Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: Total Chaos
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The Literature Department's representative teams.
The Gold Friendship Squad, led by first-year Literature Department's top student, Persona Madin.
The Infantry Squad, formed by first-year Literature Department's second-place student, Aering Ornoa.
Both squads had now arrived at the White Yang Squad's base.
"The Magal Squad's on the move."
As Aering said, the Magal Squad had struck first.
The massive golem commanded by their student leader, first-year Special Studies top student John Gray.
Such a golem was currently smashing the White Yang Squad's building to pieces.
Getting caught up in that would only bring unnecessary damage to their side.
So both squads were watching from afar.
"Heavenly Valley Squad, Twin Child Squad, and Twin Fish Squad have mobilized too."
Aering had spotted the squads moving covertly with a sidelong glance.
That meant ten out of the twelve squads were gathered here right now.
'The Theology squads have probably already teamed up.'
They'd surely reach out to this side soon enough.
In the end, the student showdown would inevitably center around Charlotte's Lion Squad and Sigrin's White Yang Squad.
That was when it happened.
"I'm out."
Persona abruptly declared he was pulling out.
Aering turned to him with a puzzled look.
"You're pulling out?"
"Yeah. Feels like bad luck if I stick around."
Aering narrowed her eyes slightly.
Because that was something he often said.
To be honest, when it came to brains in the Literature Department, Aering was far superior.
With her ability to remember everything she saw perfectly, she could read books or military tactics and execute them flawlessly.
Yet despite that, it was Persona who claimed the top spot in Literature.
And the reason was simply the realm of pure instinct he possessed.
He had good instincts.
Uncannily good instincts.
In one of the Literature exams—a tactical battle using simulated soldiers—he always avoided danger and picked the perfect spots for ambushes.
His win rate in mock battles was 90%.
Given that the tests were tough battles with limited food, troops, and setups, where the average mock battle win rate barely scraped over 40%, it was an absurd figure.
As proof, even Aering's win rate was only around 75%.
She scored higher on written exams, but in mock battles, she couldn't match Persona's instincts.
And now, that Persona was declaring he was leaving the battlefield.
Knowing his instincts well, Aering's eyes took on a subtle glint.
"If we pull out now, it'll be hard to snag even scraps."
With their squads' combat prowess being comparatively weaker, the Gold Friendship and Infantry Squads only had this chance to grab bracelets.
Pointing that out, Persona just shrugged lightly.
"If most drop to near zero, the squad that holds onto their original two climbs up."
Just staying put would get them halfway there.
Putting his words into action, Persona turned and leisurely withdrew with the Gold Friendship Squad.
Watching his retreating back, Aering fell into a uneasy mood.
"Lady Aering, what should we do?"
With the Gold Friendship Squad already gone, one of her squad members asked if they should make a decision too.
KABOOOM!
A sudden explosion rocked the air, and Aering whipped her head around.
There, a jet-black Black Flame was roaring skyward.
Recognizing what it was, Aering felt a belated pang of dread.
Thud—
The moment she sensed someone landing in front of the Infantry Squad.
The sound of crackling flames reached her ears late, and Aering felt a burning sensation on her wrist.
"Eek!"
Startled, she hurriedly checked her wrist, and her eyes widened in shock.
The bracelet that had been on her wrist was gone.
Chasing it with her eyes, she spotted a boy with dark blue hair.
Second-year Martial Arts top student.
Krash Valheim.
The moment she saw him, Aering's eyes bulged as she shouted.
"Grab him now!"
The Infantry Squad members drew their weapons and charged at him.
But that was a mistake.
The instant Krash crouched low.
His sword moved at a speed no one there could follow.
KABOOOM!
The Black Flame roared once more, and most of the Infantry Squad members went flying into the sky.
Each bore precise sword cuts on their bodies.
As Aering stared wide-eyed at the sight of her squad soaring away, her eyes met Krash's.
"Hold onto the one you've got."
With those words, he vanished amid another explosion.
Having lost a bracelet in an instant, Aering staggered and collapsed on the spot, dazed.
It was real.
Truly, in a single moment.
He'd appeared alone amid her entire assembled squad, snatched Aering's bracelet, and slipped away unscathed.
"What... is this...?"
Tactics and brains meant nothing like this.
Aering belatedly understood why Persona had left so readily.
That was a monster.
A monster that rendered groups meaningless.
'And yet he left one bracelet behind.'
Those with even one to protect wouldn't act rashly.
Realizing he'd calculated that far, she clutched her forehead.
"...Retreat."
Just as Persona had said.
Staying here meant losing even that last one.
Krash, who had snatched Aering's bracelet in a flash, dashed back to the ruined White Yang Squad building.
The bracelets he'd taken so far totaled four, including Mayri's.
One from Pelai of the Sea Hauler Squad.
One just now from Aering of the Infantry Squad.
The other from the Twin Fish Squad he'd run into on the way.
"Grr, how dare that punk steal my bracelet!"
The fifth prince of Poseus Kingdom.
Karanthis's older brother and Twin Fish Squad leader, Desamus Poseus—his bracelet was now Krash's.
'As expected of Mayri.'
This level of chaos with so many people.
Krash could sense presences over a wide area with his Sixth Sense.
But he couldn't count individuals as precisely as Mayri.
This was purely the domain of overwhelming talent.
'Over a thousand people mixed together, turning this into a total melee. And she can distinguish every single one and grasp what they're doing.'
The title of detection specialist wasn't attached to her for nothing.
The heat of Heavenly Extinction Tempest hadn't faded yet.
Returning immediately, Krash met up with the hidden Mayri.
"Mayri, next target."
"Still tracking. Hold on."
The battlefield was so chaotic that Mayri was sensing with intense focus.
And soon, she jolted and snapped her head up.
