Chapter 263
Chapter 263
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 263
Chapter Title: Fox Chick
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Drip-
Bianca wiped the trailing nosebleed from her face and stared straight ahead.
In front of her, atop a space of utterly pristine white ice.
The arena's frozen battlefield came into view.
The students below the arena had retreated far away, fearing they might get caught in the breath attack.
Not only that, but even the instructors had hastily put distance between themselves and the arena.
In the midst of all that.
Bianca's eyes slowly shifted.
Inside the thick icy fog.
Crack-
A quiet splitting sound echoed through the air.
Having heard it, Bianca's hands were already gripping two daggers.
The moment she thrust them into the icy fog without a hint of hesitation.
Clang!
With the sound of shattering ice, a single sword filled the space.
Reflected in Bianca's blue eyes was Associate Professor Lightly, his entire body covered in white frost.
White cold air leaked from his mouth.
He grimaced deeply, shuddering at the frost clinging to his body.
An intense chill that pierced deep into his bones.
He never imagined he'd be so thoroughly overwhelmed by an examinee.
'My legs are practically immobile.'
His arms and the rest weren't faring much better.
'What kind of output is this?'
This level would shred even a 6-star Erosion Beast straight on— no body could withstand it intact.
The problem was that she was only 15.
Her growth potential was boundless.
'Beyond mere talent. This is the result of relentless, self-honed sharpening.'
And yet, even after unleashing that much power, she was still thrusting her daggers.
Lightly looked at Bianca's eyes, half-lidded now.
He could feel her body reaching its limit.
She was trying to catch her breath, but that last output had drained everything she had.
Stagger-
Correction.
It wasn't just everything she had.
She had forcibly drawn out power she didn't even possess.
To the point where a single misstep would cause her overtaxed aura to run rampant.
'What kind of determination is this?'
No matter how you sliced it, this was just an exam.
Lightly found it baffling that she'd pour herself out to this extent for a mere test.
But he was the examiner.
'The exam isn't over yet.'
Lightly immediately swung his sword to deflect Bianca's daggers.
And sure enough, her nearly powerless daggers were batted away pathetically.
Bianca no longer had the strength to hold onto them.
Lightly wasn't in perfect shape either.
But he was a veteran of the battlefield, dubbed "Phantom Sword" for a reason.
Forcing his unresponsive body to move, the moment he swung at Bianca.
The inner lining of Bianca's clothes parted.
And what appeared before Lightly's eyes was an ice fox.
In the ice fox's mouth formed a single sphere of ice.
Clang!
Soon, the ice sphere began to shatter into pieces.
And those fragments soon sprayed sharp ice shards in every direction.
Lightly hurriedly recalled his sword and deployed Phantom Lantern.
The phantoms manifesting around him struck down the ice shards in unison, and just as he tried to steady his stance.
Thwack! Thud!
Bianca charged in, ice shards from his own burst embedding into her body.
She gripped her daggers in reverse grip with both hands.
Her blue eyes flashed with the same unyielding intent for victory as before, slashing down.
Bianca's hands were frozen solid along with her daggers.
As if she'd never let them go.
She was striking solely with the strength of her arms.
Flesh to sever bone.
Sacrificing skin to claim the marrow.
It was Bianca's obsession, hurling everything toward victory.
An obsession so fierce toward victory that even Lightly felt a chill.
Since Bianca had closed in faster than he could fully deploy Phantom Lantern.
Lightly tried to hastily pull his foot back.
But Bianca's daggers were already at his collarbones.
The moment Lightly sensed defeat and felt a shiver.
Slip-
One stroke of luck favored Lightly.
The frozen ground caught on his shoe sole, making his body lurch even more.
Bianca no longer had the strength to adjust her daggers' trajectory.
Slash!
Instead, both sides of Lightly's chest were torn open by the daggers.
Serious wounds, but not enough to confirm defeat.
"Ah."
Regret flickered in Bianca's eyes the moment.
Lightly regained his stance and kicked out with his leg.
Boom!
Bianca flew into the sky, bouncing limply away.
Having expended all her strength, she had no power left to respond to the attack.
As the flung Bianca rolled across the ground, Lightly felt agony in his leg.
Shifting his gaze, he saw a thin ice shard embedded in it.
Even in that instant, she'd managed to lodge one shard and get sent flying.
'What is this?'
Is this the kind of resolve an examinee could muster?
Lightly exhaled, looking at Bianca, who could no longer rise.
Clack-
But he had forgotten one fact.
Too focused on Bianca, he'd overlooked that there was one more person in this exam arena.
The moment he slowly turned his head toward the approaching footsteps.
There stood Dalea Juno, unleashing a brilliant flash of moonlight.
Even as she gathered this much power, Lightly hadn't spared her a thought.
Not because she had some special talent.
Simply because all his focus had been on the gut instinct that if he didn't pour everything into Bianca right here, he'd lose.
"Hah."
Lightly let out a short breath and squeezed out his last reserves to assume a stance.
Kairan had mocked him, saying it was ridiculous for an associate professor to lose to students.
He never dreamed he'd end up in that position himself.
'Last year and this year, both bumper crops, I suppose.'
