LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 97
Chapter 97: The End of a Bitter Tether (5)
Mateus von Gustin surged forward, stepping through the air with such speed that his movements left a crimson trail in their wake.
Martin, not to be outdone, manipulated space with Omni Distortion to firmly anchor himself. He swung the holy sword Karadyl with all his might, clashing directly with Mateus’ blade.
Boom!
Golden and crimson shards scattered in the air, filling the space between them.
“Urgh!”
Martin grunted involuntarily as the impact rattled his entire body.
The force shoved him back despite his efforts to stay anchored.
‘Unbelievable… the strength of someone on the brink of death!’
He could tell—Mateus, even in this weakened state, was far more formidable than the Crimson Reaper had been.
“So this is all you’ve got, and you had the nerve to talk big, Martin Adalbert!”
Mateus’ voice roared, sending out a shockwave that obliterated everything in its path between him and Martin.
But that wasn’t all.
Hum.
The crimson aura blade encasing his shattered sword glowed even brighter, as if it were aflame.
“If you think you can understand everything about me from just a glimpse, you’re sorely mistaken!”
In response, Martin ignited his own aura blade with flames to intensify its power.
The heat grew so intense that the ground began to melt beneath him.
“You sure do love to talk! Maybe I should start by cutting out that tongue of yours!”
“Then maybe I’ll slice off your left arm to even the score! No need to thank me for it!”
As if on cue, both men charged at each other simultaneously.
Boom!
The clash of their swords generated a whirlwind of shockwaves and searing heat.
“Urgh!”
This time, only Martin groaned.
Mateus had both his spatial barrier and reflective abilities. The barrier amplified his defenses, while the reflection bounced the impact of Martin’s strikes right back at him—even the aftershock of their clashing blades.
Although Martin also possessed a technique to distort space and absorb attacks, Mateus left him no room to activate it.
‘You may have strong powers, but there’s a limit to how much your body can withstand, Martin,’ Mateus thought.
Despite his seething rage, Mateus maintained a calculated composure, analyzing the situation coldly.
Seeing Martin stagger from the impact, he swung his sword down with lethal intent.
Crash!
But the blade hit only the ground, shattering the surface.
The distance between him and Martin had unexpectedly widened.
Yet Mateus didn’t hesitate—he immediately used spatial teleportation.
“Cheap tricks won’t change a thing!”
Mateus appeared behind Martin and swung his sword, the crimson aura blade cutting through the air with deadly speed.
In response, Martin spun like a top, adding centrifugal force to his blade to block Mateus’ strike.
Flaming shards of aura scattered as Martin was thrown backward by the force.
But Martin wasn’t done.
Reaching out with his left hand, he clenched his fist tightly.
Crash!
Enhanced gravity suddenly bore down on Mateus.
But the outcome left Martin grimacing.
‘To think the reflection ability applies even to his entire spatial barrier.’
The increased gravity, upon contacting Mateus, rebounded upward instantly—a terrifying ability, coldly efficient.
Martin found himself feeling a slight pang of envy.
‘Too bad my Omni Distortion at 3rd Circle can’t replicate that level of skill.’
Yet there was no time to dwell on it.
The brief exchanges had left him with internal injuries.
Though they weren’t severe enough to hinder him outright, they were significant.
‘It’s been a while since I felt this sensation.’
The injuries weren’t serious, but this was the first time since his return that he felt genuine danger to his life.
Not that he was worried about dying here. Vincent was observing the battle closely, ready to intervene if things became truly perilous.
Still, he couldn’t deny it would be a severe blow to his pride if he had to rely on Vincent.
‘I’ve talked way too big to let that happen.’
A smirk crept onto Martin’s face.
The looming threat of death was pressing down on him, yet he felt no fear.
Compared to real death, this was nothing.
In fact, he felt exhilarated—there was a thrill in facing such a powerful adversary.
“Smiling, are you?”
Hum.
Despite seeming to hold the advantage, Mateus couldn’t stand Martin’s composure and masked calmness. His irritation fueled his killing intent, which radiated from him like a tangible force.
Mateus kicked off the ground and transformed into a crimson streak once more.
Whoosh!
Meanwhile, Martin’s aura blade, cloaked in flames, merged with Karadyl’s silver blade to take on a molten, scarlet hue. The aura blade lengthened by half again.
Gripping the hilt with both hands, Martin swung downward with all his strength.
A split second later, the two swords clashed.
As before, a thunderous explosion erupted, creating shockwaves that pushed against both men.
The swords locked together as they both tried to overpower each other.
But this time, something changed.
“What… what is this?” Mateus’ eyes widened in shock.
Sizzle!
The previous wound Vincent had inflicted began to sear with intense heat, worsening the burn.
The flames Martin had conjured burned into Mateus’ circuits, threatening to consume his mana pathways.
The change had fractured the spatial barrier encasing Mateus’ body.
Martin quickly launched another strike, but Mateus teleported away just in time to evade it.
“What did you do?! How did a worm like you breach my unique ability?!”
“Why are you so surprised? You, of all people, should know that no power is truly invincible.”
Even with higher-order abilities, there were always limits. The key was mastering one’s skill to overcome any resistance.
