Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 356: Only One

Thales still remembers his first meeting with the Meteorite.

Six years ago, the prince had seen Nikolai's appearance through his Hellish Senses: a silver humanoid radiating needle-like light, with the power of termination flickering inch by inch within the man's body, constantly pulling at his momentum and direction, bringing about unpredictable movements and figures.

Even though Thales racked his brains and took into account all the changes in the opponent's speed, trajectory, and direction, he still sadly discovered that he, being weak, could not evade Nikolai's attack—even if the opponent was unarmed.

And now, six years later...

"boom!"

Nikolai's heavy punch landed instantly, slamming into Thales' shield.

With a loud thud, Thales staggered!
But he gritted his teeth, braced himself, and withstood the blow.

In his hellish senses, the silver humanoid figure before Thales flickered.

The prince immediately tensed up.

As expected, the second wave of attack—the Meteorite's left fist—came straight at him without pause!
Thales prepared to retreat as he always had.

But in that instant, Wyman's words from training in the courtyard echoed in his ears:

[Your Highness, you cannot always retreat or defend: In Valhalla, Cohen and I fought that big guy from the Black Sand Territory in the same way. We were too wary of the Rising Sun Saber's attacks and kept avoiding battle, but we ultimately failed—defense is not giving up, but preparing for the next attack.]

Whoosh—Nikolai's fist brought up a frightening sound!

Thales took a deep breath.

The next moment, he met the opponent's fist with a stern expression, took a step forward, and launched a side attack from the Northern Army's swordsmanship!

The sword's edge forced Nikolai's offensive to a halt.

But the meteorite's adaptability exceeded his expectations: while dodging the sword's edge, the opponent also switched to his left hand and slashed at his right wrist holding the sword!

With the help of his Hell Senses, Thales watched the movements of this master of the extreme realm and thought to himself: Indeed, defense is not just about retreating.

Take Nikolai, for example. Every time he defends, he takes an aggressive next step. Even when he is retreating to avoid damage, his goal is never to avoid it, but to inflict it.

Thinking this, Thales gritted his teeth and stepped forward, pushing his shield to meet the opponent's slashing left arm!
The third defensive stance of the Northern Army's swordsmanship—the counterattack stance.

Raising the shield, ostensibly for defense, is actually for the next counterattack!

"boom!"

The thud echoed again after the collision.

His left hand was slightly numb, and his whole body was trembling, but Thales roared and tried his best to thrust out a counterattack sword!
Conicole's movements were faster and more unpredictable than expected.

With his left arm braced against the shield, he charged forward without pause, delivering a powerful knee strike to the center of the shield!

"boom!"

Thales felt his breath catch in his throat!
The next second, he groaned in pain and was thrown two meters away with his shield.

“Very good.” Nikolai, who was unarmed, remained expressionless, cracking his knuckles and furrowing his brow almost imperceptibly.

"This is your best performance out of all your training sessions."

The Meteorite slowly approached, revealing a malicious smile: "At least you have some fighting spirit now, no longer a blind man wielding a sword or a coward raising a shield."

Thales struggled to his feet, shook his numb left hand, picked up his shield again, and said with a wry smile, "It's that sudden, unpredictable finishing move of yours..."

"Again?"

The Meteorite shook his head, as if he didn't want to waste time:

"Let's finish quickly, I want to have lunch."

Thales took a deep breath, enduring the pain, and resumed the "counter-attack stance".

Northern military swordsmanship.

He suddenly remembered what Gilbert had told him when he first learned swordsmanship: "This swordsmanship was created to fight against... terrifying opponents far beyond human capabilities... overwhelming disadvantages... desperate battles... a fight to the death... a suicidal charge..."

He glanced at Nikolai, who was getting closer and closer, and sighed inwardly: A terrifying opponent far beyond human capabilities?
No, that's not all.

The silhouette of another mysterious man flashed through Thales' mind: [How did humanity defeat the ancient orcs despite being at a complete disadvantage? And how did they win the final war?]

True strength lies in finding hope in dire straits, turning defeat into victory, elevating favorable circumstances to invincibility, and transforming unforeseen events into advantages...

[...Seize every factor, useful or useless, hold onto every possible advantage, and make the most crucial move to change the entire battle...]

Thales took two deep breaths and shook his head, which was still a little dizzy from the fall.

My chips, my chance of winning...

