Sword of Salvation-Chapter 47: - Unexpected Failure (2)

"So, that’s the power of Wrathful King Satan," said Mariel as he landed gracefully. "Not bad," he added. "No wonder you’re considered the strongest member of Ultores with power like that."

"Did Delphia tell you about me?"

Mariel shrugged and carelessly tossed both of his wind swords aside. At the same time, the wind armor enveloping his body doubled in thickness. He then did something unimaginable to others—he created a spatial barrier around himself, wrapping his entire body from head to toe in curved space.

"The atmosphere around you seems to have changed. Alright," Shin planted the holy scythe into the ground and clenched his fists. "I’ll take you seriously, too. I won’t hold back. If you die, you die. But if you lose and survive, I want you to become my subordinate."

"What if you lose?" Mariel asked.

"I can’t imagine it. But I’ll humor you. If I lose, you can make me your subordinate or request any information from me. I spent three years learning from Merlin, the Immortal Mage, so I have plenty of information."

"Deal."

Mariel agreed without hesitation. Shin possessed information he needed.

If he could obtain it, he would be able to heal Lukhiel more quickly. Shin was indeed strong and fast, but that alone wasn’t enough to win. Had this battle happened more than three months ago, Mariel was certain he would have lost. But now, things were different. Mariel didn’t believe he would lose.

"Good. What’s your name?"

"Mariel."

"Then let’s begin, Mariel!"

In the blink of an eye, Shin was already in front of Mariel, his right fist aimed at his solar plexus. He was faster than before, and Mariel couldn’t block the strike properly. He managed only to intercept it with his left arm.

Even so, with the spatial barrier covering him, Mariel didn’t think Shin could inflict any pain.

That assumption vanished instantly when pain radiated through Mariel left arm. Shin hadn’t pierced the spatial barrier, but the force of his punch had bent the spatial barrier around his arm. As a result, Mariel felt the full impact of the blow.

It was like placing one’s hand under a sheet of plastic and hitting the plastic with a strong punch—the hand underneath would still feel the pain. That was exactly what happened to Mariel. He was hurled backward with great force, crashing into a massive tree over 100 meters away.

The tree didn’t break, and fortunately, Mariel’s arm remained intact. But Shin didn’t stop attacking.

He unleashed a wave of destructive energy that surged toward Mariel. The energy resembled a tsunami: tall, vast, and fast-moving. Every form of life disintegrated as the energy passed—trees and grass were annihilated, fertile soil turned to barren sand, and rocks crumbled into dust.

Mariel had switched places with a large rock just a second before the wave of energy hit him. He was confident that his spatial barrier could withstand the energy, so it didn’t matter if he didn’t dodge. However, he needed an opening to strike Shin.

There was more to consider. Mariel hadn’t yet discerned the true nature of that dark purple energy, but it clearly didn’t just destroy things—it also rapidly erased matter. After witnessing how Shin had dealt with the lightning spear earlier, he concluded that the energy could dissolve things swiftly. To succeed in attacking, Mariel had to use a strike faster than the energy’s neutralizing speed.

There were two potential attacks he could attempt. However, only one seemed likely to succeed. Attempting to cut off Shin’s breathing wasn’t feasible because he was too fast. The Extending Blade was his only viable option. Mariel shifted more than twenty meters to Shin’s left and extended his right arm straight forward.

There was an easier option, of course. But this was Mariel’s first high-level battle. If he relied solely on his ability to nullify others’ powers, he wouldn’t grow much. This fight wasn’t just about obtaining information or reclaiming the holy scythe—it was also a test and an evaluation for Mariel.

"Extending Blade," Mariel whispered, firing a super-fast wind blade.

The wind blade extended from his right middle and index fingers to where Shin stood. Its incredible extension speed made it seem as if the blade appeared instantly. Furthermore, its piercing power was immense. Even if a super-thick steel barrier had been placed between him and Shin, Extending Blade would have penetrated it with ease.

Shin realized Mariel had swapped places with a large rock near his left. He also sensed the energy gathering at the tips of Mariel’s fingers. However, the "Ruthless Slayer" didn’t anticipate an attack faster than lightning. His instincts were sharp, but he didn’t have time to dodge completely. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Mariel’s wind blade extended, piercing Shin’s left shoulder. Its initial target had been his throat, but Shin managed to tilt his body just in time, saving himself from a fatal blow.

