I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Light.

One of the essential elements that made up the world.

As this light completely vanished from the Cradle, darkness deeper than pitch black began taking its place.

Just as Spirena collapsed, her legs giving out from the infinite terror emanating from this darkness- FLASH!

The seemingly eternal darkness cleared in an instant as light returned to the Cradle.

"Ah..."

Spirena's eyes grew blank.

The sight of Zion that entered her vision was utterly ordinary.

The universe and stars that had existed moments ago had vanished without a trace, and the surrounding darkness was nowhere to be found.

Moreover, no power could be felt at all.

Yet despite this, Spirena couldn't tear her eyes away from Zion.

Like a moth drawn to flame.

Like a zealot before their deity.

Her gaze remained forcibly fixed on Zion.

And this phenomenon wasn't limited to just Spirena.

SWISH-

All spirits existing within the Cradle had also stopped moving and were staring at Zion.

As if paying homage to Zion who had newly stepped into the realm of immortality.

However, Zion's gaze wasn't directed at them but outside the Cradle.

'Time is running short.'

His eyes reflected the scene of Zeloth reaching Diana and raising her hand.

At this rate, he would be too late even moving at maximum speed.

But that didn't mean there was no solution.

If time was insufficient, he simply needed to extend time itself.

CRUNCH!

With a sound like a spinning spring being forcibly stopped, time began slowing for everything except Zion.

The authority of denial at seven stars of Black Star Force.

The authority of denial that had begun truly breaking free from fate's bonds could now touch realms normally impossible.

Like this moment.

CRUNCH!

In the endlessly slowing time, Zion's form shot out at normal speed, instantly breaking through the barrier at the Cradle's entrance and rushing outside.

Then came the slash aimed at Zeloth as she swung her hand toward Diana.

SLASH!

As Eclaxia severed the Archdemon's arm without any resistance- BOOM!

Along with time returning to normal, Zeloth's form went flying and crashed into the debris.

'Was it too reckless to deny time's flow right after reaching seven stars?'

As Zion thought this while feeling his right arm growing slightly stiff-

"...Zion."

A small voice flowed from Diana's lips as she sat collapsed, watching him with unbelieving eyes.

What exactly had happened?

Just moments ago, the demon's hand now embedded in the debris had clearly been slicing through Diana's neck, and she had already accepted death.

Yet in an instant the situation had completely reversed.

Then-

"Master! Why did you take so long!"

Liushina, having escaped from Zeloth's authority, shouted while turning toward Zion.

Unlike usual, faint relief filled her eyes.

And this proved just how dire the previous situation had been.

"I was meeting someone."

More precisely it had been a deity, but Zion didn't bother mentioning that.

"Someone?"

As question filled both Liushina and Diana's eyes-

"So you're that Zion Agnes?"

Another voice reached Zion's ears.

Along with these words, a woman with purple hair slowly emerged from the broken debris while regenerating her arm.

It was Archdemon of Jealousy Zeloth.

"I've heard a lot about you... but this is my first time seeing you in person?"

Despite the composure in her words, tension filled the demon's eyes.

She too couldn't exactly comprehend how her arm had been severed or how she had been sent flying.

All she knew for certain was that time had slowed against her will in that moment.

Moreover-

'This feeling.'

Though he radiated no energy at all, the strange sense of otherness emanating from this man made Zeloth's hand tighten.

And she didn't dismiss this feeling.

'Could it be that when he killed Pride... he really used only his own power?'

That was impossible.

There were too many strange points for that.

'I'll just have to find out directly.'

Combat was inevitable now that things had come this far.

Then-

"How unexpected. I didn't think I'd see you like this," Zion spoke as he turned toward Zeloth.

"What?"

"I thought you'd die pathetically in the demon realm, hunted like a dog by the other Archdemons."

"You...!"

Though knowing it was provocation, Zeloth ground her teeth at the rising anger.

But the Archdemon quickly suppressed that anger and stretched out a hand toward Zion.

"You talk well? Let's see if your skills match your words."

With these words, Zeloth activated her authority of jealousy from the start.

But her authority didn't fully activate.

WHOOSH!

"Then you'll die before finding out."

Before that, Zion's form had already reached right in front of her.

Distance Denial.

Not simply moving at high speed or crossing space.

Space manipulation that denied the very distance between them, reducing the gap to zero.

Perhaps befitting her demigod status, the Archdemon immediately adjusted her authority's coordinates in response to Zion's movement.

CRUNCH!

Space and time began distorting precisely around Zion.

But as if anticipating this, Zion strongly clenched his left hand infused with Black Star Force.

BOOM!

Along with the shockwave bursting forth, Zeloth's authority shattered like glass and-

Simultaneously, the Light-Extinguishing Sword in Zion's right hand swept down.

"...!"

