Chapter 77: A blooded crown

Translated by: Reiji

Who was Charlotte?

She was a figure of resounding fame even in the great national tournament. From the strength she showed today, she already had two open arcane gates at the very least, and thanks to the special secret skill she specialized in, she was probably more than a match for even some members of battlemaster teams.

Many people even worried before the match whether Chris could overcome the obstacle she posed, but Ayrin actually defeated her!

“Ah!”

A student who couldn't control his excitement rushed out in the stands, and as soon as he saw someone wearing Holy Dawn Academy's uniform, he hugged him.

Then he seemed to realize something all of a sudden, and saw who he was hugging. “Li... teacher Liszt?” The sudden scare drained the blood from his face.

Liszt looked very innocently at this student still hugging him, and coughed. “Can you let go of me now?”

“He's really the most unpredictable guy. He didn't use any arcane skill even against Charlotte,” Carter thought, staring for a moment. Then he couldn't resist laughing at the top of his lungs.

“When the darkness before dawn twisted and whirled,

“The Evil Dragon's forces gradually unfurled,

“A world-destroying crisis, despair uncurled,

“The flickering flame of hope was on the verge of extinction.

“Arise and fight, brave warrior!

“Fight with courage! Brave warrior!”

No one knew who started it, but Holy Dawn Academy's blood-boiling song once again resonated in the stands.

“Be careful, he's very strange.” Charlotte forcibly endured the pain and walked beside Ivan without showing the slightest hint of her leg's injury. She gravely said, “When I fought against him, the power of my arcane skills waned much faster than usual.”

“I noticed,” Ivan said with a nod.

“Is that Ivan Fadh? I've never seen him fight in a formal match, but he's publicly recognized as an existence even stronger than Charlotte!”

“What about this scar on his face, why's it so fearsome?”

“I don't know, he's a mysterious person in St. Lauren, but he's already a formal battlemaster of clan Lannister!”

A grave and stern, marble-like luster shone from this slender young man with extremely short hair and a bright red scar. He seemed to carry boundless magical power, repressing the singing as soon as he stepped forward; the singing became quieter and quieter.

“How can he repress the momentum of so many people just by himself!”

Many Holy Dawn students shouted, unwilling to admit defeat, but such was reality. This mysterious captain of team Divine Shield possessed a formidable personality, like a huge beast that could make an entire army turn pale.

“Ivan against Ayrin!” the referee once again declared in his resounding voice.

“He's finally coming out...” Ferguillo's eyes ignited all of a sudden in a corner of the stands. “Now let me see if you're really as strong as they say!”

“Teacher Carter was really spot on, the next one to take to the field for Divine Shield Academy is really this guy, the mysterious captain!”

Ayrin watched Ivan come his way. The silhouette of his opponent seemed to grow bigger and bigger.

“What a fearsome pressure!”

Cold sweat oozed from his forehead and his back, in spite of himself.

He didn't feel afraid however. Instead, he felt even more excited. His heart seemed to beat with greater force than usual, even dulling the pain where Charlotte's war doll previously hit him.

Ivan looked into Ayrin's eyes burning with his will to fight, and suddenly said, “You're really not bad.”

His gaze seemed to pierce straight into Ayrin. “You're one of those whose fighting spirit rises the stronger the opponent is. But it's impossible for you to defeat me today, because the current you is still in an entirely different world compared to me. A young and immature existence like you simply can't imagine the world people like us experience.”

His voice spread out loud and clear to the entire stands. Almost all the students in the stands felt themselves grow inexplicably colder. They looked at Ivan's bolt-upright figure, saw the scar left on his face by some terrifying injury. The feeling that Ivan truly stood in a different world than them arose inside their chests.

“He's one of these genuine arcane masters fighting and surviving in dangerous environments!”

“Maybe he simply can't be called a student anymore?”

These kinds of thoughts filled the minds of many people.

“You already experienced many fearsome things and many fearsome battles?” On the contrary, Ayrin shouted with even greater excitement and an even greater will to fight. “Then you're a genuine brave warrior! Bring it on! Let's fight, brave warrior!”

“Looking at you, ignorance is really a blessing.”

Ivan gestured at the referee that he was ready, grimly shaking his head at the same time. “Don't you understand yet? If you fought someone like me... You should sustain heavy injuries as soon as I begin.”

Everyone in the stands could feel their chests tighten at these words.

“If you're not coming, then I'll start!”

However, it seemed Ayrin simply didn't hear Ivan's words. The instant the referee lifted his hand and declared the start of the fight, he immediately charged in Ivan's direction.

“This guy is really a monster. He's facing Ivan but he still looks like he's brawling with some ordinary person.” In the stands, Wilde and the others from Iron Forest Academy became speechless.

