Chapter 44

Back in the room…

Seeing the scene played out before him, Duke Rabilla grinned wickedly as his hand stabbed through Cian’s chest. “You are done for!! Ha ha ha, even if you survive that, you will still die in the end!”

“… …”

“…Die while knowing, and be honored—! The one who stole you arrogant life, your highness, is the Habarati Family’s very own unique magic skill; [ Eternal Cold ]!!” Duke Rabilla laughed coldly as he trusted his hand even deeper.

“…Eter, nal…cold…?” A voice rang out, seemingly coming through clenched teeth. Cian looked at Duke Rabilla, his eyes through the mask can be seen confused, yet also curious. Blood spurted like a flood from his chest, dying Duke Rabilla’s hand into the crimson red—at the same time, it started freezing, and the droplets of blood, slowly turning to ruby-like crystals, making tic! tac! sound as it fell on the ground.

“Ha ha, your highness, you are extremely ignorant, it’s so laughable!!” Duke Rabilla scowled mockingly. “…Even the Vampire Lord would not dare fight me in close combat! That was how terrifying this curse is…!” He proudly declared.

“…Eternal Cold is not just a curse. It’s more troublesome than others because I nullified any kind of magic or defense, though it needed physical contact. It will freeze your blood in an eternal ice, then your organs, your limbs and until… your ever body, turning you into an ice sculpture…!”

“… …”

“There’s no cure for this curse… it’s an incurable curse that defines instant death to the victims…!” Duke Rabilla gleefully explained. He acted so smugly, Cian felt it was disgusting. “I don’t know how you acquire that kind of power, your highness… but you can only blame your arrogance…!”

“…even if died today, do you think you will still be able to live?” Cian snickered. His body trembled, as, from the impaled chest, his body started to freeze in an incredible speed.

“Mark my word… asshole, my mother, my mother will kill all of you…!”

“You don’t need to worry about that your highness,” Duke Rabilla grinned. “…Habarati Family is not a Clan that was afraid of her majesty! We might not be able to contend against her majesty in terms of power, but in this era of war, what is most important is the side in which people take…!”

“… …”

“There’s no use for an abandoned throne…! We have on our side, the first prince… the Hero of the Demons…! Her Majesty might be able to rule the Empire in fear but later on… that kind of ruling will eventually crumble into pieces—she would still die…she is not God…!”

“…Do you think that my mother will succumb to that…? Even if Elder Brother takes up the throne, do you think he can easily replace my mother…? You thought naïve…Duke…!! My Mother is the strongest, there’s no suitable to be a ruler other than her…!!” Cian’s mask crumbled, cold freezing, revealing his fearless grin.

His mismatched eyes, full of mirth and ridicule.

“Do you think mother is an idiot? A fool…!? My Elder Brother might be a genius, but even a genius has its limits…! My death will say it all… that history would never crumble just because of some idiot who thinks himself infallible just after being praised by other idiots and morons…!” Cian laughed out loud, his foot, leg and even waist were already frozen cold. And terrifying cracks appearing on the surface…

“You think you will be able to stand atop with my brother as the puppet—sadly, Duke Rabilla, you’re just a pawn, a pawn that can easily be discarded. Haven’t you realized that yet, when I came here and choose you as my target first…?”

“…You—shut up!!” Duke Rabilla cried out in anger. But Cian was not fazed. As if the death crawling onto him and the cold wrapping his body was nothing that concerns him, he remained standing, grinning fearlessly—a mocking expression dyed his face.

“…Because, I know… even if you die today, nothing will occur. They would pretend that they would care and ask my mother but they wouldn’t start anything—because the one who died, is nothing important…!!” ‘Ha ha ha ha!!’ Cian laughed scornfully, blood spurting from his mouth.

“Your Highness, you bastard…!!!”

Boooom!!

While laughing, Cian’s entire body turned into frozen ice—his face never showed anxiety or fear, instead, it’s as if it was laughing mockingly at the sky. Then, with a large, booom!!, the frozen body of the second prince, instantly explode into pieces scattering through the air.

“… ha ha ha say what you want, your highness!! You still died…!!” Duke Rabilla laughed loudly, starting at the crimson flesh of ice chunks littered on the ground.

“History is written by the victor… nothing is for the dog that died worthlessly…!” He muttered coldly.

However, as he was feeling excited and happy about his victory, suddenly…

—At this very moment,

“Hmm… I see, there’s such a terrifying magic, I didn’t know. Interesting,“ A cold voice rang out from somewhere.

“Ha ha—eh?!” As Duke Rabilla was laughing excitedly suddenly, a voice cut him off. However, the most surprising thing was that it was Cian’s voice and yet it didn’t come from the front but at the back. Well, not like pieces of ice chunks would able to still let out even a groan.

Even if an immortal like the Vampire Lord, being cursed with [ Eternal Cold ] would surely make her die without a burial ground…!

