"This is the most critical moment in the Succession War~ Gray."
"That's enough!" The Ninth Prince raised his gun and aimed it straight at king Nasubi's head.
"Here's my answer!"
"Will you immediately declare the end of the Succession War—or will I shoot you dead right here?!"
He spoke slowly, each word heavy with resolve.
"Make your choice now, Father!"
King Nasubi simply shook his head.
"Don't rely on others. If you want something done, do it yourself. Halkenburg, you must understand—words alone are the most revolting means of persuasion in this world~ ."
The statement visibly rattled the Ninth Prince. His hand trembled around the gun.
But then, as if reaching clarity, he made his decision.
"Then I'll start a revolution. I'll inherit your throne and bring an end to the Succession War!"
"Goodbye, Father!"
With that, Halkenburg pulled the trigger, firing a bullet squarely between his father's eyebrows.
However—
"Elegant method. But if you really mean to kill someone, you should fire three shots in a row~ Hui."
With a casual flick, king Nasubi caught the bullet mid-air between two fingers—like some invincible villain from a martial arts film—and looked calmly at the stunned prince.
"I'm part of this ceremony too. I have a role to play. I won't die until my part is done~ Ash."
He dropped the bullet to the floor.
...
At some point, Nugui, the chief steward of the Kakin royal family, had appeared at the scene. He calmly addressed the stunned prince.
"Similar scenarios have been included in the sailing itinerary by royal authorities as covert training exercises. Therefore, His Majesty the King will not punish the Ninth Prince or your accompanying soldiers. Please be at ease."
"In other words," Halkenburg said, regaining his composure, "this was all within your expectations?"
He turned to look at Nasubi and the steward, hands still shaking.
"Then what if I do this?!"
Without hesitation, Halkenburg turned the gun toward his own temple, his eyes full of determination.
Bang!
Before the bullet could reach its target, his guardian beast—a one-eyed bull—manifested in a flash, caught the bullet, and halted his suicide attempt.
Nasubi grinned. "It seems your Guardian Beast and I share the same thoughts~ Hui."
"Are you awake now~ Hui?"
Clatter.
The gun slipped from his fingers and hit the floor. Halkenburg's eyes dimmed, hollow and lost.
Nasubi simply waved his hand.
Nugui stepped forward and escorted the prince away—his soul seemingly shattered.
"If you're unwilling to carry the weight of your sins, then you cannot become king. And if you can't become king, you'll never change the country."
He watched the prince's fading silhouette with detached serenity.
"If you think Kakin doesn't need a king… then prove it. After you become one~ Hui."
...
As the prince was taken away, the black pupils of his vacant eyes slowly lit up—like a sky speckled with stars, as if something deep inside had awakened.
Although Halkenburg had called for a revolution, the rebellion was swiftly crushed by Nasubi.
Yet this act stirred ripples among the other princes.
While many expected the Ninth Prince to retreat or devise new strategies...
News shocked them all once again.
After returning from Nasubi's quarters, Halkenburg led his guards directly to his own room—where he ruthlessly executed the private musician planted there by Benjamin.
The message was clear: all ties with Benjamin were severed. The Ninth Prince had officially entered the battlefield—and his first target was Prince Benjamin himself.
As the world watched Halkenburg's turn to darkness unfold, yet another bombshell dropped—
...
Reports arrived: the Eighth Prince, Salé-salé, was dead.
Earlier, after the Twelfth Prince Momoze had been rescued by one of Ronnel's clones, the Eighth Prince became the first confirmed casualty in the Succession War.
The fallout from this crossfire—and the death of a prince—snapped the war back into deadly focus.
Even Princes Kacho and Fugetsu were affected. The relaxed atmosphere that had emboldened their escape plan dissolved under the weight of new tension.
Originally, the two had planned to flee on a small boat during the second dinner, assuming the Royal's Army would be distracted with security.
Now, that assumption was shattered.
With security likely tightening, the risk of escaping had soared.
...
While the two worried in silence, Ronnel's Clone No. 3 quietly approached Melody.
"What do you want?"
Melody was surprised. The man standing before her was the most inconspicuous of Kacho's guards.
"Stop your plan," Clone No. 3 said bluntly. "According to the rules and restrictions of the Egg in the Pot ceremony, once a prince leaves the Black Whale, they'll die immediately."
Melody froze.
He had said it so directly—there was no point pretending otherwise.
Besides the two princes, only she and Ryoji, the Eleventh Prince's military captain, were in on the plan.
She had confirmed via heartbeat that Ryoji's desire to help was genuine. He couldn't have leaked the plan.
Was this Nen?
Could this nondescript guard somehow see through everything using Nen?
Melody focused, trying to read his heartbeat—
But it was perfectly ordinary.
Clone No. 3 watched her calmly.
"It's no use. Even the abilities of the Sonata of Darkness can't perceive what I am."
Melody's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You... you... you—how much do you know?!"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)