Thinking how the world overflowed with talent.
Lightly stood as examiner before Dalea's finishing blow.
Amid hazy consciousness.
Voices drifted in and out.
Her eyes still closed, her body heavy with fatigue and languor.
But soon, warm hands enveloped her head, and she slowly opened her eyes.
What met her gaze was deep navy hair.
It hadn't been her favorite before, but now it was her most cherished color.
And its owner was the person she loved most.
Bianca Hardenharts.
"Lord Krash."
"You're awake."
At Bianca's call, Krash replied.
Hearing it, Bianca leaned her face into his hand cradling her head.
She loved this warmth.
Krash said his Lunar Body made him run cooler than others.
But to Bianca, it was warmer than anything.
"Why push yourself so hard for a mere exam?"
As she savored the comfort.
Bianca shifted her gaze at Krash's words, laced with worry and reproach.
Meeting her eyes, Krash averted his own slightly.
He knew well it wasn't his place to say.
His infamous collapse after battling Kairan during last year's entrance exam was legend.
"Because I want to be with you, Lord Krash."
Above all, Bianca had a reason to give her all.
She wanted to be with the one she loved most.
For that alone, Bianca could do anything.
Feeling her heart, Krash smiled wryly and slowly stroked her hair.
"Yeah, you've gotten really strong."
Bianca had grown so much even Krash was astonished—enough to claim a spot in the elite class despite being a second-year.
No mere few years' effort could achieve this; she'd seized it through blood, sweat, and tears.
Krash, who knew her efforts best, praised her willingly.
To the point where she no longer felt like a mere white chick.
"What was the exam result?"
There was no fear of the outcome in Bianca's eyes.
She had given everything.
Having shown her full power.
Whatever came, Bianca could accept it calmly.
Hearing her question, Krash pinched her cheek firmly.
The baby fat was fading, but still soft.
"After Dalea's strike landed, Lightly still clashed with her despite taking the hit."
Dalea had to use Moonlight Divine Sword to withstand Bianca's massive prior attack.
Bianca had unleashed it without regard for allies, aiming to end Lightly in one blow.
Especially since she'd drawn her ultimate technique to take him down.
Having poured so much power.
At that point, Dalea and Lightly were evenly matched.
"The exchange dragged on, but Lightly knelt first."
Dalea's skill was exceptional.
But Lightly, the strongest associate professor after Kairan, was no pushover.
In the end, after a brutal clash of pure skill, Lightly landed a heavy blow on Dalea.
But in the process, he'd overexerted and lost consciousness.
That was his limit too.
"Victory goes to you and Dalea, Bianca."
And so, Bianca and Dalea emerged victorious.
Though both victors lay sprawled on the ground.
It marked the second time in Raheln Academy entrance exam history that an associate professor had fallen.
Thanks to that, the professors now had headaches over restoring their dignity.
But Bianca had achieved the pinnacle possible for a student.
Having heard it all, Bianca fell silent.
Then asked one final thing.
"So, am I in the elite class?"
"At worst, third-year irregular runner-up. Elite class is a lock."
Bianca paused briefly.
Then looked at Krash and slowly extended both arms.
As Krash eyed her questioningly.
Bianca wiggled her arms a bit.
"My prize."
Who'd have thought Bianca would whine like this.
Krash looked surprised but chuckled and agreed to give it.
Krash moved to scoop her up.
But he'd underestimated Bianca.
In an instant, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
And brought her face right up to his.
"Bianca?"
As flustered Krash asked.
Bianca's lips curved slyly.
A mischievous fox-like smile.
Showing a side even Krash hadn't anticipated, she pressed her lips to his.
An incredibly soft, warm sensation spread across his mucosa.
And moments later, her lips slipped away.
"Lord Krash, I've held back so much."
As Krash made a bewildered face, Bianca said that and unwrapped her arms.
Then she took his hand and placed something in it before letting go.
Krash turned his hand to see a ring.
Identical to the one he'd given her.
Krash instantly grasped the meaning.
He held up the ring and slipped it onto his left ring finger.
Seeing it, Bianca's face bloomed with a smile.
But soon soured into a pout.
"......During the exam, someone from Lactea came by."
Arasism Lactea.
Krash recalled the one who'd approached her and stiffened.
"And I heard you're being targeted by Ixion."
"That's—"
Things he hadn't told her yet.
Mentioning them, Bianca tugged hard at his collar.
"I don't want to hear that from someone else's mouth."
"......Sorry. I'll tell you first next time."
At Krash's apology, Bianca buried her face in his chest for a moment.
"Promise. I'm your wife now, Lord Krash."
She said "wife," not "fiancée."
Krash smiled briefly at her flushed earlobes.
"Sleep well."
Then she lay straight back in bed.
Soon, her steady breathing filled the air.
Her face brimmed with satisfaction.
Springing that on him then dozing off alone.
So very Bianca.
Hearing Crimson Garden's assessment, Krash sighed once before rising.
Bianca's sudden move had left him dazed, but he had things to do.
'Lactea.'
The World Erosion exterminator family.
Time to meet the Lactea family member who'd appeared as a new examinee in this exam.