And yet…!

“What?!” Duke Rabilla shivered as he hastily jumped towards the right in panic.

“…Good thing I took precaution—”

When he turned around, there he saw another Cian, standing, with intact masked and chest not covered in blood, nor hole could be seen on it. Even a crease or wrinkle on his clothes couldn’t be found—all while looking curiously as if examining the pieces of ice that littered the floor, a very interesting subject—though the pieces were slowly turning hazy and blurry by the minute.

“Ho ho… There sure were a lot of spells and skills that is so troublesome…” Cian muttered with an empathetic voice. “First those shadows hide that the current eye of mine can’t see, now even this type of attack that can ignore whatever magic defense has and pierce through them… what’s more, did you say it has a curse… what a thrilling subject….”

“Wh, wh, what the hell is happening here!! WHY ARE THERE TWO OF YOU!!!” Duke Rabilla cried out, terrified. His face turned ghastly pale as if looking at a ghost in broad daylight!

“Don’t look so surprised. How pathetic.” Cian turned his gaze at Duke Rabilla who was terrified and confused. Poor guy…

“Look,” Cian shrugged and suddenly opened his both palms as if letting Duke Rabilla see it. Then, a poof sound, accompanied by a light smoke.

When the smoke faded, something was on Cian’s palm… Trump…?

“… …???”

“…can you see it? It’s magic~” Cian spoke, sounding excited. He moved his both arms and the deck of cards moved, one palm to another. And then, when he clapped his hands, the trump disappeared, and countless doves appeared from within it, flying to the sky.

Duke Rabilla stood rooted, shock and confused. What is going on…?!

“…It’s magic~” he repeated.

Duke Rabilla’s body went numb.

“What a weak audience…” Cian muttered displeased. “How about this, a gun… have you seen something like this before…?” The second prince seemed rather excited as he spoke. He gently waved his hand, a sword appeared. At first impression, it was a flintlock but was slightly different.

“But this is not an ordinary gun…”

Where the hilt should have been was a pirate’s musket pistol. It was a sort of gun with a strange projectile.

“…?!!” Duke Rabilla shivered, seeing something unknown yet, his body seemed to be telling him how dangerous that thing floating in the air and pointing at him, was. “Wh, what is happening… here?! Your Highness, what are—”

The attack approaching, Duke Rabilla tensed.

“Bang!” Cian smacks his lips while his body swayed as if he was a bamboo being pushed by the wind.

Seemingly desiring to rip apart the air, the gun exploded accompanied by the sound of exploding gunpowder. The next instant, Duke Rabilla felt something barely brush past his face and, after that, blue-white bullets struck the wall behind him and exploded.

“…!?!!” Duke Rabilla’s mind going haywire.

“Tic! Tac! Tic! Tac!” Cian made noise as he moved forward, swaying like a thin branch.

The shadow of the room seemed to have wrapped in Cian’s figure, his eyes gleaming in the dark.

Seeing him like this, Duke Rabilla was assaulted by an unknown force… yeah, that’s right—it was fear…!

“…oh my, oh my… let’s liven up the place, shall we…?” Cian, seemingly noticed the fear creeping through him, smiled widely, like a psychopath, he tilted his head to the side and said, “…more guns, please…”

With those words, ten muskets appeared in his hands, five in each in a metallic fan-like array. If those guns were fired, Duke Rabilla would inevitably fail to avoid or dodge.

I’ve got to… run!

Duke Rabilla had decided to run before the firing, not wanting to fight anymore as he couldn’t understand what was happening anymore. Though he knew it was a pointless struggle, he actively tried to flee.

“Baaang!!” Cian made a gun finger and made a Bang! sound. With that as a signal, ten blazing, blue-white bullets struck Duke Rabilla. The latter’s body was covered with what felt like fists wearing brass knuckles. The word “fire” failed to describe the speed.

The high-speed sniping was untraceable while even editing a recording of it.

"Ugh… argh…!"

Luckily, the bullets were not fatal, probably because he had a physique of a Demon who relied on the physical body rather than magic. Hit all over by the old-style bullets, blood spilled everywhere.

He was shot back, bounced off the floor like a rubber ball and finally stopped once he had crashed into the wall. In the end, the distance between him and Cian had widened by eight meters once again.

Though he was in so much pain he thought his bones were broken, he could still move. Of course, this was not luck. The Second Prince had already warned that he would not kill him so easily.

Apparently happy with the outcome, Cian raised a hand at Duke.

“See…? Have you realized something yet…?” he grinned.

“Wh, what are you…”

“See…? Have you realized something yet…?” he grinned.

“Wh, what are you…” Duke Rabilla stared at Cian in horror. More fear inch on his bones as his body seemed to have gone numb as he found himself couldn’t move anymore…

Seeing this, Cian sigh…”So you can’t move anymore huh…”

“…What, did you do?! You MONSTER!!”

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