Chapter 96
Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Chapter 16: End of the Karmic Feud (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Boom!
The gates of Amelzen City's outer walls swung wide open.
Elder Aren, who had watched this, swung his sword toward the sky once more, and an aura blade's slash soared into the air.
It was a kind of signal, conveying the order to carry out the 'real' command.
And his subordinates faithfully obeyed.
“Uwaaaack!”
“Aaaack!”
Screams echoed here and there along the walls.
It was the result of Elder Aren's subordinates attacking those around them.
The gates had opened, and the magic on the walls had been dispelled—already a shocking turn of events.
Who could hold out when trusted comrades launched a surprise attack in the midst of that?
One unexpected crisis after another plunged the castle into utter chaos, as expected.
“Elder Aren!”
At the loud shout, Elder Aren looked up.
He saw Elder Marius.
And the shock twisting his face.
Seeing this, Elder Aren let out a quiet sigh.
It was truly bitter that he had to fight someone he had shared so much time with.
“How could you—how could you do this! You, of all people!”
“Hoo. I won't apologize, Elder Marius. I'm merely following our liege's orders.”
“You're throwing away our friendship just to save your own skin and become a lord?! How utterly vile!”
“I won't deny that friendship is a precious value. But for me, loyalty to my liege comes first.”
“You mean that sincerely?”
“……Of course.”
“Hah!”
Elder Marius sighed deeply.
Just a short while ago, hadn't this very man insisted they had to strike at Martin?
It was utterly absurd to hear talk of loyalty from such a person.
Slash!
It was then.
“Aren Crus!”
A massive shout rang out, and at the same time, a blood-red aura blade slash flew in at terrifying speed.
'I can't dodge it!'
It wasn't just because it was fast.
The unique ability imbued in the slash suppressed space itself, blocking any evasion.
Elder Aren hurriedly thrust his sword forward.
Kwa-kwa-kwa!
“Urk!”
A groan escaped as Elder Aren's face twisted in pain.
The slash's power was so immense that its pressure alone felt like it would burst his body.
But he drew up his mana with all his might and ultimately succeeded in blocking the slash.
“You treacherous scum—I'd gladly chew you to death! I'll make sure you die!”
“I understand your anger, Mateus von Gustin. But I'm not sure you have the luxury to face me.”
Even in agony, Elder Aren smirked slyly.
Watching this, veins bulged across Mateus's entire face.
His rage boiled over, to the point where it seemed he might drop dead from apoplexy right then.
“Killing a worm like you won't take…… Damn it!”
Mateus spat a curse and twisted his body desperately.
He swung his sword upward.
Kwaaaang!
The greatsword struck with an explosion that shook the surroundings, but that wasn't the end.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground where Mateus had stood.
The magic protecting the walls had shattered, unable to withstand a clash between 8th Circle powerhouses.
“Vincent von Igrit!”
“You should thank the young master. He prepared such a nice surprise gift.”
Vincent, who had approached via spatial movement, grinned ferociously.
Mateus's face now evoked the image of a raging demon.
“I've always wondered. If you and I went all out, who'd win!”
“I'll cut you down today and toss your head to Martin Adalbert!”
“If you've got the skill, that wouldn't be bad! But it won't be easy, Mateus!”
Boom! Kwa-boom!
With Vincent's retort, the 8th Circle powerhouses began savagely attacking each other.
But Elder Aren no longer spared them a glance.
He focused solely on Elder Marius, who approached him.
“Surrender, Elder Marius. I'll ask the young master to spare your life.”
“I'd rather die than live like a dog under that traitor's heel. Even if it means my long-cherished wish comes true.”
“What a shame.”
“But even if I die today, I'll take your life in exchange. For someone who discarded friendship for personal ambition, no punishment could be more fitting.”
“No matter what you say, I will survive. And I will achieve my dream.”
Even if it meant cutting down a friend with his own hands.
With his resolve hardened, Elder Aren charged at Elder Marius.
And so another battle began.
* * *
Fierce battles erupted in various spots around the outer walls.
Both sides clashed intensely, but the Adalbert family held the clear advantage.
They outnumbered their foes, and Elder Aren's exploits had their morale piercing the heavens.
Yet the Gustin family members refused to surrender. The reason was simple.
Kwaang! Kwa-kwa-boom!
Their family head was still fighting ferociously.
They believed without a doubt.
That if their family head won this bout, he could turn the tide of battle.
“Hah!”
Mateus swung his sword horizontally.
A blood-red trajectory wove through the air, aiming for Vincent's waist.
Vincent countered by swinging his left arm, loaded with a silver aura blade.
Kwaaaang!
Another explosion erupted, sending out shockwaves that would tear apart anyone below 5th Circle.
Normally, he could redirect the shockwaves entirely back at his opponent using spatial repulsion reflection...
'But that bastard just reflects it right back.'
