### Chapter: 237
#### Disconnected Literature Council
The representatives from the Literature Department were as follows:
1st-year student from the Literature Department and top student Persona Madin alongside his Golden Winged Squad.
1st-year student from the Literature Department, ranked second, Airing Ornua, leading her Infantry Platoon.
The two squads had arrived at the White Ghosts‘ hideout.
“Looks like the Magal Gang is making their move,” said Airing.
As she pointed out, the Magal Gang was the first to jump into action.
They’re led by the 1st-year special class top student, John Gray, wielding a colossal golem.
That very golem was currently demolishing the White Ghosts‘ building.
If they got caught up in that destruction, they’d be the ones in trouble.
So, both squads decided to keep their distance and watch.
“The Heavenly Legion, the Double Koi Gang, and even the Twin Fish Gang are on the move,” Airing noted.
Airing spotted the groups operating nearby as well.
With that, the gathering here represented a whopping ten out of twelve factions.
‘The Theology Department must have already allied themselves,’ she thought.
Surely, they would be trying to reach out for negotiations.
This meant that the student competition would inevitably revolve around the Lion’s Order led by Charlotte and the White Ghosts led by Sigrid.
Just then—
“I’m outta here!” exclaimed Persona, declaring his exit unexpectedly.
Airing turned to him, eyebrows raised. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah, I just have a bad feeling about this place,” he replied, looking shifty.
Airing narrowed her eyes slightly.
Because this was something he often said.
Honestly, she was way smarter than him in their Literature Department.
Her ability to remember everything she read meant that she could master any military strategy she learned.
But still, Persona managed to outshine her and claim the top spot due to his sharp instincts.
He had a knack for avoiding danger and finding the right moment for ambushes during mock battles.
His win rate in simulated combats was a stunning 90%.
Considering the exam had to feature tricky scenarios with limited resources and personnel, that was mind-blowing.
In comparison, Airing’s win rate was just around 75%.
While she scored higher in theoretical exams, in mock battles, she couldn’t keep up with Persona’s instincts.
And now, this instinctual Persona was saying he was bailing out.
Knowing his instincts, Airing’s gaze turned serious.
“If you back out, you won’t even get crumbs!”
The weaker Golden Winged Squad and Infantry Platoon had to seize their moment to grab the bracelets now.
She pointed that out, and Persona shrugged nonchalantly.
“If everyone else is down to zero, the faction that holds onto its two members usually rises.”
Even if they did nothing, half of them would end up fine.
Executing that logic, Persona gracefully turned to leave with his Golden Winged Squad.
As Airing watched his retreating figure, unease crept over her.
“Airing, what will we do?”
A member of the Infantry Platoon asked, now that the Golden Winged Squad had taken off.
Just then—
KABOOM!
A sudden explosion erupted and Airing spun around.
There, black flames were bursting up ferociously.
Recognizing the flames’ identity, a nasty feeling washed over her.
BOOM!
Suddenly, someone landed right in front of the Infantry Platoon.
CRACK—
As the fiery sound echoed, Airing felt a scorching sensation on her wrist.
“Yikes!”
Startled, she looked at her arm and gasped.
The bracelet she had been wearing was suddenly gone!
As Airing’s gaze snapped to where it had gone, a boy with dark blue hair stood there.
The Second Year Academy Top Student from the Unnamed Academy.
Kraush Balheim.
Seeing him, Airing’s eyes widened. “Grab him right now!”
The Infantry Platoon members rushed to catch him, drawing their weapons.
But it was a futile effort.
The moment Kraush lowered his stance just a little…
His sword moved with a speed that no one present could hope to match.
BAM!
With a thunderous sound, the black flames echoed as a multitude of Infantry Platoon members soared through the air.
Each one of them bore a precise cut mark from his sword.
As Airing watched this spectacle of her squad flying skyward, she locked eyes with Kraush.
“Just try to keep one bracelet safe.”
With that remark, Kraush vanished from sight in a blaze.
Staring blankly, Airing stumbled and fell down.
No way.
That was really over in a split second.
