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Chapter 83: Prince Sweet Potato

Seron Parmia.

Her appearance brought the battle between me and Ban to a halt.

Both of us simply stared at her.

“...Seron?”

When Ban called her name, Seron flinched.

“I-I'm not Seron!”

If she wanted to hide, she should have done it properly.

That shiny forehead above her mask gave her away instantly.

“Seron, what are you doing right now?”

Recognizing her as Seron, Lina yelled out, questioning why on earth she was siding with the enemy.

Seron’s expression became even more flustered, but she bit her lip and gripped her axes tightly.

“I don’t know! Just fight me already!”

Seron revealed her hostility toward Isabel’s group.

“What’s she even saying? Does she know what’s happening right now?”

Lina reacted in disbelief.

“She’s not Seron,”

Ban said, the blade in his hand exuding a cold and menacing aura.

Even Seron flinched at the sharp intensity.

“Whoever blocks my way will be treated the same.”

Ban made it clear he would break through anyone in his path.

However, Seron stood her ground, raising her axes.

“...Come at me, then.”

A honey badger facing down a lion, baring its fierce teeth.

I found the situation somewhat absurd.

I hadn’t expected Seron to jump into this.

‘Had she been watching from the shadows this whole time?’

Judging by the timing, she must have come thinking I was in danger.

Her intentions were appreciated, but now she was entangling herself with the boycott too.

As I raised my hand to stop her, she spoke with firm resolve.

“I came here of my own will.”

Her lips were tightly pressed together, but her determination was evident.

She had come of her own volition.

Seeing her steadfast back, I lowered my raised hand.

“Can you hold Ban back?”

“Of course.”

Seron clashed her axes together with resolve.

Fine.

Ban is yours to handle.

What’s left is—

Rumble!

Suddenly, flames began to whirl around us.

My gaze shifted to the one controlling the flames.

The summoner of a high-ranking spirit and a top-tier spirit scholar: Beaquirin Monem.

The highest-ranking fire spirit she controlled manifested, spewing fire everywhere. The spirit, reminiscent of a massive lizard, flicked its tongue.

Even with my high resistance, I could feel the intense heat.

And the spirit’s eyes were locked solely on me.

‘It must have sensed the presence of the Fire Spirit King.’

[TL/N: I used Spirit Lord earlier bc it sounded cooler but PR insists ‘King’ is more common :( ]

After all, I carried the remains of the Fire Spirit King within me.

It wasn’t surprising for the top-ranking fire spirit to detect something.

“No idea what’s happening, but…”

Beaquirin, who seemed to have been waiting patiently, casually flicked her hand.

“With Sharin and Ling here, you’re acting way too bold.”

Standing beside Beaquirin, Sharin glared at me disapprovingly before letting out a sigh and raising her staff.

“Senior Vikamon, things are going to get rough for you.”

Sharin had come at Isabel’s request.

She had no intention of going easy on me.

I now faced a battle against a top-tier summoner and the top-ranked of the magic arts.

Isabel wouldn’t remain idle forever either.

Just as I braced for a grueling fight—

Whoooosh!

A gust of wind blew through, scattering the swirling flames.

“What?”

Beaquirin’s voice betrayed her surprise.

As she quickly looked up, a colossal jade-colored bird descended from the sky.

The bird was so massive that its sheer grandeur overwhelmed those looking upon it.

With each flap of its transparent wings, powerful winds shook everyone in its vicinity.

“Is that… a Spirit King?”

Beaquirin’s voice was tinged with astonishment.

The bird was indeed a Spirit King, the one contracted with Foara Silin.

Thud!

Riding the wind, a boy landed beside me.

“Whoa!”

He landed awkwardly, flailing before managing to stand properly.

Adjusting the glasses perched on his mask, he exclaimed,

“I-I've come to help!”

“Foara Silin, why are you here?”

Beaquirin demanded, visibly taken aback.

“I’m not Foara! I’m just a passing spirit mage!”

The boy frantically shook his head, his expression flustered.

“What are you talking about?”

Beaquirin’s reaction was incredulous.

