123. One Prize, Two Male Leads
“How long do you plan on following me?”
Perwin asked curtly.
Deep within the forest, where even the next step was unpredictable, Brecht followed behind him, parting the underbrush.
“Your Highness, there’s a chance the enemy might strike while our guard is down,” Brecht warned.
“Hmph.”
Perwin removed his mask. Golden hair hidden beneath it was swept by the wind.
“If you remove the mask here, Your Highness, the enemy might discover your identity—”
Brecht stopped mid-sentence.
“Your Highness, step back.”
From somewhere in the distance, sounds of movement reached them. Brecht, sensing faint footsteps, went into a battle stance.
Thump, thump, thump.
Heavy footsteps shook the ground, steadily approaching. Brecht focused, analyzing the enemy’s movements.
“Two? No, at least three.”
Drawing his sword from his waist, he aimed beyond the thicket.
“There!”
“Take them down immediately!”
At that moment, three armed men burst forward with a shout. They were fully armored, wielding swords and maces, their faces hidden behind masks pulled down to their chins.
‘Are they targeting His Highness?’
Even if they could identify Perwin, unmasked, or Brecht, adorned with the Imperial Guard insignia, the enemy showed no signs of hesitation.
‘Who sent them?’
Although killing was forbidden during the duels in the Hunting Festival, an assassin targeting the Crown Prince changed the rules entirely.
“Die!”
The men charged at once.
‘No matter who they are… protecting His Highness is my top priority.’
Brecht’s blade gleamed ominously. He struck first at the lead assailant.
One.
“Ugh!”
Blood-slicked steel sprayed red streaks into the air.
With his sword drawn, Brecht leapt like an arrow. The flash of his blade targeted his enemy’s life, silent and lethal. No screams, no hesitation. The man fell instantly.
Three.
The sword danced through the battlefield, cruel and decisive, striking into the enemy’s heart. Breath stilled, eyes closed, life extinguished.
“…”
Perwin gazed coldly at the fallen.
“Pathetic. Is this the best the martial artists participating in the tournament can offer?”
“They may be assassins sent specifically for Your Highness. We should investigate their origin—”
Then, a rustle in the empty underbrush. Another man leapt out.
‘There’s one more…!’
The man swung a heavy mace toward Perwin.
“Dodge!”
Brecht pushed Perwin aside, but could not defend his own back in time.
The massive weapon crashed down toward him.
Clang—
A sharp flash of steel cut across the air. The man’s hands holding the mace dropped limply, and his hulking body collapsed with a thud.
Brecht turned in shock.
“…Your Highness?”
“Pathetic.”
Blood dripped from Perwin’s blade. He casually brushed aside the droplets splattered in his hair, as if annoyed by the inconvenience.
“You mustn’t let your guard down, Your Highness.”
“I can handle myself.”
Perwin smirked. When Brecht tried to follow, he stopped him.
“How long do you plan to tail me? Don’t you know this is an individual competition?”
“I am merely fulfilling my duty as Your Highness’s guard,” Brecht replied.
“Hmph. You want me to take shortcuts to win, is that it?”
Perwin’s eyes were fixed solely on the ceremonial sword—the trophy of victory. There would be only one winner of the tournament. To him, a guard was nothing but a hindrance.
“It’s an order. From here on, I go alone.”
“…Understood, Your Highness.”
Brecht reluctantly turned away. As his footsteps faded, Perwin finally resumed his path.
“Such a stubborn fellow.”
He snorted, heading deeper into the forest. The hunting grounds, also imperial property, were a familiar place. No matter how vast, he had no trouble reading the terrain.
“Annoying that it’s so dark.”
He frowned. The tall trees blocked the sky, now shrouded in storm clouds, making it hard to orient himself. Relying on memory, he navigated the rugged forest paths with ease.
“Squeeeak!”
Occasionally, monsters leaped from the rocks, but he dispatched them with a single strike. The enormous barrier surrounding the arena limited their power.
Feeling bored to the point of emptiness, he pressed deeper into the rarely-trodden forest.
A steep cliff and waterfall came into view.
“That’s…”
Amidst the white spray beneath the waterfall, a distinct, radiant glow shone unmistakably.
Perwin smiled, sensing victory.
“The sword has been hiding here.”
He planned to claim the highest honor of the Hunting Festival for his fiancée.
Just as he was about to leap into the rushing waters, a dark figure flew at him.
“A monster?”
Perwin instinctively swung his sword.
But the black figure easily dodged. It moved with the lightness of the wind, standing directly before him.
A man cloaked entirely in black robes. He surveyed Perwin calmly.
“So, you’ve been here.”
Facing Perwin, Kaien’s murderous intent boiled over. This hostility was not entirely his own.
With partial control over the Night Persona’s memories and abilities, a dangerous side effect had taken hold: emotional assimilation.
Emotions not originally his own had invaded him.
【ª□YS???: ?? ‘The mark of chivalry, the rightful master of glory□‛】
[Who will claim the true □□□ of the Hunting Festival? Defeat the monsters and competitors to win the treasure and the tournament. ♥]
[□□ info □□: ??? Failure: □□□ Death □□□]
“…”
He could no longer separate the emotions of the two personas by will. When the tide of hatred consumed him, even the reason he stood there seemed swept away like sand.
“You’ve been looking for me?”
“Yes. For a very long time.”
Pure murderous intent enveloped him, radiating like a searing blade.
“Are you… a mage?”
Perwin, sensing an extraordinary presence, went on guard.
“Strange… mages shouldn’t be allowed to participate.”
Kaien silently released his mana.
“Kuh.”
Heat roared like molten lava, forming a storm of fire. The air shimmered, wet grass and trees lost moisture and blackened. Flames quickly spread through the forest.
Perwin stepped back, overwhelmed, but had nowhere to escape. The scorching heat painted the air red.
“This is insane…”
Just as a massive pillar of fire was scorching the surroundings…
“…!”
A tremendous force, surpassing Kaien’s magic, extinguished the flames in an instant.
The arena’s outer barrier had activated, restraining Kaien’s magic and leaving only scorched marks behind.
Kaien glanced around in disbelief, while Perwin sneered.
“Usually, barriers can backfire and kill you. You’re lucky.”
“….”
“Well, you’ll still die by my hand soon enough.”
Perwin twisted his mouth into a grin and swung his sword. He pressed Kaien with ruthless momentum.
Kaien desperately reached for a weapon but only found a meager dagger.
“You think that’s enough to oppose me?”
Though Kaien’s strength and stamina were formidable, without magic, Perwin had the upper hand. Kaien struggled to fend off the relentless assault.
“Hmph. Darting around like a rat.”
Perwin drove him to the cliff’s edge. With no footing left, he struck decisively.
Thud.
“Ugh…”
Kaien’s abdomen was sliced deep, his face contorted in pain.
“Let’s see that proud face of yours.”
Perwin kicked Kaien to his knees and grabbed his hair roughly, aiming to inspect him, when—
Bang!
A shockwave erupted beneath Perwin, shaking the earth. Pain shattered his balance, and he collapsed.
“….”
Kaien staggered to his feet. Mana, condensed to its peak, enveloped him. The force that had weighed him down like gravity was gone.
“Impossible…”
Perwin muttered in disbelief.
“A barrier… shattered? I’ve never heard of this before.”
Finally, when Kaien looked down at Perwin—
Bang!
A devastating shockwave pierced Perwin’s body.
