The crowd gasped.

“How many blessings does he have...!”

“Wasn’t he allowed to use those other blessings in the Western Reserve Wonhwa match as well?”

“It’s like... like the ‘Dominance of the Ruler’...”

At someone’s words, people flinched and looked toward the Emperor.

What was the ?

A blessing capable of copying any blessing and strengthening it to level 2 or 3 while casting.

It was the strongest blessing, incomparable to copying or extracting blessings.

Though the royal family long wished for it, it had never manifested since the founding emperor.

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed, and Duke Isiron flinched.

‘What on earth is Erilot Astra thinking?’

To reveal the Dominance of the Ruler in such a place?

It was tantamount to acknowledging her imperial bloodline.

No one knew what Queen Oscelia, backed by three dukes, might do.

Then—

“Look! It’s white quartz...!”

A spectator shouted.

Alexis was holding several pieces of white quartz.

Normally white quartz is about the size of a fingernail, but these were large enough to see with the naked eye from the stands.

Roughly the size of a child’s finger in diameter.

Alexis changed the white quartz he held each time he activated his blessing, switching colors.

“It’s replication! It seems to be the same replication blessing as Silin Chateaubriand.”

“Ah, so that blessing of his...”

“Nothing to compare to Central Wonhwa’s. At least level 3, if not the same level 4 blessing as Daymond Astra’s.”

“Yes, being able to replicate and use multiple such abilities...”

Even worldwide, those who have manifested blessings at level 4 fit on one hand.

“Amazing... Is he the strongest among the child soldiers?”

When Duke Isiron bowed his head, Duke Jermo asked,

“Are you alright?”

“...Hah.”

“Duke?”

“Hahaha! Haha!”

Duke Isiron laughed heartily, rare for him.

The nobles, spectators, and even the Emperor looked at him with strange expressions.

Duke Isiron’s eyes sharpened.

‘It must have been Erilot Astra who gave that white quartz to the boy.’

There was no other person who could have obtained such pure and magnificent white quartz.

Only Erilot Astra, daughter of Daymond who controls the white quartz trade on the continent.

Boldly revealing the founding emperor’s power in front of so many nobles and the Emperor.

And disguising it with the blessing .

‘But since Erilot Astra warned me, I know that is the Dominance of the Ruler.’

It is a grave crime to deceive about the abilities and origin of the imperial guards.

In other words, he held a weakness of Erilot Astra’s.

‘But if I remain silent knowing that it is the Dominance of the Ruler, then I too would be helping that child’s cunning deception.’

Thus, Duke Isiron was forced to ride the same boat regardless of his will.

‘I brought Alexis into the imperial army to make us share the same fate.’

That child was barely eleven years old.

Goosebumps ran all over.

Mark gritted his teeth.

“Where did he learn such tricks...!”

He slammed his fist against the wall created by Alexis.

Mark’s power was not only about clones.

His blessing was clones, but he also possessed abilities acquired in the ‘laboratory’.

Monstrous strength and corrosion.

Corrosion.

A power that corrodes everything it touches.

‘Whether original or clone, once it touches, it’s over.’

He could reduce even a proud face to powder.

Bang! Bang! Bang bang! Bang!

The maze Alexis created was shattering.

The crowd stirred.

“A m-maze... terrifying power.”

“But there’s still a barrier.”

Mark’s mouth twisted.

‘Sacred barrier? Don’t be ridiculous.’

One clone leapt into Alexis’s barrier.

Cchitchitchit─!

With a tremendous noise, the clone violently twisted its body.

“Guaaah─!!”

It was completely burned away, but in doing so created a gap in the barrier.

Mark’s original body dashed through the gap.

“A barrier is nothing. I have countless pawns willing to die instead, brat.”

Just as Mark grinned wickedly,

Thunk─!!

One of Mark’s clones punched the original.

Alexis said,

“You’re not the only one who can move the pawns.”

Clones bound by chains of physical control began furiously attacking the original Mark.

If he increased clones to defend, those clones got bound and attacked.

