Chapter 337: Tradition of the Inter-Academy Tournament (1)
S7WMESpeedweapon once asked me.dXOX
zdBhYBr— Hey, Geom-Ma. In your opinion, who among our peers has improved the most?GWj9sO
5fmJI answered without a second of hesitation. They say friends think alike. I often shared the same thoughts as him.TFn
GIqBLR‘Chloe.’2ZRI1
5Gz5Speedweapon seemed surprised by my answer. And of course, we’re talking about a generation that includes Abel, Ryozo, Rachel, and Leon.1rdqq
ootOwNwThey weren’t called the golden generation for nothing.CF7Af
fsbFEven now, and probably in the future, gathering a cast like that would be nearly impossible.wOq
H1JAfter all, it’s a lineup intentionally assembled by that damn suppressive force.dPBQn
qhAs0In the original storyline, Chloe Auditore wasn’t part of that brilliant group.2UZEy
oMU7ETLike me, she started as a background student in class B.OoqQ84w
GxwguEjShe was supposed to spend her days quietly in the wolf class, later working in the shadows as part of the Auditore clan.UjoO
nFZFisBut the one responsible for twisting that “peaceful” (?) life path was me.2cG1j
JKpEver since she met me, Chloe’s life changed completely.cD88
qiPbA girl who was nothing more than a B-list extra began craving power like she was possessed. Walking a tightrope on the edge of an abyss, she relentlessly pushed herself.FB2K
L13Em0B— But Ryozo, Abel, and Rachel did the same thing!508jw0
pdVTrue. They all worked hard.q4w1wd
fPVtvLBut ever since the demons—our main enemies—lost their regenerative powers, the opportunities to train genuine combat instinct also vanished.Iwk9WV
sRkCwIUChloe is different.NNSvP
Vl4The enemies of the Auditore clan don’t come from the outside. They’re internal tumors, rotting from within. She detects them and cuts them out.cVs
wiBHer combat instinct has never dulled. On the contrary, it’s grown sharper over time. In that regard, she’s on par with me.DcyJLu
nkKSo, in conclusion,KPHzVa
M4tBt9eGooooooohhh…OvkWSoe
HC7NhThat sinister energy, so intense it gave me goosebumps. That’s the manifestation of the state Chloe has reached, after bathing in blood countless times.nO6Cr0
70ly“Heavenly Sword.”m8yCgK
yYnE7Chloe has become strong.rma
z0Pl“This time… I’ll protect you.”mdu
fuo1128So, at least to some extent, she’s earned the right to say those words.zdk
gKR***UdvK
TWrwE4What’s also called the Blood Moon is, even in a world brimming with every kind of fantastic element, an extremely rare meteorological phenomenon.0JCB61
hqNOIn fact, the Black Sun—which could never be seen on Earth—hangs perpetually in the sky of the magical subspace.3WclR
XtVbIn the world of Miracle Blessing M, it can be said to be the most precious sky there is. And in that moment, this Blood Moon dominated the nightly firmament.HUZZlIz
KM7T“Heavenly Sword… you’re really asking for trouble…”iJX
nwMuChloe walked through the cold night air. I had just awakened from an illusion and still hadn’t fully regained my awareness.1r9I2g
7vjChiiiiiiiiic…Usb
2yEdUgh. Damn it. No excuse—I genuinely had a headache. A stabbing pain, as if a handful of needles rolled through my skull.caGvJn
Kbg7Just as Chaerina said, it seemed to be the memory-elimination process.rJiySIm
EBYgIThe illusion was a dream, and the fading of memories came right after, as if part of a protocol. To keep everything, I’d need Lycan’s help…pO0p
eHGjk‘And right now, he’s not here…’7I76t
MHnFor this to happen just when we’re alone. That’s why I’ll lose those memories even with my eyes open, and Chaerina nearly crushed me.0o1Esd
l5fYzYChiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic.Y7k
ct1That sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard shredded my nerves. Chloe dragged her katana as she approached Chaerina.6CByE
MCsJ3VEOne step. Then another.LZkWj
3FrbThrough my blurry vision, her silhouette seemed bathed in red. And it wasn’t an illusion—the Blood Moon was truly lighting the ground. This was real.Lhn
PlAEven amid my gasps, I couldn’t help but feel awe.acv8f
nmE‘Has she refined the Raven’s Blessing so much…?’TvTST
9iRThe Raven’s Blessing is the finest ability to suppress one’s presence known—a symbol of the Auditore clan. It’s a unique power to completely repress murderous intent and presence, holding it contained inside.H14JGp
