Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 63

063

It is often said that when one awakens their mana, they gain the power to ‘transcend’ their species.

Quite a few people argue that simple mana awakening should be described as ‘superiority’ rather than ‘transcendence.’

They believe the term ‘transcendence’ is more fitting for those at the 6-star level or higher.

((Fifth Princeeeee!))

Jo, who was swept up in a waterspout and soared to the sky before being slammed into the sea, yet managed to drive a sword into an iron plate and hold on, proves their point.

“Fire—!”

“Fireeeee!”

Flash—!

The mana cannons of the Kaikanic ship simultaneously unleashed fire at Jo.

Kwaaaang—!

With a deafening roar, the iron plate vanished without a trace.

“Did we get him?!”

Someone blurted out something they shouldn’t have.

‘Tsk.’

Evan clicked his tongue.

He had spotted Jo kicking off the iron plate just before the mana cannons fired.

Whoosh— Tap, tap!

Using the debris of the ironclad ship floating on the sea as stepping stones, Jo landed effortlessly on the deck of the Kaikanic ship.

A moment of silence.

Evan and he locked eyes. Jo’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with rage that seemed to reach his very bones.

At first glance, he looked like a rabid rat.

((I’ll slaughter you all! Starting with you, Fifth Prince!))

The knights of the Arya Kingdom favored using a sword with a single-edged blade, a dao [a single-edged Chinese sword, similar to a saber].

Jo was no exception.

Silky, blood-red haze rose from his dao, the blade of which was black.

It was Sword Thread [a technique where mana is woven into fine threads around the blade, enhancing its sharpness and cutting power].

Evan smirked when he saw it.

He figured Jo had used up quite a bit of power enduring the waterspout while clinging to the iron plate.

‘Aura,’ the next stage after Sword Thread, where thin strands of mana cover the sword.

There was no other reason for him not to use it, Aura could tear apart most magic and sometimes create things that could be mistaken for magic.

((Are you laughing?))

Jo’s face twisted grotesquely.

Whoosh—!

His figure blurred.

“I’ll take him on!”

Simultaneously, Reina dashed forward.

“Reina!”

“We’ll join you!”

Evan raised his hand slightly, stopping Adol and Vernon, who were belatedly trying to join.

Wooong— Woooong—!

The wails emitted by Jo’s dao and Reina’s sword, rather than Evan’s restraint, halted their steps. They realized that they, still at the 4-star level, would only be a hindrance.

Biting their lips, they suppressed their frustration and watched the clash between Jo and Reina while guarding Evan.

Clang—! Chaeng——! Clang!

The dao and sword collided, sending sparks flying in all directions.

((Bitch! You’re pretty good!))

Jo shouted spiritedly.

But inwardly, he was panicking.

Even though he had used a lot of mana to survive the waterspout, he was originally a hidden 6-star knight of the Arya Kingdom.

Even without using Aura, he had beheaded countless 5-star knights.

When Jo’s dao moved first.

Reina’s sword tenaciously followed.

Clang—! Clang—!

Jo increased his speed even further.

He knew exactly what the physical limitations of a 5-star knight were. She shouldn’t be able to keep up.

Clang! Clang! Kaga-ga-gang!

Yet the sword stubbornly followed, blocking the dao.

Swoosh—

She even occasionally launched counterattacks.

‘Bitch! She’s right on the verge of breaking through!’

Jo realized that fact.

Besides the Fifth Prince, there was one more person he had to kill.

His eyes, which had been red with anger, turned coldly indifferent. Soon, the sixth Hyeongseong [a term referring to a specific mental or spiritual state, possibly related to focus or power], which had been resting in his heart, opened its eyes again.

Gooooooo—

Red Aura covered Jo’s dao.

“O-Aura!”

Someone screamed when they saw it.

Reina bit her lip tightly.

Aura, which would cut through her sword covered in Sword Thread like tofu just by touching it. It was nothing short of irresistible violence.

It was a foul play.

((That was a little fun. Bitch.))

Reina glanced at Evan.

