The Fallen Hero Reincarnates as the Demon King's Son
Chapter 82 - 81 - Excalibur

Chapter 82: Chapter 81 - Excalibur

Caliste could feel the energy seeping from his body. He could feel it leaving his body slowly but surely.

He was hurt.

He had injuries all over his body, with multiple cuts on his chest and arms. But what really hurt him was that last punch right in the solar plexus, which cut off his breath instantly.

Out of breath and on the ground, Caliste knew that if this continued for a few more minutes, he would have no choice but to die a dog’s death.

Without even needing to think about it, a black, thick energy began spreading from his body.

It was death itself.

His mana affinity—a mana affinity that Caliste hadn’t used much in this life because he was quite scared of what it could achieve. In his past life, the affinity he had received was life. However, this time around, he hadn’t gotten both life and death.

Ever since then, he had tried to use death as little as possible, fearful of it.

The death affinity was not something that humans could awaken. It was an affinity that only a select few demonic creatures could awaken, and Caliste had fought against it firsthand. He knew just how powerful it could be when used in the right hands.

It could also be very cruel and deadly, just like its name implies.

"Mhm... You awakened a death affinity?" Canna shook his head in displeasure. "How annoying."

The sound of his voice turned from playful to very cold, devoid of any emotion.

The fight had been one-sided, but Canna hadn’t been trying his hardest. He was just having some fun with his brother, but the instant he saw that black energy coming from Caliste’s body, it was as if something flipped inside him.

He flew in Caliste’s direction as fast as possible, trying to land another hit on him. But as he did, the black energy began moving on its own toward Canna.

Caliste could barely stay awake by now; the death mana was currently acting on its own, protecting its owner.

"Fuck!" Canna muttered as he tried to push through the death mana, but that was a grave mistake. The moment his skin came into contact with it, he felt as if all his skin cells were dying at an alarming rate. The skin on his arm began shrinking rapidly. His arm, which had been that of a young man, was now that of a very old man.

Canna looked at his brother, almost at a loss.

He could clearly see that Caliste was in no condition to fight. But it was as if the mana itself had begun to protect him. Canna could see it; Caliste was barely awake—there was no way he could manipulate death mana in such a masterful way.

’What the hell is happening to him?’ he thought as he began squinting, noticing a small light exuding from Caliste’s chest.

It was a strong light, one that would blind many, but because of the darkness surrounding Caliste, it didn’t seem to have much impact on Canna, who could keep looking at it as the injuries all over Caliste’s body began healing at a rapid rate.

Canna’s eyes widened at the sight.

There had only been one time when he had seen injuries heal that fast. It was a few years ago when, under the orders of his father, he was asked to kill an angel. When fighting against that angel, every time he injured her, she would heal instantly.

’W-Why does he have the power of death and the power of the angels, life?’ Canna was trying to understand just what kind of monster his brother was, but it was honestly hard for him to do so.

He had heard of dual affinities in the past, like many others. However, most people who had dual affinities would have common ones such as fire and ice, earth and water, and so on. Never had he heard of anyone obtaining the two rarest affinities that this world had to offer.

It was only now that Canna began to realize why his father was so obsessed with Caliste, his brother.

It was only now that Canna realized that given enough time, his brother would surpass him in the blink of an eye.

It was only now that Canna realized that if he didn’t do anything right now, he would be replaced in the future. His father would no longer look at him as long as his brother continued to live.

There was only one thing that Canna could do to stop all this.

He needed to kill his brother before he grew.

The easygoingness coming from Canna disappeared in the blink of an eye as he locked eyes with his brother once again.

’I need to kill him. If I don’t, I will just become another toy of my father. I need to kill him... before he grows more powerful.’

Even Caliste, who could barely pay attention to what was happening before him, knew that something had changed in the atmosphere. It was heavy and hard to deal with for someone like Caliste. However, as the seconds passed and his body was getting healed by the life mana within him, he realized that this fight might actually be winnable.

There was still this strong, hot energy beaming from his chest, the energy from the molten core. However, Caliste had no idea how to use such a thing.

When he locked eyes with his brother again, he knew that something had changed in Canna’s gaze. He was no longer happy; he was looking at Caliste with pure hatred.

’Is it my mana affinities? Is that why he’s so angry at me?’ Caliste thought for a quick second, unsure why the person in front of him wanted to break him.

Caliste was lost for a second as his brother disappeared from the skies, reappearing right before him. And before he could even react, his death mana had done so, revealing Canna’s intent.

He had been aiming at Caliste’s abdomen, but the death mana had been able to read through him, indicating to Caliste where his next strike would be.

With a swift move from his waist, Caliste dodged the strike and counterattacked, aiming toward his brother’s face.

His fist grazed him, a small cut appearing on Canna’s cheek, with a few trickles of blood falling from it.

Canna winced as he immediately touched his cheek with his hand. He looked at his hand, noticing the blood.

’H-He made me bleed? H-How is that even possible?’ Canna thought, realizing that this fight would not be as easy as he believed.

It had been more than five years since Canna had last bled, and the last time he had done so was because his father had slapped him as a punishment. For his little brother’s fist to only graze him and cause that much damage, he realized the danger he was currently in and the monster that was standing before him.

’If I let him grow just a little more, it’ll be over. He will completely surpass me.’

Canna knew there was no longer time to play around as he opened his inventory, a small portal opening on his right. He grabbed a long sword from there, a sword that made Caliste’s eyes widen.

’I-Isn’t that Alek’s sword? Why does he have it?’

Caliste could have recognized that sword anywhere in the world.

The golden glow that exuded from the sword was not something that could be mistaken for anything else. That shine was unlike anything Caliste had ever seen in his life.

Excalibur.

A sword that had been personally crafted by Thorin, the best sword he had ever made in his life. His greatest masterpiece. It had originally been meant for Caliste, but because Alek seemed so jealous of it, Caliste had decided to give it to Alek.

And now, after more than one hundred years, Canna, one of the sons of the Demon King, was standing with it in his hands.

’That son of a bitch... you really betrayed me right to the very end. Just what did the Demon King give you?’ Caliste thought in the back of his mind, angrier than ever before.

Caliste could feel the anger and rage within him growing at a record pace. Seeing the sword in front of him awakened something within him; the death mana around him began growing in size, and the life mana began shrinking as a result.

Caliste started to feel his mind clouding with emotion, his feelings surfacing.

Clenching his jaw, he said to Canna, "How did you get this sword?"

He was no longer scared.

If he had to, he would kill his brother with his bare hands. He didn’t care anymore. This sword was something that a demon should be wielding.

Liana, who watched this from within, was starting to lose her mind, feeling the rage bubbling inside of Caliste.

’D-Don’t lose yourself, Caliste,’ Liana thought with a frown.