EkaVuRmAccording to the Dark Wiki, legends say one could release that pressure in an instant and enter a devastating frenzy.GPD
dylkBut that was just theory. I’d never seen it with my own eyes. They said only Altair Auditore, the clan leader, achieved that mastery at age sixty.ObGDASL
W7C9sBvChiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic.ZW0g
XWJbRYet Chloe had done it. Barely in her early twenties, she altered the field purely with her murderous intent.CROIf
4AZAt this moment, she had reached a divine-level ability that only the Master of the Sword, Changseong, Altair, and I share.lnHwBAl
dkxjEven Chaerina showed clear signs of being unsettled. Her expression remained emotionless, as always, but I wasn’t fooled.rno6
xO46Her eyes trembled, like the moon’s reflection on fountain water.kUx5W3x
IeIeVkjAt that instant—FUEwt4v
IGfD93“Your name.”Is8
tBYUR6XChloe spoke as she closed the distance. Her voice was rough, as if her throat was rasped.O2Y0gV
qAZg3X“…Are you Huginn or Muninn? Why is a Raven of Truth here? You shouldn’t be. That goes against all narrative logic…”Nill
mCOsChaerina murmured incomprehensible nonsense. What came next sounded like poetry or a quoted verse.KJP
xXek‘Huginn and Muninn fly over the vast land each day. I fear that Huginn will not return. But I worry even more for Muninn…’0th
NbNn7WxIt was so sudden I couldn’t think straight. I let out a harsh laugh regardless.amhqr4
8BodWhat is this woman clinging to so obsessively? I sincerely wanted to stop her, grab her arm, and force her into a one-on-one conversation with Yu Sein.Sl9gcCK
6hc5KmChloe kept advancing in silence, merely tilting her head.pfONPXG
GqZ‘That Chloe…’4Bmm2hh
jNKnI hadn’t seen her like this in a long time. Whenever I did, my knees trembled.Y7qXeh
76E“The Auditore clan always asks for the opponent’s name before passing sentence. So I’ll ask again.”UM3Z
tM0GI3Chloe opened her mouth again. It was an ultimatum.2kkfyJF
xzCZUL“Your name.”Twh
I7X“I… my name is…”YtTSQM
2A8Fwooosh.aWO
4bLChaerina’s voice vanished. A mountain wind blew in from the north—a gust that had crossed valleys and slopes of the Alps all the way to Parsy Academy.pUDt3
0j3lDgKThe three of us—me, Chaerina, and Chloe—stood facing each other by the fountain in tense confrontation. Even without words, the place throbbed with tension.bhAS
9APThe sound of water and wind had turned into white noise.w6INi
ZXKpXbyGuk.qHfk
AkooEA faint sound of a muscle tensing came from Chloe’s thigh.XnGzRDj
TT8Boom!w3ag
sq8BThat prolonged silence was shattered by Chloe’s launching leap. She landed with force enough to crack the stone and closed the distance immediately.sFL2WS
QYnO9rvThere was no time to react.jLv
4w2ek‘She’s going to kill Chaerina.’M6A
VUvGRfI know what that hand can do. If she sets her mind to it, she will. She always has.O2Xw2
lUeAnd, she was in that mode. Her reasoning, which could have stopped her, had already melted like ice under that burning madness.ROp
5B9dLGu‘I have to intervene…’3wg
0Ho…But absurdly, I couldn’t move my feet. This was madness. Should I forsake all humanity and ascend as a god once and for all?R50
ctnjFZWhile cursing inwardly, Chloe’s shoulder blurred.UHB
VmF056GThe wind and water sliced the air with a tearing sound. Her katana, wreathed in red murderous intent, lunged toward Chaerina.GYXfU
4o9Nfq2Chaerina flinched and swiftly brought her hand to her hip. Instead of dodging, she chose to counterattack.Gswf5qg
9YdHoClang!ROfD
N4v8WA metallic roar shook the place. The shockwaves were so clear they were visible.x1N2w
1SGGuWIt was a deep night. The three of us, in the midst of this violent confrontation, opened our eyes simultaneously—as if it were planned.hhz
BZdEj4“…Fuck this. Pft.”4x7
Bgt7EThe intruder was Saint Yu Sein. She stepped between Chloe and Chaerina, her arms outstretched, and erected a barrier.TpOb
bRRA pair of rune-etched circles spun in the air, blocking the attack and shielding Chaerina.ZRn
eLp8“Haah… seriously. If I use barriers this much, divine power drains quick.”EEa
YYUVYu Sein complained, nose bleeding.uiyV2
