The Third Prince Of Darkness

As we spotted the man standing ahead on the road, our remaining few soldiers gripped their swords, and five of our cavalrymen charged towards ahead. Ignoring the snorts of their horses, they advanced with their long swords held out towards the man. Although I couldn't make out exactly what he looked like, it could have been a woman, given their relatively short stature.

The unusually rapid thickening of the mist was abnormal, and my instincts screamed that this man was extremely dangerous. But it was already too late to stop the cavalrymen who had launched their attack. However...

Despite not being able to see clearly through the mist, I could tell that within a few seconds, the ground was littered with pieces of flesh from the five soldiers who had attacked. This... was unreal.

Entering the Royal Cavalry was no simple task, and the 150-strong team I had brought with me were the elite of the cavalry.

"What happened to them?"

"No, it can't be...!"

"What is this mist?!"

Seeing the remaining handful of soldiers becoming uneasy, I realized I needed to intervene. After all, with 25 archers and 20 cavalrymen left, I could win no matter how strong the person in front of me was.

"Stay calm! Archers! What are you waiting for? Fire! Cavalry, hold your attack!" I shouted, seeming to bring these soldiers to their senses; after all, they were trained soldiers.

The archers loaded their arrows and released them towards the figure, slowly advancing through the mist. I hoped the arrows penetrating the mist would target the person, but the silhouette continued its crooked walk as if nothing had happened.

The arrows of the archers had done no harm to this mysterious figure. As a few soldiers trembled and stepped back, I sought a rational solution.

"Cavalry! Get ready!" I shouted. This time, I needed a strategic move. Instead of a direct assault, we needed to surround him. The cavalry took position and held their shields forward. "Now!" I cried out.

The horses charged into the mist from all sides, while the figure, still walking with the same crooked gait, suddenly caught my eye with a glint in his hands. They were small but deadly daggers. Skillfully bypassing the shields of my cavalry, he swiftly neutralized them.

With a shiver, I shouted, "Fall back!" but it was too late. As the mist thickened, I heard more of my soldiers falling amidst screams of terror.

This man was not normal. Even judging by his ability, I could tell his power level was at least Kaizer Stage 5, and with that power, he could have easily gained fame in the kingdom.

"Hehehehe. Would you like to play, Little princE?" A high-pitched and equally terrifying voice echoed through the air.

"What? Who are you?" I shouted.

I didn't think he was one of the rebels anymore; after all, if such a powerful person were among the rebels, everyone would have known. Indeed, given that this man was at least Kaizer stage 5, he must have done a lot of damage during the rebellion, but there is no mention of it in the records. 

"I can feel fear in your voice, but I haven't shown all my tricks yettttt..."

"Then dare to show tricks while tasting my power!" What he said had made me very angry. This growing anger told me that the dark element was in motion.

Regarding the dark element. I could use it up to the third level. As your Kaizer level increases, you gain a new feature in the element. For example, someone with a fire element can launch a fireball in the first Kaizer power, but in the second Kaizer power, they can do many things, but as an example, I can make a ring of fire. When I came in the third Kaizer power, the attribute I gained in the fire element was the firesword.

In short, as you progress through the Kaizer levels, you gain new abilities, but the reasons for acquiring these specific abilities remain a mystery in this world. Additionally, abilities obtained at Kaizer Level 1 strengthen as your Kaizer power increases.

Returning to the dark element, I was currently at Kaizer Stage 3. At Kaizer Stage 1; I gained the ability to use darkness as a storage area. When I advanced to Kaizer Stage 2, I acquired the ability called [Gleaming Body of Darkness]. Essentially, this ability significantly enhanced my physical capabilities. Moreover, by practicing exercises learned from my previous world every day, I had developed a very robust physique.

Finally, since I recently advanced to Kaizer Stage, 3 I gained a new ability: [Darkness Fireball]. I hadn't had another opportunity to use this incredibly dangerous ability after a few tries, but now was the perfect moment.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and felt the cold energy of the dark element enveloping my body. When I opened my eyes again, I knew how dangerous the mysterious figure in front of me was, but I was ready to confront him.

"Darkness Fireball!" I shouted, extending my hands forward. A black, fiery energy huge ball shot rapidly towards the figure. The mist rippled and shimmered with the power of the energy ball. This time, I was curious about how this creature would react to it.

When the energy ball hit the figure, a massive explosion erupted. The mist suddenly dissipated, allowing us to see clearly. However, when the smoke cleared, I saw that the figure was still standing. Through the black smoke, he looked at me with a slight smile on his face.

I knew my soldiers beside me were looking at me with bewildered expressions, but I didn't care about that now.

"Little prince, little prince, Where are YOU? You have nO taiL, nO tail! Where's your beauty?!" shouted something in a rising and playful tone, reminiscent of a children's rhyme.

Finally, the true form of the figure, obscured by the mist, was revealed. Clad in colorful attire from head to toe and with a painted face, he appeared like a jester. Blood adorned every part of his face, harmonizing with the blood on his small daggers. His twisted smile stretched up to his ears, making him even more terrifying.

"What the fuck?!"

As I saw the man still walking, my heart began to race rapidly. I felt like I was in a horror movie.

"Your Excellency, please allow—"

"No, Emilia! This is too dangerous. Stay back and just protect me like you always do" I said to the anxious Emilia.

Turning to the archers remaining with us, I noticed their hands were trembling, and they couldn't even hold their bows properly.

"Everyone! Scatter in different directions!" I shouted. I hoped against hope to seize an opportunity to escape this hellish place. I could still use magic, but if I had a chance to escape, I didn't want to face this monster.

The twisted grin and jester costume of the man were surreal enough to drive me insane. As the weight of despair from my soldiers' bodies crushed me, I searched for an escape. Watching the remaining handful of soldiers scatter, I noticed Emilia hadn't left my side.

"Emilia, you have to go; this creature is after only me. I can escape from him somehow" I repeated, my voice filled with desperation. But she shook her head and tightened her grip on her sword.

As the jester approached step by step, I could see madness gleaming in his eyes. I didn't know exactly what was going on, but something was definitely wrong. This wasn't an ordinary warrior; it was a manifestation of dark powers.

"Darkness Fireball!" I called upon my magic once again, stronger and more focused this time. Black flames surged towards the jester, and upon impact, they pushed him back. But it lasted only for ten seconds; the jester rose again, his face still sporting that horrifying smile.

"Why so serious , LİTTLE PRİNCE? I'm just curious about the taste of your flesh!" he spoke in a twisted tone.

If he could withstand the destructive power of Darkness Fireball to such an extent, he must possess an immense magical resilience. If I couldn't harm him even with my most potent spells, there was no point in using other destructive magic.

Just then, I saw the jester vanish. I anxiously tried to see where he went, but distant screams indicated he was busy chasing fleeing soldiers.

"Now, Emilia NOW!" I said, and both of us sprinted as fast as we could towards the escape route. After several minutes of running, we had already cleared the mist and were racing back at full speed along the path we had used to reach the rebel camp before.

However, when I saw the mist rising around us again, the brief fear I had felt returned to my heart.

"One, Two, three, Four! One, Two, three, Four!" That disgusting and twisted voice echoed in my ears again, and my fear began to diminish as anger took its place. The dark element was influencing my emotions again.

"Nock! Nock! Please park your horse!"