Chapter: 108
The astounding black flames and thunderous storms swept through the arena training grounds.
Amidst the scene where all the petals of the World Tree were set ablaze, even the students taking the exam were left awe-struck, staring in disbelief.
Kraush’s Destructive Flame Thunderbolt transcended the level of the students, making it look like the end of talent itself.
“…Monster.”
Someone muttered that phrase absentmindedly.
Indeed, what Kraush displayed fit that description perfectly.
In the midst of those black flames, Kraush’s eyes darted eagerly.
Crackle!
At that moment, Kraush’s Thunder activated, and in sync, the Thunderblade moved.
As soon as an intangible object touched the edge of the blade…
Ka-boom!
With an explosive sound, Kraush staggered back.
“Whew.”
As he inhaled lightly, his eyes burned red.
Kraush clearly understood what just hit him.
A bomb condensing aura.
That was Kairan’s special Aura Bomb.
She had been rampaging with it to blow up invasive creatures indiscriminately.
Using it against a person? That clearly meant she had decided to throw out any notion of restraint.
‘If it puts me down with full force, that would be mighty generous of you.’
Once again, Kraush sliced through the incoming aura bomb flying amid the black flames with his sword.
Thanks to his instincts and the Thunder, Kraush sensed Kairan’s presence quickly maneuvering outside the flames.
She surely wouldn’t stick to just long-range attacks forever.
Her specialty was up-close dagger skills, after all.
‘Here she comes.’
At that moment, his instincts reacted.
As Kraush grasped the Thunder, three dagger strikes connected through the flames.
Clang, clang, clang!
Kraush’s enhanced Destructive Flame Erosion allowed his body to firmly fend off Kairan’s three consecutive attacks.
Emerging from the black flames, Kairan’s uniform was partially burnt away, charred in various places.
Especially one of her arms bore quite severe burns.
Kraush’s Destructive Flame Erosion had powered up since reaching mastery.
Even though his aura might still be at the novice level, his output was far beyond what that level suggested.
And it was perfectly suited to catch his opponent off guard.
Kairan had also been tricked enough to launch an attack.
At that moment, she bore down deeply into Kraush’s space.
Her peculiar dagger technique was dizzying.
Like someone suffering seasickness on a boat, struggling to regain their balance.
Kairan’s dagger technique skillfully disoriented the eyes of her opponents.
But this time, her luck had run out.
Kraush’s instincts were an artifice created by a blind swordsman who didn’t rely on sight.
Crackle!
Simultaneously, Kraush’s Thunder amplified those instincts even further.
Unlike before, his Thousand Kill made up for both his body and any lacks in natural talent.
As a result, Kraush now knew precisely where Kairan’s blades would strike.
“Haha.”
A shattering laugh slipped from Kairan’s lips.
Every single dagger she swung was pierced through by Kraush, never getting close to him.
Even her earlier attack had been absurd, and her defensive techniques were equally impressive!
‘This feels like I’m fighting against a wall.’
There was not a sliver of an opening for Kairan to find.
What could have transformed him like this?
Even a perfectionist could not train like this.
To be perfectly honest, even Kairan couldn’t see a way through Kraush at this moment.
‘In that case…’
Kairan took a deep breath.
As she did, the rising aura spread throughout her body.
Following the undulating aura, her hair began to shimmer a pale gray.
‘If I can’t find a path, then I’ll just create one.’
Gray aura flickered atop Kairan’s daggers.
By the time Kraush noticed it, Kairan’s knife was already upon him.
Ka-boom!
An explosive sound echoed through the arena.
On top of Kairan’s dagger lay the aura bomb she had thrown earlier.
It was her Explosion Art.
For those who prioritized defense, she unleashed an attack designed to break through it.
Her explosion could even shatter invasive creatures, a stark reminder that it wouldn’t be easy for Kraush to take head-on.
Bang, kaboom, kaboom!
Successive explosive sounds erupted.
Kraush’s expression wrinkled with annoyance.
Using her Explosion Art at such close range would hit Kairan hard too.
Yet she was still pouring it all in, determined to disrupt Kraush’s Thunder.
‘This is absurdly reckless.’
Kairan had essentially declared an endurance battle.
Fwoosh!
At that moment, black flames soared over Kraush’s sword.
Ka-boom!
Finally, as Kraush’s sword crashed against Kairan’s dagger, it was engulfed in explosions and black flames.
Kairan’s eyes met Kraush’s.
In response to Kraush’s recent counter, Kairan had also learned what he was thinking.
Between droplets of sweat, a faint smile formed on Kraush’s lips.
Sorry, but endurance battles are my specialty.
“If you’re going for a direct approach, I’ll do the same.”
Kraush’s black flames blazed intensely.
“Then let’s see who can last longer.”
An all-out duel of black flames and explosions ensued.
*
As the arena filled with black flames and explosions, everyone stared in a daze, effectively halting the second exam.
Among those watching was Mary Diana, who was feeling utterly baffled.
The Kraush before her now was vastly different from the past.
No longer outclassed even slightly by the Pirate Empress Kairan, he was swinging his sword head-on as proof.
At just 15 years old.
It was unbelievable that he had reached such a level at that age.
Mary herself, born with the Heavenly Muscular Body, had not been able to fight like that at 15.
In fact, she might still be unable to now.
In earlier days, when she was merely a fledgling, she would have smiled proudly seeing Kraush as a sprout.
However, she was no fledgling anymore.
