The 3rd Prince of the Fallen Kingdom Returns

22: The Mad Dog (3)

As clouds rolled in, the sun became obscured.

A shadow fell over the battlefield.

“Ugh…”

Yuri clenched his teeth.

The mysterious orc shaman emanated a strange power. He couldn’t shake off its black grasp.

The tide of battle had turned against them.

Kurui had taken down Jose, and the orkbal were pushing back the knights.

“Ah…”

Yuri’s body weakened.

Beyond his blurring vision, a knight’s head flew through the air.

It was as though their eyes had locked in that moment.

The knight was still glaring at the enemy.

The knight was still glaring at the enemy.

Yuri clenched Guilty tightly.

[Do not resist.]

The orc shaman’s voice whispered like a cold, eerie wind.

[There is nothing you can do. Just accept your fate.]

Yuri’s resolve weakened.

A ringing noise filled his ears.

Yuri could no longer feel his body, with only the thinnest thread of consciousness lingering in the darkness.

He tried to move his body, but no response came.

No, one thing did twitch.

Guilty.

It felt like an extension of his limbs, connected to his very being.

It was Guilty that urged him on.

Yuri opened his eyes.

Or rather, he willed his eyes to open.

In that moment, the mana of Heart and Soul Slash within him awakened, becoming a second sight, revealing his view through the black smoke that had consumed him.

Colors faded, as if they had evaporated.

In a world of black and white where only shapes and shadows remain, Yuri could see an overwhelmingly dark form.

The silhouette of the orc shaman with its eyes covered in cloth.

It was holding something, from which the black energy rose like writhing tentacles.

The darkness that had engulfed the battlefield originated from that orc shaman.

Was this the trickery that had led to the defeat of the Allied Forces in his past life?

He had come to change fate.

He wouldn’t let things unfold as they had before.

He raised Guilty.

The voice he had heard in the Founder’s dungeon echoed in his ears.

The empty eye sockets of the knight who died without leaving even his name filled Yuri’s mind.

Heart and Soul Slash.

Yuri understood now why it had come into his hands.

He swung Guilty.

His body was on the brink of collapse, and he had already expended much of his strength. There was no power behind the attack.

But it was enough.

Yuri slashed straight at the enemy’s soul.

Like a piece of cloth caught on a blade, the black form was swept up and fluttered in the wake of Yuri’s sword.

The orc shaman, flustered, flailed its arms. Only then could Yuri plant his feet firmly on the ground.

His senses returned.

The noise of the battlefield surged back into his ears.

He couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Yuri gathered his remaining strength and thrust Guilty forward once more.

The faint figure of the Orc shaman was cleaved in half.

[How…!]

The black form, now split in half, wavered in the air before vanishing like smoke.

The rules of the world were restored.

The frenzy faded from the orkbal’s eyes, and the black haze that had once crippled the Allied Forces evaporated, leaving no trace behind.

For a brief moment, both humans and orcs froze, caught in a shared bewilderment.

A brief silence fell.

Yuri did not miss the opportunity.

He stabbed the orkbal standing closest to him in the back.

The orkbal arched its back in pain, its scream shattering the silence and signaling the bloodshed to resume.

“Get a hold of yourself!”

Yuri glanced at Jose.

Jose was still fighting, but his movements were slower than before, weakened from the earlier attack. If they kept fighting, it seemed Kurui would gain the upper hand.

“Damn it…”

He wanted to help, but the fighting was too intense. A single misstep, and Kurui would strike him down in an instant.

Meanwhile, Kurui fiercely pressed his attack on Jose.

Their weapons clashed. With his abdomen exposed, Kurui jabbed Jose’s solar plexus with his foot.

Jose collapsed to his knees.

The axe was lifted high into the air.

And then, Kurui turned his gaze towards Yuri and grinned.

It was a bait.

Kurui was signaling Yuri to come—if he dared, if he wanted to save Jose.

Yuri recognized the trap but couldn’t stop himself.

This was something that had remained unchanged from his past life.

Knowing the consequences, he rushed forward.

That was the kind of person he was.

“Kurui!”

Yuri leaped.

In an instant, the gap closed. And then, with terrifying precision, the angle of the axe shifted.

