I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Unlike other Archdemons, Ogrit wasn't originally a demon.

He was a king and the most powerful sorcerer of an ancient nation that existed before the Agnes Empire.

That was his identity and origin.

Ogrit had always pondered one thing:

How could he reign eternally as king?

After endless contemplation, Ogrit finally reached a conclusion - to contain the souls of all his people within his own body.

The foundation of a nation was its people.

If those people remained with him always, he could wield eternal authority.

The large-scale sorcery born from this idea was executed, and Ogrit succeeded in containing the souls of ten million people within himself.

But the sorcery was imperfect, forcing the king into a deep slumber.

Hundreds of years passed. When Ogrit finally awoke and immediately realized his lifespan was nearly exhausted-

"I shall grant you eternal life."

A being appeared before his eyes, offering an irresistible deal.

* * *

In the Desert of Pride, one of the territories deep within the demon realm and domain of Zeloth, Archdemon of Jealousy-

"KYAAAAH!"

"You filthy traitors! I'll kill every last one of you!"

BOOM!

A massive war between demons raged, and-

"Hahaha! I've always wanted to tear your head off!"

CRASH!

A battle between two transcendent beings unfolded.

Perhaps because they possessed unfathomable status having partially escaped even the cycle of reincarnation-

Their every word, every movement of their fingers caused the surrounding world to scream and shatter.

Power so overwhelming and transcendent it could twist even predetermined causality.

"I thought Wrath would come with you... but I guess not?"

The woman blocking Acrimosia's attacks smiled slightly as she spoke.

Unlike Madness who appeared as a young girl, Jealousy took the form of a sensual woman in her late twenties.

She had revealed herself immediately upon sensing Acrimosia's arrival on the battlefield to confront her.

"Someone of your level? I can handle you alone. There's no need for two Archdemons to move together."

Madness smirked and unleashed an attack capable of obliterating a small city.

"Hmm, is it because you're half-mad? You've always been terrible at grasping situations. Even among Archdemons, there are levels."

Jealousy easily deflected Acrimosia's attack while launching a counterattack.

CRASH!

The already devastated earth was completely pulverized.

"I know. I know you're lower ranked than me. And aren't you the one who can't grasp the situation? Daring to betray the King and start a rebellion."

"Betrayal? Me? I'm sorry, but how could I betray someone I never served in the first place?"

Zeloth's alluring eyes swept over their surroundings as she continued:

"But are you sure you don't need to worry about Pride? I heard he went to the border alone."

"Ha, worry? You should worry about your own life right now!"

Madness scoffed and intensified her assault.

There was no need to worry about that side.

Even if all the empire's forces at the border mobilized, they couldn't face Ogrit.

Even if the hero party happened to appear, they weren't a threat unless fully grown.

'The only real threats would be five or more ancient dragons gathering, or most of humanity's strongest forces assembling...'

That was impossible.

They couldn't gather like that, and Pride's movements were swift and secretive.

The empire probably hadn't even detected Ogrit's movements.

However-

"Hmm, you really should worry."

Despite Acrimosia's words, the smile never left Jealousy's lips.

No, it only deepened.

As if she knew something.

Then-

SWOOSH!

A deep purple veil began descending around Jealousy, as if concealing that knowledge.

* * *

BOOM!

A straight line extended from the Border Corps, with hundreds of shockwaves bursting around it.

The surrounding air tore apart from these aftershocks, creating tremendous noise.

'...The hero?'

Through her wavering vision, Claire looked up at the knight before her.

Mounted on a spirit horse burning with blue flames and clad in the crimson Heat Heaven Armor, the knight strongly resembled Magnus Flare - the hero who fought in the First War and was called the strongest in history. 𝖗

But remembering who currently owned Muspelheim, a single name left her lips:

"Prince... Zion?"

Without answering her question, Zion turned his head toward where Ogrit had been embedded, then extended a hand to Claire who was still sitting.

As she reached for his hand with a dazed expression-

"The sword."

A single word left Zion's lips.

"What?"

"The sword you obtained from the demon realm."

As Zion demanded the divine artifact as if it had always been his, Claire held out Gram in a trance.

FLASH!

The moment it touched Zion's hand, the Sun Sword burst with radiance incomparably brighter than when Claire held it.

Then as Zion swung Gram through the empty air before him-

CRASH!

An incredible shockwave erupted.

As everything nearby was either destroyed or sent flying, a figure belatedly appeared with his hand against Zion's sword.

"So you're that Zion Agnes?"

It was Ogrit.

"I've heard much about you. You've interfered with many of our plans, they say?"

Despite being thrown through dozens of rocky mountains, not a single wound marked Pride's body.

But faint anger filled his eyes.

Even without direct damage, simply being thrown back had wounded his pride.

"The hero, Evelyn Agnes, and... you too. How convenient. I can eliminate all the obstacles to our grand plan at once."

