Chapter 134: The Foolish Prince Gets What He Deserves
(As I thought, I can’t defeat him like this…)
As Rodel, the Third Prince, exchanged magical attacks with Rest, he let out a sigh inwardly. Rushing towards the main camp, Rodel and the soldiers of the Rebel Army had been met with Rest’s Amaterasu, but it had failed to take them down. Rodel had created a stone wall for defense, managing to inflict damage on the soldiers behind him, but he couldn’t finish them off.
While Amaterasu was indeed a powerful spell, it had the flaw of requiring sufficient ‘charging’ time to unleash its full potential. To activate it on a scale that could scatter an army, at least a minute of sunlight had to be gathered.
(I didn’t have the time, and I couldn’t plunge the battlefield into darkness in this situation. The sunlight I managed to gather was too little, and it seemed I could only muster the power of an advanced spell at best.)
That was the weakness of Amaterasu. There was definitely room for improvement in the future.
“Flame Cannon!”
“Water Wall!”
Rodel cast his spell, and Rest defended against it. It was a one-on-one battle—a duel. Although there were soldiers from the Kingdom Army surrounding them, they did not intervene. For nobles and royalty, a one-on-one fight—a duel—was sacred. Unless Rest called for assistance, they would not interfere.
“Fireball! Amplify! Compress! Accelerate!”
“High Accelerator!”
They unleashed their spells in a quartet, but Rodel significantly enhanced his physical abilities to evade them. He circled behind Rest, attempting to strike at his neck, but Rest activated High Accelerator as well, dodging the attack.
“You’re strong… Truly, who are you?!”
“That’s my line… Honestly, I underestimated you, thinking you were just like Cedric.”
Rest distanced himself from Rodel, sighing. In truth, Rodel’s strength was considerable—worthy of admiration. He had thought him arrogant and selfish, akin to Cedric, but facing him directly, he realized Rodel was genuinely strong. Although he belonged to Class D at the academy, had he studied properly for the written exams, he would surely have ranked among the top students.
(His magical power is quite substantial, and in terms of output, he’s superior. He casts advanced spells as if they were second nature. If only he weren’t so deranged, he could have easily become a hero.)
“I’m surprised. You’re not just all talk; you’re actually strong.”
“…You, too, are stronger than a mere Viscount. Just how much magical power do you possess?”
On the other hand, Rodel seemed to have noticed Rest’s capabilities as well, deepening his caution.
“Earlier, you unleashed a light spell with enough power to sweep away an army, yet you show no signs of running out of magical power. It’s frustrating, but… in terms of magical capacity, you surpass me.”
“You’ve become decent enough to admit that… I wish you had become a proper human being sooner.”
“…”
Rest taunted him, but Rodel merely chuckled self-deprecatingly, not taking the bait.
“High Accelerator!”
“High Accelerator!”
Rest and Rodel simultaneously enhanced their physical abilities, charging at each other across the battlefield. In terms of physical prowess and combat sense, Rest had the upper hand, while Rodel excelled in magical output. Ultimately, their speeds matched each other.
“Hmph! Hah! Yah!”
(He’s really strong after all…)
Rodel ducked to evade a kick from Rest, countering with a punch. Rest attempted to grab Rodel’s arm and throw him, but Rodel swiftly pulled back, creating distance with a backstep. Despite using advanced spells repeatedly, Rodel showed no signs of exhausting his magical power. Although Rest was undoubtedly superior in combat sense, he found it difficult to press the attack. Rodel seemed to possess natural athleticism as well. His reflexes were sharp, and with proper training, he could have excelled as a magician, swordsman, or warrior.
(What a waste of talent… It’s truly regrettable…)
Had he not gone astray, Rodel could have thrived alongside Rest as a promising figure for the next generation. It was genuinely a shame to see such a person fade away as a rebel without achieving greatness.
“Cedric and that Celery… Why do they ruin their own futures? They could have made better choices.”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
With a scream, Rodel charged at Rest. His fists, kicks, and body slams accelerated by magic came at Rest, who deftly dodged them while preparing his own spell.
“Thunderstorm!”
“What…!”
Rest unleashed a wide-area spell centered on himself. Lightning rained down in a frenzy, striking Rodel’s body along with Rest.
“An exchange of blows… You must be joking…!”
“You think it’s foolish, don’t you? But you would.”
Rest gritted his teeth, enduring the heat and shock of the lightning. He was holding on thanks to the activation of body enhancement magic, but it still hurt. However, he did not regret his decision.
(I’ll acknowledge it… Rodel Aiwood. You are strong.)
Strong. Quite strong. It felt nearly impossible to win without taking damage.
(But… you lack experience by a landslide!)
In terms of overall talent, Rodel might even surpass Rest. However, compared to Rest, who had fought monsters since childhood and trained under Dibble and the Marquise of the Rosemary Marquis House, Rodel’s practical experience was sorely lacking. He would never have thought to attack with a spell that could take him down along with his opponent.
(If we had fought five or ten years from now, the outcome might have been different… but that future will never come.)
“Gah…!”
Even while being struck by lightning, Rodel instinctively fell back, escaping the range of the attack. His rapid retreat through magical high-speed movement was a remarkable feat, even in a pinch.
“Amaterasu!”
However, Rest would not let him escape. He conjured a minuscule dark star, creating a brief moment of light absorption. The thin laser released from it pierced Rodel’s abdomen. No matter how much Rodel accelerated with magic, he could not surpass the speed of light. Although Amaterasu lacked the power to incinerate Rodel due to insufficient light absorption, it could still create a hole the size of a pen if concentrated to its limit.
“Cough…!?”
Rodel coughed up blood as the laser accurately pierced his liver. In a panic, he attempted to cast healing magic, but it was far too late.
“Ha!”
Now, Rest accelerated, closing in on Rodel. For the first time, he drew his sword and slashed from Rodel’s chest to his neck.
“Ah, gagh…!?”
“It seems you’re not accustomed to healing your wounds… Compared to other spells, it’s rather clumsy.”
Rodel’s healing magic lacked the finesse of his other spells. Had he mastered proficient healing magic, he could have held on a little longer.
“This is the end. Rodel Aiwood.”
“…!”
With one final strike, Rest brought his weapon down. Rodel fell, bleeding profusely from the X-shaped wound on his chest.
“I have defeated the enemy commander…”
As he uttered something so dramatic, cheers erupted from the surrounding soldiers. The allies who had surrounded them congratulated the victor. Unbeknownst to them, the majority of the battlefield had already concluded. The Rebel Army had been suppressed.
Despite the unexpected struggle, the battle between the Kingdom Army and the Rebel Army had come to an end.
The Kingdom Army suffered four hundred dead and eight hundred fifty injured. The Rebel Army faced twelve thousand five hundred dead and over thirty thousand injured, with countless soldiers scattered.
Though Rodel’s unexpected resistance had caused significant damage, in the end, the Kingdom Army had achieved a resounding victory in just half a day.