Chapter 239
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: Lesson 46. Union Founding Festival - 6
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Selron's guess was spot on.
The moment Xenon declared the start of the match...
"Follow the will of the Eternal Calamity!"
Ulrike Prominence spread her arms wide and shouted. A small lantern leaped out from within her embrace.
The lantern, containing a faintly flickering flame, seemed to form a dome-shaped barrier protecting Ulrike for a moment—only to shatter the next instant, transforming into a massive blaze that engulfed her entire body.
"That crimson blaze... Don't tell me it's a fragment of a Constellation!"
"Using something like that in a student tournament?"
"Even for Prominence, they can't possess an infinite supply of their patron Constellation's body."
The gallery erupted in shock.
Given the sheer magnitude of power Ulrike had unleashed, it was understandable why the spectators were freaking out.
Recalling the Orc Wave incident, Ban Yu-won calmly faced her.
Selron's gruff voice echoed in his mind.
[So, you accepted the bet even after my warning. What were you thinking?]
'It's a match we can't lose anyway. Usually, facing them head-on reveals a solution.'
[And? Did you find one?]
'Probably?'
As Ban Yu-won replied nonchalantly, Selron was about to argue—when boom!—a clash rang out.
A massive ice blade had materialized in midair, plummeting toward Light. He blocked it with his holy sword gripped tight.
Not only that, but every swing of the holy sword sent radiant arrows of light streaking toward Aire.
A new ability he hadn't shown before. Probably something he'd hidden for this very day.
"Leave this to me. I'll melt them down nice and easy."
Aire noticed Ban Yu-won's gaze, dispelled the light arrows with a burst of mana, conjured another ice spear, and spoke.
Her words rang with unshakable confidence, but Light—facing her—seemed deeply insulted.
"The one melting will be you, dragon—!"
"Quiet."
Dozens of ice spears flew at Light simultaneously, just as he nearly blurted out Aire's identity—something everyone already suspected.
He barely managed to block them all with the holy sword's infinite mana before it was too late, but it left him no room to talk.
"Ngh—!"
One swing summoned a barrier of light. Another unleashed waves of light.
Light countered Aire's torrent of magic with brute-force holy sword power. There wasn't a trace of the martial arts he'd learned from Dokgo Yeon over the semester.
Ban Yu-won had expected as much—but the symptoms had worsened.
"Yeah. He definitely needs retraining."
Aire spread her hands, and a silver-blue orb resembling a dragon's eye floated between them.
The orb gleamed brilliantly, locking onto Light. Then, tangible silver mana surged wildly!
The arena's temperature, which had skyrocketed from Ulrike channeling Constellation power, plummeted in an instant. Her mana solidified everywhere, crushing the entire space.
Even ally Ban Yu-won felt the pressure—it must have been impossible for her enemies to face head-on!
'Scary... Light, hang in there!'
Ban Yu-won, spooked by the fierce aura only genuine Dokgo Yeon could muster, shoved aside his worries for her and turned back to his foe.
There stood Ulrike, now the incarnation of crimson flame.
"...Hehe."
Aware of Aire nullifying her heat, Ulrike's lips curved into a leisurely smile.
"You seemed to notice I had a sacred relic of the Eternal Calamity's followers. Why didn't you stop me? The moment the lantern shattered, the match was decided."
"Ah, are you under some misunderstanding—"
"So even you harbor some fondness for me deep down."
Yeah, I heard that nonsense earlier.
The guy on your team said the exact same crap, word for word!
These people are seriously dangerous.
Makes you wonder if the Ten Great Families hold seminars exchanging their warped knowledge about lower-dimensional humans!
"No need to hide it. Come on, right? You paired up with the academy's favorite ice wielder, then pitted her against that guy."
"She wanted to fight Light, that's why we paired... Never mind."
If it's a delusion that won't clear up until I punch it out, time for a gender-equality correction punch.
One worry: what if it doesn't work even after? Well, nothing for it—hand the rest to Sis.
"We'll talk later. For now, let's end our match. ...[Stop]."
Huh? Ban Yu-won tilted his head.
Did she gain time-stop powers?
What was she planning while time was frozen!
Having scrutinized every concept she created in real-time with his Origin Sword, Ban Yu-won knew she had no time-stop ability. Still, just in case, he activated the authority Gap from the Constellation, splitting the crevices of time.
Even if time truly stopped, he'd slip in, carve out his own time, and subdue Ulrike.
[It's not time-stop.]
Of course, time didn't stop.
Closing the distance via the gap he'd created, Ban Yu-won heard Selron explain her drivel.
[Looks like she's commanding you. Ah, don't tell me that wench thinks... your crimson flame has the Eternal Calamity follower's authority mixed in?]
'Huh.'
Thinking back, Ban Yu-won recalled Ulrike mentioning Prominence blood flowed in him.
He'd taken it as her recognizing his lineage from his mother who fled with Sis embracing her...
[It's true you crushed the Orc Wave created by the Eternal Calamity follower and awakened your inner crimson flame with what you gained.]
