### Chapter: 238
#### Rahern Academy’s Student Tournament: Round 1
The Rahern Academy’s student tournament was pure chaos.
Since it was the first tournament, the teams fought tooth and nail to secure victory.
Thus, they battled fiercely until the very last rays of sunlight disappeared.
And the most prominent figures to emerge from all this madness were three individuals.
First up was the Sword King, Charlotte Balheim.
She had come alone to confront the White Ghosts, obliterating their key personnel.
Reappearing after her battle with Sigrid, she rampaged through all the teams.
The sight alone was enough to instill fresh terror towards Charlotte.
Next was the Imperial Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania.
Leading the attacked White Ghosts, she battled her way through.
Showing what it truly meant to be of the bloodline of the White Dragon, she displayed overwhelming power.
With one swing of her sword, chills and freezing air roared forth, leaving students utterly helpless before her.
Those who had begun to doubt Sigrid’s abilities were convinced that day.
She was indeed a powerhouse capable of standing toe-to-toe with Charlotte at Rahern Academy.
While the Lion’s Order and White Ghosts raised their standings in this tournament, there was someone who gained notoriety in a different way.
None other than the one who stole the most bracelets throughout the tournament.
Second-Year top student.
Kraush Balheim.
While the first-years displayed their strength throughout the tournament, there was no one who outperformed Kraush.
Even the well-known team leaders felt powerless before him.
Every time he showed up, students flew, and black flames surged.
Those who had an inkling of Kraush’s strength finally realized through this tournament.
Kraush Balheim was a force that no second-year or even first-year could reckon with.
As the three stars of the tournament were noted, the results were announced.
Given the chaotic nature of the battle, students couldn’t quite grasp the outcomes.
So, amidst their expectations, Durandal took to the stage.
He looked out at the disaster that was Rahern Academy and grinned.
“Ha ha, you all really went all out.”
Rapid repairs were already underway by the professors and assistant professors of the Magic Department.
Given how wild the students had gone, the faces of the assistant professors were dark.
It was only natural they had to work all night to fix the mess.
Meanwhile, Durandal chuckled heartily.
He was just glad the students fought valiantly.
“Now, I will announce the results.”
And soon, he unveiled the outcome of the tournament.
“5th place goes to the Scales and Maidens Union.”
Led by the youngest cardinal, Meiri Beakis, and the nuns, their mention brought nods of recognition from all.
The collaboration of the holy knight squad under the theology department with the nuns was indeed noteworthy.
“4th place is the Skycalf and Twinclaw Union.”
Next came the mention of Taria Valles, the top student from the first-year Magic Department, leading the Skycalf, and Aniks Graiza leading the Twinclaw.
Both teams had performed acceptably amidst the chaos but made crucial mistakes when it came to protecting their bracelets.
“Got us there,” Taria scratched her cheek in disappointment.
Beside her, Aniks chuckled.
The one who’d snagged their bracelets was none other than Haring.
Using his invisibility to sneak in, he had conned them out of their trophies.
“Who does he take after? Really slick at stealing,” Taria quipped, glancing toward Haring and Kraush.
Haring was getting praised by Kraush for his efforts, looking rather proud of himself.
Seeing that smug grin of Haring, Taria felt a bit deflated.
She hadn’t really cared about their team’s victory after all.
Finding humor in it helped her brush it off.
“3rd place goes to the Gold Owl Brigade.”
When the 3rd place was announced, students buzzed with chatter.
The Gold Owl Brigade was primarily composed of students from the Literature Department.
It was a fact that they were naturally lagging in combat prowess compared to other teams.
Students directed their gazes toward Persona Madin, the leader of the Gold Owl Brigade.
He was the top first-year from the Literature Department and had remarkable instincts.
He had leveraged those instincts to navigate the fray.
Noting the gathered glances, he merely shrugged nonchalantly.
As expected, a middle-of-the-road result.
Considering that Airing, the runner-up of the Literature Department, had lost all her bracelets, it really showcased how daunting it was to claim the top spot.
“And now, for 2nd place.”
When 2nd place was about to be announced, the air grew tense.
Once the second place was announced, the first place would be solidified.
It was a reasonable assumption.
The top contenders were certainly the Lion’s Order or the White Ghosts Union.
The White Ghosts, though hit hard, had managed to recover and re-entered the fray.
They had snatched a good number of bracelets just as effectively as the Lion’s Order.
As everyone held their breath, all gazes zeroed in on Durandal, who was well aware of their stares.
That charged moment passed, and finally, Durandal opened his mouth.
“2nd place goes to the White Ghosts, Sea Moth, and Demon Union.”
At that announcement, Sigrid’s eyes slowly widened.
The White Ghosts had secured enough bracelets in the back, thinking they had a solid shot at victory.
Yet, they lost.
Sigrid wore a lost expression as her alliance’s faces hardened with shock.
Among them, only Meiri stood tall.
She had managed to keep her bracelet safe despite the chaos, aided by the likes of Kraush.
Of course, the truth was that their success was thanks to Kraush returning her bracelet—
But she stood proudly, concealing that fact.
“And 1st place goes to the Lion’s Order.”
The moment Durandal confirmed the first place, cheers erupted from the Lion’s Order side.
“We won! We’ve done it!”
“It’s a victory for the Lion’s Order!”
The first-year students were especially ecstatic.
They had struggled against the White Ghosts Union and faced significant pressure.
Unlike second-year students.
The first-year students had spent a year at Rahern Academy, intimately aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
That might explain why the battle was a delightful mess.
“Charlotte Balheim, captain of the Lion’s Order, please step up to the podium.”
Soon after being called by Durandal, Charlotte strode forward.
As she approached the stage, all eyes were glued to her.