MZEz0Her pale face made it clear she was only pretending to sound calm.uLSJV
TQqBi“…Step aside.”72rjZX
hDA2That came from the other Chloe’s personality.ReNoGA
FPqSkZShe pressed her blade hard against the floating barrier, unable to advance.qTrCAuP
I2EE“Look at that. Turns out you’ve got two personalities in one body, huh?”DyGz
dBiYu Sein gave a strained smile, though her hand shook visibly. Then, for a moment, she diverted her gaze from Chloe and looked at me.pE0
ecWQjh“Two personalities in one body. Huginn and Muninn—the ravens of Thought and Memory.”oNJ
0v6hYu Sein forced a benign smile and spoke to Chaerina.rLptpHL
d3Ik5Rl“This should be enough to justify narrative credibility, don’t you think?”PxM
KHbB9“You… your identity…”XlRHqB
lyFXWNEven Chaerina looked visibly shocked.bMP7y
hRo“We’ll leave introductions… huff for later, okay? Lot to say about script coherence. huff And we’ve still got three events after Ragnarok, right? If we kick off like this in Act One, what’s left for the grand finale?”pi8Bti
UBP“You’re… the serpent.”HVAAJ
aEVzcA shredded voice, as if her vocal cords had broken.J64
zFfjplP“That black-haired type has no interest in the universe’s laws, but I… reading the world’s manual is literally my job. And that manual can only be read by someone reincarnated like me—didn’t you know?”odv1T
e7APyCi“…That…”9ZJi
k2Hx6e“From the start, the three of us were forcibly suppressed, violating all logic of the world. Huff So if you spill more celestial secrets here, this is going to collapse. Ugh, what a nuisance. Anyway, better fall asleep for a bit.”IiWvU
RhMPIYu Sein moved her pale lips again.wjHGgBi
YBotY“Obliviate.”eOgT
DknzQEFChaerina’s eyelashes fluttered before closing. As her half-lidded eyes rolled upward, Yu Sein summoned a floor barrier to support her.pHGAlTx
D0K‘She neutralized her with just one word.’deZ2D
zJcFinally, Yu Sein turned to Chloe.2PWZan
1NTz3Dd“Amor Aeternus.”bVR
Lo6“…Ah, ah…”wpggR
8xOjChloe’s eyes, which until then had been trying to break the barrier with fierce intent, clouded over.NiSndP9
YD2NIGUShe blinked and, like Chaerina, ended by closing her eyes.G1pF
4BWDrip, drip.jnyIvB
0TTDp9The peaceful sound of the fountain returned to fill the air.8Vns
gbf“Ugh, I’m dying, I’m dying…”xfe6zsp
qhG7RkYu Sein leaned back, hands on her hips, stretching her torso backward.iwHFN
SoGfUAfter a few complaints, she turned toward me.vTiEn
Vyt“Kang Geom-Ma, you are a man full of sins.”MyLumr
BUdk7I shook my head.R4Edj
t4rG4“In many ways…”T8sar
HSThg***3ByV
D3xL2We decided to leave the two unconscious girls in Speedweapon’s care.yisApc6
YQtHe came running barefoot, his hair a complete mess.N7u
ySBlR1He didn’t look reliable, but we had ten years of friendship behind us.cDYyt
QkmN7He didn’t need me to say anything.0Tty
pfTtSpeedweapon understood immediately and brought reinforcements to carry Chloe and Chaerina on stretchers.WGJ
yLLAxzxBoth were deeply asleep, showing no signs of waking, which made the transport easier.ysQBOP
EXlg8bXAfter cleaning up the scene, I moved with Yu Sein to another location. With my lightning magic, we left Parsy and settled on a mountaintop in the Alps.pGdgNwW
J2CeThe snow stung the skin.cYmnAL
qmO“No one will hear us here. It’s perfect.”uWssBg1
oLC“Aren’t you cold?”8WlhvW2
MOkSr“Do you think a possessed and a reincarnated person fear the cold?”iOjJ5
MuBYu Sein chanted a spell.BP6
KXEz“Luce in altis.”ZH0
l0rHAoA golden barrier enveloped a three-meter radius. Inside, it felt warm and cozy, like being back in the womb.m4KJ
x8GPsZQ“……”hVOF
NwrrkUThat comfort sent me into a bit of a crisis.g01I
kxzITQV‘What the hell are we doing?’eZZS
hyL•••JU4HR
7sa4SNot even on a night of madness had so much happened. Everything had exploded in just a few hours.RHt3
jHNMJG‘And to make things worse, the memories are evaporating in real-time…’JVF
0blxguiThe more I try to hold on, the more they slip through my fingers like sand.nJqZaK
e37This is insane.vBjXv1
fJwpEuYu Sein, though exhausted, glanced at me with a blank expression. Then she gave my shoulder a couple of light taps.Qbu7
WxU“I recommend you forget it all. That was something you weren’t supposed to see or hear. That girl just made a mistake in her rush.”w5EPhXf
