The prince's choice

After responding to the voice, Prince Laugs attacked his father with the longing to find a new power. However, all his blows were easily defended by the man wielding the relic sword. Surprised, and also a bit frustrated that nothing different had happened, he wondered if that voice had been just a hallucination of his mind under the influence of the spell.

"You're making a mistake," the king said to his son, with an indifferent voice. "If you believe you can defeat me using a spell, you're even more foolish than I thought."

"Foolish?" growled Prince Laugs. "Let's see how long you'll keep thinking that way, father. I'll show you that I have the power to rule a kingdom without the aid of any foolish relic!"

Laugs was not satisfied with the way his father approached the fight. Even though he used his powerful relic, he still didn't fight with a fraction of his true power. In fact, he didn't even make an effort to avoid his strikes. It almost looked like an adult playing with a child.

Whoever was standing before him at that moment, the king, the Sword Master, or his father, it seemed that all these "personalities" of Algus underestimated him as a person and underestimated his strength as a mage as well. How long would this continue? Laugs didn't know what to feel, other than a deep frustration that gnawed at him from the inside.

Suddenly, he remembered something that was tucked in his pocket. He stepped back.

"You leave me no choice, father," he said. He took a small scroll from his pocket and opened it instantly. "I will show you the true power of my magic, unhindered..."

Several illegible words came out of the prince's mouth. He cast them so quickly that Algus didn't even have time to stop him. And for the first time there, his expression changed as he watched his son use new spells.

After casting, nothing happened immediately until the scroll slipped from Laugs' hands and began to float on its own, radiating a golden light before being consumed by a red flame. Not even ashes remained.

At first, Laugs was surprised to see this happen before his eyes. That was a special scroll sold to him by a mysterious person wearing an iron mask with a spiral on their face, claiming to be just a mere merchant of ancient artifacts. He knew it was a lie, but the scroll had proven true, just like the power contained within it. Then suddenly, his eyes filled with expectations again as he felt energy flowing within him.

Next, the red flames that surrounded him merged with a golden energy and spread throughout his body, covering him completely and merging into his being as if they were one.

Laugs was familiar with the green flames, but the red was something new to him. The emergence of this powerful magical energy could only mean that his second spell had been successfully activated, he thought. Then he looked at his father once more.

"See, father!? Magic is not something to be limited by foolish beliefs!"

"Laugs..." Algus whispered as he stared at his son. His expression was cold and didn't seem to contain fear or anger, just deep disappointment.

While the intensity of the flames remained the same as before, the red energy made the prince shine and overflow with power. However, it wasn't a benevolent power.

There were many spells in this world. While most of them were considered harmless and useful, others were meant to enhance physical and magical abilities, such as increasing a person's strength or magic level. There were also extreme spells that could turn a forest into a desert or reduce a city to rubble in seconds. Even bringing the dead back to life was said to be possible through sorcery. Furthermore, the most important part about these spells was that some could be used by non-awakened individuals, but they were more prone to corruption by their sinister effects. For these reasons, spells had become so feared, and their practice was prohibited in almost the entire continent.

However, there was something different about his son's spell, Algus pondered. It was as if Laugs gained an extra power, but it wasn't just any power, for now, he was no longer beneath the strength of any of the five Relic Masters. Moreover, there seemed to be a malevolent desire mixed with that red energy. Even the relic in his hands warned him about it.

"Now, will you take me seriously, father?" Laugs asked, with a sly smile.

"You fool!" Algus shouted, and this time his voice was truly furious.

Driven by the power of the spell, Laugs launched himself forward. His body moved so fast that a streak of light was left in his wake. And when the swords clashed, a disturbing sound rang out, accompanied by an explosion of energy, creating a scorching wind that incinerated nearby bushes and shattered some palm trees.

"This is so amazing! This power is wonderful!" thought Laugs. He felt lighter, faster, and stronger. In fact, it was almost as if other things moved slowly before his eyes, and his body was free from any human limitations. Could he be considered a divine being with that power? It seemed so, he pondered, and his heart burst with exhilaration.

Unlike the prince, King Algus was serious and wielded the relic cautiously. He didn't want to see his son die, especially by his own hands.

Laugs stepped back while murmuring, "Why do you continue like this?"

His father remained an obstacle in his path, Laugs pondered. His face showed no effort as he defended against his strikes. He didn't praise his power either; in fact, he seemed disgusted, as if he were looking at an abomination...

"How long will you keep ignoring me?" Laugs continued. "How long will you treat me like a nobody? Tell me, father!"

Algus lowered his head, and his face grew somber. Deep down, he had long been disappointed in himself for not being a better father, but he wasn't the type to say those words out loud, unfortunately.

"As always, you have nothing to say to me, right?" Laugs smiled bitterly and advanced against his father once again.

The Sword relic was a weapon resistant to almost all the magic and spells in that world, and only another relic could compare to its real power. However, the red flames no longer retreated. On the contrary, they now seemed to be fighting the relic in a separate battle. This kind of power falling into the hands of his son couldn't be a mere coincidence, Algus pondered.

But Laugs wasn't the true owner of this power; he was just a tool used by the true owner. Knowing this, he made a quick and precise move, then delivered an attack that sent the prince and his enchanted sword flying apart.