Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Stars
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Krash Valheim.
When Kromosh heard about him, he wondered.
What kind of person could this beloved little brother of Charlotte's possibly be?
By all accounts, he was a man writing new legends.
Every feat he'd accomplished so far was the kind of thing that would earn someone a lifetime of praise.
A hero walking the path of legends.
That's what people often said when they saw Krash.
A star that would make the world shine brighter.
But the Lion Squad members thought otherwise, deep down.
Sure, but compared to Charlotte, he still fell short, didn't he?
Besides, Kromosh and the Three Lights Warriors had reached their current level through training with Charlotte, leaving them no choice but to think that way.
But now.
The moment he laid eyes on that star right in front of him, Kromosh realized.
'No, far from falling short.'
Krash's star burned just as fiercely as Charlotte's.
Of course, it wasn't quite as overwhelmingly brilliant as Charlotte's star.
Hers poured out light so intense it could blind you.
Charlotte's star was forged purely from talent.
Before such overwhelming talent, everything else was meaningless.
Her star always seemed to proclaim as much.
But Krash's star gave off a different kind of light.
The starlight emanating from him drew people's eyes inexorably.
Because his star wasn't forged from talent like Charlotte's.
There was no sense of that overwhelming gap in talent from Krash.
The output pouring from his body might even surpass Charlotte's in bursts.
Yet talent didn't stand out in him at all.
Crude iron somewhere.
But steel-like iron that seemed like it wouldn't break no matter what you hit it with.
'What the hell did he do?'
Kromosh stared at Krash, full of questions.
Krash was clearly born into the Valheim family, where talent reached its limits.
Like Charlotte, every Valheim shone at the pinnacle of talent.
For someone born in such a family to show something other than talent.
He felt some inexplicable emotion.
And strangely, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Krash.
He seemed to say:
I'll show you the summit reached through sheer tenacity.
So follow me.
That's what he seemed to say.
"Kahak!"
Chelberry tumbled across the ground.
She, who always seized positions with her swift legs and displayed superb archery, had been pinned to the dirt by Krash.
With some burns on her body, she trembled before going limp.
Her flesh couldn't withstand the shock, and she'd fainted.
Krash lifted his head slowly as he pulled his arm off her.
The red glow in his eyes was utterly chilling.
Kromosh's eyes darted around.
Krash was too strong. Way too strong.
Even among all the first-years, he'd be overwhelming.
'Should we retreat?'
As that thought crossed his mind and he scrambled for a way out,
His eyes caught the first-year Lion Squad members.
They all gripped their weapons tightly behind him, awaiting his command.
He often heard jokes calling him the honorary vice-captain.
It was just teasing from peers his age.
But on the other hand, it meant the prideful students of Raheln Academy acknowledged him as vice-captain in their own way.
So right now.
All the first-years here were waiting for Kromosh's will.
Strength surged into Kromosh's arms.
He was a member of Charlotte's Lion Squad.
Charlotte would never even think of running from a fight like this.
She'd charge right in, saying battles with the strong offered the most to learn.
With her absent now.
He had to carry on that spirit in her place.
"All first-year Lion Squad members!"
Kromosh's voice boomed through the forest, infused with aura.
The first-years' expressions hardened as his voice carried.
"Fight bravely, like true Lion Squad!"
Kromosh's arms became encased in rock.
At the same time, explosive aura poured from him.
And his eyes flashed.
"Fight the enemy to the death."
No more treating this as training.
They would break Krash Valheim.
That single thought sent their morale soaring.
Watching them, Krash let out a short laugh.
Because this was exactly the situation he wanted most.
"This is gonna hurt, seniors."
Come on.
I'll show you what kind of eternal legend we're aiming for.
＊ ＊ ＊
While the first-years and Krash were locked in fierce combat.
There were squad members racing busily through the forest.
None other than the second-year Lion Squad members.
"Haring, you okay?"
"Ugh... hngh."