"Krash!"
The moment Krash heard her shout.
He sensed a presence at his feet and kicked off the ground.
A tree burst through the floor, stretching toward him.
'This is.'
"Anix."
The moment Krash named him, the branches split and constricted around him.
But the matchup favored Krash.
As Thunder Roar's Black Flame surged, he incinerated the branches instantly.
But it didn't end there.
Two figures leaped through the burning branches.
"Haha, Krassh!"
One was the short boy dual-wielding swords: Ballak Hogma.
The other, a tall woman soaring with a long, thin sword: Elfin Emilia.
Staron's Three Heroes, alongside Twin Child Squad's Anix Graiza.
The instant he saw them, Krash scowled and swung his sword.
Clang, clank, clang!
Blocking all three blades at once, Krash spun in midair.
In aerial combat, she with the 'Icarus' skill held the advantage.
She was pursuing him now like she had wings.
Boom!
Moreover, trees were sprouting from below again, lunging at Krash.
"Ballak!"
In that instant, Elfin snatched the falling Ballak and hurled him at Krash.
"Azabyeo!"
With a bizarre shout, Ballak charged, swords crossed.
Krash boosted Thunder Roar's output to soar skyward, dodging Ballak while hurling Thunder Roar at Elfin.
Elfin, not expecting him to throw his sword, tried to evade.
But her judgment was too late.
The moment Thunder Roar reached her, the Black Flame compressed in its thin sheath pierced the lightning and exploded.
"Kyaaak?!"
CRITICAL HIT!
Caught in the erupting Black Flame, Elfin screamed and plummeted.
As Krash turned to finish her.
Ballak beast-like climbed a tree conjured by Anix on all fours and leaped at Krash again.
Prioritizing Ballak over Elfin's finisher, Krash blocked his swinging swords barehanded with his palm edge.
Disaster Dragon Fall First Form: Body
Steel-like body activated
With Disaster Dragon Fall active, his body was like steel.
Deflecting all of Ballak's fierce strikes, Krash seized an opening and drove a fist into his chest.
"Gahak!"
Inch Strength
Secondary impact ripples through body
The follow-up second shockwave pummeled Ballak's entire body, sending him flying skyward.
In that moment, a surging tree caught Ballak firmly.
And in a flash, it dragged him into the hole and vanished.
Krash reclaimed Thunder Roar with Black Hood and tried to pursue, but rising trees blocked his path.
Before he knew it, the area was densely packed with trees like a forest.
Krash scanned the surroundings.
Elfin had been whisked away the same way— she was gone too.
"...Cunning bastards."
Krash quietly exhaled a hot breath.
The time left for Heavenly Extinction Tempest wasn't long.
Anix knew that and had forced Krash to expend power.
'Take back everything I said about him changing.'
No one schemed from behind like this guy.
Boom!
A sound erupted from the massive golem's direction.
Glancing over, Sigrin, unleashing white energy flows, was dismantling the giant golem.
'That side's wrapping up too.'
Krash hadn't even considered Charlotte losing.
Their fight had probably ended at some ambiguous point.
More than that, the white dragon aura pouring from Sigrin was unnaturally strong.
The massive golem was the Magal Squad's Special Studies students' trump card, built together.
Shattering it alone showed her output level.
'That woman's swallowed the Sword Emperor's legacy.'
Krash clicked his tongue in annoyance.
If Krash spiked to max output in a burst.
Sigrin built hers up steadily.
This alone highlighted their clear differences.
'Anyway.'
Krash took stance in the quiet forest.
Anix surely had a purpose in creating this forest.
Then burning it all was only natural.
Nullify their plans, catch Anix before Heavenly Extinction Tempest ended, or pull out.
The moment Krash judged that.
A blue bolt flew right at his face, forcing Krash to raise his sword hastily.
He parried the lightning and twisted his head aside.
"Hey, little bro."
How long did he plan to keep calling him that?
Krash frowned at the figure emerging from the forest.
Lightning overflowed from his entire body.
Under glasses reflecting the electric glow, shark-like teeth grinned.
Heavenly Valley Squad's student leader and first-year Magic Department top student, Taria Vales.
Crimson Garden's hound was here.
Meaning she'd allied with Anix.
"Isn't a senior being too harsh on a junior?"
Krash asked, and Taria shrugged innocently.
"Everyone knows little bro's strong, so I'm going all out."
"I don't even have a bracelet."
"But you've snagged four already."
She knew everything.
Realizing this was planned from the start, Krash clicked his tongue.
Heavenly Extinction Tempest had only seconds left.
Could he take down Taria and finish Anix in that time?
Honestly, it bordered on impossible.
Unlike others, Taria required Krash's full power.
Crisis.
Sensing it, Krash flashed a sudden smile.
Taria's eyes narrowed behind her glasses at the sight.
Pew!
A sound rang out from somewhere, and red beams poured toward them.
Taria hastily cast a defensive spell, engulfing the area in crimson flames.
Krash was gone.
'Flame magic?'
Taria realized it was flame magic.
And only one person in Raheln Academy could output flames like that.
Second-year Magic Department top student, Aslan Igrit.
The first-year Magic Department runner-up and Human-Horse Squad leader, Barkram Arios—whom he'd been fighting—had shown up here.
Meaning.
"Did you win?"
Krash asked the battered Aslan upon reaching him in the sky.
Aslan met his gaze, grinned, and held up a bracelet.
"Who do you think I am?"
Aslan had defeated Barkram Arios.
"What's the plan?"
To Aslan's question, Krash summoned cold spirit energy to extend Heavenly Extinction Tempest's duration as much as possible.
"It's decided."
With that, he reignited his Black Flame.
"We go all the way."
"That's my Krash."
What they wanted: total Lion Squad victory.
A dogfight with no backing down.