Spiral of Madness: Ascension of the Villainous Dragon Prince-Chapter 115: Frostbane In Ruins [2] — I Will Save My Kingdom

Chapter 115: Frostbane In Ruins [2] — I Will Save My Kingdom

In the fourth regression, Thalor never acted, never rallied nobles. But everything had changed. Why now? What pushed him to become so bold? Was it truly just Louis’s absence?

"Where is he right now?!"

"In the Throne Room...!" Catrise replied. "We’ve been trying to break through, but the Vultarn Soldiers and Entities kept pushing us back... So many have died, my lord...!"

"T-Tisha! Pekorine! Where are they?!" Louis demanded. "Wait—what about Elises, Fernand, and Belladine?!"

"Knight Captain Tisha and Pekorine are fighting the Anomalies and Entities swarming the noble district—not far from here. They’re holding them back from reaching us...!" Catrise answered. "She told us to get there and rescue the King...!"

"Is their daughter safe? What about the rest of the citizens? Have they evacuated?" Louis asked.

"It was so sudden. We issued an evacuation notice, but many might still be hiding underground or somewhere..." Catrise sighed. "Our forces aren’t enough..."

"What about Aunt Helena?!" Louis pressed. "And hasn’t Uncle returned from the Dimensional Labyrinth yet?!"

"Not yet. I’m so sorry," Catrise said. "Helena is in the VPI—we don’t know what happened to her, but she’s there. She’s likely protecting your mother alongside your father. The Vultarn High Dominion seemed to want her body for something!"

"WHAT?!" Louis roared, gritting his teeth. "Damn it...! Okay, we first move to assist Tisha! I promised someone I would not let her die again. While we’re at it...! Zorba!"

Louis roared. A giant skeleton monster descended, crashing to the ground and crushing dozens of burning, abandoned houses.

"W-What is that?!" Catrise screamed. "Another monster?!"

"This is a tamed undead made by Zorba—a new ally!" Louis explained to Catrise and the surviving knights gathering beside her. Among them he spotted Elises and Fernand—still alive, though battered. "Zorba, come here."

"Yes." Zorba leaped down from the giant, clad in full bone armor. "Good evening, everyone. I can see the capital is in quite the sticky situation."

"Who is this bastard?! He doesn’t look like someone from here!" Catrise said furiously, noticing the Vultarn High Dominion uniform.

"He’s someone I’ve allied with," Louis replied. "Fear not! He no longer has any loyalty to his country—is that right?"

"That’s right! I live to serve Lord Louis now," Zorba nodded with a pleased smile.

"Zorba, create as many Undead as you can and spread them throughout the capital. Use them to eliminate or at least restrain the Entities!" Louis ordered. "I will go to Tisha now. Catrise and the rest of the knights, come with me!"

"B-But your father...!" Catrise insisted. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"He is not weak. He can hold on for another hour," Louis said. "I have to find Tisha and Pekorine regardless. If I don’t fulfill this promise, I won’t be able to face the person who lent me her strength and knowledge this entire time."

"...Louis."

Niflheim’s voice echoed in his heart. The prince looked into the distance, spreading his giant skeletal wings. Countless shadow hands emerged from his shadows, grabbing every soldier around him as he lifted Catrise in his arms.

"And they’re strong too, so it would be a waste if they died," he added more pragmatically.

"Your majesty, wait! But what about the infected?!" Catrise asked.

"I will deal with the infected later. I know of a way," Louis replied. "If they’re crystallizing, it’ll take days for them to die. It’s better they remain that way for now..."

Louis noticed small particles of Fantasium Crystals floating in the air as he flew through the skies, carrying Catrise in his burly arms. He never imagined he would be able to do this, but his rage had allowed him to channel this massive form.

"GROOAARRR!"

A sudden group of creatures blocked his path, roaring fiercely. They resembled giant, blazing lions with metallic golden heads, Entities captured between Yggdrasil and Earth, Monsters infected by a Grievance.

"T-Those are the Hell-Touched Beasts!" Catrise warned. "Please be careful when engaging them!"

"Hmph!"

Louis descended and clashed with them. Using his second pair of metallic arms—born from his fusion with the Pugilist Incarnation—he smashed the heads of the three beasts that attacked him. Each was roughly thrice his size, reaching up to eight meters tall.

He followed by driving his foot into one’s eye, then summoned Gungnir. Enhancing the spear with his Soul Essence, Nirvana Flames blossomed like thorny roses. The spear pierced the head of one beast, destroying its two cores and killing it instantly.

"...?!"

Catrise and the soldiers Louis carried in his Shadow Hands—a new Spell created through the magical power boost from sacrificing and absorbing the souls—watched in awe.

"Prince Louis is so strong!"

"Has he finally awakened all of his powers?!"

"B-But it’s a sinister power...!"

"Silence!" Catrise roared at them. "Don’t you dare speak ill of the prince! He has just returned and is trying to help however he can! We will address his powers and... his appearance... later!"

"S-Sorry!"

"We apologize...!"

"We are just... nervous..."

Louis ignored them as two more lions charged. He summoned his Ashen Frost Sword, infusing it with Despair and Anguish until it became a long blade of black and dark purple crystals.

SLAAAASH!

With a single horizontal slash, he cleaved the second Hell-Touched Beast in half. The third lunged at his back, clawing his scales and biting his muscular neck. Louis gritted his teeth as its sharp fangs pierced deep.

"Damn thing...!"

"Prince Louis!"

Catrise—having just finished healing herself—summoned her Soul Weapon: a giant hammer of Ice and Holy Light. She swung it against the beast, crushing its skull and bursting its eyes from their sockets.

"Thank you!"

Louis seized the beast and tore it open with his immense new strength. Blood and guts exploded outward, coating him and Catrise along with the two cores. He devoured them like a gluttonous monster, swallowing to gain even more energy.

"P-Prince Louis! You...! Please don’t eat Fantasium Cores directly!"

"Shut up, Catrise. I’m not in the mood—Ah! Look!"

Louis looked down. Tisha, Pekorine, and the remaining knights and sorcerers were locked in battle against over ten different Entities—each one distinct and nearing Grievance level, all Level 3.

He also saw the corpses of five more—they had already slain five on their own, an incredible feat. But the bodies of over fifteen knights and sorcerers lay scattered, slowly crystallizing into Fantasium or other abstract forms as the Entities devoured them.

"We’re going in! All of you—I will grant you some of my power. Don’t waste it!"

Louis swiftly summoned hundreds of bones and wrapped them around everyone’s bodies, infusing them with his vast Soul Essence. Necrotic Bone Armor formed around them. Their stats skyrocketed instantly; their weapons gained the same boosts.

"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!"

As they cheered in awe at Louis’s power, the Prince and his soldiers descended. Catrise leaped from his arms, unleashing her innate power.

"Let’s do this!"