To approach Alexis, Mark had to break the barrier, which required sacrificing clones.

Eventually, all that remained were clones bound by Alexis’s chains.

Surrounded by his own clones, Mark turned pale.

“Th-this...”

‘Damn it. No more magic to create clones.’

He had wasted too much magic using monstrous strength and corrosion.

At that moment, a clone lunged at the original.

‘Release!’

Fortunately, the clone was erased before its punch landed.

The next clone.

‘Release.’

And the next.

‘Release!’

Only three clones remained.

A spectator shouted,

“That’s stupid. Just erase all the clones!”

“Then only the original remains.”

“Better to be alone than attacked.”

“If you do that, it’s one-on-one. Can he beat Western Army number two without clones?”

Someone agreed,

“Yes, better to force Western Army number two to waste magic binding clones.”

“But isn’t that dangerous? If he gets hit by his own clones’ attacks...”

Viscount Noklang laughed and replied,

“Neither works.”

His son nodded.

“Yes. He’s cornered to the point neither works.”

They were right.

Mark’s mind was a mess.

‘Erasing clones costs magic too. I should save magic for the last stand... but I keep getting attacked. Will my stamina hold? What to do... what to do...’

He had never been this cornered before.

As if he himself...

Had become the weak one.

‘Weak? Me? Mark?!’

Anger flashed in Mark’s eyes.

“I’m not weak─!!”

As he shouted, the arena trembled.

Pababababat!

Clones increased rapidly.

One, two, three... thirty... fifty-one!

Mark’s clones packed the arena.

“Impossible! He was out of magic! How... how is this possible?!”

A spectator screamed.

Duke Jermo asked Daymond,

“Is it possible?”

“If he converts life force into magic, perhaps. But if it exceeds blessing limits...”

Mark’s original body began to drip like sludge.

“The blessing damage... damage!”

Viscount Noklang shouted.

In short, it was the penalty for exceeding blessing limits.

For example, Milan’s has limited usage time and number.

Using it beyond the limit turns the user into a monster.

“H-his original body is completely melting.”

“Is he dead...?”

Mark’s clones began murmuring all at once.

“Hey, I’m not weak, not weak.”

“I-I’m not weak, not weak...”

“No. I’m not weak.”

“Not weak, not w-w-wrong.”

Over fifty clones muttered and suddenly charged at Alexis.

“He’s going to die like that!”

Someone shouted.

The original died, leaving only the blessing behind, so Iji disappeared.

The original was reacting to a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) hostile opponent.

The clones would not vanish until Alexis was dead.

“Damn.”

Knights from the Emperor’s direct guard, overseeing the public battle, drew their swords.

The dukes rose to block the Emperor’s path.

They had to shield the royal family from the fallout.

“Your Majesty, please step back.”

Duke Jermo put on specially made gloves. Pure magic shimmered from his body.

Duke Chateaubriand and Duke Trang also prepared to cast blessings.

The Duke Astra, gripping his staff, fixed a cold gaze forward.

Kugugugugugu...

Chronos Astra’s blessing activated, splitting and lifting the ground before the stands.

Daymond was about to rise.

Erilot’s voice rang out.

“Protect His Majesty.”

At her command—

Bang─!!!

An enormous wave of power.

Far more powerful than Mark’s.

The magical wave twisted the very flow of the wind, whipping up a fierce gale.

Spectators raised arms, fans, or hands to shield their eyes.

When they opened their eyes again...

“W-what...?!”

Mark’s clones shattered into pieces and scattered.

“Daymond Astra’s ...”

The ultimate offensive blessing that disintegrates everything it touches!

“Impossible. can’t replicate blessings above its own level. Then really...”

“Yes, he truly developed a level 4 blessing─!!”

The Emperor looked up at the child standing beneath the stands.

The wind blew.

Dust from Mark’s disintegrated clones scattered in the north wind.

Alexis’s gaze met the Emperor’s.

The Emperor asked,

“What is that child’s name?”

Duke Isiron looked at the Emperor.

