Chapter 30

“…I was so embarrassed that I ran away… Well, I had to come back right away anyway…”

Hera, trying to cool her flushed face by fanning it with her hand, returned to the waiting room, her heart still racing and looking around cautiously.

By the time the heat had subsided from her face, she arrived at the waiting room… but there was Rouge, looking absentminded.

“Professor Rouge.”

“Y-Yes! What is it, Lady Hera!?”

As soon as Rouge heard Hera speak to her, she snapped to attention and was surprised to see Hera in front of her.

Hera gave Rouge a cold look and warned her.

“If you try to manipulate my memory, I’ll know. You don’t have to, but… if you do, I’ll involve the Duke’s family. Please think carefully about what that means before you act.”

“Y-Yes ma’am!!”

Rouge, overwhelmed by the faint but menacing aura from Hera, trembled as she stammered her reply.

After giving Rouge another icy glance, Hera entered the waiting room. Her eyes were drawn to a magical recording device showing a scene of Kai easily defeating his opponent with overwhelming power.

Kai looked proud, his face filled with arrogance. Hera looked at him with disgust, but at the same time, she felt relieved.

“…I’m glad he was my opponent… If it had been Shin, I definitely would’ve let him win…”

(Shin lost to that narcissist Kai, so I have to avenge him.)

With that thought, Hera, brimming with determination, headed from the waiting room to the arena.

“And now, the long-awaited final match! This season features a showdown between students with the greatest talent in our academy’s history! Let’s bring them out! First, from the commoners, but having posted the highest magic power levels ever recorded, and finishing all of his matches in under 30 seconds — the promising new student, Kai!”

With the female announcer’s words, Kai made his bold entrance, and the audience erupted in cheers.

Normally, commoners wouldn’t receive such applause, but his overwhelming victories so far had won him admiration from the crowd.

“And next, hailing from the renowned Dragonslay Duke family, the prodigy with unmatched beauty and power — Hera Dragonslay!”

As Hera appeared, the crowd’s excitement surged even higher.

The match between the two students, both having posted the highest magical power levels in history, was being closely watched by not just the crowd but even the upper echelons of the country, and beyond.

When Hera stepped onto the arena, Kai, who had already arrived and was brimming with confidence, spoke to her casually.

But Hera could clearly sense the lust Kai was directing toward her.

“Look, Hera… The audience is watching us…”

“Of course they are. What are you even talking about?”

“…You’re awfully arrogant, aren’t you, Hera? Even though you’re weaker than me?”

“I couldn’t care less about you. But… I will avenge Shin, whom you defeated.”

“……..”

At the mention of Shin, Kai’s face twisted in discomfort.

To Kai, Shin was the only person in the world with an incomprehensible and ridiculous strength, someone he feared.

Knowing that Hera, the girl he had tried to conquer, was connected to Shin reignited that fear, and his expression turned bitter.

“…? What are you afraid of?”

Hera, who could read the emotions of others, was baffled by Kai’s fear of Shin despite his victory.

But as Hera coldly pointed this out with a piercing gaze, Kai’s anger quickly swallowed his fear, and magic power surged from his entire body.

“…It seems you need some education, Hera…”

“Too bad, I don’t need your lessons. Besides, if I had to be taught by someone… I’d prefer Shin.”

In her mind, Hera imagined Shin as the domineering hero from her favorite romantic manga.

‘Hey, Hera.’

‘Y-Yes…♡’

‘How many times do I have to tell you? Use your body more in battle. Stop being so timid.’

‘I-I’m doing my best…’

‘Hah… Guess I’ll have to teach you myself, since you’re so useless.’

‘P-Please take care of me…♡’

Imagining Shin as her instructor made Hera blush slightly.

Seeing this, Kai reached the limit of his patience and shouted at the referee to start the match.

“…Start the match already.”

“Lady Hera, are you…?”

“I’m fine. Let’s get this over with.”

When asked by the referee, Hera immediately returned to her usual expression, glaring at Kai with disdain.

Sensing the mutual hostility between the two, the referee trembled, fearing he would get caught in the crossfire, and quickly gave the starting signal.

“Th-The match — begins!!”

At that moment, the two opponents stepped forward with such force that the ground caved in, colliding with each other.

A loud explosion echoed through the arena, and the nearby referee was blown away by the shockwave from their clash.

“You’re pretty good…!”

“…”

Kai, now with an unstable smirk that replaced his earlier anger, spoke to Hera, but she narrowed her eyes and, filled with hostility, silently enhanced her body and swung a punch at Kai’s face.

“You’re fast, I’ll give you that. But… not fast enough.”

“…!”

Kai caught Hera’s punch and delivered a knee strike to her solar plexus.

However, Hera quickly kicked off the ground, launching herself into the air. She enveloped herself in silver magic, stepping through the air and throwing Kai with immense force.

Kai, unable to escape Hera’s overwhelming strength, crashed into the magical barrier surrounding the arena with a loud impact.

“Ugh…!”

“Haa… You boasted about being stronger than me with just this? Shin is much stronger than you.”

Hera, still enveloped in silver magic, looked down at Kai, who had been blown away by her attack, and let out a disappointed sigh.

Hearing Hera’s condescending attitude, something snapped inside Kai.

“I’ve been holding back this whole time… but no more! Now I’ll half-kill you… then I’ll have my way with you afterward.”

With those words, Kai’s body erupted with a four-colored magical power, and he shouted triumphantly.

“Come forth — Phoenix, Aqua Knight, Gale, Titan…!!”

At that moment, the four-colored magic flared up, transforming into distinct forms.

And then… four transcendent-class spirits appeared.

The crowd gasped in astonishment.

No one in history had ever been able to contract with four transcendent-class spirits at the same time.

“How’s this, Hera? Do you understand my power now? Though it’s too late for forgiveness.”

Kai sneered viciously as he declared his superiority.

However, Hera, who had already seen the divine spirit Zeus, felt no threat at all.

(So this is the guy who beat Shin… I thought he’d be stronger. Shin is much better at martial arts. His spirits are supposedly powerful, but… not as much as mine.)

Sensing that Kai had switched to using spirits because he couldn’t keep up with her martial prowess, Hera released silver magic from her entire body.

The magic shot up to the sky, covering the air in a silver glow.

“Haa… I feel sorry for you, so I’ll fight on your terms from now on.”

With those words, Hera called out in a commanding yet beautiful voice that echoed throughout the arena.

“Come forth — Bahamut!!”

In an instant, an overwhelming light far surpassing Kai’s filled the entire venue.