“Evan, take Adelle and run.”
“Understood.”
At my command, Evan immediately nodded and left with Adelle and Lily.
The fierce sound of a magic circle colliding with a fist echoed.
With a loud bang, one magic circle shattered.
So he’s breaking magic itself with just aura and impact force. It’s crude but quite effective.
“Hmph!”
With a powerful yell, Kartra’s fist smashed another magic circle.
A consecutive strike aimed at my chest stopped just a hand’s length away.
At that, his face contorted again.
“This again.”
“Calculation Initiation.”
Dozens of white magic circles appeared in mid-air.
Kartra took a deep breath as he watched them. Slowly, he began to wrap his body in red aura.
“Break.”
“Hah!”
Numerous spears flew toward him. With a short yell, a red afterimage filled the vision.
In the blink of an eye, all the spears were shattered. In the center, Kartra exhaled and spoke.
“Is this enough?”
Just by enveloping himself in aura, his reaction speed is this high?
He wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth and showed a wry smile.
I haven’t seen anyone withstand this much damage in a long time.
“Coordinate Designation.”
The original purpose of the spears deployed during Calculation Initiation is to pinpoint the exact coordinates of the opponent.
It’s simply a preparatory step for the next strike.
Through the broken ceiling, a massive white hammer revealed itself. Seeing it, Kartra grinned and looked at me.
“Haha, you’re quite something, aren’t you?”
“Combined Strikes.”
The hammer descends.
A colossal strike bearing the weight of gravity fell down upon him.
Bang!
With a tremendous sound, the car’s middle was obliterated. The floor was already broken, and fragments of the gear connecting the wheels and power source scattered everywhere.
Dust rose, obstructing the vision.
“Tch…”
With both arms raised, Kartra intercepted the hammer right in front of him, leaving me astonished.
I knew the Emperor’s sword was strong. Facing it like this, however, felt somewhat overwhelming.
“One… hit landed. Duke, friend.”
“We should change the location.”
If we continue fighting here, the entire train might explode. Fortunately, this carriage isn’t directly connected to the power source, so it hasn’t blown up yet.
As for the remaining stragglers on the train, Evan will handle them.
So, it’s best to switch locations first.
“What?”
Ignoring Kartra’s retort, I approached him. Reaching toward Kartra who was barely holding up the hammer, I extended my hand.
Soon, dazzling white magic circles began forming around him. At the sight, thick veins bulged on his forehead.
“Surely you wouldn’t—”
Before he could finish, he disappeared. He must have teleported to the eternal snow-capped mountain peak he probably designated as a coordinate earlier.
Truthfully, it wouldn’t matter much to leave him as is.
Frankly, it’s tiresome to keep fighting against him.
However, given his nature as a battle-crazed maniac, he might remember this for a long while.
“Kartra—a blade even the Emperor cannot fully control.”
Conversely, if we use his characteristics well, he could be a useful tool for rebellion.
Annoying as it is, it’s much better to deal with him now.
—
A snowstorm raged so intensely it blocked the view entirely. This was a place teeming with unheard-of monsters.
In the middle of all this, a man clenched his teeth.
The snow didn’t pile up around him where he emitted a red aura.
“Damn.”
Kartra muttered nervously.
That alone didn’t seem to satiate him, so he threw a punch at a nearby tree.
With a crackling sound, the large tree helplessly broke and fell silently to the ground.
Seeing this, he kicked the stump out of frustration again.
“Had a good burn going, and damn…”
He hadn’t seen a worthy opponent like that in a long time.
That Second Prince brat was still an unripe sprout, thus neither the fight nor the defeat was satisfying.
The High Mage didn’t even consider fighting me, so he’s an exception.
That butler always sticking around the Emperor didn’t show his true abilities nor did he seem worth worrying about.
And then there was Duke Hardenberg—an adversary like a timely rain after a long drought.
He felt the same way when he fought the Emperor.
The overwhelming sensation of facing an insurmountable wall, and the feeling of life in continuing the struggle before it. Even the sensation of inferiority from defeat.
The Emperor, his first opponent against whom he experienced defeat.
With the thought of now facing an opponent on the same level as the Emperor, his heart raced.
