I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

263 - Start of the Great War (2)

263 - Start of the Great War (2)

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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In the eastern outskirts of the demon realm.

The terrain there had unique features compared to other areas.

First, steep cliffs blocked the space between sea and land, and even after climbing these cliffs to enter, treacherous mountains awaited inside.

The difficulty was much higher compared to other directions.

However-

BOOM!

These weren't significant obstacles for the Beast Sea, considered the strongest of the Three External Worlds.

Most beast-kin in the Beast Sea began learning their clan's martial arts from the moment they took their first steps.

This meant they had many combat-ready forces and a high ratio of powerful individuals.

The reason the demon realm had tried so hard to pull them to their side before the great war.

Therefore currently-

"These are the ones who tried to devour the Beast Sea! Chase them down and end them! Don't let a single one escape!"

A one-sided battle was unfolding in Echo Gorge, which had become the first major battlefield between Beast Sea and demon realm.

BOOM! BOOM!

Though the demon realm forces there were incredibly strong since it was a crucial point that had to be broken through to enter inland, the Beast Sea martial artists were easily crushing them while advancing. ???????

"At this rate, we should break through completely before long."

A low voice flowed from Wolhaun's lips as she watched the battlefield from behind.

Though she saw the Beast Sea warriors rampaging wildly without proper formation, Wolhaun made no attempt to control them.

They were martial artists, not soldiers, and thus demonstrated maximum power in such chaotic battles.

Additionally, she felt no need for control given the overwhelming difference in power.

"It seems so. At this pace, we should be the first to enter inland."

Hwagangjin, who had now taken on the role of grand general, nodded and answered beside Wolhaun.

"Then we can be the first to report to His Majesty Zion."

Perhaps because Zion had mentioned needing sufficient qualifications when discussing empress requirements?

Since then, Wolhaun had been paying more attention to proving her capabilities.

As if guessing her thoughts, Hwagangjin quietly spoke while watching her:

"Your Highness, don't give your heart too much to the Emperor."

He knew.

Unlike Wolhaun, Emperor Zion held no special feelings for her.

Therefore he worried.

His king might get hurt because of this.

"I know what you mean by those words. But still..."

Just as Wolhaun smiled slightly and turned back toward the battlefield to continue speaking-

It happened in an instant.

FLASH!

Light, blue light.

A blue light so powerful it could blind instantly began covering not just their vision, but the entire world.

Along with this, a strange ringing filled their ears.

As the blue light covering the world slowly faded and vision returned-

"!!!!!!!!"

The eyes of those watching the revealed battlefield began shaking frantically.

The battlefield's center was empty.

As if it were a lie that countless martial artists and monsters had been tangled together there moments ago.

And in place of the vanished warriors was a massive crater.

FLASH! FLASH!

Blue light continuously flowed from the crater as if its power hadn't yet been exhausted.

Then Wolhaun and the Beast Sea warriors could see.

A blue-haired handsome man watching them with indifferent eyes at the crater's center.

At that moment-

"Why... why is he here..."

A dazed murmur flowed from Hwagangjin's lips.

He knew who this man was.

No, it was impossible not to know.

The Proxy Ahmad Leviathan.

The only one who had remained unchanged for 200 years in the first position of the 'Seven Heavens'.

Born with partial immortality as a human-god hybrid, he had reigned as one of the world's clear strongest.

Hwagangjin also knew.

Though people called this man the First Heaven or Heaven beyond Heaven and categorized him with humans, he was fundamentally different from humans and his power was incomparable.

Now such a being had revealed himself on the demon realm's side.

"..."

Slowly.

Ahmad's finger began rising as he watched the beast-kin without saying anything.

The moment his fingertip perfectly pointed at the martial artists- FLASH!

The world began dyeing blue once again.

A sound like the world splitting.

At this massive sound that one might never hear again in their lifetime, every being on the battlefield stopped fighting and began looking up at the sky.

What entered their vision was a star.

A single black meteor falling from the opened sky.

Perhaps unable to take their eyes off this black star?

The black meteor finally struck the ground as people watched entranced.

But there was no expected explosion.

No intense light bursting forth with it, no thunderous boom strong enough to shake the earth.

All that existed was-

Swish-

An ominous darkness spreading through the air from where the star had fallen.

"What in the world..."

Just as Commander Yornan of the 7th Corps unconsciously muttered in a blank voice-

Step.

Along with low footsteps from the darkness, a figure began revealing itself.

Deep gray hair like looking at burnt ashes and languid eyes beneath it.

Along with an alien atmosphere covering the surroundings.

Yornan's eyes expanded as far as they could go as he recognized who this man was.

"Y-Your Imperial Majesty!!"

Perhaps unable to hear Yornan's cry?

Without answering, Zion reached out both hands and grasped the air to his sides.

Swish-

Eclaxia and Heaven-fallen Sword Rigveda materialized as if they had been waiting.

Then, as if competing-

SCREECH!

The two swords began resonating wildly together.

Perhaps instinctively sensing danger from this scene?

SCREECH!

The grotesquely transformed subordinates combining humans and monsters shook off the crushing pressure and charged toward Zion at maximum speed.

But-

WHOOSH!

