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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 69
Impressive as it was, it was still just impressive within the limits of a 3-star level.
‘This will be over quickly.’
At last, ten seconds had passed, and Usran moved.
“In gratitude for the Prince’s consideration, I’ll end this in one strike.”
Fwoooosh!!!
A fierce pillar of dark energy surged into the sky.
At a glance, it was far more powerful than the black steel energy the masked woman had used.
Chris’s skin tingled with instinctive danger.
A destructive force capable of shattering any barrier rushed toward him, and just as everyone thought the fight was over......
Swish.
A faint glint brushed past the back of Usran’s neck.
He barely turned his head in time to dodge it.
‘A hidden weapon?’
No.
It was a transparent shard of glass.
‘When?’
There was no time to think.
More shards flew in from another direction.
Not just one......over five shards at once.
Targeting lethal areas: the nape, the eyes, the nerve plexus at the shoulder, the radial artery in the wrist, and the femoral artery in the leg.
‘So he prepared all this during those first ten seconds of attack. Remarkable.’
Usran was deeply impressed.
Countless tiny glass shards floated in the air.
All were being controlled by Chris using demonic energy.
“To control that many shards at once?”
“How powerful is his control over demonic energy?”
The onlookers cried out in surprise.
Imbuing an object with demonic energy to move it is something a 3-star can do.
But usually, one can barely manage to move a single object.
‘No, this isn’t just a matter of level. Just how gifted must his innate control over demonic energy be?’
No one here could manipulate that many objects simultaneously.
This was the moment everyone witnessed, with their own eyes, the demonic energy control that had only been whispered about in rumors.
“You used quite an excellent tactic, but it’s unfortunate.”
Usran shook his head.
Vwoom.
A black mist rose and wrapped around his body.
He had shielded his entire body with demonic energy.
“Against me, the Black Cloud Usran, such tricks won’t work.”
Just as he said, the glass shards didn’t reach him at all. The moment they touched the black mist, they disintegrated into dust and vanished.
The trump card that had been prepared had amounted to nothing.
“I’ll end this now.”
Once again, a powerful wave of destruction surged toward Chris.
A moment of life-or-death crisis.
But Chris showed a reaction that Usran couldn’t understand.
‘Bingo. Just as planned.’
Glass shards?
Of course, he never expected such a petty trick to deal any damage.
What Chris had aimed for was precisely this situation.
‘Given Sir Usran’s upright nature, I figured he’d defend his whole body with demonic energy without paying the glass shards any mind. That’s his fighting style.’
More precisely, he was aiming to divide Usran’s focus.
When one cloaks the entire body in demonic energy, a portion of concentration inevitably gets dispersed.
Of course, that didn’t mean Usran’s sword lost its aim.
Usran’s Black Steel Energy remained sharp, drawing a straight line toward Chris.
Even if his attention was slightly divided, it was only by a faint margin.
But that was enough.
Chris charged forward.
“H-He’s charging?!”
“Should we stop him?!”
Usran’s eyes widened.
‘Reckless?’
He understood Chris’s intention.
He must be aiming to exploit that slight gap in his guard for a counterattack.
But it was too reckless.
‘…He may be talented, but he’s far too inexperienced. I’ll go for his arm.’
Chris raised his sword.
A strike aimed at the faint opening in Usran’s guard.
But before overwhelming power, it was meaningless.
Swoosh.
The black steel energy ignored Chris’s strike and slashed straight through his arm.
Shhk!
The sensation of slicing through flesh.
Blood sprayed like a fountain, and the onlookers clicked their tongues in pity......
Usran’s pupils trembled.
‘…It’s not real?’
At that moment......
The blood-gushing figure of Christian shimmered like smoke.
It had been an illusion!
‘Impossible?!’
Usran reacted with disbelief.
When had he turned into an illusion?
‘Don’t tell me… at the very instant he cloaked himself with demonic energy?’
When his attention was on the glass shards, the illusion had been cast!
And it wasn’t just any illusion.
‘An illusion indistinguishable from the real thing. Could it be......he applied the secret technique of the main line, the “Dividing Sword”?!’
Exactly right.
Chris had seen Jupien use the “Dividing Sword” during the incident with the Venomous Demonic House, and had adapted the principle to create an illusion of himself.
The Dividing Sword has a property where even a high-level demon swordsman cannot distinguish between the real and the false.
But to directly apply and adapt that principle to one’s own body?
That wasn’t all.
Just now, Chris’s illusion moved as if it were truly alive and breathing.
......It would be wise to learn how to distinguish between the illusion and the self.
The advice he once gave to Jupien.
In truth, it wasn’t something he came up with himself.
It was something he had heard from Rania, the 9-star archmage of the Hero’s party in the past.
If one can separate the illusion from the self, the illusion will move as though it is alive on its own.
That is the realm of 4-star illusion magic.
Chris, as a Radiant Star, was a 4-star mage.
So even in black magic illusions, he could mix in such profound techniques.
For someone like Usran, whose attention had briefly been caught by the glass shards, it was more than enough to deceive his eyes.
And when the illusion’s arm was cut, it even gave the illusion that it had actually struck a real body, delaying Usran’s realization by just one moment.
And the result was this.
