Even in the face of such a powerful blow, Augustus refused to back down.

"Is this your strongest trump card?" he roared, his voice ringing out with fierce determination. "Watch how I break it!"

With a sudden burst of energy, Augustus unleashed a wave of distortion energy towards the giant wraith.

The energy wave intercepted the giant wraith's punch, immediately evaporating it into nothingness, and then it continued on its path unhindered.

Bam!

A resounding reverberation echoed throughout the swamps as it crashed into the giant wraith, engulfing the creature in a swirling vortex of energy.

The creature roared in fury as it was consumed by the reality-distortion force, its form shattering into a million pieces.

Augustus felt a surge of triumph wash over him. A smug smirk appeared on his face, playing on his lips like a taunting trickster, as he looked down upon Marty. "Is that all you got?" he taunted, his voice dripping with confidence. "You couldn't even scratch me! I honestly expected more from someone who claims to be an Undead King. You've only been a letdown so far."

"You think you can fool my discerning eyes?" Marty said, "Great power always comes with a price. That rule hasn't changed since the beginning of time. You are paying a hefty price for materializing such a powerful concept, right? How many more times can you use it before it consumes you, body and soul? Twice? Thrice? Or have you already reached the limit and are acting strong to fool me?"

Marty's words cut through Augustus like a knife. He had always known that using his full power came at a great cost, and he had experienced it a couple of times in the past, but hearing it spoken out loud by someone else made it all the more dreadful.

His Force was of a special type, granting him the power to manipulate reality itself. However, this gift came at a grave price, one that weighed heavily upon his soul. Each time he called upon his full power, he was forced to sacrifice a part of his very being - often his very emotions, lifespan, and health - to fuel the power that was innate to him.

The once proud and self-assured countenance he had worn with confidence transformed into an expression of deep sorrow and gnawing doubt as he thought about all the times he had used his full power in the past and how it had slowly but surely taken away a part of him. The memories of those sacrifices flooded his mind, causing him to shudder involuntarily. It had taken so much from him, making him become increasingly detached from reality to the point where he didn't care what others thought or said about him. A part of it was because he wanted to keep his power hidden so that he wouldn't be hunted down by the forces of chaos and death, but a majority of it was because he couldn't be bothered. Whether he was revered or disdained, it didn't move his heart or affect him in any way. He was pretty much an emotionless shell, copying the expression of others to present himself as humane and blend in with the crowd.historical

Deep down, he knew he was a broken man, barely holding himself together. The only thing keeping him from falling apart completely was his endless desire to protect those he loved and keep his family of three from falling apart.

But how long could he keep that up? How long before it becomes too much to bear? How long before the special-type force with an ego starts taking his memories, making him forget about the people he was fighting for?

He didn't know that he had already forgotten about a member of his family.

"Looks like my guess was correct." Marty spat out darkly like a venomous snake as he saw that Augustus's eyes, once bright and full of life, now seemed dull and listless, reflecting a soul weighed down by anxiety and fear.

'I can't afford to be vulnerable in front of him!' Augustus thought, slapping himself with a resounding Thwack!

That slap helped a lot.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself against the doubts and fears that threatened to overwhelm him, and then he looked at Marty with a cold-blooded gaze, refusing to back down.

"I'm not afraid of paying the price," he replied with a confidence that was unmatched under the heavens. "And before the time comes for me to pay that price, I will ensure that the number of the undead king is shortened to three!"

Marty chuckled darkly, the sound angering Augustus. The young man couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the way the undead looked at him, as though he were nothing more than a mere insect to be crushed underfoot.

"You're quite the boastful one, aren't you?" Marty said with a hint of derision in his voice, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement. "How can you truly believe that you have the capability to take my life after taking down the weakest of my demon generals?"

Augustus was taken aback by the unexpected response. The coldness of his foe's voice chilled him to the bone, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, and before he could take any action to stop him, Marty made his move.

Marty made a hand sign as he chanted,

"Heed my call and awaken from the depths of Abyss, my Blades of Darkness!"

As his voice fell, a creature appeared in a flash of dark energy, its form massive and imposing.

It possessed blade-like forelimbs that glinted menacingly in the dim light, a stark contrast to its jet black scales and red, glowing eyes.

"Obey my command, and submerge that which stands in our way in darkness!" Marty commanded.

Without hesitation, the demon charged towards Augustus with supersonic speed, its limbs slicing through the air with deadly precision.

In a fraction of a second, its blade-like forearms were just an instant away from piercing Augustus's throat.