It was already too late.

The moment Zion drove both resonating swords into the ground without hesitation- CRACK!

The sky split once again and countless, infinite sword rain began falling onto the battlefield through that gap.

Heaven Sword Rain.

The moment Rigveda's inherent authority finally revealed itself to the world through Zion.

FLASH!

Swords falling in a massive circle centered on Zion.

The monster-human hybrids within that range were torn apart without even leaving proper corpses.

Was this like the calamity that the Sword God was said to have brought upon humans in the mythical age?

Truly a sight far beyond imagination.

...

As the battlefield was instantly devastated, silence fell once again.

What broke that silence was-

ROAR!

None other than the beasts.

Horrible the Beast King had given orders to the beasts at Zion's signal.

And-

"His Imperial Majesty has come personally to aid us! All forces advance!!"

WAAAAAH!

A huge cry burst from Yornan's lips as he quickly read the battle situation like the veteran he was, and the 7th Corps also began charging toward the Black Magic Legion.

The battle began in earnest.

Of course, victory quickly tilted toward the imperial forces.

About a third of the Black Magic Legion had vanished from Zion's Heaven Sword Rain earlier, and the imperial forces' morale had risen extremely high from their emperor's appearance.

'This can be finished quickly.'

Zion thought this as he watched the battlefield.

Of course, there was a reason why Zion had come here personally despite sending the Beast Army.

'The conquest of the Plains of Invasion and surrounding outskirts will be perfectly complete soon.'

When that happened, imperial forces would begin entering the demon realm proper in earnest, and supplies would be essential for that.

Therefore, this battle needed to end as quickly as possible to match that schedule.

Additionally, Zion himself was the only force currently available, and-

'Nothing else is this certain.'

Executing plans that allowed no margin for error.

That was Zion's nature that had never changed and never would.

Just as Zion's eyes looked not at the battlefield but at the deep demon realm beyond it-

PUHWAHAHA!

Blood red liquid began gushing from behind the Black Magic Legion fighting the imperial forces and Beast Army.

An immense amount that could be called a tsunami.

The source of this blood was the subordinates and black mages in the rear.

"W-what's suddenly happening... ARGH!"

Perhaps even they hadn't expected this?

The black mages turned into blood amid confused screams.

And in the center-

"Lord Galactio! Why... AAAGH!"

A single black mage stood absorbing all the blood.

His name was Galactio.

He was the commander leading the Black Magic Legion and ruled over all black mages residing in the demon realm.

"It'll take a long time to build up such forces again, but it can't be helped."

Galactio continued absorbing everything around him into blood with emotionless eyes as if viewing resources rather than humans, despite his other mages' pleas.

He knew well how urgent the current situation was.

'To think the empire's emperor would appear personally.'

That's why he was playing his trump card of human sacrifice from the start.

But simultaneously, he thought this situation was an opportunity.

'If I can kill that emperor here...'

Galactio was dissatisfied with his current position.

He had been the strongest black mage in the past and had single-handedly built up the entire Black Magic Legion after crossing to the demon realm.

But his position in the demon realm was terribly low due to his human origin.

Therefore the black mage saw the emperor before him as the key to resolving his dissatisfaction.

'I could not only gain the King's acknowledgment but perhaps even aim for the vacant Great Demon position.'

Of course, Galactio had also heard and knew well.

How powerful the Agnes Empire's emperor visible in the distance was.

'They say he destroyed two Great Demons.'

He believed those words, but not completely.

'He surely eliminated them by mobilizing multiple corps and numerous powerful beings rather than alone.'

If his guess was right, he might have a chance.

CRUNCH!

Meanwhile, the blood completely absorbed around Galactio began taking shape with a strange sound.

A grotesque being with a dragon's body and human head.

"This is the Blood Human Dragon containing the essence of black magic I've achieved until now."

As if those words were a signal-

SCREECH!

The human dragon turned its gaze exactly toward Zion and opened its mouth impossibly wide for human oral structure.

Dark red breath began condensing in the dragon's mouth.

RUMBLE!

Along with this, the space and earth of the entire battlefield began vibrating madly and breaking apart.

Several soldiers collapsed with faces turned deathly pale just from watching.

"All forces fall ba-!"

Just as Yornan urgently tried to shout to the soldiers-

FLASH!

Faster than that, breath burst from the human dragon's mouth and shot toward them.

'That can't be dodged.'

Despair filled Yornan's eyes at the breath approaching at impossible speed.

Then a strange scene entered his vision.

Step.

Their emperor Zion was instead slowly walking toward the breath.

With even his swords put away.

"Your Majesty...?"

Just as a questioning voice flowed from Yornan's lips, forgetting even to dodge at this incomprehensible sight-

Swish-

Zion's hand began reaching forward.

Though his movement was frustratingly slow to observers, it contained something that prevented them from looking away.

Meanwhile the human dragon's breath rushed right up to Zion and-

"Your Majesty!"

Just as an urgent cry burst from watching Yornan's lips-

Tap.

Zion's fully extended finger lightly touched the center of the breath that had approached right before him.

And at that moment, along with a light ripple from his fingertip- Click!

Part of the laws constituting the world began being denied and reestablished.

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