### Chapter 377
Charlotte’s Duel Proposal.
Kraush quickly figured out why Charlotte had proposed a duel.
‘Because this might be my last chance to look strong.’
So, Kraush explained to Charlotte the purpose of the Holy Sword.
Because of that, Charlotte also understood that Kraush’s strength would soon fade.
She didn’t try to persuade him otherwise.
Instead, she wanted to remember the strength that Kraush would reach at the end.
Knowing that she cared, Kraush gladly accepted the battle.
“Just three exchanges, okay?”
They were about to head into the Kingdom of Jeblam’s Demonic Bastion soon.
Kraush couldn’t afford to fight with Charlotte for too long.
“Sounds good.”
Three exchanges would be enough to gauge their skills.
Charlotte willingly agreed.
“Let’s finish this quickly without drawing too much attention from others.”
Kraush said that as he moved to a more secluded spot, with Charlotte following suit.
He didn’t want to be interrupted during this final duel with Charlotte.
Kraush gestured to those watching, signaling that they would be done quickly, so they should just wait.
In the forest of the Demonic Bastion, a little away from the frontline,
Kraush and Charlotte stood facing each other.
Charlotte lightly summoned an aura as if checking her Holy Sword.
But for Charlotte, that was just a light display; the momentary output roared up in fierce blue flames.
It was a tremendous amount of aura at a glance.
Kraush, who had also increased his aura capacity through countless adventures,
still found himself overshadowed by Charlotte’s sheer volume of pure aura.
Without the power of World Erosion and other variables,
there was no way for Kraush to surpass Charlotte’s innate talent.
Charlotte’s talent shone brighter than anything in this world.
‘If Charlotte continues growing at this pace,
there’s surely no one who could dispute her claim to being the best.’
‘She possesses a unique talent that could even surpass the Sanctuary of Stars.’
That’s the Sword Master, Charlotte Balheim.
It was no wonder she was recently nominated as a candidate for the Ten Great Lords at just 21 years old.
The previous champion, Zaid, had recently declared his retirement,
and if Charlotte ascended to that title, she’d be the second-youngest after Kraush.
Outside of Kraush, she would be the youngest to hold that title purely based on talent.
That was beyond terrifying talent.
But it wasn’t her time yet.
Charlotte was 21 this year,
two years older than Kraush, now at the perfect age for growth.
Due to her natural disposition,
she was also strikingly beautiful.
Surely, by now, there were love calls coming from all around for her hand in marriage.
Thinking about that suddenly reminded Kraush of one fact:
the man who would eventually marry Charlotte.
Since he knew who that person was, he decided to ask.
“Sister, are you seeing anyone lately?”
Charlotte’s future had changed quite a bit due to Kraush’s involvement,
so naturally, he was curious about her relationship status.
“Why? Are you afraid someone might steal me away?”
Charlotte teased, prompting a short laugh from Kraush.
“Well yeah. Thinking about someone snatching you away is kind of sad.”
“Unfortunately, Dear Brother, we share the same parents, so we can’t be together.”
Charlotte said with a hint of disappointment.
Her tone was joking, yet her face remained expressionless as usual.
“To answer your question, I’m preparing to marry my sword.”
Kraush blinked in surprise.
‘Still?’
Depending on timing, it seemed like Charlotte still had a long way to go before her wedding.
Maybe there were some hints, but clearly, that wasn’t happening just yet.
“I’ll come to your wedding.”
“Feel free to celebrate to your heart’s content.”
Of course, Kraush intended to put in genuine effort to celebrate this time.
Motivated by that future, Kraush drew Thunder Prime.
Black flames erupted from Kraush’s sword.
His opponent was Charlotte,
so it was only right to go all out.
“Sister, do you know?”
Black smoke began to rise from Kraush’s lips.
Simultaneously, his eyes slowly turned red.
“Your little brother has gotten stronger than you think.”
From Kraush’s forehead, black horns sprouted.
The destruction flames he previously activated with white flames now burned with black ones.
[ Are you planning to kill your own sister? ]
Crimson Garden gave a tsk as it spoke.
As it said, Kraush was emanating a palpable threat.
However, Charlotte, witnessing Kraush unleash his strength, merely chuckled lightly.
“My little brother has become a hero of the world by climbing to the Ten Great Lords. It’s only natural.”
And with that, Charlotte lightly stepped on the ground,
her gaze shifting and growing fierce.
“Thanks to you, I’ve now become a challenger. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
In that instant, Charlotte’s figure vanished.
Kraush swung Thunder Prime with resolve.
Kraaaang!
Black flames surged in all directions.
This was just the first of their agreed three exchanges.
Charlotte, facing the brunt of the collision, became a reflection in Kraush’s eyes.
Her Holy Sword clashed against Kraush’s Thunder Prime, sending fierce sparks flying.
Kraush was surprised.
He knew Charlotte was strong, but he didn’t expect her to face him head-on while in the state of Destruction Flames.
Charlotte showed no signs of backing down.
Amidst the raging flames, she poured her aura with a fierce resolve to win the grip contest.
‘Wow, just how much of a monster is she?’
Kraush let out a dry chuckle.
It reminded him again of Charlotte’s unmatched talent.
Determined, he decided to push his power even higher.
With the emerging horns, his hair began to darken,
and the red aura in his eyes intensified, fuelling the black flames beyond measure.
Deep within Kraush, the space of Sable opened,
and the black flames he unleashed met with the Blast of Destruction within him.
Kraush had reached the peak of his strength.
Destruction Flame God.
In that moment when unique energy blended with Kraush’s black flames,
even Charlotte couldn’t withstand his aura head-on.
Clang!