Her expression soon darkened, as though questioning if she was being mocked.

‘He must have sensed the spirit’s power and come here.’

Foara likely came to contribute in some way to the boycott’s cause.

“I-I’ll handle the spirit,”

Foara stammered, avoiding Beaquirin’s intense gaze.

Fine.

With this much, we might stand a chance.

“As I said before…”

I raised my fist toward Isabel’s group.

“Only authorized personnel are allowed here.”

* * *

Explosions echoed as the highest-ranking spirit clashed with the Spirit King.

The chaos threw ordinary students into turmoil.

Amidst the confusion, Seron and Ban collided in a fierce struggle.

Seron’s desperate axe techniques were sharp enough to surprise even Ban, demonstrating how much her skills had improved.

Beyond the two of them, flashes of magic illuminated the battlefield.

Every time Sharin’s light magic fell, the surroundings were devastated.

It was practically a meteor shower.

Thud!

Cutting through the remnants of light, Isabel’s friend Lina emerged, her sword aimed at me.

Her adept swordsmanship sought to corner me.

But I was someone who had gone toe-to-toe with Ban.

My heightened reflexes tracked every movement of her blade, allowing me to dodge effortlessly.

“Why is a mage so quick?!”

Lina exclaimed, breathing heavily.

Sorry, but I’m no mage.

Feigning a retreat, I suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance between us in an instant.

Caught off guard, Lina flinched, and I seized the opportunity to strike her wrist with my fist.

Bang!

A blast spell activated at my elbow, propelling my punch with added force.

Crack!

“Ack!”

Unable to react, Lina took the hit directly, her grip on her sword weakening.

Seizing the moment, I released a faint current through the sword’s blade.

The residual electricity from my “Lightning Caller” ring flowed out, making her flinch and drop her weapon.

She had seen what happened to Farsen earlier.

The moment she felt the current, she let go.

Clang!

The fallen sword was kicked away by me.

With that, Lina was disarmed.

But she wasn’t the real problem.

Whoosh!

Through the smoke from Sharin’s light bullets, Isabel appeared.

Her crimson eyes glowed with a beast-like ferocity as her sword surged toward my neck.

This one, I couldn’t dodge.

I immediately raised my hand to intercept.

Clang!

Using the edge of my palm, I blocked the blow.

Together, Isabel and I disappeared into the swirling smoke.

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Through the clouded, dusty air, I quietly sharpened my senses.

As I held my breath, Isabel’s silhouette came into view.

Before her figure could fully appear, her sword pierced through the smoke.

Clang! Clang!

Without hesitation, my knife hand clashed repeatedly against her sword.

Her blade was alive with intent.

‘Just judging by the sharpness, she's more than halfway there.’

It dawned on me just how much training Isabel must have undergone.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d fought Isabel.

To think we'd finally confront each other in a place like this.

Life truly is unpredictable.

Just as I dodged the soaring blade, I realized something.

Thud!

I had backed myself into a wall.

‘Damn.’

Focusing entirely on Isabel's blade, I had neglected my rear.

As her sword thrust toward my chest, I swung both hands simultaneously.

My fingers slipped between the incoming blade aimed at my heart—a move I'd once used against Ban.

The Sword Breaker.

Crack!

In the instant I shattered Isabel’s sword, I caught a glint of light from another direction.

It was another blade, already in mid-swing.

Isabel had discarded her broken weapon and now wielded Lina’s sword—the one I’d disarmed moments ago.

‘I’ve been outmaneuvered.’

Isabel had anticipated this from the beginning, knowing I’d resort to the Sword Breaker.

She had planned to abandon her first weapon and switch to Lina's.

Her crimson eyes shone with resolve, full of determination to defeat me at any cost.

Before I knew it, I found myself smiling.

‘Yeah, a main heroine should come at me like that.’

A magical engraving on the wall behind me began to glow.

Isabel noticed, but it was too late.

BOOM!

The wall collapsed entirely with a deafening roar.

“You!”

I heard Isabel’s voice, but I quickly rolled backward and bolted.

I’d bought enough time.

That was all I needed.