He had always escaped from crises in miraculous ways, but this time the situation was a bit different. She had to stop him no matter what. A 6-star knight was such an existence. Her life of holding a sword for over half her life led her to that conclusion.

((Just die!))

Jo’s dao slashed down as if to cut her in half.

‘Can I do it?’

Reina recalled the Howling that Evan had shown her not long ago.

He had created a Sword Cry using only Sword Qi [refined mana energy], without Sword Thread.

It had defied common sense.

Then, wouldn’t it be possible to block Aura with Sword Thread?

‘I have to.’

Reina swung her sword against Jo’s incoming dao. Strands of mana, Sword Thread, intertwined chaotically, covering her sword.

Kwaang!

A roar that was hard to believe came from the collision of a dao and a sword.

((Bitch… what kind of sorcery is that?))

Reina, like Evan, succeeded in defying common sense. She smiled faintly.

But, she soon frowned.

A thin stream of blood trickled from her lips.

She had blocked the Aura, but the internal organs were suffering from the shock.

***

The color of Aura resembles its owner.

Jo’s ominous crimson Aura, which was unsettling just to look at.

It was enough to know what kind of person he was. I wanted to applaud the Arya’s king for his insight in entrusting the privateer fleet to such a guy.

But that was that.

Bang—! Bang—! Kwaang!!

‘It’s dangerous.’

Reina, who was using Sword Thread to the extreme, was somehow holding off Jo, but it was only a matter of time. In the end, she would be the one to fall.

The fact that she was holding on now was probably because Jo had used a tremendous amount of mana to survive the waterspout.

There was one way.

If Reina held [Varisada] [Evan’s unique sword], she would have a chance of winning.

But that was impossible.

No one other than me can hold Varisada. The moment they grab the hilt, they will feel a twisting pain inside.

If they didn’t let go, thinking they could endure it, the mana inside their body would backflow, and they would never be able to use mana again.

Kwaaaang───!

The two people, who had exchanged attacks loaded with tremendous mana, briefly distanced themselves from each other.

((Kuhahaha. Did you think you could deal with Aura with sorcery!))

“Cough.”

Blood flowed not only from Reina’s mouth but also from her ears.

It was the limit.

She had almost climbed the wall to become a 6-star.

‘If I could just reach out one more time.’

It seemed like she was just that short.

If someone reached out and pulled her up, she would cross the wall. The person who could do that was….

‘It’s just me.’

I opened my mouth towards Adol and Vernon, who were watching Jo and Reina with frustrated expressions.

“Step aside for a moment.”

“Yes?”

“No, you can’t! Even if you are a prince, a 6-star knight’s Aura is a different story!”

“I know, so step aside. That’s an order.”

The two, startled by my firm gaze, took a step back.

Holding Varisada in my hand, I asked quietly.

“Descent of the Demon [a forbidden technique], how long can I endure?”

[Varisada]’s ultimate technique, which releases the limits restricting the body and unleashes power beyond the limit.

I would be able to temporarily use mana close to the 6-star level.

「At most 3 seconds? Any longer and you won’t be able to handle mana ever again, you sure you want to do this? Once you do it, you’ll have to rest for at least a month.」

“It’s better than dying here at the hands of that bastard.”

「I guess so. Remember, at most 3 seconds.」

Just as I finished talking with Varisada.

Kwaaaang──! Clang!

With a roar like a mana cannon firing, Reina flew towards me and rolled across the floor with a thud!

The sword with only the base of the blade remaining in her hand gave me a rough idea of the situation.

“Y-Your Highness. S-Sorry. Cough, please, run away.”

Reina spat out a mouthful of blood and made a frustrated expression.

((Kuhahaha. Did you think you could deal with Aura with sorcery!))

Jo grinned, baring his teeth. I frowned at his Arya language, which sounded like buzzing in my ears, and said quietly to Reina.

“Watch closely. It’s only once.”

“······?”

((I’ll cut you both in half together!!))

Whoosh—!

I looked at Jo, who was kicking off the ground and rushing towards me.

Descent of the Demon.

With a feeling as if time had stopped, the speed of thought accelerated.