As Pride's lips curved upward-

Hundreds of spectral knights appeared behind him, laying their hands over his where it pressed against Zion's sword.

Part of Pride's authority that had once devoured an entire nation was manifesting.

RUMBLE!

Zion's form was pushed back mercilessly by the exponentially amplifying power.

"Such words..."

But Zion wouldn't simply accept this.

"First require the ability to back them up."

WHOOSH!

Zion casually twisted his sword to deflect most of Pride's power while tilting his upper body diagonally and taking a large step forward.

The distance between them closed to nearly zero in an instant as Muspelheim's flames erupted explosively.

Zion's sword strike was so fast even Claire watching nearby couldn't properly perceive it, but Ogrit easily reacted by condensing the knights' shields directly before him.

CRASH!

The surrounding space shattered from their collision.

Spider web-like cracks spread across the entire ground beneath them.

The air convulsed as if screaming.

"Die pierced through."

Ignoring this, Ogrit created distance and pointed at Zion.

Thousands of spectral archers appeared behind the Archdemon, drawing their bows aimed solely at Zion.

Each arrow contained enough power to obliterate a mountain.

But these arrows never reached Zion.

ROAR!

Muspelheim's wildly burning flames were amplified by the sunlight extending from Gram and began consuming the surrounding space at a terrifying rate.

Sun Domain.

The arrows vanishing without trace upon touching this domain - an authority surpassing even the Heat Heaven Armor's basic "Flame World."

Using the opening this created, Zion closed in and swung Gram vertically from above his head.

WHOOSH!

The surrounding space warped with a strange resonance, changing to allow the most efficient path to Pride's vital points.

"Petty tricks."

Pride restored the space with his authority while tilting his body to dodge Zion's strike and swept out his hand.

CRASH!

Tens of thousands of spears materialized around him and plunged toward Zion.

Or rather, tried to plunge.

Because before that-

CRACK!

Absolute cold burst from Zion, freezing space itself.

The Frost Queen's authority, his third divine artifact, had activated.

Then Gram swept horizontally once more, dyeing the entire field of vision with sunlight.

"How... can he wield it like that?"

Claire muttered blankly watching this scene.

Even she could only swing it once.

Yet Prince Zion, who clearly had never held it before, could wield it so perfectly.

An incomprehensible sight.

But to Zion, it was perfectly natural.

Ian Ascalon, the Divine Blade and original owner of Sun Sword Gram, as well as first head of the Ascalon family, had been one of Zion's close associates when he was the Eternal Emperor.

Because of that connection, Zion had used Gram several times in the past and could therefore skillfully draw out its power.

FLASH!

Gram's power was beyond imagination, and combined with the other two divine artifacts, Zion could maintain an even battle with Ogrit.

Of course, this only lasted while Pride wasn't using his full power.

In an instant-

BOOM!

Zion's form was sent flying at imperceptible speed by Pride's demonic energy, amplified incomparably beyond before.

Only by driving Gram deep into the earth while dropping to one knee could Zion finally stop.

Though he had merely grazed a single attack, Muspelheim's flames covering Zion's left arm had completely vanished.

A truly overwhelming gap in power.

"Still, you're slightly better than the other insects."

Looking down at Zion with eyes still overflowing with pride, Ogrit began drawing up an authority he hadn't used until now.

"Consider it an honor."

RUMBLE!

The surrounding world began transforming around him.

"Now I shall show you my true power."

Pride's status had transcended even predetermined fate to reach immortality.

HISS!

As that status fully manifested, nearby beings of insufficient level instantly vanished without trace.

"Ah..."

The eyes of people dying instantly from that overwhelming, despairing power.

However-

"That works out perfectly."

Zion's eyes curved as if smiling as he looked at Pride.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

Zion had known from the start.

That the three divine artifacts alone couldn't defeat the Pride before him.

Yet he hadn't used "Chronos's Five Questions" from the beginning because the "Fourth Question," like the First, required time to adapt.

A question with such powerful effects.

Chronos's Fourth Question was this:

-Which of the three questions asked before holds the most value?

Unlike the other questions, this one had no predetermined answer.

The answer varied based on the user's choice.

In the chronicle, Hero Flosimar chose the Second Question of "Time Theft" as her answer to borrow another being's time, but-

Zion had no need for that.

He was already at the peak himself.

Therefore, Zion's answer was already decided:

-Is the value of all time given to me equal?

Time Reproduction.

Tick! Tock!

The laws constituting the world began restructuring as clock hands turned.

RUMBLE!

Space vibrated madly as time gradually slowed.

People's eyes wavered.

The hero's mouth opened wider.

Even Evelyn running urgently toward them.

"What is-!"

As Pride reached toward Zion, sensing an ominous feeling from this strange phenomenon- CRACK!

The fourth jewel on the bracelet finally shattered, and time stopped completely.

And in this frozen time-

SWOOSH!

The Emperor of the Black Star slowly began to rise.