### Chapter: 263
Plop!
Bianca wiped the trickle of blood from her nose and gazed ahead.
In front of her, the pristine white expanse of ice stretched out.
The arena was completely frozen over.
Students below kept their distance, wary of being caught in any frosty breath coming their way.
Not just the students, but even the professors were hastily distancing themselves from the arena as well.
In this situation, Bianca’s eyes slowly scanned the area.
Inside the thick fog of ice, a soft crack echoed.
At the sound, two daggers had already appeared in Bianca’s hands.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she plunged the daggers into the icy mist.
Clang!
With the sounds of ice shattering, a sword materialized in that very spot.
What reflected in Bianca’s blue eyes was none other than Professor Ritly, his body entirely encased in frost.
Cold air streamed from his mouth.
He frowned deeply, shivering from the oppressive cold that clung to him.
The chilling intensity was so strong it felt like it was digging deep into his bones.
No way he thought he would be taken down so hard by an examinee.
‘Her legs are barely moving.’
It was clear her arms weren’t faring any better.
‘What level of output is this?’
At this point, even a six-star erosion type would struggle to endure a blow from her.
The real kicker? She was only 15 years old.
Her potential for growth was limitless.
‘This goes beyond mere talent; she’s honed herself like a blade.’
On top of that, she was still throwing daggers despite her current output.
Ritly noticed the dazed look in Bianca’s eyes.
She was indeed nearing her limit.
Though she was gasping for air, she had poured every ounce of strength into her last attack.
Let’s correct that—this wasn’t just pouring out her power.
She was forcing out every last drop of energy, even the reserves she didn’t have.
If she strained any harder, the aura she unleashed would likely go haywire.
‘What kind of obsession is this?’
Nonetheless, this was just an exam.
Ritly found it bizarre that she was pushing herself so hard for something like this.
But he was the examiner.
‘The test isn’t over yet.’
Ritly promptly swung his sword to deflect Bianca’s daggers.
As expected, Bianca’s weakened daggers were easily swatted aside.
She no longer had the strength to hold onto her weapons.
Ritly wasn’t doing much better, but as someone who had earned the nickname “the Undying Blade,” his body was well-accustomed to battle.
Just as he forced his body into motion to strike at Bianca—
Bianca’s outfit’s inner lining suddenly unfolded.
And what appeared before Ritly’s eyes was an ice fox.
In the fox’s mouth was an ice sphere, crystal clear.
Clang!
Then, the ice sphere began bursting apart.
Soon, it was shooting sharp ice shards in all directions.
Ritly swiftly pulled back his sword and unleashed Illusory Lantern.
The illusions around him began swatting away the flying shards of ice just as Riitly reset his stance.
But—
Whack! Crash!
Despite Ritly’s illusions blocking some shards, Bianca charged at him, the glint of determination in her eyes.
She grasped her daggers reversed in her hands, reflecting only the hope of victory with her blue gaze.
Bianca’s hands were freezing cold, gripped tightly around the daggers.
Determined not to let go.
She was plunging the daggers downward using just the strength of her arms.
There’s no escape.
She sacrificed her flesh to seize the bone.
This was Bianca’s intense obsession toward victory.
Even Ritly felt overwhelmed by her fierce desire to win.
Bianca surged faster than Ritly’s ability to unleash his illusions.
Ritly quickly attempted to retreat.
But Bianca’s daggers were already at his clavicle.
Ritly sensed the chill of impending defeat sending shivers down his spine.
Slip!
Fortune took a turn for Ritly.
The icy ground snagged at his shoe, causing him to stumble.
Bianca had already run out of strength to adjust the trajectory of her attack.
Swish!
Instead, the daggers tore into Ritly’s chest.
Though it was a serious wound, it wasn’t a decisive blow.
“Ah.”
At that moment, disappointment flashed in Bianca’s eyes.
Ritly regained his footing and delivered a powerful kick.
Crash!
Bianca was sent soaring through the air, utterly exhausted and with no strength to respond.
As Bianca tumbled across the ground, Ritly felt a jolting ache shoot through his leg.
He looked down to find a thin shard of ice embedded in his thigh.
Even while flying away, Bianca had managed to embed an ice shard in him.
‘What is this?’
Is this what it means to be a dedicated examinee?
Ritly let out a heavy sigh as he watched Bianca collapse.
Click!
But he forgot one crucial fact.
While he was so focused on Bianca, there was another presence in the exam hall.
Following the sound of approaching footsteps, he turned his head slowly.
There, radiant under the moonlight, stood Dalia Junon, shining brightly.
Despite an impressive output, Ritly had completely forgotten about Dalia.
It wasn’t because she had some special talent.
It was simply that Ritly’s instincts told him he would lose if he diverted his attention from Bianca right now.
“Hah.”
Breathing out deeply, Ritly gathered his last ounce of strength and readied himself.
He had scoffed at Kairan, questioning how an assistant professor could lose to students, yet here he was, on the verge of becoming a victim himself.
‘This year, just like last, will be a bountiful harvest.’
Thinking that the world was overflowing with talent, Ritly steeled himself for Dalia’s impending strike.
—
In the haze of consciousness,
A blend of voices echoed in her mind.
Still caught in a sleepy daze with her eyes closed and her body feeling heavy and numb—
But soon, a warm touch enveloping her head gently roused her.
Slowly, she opened her eyes to find a pair of dark blue locks.