Vast amounts of mana poured in from [Varisada]. The four stars in the core that accepted it. They swelled up as if they would burst in an instant.

The amount of mana that could unleash power close to the 5-star level.

My whole body tingled.

Even this was already quite a strain.

But.

This was not enough to block Aura. I needed more, more, more mana.

Crack, crack.

A distorted and incomplete star was born in the core. It was just a star that contained tremendous mana, a pitiful star that would shatter in 3 seconds.

‘That’s enough.’

I had finally reached the amount of mana to imitate a 6-star knight for a very short time.

Swaeeeeek──

Jo’s diagonal slash, which seemed to cut me and Reina in half at the same time. I put strength into the hand holding [Varisada].

Sometimes, there are those who mistakenly believe that the power of a 6-star knight comes from Aura.

No.

Their true power is the manifestation of the will to twist the laws of the world.

A 6-star knight puts their will into their sword. That is why they make the impossible possible. Aura is just a byproduct of that process.

It’s not something you can understand by explaining it in words.

Reina, watch and realize it directly.

A swordsmanship that any knight of the kingdom knows, the 2nd Form of Lionel’s Guardian Swordsmanship.

‘Shadow Cut.’

I deliberately chose this.

((Die!!))

Sword Qi.

Sword Thread.

Aura.

[Varisada], which did not carry any of these, confronted Jo’s dao covered in ferocious Aura.

My will to break the dao.

Jo’s will to cut me in half.

The two collided.

Kwaaaang──! Crash!

The fact that his dao was shattered into pieces told me whose will was stronger.

Swoosh— Pshoo—!

((T-This is······.))

Jo, who had a nice scar on his face from the fragments of the broken dao. His expression was worth seeing.

– Boom! Kwagwagwag!

The incomplete fifth star in the core shattered. I felt the pain of the sharp fragments piercing through my entire body. Blood rushed up to my throat, but I swallowed it with effort.

It was hard to stand.

I planted [Varisada] on the deck and tried to hold on so I wouldn’t fall. A ruler must not show weakness in front of his subordinates.

I said quietly to Reina, who must have been watching from behind.

“Lady Reina, did you see it?”

The hand I extended from beyond the wall.

It was something I did with the belief that she would definitely grab it. Well… there wasn’t really any other way.

Swish.

Wiping the blood flowing from her mouth, Reina stood next to me.

From her sword, which had only the base of the blade remaining, a silver Aura resembling moonlight was radiating a brilliant light.

It was the best answer.

“O-Aura!”

“Aura is coming from Lady Reina’s sword!”

((S-She crossed the wall? Now? Here!))

The crew of the Kaikanic ship exclaimed in admiration, and Jo shouted in disbelief.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

I replied to her gratitude.

“Bring me Jo Beyley’s head.”

“As you command!”

A satisfied smile appeared on my lips as I watched Reina, fluttering her silver Aura, rush forward.

***

A warship urgently dispatched from Seokham Island.

The naval captain bit his lip and looked at Yongamok [a strategic coastal location].

– The Kaikanic ship is heading to Yongamok to escape the Jo Beyley pirates!

– The shelling has begun!

– Communication from the Kaikanic ship has been cut off! There was a loud noise! It seems a shell hit the communications room!

More than 30 minutes had passed since the last communication.

‘The Fifth Prince….’

The captain couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

An incident had occurred where the prince was murdered by pirates deep within the kingdom’s waters. And Seokham Island had failed to grasp the movements of the Jo Beyley pirates.

‘There will be a bloodbath for a while.’

As he was thinking that.

“A, a ship is visible from Yongamok!”

Flash—! Flash—!

The light spheres manifested by the mages brightly illuminated the ship emerging from Yongamok.

“I-It’s the Kaikanic ship!”

The captain hurriedly raised his binoculars.

Someone was standing on the deck.

Black hair, black eyes.

A somewhat youthful face.

The person who appeared to be the Fifth Prince was scanning them over. A nonchalant look in his eyes, as if to say, ‘Did you just arrive?’

The captain felt as if he had made eye contact for a moment. He noticed that the Fifth Prince was holding something in his hand.