Vincent smiled wryly.
Even if he sent the shockwaves back, Mateus reflected them again with spatial barrier reflection.
Of course, it wasn't enough to pierce Vincent's sturdy physique, nor Mateus's for that matter.
Mateus lacked equivalent physical toughness, but his maximally extended spatial barrier's defense was terrifying.
Thus, unique abilities meant little in this fight.
What would decide the victor was pure power and honed technique alone.
“Hyah!”
After dozens of exchanges, their swords clashed.
Vincent then unleashed his left fist as if he'd been waiting, lightning-fast.
Mateus swiftly pulled back his sword and raised its blade.
Kwaaaang!
“Tch!”
Mateus clicked his tongue.
One man's fist rivaling a mana cannon shell—unbelievable without experiencing it firsthand.
Without the spatial barrier enveloping his body, both arms would have exploded.
“Not yet!”
Seizing the initiative, Vincent wildly swung his sword and thrust his fist.
Brute strikes devoid of finesse, yet their power shattered all but the finest techniques.
But Mateus was an exceptional swordsman too.
He deflected Vincent's indiscriminate onslaughts with countless trajectories, flowing them away as much as possible.
He even landed occasional counters that chilled his opponent's blood.
'This fight's going to drag on.'
'The problem is we know each other too damn well.'
Even amid their ceaseless clashes, Vincent and Mateus instinctively realized.
They were perfectly evenly matched, and this deadlock wouldn't break easily.
But this was a battlefield.
Variables could arise anytime, anywhere.
“Mateus von Gustin!”
A familiar voice—infinitely loathsome—pierced Mateus's ears.
He knew he shouldn't.
Yet instinct made him turn his head anyway.
And he saw it.
Martin, who had somehow reached the outer walls.
But what truly seized his gaze was Kallain, trampled beneath Martin's foot.
Crackle!
The moment he saw that sight, Mateus heard something snap in his mind.
A single thought consumed him.
Kill Martin painfully, no matter what.
If he were alone, it might not matter.
But that wasn't the case.
“To act so carefree with me right in front of you! You've got some guts, Mateus!”
Slash!
Vincent brought down his two-handed grip with all his might.
The blade, wrapped in silver aura blade, became lightning incarnate.
Only then did Mateus realize his mistake and desperately raise his sword, but it was too late.
Shlick!
The silver lightning didn't just cleave Mateus's sword in two—it severed everything below his elbow.
“Kraaaack!”
Mateus wailed in agony.
Yet he somehow thrust out his left fist, smashing his opponent's chest, and used the recoil to create distance.
Then he spun and charged at Martin.
Vincent was dumbfounded.
“Has that bastard lost his mind?”
Exposing his back like that—insane.
Even so, he had no intention of wasting the opportunity.
Vincent raised his sword again to finish Mateus.
But he never swung it through.
“I'll finish him, Sir Vincent.”
Martin's voice reached him via Wind Path.
Vincent lowered his sword.
Then he used his unique ability to transmit his own voice.
“Can you win? Even injured, he's still 8th Circle.”
“It's not just injured—he's practically done for.”
“True enough. Even if it wasn't intentional, he took a hit thanks to the young master's help, so I'll hand the victory to you.”
“Thank you.”
With Vincent's permission, Martin grinned.
Then he kicked away Kallain under his foot.
“Take this guy, Sien.”
“Got it.”
Sien replied calmly and immediately hoisted Kallain onto his back.
Kallain trembled with barely contained fury.
But Sien's gaze toward his burden was utterly indifferent.
He had long forgotten the man he once called a friend.
To him, this was nothing more than a traitor—nothing less, nothing more.
“With the baggage dealt with, all that's left is...”
Rooooar!
Martin drew every last drop of mana from his two mana cores.
Even on the brink of death, the opponent was 8th Circle.
Unlike the Crimson Reaper or the other branch family heads, he had never clashed with this one before his regression.
He absolutely could not afford to let his guard down.
Kwaaaang!
Mateus leaped from the walls and landed before Martin.
Gripping a half-shattered longsword in his left hand.
“I don't care if I die here today! I don't care if I'm captured and humiliated! I'll kill you and Aren Crus no matter what, Martin Adalbert!”
“You're the one who betrayed first—why are you raging at me? I'm the one who should be pissed.”
“Shut up!”
Mateus screamed in desperation, and an immense wave of killing intent swept over Martin like a storm.
Like a wounded beast on the rampage.
But Martin's eyes held not a flicker of disturbance.
“If you think rage is your exclusive right, you're gravely mistaken.”
The memories were still vivid.
The events from before his regression.
His precious hometown taken away.
Sien and all his other loved ones lost to the Gustin family's humans.
The grudge from then lingered still, amplifying with every passing moment.
“I'll put an end to this damned karmic feud.”
With his own sword, he would finish it all.