Ludwig von Aslan
'I have no idea what's going on.'
But one thing was clear: he had to save the emperor first. Tiny raised Stamp and smashed the wall of shadows encircling them.
Boom!
The shadow wall parted far more easily than expected, as if it wanted him to rescue the emperor.
'...This feels off.'
But hesitating now that the path was open would be ridiculous. He charged straight through, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Old man, hang in there just a bit longer!"
Boom!Kaboom!Boom!
"And you! You've been calling me 'old man' this and 'old man' that! You little...!"
A furious voice erupted alongside a surge of red aura, spewing another faceless corpse into the air without a scream.
'He won't go down easy.'
Reassured by the sight, Tiny lightened his body as much as possible and leaped over the heads of the still-dazed princes. Exirlan, who had been gaping at the shadow onslaught, finally hardened his expression as he turned his gaze to follow the movement.
Before he could even step forward, Tiny flashed a savage grin and swung his hammer.
"Die, all of you!"
Kaboom.
"Argh!"
Kwang.
"Gah!"
Boom!
"Agh!"
One strike per knight. The imperial knights approaching from behind the princes exploded in gruesome bursts. Whether struck on the head, body, or even those who reflexively raised shields—the impact point shattered their entire forms, scattering them everywhere.
"Gasp!"
"Monster...!"
The imperial knights, splattered with their comrades' blood, froze for a moment.
"Uwaaaah!"
Tiny's hammer plunged mercilessly into their midst, whipping up a storm of blood. In an instant, he had turned the hall into a vision of hell.
As he paused briefly, the surviving twenty or so palace knights screamed and scattered in all directions.
"Run!"
"Get away!"
"It's a monster!"
But.
"Too late."
With Tiny's savage smile, the sunset-hued mana scattered around resonated, forming a vortex that sucked in everything nearby.
And then.
Fwooooosh!
The moment Stamp swung fiercely once more from within—Tiny's combat style, second form: Storm Swing.
The shattered knights' corpses and blood mixed into a crimson vortex that shot toward the fleeing ones.
Kraka-ka-ka-ka-ka!
"Kwaaaah!"
Kabooooom!
The lower knights, unable to resist the blood whirlwind's pull, were swept up, becoming vivid dye that intensified its red glow.
'Not even comparable to my past life, huh.'
Storm Swing was a technique he'd developed back when he was Blader-grade in his previous life, but strictly speaking, it had been more of a wide-area defense for handling arrow barrages or weak spells. Not something that could pulverize knights all at once like this.
"Good."
I'm doing great. Feeling the overwhelming power he wielded beyond his realm settled his cluttered mind, bringing a natural smile.
Then.
- Kabooooom!
Another explosion echoed from the palace depths.
'The emperor...'
He worried briefly about the Sword Emperor left behind, but.
Pfft.
'Who am I to worry about whom?'
The situation still didn't make full sense, but the Sword Emperor's judgment was probably right. So.
"Let's go!"
Decision made, Tiny sprinted madly toward the palace depths.
* * *
Immediately after the explosion, in the central imperial palace.
"The ceiling of Kreim Palace flew off!? Does that even make sense?!"
"I can hardly believe it myself, Your Majesty... but it's true."
The middle-aged man in golden robes bowed deeply at the emperor's roar.
He then cautiously lifted one of the crystal orbs nearby, showing the devastated audience hall.
No sound came through, but the falling rubble and dying collateral royals were clear—as was the monster that looked like a demon emerging amid it all.
"You mean the barrier didn't detect an artifact capable of that explosion?!"
"...It seems the demon worshippers' power exceeded our expectations."
"Ha, hahaha. Unbelievable, simply unbelievable..."
"We were negligent. My apologies."
The emperor merely nodded silently at the archmage's low, resonant voice. He belatedly realized his emotions had made him shout too loudly.
'This isn't just exceeding expectations...'
If he'd been there, and that unforeseen blast had started from the floor instead of the ceiling.
'Even I might not have survived.'
Not even he, laden with artifacts, was confident of surviving that. His protective artifacts reacted to mana or demonic energy.
It stung his pride even more, but he didn't show it. Besides.
"...The princes are safe."
"Of course—those with the thick blood of great Aslan. Their ancestors must have protected them."
"Yes, indeed."
What he wanted was pretext for centralization. Honestly, losing a son or two wouldn't matter, but blood was blood—seeing them unharmed brought an involuntary smile.
'The collateral royals dying like that gives plenty of pretext already.'
The imperial knights brazenly swinging swords in the orb would justify further restricting their authority.
"Heh, better this way. Sending even Shadow No. 1 was a stroke of genius. Cleanup will be easy."
"A truly wise judgment, Your Majesty."
The archmage, with platinum hair like the direct royals and gleaming golden eyes, bowed flatteringly at the right moment.
The emperor chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Ludwig, my brother! Having you here let me send No. 1. You earn merit just by standing by my side."
"You overpraise me, Your Majesty."
The humble demeanor of his much-younger half-brother, twenty years his junior, pleased him greatly. Ascending to archmage in his late forties, he'd followed him devotedly since youth.
A brother who slaked his thirst for personal might and preserved his pride in their great lineage. With him leading the imperial mage tower, the tower—meant to check the throne—now favored the emperor.