“Don't tell me he really likes men. He rushed forward as soon as he saw Ivan, light's even coming out of his eyes.” In the middle of brushing his hair with a comb, Stingham had goosebumps all over his body. “He's actually running in such a hurry.”

Ayrin pressed on forward courageously. Fire burned in his eyes, but the depths of his eyes stayed cool and collected all along.

Facing Ayrin raging bull-like charge, Ivan stood there without moving an iota.

An opponent without even a single arcane gate open, his physical strength would be at a certain level at most. What kind of threat could he pose?

The scene of him sending Ayrin flying away with a simple and straightforward punch even appeared in his mind.

He even imagined that Ayrin, like many spectators in the stands, wouldn't be able to perceive his motions at all. He would simply seem immobile, but Ayrin would already be flying away.

“Oh damn!”

When still seventeen or eighteen meters away from him, Ayrin halted all of a sudden and put his hands on his belly, bending down.

“Puerile!”

Ivan snorted coldly despite himself when he saw Ayrin's actions. He shook his head, expressionless.

“Now!”

Ayrin lifted his head just at this moment. That lone patch of calm in the depths of his eyes thoroughly ignited as well, like a fire sweeping out of his body.

He suddenly stretched his right hand forward and lifted it toward the marble statue-like Ivan!

“Er...” Liszt almost choked on his own saliva. He looked as if he wanted to cough but was suddenly frozen.

“He's actually using it at such a time already... What the hell is he thinking!” Carter's body braced taut at this moment as well, to the point the air around him trembled all of a sudden!

Five dazzling lights emerged on Ayrin's five fingers!

“What!”

Ivan instantly narrowed his eyes.

At this moment, apart from a very few extremely powerful arcane masters, even Charlotte and people her level didn't understand yet, but facing Ayrin, he clearly realized that the lights were the lights of arcane particles!

Streams of dazzling arcane particles revolved on Ayrin's fingers and compressed rapidly; the aura rippling out from them even made his heart palpitate!

“Boom!”

The arcane particles inside his body flowed out from his hands, almost on their own accord. Dense arcane particles instantly wrapped around his two palms as well.

“Swish!”

In the same short instant, a terrifying power was already erupting from Ayrin's hand.

An eyeball as big as a fist, entirely formed from fire and radiating a bewitching charm, broke through the air in front of Ayrin and boomed in his direction!

“Rumble!”

Like an avalanche, incomparably chaotic voices suddenly erupted from the stands.

“How can he have such powerful arcane particles.. this is?”

Ivan also raised his hands, but in his eyes, that blazing eye suddenly transformed into a fiery dragon egg.

“Oh no, this is a secret skill that can affect the nerves and the senses!”

The realization struck him immediately.

“Swish!”

But he was slowed down somewhat, even so. The burning eyeball brushed past his dodging form, and a strip of scorched black wound immediately appeared on his flank. Even his school uniform made from fire-resistant materials started burning.

“Ah!”

Charlotte's hands subconsciously covered her mouth, a shout of disbelief escaping her lips.

“What! Evil Flaming Eye! How can he have such powerful arcane particles, how did he even learn Ciaran's secret skill!”

The one-eyed Payton thought victory well within their grasp even after Charlotte conceded defeat, but now he subconsciously advanced two steps forwards in succession, sounding as if he were convulsing.

“It's now!”

At the same time, the Carter who always gave off a gentle and refined air firmly brandished both his hands and roared an earthshaking, blood-boiling roar!

“Fight!”

Ayrin also let out an unprecedented, earthshaking roar at the same time. He jumped even as he roared, and a stunning amount of arcane particles covered his entire left arm. The resplendent brightness made him appear incomparably frenzied!

“Whoosh!”

A huge block of white ice several larger than his body appeared all of a suddenly. His left hand seemed to clutch it and press it ferociously on Ivan's body!

“Puff!”

His movements slightly slowed by the Evil Flaming Eye's assault, Ivan also pressed both his hands on the huge block of ice. Under the impact from the cold, white frost covered the surface of his body in an instant.

“Fight!”

Ayrin's battle cry lingered on. Time seemed to freeze for a second.

Terrifying sounds came from his body, like hundreds and thousands of ropes snapping at the same time!

“Boom!”

Without the slightest pause, his right fist, with the strength of turbulent mountain floods, ruthlessly pounded on the huge block of ice his left hand was pressing on.

At this moment, two dark green flames emerged on Ivan's palms, as if about to infiltrate into this huge block of white ice.

But it was already too late.

“Crack Crack Crack...”

Under Ayrin's fist, the white ice exploded, deformed.

Countless sword-like icicles sputtered forward and battered Ivan's body!

“Puff Puff Puff Puff...”

Blood sprayed out and out. Ivan's body froze instantly.

A giant, blooded crown of ice and snow took shape between Ayrin and himself. The crisscrossing icicles froze and sealed him among them!

Frozen and sealed inside this crown of ice and snow!