Chapter 225
Kraush Balheim.
When Chromosh heard about him, he thought.
What kind of person is the younger brother Charlotte liked so much?
According to the rumors, he was someone writing a new legend.
Every achievement he had accomplished so far was something that anyone would praise for a lifetime.
A person walking the path of a hero.
People often said that when they looked at Kraush.
They said he was a star that would illuminate the world.
But the Lion Order thought quietly to themselves.
No matter how great he was, wasn't it true that he fell short compared to Charlotte?
Moreover, Chromosh and the Three Mad Cats, who had reached their current state through training with Charlotte, couldn't help but hold such thoughts.
However, now.
The moment Chromosh saw that star before his eyes, he realized.
'No, far from being lacking.'
The star called Kraush was shining as brightly as Charlotte.
Of course, it wasn't as overwhelming as the star called Charlotte.
Charlotte's star emitted such an intense light that it could blind one's eyes.
Charlotte's star was a star created solely by talent.
In the face of overwhelming talent, everything else was meaningless.
Her star always said so.
But Kraush's star emitted a different kind of light.
The starlight emanating from Kraush drew people's eyes.
Because his star was not one created by talent like Charlotte's.
With Kraush, the overwhelming gap of talent like Charlotte's couldn't be felt.
The output flowing from his body was momentarily ahead of Charlotte's.
Even so, what stood out about him was not talent.
It was a crude iron of an unknown origin.
But it was an iron so strong that it seemed it wouldn't break no matter what struck it.
'What has he done? Truly.'
Chromosh looked at Kraush and held a question in his mind.
Kraush was undoubtedly born into the Balheim Family, which reached the pinnacle of talent.
Just as Charlotte had, the people of Balheim all showed the pinnacle of talent.
Yet, from Kraush, who was born into such a Balheim, something other than talent kept being glimpsed.
He felt an inexplicable emotion.
And, strangely, he couldn't take his eyes off Kraush.
It was as if Kraush was saying.
I will show you the summit reached through relentless effort.
So, follow me.
That's what he seemed to say.
"Krahk!"
Chelbery rolled on the ground.
The reason was that she, who always secured her position with quick legs and demonstrated excellent archery skills, had been pinned to the ground by Kraush.
With some burns on her body, she trembled and soon collapsed.
Her body couldn't withstand the shock and chose to faint.
Kraush slowly lifted his head as he removed the arm that pinned her down.
The red aura in his pupils was utterly chilling.
Chromosh's eyes darted around.
Kraush was strong—too strong.
Among all the first-year students, he was undoubtedly overwhelming.
'Should we retreat?'
It was the moment he thought that and tried to come up with a solution.
His eyes caught sight of the first-year members of the Lion Order.
Each of them was gripping their weapons tightly behind Chromosh, waiting for his words.
He often lived hearing the joke about being called the Honorary Vice Commander.
It was clearly nothing more than teasing from kids his age.
But on the other hand, it also meant that the proud students of Rahelrn Academy recognized him, in their own way, as a Vice Commander.
Therefore, now.
All the first-year students present here were waiting for Chromosh's decision.
Strength surged into Chromosh's arms.
He was a member of Charlotte's Lion Order.
If it were Charlotte, she would never think of running away here.
She would jump in, saying there was much to learn from fighting a strong opponent.
Now that she was absent.
He had to carry on her will.
"All first-year members of the Lion Order!"
Chromosh's voice grew louder, resonating through the forest.
Following his voice, imbued with aura, the expressions of the first-year students changed.
"Fight bravely, as the Lion Order would!"
Chromosh's arms were covered in rock.
At the same time, explosive aura poured out from him.
And Chromosh's eyes gleamed sharply.
"Die fighting the enemy."
He no longer thought of this as training.
Defeating Kraush Balheim.
That was all they focused on, and their morale soared.
Watching this, Kraush smiled briefly.
Because this was the situation Kraush had most desired.
"Seniors, it will hurt."
Come.
I'll show you what the Heavenly Pivot Star we aim for is.
* * *
While the first-year students and Kraush were in the midst of battle.
There were members busily running through the forest.
They were none other than the second-year members of the Lion Order.
"Haring, are you okay?"
"Guhh, huhh."
Karandis, who was carrying Haring on her back as she complained of pain throughout their run, asked.
Haring, who had been brutally attacked by Charlotte, seemed on the verge of losing consciousness.
But Haring gritted her teeth and held on stubbornly.