Thus, he could skirt laws toward the 'true path.'
'If Tiness, sent to quash the rebellion, dies, even better—but that's too greedy.'
Another imperial mage tower archmage. Recalling the prickly Ice Flame archmage he'd dispatched on rebellion pretext brought an even more irritating figure to mind.
"...Dealing with Duke Valentia now would be ideal."
"Once stability is confirmed, I'll assist. However..."
Ludwig picked up another orb—not the one showing the hall's carnage.
True to his 'Blue Blood Archmage' moniker, his orbs covered the vast palace comprehensively.
This one showed soldiers fiercely battling monsters flying in from outside. The barrier meant to block intruders and burn demonic energy failed entirely.
"Such heavy losses could create variables. Prioritize the empress and barrier repair."
"Yes, that makes sense. But Eschard—that bastard keeps getting in the way. Why'd he go outside? Of all times..."
Even watching via orb, no voices came through, so grasping full details was impossible.
The emperor fretted more over that than soldiers and servants dying gruesomely.
"We didn't anticipate the empress destroying the barrier. Before variables grow..."
"Exactly why it's frustrating. If Eschard hadn't left Kreim Palace, I could've used the shadows' 'Nightmare.' No need to borrow those trash's hands."
Ludwig's face subtly hardened at that.
He'd advised out of worry for palace losses, but the emperor fixated on killing the Sword Emperor.
Without barrier repair, even his sons could die.
'No, with those monsters earlier...'
They'd all die for sure.
"We'll handle Valentia later..."
As he managed his expression to speak again, a watching mage suddenly shouted.
"Y-Your Majesty! Demons are invading your private chambers!"
"What!?"
The emperor, indifferent to troop losses talk, whipped around to check the chamber orb.
His face twisted upon seeing three demons enter the opulent bedroom he'd meticulously designed.
The ruler's sanctum, where he spent half his days, defiled by filthy demons.
"What the hell is inner palace security doing!?"
The mage bowed at his enraged bellow.
"Y-Your presence disabled the chamber's defenses. Give us one personal artifact, and we'll handle it immediately!"
His eyebrows twitched irritably at the request for one of his many worn artifacts.
But ultimately.
"Useless fools...!"
Grumbling, he tossed the mage his staff with the orb.
'No choice.'
The emperor's quarters auto-activated defenses, but weakened without him. To maintain full guard now required his presence or a proxy— a personal imperial artifact.
He chose the staff among many.
The emperor's scepter. Proof of Aslan blood's 'oath.' It prevented imperial mages from hostility, but lacked other utilities, treated as symbolic.
It wouldn't respond to non-emperors, so handing it over was logical.
"Th-thank you, Your Majesty!"
As the mage took the scepter and left, Ludwig murmured incredulously at his back.
"...I overthought it. Heh..."
"What?"
"N-nothing. Just... you trust me more deeply than I thought. Surprised me."
"Haha, of course. But why say that suddenly...?"
"And their reach touching our mage tower is absurd. Not to be underestimated."
"...What do you mean??"
The emperor scowled at the cryptic words; Ludwig just smirked.
"I'll explain once he's safely distant. Shame we can't just smash it. Guess they have ulterior motives."
More baffling words. His brother acting this way before him was new, deepening the scowl.
Ludwig raised a hand with a sinister smile.
"First, witnesses."
Snap.
Crystal orbs under the dais spewed blue mana and exploded in unison.
Kabooooom!
The sudden blast killed the assisting mages instantly, without screams.
"You...?"
The emperor gawked, frozen in shock.
- The inner palace!
- His Majesty's location!
- Hurry!
Urgent voices rose outside the hall.
"Need to block the path too."
Snap.
The sturdy doors crumbled at Ludwig's snap.
Kabooooom!
Debris turned gray, clumping into a massive boulder blocking the entrance.
"The palace barrier... child's play for the imperial mage tower's master to interfere. No restrictions means it's my power. Right, brother?"
"...What?"
The emperor, who'd sidelined knights, had no high knights among his guards to breach that rock. One capable imperial knight existed, but.
'Grid would've fled long ago.'
Even if not, he wouldn't aid the emperor.
"The time for rightful succession is near, brother."
Seeing Ludwig's satisfied grin, the emperor paled.
"You, right now...?"
"Know how nauseating it's been? Serving a greedy, incompetent pig. 'Just' twenty years younger, denied even a chance."
"You bastard!! How dare you...!"
Ludwig smirked at the trembling finger.
"Wait a bit longer. The scepter hasn't gone far enough. Without this damn restriction, this would've happened ages ago."
"You bastard!!!!"
His pale face flushed rage-red again.
But soon.
"All a pig like you knows is squeal. Shut up."
Snap.
Marble floor tiles rose snake-like, coiling around the emperor, binding and gagging him.
Crunch.
Only he, knowing his artifacts' ins and outs, could bind him thus.
"Can't fully choke you yet—the restriction lingers. That mage is slow. Fine, enjoy your last breaths."
Ludwig began collecting the emperor's artifacts.
His now, useless to others—but his upon emperorship.
"Your death will be 'crushed by palace collapse.' Fitting for a pig."
As he grinned savagely again.
Kabooooom!
Craaaack.
A roar shook the blocked wall, crumbling it.