TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 108
A breathtaking storm of Black Flame and Thunder Energy swept across the Arena Training Ground.
Amidst the sight of burning all the World Tree’s Petals that had been falling.
Even the students taking the test lost themselves and stared blankly at the scene.
Kraush’s Sky-Thundering Annihilation was so far beyond the students’ level that it seemed like the pinnacle of talent itself.
“……Monster.”
Someone muttered those words without thinking.
Indeed, the spectacle Kraush displayed fit that description perfectly.
Within the flames of that Black Flame.
Kraush’s eyes moved busily.
Crackle!
At that moment, Kraush’s Thunderclap activated, and Rain Thunder Prime came into motion.
The instant some intangible object touched the blade of Rain Thunder Prime.
Boom!
With an explosive sound, Kraush staggered backward.
“Hoo.”
With a light exhale, Kraush’s eyes burned red.
Kraush knew exactly what the earlier attack was.
A condensed Aura Bomb.
It was a custom-made Aura Bomb, crafted by the Pirate Queen Kairan.
Kairan had once roamed around detonating those bombs to obliterate the Erosion Species of the Great Sea.
The fact that she used it on a person signaled she had abandoned any intention of holding back.
‘She hit me with full power; she should be grateful if I go down.’
Kraush slashed through another Aura Bomb flying toward him through the Black Flame.
Thanks to his Sixth Sense and Thunderclap, Kraush could feel Kairan’s presence swiftly moving beyond the Black Flame.
She wouldn’t keep relying on ranged attacks forever.
Her specialty was close-range dagger techniques.
‘She’s coming.’
At that moment, his Sixth Sense reacted.
The instant Kraush gripped Rain Thunder Prime, three streaks of blades surged through the Black Flame.
Clang, clang, clang!
The body imbued with Annihilation Erosion clearly blocked Kairan’s triple strike.
Kairan, revealed amidst the Black Flame, had parts of her uniform burned away and scorch marks all over her body.
Especially, one arm had suffered quite severe burns.
Kraush’s Master-level Annihilation Erosion had improved its output compared to before.
Even though his Aura mastery was at the entry level of Master, Kraush’s output far surpassed that entry point.
And that was perfectly suited to draw his opponent into carelessness.
Even Kairan had been momentarily fooled enough to give him the initiative.
At that moment, Kairan dove deep into Kraush’s range.
Her peculiar dagger technique disoriented her opponent.
Just like a seasick sailor complaining of dizziness.
Kairan’s dagger technique cleverly unsettled the eyes of her opponents.
But this time, she had chosen the wrong foe.
Kraush’s Sixth Sense was a technique devised by a blind swordsman who never relied on sight.
Crackle!
Simultaneously, Kraush’s Thunderclap enhanced that Sixth Sense even further.
Unlike before, the Heavenly Slaughter Star now compensated for Kraush’s body and his lacking talent.
As a result, Kraush could see through every move Kairan’s blade intended to make.
“Haha.”
Kairan let out an incredulous laugh.
Every dagger she swung was completely read by Kraush, not even grazing him once.
His earlier offensive power was absurd, and now his defensive techniques were just as formidable.
‘This feels like fighting against a wall.’
As if he had reached the peak of seamless offense and defense.
Kraush showed not even the smallest opening.
What could have shaped him into such a being?
Even a perfectionist couldn’t train themselves to this extent.
Honestly, even Kairan couldn’t see a way to break through Kraush.
‘In that case.’
Kairan took a deep breath.
At the same time, the surging Aura spread across her entire body.
Following the rippling Aura, her hair began to glow a smoky gray.
‘If no path exists, then I’ll create one.’
A smoky gray Aura flickered over Kairan’s dagger.
By the time Kraush noticed, Kairan’s dagger was already touching Rain Thunder Prime.
Boom!
The explosive roar echoed throughout the Arena.
An Aura Bomb, the same as the one she’d thrown earlier, was now fused onto Kairan’s dagger.
It was her Secret Technique Explosive Demolition.
