Chapter 164
It was thanks to Arthur that Kraush learned about Violen.
The President of the Barrier Department in Special Arts.
Violen Sedney.
The Barrier Technique he employed was different from traditional barriers.
Thus, he was always in charge of maintaining barriers to prevent sudden attacks on the Skyborne Generation's base.
Well, it was only natural.
Because his hidden mother was, in fact, a World Erosion Being and a Barrier Master.
A new Barrier Technique created by combining Mahwang's magic and the Barrier Master's Barrier Technique.
That was Violen Sedney.
However, Violen had one problem.
Like other World Erosion Beings, he could not freely handle World Erosion.
Specifically, the power of World Erosion he possessed continued to eat away at his body even now.
A human body treats World Erosion as poison.
Half of his body was human.
Thus, that half could not accept World Erosion and kept trying to collapse his body.
So, Violen chose one clever solution.
That was to apply Barrier Techniques to himself.
Combining magic and Barrier Techniques to create a new realm of Barrier Techniques, he layered barriers upon barriers.
As a result, Violen's external appearance was made into an extremely massive form.
A shell created by the fusion of Barrier Technique and magic.
Inside, there resided someone who held the secret that his mother was a World Erosion Being, a truth he could never reveal to the world.
"I can just leave it here, right?"
"Ah, yes, thank you!"
Kraush, who had placed Dorma's book in the Curse Studies Classroom, received her thanks.
"It's nothing. Oh, by the way, I'd like to get a few High-Level Curses. Could I get them when you have the chance?"
"H-High-Level Curses? Are you making another elixir?"
"Not this time. There's just something I want to try."
"I see. Then, I'll prepare what you need!"
Dorma clenched her small fists tightly, showing her determination.
Since Kraush had agreed to find her master, she was ready to help him with anything.
That appearance made her look exactly like a determined little puppy.
Therefore, Kraush mentioned a few curses to her.
Dorma, after noting down the curses, soon nodded.
"I have most of these, so I should be able to get them quickly."
"Reliable. Thank you."
"He-Hehe, reliable, you say. You're too kind."
Although she was one year older in age.
Dorma, who appeared especially younger due to her look, giggled at the compliment.
After exchanging greetings with her, Kraush left the Curse Studies Room.
While doing so, Kraush checked the date to see what day it was.
'It's about time.'
Kraush raised his head.
At that moment, he caught sight of Violen heading somewhere.
Being such a large figure, he stood out wherever he went.
'I feel a little sorry, though.'
Kraush harbored no ill will toward Violen.
Rather, he only felt a slight pity.
Because his end was unforgettable in many ways.
[Screw it. Whether I'm a World Erosion Being or not. No matter how much you point fingers, your kind will live indebted to me for life. Thanks to someone like me, who's half-human and half-World Erosion Being.]
Kraush recalled Violen's words, spoken as he unleashed his final Barrier Technique before the greatest evil.
Truly, he had a sharp tongue.
And, in truth, he was not as harsh as his words suggested.
So, it seemed that in this life, he could afford to live a little more honestly.
Kraush pulled out the potion bottle he had received from Darling long ago from his waistband.
'Instead, I'll have to play the villain a bit.'
Well, that was his specialty.
* * *
Violen's body needed to have the Barrier Techniques that composed it rechecked every month.
This was because the power of World Erosion kept eating away at his insides.
"Hoo, hoo."
Hiding in a corner of an empty building, Violen exhaled ragged breaths.
The barrier composing his body had weakened, and the World Erosion inside was quickly eroding the barrier.
At this rate, all the barriers would disappear.
Then, he would be devoured and vanish because of the World Erosion.
'Damn it, I can't even handle this anymore! Seriously.'
The rate of barrier disappearance was accelerating day by day.
Hence, he had to hurriedly leave the Special Arts Hall, even though he was in the middle of researching Barrier Techniques today.
'I've been checking it a day earlier lately.'
He never imagined the barriers would disappear even faster than that.
It was proof that, as he aged, the power of World Erosion grew stronger while his Barrier Techniques fell short of matching it.
He hated it.
If only he were an ordinary person, he could have lived without such concerns.
Letting out a long sigh as if to say there's no point in worrying about it now, he took off his upper garment.
From his chest down to his abdomen, a massive Barrier Array was engraved.
He hurriedly felt around his waistband.
It was to use a reagent frequently utilized in Barrier Techniques.
But he realized too late that his waistband was empty.
"Huh?"
Violen fumbled at his waistband with a perplexed expression.
