Chapter 91: The Battle Everyone Was Waiting For

The Battle Everyone Was Waiting For

"Why?" someone asked curiously.

"Because Steffan has already earned three ’Complete Victories.’ Getting a Complete Victory isn’t easy—you have to sweep every other student off the stage by yourself!"

"Three in nine matches? In past years, getting just one Complete Victory made the news. Steffan got three?"

"Exactly. This year’s talent pool is stacked. The other two SS-rank beast-girls each got one Complete Victory too. The ’Three Heroes of Bellemont’ are definitely trending!"

"The match is about to start. If he gets another Complete Victory, that’d be four in a row!"

"Hey—you think a Complete Victory is that easy to get? Not necessarily!"

"True. Complete Victory is brutal—that’s 1 vs 49!"

The discussion spread through the stands.

Some people were already waving signs.

Others were recording the arena with their personal devices.

Steffan’s reputation in Jade City was enormous.

He had been winning continuously.

His Golden Eyed Smoke Lioness was an SS-rank beast-girl.

And his score was already frighteningly high.

Everything seemed to point toward another victory.

Then the teleportation light faded.

Leon appeared on the arena.

The cheering continued for several seconds.

But Leon wasn’t looking at the crowd.

He was looking at the arena.

At his opponents.

At the people standing across from him.

His expression remained calm.

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Leon looked up at the stands.

The crowd was packed.

Some were even holding glowing signs, waving them back and forth.

One particular sign immediately caught his attention.

"Steffan ♡ Victoria?"

Leon stared at it for a second.

What the hell.

He muttered under his breath.

Who’s Steffan?

Then he remembered the names had changed.

The capital’s hype squad is really something else.

He shook his head and prepared himself for battle.

Fighting non-stop took a toll on his energy.

Even though Selena had massive mana reserves, the connection between master and beast-girl wasn’t one-sided.

As long as she fought, Leon’s mental stamina was being drained.

The feeling was subtle.

Not enough to weaken him.

But after several consecutive battles, it was impossible to completely ignore.

And he had two beast-girls.

Evelyn was among the highest- levelled examinees.

She could one-shot most opponents too.

She had been pulling her weight in these matches.

Leon glanced at her.

His eyes softened slightly.

He was proud of her.

She had gone from being cautious and uncertain to standing beside him without hesitation.

Once he got enough evolution chances, he’d upgrade her to SS-rank directly.

In this world, SS-rank beast-girls were incredibly rare.

Some smaller countries didn’t even have a single one.

Leon looked toward Evelyn again.

She noticed his gaze.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You’re staring."

Leon smiled.

"Just thinking about how useful you’ve been."

Evelyn blinked.

Then her lips curved upward.

"Useful?"

"Very."

She crossed her arms.

"Then you should reward me later."

Selena glanced sideways at them.

"Don’t forget me."

Leon laughed.

"How could I forget you, Dear Selena?"

Selena’s golden eyes softened.

"That’s better."

Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"You two are getting shameless."

Leon shrugged.

"We’re already fighting through the entire exam together. There’s no reason to be formal."

Evelyn couldn’t argue with that.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

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On the arena—

A young man in golden battle armor stood calmly among the crowd.

He was tall and proud.

His golden armor reflected the sunlight, making him stand out even among dozens of examinees.

His brow radiated a domineering aura that seemed to look down on the entire world.

Beside him stood a beautiful girl in a flowing black robe.

Her long black hair fell behind her shoulders.

Her golden eyes were bright and sharp.

Victoria’s figure carried the distinctive beauty of the Golden Eyed Smoke Lioness.

She stood with one hand resting near her waist, calm and confident.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, their presence overwhelming.

Within moments, they had drawn everyone’s attention.

"The final match and I have to face Steffan? I’m screwed."

Someone recognized them and groaned in despair.

"This round is going to be brutal."

"Yeah."

The arena was filled with complaints.

Steffan was the undisputed number one in the capital.

The entire province could barely find anyone who could match him.

His reputation preceded him.

This match was the most anticipated of the entire exam.

Every major university was salivating over him.

Steffan and his beast-girl were red-hot prospects.

Supreme Heaven University, ranked 1st, Spark University, ranked 3rd, and Heavenly Star University, ranked 4th, had all marked him as a candidate.

Other top universities were also preparing to send recruiters.

Nobody wanted to miss an SS-rank talent.

"Pay attention to that guy over there."

Steffan’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the arena.

His gaze settled on a handsome young man not far away.

Leon.

Beside Leon stood two stunning women.

His beast-girls.

Steffan’s eyes lingered on them for a moment.

Then his expression changed.

"He gives me a bad feeling... very dangerous."

His brow furrowed.

A sudden chill ran through his heart.

He had encountered many opponents.

He had beaten most of them.

But Leon was different.

There was something about the way that young man stood there.

No tension.

No excitement.

No fear.

It was as if the entire arena was beneath his notice.

"You know I’ve always had a natural instinct for danger. That young man... my gut tells me not to provoke him."

Steffan’s fingers slowly tightened.

"My intuition has never been wrong."

Beside him, Victoria looked over curiously.

She saw a handsome young man resting with his eyes closed.

His shoulder-length black hair moved slightly in the breeze.

His black oversized coat hung loosely around his body.

He looked relaxed.

Almost too relaxed.

"Two beast-girls? Without training, a beast-soul master’s mental strength can’t handle two beast-girls, right?"

"Normally, yes. Soul contracts consume the least mental energy—but they have major limitations, so not many people use them."

Steffan’s eyes narrowed.

"Even with a soul contract... you can only bond with one beast-girl. How did he manage two?"

He couldn’t understand it.

Neither could Victoria.

"I’m more curious about their actual strength. Strong enough to make even you feel uneasy."

Victoria’s golden eyes narrowed as she studied Leon.

Her expression gradually became colder.

"Don’t underestimate them. Once the match starts, we need to fall back."

"We’re too close."

Steffan’s face was grim.

He wasn’t joking.

His instincts were screaming at him.

The safest choice was distance.

"This—?"

Victoria looked at him for a moment.

Then she could only nod in resignation.