Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: The True Powerhouse
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Now, atop the arena that had been utterly demolished, losing its original form entirely.
Amid the scattering dust, a boy was gazing up at the sky, black flames flickering around him.
It was none other than Valheim's youngest son, Krash Valheim.
And his opponent was Arsold Prea, said to be the strongest among Prea's children in history.
The moment their gazes met, Krash drew in his breath.
Thwip!
In an instant, Krash's figure blurred.
The moment Krash vanished, Arsold's eyes darted with incredible speed.
His dynamic vision, more beast than human, was tracking Krash.
Arms sprouted from Arsold's waist, thrusting forward immediately.
Thwack!
However, even with that monstrous dynamic vision and superior reflexes, it was one beat too late to catch Krash.
Krash's sword, whipping into Arsold's side, bent his body inward with a deep impact.
Despite the vast difference in their builds, Arsold was overpowered in raw strength.
"Kuhak!"
The moment Arsold swallowed a scream from the side impact, another blow struck his back.
He plummeted instantly, turning the already crumbled arena floor into utter devastation.
But defying that shock, he sprang up with his remaining four arms.
Grabbing chunks of shattered stone floor with all four hands, he hurled them wildly.
Krunch! Boom!
Every time Krash swung his sword,
the flying stones shattered.
They couldn't even hinder his movements in the slightest.
Stone fragments exploded into dust, clouding the view.
In that instant, a presence sliced through the dust.
Seizing the obscured vision, Arsold launched a surprise punch.
Crackle!
But Krash's ever-active Thunder Wall instantly split Arsold's fist.
"I won't fail twice!"
Yet from between the split arm, another fist from Arsold flew in.
The mad bastard had grabbed one of his own severed arms and thrown it as a feint, following with a punch.
That side was dishing out its own brand of insane tactics.
Witnessing it, Krash released his Thunderclap Blade mid-swing into the air.
Then, pulling back his rear foot, he thrust his right fist forward.
Gurunch!
A breaking sound echoed.
Arsold's fingers, clashing with Krash's fist, bent inward grotesquely.
As his middle finger shattered, a secondary impact erupted from Arsold's fist.
Krunch!
The twisting crunch of his fist reverberated thunderously through the arena.
But Arsold didn't even groan.
Ignoring his pulverized hand, he slammed down to capture Krash.
With Krash trapped in his grasp, Arsold swung all his remaining fists at his own hand.
Intending to crush Krash along with it.
Amid the sounds of his hand shattering, the barrage continued.
Mad obsession for victory gleamed in Arsold's eyes.
Fwoosh—
In that moment, a brief ignition sound rang out.
By the time he realized it came from his own palm, it was too late.
Lightning and flames surged, engulfing Arsold in an instant.
A shock greater than all his punches battered him.
Along with black flames scorching the entire arena, Arsold tumbled across the ground.
"Kuh-ha."
Over half his body burned, Arsold rose, exhaling smoke.
Step, step.
Then, a boy walked out before him.
Unlike Arsold, with his shattered arms and burns, the boy looked pristine.
Yet the heat radiating from him warped the surrounding air intensely.
The red glow in his eyes exuded thick, brutal killing intent.
Overwhelming.
Everyone felt it upon seeing the scene.
Arsold was undoubtedly a monster.
Even his Giant Transformation—no one here could face it head-on.
Yet Krash not only withstood it but crushed Arsold with sheer power.
It was a sight unseen since Charlotte.
The involved children swallowed, staring blankly.
At the same time, they realized.
How dangerous a man that fool Pandora had provoked.
The name Krash Valheim etched firmly as a powerhouse in their minds.
"Hey."
Krash exhaled smoke from his mouth, gripping the red-hot Thunderclap Blade as he stared at Arsold.
"Use everything you've got."
He intoned indifferently toward Arsold once more.
The moment he heard it, a thick smile crept across Arsold's lips again.