It was gone.
The reagent for Barrier Techniques was missing.
He was sure he had checked it before leaving, but it seemed he had lost it in his rush.
His face filled with panic.
Just as he was about to throw himself forward to rush out.
"Ugh!"
He stifled an unintentional groan; he could feel the barrier breaking down.
He swallowed back the groan.
Fixing the Barrier Technique was an urgent matter.
The situation was too dire to go searching for reagents.
"Ugh, urgh, damn it."
He had to move carefully, keeping the effects of World Erosion in mind.
At the moment he judged so and stepped out of the alleyway with a pale face.
A boy happened to be walking toward him.
The boy, holding a long bottle in his hand, was tossing it in the air and catching it repeatedly.
The boy soon looked at him and tilted his head.
"Violen?"
As the boy tilted his head, Violen's gaze fixed on the bottle in his hand.
It was undoubtedly his reagent for Barrier Techniques.
That boy was surely Kraush Balheim, the President of the Martial Arts Department.
Why did he have it?
"Ugh!"
"What's wrong with you?"
However, he was too distracted by the loss of mana to pay attention to it.
"T-that, that thing."
That's why Violen quickly reached out her hand, asking him to give her the reagent.
Kraush, seeing this, made a puzzled expression before looking at the reagent and letting out an "Ah."
"It was lying over there. It's yours, huh?"
Kraush handed the reagent over to her without much suspicion.
Upon receiving the reagent, Violen hastily poured it onto her hand, not caring whether Kraush was watching.
The red liquid flowed along her fingers in various directions.
Although it was thinner than usual for some reason, there was no time to worry about that.
She hurriedly pressed the reagent onto her chest.
Holding her breath, she activated the Barrier Technique.
A brilliant red light erupted from Violen's body.
Enveloped by the light, Violen busily adjusted and refined the Barrier Technique.
"Hah, huh."
A little later, she groaned and twisted her body.
Luckily, the Barrier Technique had been properly completed.
She could feel that the World Erosion was no longer seeping into her body.
Sticky cold sweat trickled down her body.
Following the trail of sweat, she lifted her head.
At that moment, doubt flashed across her eyes.
This was because she found herself looking up at Kraush instead.
"Huh."
The moment she quietly let out her doubt, Kraush nonchalantly tilted his head.
"Why did you shrink?"
When Kraush asked, Violen belatedly examined her condition.
Her hands, which had been as large as pot lids, were now no different from those of others, and her usual clothes were about to slide off her body.
In this bewildering situation, she awkwardly held up her pants.
Violen's large figure was entirely gone compared to before.
Instead, there was a girl with silver hair cascading down and a delicate, unmistakably feminine face.
She quickly grabbed the clothes she had thrown on the ground and hastily covered herself.
"D-damn it!"
Then, with a high-pitched curse, she started running madly.
Her face had turned pale as if her identity had been exposed.
Kraush, who was silently watching her back, placed his hand casually on his waist.
Hanging from his waist was an empty bottle he had received from Darling.
[ Isn't being a con artist your natural calling at this point? ]
"I just played along appropriately."
Kraush spun the empty bottle in his hand.
[ So why did you mix that medicine into the reagent for Barrier Techniques? ]
Earlier, Kraush had stolen Violen's reagent when she was running frantically and added Darling's medicine to it.
Kraush had mixed Darling's medicine into the reagent.
And the reason would soon reveal its effect.
"To show an unexpected outcome."
Kraush, who had said something incomprehensible to Crimson Garden, turned away.
The bait was set.
Now, it was only a matter of time before the fish took the bait.
* * *
And Kraush's prediction hit the mark not long after.
It was while Kraush was walking to have lunch.
Ahead of Kraush in the corridor.
Someone was walking toward him with short strides.
Silvery hair tied like a ponytail.
Eyes shining like embedded sapphires.
Wearing clothes pulled up as far as the arms would allow, the person walked straight toward him.
"Oh, wow, so cute."
"Who is that?"
"A kid?"
Passersby, each reacting differently, gawked at her.
Judging by their reactions, her appearance was indeed too young to be in the Academy.
At most, she looked like she was in her early teens.
So much so that her oversized clothes made it hard to tell if she was male or female.
However, one thing was certain.
She would undoubtedly grow into a stunning beauty in the future.
"Kraush, she's headed this way."
Aslan, brushing aside his red hair, spoke to Kraush.
It made sense because, from start to finish, her gaze was fixed solely on Kraush as she ran toward him.
In response, Kraush casually raised one hand.