Against someone who chose defense, she unleashed an even greater offensive to shatter it.
The explosion that could even smash the Erosion Species of the Great Sea was hard for Kraush to endure head-on.
Bang, boom, bang!
A succession of explosions continued to erupt.
Kraush furrowed his brow.
Using Explosive Demolition so directly meant Kairan couldn’t avoid the shock herself.
And yet, she kept unleashing it, aiming to disrupt Kraush’s Thunderclap at all costs.
‘How reckless.’
It was, in essence, a battle of endurance that Kairan had initiated.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Black Flame surged up along Kraush’s blade.
Boom!
Finally, Kraush’s blade and Kairan’s dagger clashed head-on, engulfed in explosions and Black Flame.
Kairan’s eyes met Kraush’s.
From that exchange, even Kairan realized what Kraush was thinking.
Through the sweat dripping down, a faint smile formed at the corner of Kraush’s lips.
Sorry, but endurance battles are my specialty.
“If you’re going for a head-on breakthrough.”
Kraush’s Black Flame flared violently.
“Then I’ll break through head-on as well.”
Black Flame and explosions—this was a contest to see who could endure longer.
* * *
By the time Black Flame and explosions filled the Arena.
The Second Exam was effectively halted, as everyone was too mesmerized by the spectacle to continue.
Among those watching was Mary Diana.
She was currently bewildered by the scene.
The Kraush she was watching now was vastly different from before.
The fact that he was wielding his blade against the Pirate Queen Kairan without yielding was proof.
He was merely 15 years old.
It was almost unbelievable to think someone of that age had reached such a level.
Even Mary, who possessed the Heavenly Martial Body, couldn’t have fought like that at 15.
No, perhaps not even now.
In the past.
If she were still the Divine Spear, she would have looked at the current Kraush, called him a budding sprout, and smiled contentedly.
However, she was no longer the Divine Spear.
She was a talented girl of 17 years.
Though she knew better than anyone how to fully awaken that talent.
The wasted time searching for Arthur and a year spent imprisoned had overlapped, causing her to throw away all the golden time she could have used to train herself.
Of course, even with that lost time, her talent was innate.
Among her peers, it was safe to say that no one, except perhaps Charlotte, could defeat her.
But what if she faced Kraush, who stood before her now?
Well, it seemed too difficult to guarantee victory against that fierce Black Flame.
At the same time, that Black Flame repeatedly reminded her of that nightmare-like day.
The boy named Krad, who must now be a corpse in Ebelasque, had blocked her spear that day.
Mary’s eyes trembled slightly.
She clenched her hand tighter around her spear.
In the days gone by.
She regretted the fact that she had wasted the time given to her.
‘If I fail to carry out Lady Sigrid’s orders this time—’
She was acutely aware that she would be discarded.
Sigrid was someone who was precise about cutting off what she deemed unnecessary.
‘No, no. Anything but that.’
If Sigrid abandoned her, Arthur might abandon her too.
Mary subconsciously knew that Arthur regarded Sigrid a bit more highly than herself.
While Mary was drowning in the compulsion that she must win.
The battle between Kraush and Kairan raged on.
Before long, both Kraush and Kairan’s bodies were covered in burns and wounds from each other’s attacks.
Even with physical capabilities and Aura for defense, there were limits.
Thus, both of them were gradually falling into shambles.
Yet, even in such a state, there was a point of advantage.
Just as Kairan was wholly focused on attacking.
Kraush also shifted the direction of Thunderclap.
Thunderclap was a secret technique created by combining the Blunt Sword and Lioner.
Though the Thunder Energy-enhanced Thunderclap appeared slow to the eye, it covered all the spaces where the opponent’s attack would land.
Thunderclap could be considered the next domain of the Blunt Sword, as it seized control of space.
But in this moment, Kraush altered the flow.
Because he could predict all his opponent’s attacks, he swung his sword first to the spots where the opponent’s strikes would reach.
As a result, Kraush’s blade claimed the space before the opponent’s attack could even be completed.