Gripping the Lightning Caller in my hand, I unleashed Professor Barquio’s stored electric charge at full power.

Magic Engraving: Lightning Caller

A black bolt of lightning materialized in my hand, and without hesitation, I hurled it toward Ban and Seron.

Ban, sensing the danger, immediately retreated.

“Ahhh!”

Startled, Seron also backed away.

In that moment, I grabbed her waist.

“Kyaa!”

This time, Seron screamed for a different reason, her face turning bright red as I held her.

“Foara, retreat!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Foara ceased her fight with Beaquirin and retreated.

“Stop right there! Look at what you’ve done to my ring!”

Beaquirin shouted at Foara, but she couldn’t give chase.

Even for a high-ranking elemental spirit contractor, there was no defying a Spirit King.

Beaquirin clenched her teeth, furious, and Foara would no doubt face her wrath later.

As I ran, I spotted Sharin in the distance.

She looked at me with a slightly exasperated expression.

Her gaze seemed to say, You could have at least warned me.

I’ll apologize to her later.

For now, the best strategy is to run away as fast as possible.

* * *

After running for quite some time, Isabel and her group stopped pursuing us.

Though Isabel might have wanted to chase me down, their primary goal was to mediate the chaos caused by the boycott group.

They had no reason to come after me specifically.

Hiding in a building and catching my breath, I finally felt the exhaustion set in.

No matter how much hellish endurance training I’d done with Aisha, even I had my limits.

Bang! Crash!

In the distance, members of the student council and the boycott group were still battling fiercely.

Even from afar, their desperate struggle was evident.

“Ah.”

Seron let out a small exclamation, and I realized I’d forgotten about her.

I gently set her down.

Seron, however, was staring toward the window with trembling eyes.

“Seron?”

When I called her name, she bit her lip.

“Prince… No, senior Vikamon.”

So she figured it out.

In all the chaos, Vikamon’s name had been shouted countless times.

There was no way she wouldn’t recognize it.

As I gave her a wry smile, Seron lowered her head.

“This whole incident… It’s because of senior Nikita, isn’t it?”

Vikamon had feelings for Nikita.

His obsession with her led to his downfall and eventual expulsion.

Even if Seron hadn’t known my face, she would have heard the rumors.

For her, this must have felt like heartbreak.

“It’s okay. I would have done the same.”

Seron’s voice was tinged with sorrow as she forced a faint smile.

Her tear-filled expression left me at a loss for words.

“But this is as far as I can go.”

Her eyes remained fixed on the scene outside the window.

“I have a friend on the student council. He’s a bit clueless but very dear to me.”

I finally understood what she was looking at: Hania, disguised as Hannon.

“I can’t betray my friend any further. He’s my one and only.”

Her words were resolute, though her smile was faint.

“He’s kind of a terrible friend, though.”

I clenched my fist tightly as Seron turned away.

“That day, thanks to you, I realized I wasn’t entirely miserable.”

Her words were honest.

“Thank you.”

With that, she left.

Watching her retreating figure, I bit my lip.

Because of the Veil Bandages, I’d lost love.

But Seron’s display of friendship had shown me its true meaning.

Seron and I are friends.

Now and always.

But how long could I keep deceiving her?

Should I reveal my true identity?

My gut told me this was my only chance.

"Bruised tomato!"

What followed was pure impulse.

I am an outsider in this world.

But even so, Seron had accepted me as her friend.

So, for once, I wanted to break free of these constraints.

I plastered a smile on my face, called out the nickname I’d given her long ago, and pressed the Veil Bandages.

Under the moonlight streaming through the window…

My form transformed into Hannon.

The pendant Seron once thought I’d given to Vikamon glinted as I held it aloft.

“Huh?”

Seron turned, bewildered, her eyes wide with confusion.

Grinning, I looked at her dumbfounded face and said,

“Let’s talk tomorrow.”

With that, I bolted.

Who cares?

I’ll deal with it later.

Tomorrow’s me, I’m counting on you.

【Act 4, Scene 1: ‘The Boycott Turmoil’ ends.】

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