Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Hellfire Ablaze
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There were still quite a few assassins left to deal with, but on this side, only two people were capable of putting up a proper fight.
The morons huddling low and trembling weren't worth anything more than baggage, in truth.
But the situation was far better than expected. Originally, he would have had to face all the assassins alone.
'Lucky.'
When he learned Agnes was attending the ball, he had wondered if she might make this choice.
She was a woman as upright in character as she was skilled in swordsmanship. Even amid their engagement that felt more like an act, that much had been clear.
"Gaaah!"
Damian dipped his waist slightly and charged at the enemy ahead. The tip of his sword drew a bold arc, severing the opponent's wrist.
The Iron Wolf swordsmanship taught by Derek. It appeared free and unrestrained, yet it contained intricate forms—that was its defining trait.
The assassins' eyebrows twitched at Damian's flashy movements. They had trained for situations where mana was restricted, but moving inside the barrier was still uncomfortable for them.
Most martial arts, swordsmanship included, presupposed the use of aura. Hesitation in their movements was inevitable.
But Damian's movements flowed without hindrance, like a high-speed ship riding a tailwind.
Such motion was only possible after years of training without relying on aura. Who in this era would undergo such training?
'When did he learn swordsmanship like that?'
That was why Agnes, even as she slashed at her opponent's thigh and toppled him, couldn't help focusing on Damian's movements.
The duel between Damian and Arkin. The public only knew the outcome; few understood the details.
Arkin was a mage, and Damian had some aptitude for magic over aura.
Whatever enlightenment Damian had gained, or superior teacher he had found, people assumed he had awakened his magical talent over a few years. That explained his victory.
Even as a bastard, Damian carried the imperial bloodline, so it seemed plausible enough.
Then what was this swordsmanship now?
It wasn't something one could acquire through mere enlightenment. It required consistent practice under proper guidance to reach that level.
Why would a mage like him...? Agnes couldn't comprehend it.
But beyond the inexplicable, there was an undeniable allure to Damian's swordplay.
"Now! Aim for his side!!"
With the shout, two assassins lunged from the left. If they had merely exchanged glances and coordinated their attack, it would have been more effective. That proved how cornered they were.
Agnes swung her sword horizontally for a counterattack. Fingers flew in all directions from her nimble strike.
They had spotted a gap while fixated on Damian's sword, but apparently hadn't noticed the openings in their own attacks.
The one-sided assault continued.
Even when Agnes had been facing them alone, it had been an even match. With Damian joining in, the balance completely collapsed.
Naturally, there was no spare manpower to watch the prisoners. Damian shouted toward the still-trembling fools.
"If you don't want to die, jump overboard now, you morons!!"
Harsh words to direct at noble heirs, even if he was imperial blood. But they had no room to complain.
Instead, it snapped them alert, allowing their stone-stiff legs to move.
But those who reached the railing froze again.
"F-From here...?"
"I can't. I can't do it!"
"Uwaaaah! I shouldn't have come, I shouldn't have!"
The height was daunting, but the distance to land was considerable too. Moreover, the barrier enveloping the cruise ship extended farther than expected.
They would have to swim a certain distance without aura or magic—and none showed any confidence.
"Ah!"
But soon they brightened and boldly leaped down. Dozens of small boats were moored near the cruise ship.
"Over here, here!"
Servants holding lanterns waved from above. They were the ones the assailants had bound beforehand; while Agnes had been holding off the enemies alone, Damian had freed them all.
The assassins had only watched for incoming boats from outside, paying little attention to those already on the cruise ship. Thus, they missed the servants' movements.
Splash after splash echoed as the prisoners escaped. There was no one left to stop them.
The remaining forces were stretched thin just handling Damian and Agnes.
'Damn it.'
Watching the scene, leader Kellin ground his teeth.
He couldn't fathom where things had gone wrong.
How much effort had they poured into this operation?
A massive Anti-Magic Barrier like this had required substantial funding, and they had even trained to fight without mana in case of emergencies.
They had thoroughly scouted the ball and prepared perfect escape routes.
Even Agnes's resistance had been within calculations.
Only one. They hadn't anticipated Damian Renekht.
When he seized the invitation from Arkin, Kellin had thought their hellish demon lord had bestowed favor.
Whenever Arkin appeared at such events, an imperial knight always accompanied him in disguise.
They had planned to neutralize him beforehand, but it risked complications like with Agnes.
But if Damian attended, no need to worry about that.
The public believed the benevolent Empress embraced even the bastard son, but no mother treated an illegitimate child the same as her own womb-born.
Yet events veered from Kellin's expectations. Damian's skill far surpassed their preparations.
No average fighter could beat him without aura or magic.
'We can't lose here.'
The number of prisoners didn't matter much. What counted was whether they held value to lure out Anya Hilton for negotiations.
In that regard, Damian still had utility.
"Release it."
At Kellin's signal, a subordinate manipulated the magic tool from behind. The Anti-Magic Barrier began dissolving from the top down.
Kellin immediately gathered mana throughout his body to its limit. Speed was key. He had to succeed before they reacted.
He spread his palm, and the surrounding air coalesced into a sphere before exploding, generating powerful wind pressure.
"Urk!"
His target was Agnes. Before she could use aura, her body lifted and flew backward. The aftermath shattered the ball hall's fixtures.
