Since acquiring the Lunar Body, Kraush had been able to maintain the Annihilation Erosion at a certain level without penalties. It was precisely because he could sustain Annihilation Erosion that he was able to confront Adolf directly. However, Kraush had a different true reason for wanting the Lunar Body.
The range of my limits has expanded.
Annihilation Erosion is a secret technique that burns the power of world erosion within ones Ignis, storing that energy within the flesh. The downside is that the burning energy also damages Kraushs body. Thus, Kraush could only use Annihilation Erosion for a re three seconds.
Now, with the Lunar Body, that range had significantly widened. At least during combat, he was able to maintain Annihilation Erosion at will. This ant he could potentially compress ti back to three seconds and break even higher limits than now.
Ive never tried it before.
But it wasnt impossible.
Kraush threw away the respirator he had been wearing. It was more of a hindrance to his breathing. Then, he sheathed his sworda seemingly insane act in the midst of battle. Even so, Kraush fearlessly took a deep breath and summoned his aura from within.
At that mont, the power of world erosion in his body t the Ignis and began to burn. It was hot. Yet bearable.
More, just a bit more.
The power of world erosion within him flared up even more fiercely. The heat seed as if it would set his entire body ablaze, growing stronger by the second. Kraush bit his lip. His mind felt clouded with heat, but the Lunar Body barely kept the heat at bay. Smoke trickled from Kraushs lips, and flas flickered in his eyes as his surroundings started to distort with the intense heat.
Adolf, too, sensed his anomaly.
What is he trying to do?
While considering how to subdue Kraush without inflicting harm, Adolf noticed a bizarre shift in Kraushs energy. The heat emanating from Kraush now surpassed even the surrounding fireballsit was as if his body was striving to surpass its own limits.
And Adolfs thoughts aligned with that notion.
More!
With a blood-spitting effort, Kraush once again stoked his body. The distant heat combusted, surging throughout his entire being. The heat perated every muscle and nerve, and in an instant, Kraushs hair tips and fingers blackened with dark flas.
He had definitively breached his limits, and his domain expanded to an extre. The heat engulfing his body compressed his consciousness to its utmost brink. The aura within him, combined with world erosion, swelled his body as he geared up for the next move.
Crash!
Suddenly, Kraush felt sothing breaking in his mind. It was a wall. The wall that had seed insurmountable shattered in an instant as Kraush broke through to a new realm with his limit surpassed: the highest rank of Expertise, just before reaching Mastery, the divide between genius and the average.
His eyes, reddened from the heat, burned with an intensity never seen before.
Three seconds? Dont make laugh. Its barely one second.
However, that one second was enough.
Boom!
The impact from Kraush stamping his foot echoed a beat later. By the ti the shock settled, his sword had already been drawn from its sheath. Adolf belatedly raised his hand in response, but Kraush was faster.
The swirling heat surged from Kraushs sword, alighting upon eting the Ignis, flaring up into dark flas. Kraushs sword stretched forward.
Sword and Spirit Fusion.
In this mont, Kraushs mind reached the domain faster than anyone else. As the ripples in the ntal lake were engulfed by the fierce flas, the ascent consud the fire.
A single downward strike.
One Sword.
With that strike, the technique rged with the Sword Demons fusion art and Annihilation Erosion, reaching new heights. The fusion arts One Sword had now evolved beyond its constraints into a new secret technique.
Annihilation Erosion, Second Form: Sky Annihilating Sword.
When the dark flas cut through the Spirit Kings Forest, a brief pause of silence filled the space. Soon after, everything started to twist as if cleaved in half, and in an instant, an overwhelming blast filled the area.
Kaboom!
Within the blazing dark flas, Adolf looked down upon Kraush with wide eyes. Blood trickled down his cheeks, and his hand, raised too late, was reddened with burns as well.
The injury was minor. Facing world erosion, even one of the Ten Great Lords would consider such wounds trivial.
But never had he expected to receive such a wound from a re youth, barely of age, and a Onmyoji at that.
Adolfs eyes slowly looked downward.
Kraush, maintaining the stance of his sword strike, gasped for breath, barely standing. His fingertips were blackened, and the sweat pouring like rain clearly indicated his limits. Moreover, Kraushs sword, due to the heat, was cracked all over.
Clang!
And unable to withstand the heat, his sword shattered.
However, his gaze, fixed directly on Adolf, remained undefeated.
Adolf slowly clenched his burnt hand.
He never thought it could pierce his protective magic. Simultaneously, his expression changed.
You are Balheims direct descendent.
Upon hearing Adolfs declaration, Kraush struggled to keep his eyes open with sheer determination.