Despite bruises, fractures, burns, and countless injuries, he could still smile.
His battle-maddened mind dulled the pain with surging endorphins.
Full power.
That was what Arsold craved most.
"Krash."
His voice, filled with joy, called out.
"You're the warrior I like best of all I've met."
Fierce winds began to blow.
Heavy air permeated the area.
In that moment, sunlight beamed down on Arsold, illuminating the golden trim around his head.
Behind him, light rose like a halo.
Chills—
The children watching felt goosebumps crawl up their spines.
That's when they sensed something was wrong.
White fur sprouted across Arsold's skin.
From afar, it almost resembled armor.
In that bizarre sight,
Arsold's thighs swelled to an unprecedented degree.
Grrrrunch!
His innately elastic muscles ballooned to their limit.
Everyone felt something leap.
A belated gale swept the spot where Arsold had stood.
But only Krash kept his eyes straight on Arsold.
Watching the white-furred fist shoot toward him faster than thunder.
Giant Transformation
Pulverize
A reckless attack solely to smash the foe.
Yet its destructive power was on another level.
Air tearing sounds followed as Arsold's fist reached right before Krash.
Deep within Krash.
In the draped veil of night, seven stars twinkled.
Did this guy know?
That Krash had waited for him to go all out.
Krash's Flame Extinction Erosion focused purely on firepower.
Firepower meant to sever life in one blow.
In a deathmatch, perhaps.
But it was worlds apart from something like a duel.
Fine if the opponent was stronger.
But against middling foes, even Krash couldn't go all out.
Arsold was different.
His Giant Transformation excelled in destruction, but above all, vastly boosted physical defense.
'This guy's tough enough not to die from anything I throw.'
A wicked smile curled on Krash's lips.
He'd been itching, unable to properly apply Nox and Heavenly Slaughter Star.
But lo and behold.
The perfect durable test dummy walked right up.
From Krash's view, an ideal opponent to unleash full power.
Crimson Garden, piercing his thoughts, clicked her tongue.
Krash let it flow in one ear and out the other, pulling back his rear foot.
The moment the seven stars of Heavenly Slaughter Star all glowed,
black flames surged around Krash's body more violently than ever.
Simultaneously, World Erosion's Frenzy exploded from him, blanketing his form.
As Heavenly Slaughter Star and Frenzy bared teeth to devour each other—that span.
10 seconds.
Flame Extinction Asura
Krash's pinnacle state.
The incoming fist looked sluggish.
Flame Extinction Asura accelerated thought itself, making even Krash and Arsold's time flow differently.
The Thunderclap Blade's edge ignited in black flames, dying pitch black.
On the ink-black blade like cloaked night, seven stars etched one by one, forming a night sky.
The surrounding air flowed in reverse.
Grrunch!
Muscles screamed from his sword-gripping hand.
The dragon vein surging beneath Krash's skin finally reached the Thunderclap Blade.
And for a brief moment.
As everything seemed frozen,
Krash's sword cleaved the air.
Dust and everything flew apart at once.
Atop the arena bereft of its form,
Only Arsold and Krash stood.
"……."
A long silence blanketed the arena.
As if sound itself was rent, all forgot to breathe.
In the hush, all eyes fixed on Krash and Arsold.
Then Arsold's body slowly toppled forward.
Giant Transformation released, he reverted to normal.
Thud!
As Arsold collapsed, the children's eyes began to tremble.
Krash stood before the fallen man, sword thrust out in stance.
"Hoo."
Krash exhaled lightly, turning to the still-dazed children.
First to catch his eye were those who would become the Generation of the Sky.
Glenn Diana, fists clenched tight.
Haring Lagren, expression doubting from the start.
Ballak Hogma, swallowing regretfully.
And Pelay, eyes wide open.
Amid their tangled gazes of varied thoughts,
Krash slowly spoke.
"Someone heal this guy."