Karandis asked, carrying Haring on her back—the one who'd been groaning in pain the whole run.
Haring's mind, savagely battered by Charlotte, seemed on the verge of winking out.
But Haring gritted her teeth and clung on desperately.
If she collapsed now, all their training so far would be for nothing.
'Krash wouldn't collapse.'
So she pulled herself together and asked Karandis.
"Ch-Charlotte...?"
"Haven't seen her yet."
Karandis spoke highly of Haring's mental fortitude.
As she said, after fleeing via Aslan's short-range teleport, Charlotte hadn't shown herself.
The problem was that it was even more terrifying this way.
The mountainside was dim with shadows despite the daytime.
Somehow, it felt like Charlotte could emerge from those shadows at any moment.
"What the hell was that back there anyway?"
In the meantime, Aslan recalled his clash with Charlotte.
Even with Haring right in front of her, Charlotte had shattered Aslan's magic and sent the second-years flying.
It was a technique even Aslan, a magic user, couldn't comprehend.
"......It's a secret technique called Reverse Realm."
Then Karandis—the only one among them who knew Charlotte's secret arts—explained.
"Can't gauge the exact range, but if you're inside the Reverse Realm Charlotte deploys, she can strike you from anywhere. Her sword currents rage through the entire realm."
"......Isn't that way too broken?"
"Tell me something I don't know."
She was already a cheat just by existing—what was the point?
Aslan rubbed his jaw.
Krash was on another level from the second-years.
But seeing Charlotte made him realize what a talent-forged monster truly was.
She'd reached that realm with pure swordsmanship, no skills involved.
"Any chance of winning?"
Karandis was the only one who knew about Charlotte's secret technique.
When Aslan asked about their odds, her face darkened.
"......If there was, we wouldn't be running."
She had a point.
"Isn't that weird?"
It was then.
The fake Arthur, who'd been running silently with the kids, spoke up.
As everyone turned to him, the fake Arthur gazed impassively toward the forest.
"If Charlotte were chasing us, she'd have caught us by now. She hasn't come after us yet."
Just as everyone began questioning that fact upon hearing it.
"......This bet wasn't about us being chased by Charlotte-sis in the first place, right?"
Aslan pointed out the blind spot.
As he'd said, the second-years' role was originally to block Charlotte from descending the mountain.
Which meant.
"No way."
Karandis's eyes wavered.
Charlotte might not have bothered chasing them at all and just gone down the mountain.
She had no reason to chase them in the first place.
"A-Aniya."
The moment everyone thought they'd been had, Haring finally spoke.
Having distributed poison to rapidly heal her body, she said amid all their gazes.
"She's Krash's sister. She wouldn't act like that."
"Krash and Charlotte are pretty different, though?"
"Still Valheims."
The Valheim bloodline all possessed exceptional talent.
And one thing they had in common.
They were all incredibly belligerent.
"Sharp eyes."
That was the right answer.
With the voice came Charlotte, emerging from the forest at some point.
Everyone froze upon spotting her.
She'd appeared there without a sound.
And the moment Charlotte's lips curled up.
Sword currents raged, shredding all trees and space around her.
The effect of her secret technique, Reverse Realm.
Shraaaazzz!
The forest turned to wasteland in an instant, becoming a clearing.
Sword scars littered the area around Charlotte at the center.
Charlotte slowly raised her head.
There stood a man with a strongly feminine face framed by golden blond hair.
He held his sword in one hand, gazing at her.
A few strands of cut hair fluttered in the wind, but he was relatively unscathed.
He'd withstood her sword currents head-on.
"Hng."
Charlotte made her signature hum.
She hadn't expected any second-year to take her sword currents directly.
Her eyes also flicked to Karandis.
True to someone who'd shadowed her often, Karandis had sensed the attack.
She'd promptly raised a water barrier, luckily avoiding serious injury.
But a deep sword wound marred her leg.
Judging by the flowing blood, it was quite severe.