“Damn.”
Kartra was always thirsty for a battle with the strong. To be sent away like this just as he started to fight was frustrating.
“If we meet again, I’ll kill you.”
“Who do you plan to kill?”
At the sudden voice, he snapped his head around.
Gray hair, sharp silver eyes.
If his vision wasn’t failing him, that had to be Duke Hardenberg.
“Haha, so you didn’t run away after all.”
“Why would I run from someone like you?”
His arrogant tone was provocative, but Kartra was delighted.
The people who faced him always fled. The Emperor was an exception, but even he found fighting him troublesome.
“Right, let’s have a real match, man to man.”
The snowstorm obscured their vision.
It wasn’t the best condition to continue the fight. However, Kartra didn’t care.
Compared to the places he had fought in so far, this snowy mountain was more like a soft playground.
Rather, it was the perfect stage to ignite his fighting spirit.
Whoosh.
The red aura began melting the snowstorm.
At the same time, pristine white magic circles started appearing in the air beyond.
Bang!
The fist and magic circle clashed again.
A much more substantial feel than before. Kartra couldn’t help but smile.
So, what we saw on the train wasn’t your real power, huh?
‘Feels good.’
This sensation of confronting a wall.
This feeling of facing a mountain so massive that one’s strength alone could never destroy it. Thus, this burning sense of life.
How long has he been searching for this?
The sensation he did not feel even when he killed the chieftain of the barbarian tribe, even when he killed the strongest of them all, the tribal leader known as the Great Chieftain.
Some called him a madman.
It wasn’t a wrong statement. For this fighting spirit and the sense of life, he even overthrew his own father.
“Ha ha ha!”
He burst into hearty laughter.
Even though he was being outmatched, his laughter did not cease. Even if his fist couldn’t pierce through the defense, the sense of life that a fight to the death brings was enough.
“End.”
A hammer much larger than before appeared. The colossal hammer evoked a greater sense of struggle than despair.
Bang!
With a thunderous sound, Kartra’s arm broke. A chilling crack echoed, but he paid it no mind.
He was solely focused on the battle.
“Hah, hahaha.”
His vision tinged slightly red.
Is it excitement?
Or has blood seeped into his eyes? To be cornered this much was truly rare.
“Hmph.”
The red aura regenerated the broken bones. His muscles expanded and compressed, emitting white smoke.
With an aura-covered arm, he lifted the hammer slowly, using one arm to lift it and the other to clench his fist.
Bang.
His fist struck the center of the hammer, creating a crack. With repeated strikes from Kartra, the hammer eventually shattered.
“Let’s keep going.”
Just as he was about to take a step forward, he felt pain in the back of his neck. Recognizing the familiar sensation, he frowned.
“Hmph, just as I was about to enjoy…”
The Emperor’s summoning order.
The pain from the brand increased as if telling him not to defy it.
Could this pain interrupt his battle here?
Crack.
“…What…”
Kartra tore off the branded skin at the base of his neck with his right hand’s grip.
Though a sharp pain was felt, it was better than the brand’s pain. Abel unconsciously frowned at the brute act.
The wound quickly regenerated with red aura, erasing the brand.
Of course, this was merely a temporary measure. The brand would certainly return.
Still, at least he could continue the battle in the meantime.
“Psycho.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Duke.”
He threw a punch.
He broke through the magic circle and lunged inside. Abel, unfazed, merely launched more spears.
Explosively bursting through the spears, Kartra charged towards him.
Kartra’s arm was severed, but it quickly regenerated with aura. On the other hand, whenever he tried to land an effective blow, Abel’s space manipulation thwarted him.
Though it was akin to a war of attrition, Kartra enjoyed it.
Sizzle.
Soon, the brand reappeared on the back of his neck. He dropped to his knees under a pain far worse than before.
“Damn Emperor…”
Cursing under his breath, Kartra stepped back. At the same time, golden magic circles began forming around him.
It was a similar sensation when the Emperor’s hand appeared earlier.
“Then let’s settle this another time, Duke.”
With those words, Kartra vanished without a trace.
“This side declines.”
He was truly a tiring guy.
