The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 22: How to Take the Initiative (4)

Shuaaa!

A gentle golden light emanated from the sword wrapped in the Aura Blade, expanding outward.

Soon, it formed into a perfect cube, precisely enclosing the entire training ground.

This place had now become his domain.

“It’s the Spatial Sword! The young master has mastered the Spatial Sword!”

“How is that possible? He was only in the Tyrant’s Chamber for a few hours, yet he mastered the Spatial Sword so quickly?”

“He’s completely surpassed the realm of genius!”

Everyone watching was in complete disbelief.

The fact that Martin was fighting Vincent on equal footing was already absurd.

Of course, everyone knew that Vincent was holding back to some degree.

Still, considering how even seasoned warriors struggled to last against Vincent, it was a feat that could not be ignored.

Just when they thought nothing more could surprise them, Martin pulled off another unbelievable feat.

The Spatial Sword.

Among the space-related abilities, it was regarded as the strongest technique.

It was the power that allowed the Adalbert family to reign as the most prestigious family in the Altaria Empire.

It was a technique that made the direct descendants of the Adalbert family revered by all.

And it had been recreated by Martin, who had only entered the Tyrant’s Chamber once and had stayed there for only a few hours.

“…He has every reason to be confident. When faced with the Spatial Sword, the difference of one Circle doesn’t matter. Plus, since it’s enhanced with an Aura Blade, the problem of insufficient power is also resolved.”

Vincent murmured, his face showing disbelief as his gaze stayed fixed on Martin.

“If the previous family head had seen the young master now, he would have been shocked. He spent five years struggling to master it, while the young master did it in just a few hours.”

“Well, wasn’t he only fifteen years old at the time? I’m an adult now, so I must act accordingly.”

“Even so, the difference between five years and a few hours is overwhelming. It’s something no age difference can explain.”

Vincent shook his head at Martin’s words.

“The young master’s talent is unmatched in the history of the Altaria Empire, no, the entire Cracian Continent. Even among those who suffered from the Dragon’s Curse, no one can compare to you.”

“Thank you for the compliment. Shall we continue?”

Martin replied with a smile.

However, his right arm wasn’t in good shape.

Tremble.

It began to shake noticeably.

The Spatial Sword was still a technique that his body struggled to handle.

Thanks to reaching the 7th Circle, using the technique didn’t immediately trigger the Dragon’s Curse.

‘But I can’t hold out for long.’

At best, he could sustain it for five minutes, or maybe only three.

If he pushed the Spatial Sword beyond that limit, the Dragon’s Curse would flare up, causing severe internal damage.

Even so, he had no intention of holding back.

Shuaaa!

At last, Martin swung the sword he held with both hands.

The enormous weight hampered his movements, but he managed to overcome it.

At his will, a crescent-shaped Aura Blade flew toward Vincent.

‘His physical strength has improved too. To handle that kind of weight…’

Vincent didn’t attempt to dodge. He simply assumed a defensive stance.

After all, this training ground was now Martin’s domain.

Making careless movements here could lead to disaster, and Vincent knew this well.

He waited until the golden Aura Blade was right in front of him before swinging his greatsword.

Shuaak!

But his sword met nothing but air.

Just before the blade could touch it, the Aura Blade vanished.

Vincent clicked his tongue.

‘To manipulate the Aura Blade like that in such a short time… His ability to control his innate power is overwhelming. But I guess that’s to be expected from someone who mastered the Spatial Sword in just a few hours.’

His mind was racing, but even that had its limits.

There was no room for further thought when facing the Spatial Sword.

As if to prove it, the vanished Aura Blade reappeared near his right cheek.

Whoosh.

Vincent hurriedly tilted his head.

But he couldn’t stop the Aura Blade from grazing his cheek.

Trickle.

Blood began to flow from the cut on his cheek.

‘That was my best strike, but all I managed was a scratch.’

A bitter smile appeared on Martin’s lips.

Although the Aura Blade compensated for the reduced power of the Spatial Sword, all he had managed to do was inflict a minor wound on Vincent.

He quickly understood how Vincent had managed it.

Just before the Aura Blade struck, Vincent had used Spatial Rejection to release a shockwave, neutralizing much of the blade’s force.

It showcased both his incredible resilience and sharp instincts.