Instead, most second-years huddled behind her.
Thanks to Karandis, they'd escaped unscathed.
'If she'd just protected herself from the start, she could've avoided that wound.'
Charlotte felt a pang of regret at Karandis's choice but didn't scold her.
It was something her brother often did.
'Krash's influence, probably.'
Her little brother oddly loved protecting others.
Her brother liked it.
Then his big sister couldn't hate it.
'And.'
Charlotte noticed Haring and Aslan were missing.
Amusingly, they'd vanished with Invisible amid the raging sword currents.
"Sir Arthur! Fight with us!"
Karandis shouted then.
A water-formed shield was now in her hand.
She'd wrapped her leg wound in water for emergency treatment too.
"......"
The fake Arthur glanced briefly at Karandis.
He had no intention of stepping up.
But Karandis's eyes sparkled fiercely, full of expectation.
Meeting that gaze, the fake Arthur sighed faintly and turned to Charlotte.
Fighting her now wasn't in his plans at all.
But once wouldn't hurt.
The fake Arthur swung his sword laterally.
Light gathered on his blade, making it gleam.
Charlotte watched with interest.
It was swordsmanship she'd never seen before.
'Krash was pretty focused on this kid.'
Let's see what he's got.
Charlotte smirked and raised her sword again.
"Reverse Realm!"
The moment Karandis shouted that,
She realized no sword currents were storming around Charlotte.
The instant she registered that oddity.
"Ka-Karandis!"
One of the second-years yelled, looking behind them.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Noise erupted from right behind them.
The moment Karandis turned, sword currents rushed in.
"Ah."
She'd gone for the rear, of all things.
Karandis's face twisted in dismay at the unexpected move.
And the sword currents engulfed them.
Shraaaazzz!
The second-years and Karandis caught in the currents were shredded and flung forward.
"Kyaaak!"
"Kahak!"
"Uwaaak!"
The fake Arthur fared the same.
He'd blocked the currents decently, but their ferocity pushed him forward anyway.
And that created the worst scenario.
The spot they were flung to.
Charlotte stood there.
As always, she smirked her signature smile and drew her sword to her waist.
The aura gathering around her blade swallowed the surrounding light in an instant.
Crack!
With a thrust and slash from her extended sword, every second-year took to the air.
Thud, boom, roll—
The kids scattered and crashed into the ground.
They looked like they'd slammed into rocks, utterly wrecked.
Most of the second-years retired in one blow.
Charlotte turned her gaze to the fake Arthur amid them.
Unlike the others who'd collapsed doing nothing, he still stood on both legs.
His gleaming sword trembled from the impact, but he'd endured again.
'This guy's different.'
As Charlotte's interest in the fake Arthur piqued at the strange vibe,
"C-Counterattack."
Karandis—the toughest one with great endurance—rose forcibly, breathing raggedly.
Impressive mental strength.
"Karandis, was it?"
Charlotte called her name and lowered her sword sideways.
Despite the battle, she showed no fatigue.
"You seem pretty interested in my little brother."
Karandis flinched.
"If you meet my standards, I'll put in a word for you with him."
"......I'm the strongest now!"
In that instant, Karandis's aura shifted.
Her motivation surged to another level entirely.
"......What a monster."
Watching Charlotte and Karandis, the fake Arthur clicked his tongue.
Charlotte had deliberately stoked Karandis's fighting spirit to make it fun—like when she'd gone to Staron's Star Sanctuary in that fancy dress.
"And you."
Charlotte looked at the fake Arthur.
"You want something from me, right? Beat me, and I'll grant it."
The fake Arthur's eyes widened subtly.
Charlotte had sniffed out his intentions.
He let out a hollow chuckle, and the light from his sword intensified.
"In that case."
Might as well go for broke once.
Charlotte spun her sword gracefully, having ignited everyone's will in a flash.
"Come on."
Time to show her brother's friends how scary big sis could be.