‘Then, where is Prince Christian right now?’
A chill ran down Usran’s back.
He didn’t even need to look to know. Where Christian was.
Behind him.
His rear had been completely taken.
“!!”
Usran hastily turned around.
But it was too late.
Christian moved his sword. With his full strength.
The demon swordsmen watching widened their eyes as if they were tearing apart.
That movement wasn’t something a mere 3-star should be capable of.
It was only a single strike, but it was something that could only be done by someone at 4-star or higher.
‘Damn.’
Usran instinctively knew.
A perfect strike from directly behind.
That sword could neither be dodged nor blocked.
‘I have to use my secret technique. But if I do… I can’t guarantee Prince Christian’s life….’
His secret technique was a deadly art meant solely to kill the opponent.
But was that the right thing to do?
Ordinarily, it wouldn’t matter.
The Magus Empire’s tradition is that any death during a duel is never subject to blame.
However......
......Thank you for granting me the chance to receive your noble teachings.
Unlike the rumors that he was a scoundrel, Christian’s respectful demeanor, considerate of Usran’s honor, came to mind......making Usran hesitate to use the killing move.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Christian suddenly stopped his sword.
“…My lord?”
Chris lowered his sword and respectfully bowed.
“Thank you for your noble teaching. I acknowledge my defeat.”
“!!”
Usran was flustered.
“No, what are you saying?”
“You held back your hand, didn’t you? I’m not so dull that I wouldn’t notice that. Thank you for your consideration.”
Usran let out a sigh.
From beginning to end, his conduct had been admirable.
What if it had been another noble? Especially that Mysak......would he have acted like this?
Absolutely not.
Compared to others, Christian's demeanor stood out all the more.
And Usran wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
Everyone in the banquet hall who witnessed the duel shared similar thoughts.
‘With that kind of attitude... we’ve completely misunderstood Prince Christian.’
Though their factions and masters differed, they were all demonkind.
And Christian’s respectful gesture......honoring the pride of a strong demon......shook their hearts.
Moreover, it wasn’t just his politeness that was admirable.
‘Capturing a 5-star demon might not have been just luck…’
Of course, he was still far from sufficient.
But what Chris had just shown surpassed what one would expect from his current rank.
Innate combat sense.
And illusion magic so refined that only a trained specialist could pull it off.
Above all, the finishing blow he showed at the end was the true highlight.
An attack impossible for a mere 3-star to perform.
One word came to everyone's minds.
‘Genius.’
And not just any genius.
It was overwhelming talent of a scale they couldn’t even begin to fathom.
‘It wasn’t by chance that he absorbed dark demonic energy beyond 9-star level.’
Some among the demons even had this thought:
‘Even Prince Ashid, once hailed as the greatest genius of the next generation, didn’t have talent like that.’
‘Perhaps…’
Some demons swallowed nervously and thought carefully.
......Perhaps Prince Christian might bring about an upheaval.
Of course, only a few went that far in their thoughts.
Still, the fact that even a small number were beginning to bet on Chris’s victory was an incredible shift.
That’s how impressive Chris’s performance had been today.
“At this point, I wonder if it’s enough to meet the qualifications Prince Mysak demanded.”
Christian said to Mysak.
“You… you…”
“Mysak.”
Chris smiled faintly.
He dropped the honorifics.
“As a fellow noble, I asked you to show proper courtesy. Or should I speak informally too?”
“!!”
Mysak ground his teeth hard.
His clenched fists trembled.
‘That arrogant bastard.’
But starting another fight here would ruin the mood.
Even Mysak was smart enough to know that much.
In the end, Mysak left behind a threat and stormed off.
“Don’t get cocky. You’ll be shedding tears of blood soon enough.”
“Yeah, got it. Just don’t go crying to your mommy.”
“!!”
Mysak vanished with his face flushed red.
He was clearly furious, and there was no doubt he wouldn’t stay quiet.
He would surely try to use his mother’s power to launch some unjust retaliation......but Chris, rather than being bothered, found it rather meaningful.
‘If possible, he should resort to the dirtiest tricks he can manage.’
Did Mysak even realize?
Just how much his schemes could actually benefit Chris.
Chris was planning to use Mysak’s ploys as an opportunity to expand his influence within the Dark Demonic House.
How was that even possible?
Just take a look.
“Prince Christian, may I have the honor of greeting you?”
One by one, demons were starting to approach and greet him with glances!
Not a large number.
But still, this was a sight unimaginable at the start of the banquet.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sir Karon.”
“You know me?”
“Of course. You're the second squad leader of the Crimson Knights, aren't you? I also heard of your recent contributions during the skirmish with those Gold Cross bastards.”
It wasn’t just Karon.
Chris had memorized the full personal records of all demons under the Dark Demonic House.
Not just their titles, but every achievement they had ever made.
Even those minor accomplishments others would overlook......Chris mentioned them all, and those demons who conversed with him were left once again in admiration.
He was so upright, it made them question why there were even rumors of him being a scoundrel.
Above all, Christian knew how to respect others’ honor.
Who wouldn’t feel drawn to that?
As the number of demons seeking out Christian steadily grew, an unexpected voice was heard.
“May I greet you as well?”
“!!”
A soft, gentle voice.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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