Inevitably, Charlotte was pushed back by Kraush’s sword, sliding on the ground as her feet struggled to keep her grounded.
Kraush lowered his Thunder Prime slowly; the first clash had ended.
Next was their second round.
For this, Charlotte took a quiet breath.
In the face-off, she realized she wouldn’t stand a chance against Kraush’s unleashed power.
Kraush’s activation of his divine energy embodied the true meaning of being a strong contender.
Charlotte had understood that the moment he activated his Destruction Flame God.
Charlotte’s talent was akin to a star.
Someday, as time flows, she would surely exceed the realm Kraush had reached now.
But just not today.
Yet, what did that even matter?
A smile crept onto Charlotte’s lips as she faced Kraush, ready to clash with his overwhelming strength.
In her life’s philosophy, when faced with a wall, she’d strive to surpass it.
‘In Heaven and Earth, I am supreme!’
It was perhaps the most fitting phrase to describe Charlotte.
Gripping her sword tight,
she began to concentrate all her aura solely on her Holy Sword.
It meant she was absorbing all her energy and spatial aura at that moment to funnel it into her strike.
Kraush’s eyes widened in realization as he caught on;
he realized that Charlotte was modifying his technique to suit her own taste.
‘Oh boy.’
Charlotte was essentially breaking through her walls and growing once again at that moment.
‘You’re quite greedy, aren’t you?’
Just like Charlotte, she seemed intent on claiming the entire world for herself.
‘Well then.’
In response, Kraush’s black flames ignited more fiercely.
‘I should teach you that there are things you can’t have.’
In this moment, he would become the wall before Charlotte.
With that determination solidifying in him,
overhead, the seven stars of the Crescent Sky shone bright,
and ignited the intense flames that bloomed from Kraush.
Destruction Fire Erosion.
Ten Styles.
Destruction Flame.
Crack!
Just then, Charlotte’s sword also gleamed, infused with mortal combat.
As if blinding Kraush, her radiant light engulfed the entirety of the forest as sparks of aura burst forth from her.
Pushing the limits beyond traditional boundaries,
the aura’s properties temporarily altered, aiming for a new form.
Boundless Supremacy.
Divine Flow.
Blue flames clashed against inferno.
The area of the forest was uprooted, sending fierce winds howling.
Everyone on the frontline turned to behold this overwhelming explosion of power.
In the thick clouds of smoke,
Kraush’s red eyes remained undeterred.
In this clash of force,
it was impossible for Charlotte to defeat Kraush in a straight fight, especially with the divine energy at his command.
Still, Kraush refused to let his guard down.
Because this opponent was Charlotte.
‘The shock of strength against strength distorted all senses.’
In that moment, even Kraush’s instinct was unable to track Charlotte.
The massive clash had distorted the very flow around them.
The sheer force of their collision stretched the limits of what was conceivable.
Rustle-
In that instant, a sound akin to something scattering reached his ears.
Kraush instinctively turned his head toward the noise.
What came into view was the fluttering hem of Charlotte’s cloak.
Yet, Charlotte herself was nowhere in sight.
Woosh!
Charlotte emerged from behind him through the smoke,
rushing at Kraush with the very essence of her swordplay forged from her last vestiges of energy.
Her appearance was a disheveled mess.
Despite showing signs of growth as she stood on the brink of her own divine potential,
Kraush had surpassed her expectations by an even greater margin.
As a result, her clothes appeared torn and tattered, revealing her wounds.
But she had the Holy Sword with her.
In an instant, as if answering her silent plea,
her body was restored.
The Holy Sword’s rejuvenation ability kicked in.
Yet, Kraush remained in peak condition.
It was well-known to Charlotte how this would end if they clashed again.
But there wasn’t the slightest hint of giving up in her eyes.
That’s precisely why Kraush held Charlotte in high regard.
Despite her immense talent, she exhibited perseverance stronger than any.
She had trained herself to the absolute limit before finally defeating Swordmaster, and she truly left this world as a warrior.
However, that also meant.
No one knew Charlotte better than Kraush.
As soon as Kraush granted himself Excel, he spun on his heel.
He had anticipated that Charlotte might try something unconventional to find an opening.
Kraush’s sword flared with black flames as he swung it outwards.
The black flames he had prepared from the start collided with Charlotte’s sword.
Kang!
The clang of metallic resonance rippled through the air, showering sparks around them.
As flames dissipated, Charlotte landed slowly on the ground,
examining her trembling arms.
Then, she released a hoarse breath as she looked at Kraush.
The promised three exchanges were finally over.
Charlotte gazed at Kraush with unwavering intensity,
then proceeded to withdraw her Holy Sword.
Smiling softly, she began to lift the corners of her mouth.
“I see there are walls I cannot surpass.”
Kraush’s eyes widened gradually.
Charlotte had conceded defeat.
It had been undeniably sealed by their three exchanges.
At this moment, Charlotte was unable to win against Kraush.
“I’ll refrain from making any more noise. Let’s hurry along now.”
Gazing after Charlotte’s retreating figure,
Kraush clenched his fists.
He had won against Charlotte for the first time in his life.
That victory meant so much to Kraush on multiple levels.
Before he reincarnated, he had never surpassed that star named Charlotte.
At last, he had overtaken that star.
‘This might not happen again.’
Today’s match had helped Kraush shake off a multitude of burdens.
“Honestly, I’d love to keep clashing swords with you in the future.”
Charlotte turned to Kraush and then spun around.
“If it’s you, dear brother, I believe that sentiment won’t change.”
“…Yes.”
As Charlotte heard Kraush’s reply, she said no more and continued walking away.
“Make sure to keep pushing forward.”
She etched her sincere support within him.
So one day, both Charlotte and Kraush could reminisce about this day over some tea together.
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