RVMPT Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Why is Kaiden in the prince’s palace?

As Diana froze in shock, Kaiden’s gaze met hers. His red eyes trembled deeply, like a wounded beast.

“…So you finally met my brother, Diana.”

His voice—like waking from a midsummer night’s dream—sounded both resentful and resigned.

Kaiden tightened his jaw and shifted his eyes to Harold.
“You really do have a stubborn will to live, brother.”

“Thanks for the compliment, Kaiden. But you’ve gotten used to yanking on other people’s lifelines. If you just came in from outside, you must know what the nobles are saying. Running away would’ve been the smart choice for you.”

“I won’t run if it means spending my life being hunted.”

Shing—.

Kaiden drew his sword. The sound rang ominously. He smirked.
“Seems the gods haven’t completely abandoned me. I figured you’d bring Diana here first, to the prince’s palace, to smuggle her out—and I was right.”

At his words, men moved in, hemming Harold and Diana in and cutting off their escape.

They weren’t Vaisen knights. They were Kaiden’s subordinates, all glaring at Harold.

Diana bit the inside of her cheek. No single man could match Harold’s skill—but the enemy’s numbers made her uneasy.

“Let’s end this stubborn fate today, brother.”

Kaiden’s men rushed the barrier Diana had raised—and were blocked.

“Harold…” Diana called with dry lips.

“This is the last barrier, right?” he asked.

“Yes.”

They had used one more on the way here, so this was the final shield.

She fiddled with her bracelet. If it was Harold, then here he would surely…

“I’ll need to finish this within ten minutes. Diana, keep your eyes on the bracelet and wait.”

Harold swung his sword, navy aura flashing, and cut down the men clinging to the barrier.

Realizing they were only making themselves easy targets by staying pressed to the shield, Kaiden’s men quickly pulled back.

Harold lifted a foot to step outside the barrier, but Diana caught him.

“Diana.”

“I’m not trying to stop you. I know we don’t have time to talk.”

“…?”

“Remember when I hit those assassins by throwing stones? There aren’t stones here, but there are swords.”

She pointed to the weapons dropped by the men Harold had cut down.

“Use them like back then,” she said.

“Yes. If we thin their numbers, it’ll be a bit safer.”

Not used to seeing the dead, Diana’s hands trembled. She clasped them together tightly and looked up at him.

“Not a bad idea.”

Harold picked up a sword from the floor.
“No need to look at anything rough. Just keep your eyes on the bracelet.”

“Okay…!”

Once he saw her head bow, Harold hurled the sword—charged with sword-aura—straight at Kaiden.

“…!”

Kaiden barely dodged the fast-flung blade. A subordinate behind him fell without a scream.

Tsk.

With a click of his tongue at the near miss, Harold grabbed another sword and threw it toward a cluster of Kaiden’s men.

Three were skewered at once and collapsed. The others went pale and stumbled back.

“Get those swords off the ground! Don’t leave anything he can throw!”

At Kaiden’s shout, the scattered weapons were quickly kicked away and removed.

Even after a few more throws, when there were no more swords nearby, Harold drew the one at his waist.

“I’ll be back.”

“Your Grace, I’ll join you at least while the magic holds,” Arthur said, stepping out of the barrier with him.

The moment the two moved away from the shield, Kaiden’s men rushed them—only to be cut down. Despite their numbers, it was always Kaiden’s side that fell. Kaiden watched his subordinates drop one after another, the bridge of his nose creasing.

He was a monster even when he wasn’t recovered. Now he’s a monster, outright.

Harold Vaisen had always been like that. They were close in age, shared their father’s looks, and bore the same Vaisen blood—but Harold surpassed him at everything.

Kaiden had been talented compared to his peers—swordsmanship, scholarship, riding—always faster than others.

But his talent never shone next to Harold.

By the time people learned of Kaiden’s abilities, Harold’s illness was already public. Kaiden had thought he’d never be overshadowed by him again.

Ha…

He forced a dry laugh, forcing himself to face reality.

Damn you, Harold.

How did he survive every time?

It was supposed to end with Harold’s death—his first and last victory. He needed to win by death.

The memories of everything Harold had taken from him flashed bitter in his mouth: the Vaisen heir’s seat, power, lands—and Diana.

Thinking of the only person who’d looked at Kaiden when Harold overshadowed him, Kaiden gripped his hilt and charged.

Clang! Their blades slammed together with a sharp ring.

“Harold, it’ll be over once you die.”

“Pity. I won’t be dying before your thread of life runs out.”

Harold knocked aside Kaiden’s sword and swung. Clang! The heavy force knocked Kaiden’s blade-tip off line.

Kaiden’s red eyes twisted with fury; Harold, by contrast, kept his usual calm.

“If you want to kill me now, try harder. Pile on at once or put in more effort.”

Their swords clashed again and again. Kaiden’s men ambushed Harold several times during the exchanges.

Marks spread across Harold’s body. But however many wounds appeared on him, more of Kaiden’s men lay bleeding on the floor.

“Huff… Huff…”

Panting, Kaiden fell back to widen the distance.

By now, all the subordinates who had fought alongside him were out of commission.

Kaiden glared at Harold.

Both of them were covered in blood—theirs and others’—but Harold still showed no opening.

“You monster.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Kaiden glanced past Harold. The barrier around Diana was thinning.

He lunged again and swung.

I won’t lose her.
I want to win.

Desperation flared at his blade’s tip, a brief red aura—but a sharp ring sounded and his sword bounced to the floor.

At the same time, a sword dug into Kaiden’s thigh.

“Ghh!”

Without changing expression, Harold twisted the blade. Kaiden dropped to his knees, unable to bear the pain.

“You’ve lost, Kaiden.”

Harold leveled his blade at Kaiden’s throat.

“…I won’t let you take her,” Kaiden hissed.

Coldly, Harold told him the truth.
“You’ve already lost. From the start, killing me this way was impossible.”

His head swam—maybe from blood loss. Harold withdrew his aura and glanced at Kaiden.

If I’d still been sick like before, maybe. But he must have known he couldn’t kill me with this fight.

A frown creased Harold’s brow with a prickling sense of wrongness. In that moment, he sensed a faint killing intent from afar.

When he realized where it was aimed—Diana—Kaiden spoke with a small, crooked smile in his voice.

“Even if I can’t kill you… I can take her from you forever.”

Harold instantly sprinted to Diana and pulled her into his arms.

“Harold…?”

An arrow buried itself in Harold’s body.