Fortunately, Damian was in her flight path. Agnes reached out and grabbed his forearm. The fierce gust began pushing Damian back too.
"Th-Thank you. Just hold on a bit lo—Huh?"
Agnes let out a dazed sound before flying out of the cruise ship. Damian had violently shaken off her hand.
The wind pressure's origin was Agnes. As long as she kept distance from Kellin, the spell wouldn't dissipate.
Waiting for the opponent's mana to run dry was an option, but inefficient.
Moreover, with the barrier gone, Agnes had no reason to stay.
"Huff, huff. Now even your fancy swordsmanship won't save you."
Kellin said, supported by his subordinate. His earlier wind blast had depleted his mana. But with the tide turned, it didn't matter.
Between Damian and Agnes, the dangerous one once the barrier lifted was Agnes. Her aura, beloved by the sword, could slay everyone present.
But not Damian. It was odd that he wielded a sword competently, but he was a mage at heart.
Raw physical strength and technique couldn't match aura users.
They couldn't reform the barrier, but the remaining forces could overwhelm Damian.
Plus, his value was far higher. A bastard, yes, but the Emperor's own son. Holding him hostage still left room for negotiation.
"..."
Damian sheathed his sword with a bored expression.
Kellin took it as an act to mask fear.
Sword skill aside, Damian wasn't yet of age. Being surrounded alone, tension was natural.
"Hm?"
Then something odd caught Kellin's eye. Blood was dripping from Damian's left hand.
Snap.
Damian flicked his fingers. Four of them ignited in green flames.
At the same time, the blood droplets falling from his palm began burning green.
Boom! A massive roar followed as the deck exploded, sending dozens of fire pillars shooting skyward.
"Gaaahhh!!"
"F-Fire! Fire!"
"L-Lidocaine!!"
The assassins' screams erupted simultaneously. The green flames pierced their aura, searing their flesh.
Crack. The pillars didn't spare structures. A massive burning mast toppled, slamming into the hull.
The cruise ship's sinking was imminent. Exactly as Damian intended.
'A bit dizzy.'
Damian leaned against the railing, ignoring the assassins writhing in the Hellfire. It was due to the blood loss from the ritual.
After freeing the servants tied below the cruise ship, Damian had wandered the hull, leaving bloodstains everywhere.
Pre-drawn blood would have been ideal, but this method required freshly spilled blood.
Like most magic, black magic Hellfire activated centered on the caster.
But using blood as a medium allowed wide-area ignition, unlike regular fire spells.
His mind swam from the blood loss, but this was the best option.
Four fingers' worth of power wasn't enough to incinerate the entire deck.
"P-Please... spare me...."
He thought the assassins were all dead, but Kellin dragged his half-charred body forward.
His mana should be exhausted. Yet he endured—that spoke to his skill.
"I-I'll talk. Everything. Who we are, who ordered it, why. P-Please, spare me...."
Tears welled in the man's previously emotionless eyes. The excruciating pain had restored his feelings.
"Everything?"
Damian crouched and gazed at Kellin.
Hope lit Kellin's face. This time, his tears carried optimism.
"I-I swear. All of it, I'll te—"
Kellin's words cut off midway. A sword had pierced his throat.
"That's why it has to end like this."
Damian murmured as he rose again.
Damian already knew everything. Their identity, who commissioned this, their goals.
They were Lidocaine's children. Devil worshippers operating in the continent's shadows.
The one who hired them for this incident was a noble who would later join the orthodox faction.
He had lost an interests dispute to Hilton Merchant Company in the past and planned this as revenge.
In his previous life, many prisoners died, but fortunately—or unfortunately—Arkin escaped unscathed.
Arkin vented his ordeal on Hilton Merchant Company. Even an early dropout in the succession race, his status as 4th Prince wielded great influence in the Empire.
Moreover, due to future events, Hilton would decline, shattering the balance of the continent's three great merchant guilds.
Forest, Marriott, Hilton.
Hilton was the weakest, but it could check the other two.
Thus, Forest and Marriott couldn't act boldly alone.
But after Hilton's fall, they swiftly aligned with Michael and the Empress respectively, fueling their rivalry.
Hilton's decline couldn't be allowed. At minimum, none of the three guilds could meddle in the succession struggle.
Crack! Unable to withstand the inferno, the cruise ship began sinking. The perpetrators of this assault, and all traces of them, would vanish.
They had to.
Their identity mustn't be revealed yet.
Lidocaine's children took this job for funds—to offer tribute to the demon Lidocaine they worshipped.
It was laughable even now. No demon named Lidocaine existed in hell.
But they held a significant amount of the Book of Hell. Until Damian sought them out, they couldn't expose themselves in continental history.
This incident involved numerous nobles, including imperial member Damian. A massive investigation was inevitable.
In his previous life, their plan succeeded flawlessly, escape perfect—no pursuit possible.
This time, they failed. But they couldn't be tracked. If the Imperial Inspectorate pursued, they'd focus on hiding, and Damian's known hideouts would change.
Gazing at the corpses sinking into the water, Damian pondered.
In the moment the Hellfire consumed them, did they feel the fragment of the hell, the demon they so desperately sought?
No, they hadn't. That was why their actions were gruesome yet somehow pitiable.