I Reincarnated as the Bastard Prince? Well, At least I'm OP!-Chapter 70: Caspian Vex

"Shadow Techniques," I stated, feeling a mad rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. "They're derived from raw shadow energy, a subclass of dark magic. When fused with martial art, it becomes what you call Shadow Technique."

Geralt's eyes widened slightly, the mauls in his hands lowering a fraction.

"Not bad," he admitted. "That's common knowledge for any member of this society. But knowledge isn't mastery. It takes years of grinding, training, and breaking your body before you can truly control Shadow Technique."

I smirked. "Sure, that may be true. But it's not the only way. Training isn't about being allowed to use Shadow Energy—it's about sharpening skill. Anyone can touch it, but not everyone has the strength, control, or instinct to wield it. That's why training is important."

Then, I let my own energy shift.

The golden aura that sometimes flickered around me dimmed. Then it was immediately replaced by a deep, pulsating violet aura.

The air around me grew cold and still.

Gasps echoed around the circle. Richard's eyes widened in shock, his lips parting.

The other members of the society murmured, staring at me in astonishment.

"Incredible," Geralt muttered, his eyes burning with exhilaration. "How the hell did you do it? You haven't even stepped into a day of training and yet you wielded Shadow Energy as if it dropped on your lap."

"I simply tapped into it," I answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now, are you just going to stand there gaping at me or we're going to finish this?"

Geralt stepped forward, the spiked mauls spinning in his grip with deadly intent.

"You have impressed me, Archer," he admitted, a fierce grin breaking through his earlier shock. "You have a future on this training ground. I'll fight hard to keep you here with us."

I shook my head, the violet energy around me flickering like amethyst flame. "As much as I'd love to, Geralt, I'm not changing my mind about joining."

He laughed, a deep, booming sound. "We'll see about that!"

In the next instant, he vanished in a thick, choking cloud of black smoke. I felt the shift in the air above me an instant before he reappeared, having launched himself high into the air.

He descended like a meteor, both mauls raised high, aiming to drive them down onto my back with crushing force.

The move was meant to end the fight. It was brutal, direct, and left no room for evasion.

But I didn't need to evade.

I pivoted on my heel, bringing the shaft of my spear up in a swift, precise arc. It wasn't a block meant to stop the mauls; it was a deflection, guiding their immense force just slightly to the side.

The weapons slammed into the floorboards beside me, sinking deep into the wood with a sickening crunch.

In that same motion, before Geralt could recover his balance, I released the spear and lunged forward. My left hand, sheathed in concentrated shadow energy, shot out and connected squarely with his chest.

The shadow energy I'd channeled didn't cut or burn; it delivered a concussive wave of pure force, designed to overwhelm the nervous system.

Geralt's eyes rolled back into his head. His grip on the mauls went slack, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Silence.

Absolute, deafening silence filled the hall.

Every member of the Shadow Fighter Society stared, their faces filled with outright terror.

Their captain, their unbeatable leader, lay defeated on the ground.

I calmly placed a foot on one of the fallen mauls. "As agreed," I announced, my voice cutting through the quiet, "Richard rejoins the Shadow Society."

No one argued. Not a single murmur of protest. They just stared, some nodding slowly, others still too stunned to process what they'd seen.

Richard slowly approached me, his eyes wide with surprise. "I don't believe it," he whispered, staring down at Geralt's still form. "You... you bested Geralt. No one could beat him. No one."

I blinked, the dark violet energy around me dissipating. I scratched the back of my head. "Really? Did I overdo it?"

Before Richard could answer, a groan came from the floor. Geralt stirred, pushing himself up onto his elbows.

He shook his head, blinking away the daze swirling around his head. He looked at me, then at the concerned faces of the others, and finally back at me.

He struggled to his feet, wincing slightly but standing tall.

"No," he said. "You didn't overdo it. You are strong. I have to admit it." He let out a short, breathy laugh. "The rumors they say about you, Archer... are true."

He turned to Richard, reaching out and tapping him firmly on the shoulder. "As agreed. Welcome back, Richard von Eldric. You've earned your second chance. Don't disappoint me."

* * * *

After an exhausting afternoon of sparring and drills, Richard wiped the sweat from his brow and left the Shadow Fighter Society's courtyard.

His body ached from the training, but his heart felt strangely light. For the first time in a long while, he wasn't drowning in shame or anger.

All he could think about was Archer.

