Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Chapter 15: Sorting the Hierarchy (5)
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Martin and Oliver von Bittenfeld charged toward each other.
As befitting 7th Circle powerhouses, the distance between them vanished in less than a second, and their swords clashed immediately.
Kwaaaang!
A golden trajectory intertwined with a blue one, unleashing a massive explosion.
“Urk!”
“Ugh!”
A fierce shockwave spread with the blast, causing those who couldn’t withstand it to scream.
Some even lost consciousness entirely.
But Martin and Oliver paid no attention to their surroundings.
The moment they took their eyes off each other, they’d lose their lives.
Shweeeek!
The two recovered their swords and immediately swung them horizontally.
The arcs curved forward and intertwined once more in the middle.
Kwaaaang!
The explosion’s aftermath spread, scattering fragments of aura blades everywhere.
One wall of the conference room crumbled down with a roar, and as if by prior agreement, the two leaped outside.
They landed atop the mansion’s roof.
“Enough games. I’ll make you regret coming here, Martin Adalbert.”
“Anyone would think you were the only one holding back. And unless it’s Mateus von Gustin, I doubt you could make me regret anything. If you really want to talk big, why not go beat the Crimson Reaper first.”
Oliver’s eyebrow twitched at Martin’s provocation.
But he wasn’t so lacking in mental discipline as to lose his reason over a single remark.
“Strutting around after beating some old man who could drop dead any day. But I’ll give you this: your tongue is the sharpest I’ve ever encountered.”
“That’s not all. I bet I’m better at fighting than you, too.”
“You’ve got guts. Even your halfwit father didn’t dare claim victory against me.”
A sneer curled Oliver’s lips.
Martin’s face, by contrast, lost all expression.
“If that was meant to provoke me… you did a damn good job. It worked perfectly.”
“Provoke? I have no idea what you mean. I was merely stating facts. A direct heir of the main family, yet outdone by the branch successors. Isn’t that your father? Losing to Vincent or Mateus so often he’d bawl like a child—it was quite the spectacle. You should’ve seen it.”
“Aah.”
He’d come here to kill the bastard from the start.
But hearing his words changed his mind.
Killing him outright wouldn’t do.
He’d make him regret being alive, beyond mere pain.
Kuooh!
A terrifying killing intent poured out from Martin, centered on his body.
The wind began swirling fiercely around the blade of the holy sword Kaizen, soon transforming into crimson flames.
“Seeing it up close, it’s truly pitiful. No one to teach you spatial affinity abilities, so you cling to some inferior one…”
Oliver scoffed, then hurriedly raised his sword.
Kwaaaang!
The explosion was incomparably fiercer than before.
Proving it, the roof supporting their bodies punched through and collapsed.
But the real issue was elsewhere.
His right hand gripping the hilt—and his entire right arm—glowed red-hot.
Even protected by mana, he couldn’t block the seeping heat.
And the power was immense; his arm went numb.
‘Not even fire affinity, yet this much power?’
Incomprehensible, but he had no time to dwell.
In a single strike, he’d lost the initiative, and Martin’s next attack followed as proof.
The blade of Kaizen fell from upper left to lower right, tracing a perfect diagonal.
Oliver gripped his hilt with both hands and thrust upward with all his might.
A fierce wave of heat and shockwave rebounded, but this time he wasn’t swept away.
He’d used his unique ability, Phantasmalization, to let all the shockwaves pass through.
‘Can’t deflect his sword strike, but this is enough.’
Spatial affinity users could pierce Phantasmalization.
Thus, he had to block attacks directly, but there was no cause for disappointment.
Avoiding the shock’s aftermath was a massive advantage.
Meanwhile, pain would accumulate in Martin’s body.
With his inferior physical prowess, it would deal severe damage.
Time was firmly on his side.
If he just defended properly, the bastard would self-destruct.
‘I’ll finish him first.’
Oliver blocked ongoing attacks while biding his moment.
His Phantasmalization had long surpassed mere bodily application.
It let him phase through objects to strike what he desired.
At full power, it could even pierce spatial abilities once.
Kwaang!
Their sword strikes collided, sending Martin’s right arm jolting upward.
The cumulative recoil had weakened his grip strength.
‘Now!’
Seizing the chance, Oliver slashed down with full force.
An attack swift as lightning.
No time for spatial teleportation; Martin had no choice but to raise Kaizen to parry.
But no clash occurred.
Oliver’s sword phased right through Kaizen.
Shock appeared on Martin’s face at the unexpected turn.
Seeing it filled Oliver with ecstasy.
As the blue aura blade-wreathed blade neared the opponent’s nape, he released Phantasmalization.
‘Your life ends here…’
In that instant, Oliver’s eyes widened.
He saw Martin desperately reaching out with his left hand to block.
Even wrapped in flames and aura blade, what good was it?
With such feeble base physicality.
Pathetic, even in desperation.
‘I’ll take your left arm and neck together.’
