The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

”Did it work?”

Evalyn stared at the brown smoke billowing high before her with a hopeful gaze.

The attack Lucas and Rei unleashed earlier had been incredibly powerful. Even she, who wasn’t the target, could sense an overwhelming danger from it, as if she would die from even the slightest contact with that attack.

So, the Demon Emperor had to be injured now.

As the smoke slowly dissipated, the scene behind it finally came into view.

The Demon Emperor stood at the center, flanked by Rei and Lucas, whose swords were thrust into his chest and abdomen.

His face, usually full of dominance, now looked pale.

Reddish-black blood flowed freely from the stab wounds.

Evalyn’s eyes lit up instantly.

”They actually did it!”

The Demon Emperor Zerathos stared at his wounds for a moment before looking up at the exhausted Rei and Lucas.

”How dare you…” he growled. ”How dare you wound me!?”

Boom!

A demonic force erupted from his body, hurling Rei and Lucas dozens of meters away.

”Argh! I am the Demon Emperor! The mighty figure destined to rule this continent!” Zerathos screamed furiously.

His demonic power grew increasingly uncontrollable. Within a two-kilometer radius, the atmosphere suddenly turned ominous.

Black clouds gathered overhead, forming a gigantic vortex as thousands of black lightning bolts struck without end.

The human and demon soldiers gradually stopped fighting. All eyes turned to the sky as silence fell over the battlefield.

”Are we going to... die?” a human soldier asked desperately.

It was a terrifying sight in the sky, like the apocalypse was about to come crashing down at any moment.

Even the demons couldn’t hide their fear. If the Demon Emperor truly intended to destroy the entire battlefield, they would be swept away along with everyone else.

After all, someone as powerful as the Demon Emperor wouldn’t care about weak demons like them.

Buzz!

A red sphere of energy formed in Zerathos’s palm. It slowly grew larger with each passing second.

Rei and Lucas sensed an overwhelming danger emanating from the sphere.

They tried to stand but failed. It felt as though their bodies were nailed to the ground, unable to move.

”Rei!” Lucas called out in a hoarse voice. ”What should we do?”

Rei fell silent. He didn’t know what to do either. Using that forbidden technique had already consumed fifty percent of his life force.

That meant his lifespan had been cut in half. Even so, he had no regrets. After all, he was a hero. It was his duty to give everything he had to protect humanity.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he took a deep breath and said, ”Luminus, help me use the Sacrifice Technique.”

Luminus froze for a moment before shouting, ”Have you lost your mind!? You’ll die if you use that! It’s not worth it!

”It’s okay. This is better than doing nothing. There will be many casualties if Zerathos unleashes that energy sphere on the battlefield. We might all die, and I don’t want that. It’s better for me to die than for them to die,” Rei said softly.

”You…” Luminus was at a loss for words. It knew Rei was a kind person—perhaps even the kindest person it had ever met.

Sometimes, it hated that kindness. Rei always put the safety of others before his own.

Luminus didn’t know whether to feel lucky or unfortunate to have Rei as its master. However, one thing was certain—Luminus was incredibly proud of him.

”Alright, Rei. The Sacrifice Technique requires not only your sacrifice but mine as well,” Luminus said resignedly. ”I’ll die too. Hopefully, in our next life, we can meet again and remain friends.”

Rei lowered his head and whispered, ”I’m sorry. Because of my selfishness, I’ve dragged you into this.”

”Hahaha! What are you talking about, buddy? We’re friends for life. Your wishes are my wishes. Besides, I’m sick of living as a sword. Being human sounds pretty fun, doesn’t it?”

Rei chuckled softly at those words. He had never truly understood what it was like to live as a sword, so this was the first time he had heard such a complaint from Luminus.

”Great! Let’s get started!”

In the distance, Lucas sensed something strange happening to Rei. His weakened aura suddenly surged, like a dried-up lake abruptly replenished by a hidden underground spring.

”Don’t tell me...” His eyes widened. ”He’s using the Sacrifice Technique?”

True to its name, the Sacrifice Technique was a suicidal technique. The user would gain power up to twice their peak condition.

In exchange, they would die and vanish into nothingness.

Lucas didn’t expect Rei to use such a technique just for a chance to attack Zerathos.

”Rei, you...” Lucas gritted his teeth.

He wasn’t angry at Rei but at himself. That man was always one step ahead of him.

Without realizing it, Rei had left him far behind.

The feeling of losing to him again and again, even at a moment as crucial as this, was truly frustrating. He didn’t possess Rei’s courage, and that reality felt deeply humiliating.

Not far from Rei’s position, Roseline sensed something strange about him. She stared at Rei, who stood calmly with a blank expression.

Thump!

Her heart pounded violently. An uneasy feeling welled up inside her. It felt as though this was the last time she would ever see Rei.

”I-It can’t be...” Her breathing grew ragged. ”Rei wouldn’t leave me!”

But the unease continued to gnaw at her, like countless ants crawling beneath her skin.

”R-Rei!” she called out loudly.

Rei ignored her. He crouched down before dashing toward Zerathos.

Pulling back his right arm, he threw a powerful punch at Zerathos.

Boom!

The attack was blocked by a mysterious barrier protecting Zerathos.

Seeing this, Zerathos, already enraged by Rei and Lucas’s earlier attacks, snapped his fingers.

Rei’s body suddenly felt as though it were bound by invisible chains before being hurled hundreds of meters away.

He crashed to the ground and rolled several times, covering himself in dirt and dust.

But he didn’t care. He pushed himself back to his feet and opened his right palm.

The Divine Sword Luminus appeared in his grasp. Its blade shone brilliantly with a soothing golden light.

”Luminus, let’s end this!”

”Yes, Master!”

The Demon Emperor’s demonic power gradually stabilized. Meanwhile, the energy sphere above his palm had expanded to fifty meters in diameter.

He swept his gaze across the battlefield and grinned.

”The punishment for those who offend me is... death.”

Just as Rei was about to dash forward, a shadow suddenly shot out from behind Zerathos.

Rei’s eyes widened in horror.

The shadow drew back its sword and thrust it into Zerathos’s back.

Srck!

Zerathos’s smile froze as intense pain shot through his body.

He slowly turned his stiff neck and saw a beautiful woman with silver hair and cold eyes.

In that instant, he recognized her.

Evalyn—the female warrior who had emerged as the dark horse of this war.