Though shocked at her power shattering so easily, Zeloth predicted the sword's trajectory and used her authority to distort its path.

However-

CRACK!

Zion's blade carved through the Archdemon's shoulder as if her effort meant nothing.

He hadn't directly broken through or slightly dodged her authority this time.

Perception Denial.

From the start, Zion's sword had come from the opposite direction of where Zeloth had deployed her authority - he had denied her senses and made her misperceive the blade's path.

BOOM!

With her eyes widened as far as possible at this unbelievable phenomenon, Zeloth's form went flying and crashed into the debris again.

A single line traced along her flight path, followed by terrifying shockwaves.

Before the embedded Archdemon could rise-

CRUNCH!

Zion appeared right in front of Zeloth and strongly stomped down, driving her head deeper below ground.

"You fucking bastard!"

CRACK! BOOM!

With a curse at this humiliating position, Zeloth unleashed all her power at once to escape from under Zion's foot.

Then the entire space around her began turning purple and- BOOM!

It shattered into countless infinite pieces that shot toward Zion.

Jealousy's technique of using space itself as a weapon.

Its power was incomparable to spatial magic created by mortals as spells.

But these spatial fragments didn't harm Zion at all.

As if unable to perceive him-

SCREECH!

The spatial fragments passed by without a single one touching his body.

Zion hadn't blocked with his sword or put up a barrier.

Step, step.

Unlike before, he was simply walking slowly, yet the spatial fragments couldn't hit him and just passed by.

Recognition Denial.

One of the Black Star Force authorities available after reaching seven stars.

And its effect extended to Zeloth as well.

"This, this is..."

Though she could clearly see him with her eyes.

Though she could distinctly feel his presence.

She absolutely couldn't recognize him.

As if the world itself had drawn a veil over the man before her.

This sensory disconnect continued even as Zion reached right in front of Zeloth and swung his sword.

'Must, must block!'

Though the pitch-black blade clearly approaching her entered her vision, her body wouldn't move properly due to being unable to recognize it.

SLASH!

Zion's Eclaxia cut through the Archdemon's opposite shoulder almost naturally.

Originally aiming for her neck, Zeloth had barely avoided it by forcibly moving her body at the last moment as if pulling away.

"What the hell!"

SCREECH!

The Archdemon immediately bounced backward while unleashing her authority to maximum, spraying dozens of distortions, as Zion followed while cutting through all of them.

"How can you be this strong...!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Zeloth muttered through gritted teeth while staring at Zion with shocked eyes.

From this battle, she now clearly recognized that her opponent had reached demigod status.

But Zeloth herself was also a demigod and shouldn't be at any disadvantage.

Yet she couldn't understand why she was being pushed back this much.

Even accounting for her injuries.

'What's causing this!'

In reality, the difference in raw power between Zeloth and Zion wasn't that great.

No, more precisely, Zion who hadn't even been a demigod for an hour was at a disadvantage.

Yet the reason Zion held the upper hand was simple.

'The difference in experience and application.'

Since his time as Eternal Emperor, Zion had countless battles against other immortals and knew well how to fight them.

But compared to him, Zeloth's experience fighting opponents of equal level could be counted on one hand.

Moreover, she couldn't match Zion at all in terms of authority level, application, and utilization.

In that sense, one could say the current situation had been decided from the start.

But despite this, Zion felt he couldn't drag things out.

'This pressure.'

Ever since reaching seven stars in Black Star Force, Zion had felt a strange pressure weighing on his body.

No, perhaps restriction would be more accurate than pressure?

Something he hadn't felt at all up to six stars.

'It's not a restriction on Black Star Force itself.'

It felt broader than that, as if the world itself was imposing restrictions on him.

'I don't think this existed in the past...'

Zion gripped Eclaxia tighter as he erased that thought.

For now, dealing with Zeloth took priority.

'About time?'

All enemies Zion had faced since entering the chronicle had one thing in common.

When at a disadvantage or near death, they would all say things like "now the real fight begins" or "no more holding back" before awakening or making a final struggle.

This Archdemon would likely be the same.

And as if proving Zion's prediction right-

"You... Agnes bloodline I'll tear to pieces!!!"

The battered Zeloth began unleashing power incomparably greater than before with a roar filled with immense rage.

RUMBLE!

The surrounding world distorted and countless cracks formed from this power.

"Everything will be completely different from now on. I swear. Here today, I'll..."

But the Archdemon's words didn't finish.

Or more precisely, she couldn't fully draw out her power.

Before that-

CRUNCH!

Zion's sword had already pierced straight through her heart.

"Sorry, but I don't plan to wait this time."

Zion grinned at Zeloth who stared at him with blank eyes, then activated Existence Denial.

His authority flowed through Eclaxia impaling the Archdemon's heart.