There is.

only……

Only once.

The next second, Thales roared and charged at his opponent again!
He thrust out his longsword!

Nicolai knew him all too well.

During each outdoor training session, Meteorite would defeat him with a confident smile and various other methods.

During each surprise inspection, the Meteorite, relying on his skills, toyed with him at will.

Each time he tested and provoked, the Meteorite was fully prepared, testing the level of his followers.

and so……

Thales' pupils contracted.

So this is the biggest weakness of the Meteorite!

He knows himself all too well.

"come!"

Thales' face contorted, his teeth clenched, roaring with anger both outwardly and inwardly.

Come, my companion.

The sins of the River of Prisons!

The familiar fluctuations surged in, and with six years of experience, they spread throughout my body instantly in a faster, more stable, and smoother manner.

"here we go again?"

Seeing Thales charging towards him, Nikolai sneered repeatedly: "Same method, same ending."

The Meteorite pushed off with its feet and charged toward Thales.

He easily dodged Thales's thrust and threw a punch at the prince's face!
The fist wind howled.

Thales trembled all over as he swung his shield once more—a counterattack.

A punch thrown at the opponent.

But this time, it's different.

This time, I need strength.

strength!

The boy thought coldly.

The sins of the River of Hell surged "excitedly" up his arm.

Shield and iron fist clash once again!
"boom!"

Nicolai's cold laugh remained: "As I said, little prince..."

But just a fraction of a second later, his laughter stopped abruptly.

Because an unprecedented force is coming from the shield on the other side!

It shook his fists and body.

Nikolai's expression changed drastically!
What?! Nikolai stared in shock at the roaring prince, who was forced to retreat by the immense force, taking an extra step to steady himself. What was going on?

This kind of strength...

Startled, Nikolai braced himself against his shield and instantly countered with his left elbow!

But before he could figure it out, Thales roared again: "Meteorite!"

I need a response.

reaction!

The sins of the River of Hell flowed joyfully into his eyes, his mind, and his swordsmanship, forming a synchronized connection.

At that moment, as if anticipating his opponent's move, the roaring Thales suddenly brought his sword to Nikolai the instant the Meteorite moved!
Nikolai was startled again—at this rate, the other party would pierce his left lung.

This prince, who has absolutely no fighting skills... how did he react so quickly?
However, the experienced and highly skilled Meteorite Warrior reacted in a flash: at the cost of abandoning the attack, he quickly turned around and dodged the sword.

But his opponents didn't think so.

At last.

Thales thought coldly:

I need speed.

speed!

Deadly speed!

In an instant, the remaining sins of the River of Hell roared and surged toward Thales' arm muscles like a beast released from its cage.

A terrible flame ignited inside, unleashing explosive power.

"Ahhhh!"

Thales's roar continued unabated, as if he were using up all his strength here.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, his sword flashed with a piercing whistling sound.

It flashed abruptly in the meteorite's field of vision.

They seemed to have vanished without a trace.

In that instant, Nikolai, who was already shocked, suddenly felt his hair stand on end!

A long-lost chill crept into my heart.

That's a sense of crisis that only arises when facing a powerful enemy or on the battlefield.

A sudden chill ran through his left chest.

Oops.

Oops!

The next moment, Nikolai gritted his teeth and frantically urged his finishing power to stop his evasive maneuver and turn to the other side of the sword's edge!
Do not!
next second.

"laugh!"

The sound of a sword slicing through flesh rang out.

"thump!"

This is the dull thud of a human body rolling to the ground.

After the two sounds, Thales plunged his sword into the ground, struggling to maintain his balance.

He withdrew from the sinful state of the River of Hell, which included the senses of hell.

"Ha—ah—ha—ah—"

The boy leaned on the shield, putting most of his weight on it, panting heavily, trying to relieve the muscle soreness and dizziness that followed the removal of the Sin of the River of Hell.

At the critical moment, Nikolai's figure turned strangely, tilted his head back, and with a clumsy side roll, dodged the sword aimed straight at his heart.

Trembling, Thales gritted his teeth and stared at the opposite side in agony.

There, the Meteorite knelt on one knee, staring in disbelief, his palm outstretched in a daze.

The next second, a short bloodstain spread from the meteorite's left cheek to his chin, oozing red liquid.

Drop by drop, blood fell into Nicolai's trembling palm.