‘I owe you one, Christian Havertz.’
A technique to cut through space with superheated aura—a skill he recalled from Christian Havertz.
Martin combined it with the power-amplifying techniques of the Arelia Swordsmanship and even added a touch of the Rothar Martial Art to drive the attack deep into his opponent’s body.
All of it combined allowed him to bypass Mateus’ defense.
It only worked because Mateus was weakened.
“Everything is relative, after all,” Martin said casually.
But in that instant, a shiver ran down his spine.
An intense surge of thrill and exhilaration coursed through Martin’s entire being.
In proportion to his heightened spirit, his aura radiated more powerfully from every part of him.
‘Ah…’
At that moment, Martin realized.
He was finally stepping into the next “stage.”
Crack!
A fissure formed in his mana core, making way for a fourth ring.
Simultaneously, his body began to strengthen.
‘My lifespan will increase.’
That was the part he liked most.
—
“No!”
Seeing the transformation in Martin, Mateus was genuinely horrified.
If Martin completed this awakening, his own chances of victory would vanish.
He wasn’t afraid to die, but he was determined to drag Martin down with him.
Hum.
Mateus teleported, slashing his sword as he appeared, but Martin had anticipated this and parried the blow with Karadyl.
Immediately, their swords clashed in a flurry, their speed so intense that the deafening impacts blurred into a single roar.
‘As infuriating as he is, his skill really is insane.’
Martin gave a bitter smile.
Mateus, quick to catch on to the flaws in his earlier strikes, immediately ramped up his attack speed.
With the increasing frequency of collisions, shockwaves and repercussions multiplied, straining Martin’s body.
Despite his frustration, Martin had to respect Mateus’ judgment.
But that was where his admiration ended.
Mateus’ strategies now held no meaning before his current self.
‘He’s deflecting every single strike?!’
Mateus’ eyes wavered in disbelief.
With both his swordsmanship and unique abilities, Martin was displaying a level of mastery that deflected or neutralized all of Mateus’ offensive power.
‘Interesting. So even among 8th Circle warriors, there’s a difference.’
As Martin swung his sword, he reflected on his situation.
In his past life, he, too, had reached the 8th Circle, his swordsmanship at the 5th Circle and his unique ability at the 3rd Circle.
In terms of raw power, he was essentially the same as before.
But there was one key difference—his perception.
‘Now!’
Clang!
After deflecting every blow that came at him, Martin swung Karadyl upward.
The escalating strength of Martin’s strikes forced Mateus back, his left arm and sword raised high, leaving his upper body exposed.
Martin seized the opening.
Swoosh!
His left fist, wreathed in flames, shot toward Mateus’ abdomen.
Mateus’ eyes flashed, assuming Martin’s martial arts couldn’t penetrate his unique ability.
But that assumption proved fatal.
Crunch!
Martin applied Omni Distortion to his flame-imbued fist, shattering the spatial barrier.
His punch connected with Mateus’ wounded side, exploding on impact.
“Aaaaargh!”
Mateus screamed in agony.
He had been willing to risk everything in a wild frenzy, but he couldn’t endure the pain of his side being torn apart.
Clang!
His grip loosened, and he dropped the sword that symbolized his title as head of the Gustin family.
He was on the brink of death.
Yet, even in this state, Mateus clung to life.
Desperately, he grasped Martin’s left wrist with his remaining hand.
Immediately, a crimson barrier encased both of them, drawing in a massive surge of mana.
“Resorting to a suicide attack? How quaint.”
“I told you! If I go down, I’m taking you with me!”
“Remember this before you die: dreams are meant to be shattered.”
Flash!
A radiant golden light flared around Martin.
The light splintered into dozens, hundreds of beams, overwhelming the crimson barrier Mateus had created.
Crackle!
The mana from each side clashed violently, sparking as they collided, though only for a moment.
Moments later, the barrier was enveloped in pure golden light.
Martin had wrested control from Mateus.
“I can’t reflect attacks with the 4th Circle yet, but I can manage this.”
At Martin’s words, the barrier swiftly shrank.
It contracted, finally trapping only Mateus, and flames ignited within.
“Aaaaargh!”
Engulfed in flames, Mateus screamed his last cry.
All hope extinguished, he refused to let go, still clawing at Martin’s arm.
Slash!
But Mateus’ determination meant little—his arm was severed in a swift cut.
“I promised to balance things out, didn’t I? My work here is done. Time for you to vanish.”
“Martin Adalbert, I curse you—”
“Lame last words.”
Boom!
The flames surged in a massive explosion, and the barrier warped, consuming everything within.
Mateus von Gustin was obliterated, leaving behind only his severed arms.
‘That’s the second phase complete.’
The second phase of the Northern Unification involved purging traitors from within the family.
Though Martin had initially expected a greater toll, the damage was minimal, thanks to his foresight from memories of the future.
“Mateus von Gustin, the traitor, is dead! Rebels, surrender!”
The soldiers who had pinned their hopes on their lord’s victory now saw those hopes utterly crushed.
With no other choice, they laid down their arms in surrender.
And thus concluded the conflict that history would later call the Adalbert Civil War.
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