### Chapter: 218
Above the Holy Kingdom of Freeman…
A rumble of thunder echoed through the smoke-filled sky, thick as a storm cloud.
KABOOM!
The roiling energy within the cloud sent chills down the spines of onlookers. Clearly, a lot of effort had been put into this display.
Blavi frowned.
‘The presence is gone.’
Although the smoke blanketed the sky, the aura that had stirred it all up was nowhere to be felt.
‘Did I miss them?’
It appeared the practitioner had slipped away while the smoke billowed up, consuming the surroundings like a dinner at a buffet.
Blavi held his sword with a hint of disappointment.
While he demonstrated absurd strength in direct confrontations, he wasn’t as skilled in tracking.
“There are too many distractions. Until next time.”
Those were his last words, clearly indicating his decision to retreat from the fight.
‘Have they evaded?’
To Blavi’s eyes, the practitioner had no chance here.
This was the Holy Kingdom of Freeman.
Even though things seemed chaotic due to the festival of the gods and the internal disputes, under normal circumstances, even a World Erosion like the practitioner shouldn’t have been able to infiltrate.
The Holy Royal Family constantly maintained a sacred barrier, only allowing authorized personnel to enter.
But this barrier had been temporarily disabled due to the religious reform opposition.
Ordinary priests and holy knights couldn’t enter without permission, which was conveniently turned off for the sake of that very reform.
The practitioner cleverly seized upon that window, slipping into the Holy Royal Family’s domain.
‘There’s a traitor among them.’
With timing this perfect, there must surely be a collaborator with the World Erosions somewhere.
‘I’ll figure that out later—torture them if need be.’
Blavi gazed skyward.
KABOOM!
Once again, lightning crackled within the ominous clouds, clearly a brewing storm.
It seemed the practitioner had poured out their power to prevent being followed.
Suddenly, dozens of beams of light shot up from below the roof.
As the smoky cloud was struck by the beams, part of it began to collapse.
Blavi focused his aura to broaden his vision and spotted Tersada alongside members of the opposition approaching.
Their eyes were filled with intense rage.
They too had realized that a World Erosion was exploiting their noble religious revolution.
‘Soon, it’s going to be a bloody storm.’
That wasn’t something Blavi needed to worry about.
Now, there was only one thing left to resolve.
He needed to deal with the smoky cloud blocking the sky.
If he wasn’t careful, not just the royal palace but also innocent civilians could get caught in the chaos.
‘Time to clear it away.’
Dark red energy began to surge from Blavi’s body.
It felt akin to blood, and with every pulsating wave, his presence grew more formidable.
VROOM!
At that moment, amid the cloud of darkness, an absurdly large hand of smoke emerged, looming over the palace.
Its size could easily cast a shadow over the palace itself—a hand so gigantic it felt like the universe was trying to give Freeman a gentle slap.
Blavi clicked his tongue, irritated.
“They really left a mess behind.”
The oversized hand engulfing the smoky vibe began to descend on the palace.
The entire Freeman trembled as the enormous hand impacted the ground, shaking the whole kingdom.
Beneath it, Blavi’s black hair and clothes were whisked upward.
As the dark red energy surged, his eyes lit up fiercely, ready to incinerate the cloud whole.
Then…
CRUNCH!
Just as the smoky hand lowered, it suddenly split apart.
The split hands turned into thousands of strands, raining down in a unified direction.
“What the—?!”
Blavi’s eyes widened in shock.
That wasn’t just an attack; it was aimed directly at someone.
His gaze landed on Kraush, who had been marked not just as a target but as the main course for the smoky feast.
‘Was this an escape strategy?’
Blavi’s instincts kicked in.
Without knowing why, the practitioner left the smoky cloud targeting Kraush.
That toxic smoke could melt skin, muscle, and bone in an instant—a real delight!
So, Blavi thought about rushing in to save Kraush while demolishing the practitioner’s attack.
However, his eyes soon fell upon Kraush amidst the dark flames that were almost mesmerizing.
What kind of concentration was that?
Even during a desperate attack aimed at him, Kraush was forcibly suppressing everything, entering a focused state.
The rising black flames whisked his hair around like a chaotic dance party.
At the same time, it was producing smoke that radiated heat, making the air around him sizzle.
Blavi couldn’t help but feel the heat wash over his face; it was a considerable amount.
Amidst the swirling flames, Kraush’s increasingly red eyes met Blavi’s gaze.
At that moment, realization sank in.
‘He’s wielding the Sky Kill?’
The power sparkling in Kraush’s eyes was unmistakably the Sky Kill.
It was a force that instilled murderous intent towards the world.
Though it meant drastically enhancing physical abilities and aura, controlling the intent of the Sky Kill was a headache, even for someone seasoned like Blavi.
How could it be that Kraush was managing it flawlessly now?
‘…How?’
He recalled receiving the power just a few years back.
Back then, Blavi’s impression of him was that of a tricky little rookie—a boy who was growing fast but still relatively clueless.
Yet Kraush’s potential was clearly evident in how his toxic aura caught Blavi’s attention.
And now, in just a few short years, Kraush had shown growth that truly startled Blavi.