He appeared, snagged her bracelet in front of the entire Infantry Platoon, and effortlessly slipped away.
“What the heck…?”
How was this even happening? It made her brain work like scrambled eggs.
Airing finally understood why Persona had left so willingly.
That guy was a monster.
An utterly senseless monster.
‘The only reason he left one bracelet is…’
So those left behind wouldn’t act rashly without anything to protect.
Realizing that he had thought that far ahead, she cradled her forehead.
“…Let’s retreat.”
As Persona suggested, sticking around here would mean losing even that one bracelet.
—
In no time, Kraush, who had snatched Airing’s bracelet, dashed back to the demolished building of the White Ghosts.
Currently, he had accumulated a total of four bracelets, including one from Meiri.
One belonged to Felray from the Guhye Gang.
One was the one he had just taken from Airing.
The last one was from the Double Koi Gang, which he had stumbled upon along the way.
“I’m gonna get you for that, you little punk!”
The fifth prince of the Poseus Kingdom.
He had just stolen the bracelet from Desamus Poseus, the captain of the Double Koi Gang, who happened to be Karandis’s older brother.
‘Wow, what a mess.’
In such chaos, getting a handle on the number of people was mind-boggling.
Kraush could sense things over a wide range thanks to his instincts, but he couldn’t precisely identify every single person like Meiri.
That was purely the domain of overwhelming talent.
In a melee involving over a thousand people, being able to tell what each individual was doing was no simple task.
There was a reason she was called a “sensing-specialist.”
The heat from the Celestial Annihilation hadn’t cooled yet.
Kraush encountered Meiri as soon as he returned.
“Meiri, what’s next?”
“I’m still tracking. Just a second.”
The battlefield was such a mess, and Meiri was focusing high-level attention.
Then, as if sensing something, she perked her head up suddenly.
“Kraush!
The very moment he heard her shout, Kraush felt a hint of danger beneath his feet and leaped.
Just as he did, a tree burst forth from the ground to reach him.
‘This is…’
Hidden Weapon: Wood Rend!
“Aniks!”
The moment he spoke that name, the branches split apart trying to ensnare him.
But Kraush had the upper hand in this matchup.
As the black flames of Rain Thunder Prime surged, he immediately ignited the branches to ash.
However, that wasn’t the end of it.
From the very branches he burned, two figures leaped into action.
“Ha-ha! Kraush!”
One was a small-statured boy, Balak Hogma, wielding a sword in each hand.
The other was a tall girl soaring through the sky, Elfin Emilia, poised with a long, thin blade.
From the Double Koi Gang, alongside the marksmen Aniks Graiza, known as the Starlon Trio.
Upon spotting them, Kraush scowled and swiftly swung his sword.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
Three blades clashed as he spun mid-air.
In aerial combat, Elfin, with her Icarus skill, had the upper edge at that moment.
She was flying almost as if she had wings and skillfully pursued Kraush.
SWOOSH!
Moreover, more trees grew from below, trying to ambush Kraush once again.
“Balak!”
In that twist of fate, Elfin snatched Balak, tossing him at Kraush.
“Hajabyo!”
With a strange battle cry, Balak charged with his crossed swords.
Kraush dodged his assault using Rain Thunder Prime to glide away while hurling Rain Thunder at Elfin.
Elfin didn’t expect him to throw his sword at her.
As a result, her reaction was too slow.
Right when Kraush’s Rain Thunder reached her…
The concentrated black flames exploded out from the thin scabbard of her sword.
“Aagghh!”
Elfin screamed as she tumbled down, caught in the blast of black flames.
As Kraush turned to finish her off, Balak used the tree fashioned by Aniks to ascend and leaped at him again.
Prioritizing Elfin‘s end, Kraush intercepted Balak’s blade with the edge of his palm.
Disaster Dragon Fall.
One Style of the Considered Technique.
His body was as solid as steel.
Even as Balak’s fierce assault continued, Kraush, timing it perfectly, slammed his fist into Balak’s chest.
GWAH!
With a scream, Balak was sent crashing backward.
WHAM!
Simultaneously, the second impact struck.
His entire frame felt heavy as he soared through the air.
