza turned her head sharply and soared higher into the air.
Liu scowled as he watched her back.
‘Annoying girl! Just because she was born into a prestigious family, she acts so high and mighty!’
He sneered internally.
‘At this pace, Warren won’t be able to catch up. Aside from Eliza, I’m the best at handling flying beasts! I’ll easily secure second place. And this time, I even made a new beast contract!’
Liu snorted.
Right before the exam—
He had managed to buy a summoning catalyst in Lumeria City by sheer luck!
‘That dumb merchant didn’t know its value! I can’t control it yet… But if I summon it at the last moment and take down Eliza… First place will be mine! Let’s see if she can keep acting noble then!’
“Huh? Liu, someone’s coming up behind us.”
A female Summoning student looked puzzled.
They had assumed they were far ahead, but someone was catching up.
“What? Who…? Huh?! Chen Xia?!”
Chen Xia was flying toward them at an incredible speed.
But her posture on the griffon was unusual.
She was crouching on the saddle, balancing on both feet.
“What? That stance?”
“She caught up like that? Impressive.”
“She must have slowed down first. If we accelerate, she won’t be able to keep up.”
In Summoning, mana wasn’t just used to control summoned creatures—it also enhanced them.
By infusing mana into their griffons, the Summoning students could increase their speed, making it difficult for Chen Xia to keep up.
“Still, who knows what tricks she might pull.”
Liu grinned.
“Let’s eliminate her completely.”
Cooperation was allowed in the Summoned Beast Race.
That meant they could team up against a strong competitor.
At the front, Eliza glanced behind her and narrowed her eyes.
“Hmm. She should have just run away, but she chose the hard way.”
Eliza smirked, watching as if enjoying the show.
“What’s so special about the Eastern top student? So annoying.”
A female Summoning student sneered and summoned a spirit.
“Let’s make sure she doesn’t even finish the race! Go!”
A wind spirit turned into a bullet and shot toward Chen Xia, who was in an unstable crouching stance.
Noticing it, Chen Xia lowered her body even more.
FWOOOSH-!
Suddenly, Chen Xia’s griffon soared straight up.
While the Summoning students were momentarily startled, Chen Xia’s griffon flipped upside down, positioning the saddle toward the ground.
Now hanging upside down from the griffon, Chen Xia kicked off the saddle and let go of the reins.
“W-What?!”
The female student who had attacked her gasped.
She had never expected a rider to attack directly.
Chen Xia summoned a wind spirit to adjust her trajectory midair, then grinned and launched a kick.
Before the girl could react, Chen Xia’s foot struck her, sending her plummeting to the ground with a scream.
“KYAAAAAH! Th-This is a foul!”
“I didn’t use aura, so it’s fair game.”
Chen Xia smiled brightly and grabbed the reins of the now riderless griffon, calming it.
“Tch! Chen Xia, you—!”
“Hello, Liu.”
“Not bad, but look at your situation! You made the wrong choice!”
She had caught them off guard once, but now that they knew her attack style, they could prepare countermeasures.
“Hmm. True, aerial combat isn’t in my favor. But I’m not your only problem.”
“What?”
“There’s someone else who didn’t appreciate your little stunt.”
Smirking, Celia pointed behind them.
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion went off at the rear.
“W-What?!”
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions continued, knocking riders out of the sky.
“It seems Warren doesn’t take kindly to being messed with.”
Chen Xia waved and then, without hesitation, jumped off her griffon.
Her waiting griffon caught her midair, lifting her higher.
“Tch! Get her—”
Screeeech!
Liu shouted, but a griffon’s cry rang from afar.
Flinching, he turned his head—
Warren’s griffon was speeding toward them at an incredible pace.
He had caught up to the lead group in an instant.
Warren smirked.
“Thanks for the gift, losers.”
FWOOOOSH!
A massive flame gathered around him.
“Here’s my return gift.”
“Scatter!”
BOOOOOOM-!
Liu shouted in panic as a huge explosion engulfed the area.
***
Leo, in dead last, crossed the fence.
He approached the last remaining griffon.
Grrrrr-!
The griffon eyed him warily, making Leo frown.
‘All of these griffons should be ones managed by Lumerne Academy, right?’
Tamed beasts don’t normally show hostility toward humans.
Feeling something was off, Leo noticed the griffon limping slightly.
‘Is it injured?’
Looking closely at its wings, Leo scowled.
‘This isn’t from a fight between griffons. Someone deliberately hurt it.’
Recalling the interference before the race, Leo clicked his tongue.
“Someone’s playing dirty.”
Leo chuckled and stepped forward.
Screeech!
The griffon reacted aggressively, but Leo didn’t back down.
Screeeeech!
-Oh! Leo is approaching recklessly! Even if a griffon is a lower-tier beast, getting too close while it’s this agitated can make taming much harder! He’s being impatient and making a mistake!
From the stands, Celia stomped her foot.
“Ugh! Why is he pushing so hard?”
Watching her frustration, Rhis stroked his chin.
“He must have a plan.”
Screeech! Screeeeech!
The frenzied griffon thrashed as Leo grabbed the reins.
Screeeeech!
Just as everyone panicked—
GRAB-!
Leo firmly pulled on the griffon’s reins and sharpened his gaze.
“Kneel.”
His voice carried authority, making the griffon flinch.
It hesitated, lowering its raised talons and cautiously watching Leo before finally lowering its posture.
As if in submission, the griffon bowed its back, allowing Leo to mount.
