Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Charlotte vs Krash
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After laying Bianca down in her room, Krash sank into thought.
'Who would've thought I'd end up sparring with Charlotte.'
In his previous life, Krash had never once dueled with Charlotte.
It was only natural, of course.
By the time Krash was born, Charlotte had already bloomed into a flower of talent, making any comparison impossible.
So, there had never been a single situation where sparring with her made sense.
Krash hadn't wanted it, and Charlotte had no reason to duel him anyway.
That made it all the more ironic—this was his first time facing her in combat.
'Am I actually nervous right now?'
For some reason, cold sweat beaded on his palms.
He'd spent his entire life overshadowed by Charlotte.
Just thinking about sparring with her had even Krash on edge.
'Getting tense over a spar... ridiculous.'
The moment Krash moved to clasp his hands, a soft touch enveloped them.
He looked up to find Bianca holding his hand.
"Lord Krash, your hands are sweaty."
Her half-lidded eyes met his as she spoke.
Normally, she'd pull away complaining about sweat, but this time she held on gently.
Krash stared at her for a moment, feeling his tension melt away.
'Right, she's just taking an interest, that's all.'
Charlotte had always been a battle maniac.
She'd even worn provocative clothes at the Star Sanctuary just to pick fights.
Her interest in him stemmed from him slaying the Butcher Hound.
Meanwhile, Bianca had fallen asleep still clutching his hand.
Just sleep-talking, then.
She hadn't fully recovered from the ordeal with the Butcher Hound.
Seeing how much she'd been sleeping lately, Krash stroked her hair once before rising.
As he stepped outside, Aliod was waiting.
"Lord Krash."
"It's just a spar with my sister. Why worry so much you're out here?"
Krash said it lightly, but Aliod's expression remained grim.
He was worried about Krash, too.
'Yeah, this is the usual feeling.'
He'd been beating up so-called geniuses lately that he'd forgotten his place for a moment.
The real reason he'd been called half-baked was none other than Charlotte.
'Time to overcome that trauma.'
Krash had no intention of ending up like Belokin.
Spar or not, he resolved to charge head-on this time.
'I might not win, but I won't break.'
Krash headed straight for the training grounds.
The outdoor arena had mostly thawed, the snow melted clean away.
Charlotte stood there alone.
Her wooden practice sword pointed downward, she stood tall and proud, her hair drifting slowly in the still-chilly breeze.
Even that exuded an intimidating pressure.
Then, her eyes slowly lifted.
Matching Krash's own, her vivid blue irises gleamed sharply.
"Little bro, you came. I thought you'd run. Good boy."
"You'd chase me to the ends of hell if I did."
"Knowing my personality like that earns you extra points."
She said it with a slow smile.
"You've got some moves, huh?"
I wish your insight was a bit less sharp.
"I won't go easy. If you disappoint me, little bro, I'll really beat the crap out of you."
With that, Charlotte raised her wooden sword.
"Show me your all."
She meant it.
If he held back, she might just pummel him full-force.
'Not like I'm planning to hide anything anyway.'
He'd known long ago she wasn't someone you could bluff through.
Besides, it was Charlotte.
'She's not the type to go blabbing my secrets. No need to hide.'
She didn't even have friends to tell.
A lion had no reason to befriend foxes.
"Real sword for me, then?"
"Yes. This is to see your true skill."
A wooden sword was no handicap for Charlotte.
Krash exhaled and took his stance.
"Understood."
"Then begin."
Charlotte let her wooden sword hang loosely, utterly defenseless.
Krash just watched her steadily.
One minute, two, three.
After three minutes had passed,
Charlotte's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Not coming at me?"
Krash didn't answer.
He simply observed her, sword still sheathed.
Charlotte tapped the ground with her wooden sword.
Her intent was blatantly obvious.
She stifled a hollow laugh.
'Clever little bro.'
Krash had no reason to strike first.
She was the one who'd requested the spar.
"Guess I lose first move."
The moment she spoke, her figure blurred.
In that split-second kick off the ground—
Charlotte's sword sliced through the air toward Krash's throat.
She'd taken the initiative.
But no mercy.
Her blade flew to end it in one strike.
Whoosh!
Krash had been waiting for this.
He desperately suppressed the surging urge of the Coiling Aura Technique.
Screeech!
The instant Charlotte thrust—
Heat boiled from his body, igniting the World Erosion and shattering his physical limits.
His vision accelerated in an instant.
His Sixth Sense, pushed to the limit, barely captured Charlotte's wooden sword.
'One second.'
Inside his sheath,
Amid the storm of aura for the Coiling Aura Technique, Inferno Erosion's flames seeped in.
The pitch-black blaze explosively coated the sheath's interior, its force breaking limits in a flash.
The moment Inferno Erosion within erupted into a massive explosion—
Fwoosh!
With a brief roar of flames, Krash's sword flashed from its sheath.
Boom!
Krash's extended blade clashed with Charlotte's, unleashing a fierce storm of flames.
But the real show was at the center.
His sword embedded in her wooden blade, grinding it down.
The Coiling Aura Technique, augmented by aura storm at its limit and Inferno Erosion.
Had he pulled full aura from the start to kill, maybe different.
But this was a spar.
Charlotte's wooden sword, lacking full aura coverage, splintered mercilessly.
Realizing this, Charlotte's eyes widened briefly.
She saw what Krash aimed for.
Crack!
Before losing the entire blade, she twisted its path, slipping free from Krash's sword.
