I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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"S-stop them!!"

BOOM!

"AAARGH!"

The hero's party's forms shot forward leaving blurry afterimages as they tore through over ten demons blocking their path.

Behind them, the completely destroyed research facility belched red flames and smoke.

"They must have noticed by now outside."

It would be stranger if they hadn't noticed with this much commotion.

They needed to accomplish their objective and escape before the Beast King's reinforcements arrived.

"We're almost at the final floor!"

As if answering her words, Tirian, who was using detection magic in all directions, shouted toward her.

As if proving his words, a massive iron door soon appeared before them.

"Don't slow down. I'll break through immediately."

BOOM!

Their forms burst into the final research lab through the passage behind the iron door after Turzan's single punch shattered it, though it had looked several times more solid than any they'd seen before.

And in that moment,

"...That's."

Claire and her companions' steps froze in place.

What caught their eyes was an enormous test tube in the center of the chamber filled with research equipment.

No, more precisely, it was the single body inside that test tube that seized their attention.

A height of easily 2 meters, powerful muscles covering the entire body, and black fur covering the hands and feet proving it was of the Myowol clan.

Claire knew what this was.

"The first Beast King's body..."

Though merely an empty shell with its soul long gone, the power and dignity emanating from that body sent chills down her spine.

"So we need to destroy that, right?"

Rain tightly gripped her spear as she heard Claire's muttering beside her.

CRACKLE!

Blue lightning gathered at her spear tip.

Just as Rain prepared to unleash that lightning toward the test tube without hesitation-

"I can't allow that."

Along with a calm voice reaching their ears, a man walked out from behind the test tube.

A handsome man wearing white robes.

As she recognized him, Claire's eyes rapidly darkened.

"...Damodeus."

The final Great Demon General, a demon whose abilities differed from the other generals.

A being who could easily have become an Archdemon if not for the current Archdemons born with the fate of destruction.

"Oh? You know who I am?"

As if proving Claire's assessment, the demon spoke with an interested expression while the space around him melted, unable to withstand his concentrated demonic energy.

"Combat positions."

A cold voice flowed from the hero's lips.

As the other companions' eyes filled with tension-

SCREECH!

With Claire's sword strike, their final clash to complete the mission began.

---

The representatives' combined attack completely enveloped Zion's form.

"Ah...!"

Just as Jang Maldong closed his eyes while watching this scene-

CRACK!

Spider web-like cracks began spreading across the light's surface covering the entire training ground.

Though light wasn't physical matter and thus couldn't crack, there was no other way to describe this phenomenon.

Then-

PUHWAHAHA!

Pitch-black darkness burst through the cracks and began devouring all the light covering the training ground.

How much time passed like that?

Finally both light and darkness vanished and-

"What the..."

People's eyes filled with shock as their vision returned.

The scene on the training ground before their eyes was completely unexpected.

"...Urk! How..."

THUD!

Blade Demon collapsed lifelessly after blankly staring at the massive hole pierced through his chest.

Beside him lay Crushing Fist's headless corpse.

"Th-that sword...!"

Unlike them, Spear King was still alive, but his condition wasn't much better.

His right arm cleanly severed and spear completely shattered.

"You are, no, you're...!"

Spear King's face showed only fear as he backed away pointing at Zion's sword, having completely lost his fighting spirit.

SWISH!

Before he could finish speaking, Zion closed the distance in a single step and swung Eclaxia to sever his neck.

THUD! Roll roll.

Spear King's head rolled across the ground, cut off without any resistance.

The entire training ground began falling into silence deep enough to hear water droplets at this unbelievable sight.

In that stillness-

"Are there any more representatives on that side?"

Zion turned his head toward the frozen Wolbyeokcheon and spoke with a slight smile.

"If not, let's end this Moon King's Battle."

As if coming to his senses at Zion's words-

"Th-the winner of this Moon King's Battle is... Crown Prince Wolhaun!"

The MC belatedly shouted toward the audience.

"...We actually won."

Wolhaun muttered in disbelief as she watched Zion amid the silence that still wouldn't fade.

Yes, though she had held hope, she honestly hadn't thought they could really win.

That's how great the gap between them and Wolbyeokcheon had been.

A miracle.

This could only be described as exactly that - a miracle.

And that miracle had come about because of this man called Zion Haness right before her eyes.

'Truly an incredible yet unfathomable man... And what's that sword? Somehow it seems familiar...'

Before Wolhaun could finish this thought-

"UHAHAHAHAHA!"

Wolbyeokcheon, who had been watching Zion and the Crown Prince with a hardened expression, suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Attention focused back on the Beast King.

Recognizing the gazes on him, Wolbyeokcheon spoke with traces of laughter still on his face:

"Yes, truly remarkable. I never thought you'd actually defeat all five alone."

"Then acknowledge your defeat now, uncle."

The Crown Prince glared at him as she spoke.

But-

"No, I can't do that."

Wolbyeokcheon shook his head.

"...What did you just say?"