"Viol..."
"Don't call my name!"
Startled, Violen rushed over and grabbed Kraush by the collar.
Her large eyes burned with intensity.
"Y-you, we need to talk."
Huffing and puffing, she spoke to Kraush.
Kraush shrugged and looked over at Aslan.
Aslan slowly stroked his chin.
"Well, I suppose Kraush wouldn't lay a finger on such a kid."
"What do you think I am?"
"You're my friend."
Aslan flashed a handsome smile and walked away.
It was impressive how he could say such things so nonchalantly.
As Aslan walked away, Kraush turned to Violen.
Still panting heavily, she glared at him as Kraush motioned with his head.
"Let's go."
With that, Kraush began walking leisurely.
As Kraush walked forward, Violen managed to calm her anger and followed him.
Shortly after, Kraush and Violen reached a sparsely populated area.
As Kraush stopped and turned, Violen immediately opened her mouth to speak.
"What did you do to my reagent?"
Did she realize?
Thinking back carefully, it seemed Violen had sensed something odd.
She wasn't the top of the Special Arts field for nothing.
"So, what do you want to say?"
Kraush asked, looking at Violen.
Violen took a deep breath and spoke again.
"I don't know if it was shameless or just a coincidence."
"It was shameless."
"Right, shameless..."
Violen, unconsciously repeating Kraush's words, froze with a bewildered expression.
That was because she never expected him to be so shameless.
"But rather, shouldn't I be the one receiving gratitude?"
Kraush smiled faintly at the stunned Violen.
"Even now, the barrier is stable, even with you in your original form."
Violen's lips moved soundlessly.
Violen's outward appearance was a kind of shell.
A shell created with the barrier, that is.
However, after Kraush mixed Darling's Medicine into the reagent.
For some reason, even in her original form, the World Erosion didn't seep in, and the barrier stabilized.
In other words, she no longer needed to rely on that cumbersome shell.
"Violen."
When Kraush called her, she flinched and raised her head.
That was because Violen had diminished to match her original age.
"Let's make a deal."
The con artist's nature emerged once again, proposing a deal.
"You make me one barrier I request. In return, I'll tell you how to maintain that form."
Violen's expression twisted into a scowl.
"You, what do you know......."
"I know."
At that moment, Kraush raised his hand.
Whoosh!
Black flames flickered and flowed from Kraush's hand.
As Violen, who was staring at it with half-open eyes, continued watching, her gaze gradually began to change.
Someone using the power of the World Erosion within their body would know.
That this wasn't a curse but the pure power of the World Erosion.
Violen had never cared for others until now.
That was because, if she didn't improve her Barrier Technique constantly, she would be consumed by the World Erosion, so she shut herself away and only researched the Barrier Technique.
The reason she came to Rahelrn Academy was solely to resolve the Barrier Technique issue.
Barrier Technique was a rare discipline, but Rahelrn Academy had a professor specializing in Barrier Technique.
Her mother, a master of the Barrier Technique, had left after giving birth to her.
Because of that, she had never seen Kraush manipulate black flames.
"You, were you a World Erosion Being?"
"No."
Kraush erased the black flames and firmly denied it.
He was not a World Erosion Being.
Instead, he exuded an eerie smile that seemed like something from the shadows.
"But I do know how to stop your World Erosion from going on a rampage."
It was the same kind of smile an evil being would wear when proposing a deal.
Violen's two eyes trembled violently.
To her, the World Erosion was a deadly threat to her life every single day.
Yet somehow, whatever Kraush had done, his World Erosion had been stabilized.
Naturally, she found it intriguing.
However, an alarm bell signaling danger kept ringing in her heart.
That was because she felt a vague unease toward him.
"......You, what exactly are you?"
Judging by Kraush's reaction, he already knew she was the child of a World Erosion Being.
That was a truth that must never be revealed.
World Erosion Beings were enemies of the world.
Naturally, their children were no exceptions.
Thus, she had even gone so far as to hide her family name when enrolling at Rahelrn Academy.
Even concealing the fact that she was a child of the Mahwang.
Violen, fully tense, asked again.
The sight of her tiny fists trembling slightly was somehow pitiful.
That was because her body hadn't developed properly for her age, as she had been using the Barrier Technique to sustain herself.
"The answer won't be anything you can easily imagine."
Hearing those meaningful words, Violen bit her lips tightly.
It was like choosing between swallowing a poisoned apple that might be the antidote or dying from the poison as it was.
The deliberation didn't take long.
"......What do I need to make?"
She was caught.