Now, a 17-year-old talented girl.
She knew better than anyone how to cultivate her talents, yet the months wasted searching for Arthur and her year-long imprisonment had squandered precious time she could have used for training.
Of course, even with that wasted time, her natural talent was undeniable.
Aside from Charlotte, there was virtually no one among her peers who could surpass her.
But what if she were to go up against the Kraush standing before her?
Well, it certainly didn’t look promising considering how fierce those black flames appeared.
At the same time, those flames constantly reminded her of that day which had been a recurring nightmare.
Just like the day that the boy Kraud, who should have been dead, had blocked her spear.
Mary’s eyes trembled.
She tightened her grip on the spear in her hand.
Reflecting upon the past.
She regretted wasting the time that had been given to her.
‘If I fail to follow through with Lord Sigrid’s orders this time…’
She was acutely aware that she would be left behind.
Sigrid was someone who would certainly cut away anything deemed unnecessary.
‘No, no. That just can’t happen.’
If Sigrid let her go, Arthur might abandon her too.
Mary subconsciously realized that Arthur valued Sigrid higher than her.
While she was encumbered by the pressure to win, the fight between Kraush and Kairan raged on.
Before long, both Kraush and Kairan bore wounds from one another, their bodies scorched from a barrage of attacks.
Even with their physical abilities and auras defending them, there was still a limit.
So both were ending up a complete mess.
However, even amidst the chaos, there was an advantage.
While Kairan was fully focused on her attacks…
Kraush shifted the direction of his Thunder.
The Thunder was a technique combining power and a heavy weapon.
With the added Thunder energy, while it might appear slow to the eye, it filled all the spots where an enemy’s attack would reach.
It could effectively be seen as the next stage beyond the control of space of the heavy sword.
Yet in this moment, Kraush altered the flow.
Being able to read all of his opponent’s strikes, he preemptively swung his sword toward where their attacks would land.
As a result, Kraush’s blade seized the space before Kairan’s attack could even complete.
Thud!
Kairan’s daggers twisted, staggering against Kraush’s sword.
Her eyes widened in a shocked expression.
However, the clash had no moment of Pause, and Kraush dove straight into her attack range.
Much faster than Kairan’s assault.
Kairan felt the shocking sensation of being attacked even though she had chosen to attack herself.
She felt her breath catch in her throat.
Kraush’s blow amplified by Destructive Flame Erosion was incredibly dense and heavy.
This was as if she were trapped in a sealed space.
Kraush’s sword had transcended the realm of a heavy sword.
Dominating Blade.
It was now a sword solely meant to crush the opponent utterly.
And at that moment, with Kairan unable to withstand the power, her body was forced backward.
The once-famed Pirate Empress found herself outmatched by pure strength.
Kraush’s red eyes, inflamed by Destructive Flame Erosion, flickered.
His Dominating Blade evoked a sense of dread.
Witnessing this, Kairan realized she had limited time to withstand Kraush’s strikes.
Kraush’s sword was bearing down on her, threatening to crush her defenses.
Before long, she would lose any chance at defense, and he’d be pushing that blade toward her throat.
‘Good thing I didn’t take that teaching position.’
Kairan’s aura began surpassing previous levels.
The gray hair shining with her aura flowed in the air.
‘What’s the shame in trying my hardest against a student?’
With that mindset, she decided to unleash one solid strike.
For that one strike, she would muster all her strength.
Kairan’s Aura Blade, a symbol of mastery, blazed a deep crimson in an instant.
“Everyone, get back!”
Witnessing this, the exam assistants hurriedly cleared the area around the nearby children.
Kairan’s aura was powerful enough to warp the surrounding air.
The level of power she wielded was one that should never be unleashed against applicants.
Yet Kairan had already forgotten that Kraush was a student.
All that filled her mind was a desire to clash with someone at full strength.
Finally, as if intending to erase everything within that radius, Kairan’s dagger lunged toward Kraush.
Explosion Art.
Great Explosion.
Kairan’s technique could shatter invasive species in one strike.
At that moment, as Kairush’s sword and Kairan’s dagger of great explosion were set on a collision course…
Clang!
The moment Kraush’s blade bore down upon Kairan’s dagger…
Snatch!
Kraush’s sword blade began to shatter entirely.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw this happen.
Ka-boom!
Thus, Kraush’s sword shattered, causing Kairan’s explosion to explode harmlessly into the air.
Ka-boom! Ka-boom! Ka-boom!
The great explosion consumed the entire area.
Yet underneath that, Kraush was crouched low, having deliberately shattered his Thunderblade to grasp it once more.
Kairan finally understood.
Kraush had never intended for a straightforward confrontation.
His previous taunts, all aimed to force her into a full-on offense.
From start to finish, he had been obsessively plotting a tactical play.
Just for this very moment.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the Thunder once again scattered golden light as it reformed in Kraush’s hands.
With it resting in Kraush’s grasp, the full brunt of his power surged anew.
As a droplet fell upon a deep lake, it rippled through the stillness of the tranquil waters.
The draconic tidal wave rising was entirely woven into Kraush’s sword.
Finally, that blade reached Kairan, who was now on the brink of exhaustion from her earlier explosion technique.
With the sword now at her throat, Kairan swallowed hard.
‘What a cowardly move.’
If he could still bring out that level of power, one would think he’d engage her head-on.
Destructive Flame Erosion.
Second Form.
Destructive Flame Sword.
In that moment, the black flames enveloped the arena.
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