It seed like he had a veterans tenacity at such a young age.
What is your relationship with Aslan?
Kraush couldnt understand Adolfs question. But he was certain of one thing.
Just a damned acquaintance.
He was the one who had selfishly died first, leaving Kraush to struggle alone.
Adolf fell silent upon hearing that. Kraush was certainly going to grow, perhaps to a stature known by all soday. And those who stood beside him would belong to a new generation. Adolf glimpsed that future in this mont.
If Aslan could stand beside him, the story might change. Of course, the process of getting there would be a challenge.
After going through the trouble to retrieve Abella, who had suddenly vanished
In the anti, this rascal had acquainted himself with such individuals.
Kraush!
At that mont, a gigantic wall of ice rose between Kraush and Adolf. Aslans magic.
Having hidden Dorothy in the water to avoid detection by Adolf, Kraush smirked.
Thud!
Then, a vibration echoed from the far reaches of the forest. Kraush and Adolf knew exactly what it ant. An upper-rank spirit, stirred by the commotion Kraush had caused, was heading their way. If an upper-rank spirit started rampaging, it could damage even the city walls.
An upper-rank spirit must be taken down at all costs.
Both of you!
Adolf was about to seize them and send them outside when the magic circle beneath Kraush and Aslans feet began to glow.
Fla Emperor, Adolf Igrit.
Adolfs eyes widened at the sight. But Kraush looked at him with a sardonic smile.
Have fun with the upper-rank spirit.
Adolf realized that Kraush had intentionally caused the disturbance.
Damn you!
The mont Adolf shouted in anger, Kraushs vision had already turned white.
Transported outside to the Spirit Kings Forest in an instant, Kraush felt his collapsing body being caught by soone.
It was Crimson Garden.
Did you want to wreck your body that badly?
As Crimson Garden spoke, Kraush strained to hold onto consciousness.
Cant help it with such an infuriating old man. Had no choice.
Werent you just curious to see if your power would work even against one of the Ten Great Lords?
Kraush turned his head with a sheepish expression. Watching this, Crimson Garden sighed.
Aslan and Dorothy ca into view, with Aslan holding Dorothys hand as if hed never let go again. She still seed bewildered by the situation.
Thanks, Kraush. I owe you a debt I can never repay.
Is that so.
Kraush responded nonchalantly.
Aslan, bereft of the Lunar Body, would continue to grow stronger. He might even surpass the strength Kraush knew from before.
Aslan, what will you do now?
Now that Aslan no longer possessed the Lunar Body, Adolf wouldnt try to kill him. Plus, Aslan could now learn the Igrits fla magic. Whether he would reveal that fact imdiately was uncertain, but at least he was no longer under Igrits pressure.
That didnt an the narrow-minded old man would view Aslan favorably. Aslan had provoked Adolf with talks of Igrits lineage. And Dorothy was there, too. The Igrit family would never tolerate the presence of a spirit.
All of these were not issues that could be resolved in a day or two.
Ill learn the Igrits fla magic.
Aslans eyes shone a clear red. Despite suffering under the Igrit na his entire life, he chose to enter their realm once more. It ant he was willing to tread a difficult path on his own initiative. To protect Dorothy, he was determined to beco stronger, regardless of the hardships.
Seeing this, Kraush sensed the stubbornness of the Aslan he once knew.
Thats more like Aslan.
In the end, protecting Dorothy and bringing down the Fla Emperor were tasks for Aslan alone.
Aslan, co to Rahelrn Academy next year.
Thus, Kraush made him an offer.
You can delay dealing with Igrits issues there, and youll have ti to grow stronger and protect Dorothy.
If during that ti, Aslan could refine both Igrits magic and himself, leaving Igrit might not be so difficult.
Kraush, youll enroll in Rahelrn Academy too, right?
Yeah.
Hearing Kraushs answer, Aslan smiled slowly.
It was the first genuine smile Kraush had seen from him, as his face had always been covered in burns and bandages.
Not a bad smile, Kraush thought.
Ill enroll. Lets definitely et up there.
With that promise made to Aslan, Kraush gave a wry laugh and turned his recovered strength towards leaving.
Go sort out your own problems.
Just as Aslan hesitated, wanting to repay Kraush in so way, he turned his head.
There was Dorothy, wearing an embarrassed expression.
Even in her crystal state, Dorothy faintly heard the commotion outside. Realizing this, Aslan cleared his throat just as Kraush departed with Crimson Garden.
Uh-hem, hem, Aslan.
Having returned from death, the spirit Dorothy called out to him, sheepish yet determined to speak her mind, since she too had sothing she wanted to say at the end.
Aslans and Dorothys eyes t.