If she collapsed now, all the training up to this point would be meaningless.
'Kraush wouldn't have fallen.'
So she steadied herself and asked Karandis.
"Char...lotte?"
"Still not visible."
Karandis, recognizing Haring's strong willpower, answered her.
As she said, Charlotte had not reappeared after escaping with Aslan's Short-Range Teleport.
The problem was that this was even more frightening.
Despite it being daytime, the mountain was shaded and dark.
Perhaps because of this, it felt as though Charlotte could appear at any moment through those shadows.
"What was that earlier, anyway?"
In the meantime, Aslan recalled the moment earlier when he fought Charlotte.
Despite being in front of Haring, Charlotte smashed Aslan's magic and sent the Second Year Students flying.
It was a skill that even Aslan, who used magic, couldn't comprehend.
"......It's a Secret Technique called 'Counter Realm.'"
Then, Karandis, the only one who knew Charlotte's Secret Technique, explained.
"I can't gauge the exact range, but if you're within the Counter Realm that Charlotte has created, she can attack you no matter where you are. Inside the Counter Realm, the Sword Airflow created by Charlotte is raging."
"......Isn't that just way too overpowered?"
"Is that surprising?"
She was already overwhelming just by existing, and further discussion would only waste breath.
Aslan pressed his chin.
Kraush, who was on a completely different level from the Second Year Students.
But after seeing Charlotte, he realized what kind of existence a monster born of talent could be.
She had reached such a level solely with pure swordsmanship, without any skills.
"Is there any chance of victory?"
Karandis, the only one who knew about the Secret Technique Charlotte used.
When Aslan asked about the chances of victory, Karandis's expression darkened.
"......If there had been such a chance, we wouldn't have run away."
Her words were true.
"Isn't it strange?"
At that moment.
Fake Arthur, who had been silently running along with the others, opened his mouth.
When everyone turned to look at him, Fake Arthur expressionlessly gazed toward the forest.
"If Charlotte had been chasing us, she would have caught up long ago. The fact that she hasn't arrived yet."
Everyone who heard his words soon began to question that fact.
"......From the start, we weren't being chased by Charlotte, were we?"
And Aslan, who had figured out that blind spot, spoke.
As Aslan said, the role of the Second Year Students was originally to prevent Charlotte from descending the mountain.
If that's the case.
"No way."
Karandis's eyes wavered.
Charlotte might not have bothered chasing them but instead had gone down the mountain.
After all, she had no reason to chase them in the first place.
"Ah, Nia."
At the moment everyone thought they'd been fooled, Haring barely opened her mouth.
Distributing poison to rapidly heal her body, she spoke under everyone's gaze.
"Because she's Kraush's sister. She wouldn't act like that."
"Mr. Kraush and Ms. Charlotte are quite different, though?"
"Still, they're both Balheim."
The Balheim bloodline is uniformly endowed with extraordinary talent.
And one of their common traits is.
They are incredibly combative by nature.
"You're quick-witted."
That was the correct answer.
Along with a voice heard from the side, Charlotte appeared in the forest before anyone noticed.
Everyone who saw her froze momentarily.
Because she had suddenly appeared there without any sign.
And at the moment Charlotte's lips twisted into a smirk.
The Sword Airflow raged, shredding all the trees and space around her to pieces.
It was the effect of Charlotte's Secret Technique Counter Realm.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!
The place that had once been a forest was instantly devastated and turned into an open clearing.
Around the center where Charlotte stood, sword marks were left everywhere.
Charlotte slowly lifted her head.
There stood a man with blonde hair and a distinctly feminine face.
Holding a sword in one hand, he was staring at Charlotte.
Some strands of his cut hair fluttered in the wind, but he otherwise seemed relatively intact.
He had endured Charlotte's Sword Airflow head-on.
"Hmm."
Charlotte let out her characteristic nasal sound.
Because she hadn't expected anyone among the Second Year Students to endure her Sword Airflow head-on.
Moreover, her gaze turned toward Karandis.
True to someone who had followed Charlotte closely, she had sensed Charlotte's offensive.
And thanks to immediately deploying the Water Barrier, she was fortunately not seriously injured.
But on her leg, there was a deep sword wound.
Judging by the flowing blood, it was a rather severe wound.
Behind her, however, a large number of Second Year Students were gathered.
Thanks to Karandis, they had all remained safe and uninjured.
'If she had protected only herself from the start, she could have avoided such an injury.'