At that moment, the soaring tree snatched Balak from mid-air.
And just like that, the tree vanished with Balak into the hole it had made.
Kraush, having regained his Black Hood, attempted to follow suit, but the towering tree obstructed his path.
Before he noticed, the area had become thick with trees, resembling a forest.
Kraush scanned his surroundings.
Elfin was also nowhere in sight, presumably taken the same way as Balak.
“…Very clever.”
Kraush quietly let out a heated breath.
His time under Celestial Annihilation was running low.
Aniks was surely using this growth strategy to drain Kraush’s energy.
‘Everything I’ve changed before has just been undone.’
Well, there was no one better at pulling slick moves from behind the scenes than this guy.
BAM!
In that very moment, a loud rumble came from the colossal golem.
Glancing over revealed Sigrid, unleashing a torrent of white light from her as she shattered the golem.
‘So, that side is done.’
Kraush didn’t anticipate Charlotte’s defeat.
Their fight must have ended in a haze.
However, the overwhelming white dragon aura radiating from Sigrid felt unnaturally strong.
The colossal golem was a secret weapon crafted by the special classes of the Magal Gang.
And here, Sigrid single-handedly crumbled it, showcasing her immense output.
‘That woman has absorbed the legacy of the Sword King.’
Kraush clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
While Kraush could hit maximum output in an instant…
Sigrid built her power steadily over time.
This alone illustrated the distinct differences between her and Kraush.
‘More importantly…’
Kraush steadied himself in the tranquil forest.
Aniks likely designed this forest for a specific purpose.
If that was the case, burning it all away was only sensible.
Disrupting their plans, he needed to either catch Aniks or escape before his Celestial Annihilation flickered out.
Just as he arrived at that conclusion—
ZAPP!
Suddenly, an electric flash shot toward him, forcing Kraush to quickly raise his sword.
As he intercepted the lightning bolt, he turned just in time to see…
“Hey there, little bro.”
How much longer was he planning on rubbing it in?
Kraush grimaced at the sight of the person emerging from the forest.
A surging aura of electricity enveloped her.
With a shark-like grin displayed under glasses, stood Taria Valles.
The student captain of the Heavenly Legion and top student of the Magical Department.
Being known as a representative of the Crimson Garden, her presence meant she had formed an alliance with Aniks.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little rough on your younger sibling?” Kraush inquired.
Taria just casually shrugged.
“He’s strong, and the world knows it. So I’m giving it my all.”
“I don’t have any bracelets, though.”
“Instead, you’ve got four stolen bracelets, right?”
She seemed well-informed.
Kraush caught on to her original plans and clicked his tongue.
With only a few seconds left under Celestial Annihilation…
Could he take care of Taria and still wrap Aniks up before it ran out?
Honestly, it felt close to impossible.
No matter who was involved, Taria was a force even Kraush had to focus on.
This was trouble.
Drawing closer, Kraush couldn’t help but smile.
As she noticed his grin, Taria raised her brow.
PING!
In that instant, a sharp sound rang out and a volley of red light shot toward them.
When Taria hurriedly activated her defensive magic, the surrounding area was quickly engulfed in swirling crimson flames.
Kraush vanished from sight just like that.
‘Fire magic?’
Taria quickly recognized it as flame magic.
And there was only one person from Rahern Academy capable of unleashing such output.
1st-year Magical Department topper, Aslan Igrit.
He must have been fighting Bacram Arios, the student captain of the Demon faction, now appearing here.
“That means…”
“Did you win?” Kraush asked when he reached Aslan, who was battered but standing.
And facing Kraush, Aslan smirked and held up the bracelets in his hand.
“Why, who do you think I am?”
Aslan had defeated Bacram Arios.
“What are you planning?” he inquired.
In response, Kraush took a deep breath to extend the duration of Celestial Annihilation.
“It’s pretty clear, isn’t it?”
With that, he reignited his black flames.
“It’s time to finish this.”
“You’re such a Kraush-ist,” Aslan commented.
What they both desired was total victory for the Lion’s Order.
It was a chaotic fight with no escape plan.
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