“Good boy.”
Leo stroked its neck, but the griffon still trembled.
-Uh… What’s happening? The griffon is submitting on its own! Leo has achieved the fastest taming time!
Commentator Lunba’s voice wavered in shock.
Indeed, among all participants, Leo had tamed and mounted his griffon in the shortest time.
Watching this, Yura clicked her tongue.
‘Did he just subdue it through sheer presence? What is this kid incapable of?’
Her assumption that he was weak in real combat had been completely wrong.
‘If Warren has overwhelming power, then Leo has overwhelming technique.’
Yura’s eyes sparkled.
‘This race might turn out to be more interesting than I thought.’
Screeeeech!
As Leo pulled on the reins, the griffon roared and took off into the sky.
But with one injured wing, its flight was unstable, and it struggled to gain speed.
-Oh no! Leo’s griffon has an injured wing! He managed to start, but bad luck keeps piling up! He’s definitely stuck in last place!
Lunba exclaimed in sympathy.
Leo gently stroked the griffon’s neck and focused his mana.
“By the name of the covenant, reveal yourself before me.”
FWOOOOSH-!
Flames flared around Leo, forming a massive fireball that enveloped him.
“What’s that?”
“Did he summon a fire-based beast?”
“I thought he hadn’t contracted any beasts or spirits yet?”
The audience murmured at the unexpected summoning.
“What is that fire?”
Celia’s eyes widened.
Rhis’s gaze twitched.
‘Zerdinger’s flame? No, that’s not aura fire. Then what is it?’
Within the flames, a summoning circle formed on Leo’s palm.
The blazing summoning circle soon spat out a small bird.
Chirp- chirp-
“…It always looks like a chick.”
Leo commented as the baby phoenix, Piora, pecked his thumb.
“Oh? You understand me now?”
On Leo’s palm, Piora flapped its wings elegantly and lifted its chin.
As if trying to exude the majesty of a phoenix.
Of course, to Leo, it just looked—
‘Like a chick.’
“If we can communicate, that makes things easier. Piora, can you bless this griffon?”
Blessing.
One of the phoenix’s unique abilities, allowing it to bestow a portion of its power onto a chosen being.
This ability was one of the reasons phoenix summoners were considered the strongest summoners.
Piora nodded, then leaped from Leo’s palm onto the griffon’s head.
The already frightened griffon trembled even more.
Instinctively, it feared the supreme-class summoned beast.
Piora elegantly stretched its neck and gently pecked the griffon’s head.
FWOOOOOSH-!
The griffon’s fur bristled.
Despite its previous struggle, its wingbeats grew stronger.
Its white fur began to glow with a reddish hue, and its yellow eyes turned orange.
Leo smirked and let Piora perch on his shoulder.
FWOOOOSH-!
The surrounding flames dissipated.
Screeeeech!
The griffon let out a powerful roar.
“Let’s go!”
With a tug of the reins, the griffon shot into the sky at incredible speed.
“What the?! That’s insanely fast!”
“A first-year can enhance a summoned beast this much?”
The audience gasped in shock.
Soaring high, Leo spotted the trailing group in the distance and narrowed his eyes before diving downward.
The audience screamed.
“Wait! Isn’t that way too fast?”
“How is he going to dodge the obstacles at that speed?”
Ahead of Leo, a pillar of light appeared.
The pillar, created through magic, continuously fired red energy blasts in all directions.
One of the fundamental traps in the Summoned Beast Race!
Getting hit by one of those orbs would deal immense physical damage, possibly leading to instant elimination.
And the faster you flew, the harder they were to dodge.
However, there was a pattern.
‘Up—Down—Down—Left—Left—Right—Up—Left.’
Leo’s eyes quickly analyzed the firing sequence.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
He weaved through the energy blasts at full speed, dodging each one flawlessly.
As if he and the griffon were one, his control was exceptional, drawing gasps from the spectators.
-Ooooh! Leo is displaying phenomenal summoned beast control!
The commentator shouted excitedly.
Having cleared the first obstacle instantly, Leo pulled on the reins.
Since he had held back some speed for evasion, he still had room to accelerate.
Exiting the starting area, Leo sped across the sky.
Along the way, he spotted several students struggling mid-flight.
‘Warren must have wrecked everything in his path.’
Of course, not everyone had been eliminated.
But they had taken significant damage, unable to fly at proper speeds.
Thanks to that, Leo quickly caught up to the trailing group.
“H-Huh? L-Leo Plov?”
“He escaped the elemental attack? No, more importantly, how did he catch up so fast?”
The Summoning students gasped as Leo closed in.
“Leo!”
Laura, a Summoning student from Class 5, smiled brightly.
Seeing Laura struggling against interference from other students, Leo pulled the reins.
“Looks like Warren already took care of a few, but…”
Leo’s griffon grabbed a male student’s collar with its front claws.
“Y-You bastard!”
“I like paying people back equally.”
Leo flashed a grin at the struggling student.
The student frantically tried to free himself, but before he could do anything, Leo’s griffon soared upward.
The student flailed, dangling in the air.
Then, Leo maneuvered his griffon and hurled the captive student toward another competitor.
“Aaaagh!”
“Why is he throwing him at us—?!”
CRASH-!
They collided midair and plummeted toward the ground.
The remaining students in the trailing group panicked.
FLAP-! FLAP-!
Leo, hovering above them, smirked coldly.
“Alright, everyone, are you ready?”
End Of Chapter