Shin winced but didn’t bother glancing at the wound. His eyes remained locked on the young man who had injured him. The attack had been too quick for his armor to neutralize. By the time his destructive energy dissolved the wind blade, blood had already seeped from the hole in his shoulder. He needed to be extra careful from now.

Mariel didn’t give Shin a moment to relax. He appeared before him in an instant, but Shin reacted by launching a destructive energy wave while leaping backward to ease the pain in his shoulder.

Mariel ignored the destructive energy Shin released, slicing through it as though it were a simple breeze. Shin wasn’t surprised. He had already realized Mariel’s barrier could counteract the temporal decay effect of his energy.

Clicking his tongue, Shin used a large rock as a foothold to propel himself forward, meeting Mariel with a right punch.

Mariel showed no sign of surprise at Shin’s unexpected move. He was an experienced fighter, the pain in his shoulder would not drastically weaken him or deter his attacks. In fact, Mariel figured Shin was aiming to end the fight quickly.

Their fists clashed, creating a massive shockwave.

Mariel ignored the pain from their collision and launched another punch. Shin didn’t try to block with his free hand; he deflected his fist with his right hand, prompting Mariel to quickly throw another punch with his right hand.

Fighting one-handed against two hands wasn’t easy, but Shin was naturally stronger and faster than Mariel. He skillfully fended off his relentless attacks using just one hand. Shin remained calm, knowing he only needed to wait for an opening before unleashing an unavoidable left-handed strike powered by his destructive energy and lightning.

Mariel continued his relentless assault, forcing Shin back with every passing second. Yet, he failed to land a single blow, even when he incorporated his legs to attack him. Shin’s agility allowed him to counter every attack.

The opening Shin had been waiting for finally appeared. Mariel concentrated his strength in his right hand and launched a quick strike. Instead of blocking, Shin deflected it powerfully, causing Mariel’s momentum to swing sideways. Shin seized the opportunity and aimed a left-handed punch at his right abdomen.

However, his punch never connected. Mariel had swapped places with a boulder, which Shin’s fist obliterated into dust. The resulting shockwave devastated the area before him.

Meanwhile, Mariel knelt on one knee dozens of meters to Shin’s right, his breathing slightly ragged. He had exerted his full strength in his assault, but Shin had countered it all.

If he had nullified Shin’s destructive armor earlier, Mariel could have landed at least four blows that would have injured him. But, as he had decided, this battle was a test for his strength. He would only use his spirit’s special abilities to prevent Shin from entering his fusion mode.

Shin turned to face the young man who had wounded him for the first time in a while. Mariel stood firmly once more. There was no need for him to question the outcome if the fight continued. Therefore, he decided to end it quickly.

"This is humiliating for me, but that kid has a troublesome ability," Shin muttered as he released a surge of energy from his body, ignoring the pain in his left shoulder. "This is humiliating, but—"

Bring destruction in all your fury, Wrathful King Satan.

In an instant, dark purple energy burst from Shin’s body and wrapped around him like a cocoon. He felt immense power surging into his body. His body grew stronger and more powerful—

"—!?"

The surge of strength vanished immediately. The dark purple energy surrounding Shin disappeared without a trace. More than that, Mariel was already in front of him, his fist aimed at his face.

Reacting instinctively, Shin crossed both arms in front of his face to block Mariel’s punch.

The punch struck both of Shin’s arms and sent him flying backward. Mariel hadn’t held back, unleashing his full strength in that punch. Shin tumbled several times before managing to stabilize himself, stopping with both knees bent.

"I saw how you nullified those demons’ abilities, but I didn’t expect you to cancel out my transformation."

Mariel stopped about nine meters from Shin. However, before he could respond, someone they hadn’t anticipated landed with a heavy thud nearly eleven meters away. Both Shin and Mariel could feel the immense power radiating from the newcomer.

"Bravo, bravo." A slow clap accompanied the words. "You’re both truly strong. Especially you, the Camelot Fugitive. You managed to prevent Shin from entering his fusion mode. Your power resembles Bellia’s. I have an offer—would you two like to join World Order and serve Great Human Council?"