Awakening

As sensation flooded back into his body, Xie Shenhong stared blankly at Lyte, who was now close enough to touch, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth, and he couldn’t help but curse.

“You idiot, what are you doing here?”

Considering Xie Shenhong possessed no magical power, Sima Le had not intended to use such force, but upon realizing Lyte had come to rescue him, he adjusted his attack mid-strike.

Nevertheless, Sima Le, valuing talent as he did, had refrained from striking Lyte too severely.

Yet, foolishly, Lyte had expended all his defensive magic on protecting Xie Shenhong, resulting in internal injuries.

He had barely managed to suppress the urge to vomit blood.

“Do you honestly think I’ll believe you just because you pulled a self-inflicted injury stunt?” Xie Shenhong snarled.

Gently setting Xie Shenhong down, Lyte silently cast healing magic.

Then, he turned his head to glance at Sima Le, who, from a distance, seemed to have no intention of delivering a killing blow, and nodded.

“Indeed, it seems I acted unnecessarily.”

“Good that you know,” Xie Shenhong retorted testily.

He tried to stand, only to find his legs still felt like jelly.

‘What in the world was happening?’

‘Could he truly be suffering from some post-battle psychological syndrome?’

‘He was already useless enough; now, with this fatal weakness, he was truly pathetic, wasn’t he?’

Gazing at his faintly trembling legs, Xie Shenhong was so enraged he felt on the verge of tears.

“Shenhong, you’ve done more than enough.”

“Shut up!” Xie Shenhong rasped, his voice hoarse.

‘At a time like this, he was still spouting such empty platitudes… Did he truly believe such words would make him happy?’

“I know you’re deeply dissatisfied with yourself, but I must say this,” Lyte wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

“You’ve done more than enough.

Now, allow yourself to rely on me.”

“Ha, are you insane? How could you possibly win against—”

Mid-sentence, Xie Shenhong trailed off.

‘Under normal circumstances, Lyte couldn’t possibly win.’

‘But he was an imperial prince, destined to become a hero in this incident.

Therefore—’

“It has nothing to do with me being an imperial prince.”

“Huh?”

Xie Shenhong froze, utterly bewildered.

Lyte gazed at Xie Shenhong with clear, penetrating azure eyes.

“Rather, if I were to reveal my identity as an imperial prince, he would undoubtedly try to kill me to curry favor with my two elder brothers.”

“What are you trying to do?” Xie Shenhong was stunned.

It wasn’t Lyte’s confession that shocked him, but the fierce resolve etched on his face.

‘It was the exact same expression Duanmu Yun had worn in his past life when she declared her intention to live and die with the royal capital.’

‘It was the look of someone determined to protect something utterly non-negotiable.’

“Why? Why would you go to such lengths!” Xie Shenhong demanded urgently.

“Because I love the Kingdom.”

“You scoundrel!”

‘At a moment like this, he was still uttering such polite formalities!’

“That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?” Lyte gave a self-deprecating laugh, but quickly regained his expression of unwavering conviction.

“But I’ve simply grown to love it.

I want to protect this nation; it’s a desire that takes precedence over destroying the Empire or anything else.”

“Enough! No matter how convincingly you pretend, I won’t—”

“Yes, I know you’ve never trusted me, and frankly, I don’t fully trust myself either,” Lyte said, his expression serious.

“Did you know that within me, besides light-attribute magic, there’s also a dark-attribute magic inherited from the Imperial Emperor?”

Xie Shenhong’s eyes widened, staring at Lyte in disbelief.

‘He knew all that Lyte spoke of, yet he had never imagined Lyte would actually tell him.’

“It’s a power of madness, one I’ve always avoided using because I can’t control it… but in a moment, I’ll have to,” Lyte turned his head to look at Sima Le.

“He is an opponent I cannot defeat unless I give it my all.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” Xie Shenhong stared blankly at Lyte.

“Because we’re good friends… Haha, you’ll probably get angry if I say that.

Honestly, it hurts me that you consider me an enemy… But even now, I still mean it: I want to be your friend.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

‘What kind of friend needed to bare their heart to such an extent?’

“Yes, even friends don’t need to confess all this.

Acting friendly, as you did before, Shenhong, is the normal approach… But if you did that, Shenhong, you would only suffer too much.”

Lyte looked at Xie Shenhong with a pained expression.

“I want my friend to be happy.

I don’t want you to feel unpleasant every time you see me.

Since you wish to know my true self, I shall reveal it completely to you… Besides, there’s nothing to hide.”

“Yes, I am an imperial prince, and I possess uncontrollable power… But what of it?”

“I cannot choose my birth, nor can I choose my talents, but I can choose what I want to do!

I can choose the person I want to become!

I am who I am! Lyte Huangfu, Knight of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom!”

Lyte rose to his feet.

“Shenhong, I know you’ve always felt useless, and I, from my elevated position, have done things that seemed to pity and sympathize with you… For that, I am truly sorry.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me immediately, but I cannot defeat Sima Le alone, not even with that dark-attribute magic… So, in a moment, I will try my best to reclaim the magic-guided firearm.”

“Please… I beg you, support me, fight alongside me!”

With that, Lyte stepped forward.

****

“Are your whispers concluded?” Sima Le watched Lyte with an air of absolute confidence.

“It seems you have no intention of fleeing.”

“We will not flee.”

“Then come.

For promising youths such as yourself, I am never reluctant to impart my wisdom.”

“Then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.

I am from the Empire.”

“No matter.

In recent years, more and more young people have defected from the Empire to the Kingdom.

After all, people naturally gravitate towards greater heights, and besides, in the future, we shall all be compatriots.”

“My true name is Reinhardt, the Third Imperial Prince.”

Sima Le’s composed smile vanished.

It was immediately replaced by a burst of laughter, as if he had just heard the most amusing joke.

“Are you mad?

You don’t actually think that upon hearing your identity, I’d suddenly swear fealty to you, do you?”

“Of course not.

I merely wish to inform you that you are my enemy!”

Lyte surged forward, transforming into a streak of light.

However, just as before, Sima Le’s iron fist deflected his attack.

“A traitorous prince, you say?

Indeed, our stances are entirely opposed.

But to presume you can be my enemy?

You’re twenty years too early for that!”

Knowing Lyte was the very individual his master most desired to capture, Sima Le, as expected, no longer held back.

He unleashed a punch that conjured a furious gale, powerful enough to sweep away everything within the cargo hold.

Boom.

Lyte was sent flying backward.

Yet, Sima Le’s face showed no sign of satisfaction from his successful strike.

“Dark-attribute magic?

This is truly more potent evidence than words alone.”

Sima Le leaped high into the air, soaring towards Lyte’s position.

As a light-attribute mage renowned for his speed, Lyte’s swiftness surpassed that of an initial-stage Martial Lord.

However, within the relatively confined space of the ship’s cabin, when it came to sheer burst of speed, Sima Le was undeniably faster.

He hadn’t acted this way before because Sima Le had consistently approached his confrontation with Lyte as a game.

After all, he ‘deeply loved’ the Kingdom and never forgot to nurture its youth.

But for the Third Imperial Prince, such considerations were unnecessary.

In fact—

“Die!”

Sima Le brought down a heavy punch, intending to kill Lyte outright.

Boom!

A full-powered strike from a Martial Lord smashed a massive hole in the cabin wall, despite it being crafted from special materials.

But Sima Le did not connect.

In the nick of time, Lyte evaded the blow.

However, this was no ordinary evasion.

Sima Le had already factored in Lyte’s dark-attribute magic and his subsequent increase in strength.

For his attack to still fail, there could only be one reason—

“You… you actually broke through.”