Edrick, the Runei Family's Martial Corps Commander, moved with urgent haste.
He rushed straight to the Family Head's office, gave a perfunctory knock, and opened the door.
"Edrick?"
Normally, Edrick would have waited until Kayden gave permission before entering.
Seeing Edrick's behavior and urgent expression, Kayden immediately sensed that something had happened.
'Looks like Hail finally left the Rapel Family estate.'
To keep matters from escalating, he had been waiting for Chief Steward Hail to come outside.
So they could abduct him the moment he did.
The Rapel Family itself could not compare to the Runei Family.
It had many martial artists, but their quality was poor. It also had overwhelmingly fewer martial artists of Grade 4 or above, who formed the core of its combat strength.
But it still could not be ignored.
Cain Rapel, Family Head of the Rapel Family.
He was a Grade 6 expert.
Of course, Kayden was confident he could defeat him. After all, he himself had remained at the peak of Grade 6 for more than a decade.
Even so, the reason this standoff existed lay elsewhere. A central noble stood firmly behind Rapel.
As a result, both sides had been watching each other and limiting themselves to schemes behind the scenes.
Since breaking the current standoff would likely cause heavy losses on both sides, Kayden had been waiting for Chief Steward Hail to come out.
Then Edrick blurted out words that wiped those thoughts away in an instant.
"It seems the Eldest Young Master has infiltrated the Rapel Family!"
"What?!"
"I heard that two people had secretly infiltrated the Rapel Family, so I went to check on the Eldest Young Master, but he was not there."
"Two people…… What about that boy, Mitchell?!"
"He is not there either."
Then it was certain.
Grant might spend every night searching for Chief Steward Hail, but Mitchell was practically rooted in place, training day and night.
With both of them disappearing at the same time, it was easy to guess who had infiltrated Rapel.
"I will go ahead with Loren. Arm everyone and bring them!"
The moment he finished speaking, Kayden's figure vanished from the office.
***
He could feel a powerful force.
It was stable for now, but Mitchell instinctively knew he could not hold it for long.
He immediately unleashed Heaven-Breaking Annihilation.
Ash-gray energy far beyond what he had shown during the day shot forward.
"……!"
Seeing the attack hurtling toward them with overwhelming force, the Rapel Family's martial artists poured their energy into the combined attack formation.
CRASH—!
Even though they were in formation, they could not fully absorb the impact and staggered.
And that was only the martial artists who had already formed the combined attack formation.
Those who had been closer had their bodies pierced by Mitchell's attack.
"Huh? They're fine?"
Just as they were wondering why they looked surprisingly unharmed, the skin of those with lower realms dried out and turned brittle, and they began collapsing one after another.
Those who hurriedly raised their Aura suffered internal injuries and vomited blood.
The problem was that Mitchell was not much better off.
Mitchell spat out the blood remaining in his mouth and muttered softly.
"What the hell? There's still backlash? Didn't it work?"
[It did work. The problem is that you gathered souls beyond your limit. Be thankful you did not die.]
"Thank you for helping me, Lord Calian."
[So you know who I am.]
The correction to Heaven-Breaking Annihilation's circulation method a moment ago had erased the last shred of doubt.
No one but Calian Runei himself could have done that.
[Deal with the matter at hand first.]
Mitchell gave a small nod and hurriedly gulped down a potion.
The pain from his internal injuries lessened, if only very slightly. Just as he raised his sword again to resume fighting, Grant ran over.
"What was that just now? No, more importantly, how are you still in such good shape?"
From Grant's experience, the backlash from Heaven-Breaking Annihilation grew stronger in proportion to the amount of energy used.
He had seen Mitchell use Heaven-Breaking Annihilation earlier that day.
'Even after using so little energy, he had to recuperate until night…….'
Yet now Mitchell had suffered only minor internal injuries.
If he had found a way to complete the Heaven-Breaking Sword…….
'We can restore the Family's former glory!'
Tsk, tsk.
Mitchell clicked his tongue at Grant, then quickly turned his head toward where Barke had been.
Only a corpse remained there.
"You won?"
"Thanks to you, I got an opening and barely pulled it off. More importantly, tell me how you did that!"
"Is that really important right now?"
"Urgh—"
Completing the secret technique was extremely important for the revival of the Family, so Grant was burning with impatience, but first they had to survive.
Fortunately, everyone was terrified by Mitchell's attack just now.
Just as it seemed they might be able to slip away if they played this right, the sound of applause came from somewhere.
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.
A middle-aged man stared directly at Mitchell.
"Impressive. Especially considering how faint the Aura I can sense from you is."
"Cain Rapel?"
The name came through Grant's clenched teeth.
Mitchell was puzzled by a name he had never heard before.
"Who's that?"
"The Family Head of Rapel."
"Damn……."
Mitchell cursed under his breath, and Grant frowned.
"I clearly heard that Rapel's Family Head had gone to the capital."
"Foolish. You were deceived by an underworld fixer, and now by us as well. It suits me just fine, though."
What the hell does he actually know?!
Mitchell glared at Grant.
But only for a moment. The instant Cain's gaze turned toward him, a chill ran down his spine.
[He is quite powerful, almost a Master. Regrettably, this is as far as you go.]
What a damn ill-omened thing to say…….
Objectively, however, there was no way Mitchell could escape this place.
