The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Barely two minutes remained, a short period of time.

During that brief time, people’s thoughts changed rapidly.

Impressive.

Beyond impressive, overwhelming.

So overwhelming it was almost devastating.

Devastating to the point of…

Utterly pitiful.

Countless gazes, filled with pity and sorrow, were directed towards the wielder of the Holy Sword.

– Tingkang!

Counting the seconds had become embarrassing.

The Holy Sword, who had to open the path of salvation with the power of the sacred light, had already slipped from the owner’s hands several times, tumbling to the ground.

Even with swift strikes,

Even with powerful swings infused with the power of light,

Even with cooperation from other knights imbued with the power of the Holy Sword,

Even unleashing the divine technique exclusive to the wielder of the Holy Sword,

– Tingkang!

It was all in vain.

What Cyan had done was simply swinging the sword lightly, yet the Holy Sword slipped from the owner’s hands with each light swing.

A wall, needing no further explanation.

As useless as a random branch by the roadside, the Holy Sword had fallen into disuse, while Cyan overwhelmingly dominated Aschel.

Almost akin to training.

“Two minutes and thirty seconds have passed. You now have only thirty seconds left.”

Complete indifference.

Like observing a sturdy rock unaffected by sharp waves,

Cyan’s eyes remained unchanged.

With Cyan’s proposed time running out, now less than thirty seconds remained.

Aschel’s body and mind were increasingly consumed by anxiety and restlessness.

Though desperate to come up with a plan as soon as possible,

“Goodness!”

Nothing came to mind now.

“Oh, Holy Sword! Grant me more power…!”

All Aschel could hold onto amidst his plea was the Holy Sword tightly clasped in his hands.

In response to his plea, a surge of power emanated from the shining Holy Sword, but it was far from sufficient to confront Cyan.

“This isn’t enough! I request more power, Durandal!”

The pitiful sight of the savior howling for strength while clutching the Holy Sword.

Most of the onlookers furrowed their brows or averted their gazes in response.

“Do you see?”

Silently counting the time, Cyan finally posed a question.

“All these gazes directed towards you. They are filled not with unwavering faith in you, but with incomprehensible doubts.”

Now, even the knights who had inherited the power of the Holy Sword had ceased their battle, watching the confrontation between the two men.

“You must have realized it by now, brother. If you wish to preserve your life, now is the time to show your back and flee… but…”

Aschel found himself at a loss for words.

“If you flee, you may survive. People will remember you as the Holy Sword’s wielder who cowardly fled in the face of the vile presence before your eyes.”

“…!”

“However, if you stand against me until the end, even as a pitiful Holy Sword’s wielder, your integrity as a savior may still be remembered. Which path do you choose, brother?”

“Of course, you’re asking the obvious! I am the son of Vert Duchy the guardian of the continent, and the wielder of the Holy Sword! Even if my body is torn into countless pieces while fighting you, I will defend this place until the end, Cyan!”

Was his answer different from what Cyan had anticipated?

For a moment, Cyan maintained a blank expression before breaking into a smile.

“Do you know what, brother?”

“What do you mean?”

“Contrary to what you just said, your eyes clearly show a strong desire not to do so.”

Aschel could only stare, unable to close his gaping mouth.

“There’s a strong urge within you to flee. I want to advise you to honestly confront yourself… but…”

After three minutes of immobility, Cyan finally stepped towards Aschel.

“Unfortunately, three minutes have passed.”

It was both an order and the end of mercy.

Now, all that remained for the wielder of the Holy Sword was…

A merciless judgment.

“Did you say you would defend the place even if I would only tear your body into countless pieces, brother?”

Slowly, step by step.

Approaching him was the embodiment of all the evils of this world.

Aschel, unable to suppress the rising tremor, stood frozen in place.

“Perhaps you think of me as someone too merciful, brother. Did you think I would only tear your body into countless pieces?”

Cyan chuckled mockingly.

After a moment, Cyan’s laughter subsided, and his expression turned serious.

“It’s thousands of pieces! It wouldn’t mean anything unless I tear you apart so thoroughly that even recognizing who you originally were becomes impossible, right?”

A smile more wicked and malicious than seven years ago, when he had become much more vicious.

It was a chilling smile, so terrifying that no human could fully confront it.

“From now on, you will feel thousands of pains! Nothing will be trivial! People will feel pity as they see every inch of your body torn apart. And then they will tell others! They will remember you as the wielder of the Holy Sword who miserably met his end unable to handle the power of the demonic sword. And…”

As the two drew closer, nearing within a foot’s distance, the corner of Cyan’s mouth rose even higher.

“People will remember you as the fake savior who boasted about establishing a new order with his feeble abilities.”

“…!”

“I will enjoy watching that hopeful future.”

With those words, Cyan raised the demonic sword enveloped in black mist high.

In a moment, Aschel saw it.

Exactly one second later, his entire body would be ruthlessly torn apart by the cruel sword.

It was an area where neither evasion nor resistance was possible, a realm of impossibility.

Aschel, imagining his future being torn into thousands, even tens of thousands, of pieces, silently cried out for salvation.

– Boom!

With a heavy sound piercing through the air and spreading dust clouds around, the surroundings became tumultuous.

