### Chapter: 223
Kraush and Charlotte Team Up for a Showdown Against the Rest of the Lion’s Order
Delon’s absurd training plan was surprisingly accepted with open arms.
“Accepted.”
The reason was simple: Charlotte was on board.
In the Lion’s Order, Charlotte’s word was basically law.
Not a single soul dared to voice any objections to her.
And given the nature of the Lion’s Order, it was full of aggressive individuals.
Most had gathered out of admiration for Charlotte or Kraush’s overwhelming strength.
So it was only natural that they wanted a shot at battling the two head-on.
Thus began an impromptu training session, excluding those from the literary department.
The training method was straightforward.
Charlotte and Kraush’s victory condition was to safely descend the mountain.
The remaining members of the Lion’s Order were tasked with preventing the two from coming down before sunset.
Of course, combat was permitted.
“We have about six hours until sunset.”
As Delon provided his advice, the members of the Lion’s Order swiftly scattered.
This was because they had agreed to establish their positions thirty minutes before Kraush and Charlotte made their move.
“Then we’ll be off.”
The members from the literary department schemed to take a different route down the mountain to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
“Hey, don’t get hurt on your way down.”
Astria accompanied them as they descended.
Watching them leave, Kraush found himself alone with Charlotte.
In the slightly awkward atmosphere, it was Kraush who broke the silence first.
“Delon can be pretty reckless, can’t he?”
Upon hearing his remark, a light smile danced on Charlotte’s lips.
“That’s why I keep him around. He follows along without question, no matter what I do.”
Charlotte seemed to acknowledge her own unpredictable nature in that moment.
She was quite pleased with how Delon managed things for her.
Indeed, Delon was usually the one cleaning up after most of Charlotte’s antics.
‘That guy can certainly be dedicated.’
He had a strong sense of loyalty toward her, evidenced by his willingness to sacrifice himself during a fierce battle against the World Erosion Ghost.
When it came to loyalty, he was undoubtedly one of her strongest supporters.
“What do you think of the second-year students?”
Suddenly, Charlotte directed her question toward the second-year students.
She generally showed little interest in anyone other than Kraush.
As such, she barely knew anything about them, aside from the fact they were Kraush’s friends or acquaintances.
“There are some impressive ones.”
In the past, they would have been figures he dared not stand next to, let alone look up to.
However, now things were different.
“They’re weaker than me.”
Kraush stood firmly ahead of them.
Right up front, no less.
Charlotte, upon hearing this, didn’t hide her smile.
“Oh, really? That’s good to hear.”
Her gaze drifted downward from the mountain.
For the first time in a while, a spark seemed to light up her usually dull eyes.
“Because I feel the same way.”
There wasn’t anyone stronger than her among the first-year students.
This arrogance was a signature trait of Charlotte.
Ironically, it made her even scarier because it was true.
“Then wouldn’t just descending the mountain be pretty boring?”
Charlotte turned to look at Kraush.
Her expression bore the familiar hint of mischief she often displayed during her playful moments.
Just like that incident where she took on groups of boys in ridiculous outfits at the Sanctuary of Stars.
That was the exact expression she wore back then.
“Since it’s just the two of us.”
Charlotte wiggled her fingers as if to emphasize their duo.
“We should make it memorable.”
Before descending, she intended to obliterate everyone.
Charlotte declared this openly.
‘Normally, we would be the ones getting chased, but not this time.’
She had no intentions of being the prey.
After all, she was a born hunter.
Kraush let out a short sigh as he saw her determined demeanor.
Ah, this was so typical of Charlotte.
“This is going to be fun.”
And in such instances, they were indeed two peas in a pod.
Kraush wasn’t planning on being prey either.
If they were going down the mountain, he’d rather take down the entire Lion’s Order first.
That would at least make it a proper training exercise for them.
Charlotte and Kraush wore matching mischievous smiles.
The hunt for the Lion’s Order had begun.
*
The Lion’s Order Members
Scattered throughout the forest, the Lion’s Order members awaited the movements of Kraush and Charlotte.
The distribution of members had naturally gravitated towards those they were familiar with.
There was an unusual wall separating the first-year and second-year students.
Ironically, this wall was built because of Charlotte and Kraush.
Charlotte was the core of the first-year students.
Kraush filled the same role for the second-years.
Their exceptional strength turned them into the centers of their respective classes.
As a result, this created a divide between the two years.
Since their followers were different, it was tough to meld the two groups.
Consequently, even though they were part of the same Order, there was a noticeable gap between the seniors and juniors.
As everyone waited nervously for Charlotte and Kraush to make a move…
“Do we stand a chance?”
It was Karandis who spoke up first.
Princess Karandis Poseus of the Poseus Kingdom wore a worried expression.
Aslan and Haring, along with the rest of the second-years, turned their eyes toward her.
“A chance?”
“I mean, do we really have a shot at winning this?”
Karandis answered with a not-so-enthusiastic face to Aslan’s question.
Aslan didn’t disagree, knowing full well Kraush’s abilities.
Kraush was an overwhelming monster among the second-years.
His sheer firepower surpassed even magic, and he was indeed a force to be reckoned with.
“However, even Kraush isn’t invincible.”
He had his chronic weakness.
His overwhelming firepower came at the cost of his body suffering from overload.
Kraush had been trying various tricks to compensate for that weakness.
Still, he hadn’t been able to escape the fate of being a glass cannon.
“The problem is whether we can exploit that weakness or not.”
Though Kraush might not go all out, he was still a few steps above the rest in brute strength.