Yuri moved to save Jose, but Kurui intercepted him with ruthless precision, as if he had been waiting for this very moment.

Yuri blocked the axe with Guilty, but the immense force from the impact overwhelmed him. His insides thrashed, causing Yuri to cough up blood.

“Your Highness…”

Jose was looking at him with a contorted expression. He seemed to be blaming himself.

Yuri gave him a weak smile.

Kurui’s axe cast a shadow over Yuri’s head.

It was a moment he had experienced once before.

In his past life, when Laurent had killed him, the world had slowed down like this.

Desperate not to die pathetically, Yuri tried to smile through the pain.

It was at that moment.

But instead of the axe, something else splashed onto Yuri’s head.

It was crimson blood.

Yuri looked up.

And he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Kurui’s arm had been severed.

The severed arm holding the axe spun through the air.

Instead of Kurui’s twisted, monstrous face, Yuri found himself staring up at the cold gaze of a stranger.

It was a face he had never seen before

A man with dark brown hair, clad in worn rags.

He gripped Kurui’s head with his hand as if handling a child.

“You.”

He spoke.

“You’re a tough bastard.”

Yuri realized who he was.

In Kurui’s camp, there was a hidden, absolute powerhouse. And he wasn’t fluent in the common tongue.

One of the Ten Strongest, a swordsman from the East.

Known as “The Stranger.”

“This bastard… never gave me proper meals.”

He spoke in broken common tongue as he struck Kurui.

Kurui tried to resist, but without his arm, he was powerless against the man’s strength.

In the end, Kurui’s neck was snapped, and he died.

Even Yuri frowned at the sight of the spinal cord and nerves being ripped out.

With Kurui dead, the orkbal lost their will to fight. The knights seized the opportunity and annihilated them.

But the atmosphere on the battlefield remained tense.

The Stranger, who had just struck Kurui in an instant, stood facing Yuri.

The knights moved to protect Yuri, but he waved them back.

“You.”

The Stranger pointed at Yuri, who swallowed nervously.

“You’re a tough bastard, but you messed up my plans.”

He approached, step by step.

Yuri held out his palm, signaling the knights to stay back.

From his memories of his past life, the Stranger wasn’t vicious—he was, in fact, closer to righteous.

“Could it be…”

Yuri widened his eyes, feigning surprise.

“Such a manly physique!”

“What?”

“A handsome face. Broad shoulders. Exceptional skills. I think I know your esteemed identity.”

“What are you talking about?”

“May I dare speak your honorary title here?”

“You know me?”

“Aren’t you one of the Ten Strongest, renowned across the continent as ‘The Stranger’?”

The surrounding people stirred at Yuri’s words.

The Stranger grimaced.

“That name… those bastards gave me that one.”

“You’re right. They were very presumptuous. The world calls you The Stranger, but isn’t that a rather impersonal title? Would you enlighten us with your esteemed name so we can address you properly?”

The Stranger’s true name was unknown.

He tilted his head slightly and stared at Yuri, as if contemplating something before finally speaking.

“Alright. I’ll tell you.”

“It is an honor.”

“My name is Moyongchan.”

“Yes, Sir Moyongchan.”

“Moyongchan!”

“Yes, yes. Sir Moyongchan.”

The flow wasn’t bad.

Yuri rubbed his hands together and lowered his posture.

“Mo Yongchan, sir, we are currently at war with the orcs.”

“I can see that.”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

His tone was rude, but what value did a prince’s status hold for a man from the Far East? Moreover, he was one of the Ten Strongest— a title that even royalty yielded to.

Yuri endured and humbly bowed to him.

“I wish for you to join us, once this war…”

“You.”

However, Moyongchan was not a very patient person.

“How did you do it?”

“Pardon?”

“How did you cut down the shaman?”

He placed his hand on Yuri’s neck.

Yuri felt the pressure.

Yuri took a deep breath.

“That is…”

“That’s…?”

Yuri didn’t flinch and instead gave a confident smile.

“Why don’t we finish off the orcs first and then talk?”

* * *

With Kurui dead, the tide completely turned.

The Allied Forces easily annihilated the orcs. Ragna celebrated by impaling Kurui’s head on a spear.