But Martin had no time to dwell on it.

Vincent had vanished the moment the wound appeared.

‘Above!’

By now, the entire training ground was Martin’s domain.

Without even sensing for his opponent, Martin instinctively looked up.

Thirty meters above him, Vincent reappeared.

BOOM!

As soon as he materialized, Vincent swung his greatsword down with both hands.

It was the largest and most powerful strike since the duel had begun.

“Hyaaap!”

Martin let out a fierce shout and raised his sword to meet the attack, sending his golden Aura Blade surging upward.

He only swung once.

But the golden Aura Blade constantly absorbed the mana from the training ground and its surroundings.

Two blades became four, then eight, then sixteen… The number of strikes continued to multiply.

BOOM!

The single trajectory of Vincent’s silver blade clashed with the countless golden blades scattered through the air.

At first, they were evenly matched.

But that didn’t last long.

BOOM! BOOM!

The silver blade began tearing through the countless golden blades.

‘As I expected, it’s not powerful enough.’

The one flaw of the Spatial Sword had come to haunt him.

He had succeeded in raising the power using the Aura Blade.

But the problem was Vincent.

Even at this level, it wasn’t enough to deal a proper blow to someone with such overwhelming physical strength.

But Martin didn’t give up.

If something was lacking, he would simply add to it.

Woooong!

Suddenly, the wind began to howl, gathering around the golden Aura Blade.

Martin had manipulated the air with his Distortion of All Things.

But it came at a price.

Drip.

Dark red blood trickled from Martin’s mouth.

He was already pushing himself to the limit by using the Spatial Sword.

Adding another layer of power had caused the Dragon’s Curse to flare up.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Compared to the pain he had experienced before, this was nothing.

Martin focused on controlling the air, causing the golden Aura Blade to spin rapidly around his sword.

The wind now made up for the weakened Aura Blade caused by the strain of using the Spatial Sword.

‘The young master is like an onion. The more you peel back, the more layers there are.’

Vincent thought to himself.

Just how many times had Martin surprised him today?

He, too, could manipulate the wind using Spatial Refraction.

But Martin had already deployed the Spatial Sword. On top of that, he had the Aura Blade.

That alone was an incredible feat, but now he was controlling the wind as well.

BOOM!

And that wasn’t the end.

With a powerful leap, Martin launched himself into the sky.

From the 7th Circle onward, anyone could fly. However, the fact that Martin could do so while wielding all of these techniques was remarkable.

However, Vincent could see it clearly.

He could tell that Martin was pushing himself beyond his limits.

That’s why he made a proposal.

“That must be your full power. Steady yourself and strike with all your might. If you manage to wound me or land a proper blow, I will consider this duel lost on my part.”

“Sounds good!”

Martin responded with a firm voice.

With his focus divided between manipulating the air, flying, and maintaining the Spatial Sword, the strain had increased dramatically. He wasn’t in a position to refuse Vincent’s consideration.

“Hngh!”

Kwooooom!

With a fierce shout, an immense force gathered around Vincent, drawn entirely into his greatsword as he swung it downward with all his might.

A wide, silver Aura Blade spread out, forming a vast barrier of sword energy.

It easily cut through the air, pushing aside the winds and Aura blades that surrounded Martin.

‘He’s suppressing the very space itself!’

Martin clicked his tongue in frustration.

This wasn’t just a shockwave; Vincent had taken control of the space, overpowering even Martin’s domain created by the Spatial Sword. The entire area trembled under the pressure.

Despite the overwhelming force, Martin didn’t yield.

Remaining calm, he focused on weaving the Aura and the wind together, channeling it into his sword.

The layers of Aura and air merged, extending into a colossal blade.

Crack.

The strain was too much, and a crack formed in the bone of his arm. It was only thanks to the strengthening his body had undergone that the damage was limited to this.

But that wasn’t the end of the consequences.

The Dragon’s Curse flared up violently. Blood vessels bulged in his eyes, and blood began to drip from his nose.

Grip.

Despite the immense pain, Martin didn’t let go of his sword. His gaze remained locked on Vincent.

Flinch!

Vincent instinctively shuddered.

His body was issuing a warning.

This strike was truly dangerous.

“Come at me, young master.”

Still, Vincent chose to face it head-on.