The match between the first-years' imperial provincial nobles and second-years was decided.
＊ ＊ ＊
News of Krash defeating first-year Arsold spread instantly.
Those who heard it, naturally, went wild.
Arsold was among the top powerhouses in the first-year non-majors.
Defeating him head-on? Bound to cause a uproar.
Frankly, it was amusing.
Krash had already beaten Vice Professor Kairan—called the Pirate Empress—in the entrance exam.
Even that alone proved his skill long ago.
Yet the kids made more fuss over beating a first-year.
But people feel what they've witnessed most keenly.
Few had clashed with Vice Professor Kairan.
Some unlucky ones got hit by her whims, but a minority.
Most students hadn't tangled with the usually proper Kairan.
Arsold, though? A lunatic who challenges anyone looking strong.
The kids, seeing him countless times up close, knew his power well.
So this hit harder than the entrance exam for them.
As Krash's news rippled out,
one figure, hit hardest by it, slowly frowned.
In a corner of the classroom assigned to her student group.
Elbow on a luxurious desk, she trembled at the report paper's edges.
Her telltale sign of anger.
Third Princess, Sigrin Epania.
The Epania Empire's princess was this heated for one reason.
Arsold belonged to her group.
"……Where's Arsold?"
"……He said he'd train and headed out of Raheln Academy to the mountains."
Hearing the report, Sigrin slowly covered her face.
The madman gets beaten by Krash, then ditches everyone to train.
Sigrin felt a throbbing headache.
'This is why the Generation of the Sky are...'
Sigrin ground her teeth.
Despite being the same generation, their overpowering individualities kept them from uniting.
No wonder Arthur broke their wills himself.
Otherwise, they were untamable bombs.
"Haa."
As Sigrin's sigh continued, Black Snake and White Snake flinched.
"Lady Sigrin, we'll handle Krash Valheim."
"Yes, leave it to us."
Sigrin glanced at them.
"……How do you plan to handle someone who beat even Arsold?"
They exchanged looks and fell silent.
Watching, Sigrin slowly tapped her desk with a finger.
Honestly, Krash beating Arsold was unexpected.
In her mind, Krash was still the cursed one.
Beating Kairan made some sense on reflection,
but ingrained images die hard.
'Plus, this was basically a overwhelming win. Way stronger than imagined.'
Sigrin stroked her chin slowly.
She'd planned to lure and devour Krash.
But he severed that neatly, crushing the imperial faction despite being provincial nobility.
And this incident started with fool Pandora's mistake.
Approaching Krash now would shake the empire's prestige.
Sigrin bit her lip.
The cursed pest causing endless issues irked her.
Even Dorma barely showed for her faction lately.
And Arsold would surely roam the mountains in a martial trance.
Already two.
Two Generation of the Sky members acting independently.
'……Kill him?'
The thought flashed briefly.
Sigrin was confident no current academy Generation of the Sky could oppose her might.
Unlike Mary, she'd never slacked post-regression.
Her skill was fully ripe now.
She could kill Krash this instant.
'No.'
But she shook her head.
Krash was essential as the cursed role.
Even as a variable mass, better to recruit than kill.
"Lady Sigrin."
A knock came from outside.
Sigrin glanced out, bidding entry. Her group's secretary entered.
"The Lion Group returns tomorrow."
Lion Group.
Charlotte's student group.
Sigrin recalled who went with them this time.
Mary Diana.
Her regression comrade, the Divine Spear.
Mary's name made Sigrin's eyes gleam briefly.
Right, she had a disposable card.
One that would brave death on her command.
Sigrin hoped Mary would beat Krash.
If Mary did, she could claim all Krash's feats.
But on second thought, Mary didn't have to beat him.
A woman had one ultimate weapon against a man.
Sigrin smiled slowly.
"Myri."
Calling her secretary, Sigrin stood.
"Fetch Balian from the special class alchemy department."
Time to borrow alchemy's power.