"Moon King's Battle is the most important ceremony deciding the next Beast King to lead the Beast Sea. It's absurd for a human who isn't even a beast-kin to interfere. Even if it's a proxy battle rather than direct combat."

"There was never any rule saying other races couldn't participate."

"There's also no rule saying they can."

"What nonsense...!"

Smiling beneath his mask at his niece's anger at this ridiculous sophistry, Wolbyeokcheon continued:

"My dear niece, the punishment will be severe for daring to bring an outsider into Moon King's Battle that decides the next king, and moreover trying to ascend to the throne over the current king."

The moment the Beast King finished speaking-

CRACK!

As if they had been prepared beforehand-

Thousands? No, tens of thousands?

Even more martial artists burst out from all directions and began surrounding the Crown Prince and resistance forces.

'Though losing Moon King's Battle is regrettable... it doesn't change the plan.'

Wolbyeokcheon thought this as he watched the resistance being surrounded.

Originally, it was right for one with power to become king of a country.

Wolbyeokcheon himself had such power while his niece did not.

So he truly believed this was the natural order.

'That Zion Haness's martial ability is concerning... but he must be tired from the recent battle and handling this many would be impossible.'

Moreover, if that human interfered more actively, the audience hesitating over which side to support in this sudden situation might develop antipathy toward the Crown Prince's side.

The Beast Sea was extremely closed off and thus disliked other races interfering in their affairs.

'Though that pitch-black sword and surrounding darkness seem familiar somehow... well, it doesn't matter.'

One person alone couldn't significantly affect the greater situation anyway.

"Now what will you do, my foolish niece?"

As Wolbyeokcheon muttered this while watching the Crown Prince who had thrust her head into the tiger's mouth-

"All forces, take the battle formation we prepared."

Wolhaun was calmly giving orders to the resistance.

'Yes, we knew this would happen from the start.'

That's why she had brought all her elite martial artists, but she couldn't help losing confidence at the enemy forces far exceeding expectations.

'Still, we must overcome this.'

Though they had made it this far thanks to that man Zion, they could no longer rely on him.

They had already received too much.

It was their turn to somehow manage on their own.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As if her feelings reached them-

"Don't retreat no matter what happens."

Hwagangjin and the resistance steeled themselves, shaking off the fear in their eyes.

Just as the Beast King's martial artists prepared to charge at them-

"Let's clarify one thing first."

A quiet voice cut through the flow toward battle.

It was Zion.

Feeling attention focus on him, Zion turned toward the still confused audience.

"Which side will you take?"

This question flowed from his lips.

"...We won't take either side."

One audience member quickly grasped his meaning and spoke toward Zion.

"Whoever wins, we'll simply follow them."

Yes.

The battle between the Beast King and resistance was, in a way, an internal Myowol clan struggle.

So from their neutral position, they had no reason to interfere.

"In that case."

Nodding inwardly at their expected response, Zion slowly walked toward the training ground's center.

"What if one side committed a taboo that even you couldn't accept?"

"Taboo? What do you mean?"

"For example... joining hands with the demon realm."

"...What?"

Without answering their question, Zion smiled and raised Eclaxia upward.

PUHWAHAHA!

Red light burst from Zion's sword tip and shot toward the sky, beginning to draw a magical formation large enough to cover the entire training ground.

Detection Formation.

The formation's identity was a Detection Formation endlessly refined by Two Heavens and two magic towers until it was incomparably superior to its original form.

"Wh-what...!"

The martial artists cried out in shock watching red light from the instantly completed massive formation cover the ground.

And the next moment-

"N-no... KYAAAAAAA!"

A sight more shocking than anything they had seen before began unfolding before their eyes.

KYAAAAA!

GRRRRRR!

CRUNCH!

Along with screams like demons crawling from hell, some of the Beast King's martial artists surrounding the resistance began transforming into grotesquely shaped monsters.

Along with the spine-chilling, disgusting demonic energy that burst forth!

What this meant was clear enough for even a baby to understand.

"D-demons!"

"How could this..."

In the midst of the training ground filled with confusion among the Beast King's forces, audience, and resistance alike at this scene defying common sense, Swish- Zion's solitary walking form slowly began to change.

His pitch-black hair and eyes returning to deep gray.

His features finding their original form.

"Th-that man is...!"

Even amid this massive confusion, the eyes of the few beast-kin who recognized Zion expanded as wide as possible.

Zion Agnes.

The being mentioned as the sole heir to the next imperial throne after perfectly seizing control of the entire empire by crushing all competitors in less than 2 years.

The Disaster Subjugation, Salvation of the Floating City, and even defeating the Archdemon of Pride.

One who had achieved countless feats that would be difficult for a single hero to accomplish in a lifetime, even called the reincarnation of the Eternal Emperor.

Slowly.

Eclaxia's sword tip that had pointed skyward lowered to point at Wolbyeokcheon, who had risen with an expression of disbelief.

"I, Zion Agnes, next Emperor of Agnes, command you."

From the emperor's lips as he watched the Beast King with frozen eyes-

"From this moment, the Beast Sea shall exterminate all demons before you."

An order that could not be refused flowed forth.