Yuri stood beside Ragna, observing the aftermath of the battle.

“The Stranger, huh…”

“I will try to persuade him to help the Allied Forces.”

“Do that. I trust you.”

Moyongchan wouldn’t listen to anyone except Yuri. Ragna entrusted Yuri with handling him.

It was a sign of trust.

“By the way, truly…”

The Allied Forces were searching the orc settlement.

As the grim truth gradually unfolded, Ragna spoke.

“Orcs are truly revolting creatures.”

Yuri nodded in agreement with Ragna’s words.

Horrific scenes, unbearable to witness, were continuously uncovered.

In one tent, they found butchered human corpses. They were hanging on hooks, their skin still intact, next to the flesh of other animals. The meat had been sliced and ground, making the scene no different from a butcher shop.

Several soldiers vomited.

“Burn them all.”

“Yes.”

The dead humans might have been the lucky ones.

They opened another tent to find a cage made of iron bars. It was similar to the orc pens he had seen in Count Sidor’s territory.

Inside were only women.

Some were pregnant. Most were mentally broken. They couldn’t distinguish whether the approaching soldiers were human or orc.

“Those bastards…”

In another part of the settlement, they found a group of male and half-orc slaves.

And they continued to discover more groups of imprisoned humans.

Ragna’s adjutant asked,

“What should we do with them?”

Ragna closed his eyes.

Yuri watched his decision keenly.

Knowing Ragna’s temperament, he might just kill them all, saying it was to preserve their dignity.

But unexpected words came out of his mouth.

“Graham.”

“Yes?”

“Let him handle it.”

“But he is currently…”

The adjutant trailed off, then collected himself and answered.

Ragna disliked objections; once an order was given, it was to be followed.

“Understood.”

As the adjutant left, Ragna placed his hand on Yuri’s shoulder.

“You seem to get along well with Graham.”

“I’ve heard of his reputation. He’s a true knight.”

“Perhaps Briol suits him better than the Empire.”

Ragna chuckled and moved.

“Follow me.”

Ragna took Yuri to where the surviving orcs had been rounded up.

In one corner of the settlement, dozens of surviving orcs knelt, bowing down.

The eyes of the troops followed Ragna and Yuri.

Extreme hatred for the orcs pervaded the army. The entire Allied Forces were closely watching how the orc prisoners would be treated.

“Yuri.”

Ragna asked Yuri,

“What do you think we should do with these creatures?”

Yuri glanced at the orcs as Ragna spoke.

Sensing the atmosphere, the orc prisoners prostrated themselves even lower before Yuri. Their bodies trembled, instinctively begging for mercy.

“I’m leaving it to you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty”

“Are you sure you’re up to it?”

“Yes.”

What exactly did Ragna want from him?

Perhaps this was a test.

Whatever his intentions, this moment felt like a gift to Yuri.

“Truly…”

Yuri echoed Ragna’s words.

“‘…revolting creatures.'”

Ragna burst into laughter.

Yuri drew Guilty.

The Allied Army would come to admire him—and fear him.

Opportunities to gain both trust and fear were rare.

Yuri stepped forward.

One of the orcs stealthily raised its head.

It mimicked the humans, bowing its head and pressing its forehead to the ground.

Was it begging for mercy?

Yuri nonchalantly swung Guilty downwards.

Blood splattered.

He slashed, and slashed again.

The orc, unable to resist, was hacked to pieces again and again, dozens, then hundreds of times, while still lying down.

Flesh parted, and innards flew.

Yuri disassembled the orc alive, ensuring it writhed in agony till the end.

The other orcs moaned in terror, paralyzed by fear.

Becoming an object of terror to the enemy was not bad. In fact, it felt good.

Even the Imperial knights clad in black armor stared at Yuri, their faces pale with shock.

Yuri raised a corner of his mouth into a smile.

Would it be just the orcs who met this fate? If they became enemies in the future, those knights would be no exception.

Yuri turned around.

The entire Allied Forces fixed their gaze on him.

He met the array of emotions in their eyes with a calm demeanor and then posed a question.

“Any volunteers?”

In his past life, the Allied Forces had never achieved such a major victory.

History had been changed.