If they could find a way to bring out his full potential, that would be crucial.
“If it were just Kraush, then maybe. But we also have Charlotte to deal with, you know?”
Karandis shuddered at the mere thought of Charlotte.
Even more so than when she thought of Kraush, Aslan noticed her intense reaction.
It wasn’t news that Charlotte was strong.
After all, she bore the title of Sword King at such a young age.
But despite hearing of her accolades, Aslan had never witnessed her in action.
He had heard of her achievements but had no real conception of just how powerful she was.
“Is she really that formidable?”
“Haven’t you seen Charlotte fight, Aslan?”
Other second-years leaned in, intrigued by Karandis’s characterization.
Aslan was not alone in his lack of experience regarding Charlotte; most of the second-years were similarly uninformed.
The students from the Starlon Kingdom, however, appeared quite pallid.
“She’s a complete cheat. Can you imagine stopping a storm that spreads across the continent?”
“Impossible.”
Unless you were a master sorcerer, like one of those top-tier mages from Heaven’s Sword, Aslan couldn’t even dream of doing that.
“Exactly, you can’t. Charlotte’s not human; she’s an embodiment of disaster.”
Karandis viewed Charlotte as a natural calamity.
Everywhere she went, devastation followed.
There wasn’t a soul who could withstand her.
“She’s essentially a finely honed diamond, while Kraush is like a massive mountain of stone.”
She wore an expression of someone who had no desire to face Charlotte.
At that moment…
Clack—
The chilling sound of heels echoed loudly, silencing everyone in an instant.
The second-years froze in place.
The pressure emanating from the figure approaching through the forest was on an entirely different level.
It felt as if time itself had come to a standstill.
The bugs, once buzzing in the forest, fell silent, and the wind ceased to stir.
Clack—
And as the sound echoed a second time…
The world seemed to return to its usual pace.
In a moment, their faces went ghostly pale as they craned their necks.
From behind the shadowy trees, black and blue hair shone through.
“Thank you for holding my brother and me in such high regard.”
Beneath her dark blue locks, a pair of gleaming blue eyes shimmered coldly.
In an instant, everyone understood.
Just how terrifying the Holy Royal Family truly was.
“But I’m not going to go easy on you.”
The corner of her mouth curved upward just slightly.
In that moment, Charlotte vanished.
“Everyone, get ready!”
Just as the strongest among them, Haring, shouted in a panicked voice, she caught sight of an incoming blade right in front of her.
The air crackled with power radiating from the sword, warping the space around it.
This was master-level, no, even higher than that, and all at the tender age of 16.
‘A monster.’
Haring had honestly evaluated her situation, but before she could react, a sword was already lodged into her.
“Smart kids go first.”
Crack!
The sound of something being struck resonated throughout the forest, sending the second-years tumbling.
Charlotte’s gaze met the tip of the sword.
There stood Haring, who had barely managed to parry the attack with her dagger.
Chirp—
Suddenly, a dark violet energy spilled forth from Haring’s body, having been tainted by a toxic substance.
At the same time, Aslan erupted with fire magic from behind Charlotte.
‘Now I see why.’
Kraush had good reason to claim that many impressive students were around.
Using poison had been clever, and she had anticipated the surprise attack.
She had greeted the killing intent head-on, which spoke volumes about the talented kids around.
But unfortunately, that talent…
Swish!
“Ugh?!”
In an instant, Haring’s wrist twisted awkwardly as Charlotte’s blade drew near, leaving her gasping in pain.
Despite enhancing her body through toxins, Charlotte’s power was simply too overwhelming.
As Haring scrambled to retrieve another dagger…
She realized her vision was starting to blur.
“Wait…”
Haring finally took a moment to realize her body.
Her head, neck, chest, and sides—all of her vital areas had suffered damage.
She was late in realizing she had been attacked.
Even though she had previously remained vigilant against the endless night, she hadn’t sensed Charlotte’s assault at all.
Clang!
At that moment, the sound of Aslan’s magic breaking reverberated.
His eyes widened in shock.
Even though Charlotte had deflected Haring’s dagger, his magic had shattered simultaneously.
It didn’t end with that.
Individuals attempting sneak attacks were now scattered as their weapons bounced off or clattered to the ground.
Charlotte was still standing next to Haring.
What in the world had just happened?
Just then, Aslan, feeling a sense of vague disorientation, gazed at Charlotte with bewildered eyes.
“Karandis, we need to get everyone out of here, now!”
Karandis’s frantic shout resonated through the woods as a colossal wave swept across the area.
Boom!!!
As the wave surged forth, the dazzling light of swords flared brightly amidst the chaos.
Scrape!
When the wave struck the blades, a rift formed, causing everything to vanish in an instant.
Charlotte stood there, not a drop of water touching her.
She took a moment to scan her surroundings.
Aslan, having seized the chance to teleport everyone at short range, had managed to escape.
“Hmph, it’s clear that knowing someone makes a difference.”
Had it not been for Karandis, the entire second-year group would have been wiped out.
However, that short-range teleport couldn’t deliver them far enough away.
Charlotte’s sensing range extended throughout the entire mountain.
Boom!!!
In that moment, an explosive sound erupted from elsewhere.
As Charlotte gazed up at the swirling black flames rising in the sky, she couldn’t help but smile briefly.
Things were starting to heat up on that side too.
“I can’t lose to my brother.”
A sinister aura began to emanate from Charlotte, swirling like a mirage.
“I’ll go all out now.”
There was no way she’d lose to her sibling.
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