The meteorite seemed completely stunned.

How can it be?

He... that prince who never fights...

Touching the wound on his face and feeling the long-lost pain, the Meteorite raised his head in shock and anger.

He stared intently at the pale-faced, panting Prince Star, trying to comprehend everything before him.

That piece of trash who can't even withstand a single punch from himself...

How come...

How could it be so sudden...?

Sudden……

Thales shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the brief dizziness.

I am unwilling.

hateful……

hateful!

Even if you use every trick in the book...

There's still no way... to get him...

A few seconds later, the extremely disheveled Meteorite took a couple of breaths and calmed himself down.

"No, this power, this reaction..."

He frowned deeply, his eyes filled with deep suspicion: "This is something you couldn't possibly do."

Nicolai's expression was one of disbelief and astonishment:
"Was that... the power of termination?"

Thales, leaning on his sword, gave him a weak smile.

The boy now just wants his opponent to talk more nonsense.

I had to at least get myself through the temporary aftereffects of overusing the River of Hell—numbness and soreness.

The Meteorite's expression turned grave: "But..."

"But when did your awakening end..."

"Ha ha……"

Thales chuckled twice, interrupting him. The prince, his limbs numb, could no longer hold the sword, so he deliberately released its hilt, shaking his hand slightly, trying his best to appear composed:

"A long time ago."

"Surprise?"

Nikolai slowly stood up, his expression growing increasingly serious.

As he watched the other person stand up, Thales's hand resting on his shield trembled slightly.

"So, your speed when you snatched the book in front of the stables that day, and the strength you showed during training..." Nicolai stared intently at him, no longer paying attention to the bloodstains on his face: "were not accidental?"

"You possess the power of termination... You've kept this from us, from the entire Valhalla, for so many years?"

Thales chuckled – his numb limbs were regaining sensation; the six years of training had been somewhat effective. Even if he couldn't improve, at least his body was gradually getting used to the price of the River of Hell's sins.

"I'm sorry to say that, but..."

The prince shook his head and rested his sword on the hilt again: "There are many things you don't know."

Nicolai's initial shock and anger slowly turned into pure annoyance: "So, all those outdoor training sessions... you got beaten up so badly, but you never used it even once?"

“Power isn’t something you put on a show for the audience,” Thales gently squeezed his right hand, which had returned to normal, and wiped the cold sweat from his face. “If you can’t use it where it matters most…”

"Then just hide and confuse your enemy."

Nikolai laughed angrily and slapped his face hard.

His pale face, stained with blood, began to flush.

“I knew it, little prince, you’ve always considered us your enemies—from the very first day you arrived in Dragonhill.”

“Your cunning and treachery are innate,” the Fallen Starman’s eyes almost blazed with fire. The pain on his face reminded him of the fact that he had been hurt by a weakling, which only fueled the proud man’s anger.
"God knows how many things you've been hiding from us for the past six years."

Thales chuckled.

The lives of the hostages in Longxiao City were not as idyllic as outsiders imagined.

The brief alliance in Valhalla crumbled the moment Rumba left Dragonstreet: Count Risban saw him as a political pawn of his terrifying nemesis, while Nikolai the Fallen Star had not forgotten that the Star People were the source of all the chaos—here, even studying in peace was a luxury for Thales.

The prince, under close surveillance, was not even allowed to hire a teacher from the stars, and his martial arts training in outdoor classes was fraught with obstacles. This was all because the people of the North were full of hostility and fear towards him and the country behind him, and they did not want this heir of the enemy country, who had once surprised them, to acquire more skills.

From that moment on, Thales understood that he was not some chosen one, nor did he possess the kind of lucky constitution that allowed him to display wisdom and strength every day, become the center of attention, surprise his enemies and friends, and still emerge unscathed and triumph in every endeavor.

At least during his time in Longxiao City, he had to proceed with extreme caution, proceed cautiously, bide his time, and wait for a turning point.

For example—hiding his finishing power, no matter how badly he gets beaten up in training.

Revealing his finishing move might win Thales a match in training, or even earn him the amazement and admiration of the Northmen, and the title of yet another so-called "genius." But the thought that it would cost him a crucial trump card...

Thales could only grit his teeth and endure, watching the Meteorite repeatedly humiliate and mock him, suppressing the burgeoning Sin of the River of Hell within him.

Until now.

