Emperor Zacharias

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Zil

The Imperial army is lined up on a hill.

Once they were led by Crown Princess Célia Von Althlein and General Gracos Barzen, but today they are commanded by the Emperor.

He is the most powerful man on the continent, and the army that follows him looks bigger and stronger than ever, perhaps because of the supremacy of his commander.

At the head of the Imperial army – which looks as majestic as a herd of predators – the emperor Zacharias? steps forward.

A large man in red armour gallops down the hill on a black horse, without even an escort.

There was no one to stop him as he rode forward alone, away from his army. If Kingdom Of Zain were to send an army from the fortress of Blaine to meet him now, he would have to face hundreds or thousands of men alone.

And yet, no one stopped him, no one seemed to care about his safety.

The soldiers there know what they are doing. Even if all the soldiers in the fortress of Blaine went at once, they would not be able to defeat Zacharias.

“.... I didn’t expect this. I must have been a bit naive.”

Watching from the fortress as the emperor rushed down the hill, Raidorl murmured in a shuddering tone.

Zacharias had not even drawn his sword. He rode his horse as naturally as if he were taking a walk for a change, heading towards the fortress of Blaine.

But just seeing Zacharias like that, Raidorl can’t stop the sweat from running down his spine. He felt more intimidated than he did when he came face to face with Célia, who is also the holder of the Holy Sword.

The holy sword Dáinsleif, which was attached to Raidor’s waist, also vibrated in the scabbard as if to complain about the threat in front of him.

“I don’t need to fight to be convinced. That man is stronger than Célia, and stronger than me....”

“I am Zacharias Von Althlein, Emperor of the Alsatian Empire! As promised, I have come to fight a duel with King of Zain’s brother, Raidorl Zain!”

Stopping his horse a short distance from the fortress, Zacharias raises his voice.

It was a loud, booming voice that reached from one end of the battlefield to the other.

“Your Highness....”

“Yes, I know.”

Nodding to Darren, who looked worried next to him, Raidorl gripped the hilt of his sword.

The power of the Imperial emperor is greater than expected. But at this point, running away is not an option.

“I’m going to fight. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Ha, I wish you good luck! Godspeed!”

Raidorl jumped down from the top of the city wall and landed outside the fortress.

Walking staggeringly up to the emperor, Zacharias greeted Raidorl with a smirk and a belligerent smile.

Dismounting from his horse, he lightly slaps the black-haired rump, and the emperor’s beloved horse makes a high-pitched “hissing” sound as he heads back towards the imperial camp.

“Ooo, you’re here.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Emperor. I am Raidorl Zain, brother of Granard Zain, King of Zain. And the man who defeated your daughter.”

“Yes, I know. You’re the outcast prince who was chosen by the holy sword Dáinsleif and driven to the frontier.

“....you know me well.”

It seems that the Imperial side was also looking into Raidorl. It was only natural that they should have done so, since they had been put through the wringer in the battle six months earlier.

“I know more about you than that. You have a strange woman as your maid, who uses ancient magic that has been lost to the modern world. And you’ve secretly captured my subordinate, Gracos, and are holding him captive in a rented mansion on the outskirts of the capital.”

“........”

“You look surprised..What, you thought the Empire was all muscle and no brains?”

Zacharias laughed with amusement. The grin on his face, like that of a naughty boy who has succeeded in playing a prank, he looked so young that it was hard to believe he had a child of Raidorl’s age.

“.... After all that research, why aren’t you working to save Célia and Gracos Barzen? While I was away from the Royal Capital, there were plenty of opportunities to rescue them, weren’t there?”

“Haha, you’re right. I could always get them both back. But, well, as they say, let the pretty girl travel, don’t they? Célia seems to be enjoying her life as an adventurer, and Gracos seems to be well fed. There’s no rush to help, is there?”

Zacharias chuckled throatily, lifted his lips and bared his fangs.

“It’s more important for me to weigh up the power of the new holder of the holy sword. In this duel, I will see how far you can go against the end of the world, which is coming soon....”

“The end of the world ....?”

What in the world is he talking about? Raidorl raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

But Zacharias didn’t answer Raidorl’s question.

“If you want me to tell you the rest, you’ll have to survive!　Young man, you’d better try not to get killed by me!”

“....!”

Zacharias drew the sword at his back. The sword burns red-hot, and the blade is covered with swirling flames.

This is the holy sword of fire, Durandal. This is the first time Raidorl ever saw such a thing.

“Chi .. I don’t think it’s possible!”

Raidorl also drew his sword from his waist.

The holy sword Dáinsleif, which is surrounded by a miasma that sends chills down the spine, meets the incoming heat wave.

The Prince Raidorl Zain and the Emperor Zacharias Von Althlein.

The holy sword Dáinsleif and the holy sword Durandal.