Besides the Family Head, there were several mages with him who looked quite powerful.
"I have never heard of someone like you in the Runei Family, so you must be an outsider. Serve under me. It seems a good position has just opened up."
Cain's eyes settled on Barke's corpse.
[What about accepting his offer? It seems you could survive that way.]
"I'd rather not."
Mitchell answered in a deliberately insolent tone.
The answer was meant for both Cain and Calian.
"Are you perhaps clinging to something like loyalty?"
"I can't say that's not part of it, but more importantly, if I serve under you, won't I end up like that man one day?"
[So you are not a complete fool. I thought you were, seeing you frantically pour in souls as though trying to kill yourself.]
Calian sounded satisfied with Mitchell's answer, while Cain's expression hardened.
His face twisted like an evil spirit.
'Is refusing to serve under him really enough to make him that angry?'
Mitchell wondered if Cain was simply petty, but Calian's next words made him realize that was not it.
[You are fortunate. Someone quite powerful is coming this way.]
Grant!
He knew who it was from the voice alone, even at that distance.
"It's Kayden! GAAH!"
"Stop him!"
BANG—! BAAANG—!
"There's a mage too! What the hell are our mages doing?!"
"There are only two of them! Hurry and form the combined attack formation!"
The enemies' screams rang out.
Judging by what he heard, it seemed Kayden had come with Loren alone.
"Hah, did you set a trap for us instead? Even to the point of using your son as bait? I suppose the Eldest Young Master could not possibly be this stupid. Could the last incident have been…… I see. You planned all of this thoroughly from that moment."
That doesn't seem right…….
Mitchell looked at Grant's dumbfounded expression and shook his head. If that was acting, it was a talent in its own right.
"GAAAH!"
The enemy's scream snapped Mitchell out of his stray thoughts.
Now was the time to focus.
'Think, Mitchell.'
Kayden was here, so he would handle Rapel's Family Head.
Loren would deal with the mages behind him.
That left the other martial artists.
Mitchell and Grant had to handle them.
CRASH—!
While Mitchell had been thinking, Kayden had already arrived and clashed with Cain Rapel.
Loren, who had come with him, also began a fierce contest of strength with the other mages.
At the same time, enemies aiming for Kayden and Loren's backs formed a combined attack formation and approached.
No matter how skilled they were, in a fight between opponents of similar ability, even a slight opening could lead to death.
Just like Grant and Barke's fight moments ago.
He had to reduce that variable.
"Grant, we need to stop those bastards!"
Grant nodded without a word.
He immediately started toward Kayden, but Mitchell stopped him.
"You go to Loren."
"What? There are more enemies on Father's side! Then I'd rather……."
Grant was a Grade 5 Aura User. He was undeniably strong—strong enough to defeat Barke, who had sent Mitchell flying in a single blow.
But things were different when dealing with ordinary martial artists.
Mitchell immediately drew up his energy and released it.
WHOOOM—
A monster took shape over Mitchell's body.
Human faces scattered across the writhing monster's entire body gaped open.
A monster fresh from hell.
Seeing that form, Grant shut his mouth and immediately headed toward Loren.
[Hmm…… Is that fellow truly my descendant? He seems to have talent, yet I cannot understand why he failed to properly inherit what I left behind.]
"He is definitely the Runei Family's Eldest Young Master. I will explain the details later."
[Very well. More importantly, what do you intend to do? Even if you wield the Sword of Death, your realm is far too low. It would have been better to send my descendant instead.]
Mitchell grinned.
"I have a plan. So, please help me just one more time."
[No. What happened earlier was truly nothing more than luck. If you try it again, you will not be able to withstand it.]
"I can withstand it. I can feel it."
He meant it.
A tingling sensation ran through his Aura Hole.
It would be impossible alone, but he was certain that if Calian helped him as he had before, he could resolve the tingling sensation he felt now.
But Calian scoffed at Mitchell's confidence.
[Hmph. Countless people thought exactly as you do, only to be consumed and go mad. I will help when necessary, so go and do nothing more than buy time.]
At those words, Mitchell became certain of one thing.
Calian was worried about his safety.
'We only met a moment ago, so it can't be because he's attached to me.'
There was a reason Calian needed him alive. Mitchell could make a rough guess.
A soul did not have much freedom to act. For now, Mitchell was probably his only channel of communication.
'Then there's a way.'
Mitchell raised his sword and charged straight at the enemy.
The men pressing in around Kayden while maintaining the combined attack formation went pale at Mitchell's sudden charge.
Had they not clearly seen what had happened to their allies struck by Mitchell's Sword Energy moments ago?
In terms of sheer power, each attack from the Family Heads was stronger, but the fear branded into their minds made Mitchell loom even larger.
Mitchell plunged into the formation in an instant.
First, he had to break up the combined attack formation.
CLANG—! CLANG—! CLANG—!
While blocking swords flying at him from every direction, he crammed as many souls as he could into his sword.
He was preparing Heaven-Breaking Annihilation.
"I'm trusting you to help me!"
[Y-You madman!]
He had clearly told him it was dangerous!
Yet this lunatic simply unleashed the energy anyway.
Flustered, Calian hurriedly began guiding Mitchell's energy.
"I knew you'd do it."
At Mitchell's mutter, Calian had the curious experience of developing a headache while in soul form.