“And you, Meteorite,” the prince took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and drew his longsword from the ground, “in the past six years, how many truths have you, Risban, and even the late King Nunn, concealed from me?”

Nikolai's breath hitched.

Facing the prince's meaningful gaze, he suppressed his anger but steadily reached out his hand behind his back.

This time, it was Thales's turn to have a drastic change in expression!
“I apologize to you,” the Meteorite said, his eyes sharp as he drew his weapon from his back amidst the scraping of metal against leather and the scars on his face. His words were full of caution: “I was wrong. I never treated this as a battle.”

I underestimated you.

"Thales Shining Star, who awakened the power of ending before the age of fourteen."

Thales stared worriedly at the long, narrow saber in Nicolai's hand, which reflected a golden luster.

That legendary anti-magic weapon, which in its former owner's hands had once been pressed against his neck and threatened his life...

Rising Sun Saber.

That's terrible.

"you sure?"

Thales steeled himself and raised his shield: "I've heard Wyman talk about that incomparably sharp weapon—it cuts through everything, hasn't it?"

Nikolai began to sneer, but there was a sinister quality to it.

"Don't worry, I won't activate its power—lest I lose control and accidentally slice your head open."

He held the Rising Sun Saber level, the blade pointing directly at Thales, his eyes showing an unusual seriousness and solemnity: "And didn't I already say that?"

"No matter how badly it's fought..."

"They will always leave you with that hand."

The next moment, Nikolai's expression changed, and his figure instantly left his original position!

Tensely, Thales took a deep breath, instantly entering a hellish sensory experience.

In his field of vision, the silver figure flashed with rapid light and attacked him.

The battle resumes!

But this time, the speed and angle of the Meteorite's attack far exceeded Thales's expectations—the blade flashed right in front of him!
Sensing a threat, the sins of the River of Hell automatically boiled over.

A tense Thales immediately raised his shield, desperately blocking the Meteorite's merciless first vertical slash!

"clang!"

Staring at the golden saber resting on the shield, Thales felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't help but think: if this thing really could melt everything, as Wyman said, wouldn't he already be...

Without a moment's hesitation, Nikolai let out a low growl, gripped his knife with both hands, and pressed his entire body towards Thales along with the blade!

Thales felt a sudden weight on his hand and was about to lose his balance. He tensed up and instinctively used a side strike to deflect his opponent's slash.

But Nikolai's offensive did not stop at all. He took advantage of the momentum of being slid away, pushed off the ground and rushed forward, his right shoulder slamming into him!
"Boom!"

Thales groaned laboriously, unable to even thrust his sword forward.

He managed to hide behind his shield before the enemy crashed into him, managing to withstand the enemy's charge.

"Kick! Kick! Kick!"

The immense force struck, and the prince, his face contorted, braced himself against the shield with his elbow, staggering back three steps.

Thanks to the boost from the River of Sin, I wasn't knocked down by my opponent's experienced charge.

“True warriors are forged in the crucible of bloodshed,” Nikolai said, bracing half his body against his shield. This awkward angle made it difficult for Thales to draw his sword, forcing him to grit his teeth and hold his ground. Then, the Meteorite's furious voice rang out:
"State of mind, mentality, experience, adaptability, physical condition... none of these can be lacking."

"You only know how to train with targets—you're still far from good enough!"

As Nikolai roared, Thales, who was giving his all in his struggle against his opponent, suddenly felt the shield on his elbow lighten!
He couldn't help but slide forward a step.

In the hellish senses, the Meteorite suddenly appeared to his unsuspecting left, striking his head with his right elbow!

Thales shuddered.

He instinctively threw away his shield, the Sin of the River of Hell surged up his elbow, and thrust it toward Nikolai, trying to deflect the opponent's fatal blow.

However, the silver light spikes within the Meteorite's body flashed once more.

Within half a second, the meteorite attacker who was rushing to his left suddenly stopped and turned back!

Thales was horrified—his left elbow had just swung out, and his right hand, gripping the longsword, was not yet able to retract.

He didn't have time to get back and defend.

In that instant, in the slowed-down time of hellish perception, Thales stared in shock at his opponent who had seized the initiative and was just one strike away from victory.

It had only been seven or eight seconds since Nikolai launched his attack.

Even considering the injuries on Nicolai's face, it's only the second round.

So fast.

Thales sighed inwardly.

