Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga - Chapter 201

Chapter 201 - Royal Slaughter

Tor was a towering man, blessed with height from birth. His stature complemented his role as an exorcist with a warrior affinity, granting him an additional advantage. When he didn't smile, his face held an intimidating air. Which, despite his dislike for how it made him look always like he was threatening to break someone’s legs, it had helped him secure a comfortable position.

Among the ups and downs of his life, this was undoubtedly one of the high points. He served as a royal guard for the second prince of the Sun Kingdom. The job wasn't demanding, mainly requiring him to be in the company of a promiscuous young man. Nevertheless, the pay was generous, and he had found a woman he was going out with among the servants.

Although the Second Prince possessed his own quirks, he wasn't excessively domineering. He prioritized his indulgences over the affairs of the kingdom or competing for the royal throne. However, his lack of ambition didn't mean he would willingly relinquish his royal privileges; the prince enjoyed doing as he pleased. Who wouldn't? Well, he didn’t plan to lose those privileges any time soon.

"Yes, Margaret, you are the Duke's daughter. I would never cheat on you," the prince assured, holding an expensive communication talisman close to his ear. One couldn't deny his charming demeanor, even without the princely status. With his fiery red hair, piercing blue eyes, and sharp features, the prince was undeniably handsome. "No, I swear. You will become queen one day, and your friends are simply envious. I would never hurt someone I love so deeply. Your friends are just jealous, and deep down you know that. Don’t trust them, invested you should believe in your heart, that some heart who loves me; would I ever do something to hurt you?"

The prince's words were laden with deceit, as he had uttered similar sentiments to two other women earlier that morning. But Tor, being just a guard, had no authority to criticize a prince's behavior. His duty was to protect, and nothing more.

Recent news had caused some concern, though. Rumors circulated that the first prince had died under suspicious circumstances. An autopsy had been performed, unveiling possible foul play, and making every royal guard vigilant.

The first prince had succumbed to a heart attack, some said it was due to his excessive drinking and others said it was karma, considering his history of fatally assaulting servants during drunken rages. The incidents had been swiftly swept under the rug, concealed from public knowledge. But they couldn’t make those who saw such horrific acts just forget about them.

Yet, the autopsy had revealed an unusual cause—a cessation of blood circulation around the prince's heart. Many speculated it to be an ability related to blood manipulation, while others considered it a conventional heart attack. After all, the first prince had numerous vices that could contribute to such an event.

Regardless, Tor took matters into his own hands and erected a protective barrier around the mansion, capable of disrupting long-range blood-controlling abilities.

Ever since the King’s illness, the royal children had been in hiding for years as the ongoing royal competition had started almost immediately after their father was bedridden. Even those who dealt with sensitive information, like the Dark Sword Clan, would find it challenging to locate the hiding places of the royals.

Still, Tor had hired a small army of exorcists as a precautionary measure in case someone managed to find the second prince. While confident in his own power, Tor knew of the existence of formidable Ord users he couldn't compete against.

Suddenly, the door slid open, and a strong scent of copper permeated the room—a telltale sign of blood.

Tor swiftly turned around to face the newcomer. The man had sharp features, appeared to be around twenty years old, and had dark hair and eyes with a hint of white. As Tor scanned the room, his heart raced uncontrollably, but he managed to suppress his nervousness and assert, "You're not supposed to be here."

The man paused, allowing Tor to get a better look at him. Tor felt an eerie familiarity with the man, as his mind scrambled through memories of known exorcists. A chill ran down his spine as he recalled... this was the person he had been dealing with—

Before Tor could gather his thoughts, it was too late. A sharp pain seared his neck, and his head went flying. His wide eyes locked onto his headless form as darkness engulfed him.

Amidst the encroaching darkness, Tor faintly heard the prince begging for his life, but his words were abruptly silenced by another swift slash. Then the world fell into silence.

***

“Two royals down, two more to go,” I stepped back, ensuring no pooling blood reached my shoes. But I put on some rubber gloves and checked the prince’s corpse. After investigating, I confirmed that this was indeed the royal prince and not some doppelganger.

The most challenging part of this ordeal was locating these worthless royals. The second hardest was incapacitating all the servants before they could see me. While I had no qualms about the prince, there was no need to kill the servants. However, the exorcists were fair game since they willingly signed up for this, and I couldn’t afford to be careless against anyone who had their Ord unlocked.