“But if proven, Duke, please grant my request.”

Erilot Astra’s request came to mind.

Yes, the child on tiptoe whispering.

“Please, Duke, speak. Give that child a new name.”

Duke Isiron slowly opened his mouth.

“Alexis Isiron.”

“......”

“The heir born to continue the Isiron bloodline, Your Majesty.”

Later, the imperial name ‘Kalsoye’ would be appended to that name—the arrival of a prince.

The arena exploded with noise.

“I-Isiron?”

“The heir of the Duke family?!”

“A grandson? A grandson?!”

“There’s no way the second generation of the Isiron family would have such a large child!”

“Then... a bastard?”

“The fact that Duke Isiron declared it means that child won’t be considered illegitimate.”

“Oh my....”

The imperial palace was thrown into chaos.

Erilot’s lips curved softly upward.

The name Erilot Astra sought, protected, and created.

The first appearance in imperial history of the strongest name ever.

In a secluded place, I smiled broadly.

“So beautiful!”

I ruffled Alexis’s hair roughly.

“...Don’t.”

Alexis frowned, grabbed my wrist.

Ignoring him, I pulled his face closer.

“You did amazing. Know that? Truly amazing.”

“I know, milady.”

“You don’t have to call me milady anymore.”

Alexis stared at me.

I smiled and said,

“Alexis Isiron.”

“......”

“You’ve finally found your name.”

“...Yeah.”

“One thing remains.”

Alexis Isiron.

To reclaim the noblest surname to follow that name—Kalsoye.

Alexis held my hand and said,

“Do you need that name?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll get it.”

I laughed softly and hugged Alexis.

“Yes, yes. My good boy.”

At that whisper, Alexis sighed deeply.

“Stop treating me like a kid. I’m younger than you.”

He and I both knew calling him my “good boy” was not an insult.

It was the kindest phrase I knew.

The phrase Yuhye-min’s grandmother, mother, and stepfather used most lovingly for Se-eun.

Suddenly, footsteps approached behind us.

I quickly stepped aside.

“...Wonhwa?”

Kazyn.

“Yeah.”

“The next match is about to start.”

“All right. Let’s go, Alexis.”

“...Yes, Wonhwa.”

Holding Alexis’s wrist, I walked cheerfully.

I felt Kazyn’s gaze fixed on my hand.

Alexis looked back at him.

The eyes of the two boys met in midair.

“Kazyn? Not coming?”

“...Ah, I’m coming.”

The next match was finally against Central Army number three.

But then—

“Match over! Victory for the Western Army!”

The match lasted only five minutes.

Alexis immediately bound Central Army number three out of the ring with chains of physical control.

“.......”

“......”

The crowd stared blankly at the indifferent Alexis.

Silin’s face was naturally bright red.

The match against number four also ended extremely quickly, again thanks to chains of physical control.

‘Well, number three and four were weaker than Mark and Kork.’

The problem was number five, Munir.

“I’m looking forward to this match.”

“Yes, Alexis is as strong as Munir, and Munir must be drenched in sacred power...”

The Western Army participants chuckled.

I was honestly confident.

But the match proceeded unexpectedly.

“Huh?”

“Uhh...?!”

Munir was bound by Alexis’s chains of physical control, unable to move.

‘What’s that?’

He was supposed to be the strongest?

A half-dragon?

‘Maybe too soaked in sacred power?’

But it didn’t seem like that.

‘He’s much weaker than Mark.’

The surprise was not just for the Western Army. The Central Army and spectators were also greatly stirred, and Silin was near fainting.

‘Something’s strange...’

Was there something I didn’t know?

But I had no time to assess.

“Player substitution!”

Silin finally declared a substitution.

‘Gasp!’

I opened my eyes wide.

‘His blessing is replication.’

If Silin, who has the same blessing, noticed, he might realize Alexis’s blessing was not actually .

In that case, there was nothing to do.

I took off my robe and shouted,

“Player substitution.”

The end would be mine.

You’re dead.