The space around Kraush shimmered in distortion.
The energy radiating from him was so immense it affected the very atmosphere.
The issue was that the magnitude of power he was gathering was far bigger than Blavi had anticipated.
‘Why’s it like this?’
Was it all to break the practitioner’s attack?
‘No…’
Looking at it closely, Blavi realized that the output couldn’t solely be geared toward that.
Kraush must have been after something else too.
The determination manifesting in his eyes; he was evidently planning the next move.
It was the same way when he took down the 8th-level Erosion Agares.
In the midst of the black flames, Kraush’s gaze met Blavi’s.
As soon as Blavi deciphered it, he swiftly changed course.
He leaped into the sky.
‘Definitely Sky Kill.’
Seeing Blavi catch on, Kraush couldn’t help but smirk.
Simultaneously, seven stars adorned the nighttime canvas within him.
The starry light of the Sky Kill coursed through Kraush’s body.
In that moment, the power of World Erosion surged within him uncontrollably.
Thanks to the seasonal influence, even his aura had transformed into the energy of World Erosion.
The burning power emanating from Kraush was no longer the same as before.
CRACK!
The torrent of overwhelming strength flowed through Kraush, pushing him to the brink of consciousness.
He desperately clashed against this formidable stream of World Erosion power, determined to grasp it with his own hands.
WHOOSH—
In that instant, all the energy of World Erosion ignited as Ignis transformed into black flames.
In that towering fire, Kraush’s crimson eyes glowed fiercely.
Annihilation of the Heavens.
‘Not yet.’
The black flames, once more, began to accelerate, fueled by the effect of Excel, causing Kraush’s body to thrum with intensity.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!
Each pulse intensified the wild flames, heating Kraush’s body far beyond limits.
Even his well-trained physique trembled slightly under the strain.
‘Not yet.’
Yet Kraush resolutely gripped the fading consciousness from the pain.
He felt as if his insides were being melted by the flames, but he brushed that off.
The intensity of the flames gradually grew, bubbling forth with a ferocity akin to a blazing inferno.
Mirages sparked and swayed around Kraush, distorting the space around him.
Now.
CLANK!
At that moment, a sound of gears locking echoed from Kraush’s mouth.
He sensed the strengthening essence of enhancement potions coursing through him.
This was the fourth iteration of the refined enhancement potion—a substantial upgrade.
As a result, Kraush’s output heightened at an astonishing rate compared to before.
Alongside that, his body could confront the overwhelming flow of black flames.
‘What a darling he is…’
Without a doubt, he was no ordinary genius.
Kraush, along with the physique that endured the black flames, exhaled a stream of searing smoke.
Annihilation of the Heavens.
This was the strongest state Kraush could achieve.
And in this final moment, he revealed his ultimate card.
Kraush stirred the four seasons embedded deep within him.
The dominating force of World Erosion that had been unleashed by the seasons shuddered upon his call.
The flames began shifting in color.
Gradually, the inferno transformed from black to white.
In an instant, the white flame engulfed everything, consuming all light around it, igniting with an intensity that resembled the sun.
Everything burning in Annihilation of the Heavens suddenly transformed into Aura, the power that defends the world.
Kraush’s thunderous flames erupted silently.
The white flames displayed undeniable strength against the forces of World Erosion.
And that applied to foes in that realm as well.
Before Kraush, who was now extending his gaze skyward, stood Blavi, flying above.
The dark red energy contained within his dual swords had condensed to the utmost degree.
Finally, Blavi swung those swords toward the smoky hands.
Dance of the God Killer—Two Swords.
Fifth Style.
God Killer’s Slash.
SLASH!
The intersecting slashes obliterated the smoky hands, reaching the clouds.
As a result, a raging storm descended upon the entire Holy Kingdom, shaking it to its core.
In the sky, light broke through the spaces where the clouds had been cleaved by Blavi’s devastating strike.
Clearly, Blavi wasn’t anyone who had simply come about through history; he had displayed overwhelming power.
And beneath him…
In the heart of that sunlight, Kraush’s white flames blazed at their peak.
As the radiant flames surged forth, Kraush unexpectedly turned around, swinging them behind him.
It was a curious choice that left observers puzzled.
However, Kraush hesitated not at all.
CLANG!
The sound of metal echoed through the air.
Behind Kraush, the elderly practitioner, Yurma, widened his eyes in shock.
He was none other than the same practitioner who had aimed to kill Kraush all along after cleverly hiding in the smoke instead of fleeing.
But it seemed Kraush had understood the plan all along.
He didn’t waste energy on the trap he’d laid, entrusting it to Blavi instead.
Confusion settled over Yurma’s face beneath the brim of his hat.
And at that moment, from Kraush’s sword, white flames burst forth in unison.
The power emanating from those white flames was vast enough to astound even Yurma.
Through the white flames, Kraush’s crimson eyes remained solely fixed on Yurma.
As Yurma finally recognized the situation, realization dawned.
‘Gotcha.’
In that moment, Kraush’s white flames engulfed Yurma entirely.
Annihilation of Fire.
Sixth Style.
Annihilation of the Heavens—Fire.
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