Kaeram was exactly one step away from Aschel’s eyes, yet…

“…!”

He was close, but not touching.

To be precise, it wasn’t that he didn’t touch, but couldn’t touch.

What was currently touching the tip of Kaeram’s sword was…

“A spear?”

It was a long spear emitting a light similar to the one emitted by the Holy Sword.

It wasn’t thrown by anyone or summoned by magic.

The origin of this spear was none other than the sky itself.

As if a savior sent from the sky to rescue the wielder of the Holy Sword, it thoroughly blocked the path before Cyan and Kaeram.

At this, Cyan subtly raised his head.

The spear wasn’t the only thing falling from the sky.

At the end of the long spear handle extending from the sky, a giant hand holding the spear was positioned, and at the end of that hand…

“…!”

Stood a knight clad in dazzling golden armor.

* * *

Located in the center of the Imperial Palace, the healing ward.

As there was no time to move the fallen emperor to the palace, he was temporarily transported to the nearby healing ward.

The emperor, struggling to breathe, and the healers striving desperately to save him.

Arin watched them with a heart-wrenching feeling.

“How in the world did His Majesty end up receiving the power of the Holy Sword?”

She hadn’t heard the fact that the emperor had received the power of the Holy Sword.

She couldn’t imagine that the emperor would have asked for it voluntarily.

Arin was convinced that other members had pulled strings without her knowledge.

“Get out of the way!”

As the commotion outside the healing ward grew louder, a familiar voice rang out.

– Bam!

The door, firmly closed to stabilize the emperor, was forcefully opened, and another member of the imperial family entered.

It was the second princess, Violet Sevellerus.

“…!”

Her eyes, faced with the emperor’s condition, flickered intensely.

As if she hadn’t expected this situation at all.

She soon turned her gaze, filled with anger, to Arin.

“What on earth have you done, Arin!”

Even amidst the emotional reunion with her sister, who had been missing for a week,

Violet was blaming Arin for the current situation.

Arin blinked in bewilderment.

“How could you swing a sword at His Majesty! Aren’t you supposed to be a member of the imperial family? How could you do something so absurd to His Majesty…!”

“Stop forcing your assumptions!”

Arin’s firm rebuttal startled Violet.

“You knew, right? You knew that His Majesty has received the power of the Holy Sword!”

“……!”

“If you have a mouth, speak!”

“I didn’t know!”

Her hesitant denial carried the weight of affirmation.

Arin grabbed Violet’s shoulders with a confident gaze.

“How could you, as a child of His Majesty, do such a ridiculous thing to His Majesty! Did you really think that was for the good of our family and the empire? We are his children before we are princesses! How could you, as his child…!”

“I am also a victim!”

Pinned against the wall, Violet shouted, pushing away Arin’s hands.

“Aschel deceived me and put a spell on His Majesty! I didn’t know either! I just thought His Majesty wanted it and accepted it!”

“A spell?”

“…!”

Violet quickly covered her mouth.

“What did you just say? Who put what on whom?”

Frustrated, Violet heaved a deep sigh.

Then she looked at Arin with a gaze filled with disappointment.

“You’re not the only one concerned about the empire, Arin. I, too, worry about the safety and future of this country as a princess.”

“What?”

“I, too, have worked hard to follow in the footsteps of His Majesty, whom I respect so much, and not disgrace the name of the imperial family! You shouldn’t look at me with such pathetic eyes!”

She expressed her feelings openly, as if sharing her grievances.

Arin felt a strange sensation seeing her sister’s honest side for the first time.

“Just as you chased after that man Cyan, I merely followed him! If there’s any responsibility to bear because of that…”

As Violet tried to continue her words, her lips trembled visibly.

After calming herself down, she spoke calmly.

“As a princess! That’s all I can do with confidence!”

With those words, she turned away.

“Where are you going?”

“If you’re curious, come along.”

Leaving a vague reply, Violet abruptly left the healing ward.

Arin hesitated for a moment about what to do, then glanced at the emperor and closed her eyes tightly.

“Please, Ressimus, help His Majesty!”

Ultimately, Arin chose to follow Violet, leaving Ressimus behind.

Violet paid no attention to whether Arin followed or not.

She simply moved forward quietly to fulfill her duties.

Her destination was none other than the imperial palace, specifically the underground passage.

* * *

– Click!

Hastily opening the door, Boris barely managed to suppress his breath, which rose to his chin.

He had expended far more mana than he had anticipated in the astral space.

Now he found himself in a state where he could hardly contain the burgeoning aftermath.

Struggling to lift his head, Boris finally managed to do so.

And what met his eyes was Mia.

“You’re here, instructor Boris?”

“Yes, why are you here, Mia?”

Mia replied with her usual indifferent expression.

“Because I couldn’t kill Cyan Vert. While pondering what to do about that, someone curious about this place showed up. So, I came back.”

“Someone curious? What does that mean?”

Sensing a threat, Boris quickly turned his head.

But his head didn’t turn completely.

Close to Boris’s neck, halfway turned, was a black blade.

Soon, as cold sweat dripped down, a familiar voice echoed in his ear.

“You were looking forward to whose face would be distorted first, weren’t you?”

“…!”

“How do you feel about your own being distorted first, instructor Boris?”

—————