So Oliver thought, but reality proved otherwise.
Kwaaaang!
Crimson flames erupted.
That much was understandable.
The problem came next.
Grab.
Martin seized the blade with his left hand.
Wearing a mocking smile, as if his prior panic had been feigned.
“Insane!”
A scream-like shout burst from Oliver.
Martin had wrapped his left arm in flames and aura blade, but it shouldn’t have blocked his full strike.
Yet the physically deficient Martin had endured it.
Bloodied though it was, the outcome defied expectations entirely.
“You’re finished.”
Martin released Kaizen from his right hand.
Then, stomping the ground powerfully, he drove his right fist into the opponent’s solar plexus.
Perfectly following Rotaer Fist Technique, while wielding Distortion of All Things.
Kwaduduk!
“Gahk!”
Blood sprayed from Oliver’s mouth with his scream.
The snap of breaking ribs and the tear of internal mana circuits rang out together—utterly chilling.
“This is just the beginning.”
Martin raised his right foot overhead, then stomped down hard.
It crushed Oliver’s head, still struggling to regain balance.
The roof caved in as a result, sending Oliver plummeting below.
Witnessing it, Martin kicked off the air and pummeled Oliver’s falling body relentlessly.
“Kraaaah!”
The agonized scream shook the mansion, soon drowned by an even greater roar.
Kwaaaang!
The thunderous crash of Oliver slamming into the ground.
“Haa… haa…”
Martin panted, trampling the battered Oliver.
“You didn’t think it was over already, did you? I told you—I’d make you beg for death. I keep my promises.”
Martin lifted his foot again, crushing Oliver’s left arm.
The aura blade-wreathed foot didn’t just break it—it tore it apart.
“Uwaaaak!”
Oliver thrashed instinctively, but it didn’t last.
Martin had kicked his abdominal mana core.
Excruciating pain swallowed Oliver, too intense for even a scream.
What truly tormented him was his decades of accumulated power draining away rapidly.
“N-no! My power! My power!”
“You’re dying anyway—what’s the point of keeping it?”
With a venomous smile, Martin pressed his right foot to Oliver’s right knee.
This time, to shatter it.
“Martin.”
That was when he heard a cherished voice.
Sighing, Martin turned his head.
There stood Sien and Adel, along with a crowd of others.
All stared at him in horror-filled eyes.
“We’ve subdued all the other rebels. And this one’s completely incapacitated. No need to do more.”
“Even after he insulted my father?”
“The previous family head wouldn’t want his son consumed by rage. He loved you more than anyone.”
“…You’re impossible, Sien.”
Martin shook his head.
But only briefly. He knelt to meet Oliver’s gaze.
“How’s it feel? Losing to the halfwit you’ve scorned for over a decade.”
“You bastard! If not for you! Damn main family ghost daring to—!”
“Ghost? Isn’t that a bit much for a living, breathing man?”
A cold smile played on Martin’s lips.
“You’ve heard it too, haven’t you? The lord who devoted himself solely to swordsmanship, ignoring all else. For someone like that, his skills were truly abysmal, right? Be honest. You never beat my father. Not like Vincent or Mateus.”
“Martin Adalbert!”
Enraged, Oliver tried to rise, but his body refused his will.
Ignoring him, Martin stood.
He scanned the others before speaking.
“As you all saw, Oliver von Bittenfeld rebelled against the main family. Per noble law, I strip him of his branch family head position. Adel Bittenfeld will ascend as the new head and inherit the title and lands. Speak now if you object.”
Naturally, no one did.
“Adel Bittenfeld.”
“Yes, young master.”
“As acting head, I declare: from this moment, you are the Bittenfeld family head and may use ‘von’ in your name.”
“I obey the young master’s will. But…”
“Speak.”
“What of the rebels?”
“All mana cores destroyed, then escorted to the main family for trial in Bareahein City. As new head, you should witness it.”
“I receive your command.”
Adel bowed.
Martin turned wordlessly and walked slowly away.
Blood dripped steadily, yet he didn’t consider a potion.
“Young master?”
“I’ll go with him. You handle cleanup here. You’ve got plenty else to manage, right?”
“Fine. Got it.”
As Sien stepped forward, Adel yielded.
Just as she said—tasks piled like mountains.
Nodding, Sien hurried after Martin.
Watching their backs, Adel shouted to her new subordinates.
“Announce to the entire territory at once: the family head has changed. Oliver von—no, Oliver Bittenfeld staged a rebellion.”
“And the alliance with House Gustin?”
“The young master didn’t order it, so say nothing.”
“Understood, family head.”
Bastian Friedrich replied politely.
The weight of “family head” resonated deeply, but Adel didn’t bask in it.
With House Pezeks refusing to join and Oliver Bittenfeld ousted, House Bittenfeld wouldn’t join either.
Mateus von Gustin, now alone, had one choice left.
‘War is coming.’
A colossal war, incomparable to all that had come before.