It seemed like the royals anticipated someone coming after them. Even before the first prince's death became public knowledge, they had already set up a barrier. Stopping Carpy from killing them.

That's why I asked for some assistance, ensuring the next two royal hits could be executed simultaneously. This approach left no time for them to prepare on the other side.

It would be arrogant to assume that I would emerge unscathed if the royal family employed all their resources to counter me.

Though I was surprised by how quickly my helper agreed to eliminate a royal family member, and how few questions they asked. Well, I had no reason to complain.

…

Four days later, I located my target within an old supposedly abandoned castle. Carpy and I were above the clouds, using them as cover while every now and then I would float down in a cloak of water and observe the place from afar. However, there was some kind of barrier that made the surroundings blurry when I tried concentrating on the castle.

"How many are there?" I inquired. "Are there any dangerous barriers surrounding the castle?"

Carpy responded in his usual deep growling voice, "They have a small army of exorcists. The barriers look stable, but nothing we can't get through. However, amongst one of the exorcists, there is a dark mist around his Ord that makes it look normal. He might be nothing special, but be careful."

"Thanks," I acknowledged before leaping off Carpy's back, hurtling towards the ground. The wind caressed my face as the Earth rapidly approached.

A few years ago, such a daring act would have terrified me. In my previous life, I had never even attempted skydiving. Yet now, I had grown accustomed to such feats, devoid of fear. Carpy encased me within a water sphere, ensuring a softer landing, while simultaneously directing a powerful water blade to shatter the castle's barrier. Swiftly following, a water spear pierced a narrow opening in the barrier, allowing me to slip through just as it repaired itself.

On the ground stood a multitude of exorcists, numbering in the hundreds. They turned their gaze towards me, their Ord to surged outward. Many appeared to recognize me, so their nervousness was clearly visible.

I could deliver a grandiose villainous monologue at this moment, but it was a waste of time. Maybe, after spending more time with the Chunni Princess, I would indulge in lofty discourses about life, power, politics, greed, and the darkness within my heart. Simultaneously, I would interject remarks that would make my enemies cringe in second-hand embarrassment.

"Rush him at the same time!" someone shouted, prompting the entire small army to converge on me. I had to admit, seeing a wave of enemies rushing at me was quite intimidating. Yet, upon getting five meters close to me, the first eight individuals collapsed and lost consciousness. Seeing this, the remaining exorcists hesitated, assuming this to be my unique ability.

Little did they know, it was merely Carpy manipulating water. In this world, blood contained Ord, as many theorized that Ord came from the cells. Even the weakest exorcist, if aware of Carpy's capabilities, should be able to resist it.

However, these individuals were oblivious, and I saw no need to explain this to them.

With a steely gaze fixed upon the exorcists, I advanced toward the castle, causing them to freeze in place. It was a bit ridiculous seeing all these strong men and women, so afraid of someone like me.

"T-This guy, he is Kon!" exclaimed someone, and the mere admission sent a wave of unease through the crowd, causing them to step back.

Fear gripped the others, and as I calmly walked past each of them, they succumbed to unconsciousness, collapsing to the ground one by one. After a brisk walk, all the exorcists had fallen into a deep slumber.

However, before I could proceed further into the castle, the door ahead swung open, revealing a man exuding an eerie aura. He possessed jet-black hair, dark eyes, and a pale complexion as if he had been deprived of sunlight for years.

But even I dared not play around any longer and inquired, "Kuro Clan Head, you are free to leave if you wish."

He would prove to be a formidable enemy, and it would be nice if he could just leave.

Initially donning an expressionless face, he broke into a sinister smile. "The Kuro Clan has invested in the third prince, and he will be our way to the throne. Just like your Dark Sword Clan had their plans, we had ours. Though I never assumed you were mad enough to go on a killing spree like this. Never thought you were the type to do something like this, despite... your associates."

Damn it, I didn't want to fight him either, but it seemed there was no other choice. Assuming my stance, the Kuro Clan Head's shadow twisted and expanded. "Since you are Gem's friend, I would have at least gone easy on you. But I don't think I, as the mere 16th Ranked Special Exorcist, can afford to do that against someone like you."

"Come on now, we both know that rank is outdated," I retorted, attempting to engage the man in banter. Anything to distract him for even a bit. His response was a dark smile as he clapped his hands, conjuring a massive tower of darkness from his shadow.

{Chimera Tower of Darkness}