8LVIJFd“But why is everyone in such a hurry? Tell me, I’m going crazy.”gg0ur
nE8VSnyYu Sein answered colder than the Alpine snow.yTcd348
8JIxV“I already told you—it breaks narrative plausibility. Believe me, I want to tell you with all my heart. But if I do, the entire tree of possibilities collapses.”WSQeA
Tat“What are you, Doctor Strange or something?”KX7v
UvSKr“What? You saw that movie too? Damn… I got pulled in right before I could watch it!”T03FW3
c3uiOn a pristine Alpine mountaintop, two beings from another world were having a ridiculous conversation.j6R4s
I1OzsSg“Anyway, Kang Geom-Ma, just focus on the exchange match. The next trial is Sköll and Hati.”tHGR6Zj
0rAVzlI“And of course, the reason you can’t speak clearly is also narrative coherence and suppression, right?”mQKM
mkUo“Wow! After being around this noona, you’re already starting to understand things better.”mBM
C7sNhShould I hit her?ZSf
8nEL“I left clues here and there. Try to figure them out. Rack your brain with your friends.”NHUql
797t44“Not just my friends. Yu Sein, they’re yours too.”NPig
MgV“Friends…? Ah, right.”yfG
O2SrBQShe rolled those two syllables around on her tongue while tapping her forehead with her knuckles and sticking out her tongue.99xze
IJy“I’m so scatterbrained.”02nEkq
NK6QkcYu Sein raised her face with a slight smile. Then she closed her eyes and let the moonlight bathe her completely.DdrH
VcDq“Don’t worry about the redhead or the pretty one for now. I’ll handle them. I can’t tell you the details yet, but they’re essential.”I27R
fDiuG8“…Got it.”sJUVbI
hwu“And by the way, treat the redhead well. You don’t know this, but that girl has really supported you with everything she has. Good heavens, don’t forgive this man’s sins! He’s Satan, Satan!”nAZV0Yl
DkQ9f3“……”ln1E
dgelI hadn’t noticed, but the haze that had covered the full moon had already cleared.Gkd6
LmhL***c42ul
dGU“Hmm, such nice weather, ahh…”r24y
joFX6CzA place close to the sky.72u
EzVAt five thousand meters above sea level, I didn’t look up at the sky.mY6s054
4unsLEI just silently watched Yu Sein, bathed in moonlight.XaQhjG
7CA8‘You’re fighting your own battles too.’2V34tin
f8e0And me, Kang Geom-Ma?b4YG
Ft4tI was just running away. Making excuses with cheap reasoning that I now had more responsibilities. It was a moment when I missed the recklessness of youth.yTRW
qVBu‘If something happens…’X5SdAbx
v9SkbSlide.epdr
Ygk2I brushed the lapel of the black coat Abel gave me with my thumb.uLbaI17
SgQfpIDI felt its stiff texture beneath my fingertips.7x7c
0GQMy true master. The moonlight that guides me.PjE
aGHirThe two sashimi blades comforted me.icbbgv
55DAs if saying don’t be afraid—even if the end of the world comes, as always, they will be with me.IN59C94
movAn hour later, I completely forgot “what I had just experienced.”nFtUpf
bDTSVThough it wasn’t a total erasure; it lingered on the surface of my consciousness like residue.eomdlMK
W1vblz6I never imagined that even that—rBW9cS
BMOd5yyWould become useful someday.zla
5fQh9== ==4s2btm
Cjgi[Until the ■■ of □□□ (0/4)]WM7iw6
nQeS6o[Completion Reward: [¿ ? ¿]]NVGB
aRm== ==wUiX
wxmfBIt came back like a boomerang, in the form of a status window.tXRo65a
GoqIy***FU68a
dMbThe second trial became the center of attention.0ri
4izAfter the dopamine overload caused by the flag war, viewers were completely hooked on the exchange event.ZEygHi9
ZTDezDzPeople eagerly awaited the next episode. It was frustrating that it didn’t come out all at once like on Xflix.CC3tz4
USWDIOne day later.73W
X24Ohⓐ Invincible Sami: It’s starteeed!IZQp
SPJ6Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the hero Himik revealed the name of the next trial to the world.FeTIb
Dgf9jeVIts name: Sköll and Hati.bFu8Clc
osrIgThe names of the brother wolves from Norse mythology.w9fh3Kt
JzUkMany theories circulated online.oXtRAw
yzUThey said it wasn’t a twin wolf race or a three-legged race. Half-joking, half-serious.iWhdgM4
O05SE…I knew it.BZwt
NSs8Vⓐ Invincible Sami: A chariot race!? Seriously!?wXuFvfE
drhQ1We were still in the 21st century, after all.yrLP8o
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