It wasn’t always so, but now it was her favorite hair color.
And the owner of that extraordinary hair was—
Bianca Hardenhartz’s most cherished person.
“Kraush.”
“Are you awake?”
At her call, Kraush responded.
Upon hearing his reply, Bianca leaned into the hand that cradled her head.
She adored this warmth.
Though Kraush had claimed to be the Lunar Body and exude a chill, to Bianca, it was the warmest thing ever.
“What a fuss over just an exam.”
While relishing the warmth, Bianca shifted her gaze to Kraush’s words, which mingled concern and reproach.
Kraush, who locked eyes with her, averted his gaze shyly.
He knew all too well that he wasn’t in a position to lecture.
It was a well-known story how Kraush had collapsed after a battle with Kairan during last year’s entrance exam.
“I just wanted to be with you, Kraush.”
Above all, Bianca had a reason to give it her all.
She wanted to be with the one she loved most.
For that, she could do anything.
Feeling the weight of her affectionate intentions, Kraush bitterly smiled and slowly patted her head.
“Yeah, you’ve really become strong.”
Bianca had grown to a level where even Kraush was surprised. She had the ability to easily secure a spot in the Special Class as a second-year student.
With just a few years of training, she had put in the sweat and effort to wield such power.
Kraush, who was most aware of that effort, readily praised her.
She no longer felt like a mere little white chick.
“How did the exam go?”
Bianca showed no fear of the results in her eyes.
She had given it her all.
Having revealed every ounce of her strength, no matter the outcome, Bianca was ready to accept it with calm.
When Kraush heard her question, he pinched her cheek lightly.
Though her baby fat was fading, it was still soft.
“After Dalia’s strike landed, even in such a state, Professor Ritly faced off against her.”
Dalia had needed to summon her Moonlight Divine Sword to endure Bianca’s earlier massive assault.
Bianca had unleashed a blow so powerful that she hadn’t considered the potential fallout for her allies.
Dalia, wanting to take down Ritly, had also brought forth her power.
They had exhausted their strength significantly during the engagements.
“The exchanges lasted quite a bit, but Ritly was the first to kneel.”
Dalia was indeed remarkable, but Ritly was still very competent, second only to Kairan among the professors.
In the end, after some struggle, Ritly had managed to land a decent blow on Dalia, but he had exhausted so much energy that he lost consciousness.
It was simply a limit he reached.
“Victory belongs to you and Dalia.”
Thus, the results were victories for both Bianca and Dalia.
Ironically, both victors were sprawled on the ground, marking the second incident where an assistant professor was defeated during the Rahern Academy entrance exam.
Thanks to this, the professors would now have to wrack their brains to regain their reputation.
But from a student’s perspective, Bianca’s achievement was nothing short of exemplary.
Having listened to the entire story, Bianca remained silent.
Then, she finally asked one last question.
“So, do I make it into the Special Class?”
“You’ll be the top scholar of the Unnamed Department, at least. Special Class is a certainty.”
Bianca fell quiet for a brief moment.
Then she looked to Kraush and slowly extended her arms.
When Kraush looked at her in confusion, Bianca swayed her arms slightly.
“Reward me.”
No one expected to hear such a request from her.
With a surprised expression, Kraush chuckled before he willingly agreed to give her a reward.
He reached to embrace Bianca.
But he underestimated her.
In an instant, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her face close to his.
“Bianca?”
When a flustered Kraush questioned her, Bianca simply grinned.
That smile had a hint of teasing to it.
In a move even Kraush couldn’t anticipate, she pressed her lips against his.
The soft warmth filled her senses.
And shortly thereafter, her lips slid away.
“Kraush, I’ve been very patient.”
Kraush’s face was one of disbelief, and Bianca spoke while loosening her grip.
She then held Kraush’s hand, only to let it go.
When Kraush turned his hand, he found a ring resting in his palm.
It was a ring identical to the one he had given Bianca as a gift.
Kraush quickly grasped the meaning behind it.
With the ring in hand, he slipped it onto Bianca’s left ring finger.
A radiant smile lit up her face.
But soon after, for some reason, her expression darkened.
“…During the exam, a member of Lakradiyon approached me.”
Arashizm Lakradiyon.
Kraush hesitated as he recalled the person who had approached Bianca.
“And I also heard that you’re being targeted by Ixion.”
“That… well.”
These were things he hadn’t gotten around to telling Bianca.
Mentioning it now, as she tugged on his clothes, he felt her grip tighten.
“I didn’t want to hear this from someone else.”
“…I’m sorry. I’ll let you know sooner next time.”
Upon hearing Kraush’s apology, Bianca buried her face against his chest for a moment.
“It’s a promise. I’m your wife now.”
Bianca spoke, now saying the word “wife” instead of just fiancée.
Seeing her slightly flushed earlobes made Kraush smile warmly.
“Let’s rest.”
With that, he collapsed onto the bed.
In an instant, Bianca’s spirited breathing filled the air.
A look of contentment washed over her.
How typical of her to stir up a scene and then fall asleep alone.
That’s so like Bianca.
[Looks like the chick has grown into a sly fox.]
Hearing the remarks from Crimson Garden, Kraush sighed, then rose from his seat.
Despite being slightly dazed from Bianca’s sudden actions, he had matters to attend to.
‘Lakradiyon.’
The family known for exterminating world eroders.
It was time to meet the member of the Lakradiyon family who appeared as a new student in this exam.
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