They were surely feeling the sa, but sotis words had to convey what was unspoken.
Aslan, I thought you hated magic.
So Aslan spoke first.
Due to the Lunar Body, I couldnt wield fla magic, and magic beca nothing but shackles to . The Igrit family was the entirety of my life.
Within the Igrit, Aslan was slowly dying. He knew it well enough.
If he hadnt t Dorothy, he would have completely broken down in the end.
But after eting you, things began to change. Seeing you so happy over a single spell, using magic to alleviate my pain, and because of you, for the first ti in my life, I could use magic for soone else at the dorm.
Romantic or poetic words were beyond Aslans repertoire. He simply conveyed his thoughts honestly.
Yet, every ti he spoke, tears gradually welled up in Dorothys eyes.
Its all thanks to you.
Whether she was a spirit not human, an enemy of humans, or anything else, it didnt matter to Aslan.
The one thing that mattered was Dorothy.
Dorothy, I like you.
If the world were to denounce Dorothy and he beca an enemy of the world, so be it. After all, it was Dorothy who had made his world.
At that mont, as tears fell from Dorothys eyes, she closed her fluttering eyelids.
I am a spirit.
I know.
My na might be false, my appearance, maybe even my mories could be fabricated by world erosion.
But to , you are still Dorothy.
That would never change.
Aslan, have you heard about the very first spirit mage?
Of course, he had. The first spirit mage was from the Igrit family.
Maybe the end for spirits and humans is such an outco.
Aslan lifted his hand to clasp Dorothys.
As she trembled at the warmth, Aslan spoke.
Even if a certain end is to co, I want to be by your side throughout the journey before that end.
Aslans red eyes t Dorothys blue ones.
That was enough.
Dorothy, with tears streaming down, now wore a bright smile.
Perhaps spirits were destined to love humans, she thought.
I like you too.
The tear-stained bright smile Dorothy returned was more than enough of an answer Aslan had been waiting for.
Having left space for Aslan and Dorothy, Kraush moved away with an almost deathly expression.
A bed called out to him.
Wake up. You have to take responsibility for what youve done.
Crimson Gardens remark, sharp as ever, echoed. She may as well be a demon. At least for now, he wished shed refrain from perching on his shoulder.
Mr. Kraush!
Mr. Kraush.
At that mont, Kraush heard two voices calling him. One was filled with surprise, the other as calm as ever.
When Kraush looked in their direction, there they were: one, a maid with incredibly light blonde hair; the other, a small girl with white hair.
Kraush tilted his head. It made sense for Lirina to be there, but why Bianca?
Mr. Kraush, Ive always been watching you.
It seed Bianca had read his thoughts. A slight frown on her face suggested she was sowhat angry.
Why are you here, Lirina?
Avoiding Biancas gaze, Kraush asked Lirina. He thought she would have returned to the mansion by now or gone to Aslan.
Well, the mansion is in chaos, so I thought there would be a lot to do.
One reason was dereliction of duty.
And Im not so clueless as to intrude between Mr. Aslan and Miss Dorothy.
The second reason was simply tact.
Kraush couldnt disagree; he understood. In the anti, Lirina glanced at Bianca and then spoke to Kraush.
To think you had such a cute fiance, yet you tried to lure away.
Kraush was dumbfounded by her words. What was she talking about? Sure, Bianca was his first love, but that was a long ti ago, and even as an ice sculpture, he had repressed his feelings.
However, Kraush caught on to Lirinas teasing glance at Bianca.
Her temper was the sa as always.
Youre toying with a girls heart, truly a wicked man.
I am not a wicked man.
But Bianca objected to a different part.
Mr. Kraush is a good person.
Her eyes were filled with sincerity.
Lirinas eyes widened, then she looked at Kraush and covered her mouth.
Youre really cute. Its a pity for Mr. Kraush.
Kraush decided to just accept it.
I want to take her ho in my pocket. Can you give your fiance?
Dont even think about getting your saliva on her.
As Kraush pulled Bianca towards him, she opened her eyes wide, then rolled them around before slyly clinging to Kraushs arm.
Lirina, smiling contentedly, let out a faint sigh.
I got ahead of myself for no reason.
After the inexplicable remark, Lirina bowed politely to Kraush.
Thank you very much for helping Mr. Aslan and . I will never forget this kindness.
It wasnt that big of a favor. Kraush had received so much from her before regressing that it helped him stay who he was.
But it was hard not to feel a bit relieved. Saving soone he couldnt had always been important to Kraush.
Thats good to hear
As he spoke, Kraushs vision suddenly cut out.
Ah, this is the limit.
And with that, Kraush lost consciousness.
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