The Shadow Wolf emerged slowly from Veronica's shadow, its deep red eyes glowing like embers in the dark as it scanned Leon from head to toe.
[Description: A shadow creature that dwells in the inner zones of the Vinceral Forest. Often tamed by summoners through special shadow-meat feeding rituals.]
'Named summon... A Level 10 at that. So this is her trump card,' Leon thought calmly, his expression unshaken as he locked eyes with the beast.
"Either he plans to accept defeat... or he truly doesn't see that Shadow Wolf as a threat," Ariana murmured with a smile, her eyes glittering with curiosity. She turned to Derisa. "Tell me, just how strong can an alchemist be?"
"When I first met him... he was standing face to face with the leader of a demonic wolf pack," Derisa replied, her eyes glued to the arena. Her voice was steady, but tension lined her jaw.
'That boy... there's something strange about him,' Wander Blain thought silently, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips. 'He exudes an aura I've only seen in the most dangerous of men.
It's like... he already knows how everything will unfold. I could predict the outcomes of the previous matches at a glance. But this one? I can't. Or maybe... I just don't want to.'
On the stage, Veronica raised her hand with fury burning in her eyes.
"Arthur... kill him!" She ordered without any hesitation.
"Oh my god!" Tyron's voice rang out. "Veronica has given the final command. Will Leon surrender? Or will this be the end for him?"
The Shadow Wolf lunged forward, his maw wide open, fangs gleaming like daggers as it charged at full speed.
"Well then... eat some starters, Arthur," Leon said with a smirk, pulling a yellow, glue-like vial from his pocket—its glass engraved with a black circular blast seal.
A glowing red dot appeared in the air in front of him.
Leon adjusted his aim, lined up his throw, and launched the potion with perfect precision.
The vial landed directly inside Arthur's wide open mouth. Instinctively, he bit down—and in that moment, the potion's bottle shattered.
A burst of thick, sticky liquid coated the inside of its mouth—clamping its jaws shut in an instant.
*Mnnnfff! Mnhhfff! Mnhhhhnfff!*
Arthur skidded to a halt, pawing desperately at his muzzle as panic set in.
"A-Arthur?!" Veronica rushed to his side. Her eyes widened in horror. "What... what happened?! What is wrong with your mouth ?"
"What have you given him ?" Veronica asked with a serious expression as she looked at Leon.
"Just some Sticky Potion..." Leon replied with a smile.
She immediately crouched down and saw it—Arthur's lower jaw glued tightly to the upper, a low muffled whimper vibrating from his sealed throat.
"If you don't surrender right now... Arthur's mouth will explode," Leon said coldly, his gaze piercing through her.
"Y-You're bluffing!" she shouted. "You don't—"
"Kaboom," Leon said calmly.
Arthur's head exploded with a sickening blast—blood, muscle, and bone splattering across Veronica's face and all over the ground.
"N-N-NOOOOOOOOO! ARTHUR!!" she screamed as the shadow wolf's twitching corpse collapsed with a dull thud.
[Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!]
'Why would I warn her twice... when I get free EXP from killing her summon?' Leon thought as he turned to look at Malkof, who stood frozen in horror.
Not only him but the entire stadium had fallen into stunned silence. Not a single cheer echoed—not even from House Virellis. Because what they had witnessed wasn't just victory.
A commoner had crushed the daughter of a Seven-Star Household, she was screaming so loudly that it felt like a death ring to everyone's ears.
"Y-You... You'll pay for this, Leon Luster. I swear it," Veronica hissed through clenched teeth, pointing at him with trembling fingers.
"It was a duel. You commanded that thing to kill me. I didn't break any rules... I just killed your dog,.not you" Leon said without flinching. "Now, if you have no other summons... doesn't that mean I win?"
"Right ?" Leon asked as he turned to look at Tyron. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
Tyron hesitated, glancing at Veronica. "M-Madam Veronica, do you—"
"I accept my defeat," she snapped, turning away and stepping down from the stage, her face tight with fury.
"T-The winner... is Leon Luster of House Virellis," Tyron declared with a shaking voice.
No applause followed as Leon stepped off the platform.
Not a single hand clapped as everyone looked at him with pity.
"That kid is ruthless, not afraid of death" Wander Blain muttered, his arms crossed. "She should've known he wasn't bluffing with that face. I should offer him to join my army."
"I don't understand," Derisa whispered. "What kind of potion could do that?"
"It was clearly a sticky potion. But the explosion..." Ariana narrowed her eyes. "He must've hidden a second trigger inside. But when? And how?
How can someone hide a triggering spell inside a potion that small ?"
"I have business to attend to, Please enjoy the duels." the headmaster said quietly, standing up from his seat and vanishing in a flash.
"You… Do you even understand what you've done?" Malkof said, walking beside Leon outside the arena.
"What?" Leon asked with a blank look.
"Don't play dumb! You just made Veronica Reynal your enemy! Even I won't be able to protect you now."
Leon stopped and turned to face him. "Then tell me... what should I have done?"
Malkof hesitated. "Y-You should've accepted defe—"
"Don't you feel ashamed saying that?" Leon cut him off, his voice low and sharp. "It's like you sold your honour at some cheap brothel?"
Malkof looked down, his lips pressed tightly together.
"At least... I'll live longer than you," he muttered.
"Mr. Leon must prefer to die before losing his honour."
The voice came from behind them, both of them turned around and noticed that the headmaster standing right behind them.