Her flowing indigo hair danced with her every step, confident as ever.
Durandal handed her a certificate along with a medal.
“This is the prize for the 1st place of this student tournament.”
The gold medal bore the symbol of the Lion’s Order with the number one engraved upon it.
“Thank you,” Charlotte accepted, then turned and casually hung the medal around Kraush’s neck.
“Since my little brother gathered the most bracelets, this is yours.”
It was a bit much to bestow such an award on him when it pertained to the entire team.
But given Charlotte’s straightforward nature, Kraush accepted it without question.
“Well done, everyone. We’ll grant benefits at the academy according to the rankings, so each leader will be notified later.”
Thus, the 1st Student Tournament of Rahern Academy came to a close.
—
As the excitement of the tournament began to fade, winter gradually set in.
The cold wind blew fiercely, stripping the World Tree of all its leaves, leaving it bare.
With winter’s chill biting, the frequency of student training dropped considerably.
Most people took a breather in this season.
However, one person intensified his training.
That was, of course, Kraush.
In the midst of that intense cold, he stood firm with his eyes shut.
Heat radiated from him, feeling almost like it was sweltering, instead of freezing.
The source of that heat was none other than Annihilation Erosion.
Using the advantage of winter, Kraush was pushing the limits of his Annihilation Erosion.
[ I can’t keep relying on the Lunar Body and the Snow Woman forever. ]
Hearing the words from Crimson Garden, Kraush nodded in agreement.
As she had stated, Kraush’s Annihilation Erosion was outputting more power than before, needing more than the Lunar Body and Snow Woman to keep it in check.
‘To increase the output of Annihilation Erosion, I need another trick.’
To boost its power further, he needed to alleviate some physical strain.
Thus, he needed another means to alleviate that overload.
Kraush had something in mind.
“It feels like it’s about time.”
As he reduced the heat radiating from his body, Kraush casually loosened his arms.
With the focus on Annihilation Erosion training post-tournament, he felt a bit stiff.
‘Maybe I should have a light spar.’
Just as Kraush thought this, he sensed an approaching presence and looked up.
What he saw was recognizable long black hair.
Beneath the long hair, the woman tried to hide her face, yet her curvy figure peeked through her winter clothes.
However, despite her figure, she still seemed to be shying away.
“K-Kraush-nim.”
The hesitant voice fluttered towards him; it was Mary Diana.
Formerly known as the Divine Prodigy, she had become fully timid since those days.
When her eyes met his, she beamed brightly.
“Mary, it’s been a while.”
“Y-yes, it’s been a while for me too!”
Having been spending more time training alone lately, Mary found it hard to show up.
She was focused on reclaiming her past self.
In the earlier days, that wouldn’t have thrilled him as much.
But now, since she wielded her spear solely for Kraush’s sake, it didn’t feel like a bad thing at all.
Regardless of her character, her combat abilities were undeniable.
‘She’s gotten stronger.’
Indeed, Kraush could feel that her aura was markedly different from last time.
As expected of the legendary prodigy.
Her natural talent and growth from experiences had been astonishing.
‘At this rate, she might return to her former self within five years.’
With that thought, Kraush walked closer to her.
“Do you need something?”
It was odd for someone who rarely showed her face to come all the way to this training ground.
So when Kraush expressed his curiosity, she looked around nervously before whispering to him.
“W-well, Sigrid Ephania has been acting suspiciously lately.”
“Sigrid?”
It seemed she had been keeping her ear to the ground on that front.
Kraush looked at Mary with an eyebrow raised. She awkwardly fidgeted, seemingly anxious.
“I thought you and Sigrid didn’t get along. Hehe.”
It was her way of wanting to be of help.
“I see. So what’s this suspicious behavior about?”
When Kraush asked straight up, Mary cleared her throat and lowered her posture more.
“Kraush-nim has been investigated thoroughly. She always intended to target you, but it seems to have intensified since the tournament.”
“Hmm.”
So she figured something out after sensing the tournament vibe.
Kraush recalled the look in Sigrid’s eyes when she had watched him.
Suspicion and vigilance.
And that underlying severe anxiety gushing forth.
‘Looks like she’s trying hard to quell her worries.’
Her expression was tangled with several conflicting emotions.
‘If she discovers the truth about my reincarnation, she might just fall apart.’
Once she realizes that Arthur heeded the call and never returned…
Sigrid would eventually shatter irreparably.
In that sense, the things she was doing now were akin to strangling herself.
‘She learned the Sword King’s Sword Light.’
She lacked skills.
And that was due to the royal family’s secrets.
However, she’d learned the Sword Light, an ability normally exclusive to the royalty.
Surprisingly, even Daliya, the heir to the Sword King, had never been permitted to learn it.
It must’ve been something she grasped through knowledge of reincarnation.
‘Sword Light is quite useful.’
A subtle smirk crept up Kraush’s face.
Her bringing along something worthy of being stolen?
There was no reason not to snag it, especially now.
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t think you need to stress over that.”
In fact, if given the chance, it was time to show her that I’d reincarnated.
Sigrid had moved to a point where she was no longer a threat to Kraush.
Now it was time to stamp out the last vestiges of that danger.
“R-right.”
“Still, I appreciate you coming to tell me. It was helpful.”
“Of course, I ought to.”
With Kraush’s gratitude, Mary’s face lit up.
Her blush meant she looked just like a devoted dog to its owner.
“Kraush.”
In that moment, a familiar voice rang in his ears.
Looking up, he spotted flowing ocean-blue hair.
The girl with donut-shaped braids was about to turn sixteen but still had a petite frame approaching him.
As if someone had conjured her just by mentioning her, it was Sigrid Ephania.
“I’m ready.”
The setting was prepared for a meeting with the Sword King, Daliya.
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