Kaboom!
Inferno Draw's full-force flames grazed past her, slamming into the training ground wall.
Deflecting just the blade clash to redirect the force—her swordsmanship was artistry itself.
Her eyes changed.
Full power from the start.
No hesitation, straight clash—she felt a thrill.
But she missed one thing.
Though she'd deflected, Krash's sword had no intention of stopping.
'Two seconds.'
In that instant, Krash's mind compressed into utter focus.
Deep in his psyche, a droplet rippled across the lake, spreading outward.
It surged, awakening his spirit.
Above his descending blade,
The aura storm raged up, meeting Inferno Erosion.
With dazzling pitch-black Black Flame roaring, Krash's eyes burned red.
A storm ravaged the training grounds.
His mightiest downward slash rent the arena in half, jaws wide for Charlotte.
Draw followed immediately by One Sword.
For Krash, two ultimate techniques in succession, squeezing every drop from his body.
Before One Sword, Charlotte swung her half-shattered wooden sword horizontally to parry.
The blade she'd deflected returned at miraculous speed.
Kaboom!
Black Flame coiled around One Sword erupted, clashing with her wooden blade.
The strike that obliterated even a Crimson Garden-enhanced Thousand-Faced Ghost.
No matter it was Charlotte's wooden sword—it couldn't withstand, another half vaporized.
One Sword's storm exploded from her center, shredding everything around.
Yet the spot beneath her feet remained untouched.
When the storm finally dissipated—
Krash was gone from her sight.
Instead, his released sword hurtled straight at her face.
Charlotte stifled a laugh.
Right below the flying sword, Krash charged fists clenched.
'She shaved my wooden sword twice on purpose, timed when my blade was farthest from my body to throw it, then dive in from below.'
A bright smile danced on Charlotte's lips.
Joy filled her face.
"Nice!"
In that instant, an aura blade surged from her wooden sword.
Pure aura blade, only possible at Master level.
Its emergence rendered the sword's length irrelevant.
The space around Charlotte fell silent.
In the hush, Krash's movements and incoming sword slowed to a crawl.
Her aura had dominated the area instantly.
Her blade first parried the hurtling sword.
It veered powerlessly skyward.
But even as she did, Krash's fists hadn't reached her.
That was their gap.
Overwhelming enough to end it in one blow if she willed.
Her wooden sword whipped back toward Krash instantly.
Distance between his fist and her body: about 50cm.
A gap impossible to close, no matter what.
Unless Krash had a skill.
'Black Hood.'
The instant his Sixth Sense barely registered her parry—
Black Hood activated.
A move even Charlotte didn't notice.
Within it,
Krash's extended fist gripped his sword again.
The moment her eyes widened—
Clang! Thud!
A clash echoed as Krash tumbled across the ground.
Weaponless, he rolled to a stop, too exhausted to rise, gasping raggedly.
'Three seconds.'
Inferno Erosion faded, heat draining from his body.
Feeling his drained form, he dimly lifted his head.
His sword lay dropped before Charlotte.
But she stood frozen, unmoving.
Naturally, not a scratch on her.
Charlotte always enveloped herself in a massive aura flow.
Like her innate power, it repelled any aura equal to or weaker than hers—no wounds possible.
A flawless genius, loved by all gods, unscathed by inferiors.
Krash would say her most cheat-like trait was that aura flow.
His sword had touched it.
Master-level aura.
Impossible for Krash to pierce.
But it touched.
That was the issue.
The flow hovered right above her skin.
She'd never allowed even equals to touch it, let alone weaker foes.
Yet Krash had.
Her gaze slowly turned to him.
Despite her sword swinging at her, he'd thrust without hesitation to the end.
Even knowing it wouldn't land.
What did that mean?
If it had worked...
Even she might have taken the hit.
From start to finish, she'd gone easy.
Let her guard down, held back her swordsmanship, only manifesting aura blade at the end.
Yet she'd been had.
Unacceptable for Charlotte.
"Little bro, you..."
"Haha..."
A laugh escaped Krash.
As she stared blankly, he spoke through his grin.
"Got you... with one shot."
With that, he faceplanted and passed out.
The toll of Inferno Erosion, Coiling Aura Technique, One Sword, and Black Hood was heavy.
Charlotte watched him, sighing deeply.
Going all-out alone and collapsing.
'Selfish, too.'
He even mirrored her there.
Drained somehow, she shook her head and approached.
She glanced at his right arm.
From that last attack, it seemed fine.
Good enough.
That was the point of the spar.
As she moved to lift him—
Someone popped up before her.
Charlotte's eyes widened—it was Krash's fiancée, Bianca.
"You."
"I'll take him."
How long had she been watching?
Stealthy like a kid, Bianca grunted, trying to hoist Krash.
But tinier than him, she couldn't.
His body dragged across the ground; Charlotte chuckled dryly.
Thud—what a matching pair.
"Caw—"
A crow cried out.
Glancing at the one perched on the ceiling, Charlotte spoke.
"Aliod."
"Yes, Lady Charlotte."
He appeared instantly at her call.
She asked,
"Krash said he's going to Raheln Academy, right?"
"Yes."
Hands on hips, she nodded satisfied, then turned sharply.
"Got it. You worked hard while I was here. Go to Krash."
Aliod vanished at once.
She strode toward outside Green Pine Pavilion.
About three weeks until Raheln Academy's inaugural entrance ceremony.
Tight, but enough.
Because it was Charlotte.