In response, Martin swung his sword from above.

Vincent raised his greatsword to meet it.

BOOOOM!

Even with his immense physical strength, his arms, reinforced with Aura, ached. The impact was so heavy that it felt like he could be crushed into the ground at any moment.

“Aaaah!”

With every ounce of strength left in him, Martin pushed harder, and his longsword started to move again.

Crack.

Soon, cracks began to form in the spatial barrier Vincent had created. His greatsword also showed a small but clear fissure.

Pshh.

Vincent laughed, smiling brightly, before withdrawing his greatsword.

At that moment, the golden blade cleaved through the remaining barrier completely.

BOOOOM!

The entire training ground was split in two.

“Hah… Hah…”

Martin panted heavily, blood pouring down with each breath.

“Why did you lower your sword…?”

“First, take this.”

Vincent opened a pocket of subspace and pulled out a glass vial.

It was a top-grade potion, capable of healing any injury as long as the person was still alive.

Accepting Vincent’s gesture, Martin lowered his sword and drank the potion.

He sat down to recover, and the bleeding stopped, his body feeling somewhat restored.

Once he saw that Martin’s condition had improved, Vincent smiled lightly and said, “It’s a shame. Watching your body struggle to keep up with your overwhelming talent… though I suppose it could be worse.”

“It will get better with time,” Martin replied confidently.

“Even so, I want to warn you not to mess with something as dangerous as the Dragon’s Blood. It seems you’ve also learned a new martial art.”

“You noticed?”

“The breathing technique is different. How could I not?”

“You really are impressive, Vincent.”

“I wasn’t fishing for compliments. I’m telling you not to overdo it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“That means you won’t listen at all. Well, considering I’ve already lost, I can’t argue any further.”

Vincent hadn’t used his full strength.

But they had agreed beforehand.

If Martin landed a blow, Vincent would consider it his defeat.

He had no intention of breaking that promise.

“To be honest, I had some pride in that technique I used earlier. I never imagined it would be broken, but you actually pulled it off, young master.”

“Hmm. I don’t think it means much since you weren’t fighting at full strength… but I’ll let it slide for now. We’ll have plenty of chances to fight again.”

“Of course. As long as we’re together, we’ll keep crossing swords. I’m glad to have found something to enjoy in this otherwise dull life.”

“Thank you.”

Martin smiled as he replied.

In essence, Vincent had declared that he would continue to stand by Martin’s side.

Just this made the duel worth it.

‘But this isn’t the end.’

With the groundwork laid, it was time to move on to the next step.

From here, he would be able to push his plans forward.

Swish.

Martin stood up and glanced around.

Most people were looking at him with awe in their eyes.

Of course, not everyone was the same.

Stefan and the other heirs of the branch families wore different expressions.

While their faces varied slightly, they all had one thing in common: their faces were red with frustration.

Kalain was doing his best to maintain a calm demeanor, but it was clear he was grinding his teeth in anger.

The smile that was usually fixed on his face was nowhere to be found.

“I declare once again, here and now. I am the only one fit to become the head of the Adalbert family. Having mastered the Spatial Sword, I believe I have proven my qualifications.”

“There’s no need to even discuss qualifications! The one to become the head of the family can only be you, young master!”

“Glory to the Adalbert family!”

“Hail the young master!”

The knights erupted in cheers.

They had seen Martin’s overwhelming talent and knew, deep down, that he was the one to continue the glory of the Adalbert family.

‘The stigma of being powerless is gone. There’s no longer any reason to hesitate.’

‘We must follow the young master. The outcome is already decided.’

The young knights all stared at Martin with fiery determination.

They were eager to prove their loyalty and be recognized by him.

“Please, become our head, young master!”

“Long live the Adalbert family!”

“Waaah!”

The knights’ cheers grew even louder.

After briefly scanning them, Martin turned his gaze.

Standing there were the three elders: Elder Aren, Elder Marius, and Elder Oriana.

Aren and Marius wore neutral expressions.

But Oriana’s face was filled with unease. In fact, she looked almost frightened.

‘You’re next, Elder Oriana.’

But unlike with Vincent, Martin had no intention of being kind or gentle.

Her worth to him was nothing more than that of a puppet—nothing more, nothing less.

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