'Ah, she noticed that. And...'
[She probably thinks you accepted the Constellation's authority. Explains the overconfidence.]
'Truly a tragic misunderstanding.'
But that's that, and this is this.
In the stretched eternity of time, Ban Yu-won leaped space to face Ulrike, swinging the Executioner's Longsword wreathed in Judgment's power without hesitation.
The blade clashed with Ulrike, colliding with her enveloping crimson flame and unleashing horrific heat.
For an instant, Ban Yu-won felt the crimson flame gazing at him with intent.
[I'll devour you.]
"Hmm, so you harbored different intentions from Ulrike."
[All crimson flame is mine. You're mine too. Everything! Mine!]
Even with Gap's duration remaining, it communicated flawlessly—worthy of a Constellation. But the mindless roar and gaping maw lunging at him left Ban Yu-won stunned.
And this thing was descending again via the crimson flame in this brief moment.
Among countless Constellations Ban Yu-won knew, none matched the Prominence family like this hotheaded, reckless one!
"To think something like this is a Constellation."
[Constellations are just lucky upstarts with power! Yu-won, this is why I taught you Starlight!]
"Nah, don't need Starlight."
He might pale next to Sis, the true master of flames, but Ban Yu-won too bore Prominence blood—and commanded crimson flame without any Constellation contract or patronage.
The entity before him had committed an unforgivable 'sin' against him.
And was of sufficient rank to fuel Ban Yu-won's 'rebellion'.
Activating concepts: Judgment 280, Domination 120, Rebellion 35.
Whoosh—ruby-red, translucent crimson flame ignited along the longsword's blade in Ban Yu-won's grip.
High-rank concepts perfect for the situation, amplified by Yu-won Gong, exquisitely blended with the crimson flame via Origin Sword.
"—Huh?!"
Probably because it clashed with the Constellation and wasted energy unknowingly, Ulrike's eyes widened only as Gap expired and she finally registered him.
For some reason, her cheeks flushed shyly... Yeah, not important now.
[Hand over your mana. I'll devour your enemy.]
"Wha—wait!"
All mana within Ulrike Prominence's body was sucked into the descent via the crimson flame medium, swelling its size.
Even as she lost control completely, fainted, and collapsed, the flames persisted.
"A Constellation descent!"
"Impossible—even the Eternal Calamity follower shouldn't descend here with Babel Tower right nearby!"
"How in the world...!"
A colossal wolf of flame.
Ban Yu-won calmly thrust his longsword into the maw devouring him whole.
For this perfectly prepared divine slayer blade, the Pierce concept he'd learned from Dokgo Yeon would suffice.
"Dig in."
[Bon appétit.]
Curiously, their voices synced.
Both utterly convinced of victory—but of course, the wolf vanished.
Crunch—an impossible rending sound echoed as the Executioner's Longsword pierced the flame's core, severing the descent's link to the Constellation's main body in one go, annihilating most of it, and claiming the pure remnants under Domination.
Crimson Flame depth increased to 200.
Stigmata depth increased to 160.
"Nice."
Confirming an instant +80 depth to Crimson Flame, Ban Yu-won smiled in satisfaction and sheathed his sword.
The spectacular blaze faded all too ephemerally, clearing the view to starkly contrast: Ban Yu-won standing aloof, Ulrike collapsed unconscious.
"Taking down a descent that easily..."
"An authority. Seen it a few times on the Rebellion channel. For battling Constellations."
"An authority against Constellations... No wonder the Chancellor hypes him."
"Talent like that..."
Ulrike's trump card had shocked them; Ban Yu-won nullifying it instantly was even bigger.
But such attention was routine for him now—perhaps drawing even fiercer gazes than against Ortima—yet he calmly turned to find Aire battling Light.
There was an ice dragon.
Light, overtaxed on holy sword power until he seemed more light than man, was being slowly circled and constricted by the ice dragon with Aire astride its back!
"Hey."
You're supposed to be hiding your identity!
"I'll awaken you. Dragons aren't so frail as to be crushed by some lame sword!"
Hiding it!
"Shut up...! Shut up! I'm not a dragon! Not... a dragon!"
But seeing Aire rampaging headlong and Light—facing her—clutching his head in agony like he'd been caught with his cringey middle-school notebook, Ban Yu-won realized he had to intervene now. As he approached—
[No... you are a dragon.]
The holy sword's light dimmed slightly.
In its place, the necklace around Light's neck blazed fiercely.
[We are dragons.]
A massive energy eruption.
Sensing danger, Ban Yu-won activated Gap again to charge—when the necklace shattered.
Luminous masses, each brimming with vast energy, burst forth, repelling each other before absorbing into Light's body.
"Oh boy."
Aire looked flustered by the unexpected turn. As Ban Yu-won rushed past her toward Light—
—I'll help you.
A curtain fell over the world.
Isolated from the stands, the academy, the world—only Ban Yu-won and Light remained in that space.
Flicker—sensing pulsing light, Ban Yu-won looked up.
A colossal eye gazed down upon them.