Thud!
Kairan’s dagger twisted, staggering against Kraush’s blade.
Kairan’s eyes widened dramatically.
But Kraush’s blade showed no signs of stopping, once again plunging into her offensive range.
Faster by one step than Kairan’s attacks.
Despite being the one choosing to attack, Kairan felt as though she was the one under assault.
Kairan felt her breath hitch in her throat.
Kraush’s attacks, reinforced by Annihilation Erosion, were overwhelmingly heavy.
Wielding it in such a manner made it feel as though she were trapped in a sealed-off space.
Kraush’s sword was no longer within the realm of a Blunt Sword.
Dominance Sword.
It had transformed into a tyrannical blade meant solely to bring the opponent to their knees.
And Kairan’s body, which was taking those strikes head-on, could no longer withstand the force and was repeatedly pushed back.
The infamous Pirate Queen, renowned even among the later generations, was being overpowered by sheer strength.
Kraush’s crimson eyes, alight with the heat of Annihilation Erosion, flickered intensely.
His Dominance Sword evoked the image of a war demon.
Seeing this, Kairan realized.
That the time she could withstand Kraush’s sword was quickly dwindling.
Even now, Kraush’s blade was closing in on her.
Before long, it would shatter her defenses and press against her neck.
‘Good thing I didn’t take that teaching position.’
Aura coursing through Kairan’s sword surged far beyond its previous levels.
Her ash-gray hair, illuminated by the glow of her Aura, fluttered wildly.
‘No shame in going all out against a student.’
Then, head-on, with a single move.
She poured her all into that single strike.
The Aura Blade, proof of Kairan’s mastery, flared bright red, radiating intense heat.
“E-Everyone, get back!”
The test assistants, upon seeing this, quickly began evacuating the nearby children.
The sheer amount of Aura gathered in Kairan’s blade was enough to distort the air around it.
It was power far beyond what should be used against an aspiring student.
But Kairan had already forgotten that Kraush was an applicant.
She only saw a worthy opponent she wanted to clash with at full strength.
That recognition filled her thoughts entirely.
As if she were determined to blow away everything in this area.
Kairan’s dagger thrust toward Kraush.
Explosive Demolition.
Great Explosion.
It was Kairan’s ultimate secret technique, capable of obliterating an Erosion Species of the Great Sea in a single blow.
And at last, just as Kraush’s blade and Kairan’s dagger imbued with Great Explosion were about to collide.
Crack!
The blade of Kraush’s sword aimed at Kairan’s dagger began to split apart.
Kairan’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.
Clang!
Soon, Kraush’s blade shattered into countless fragments.
Because of that, Kairan’s Great Explosion struck empty air instead of Kraush’s sword.
Boom!
The explosion from Great Explosion engulfed the entire area.
But beneath that explosion.
Kraush, who had deliberately broken the blade of Rain Thunder Prime, crouched as low as possible, gripping Rain Thunder Prime once more.
It was then that Kairan realized.
Kraush had never intended to face her head-on.
His provocative actions and direct counters were all calculated to draw her into unleashing her full power.
From beginning to end, this guy had been persistently engaged in a battle of wits.
All for this one moment.
Boom!
With the sound of thunder, Rain Thunder Prime’s blade reformed, scattering golden light once more.
Beneath it, Kraush infused his full strength into Rain Thunder Prime once again.
Within the depths of his mind, atop a tranquil lake.
A single droplet fell into the lake of his consciousness, creating ripples at that moment.
The surging whirlpool was wholly contained within Kraush’s blade.
At last, that blade reached Kairan, who was burdened by the aftereffects of using Great Explosion.
Facing the blade at her throat, Kairan swallowed a grin.
‘What a cunning bastard.’
“If you still have enough power to output like that, you could’ve just faced me head-on.”
Annihilation Erosion.
Second Form.
Sky Annihilating Sword.
It was the moment when the Black Flame seized control of the Arena, accompanied by Kairan’s fleeting regret.