"That boy" Richard thought as he walked, his boots crunching against the gravel path. "He's unlike anyone I've ever met. Stronger than me, far more gifted than me—and yet… he doesn't treat me like I'm beneath him. He called me his friend. A true friend… the only one I've ever had."

He let out a shaky sigh, smiling faintly to himself as he turned down one of the deserted hallways leading toward the main building.

But before he could take another step, a hand shot out from the shadows and yanked him into a dark, narrow corner.

Richard spun, ready to fight but froze when his eyes locked onto the pale, sunken face before him.

"Caspian Vex…" Richard's voice dropped with disdain. His fists clenched. "What the hell do you want, Caspian?"

Caspian chuckled, his gaunt frame shaking with the sound. His spindly fingers danced in the air. "You've forgotten me, Richard… but I haven't forgotten you."

The stench hit Richard hard—sharp chemicals mixed with the rotting musk of dead animals.

Richard grimaced, his nose wrinkling. Just standing near this boy was enough to make his stomach turn.

"Look," Richard snapped, stepping back. "I don't want anything to do with you anymore."

But Caspian only grinned wider, his eyes glinting like shards of broken glass. "Oh, but we still have unfinished business. I gave you the power you needed to defeat Archer—and yet you squandered it. You couldn't finish him."

Richard's jaw tightened. He shook his head firmly. "I'm through with that. I don't care about power anymore. I just want to live a normal life."

Caspian threw his head back and laughed, a high, maniacal sound that echoed off the stone walls. "Normal? I'm afraid that's not how things work, Richard von Eldric. Chancellor Elysia isn't pleased with your betrayal. She wanted Archer dead, and you're going to make that happen."

But Richard didn't flinch. He leaned forward fearlessly, his voice steady and defiant. "Then deliver a message to her for me, Caspian. Tell her I'm done doing her dirty work. Not ever again."

Caspian's smirk twisted into something darker, colder. He leaned forward as well, whispering with venom in his voice. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Before Richard could react, a sudden, crushing blow landed at the back of his skull.

His vision blurred instantly, and the world spun. He staggered, barely catching a glimpse of his assailant.

It was Lucian, the boys' dormitory head, looming over him with a grim expression.

Richard's knees buckled. Then, everything went black as he sank helplessly into darkness.

* * * *

Richard's eyes fluttered open to a suffocating darkness.

His wrists and ankles were bound tightly with enchanted leather straps, pinning him to a cold, iron bed at the center of a vast chamber.

It was the blood Jest cult secert chamber.

The air was heavy with the stench of dried blood and burning incense, and the walls were smeared with symbols of sacrifice.

He strained against the bindings, muscles bulging, teeth clenched—but the straps held fast.

Panic rose in his throat. "Help! Somebody!" His voice echoed uselessly in the cavernous chamber.

But the voice that answered froze his blood.

"No one is coming to save you, Richard von Eldric. Give it up."

Elysia's voice.

From the shadows, she emerged, graceful and calm. Her cold gaze locked onto him like a predator sizing up prey.

Richard's scowl deepened. "I won't do your bidding, Elysia. You're wasting your time."

She tilted her head, almost pitying him. "You disappoint me, Richard. Truly. You had potential, but you gave in too easily… to a child. Archer humiliated you, and instead of rising above him, you turned soft."

Richard's breath came heavy, his jaw tightening. "I turned soft because I'm weak. But I realized something—I don't need to hate him. Archer is… my friend. My true friend. I wouldn't hurt him, not even if you demanded it. And besides—" his eyes narrowed with conviction, "—you can't beat him. He's too powerful."

Elysia rolled her eyes, her lips curving into an irritated smirk. "That is exactly why he must die. Because of that power. But you? You've gone soft. Weaker than you've ever been. And that weakness disgusts me."

Richard spat at her feet, his voice laced with venom. "Go to hell. I'm not doing shit for you."

Elysia's expression didn't change. Instead, she moved closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Before Andras died, he shared something precious with me—his puppetry magic. With it, I can make anyone dance to my strings. Whether they want to or not. That's how I've retained control over Lucian… and sweet Ada."

Richard's eyes widened. His stomach churned. "You're a monster. Are you even human?"

At that, Elysia's laughter rang out, soft at first, then swelling into a cold, echoing mockery that filled the chamber.

Her eyes flared with a hellish red light.

"No, Richard," she purred, her voice. "I am no human. I am a demon."