Nikolai's lips twitched, his scarred face contorting into a smug grin.

This is the difference.

boy.

The difference between the Super-Rank and the Ultimate Realm is... a fine line.

The outcome could be decided in an instant.

The next instant, Nikolai roared as he reversed the hilt of his sword and slammed it into his opponent's forehead, into the powerless Thales.

"boom!"

A frightening thud.

The scene fell silent.

But Thales did not fall.

Nikolai, on the other hand, stared in astonishment at his young opponent once again.

The hilt of his sword, which he had prepared to strike with deadly force, struck a hand before it hit Thales' forehead.

It's Thales' left hand.

It was his left hand, which he had just swung out with force and couldn't pull back in time.

This left hand, as if by miracle, instantly teleported in front of the prince, firmly blocking the enemy's attack.
Thales was covered in cold sweat and trembling slightly as he desperately held onto Nicolai.

At that moment, the meteorite seemed unable to believe his eyes.

impossible.

I used the "Fate's Decree" technique, delivering a perfect blow when his momentum had waned and he was powerless to defend himself.

He actually managed to block it?
But the meteorite did not hesitate or think much about it.

Kaslan had told him: If the first strike doesn't kill the enemy, then...

"what!"

Nikolai roared, unleashing the power of termination once more, propelling his movements as if ignoring inertia, with a swift, sweeping strike!
Thales took a deep breath and watched helplessly as his opponent's blade retreated and advanced, instantly attacking his unsuspecting leg.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out.

Nikolai's blade was perfectly blocked in front of his thigh by Thales's suddenly appearing longsword.

Nikolai's pupils contracted.

impossible.

impossible!
The power of the Meteorite surged from his joints, and his movements flickered once more!
The blade slashed towards Thales' neck again.

"Qiang..."

A second metallic clang echoed in their ears.

Thales was panting heavily—this time, both his hands appeared in front of his neck, one above the other, to block Nikolai's throat-slaying blow.

Nicolai stared at him blankly.

His eyes were filled with shock.

They even forgot the desire to attack again.

This……

"Shh!"

With his last ounce of strength, Thales forced Nikolai back with a single sword strike, then collapsed to his knees with a thud.

The prince was panting heavily, his breaths punctuated by painful groans.

But the meteorite was already stunned.

"You...just now..."

Nikolai blinked, staring blankly at Thales on the ground, whose expression was terrible, drenched in sweat, as if he were being tortured.

He opened his mouth slightly, hesitated, and his expression was extremely complicated.

Thales was just panting—as if those few blows had almost killed him.

Finally, a surprised Nikolai spoke up:

"The thing you just used to block me..."

He frowned deeply: "No, what exactly is your power of ending..."

Thales gradually calmed his breathing, and upon hearing this, he forced a weak smile: "Hahaha..."

Nikolai remained fixed on him, not moving an inch.

Thales remained kneeling on the ground, one hand supporting himself on the ground, the other hand trembling as he raised his longsword.

"Oh, you mean...this?"

The prince took a deep breath, and in an instant, his face turned even paler!
But his sword slashed to the side, his movements were quite impressive.

But halfway through its cleaving motion, the sword unexpectedly changed direction, plummeted, and slashed straight into the ground.

"clang!"

Nikolai stared in disbelief at the scene.

All that could be heard was Thales' weak laugh: "Floating around, unpredictable movements, sudden changes of direction?"

“This is…” The Meteorite muttered, his gaze fixed on the longsword on the ground.

“Haha, this is a rare master of the extreme realm,” Thales said weakly, raising his head and staring nervously at the interesting expression on Nikolai’s face. “He has been demonstrating his amazing skills to me every week for six whole years.”

"According to him, this is a once-in-a-lifetime power of termination."

Thales smiled again—no one knew that at this moment, almost every muscle in the prince's body was rebelling, with pain, soreness, numbness, ache, and cramping all at once.

It's simply indescribable.

The Fallen One's expression grew increasingly grim.

The prince laughed more and more heartily, and continued, "There is only one like this in the North."

Despite the pain, Thales squinted slightly.

"Named - Fate's Curve".

At that moment, Nikolai's expression was almost as cold as ice.

"You should be honored."

Thales chuckled softly again, carefully observing the turbulent Nikolai at this moment:
"Because he told me."

"Most of the people who have seen it are already dead."

(End of this chapter)