While Charlotte regretted Karandis's judgment, she didn't reproach her.
Because it was one of the actions her younger sibling often took.
'It must be Kraush's influence.'
Her younger sibling seemed strangely fond of protecting others.
It was something her sibling liked.
So as his older sister, she couldn't dislike it.
'And.'
Charlotte noticed that Haring and Aslan were nowhere to be seen.
Amusingly, amidst the gap created by the raging Sword Airflow, Haring had disappeared with Invisible.
"Mr. Arthur! Please fight with me!"
At that moment, Karandis shouted.
In her hand was a shield made of water.
Additionally, she had wrapped the wound on her leg with water as first aid.
"......."
Fake Arthur glanced briefly at Karandis.
Because he had no intention of stepping forward.
But Karandis looked at him with eyes full of expectation.
Meeting her gaze, Fake Arthur let out a very short sigh and turned to Charlotte.
Though fighting her now wasn't part of the plan.
Once should be fine.
Fake Arthur swung his sword sideways.
Then, clusters of light gathered on his sword, illuminating it.
Charlotte watched it with interest.
After all, it was swordsmanship she had never seen before in her life.
'Kraush seemed to care quite a bit about that kid.'
Let's see his skills.
Charlotte raised her sword once more, smirking.
"It's Counter Realm!"
At the moment Karandis shouted upon seeing that.
She immediately realized that the Sword Airflow was no longer raging around Charlotte.
At the moment she realized that and showed her confusion.
"Ka, Karandis!"
One of the Second Year Students turned around and shouted.
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!
At the same time, a sound began to echo from behind them.
The moment Karandis, who realized this, looked back, the Sword Airflow was surging toward them.
"Ah."
To think they would aim from behind.
Karandis, who hadn't anticipated this, showed a look of dismay on her face.
And then, the Sword Airflow engulfed them.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
The Second Year Students and Karandis, caught in the Sword Airflow, were smashed to pieces in an instant and flung forward.
"Kyaaah!"
"Khaak!"
"Uwaaah!"
The same applied to Fake Arthur.
Although he managed to block the Sword Airflow to some extent, the torrent was too strong, and he couldn't avoid being pushed forward.
And that created the worst situation.
The place where they were flung by the Sword Airflow.
It was none other than where Charlotte stood.
As always, Charlotte, with her characteristic smile, drew her sword to her waist.
Then, when the Aura gathered around her sword momentarily swallowed the surrounding light.
Slash!
With the slash unleashed from her extended sword, all the Second Year Students were sent flying into the sky.
Thud, boom, roll—
The children scattered in all directions and were thrown to the ground.
They were all in shambles, as if they had slammed into rocks.
In just one strike, most of the Second Year Students had been retired.
Charlotte looked at them and turned her gaze toward Fake Arthur.
Compared to the others, who had collapsed without doing anything, he was standing on his two feet.
Although the light-gathering sword in his hand was trembling from the impact, he had endured once again.
'That guy is different.'
When Charlotte, feeling a peculiar vibe from Fake Arthur, grew even more intrigued.
"What a tough one, aren't you?"
Among them, only Karandis, who had good Endurance, exhaled heavily and forced herself to stand.
That also required considerable mental strength.
"Karandis, was it?"
Charlotte called her name and lowered her sword to the side.
Despite having fought such an intense battle, she didn't show the slightest sign of fatigue.
"You seemed quite interested in my younger sibling."
At that, Karandis's body flinched noticeably.
"If you meet my standards, I might let you speak to my sibling."
"......I'm the strongest now!"
And in an instant, Karandis's energy shifted.
Her determination soared to a level that was on a completely different scale from before.
"......What a piece of work."
Fake Arthur clicked his tongue as he watched Charlotte and Karandis.
It was because Charlotte had deliberately stirred Karandis's motivation to make the battle more enjoyable.
Just like when she had worn torn clothes at the Holy Land of Stars in Starlon.
"And you too."
Charlotte looked at Fake Arthur.
"You want something from me, don't you? If you defeat me, I'll grant it."
Fake Arthur's eyes slightly widened.
It was because Charlotte had noticed his intentions.
The light emanating from Fake Arthur's sword grew even stronger as he let out a faint chuckle.
"If that's the case."
He thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a shot with the intention to break her once.
Charlotte, who had instantly lifted everyone's spirits, spun her sword gracefully.
"Come at me."
Let's show my younger sibling's friends how scary their older sister can be.