"Time for the finishing touch. 'Permanent Frost'!"
"So it was you who froze the Pope after all... But if I use this newly acquired healing power to heal myself...!"
[Compassionate King] was a skill specialized in healing people — the polar opposite of [Tyrannical King].
The ice crept up from his feet, but Julian channeled the skill Alan had granted him, gathering white aura to halt the encroaching frost.
Julian was frozen up to his waist, but this time the ice's advance gradually slowed until it reached a stalemate.
"This might be bad..."
Alan grew anxious.
"Alan, it's bad! The ice is melting!"
"I know! I'm adding more mana right now!"
Harold called out to Alan, and Alan shot back a response.
His usual composed expression gone, Alan thrust both hands forward in desperation, pumping more mana into 'Permanent Frost.'
"No matter what you do, it won't work on me! Once this ice melts, I'll beat you to death!"
"Damn... I can barely keep 'Permanent Frost' going as it is. I can't believe [Royal Grudge] is this strong."
"You people could never understand — my decades of enduring! This power, fed by the humiliation inflicted by those Electors... let me show you what it tastes like once more!"
The ice consuming Julian would advance a little, then melt back a little.
Having unleashed all the hatred stockpiled through [Royal Grudge], Julian's power now matched Alan's — which should have been absurdly overpowered.
Even the elite fighters of the Round Yarlute Alliance, who should have been brought back to life, could only watch.
The gap in power was so vast that any clumsy interference would only break Alan's concentration.
As everyone watched with bated breath, wondering which way the scales would tip, someone steeled himself to act.
It was Harold.
He possessed [Royal Strategist], but the stronger the target, the greater the strain on its user.
When applied to the Alliance's elites, they were still within human limits, so the risk was manageable.
But applying it to Alan — there was no telling what would happen.
In the worst case... no, if Alan lost, they were all dead anyway.
"Alan! Just for now, fall under my command!"
Alan didn't know about Harold's [Royal Strategist].
He hadn't used [Divine Eye] on him, since Harold wasn't an enemy.
Naturally, he had no idea about the risk Harold was taking.
But if he so much as glanced away from Julian for an instant, the ice would melt in a heartbeat.
And once the healing effect of [Compassionate King] was no longer being countered, Julian would use his empowered body to pummel Alan to death — that much was obvious.
"Got it!"
Trusting Harold's words, Alan gave an affirmative reply without ever taking his eyes off Julian.
In that instant, Harold's [Royal Strategist] activated, doubling Alan's abilities.
Immediately, the ice's advance through 'Permanent Frost' surged back to life, and Julian's body was encased in ice in the blink of an eye.
"Saved... The one you want on your side is the king's son, huh? Well then — from now on, you're going to be an ice statue that leaks healing aura."
"I — I am a king by birth! I am one who receives service from the common folk!"
He tried to gather white aura and heal himself in opposition, but Alan's temporarily boosted mana was too powerful, and the ice continued to consume him without resistance.
"Why not try being on the giving end for once? You might find it surprisingly addictive."
From the neck down, Julian was already completely frozen.
"I... I endured humiliation upon humiliation and drew my skill's power to its absolute limit! This kind of ending... I will not accept it! I refuse!"
"True King Julian, your [Royal Grudge] really was something."
It had matched mine almost evenly, and I should have had the advantage with multiple top-tier skills plus a power boost.
I would have been in real trouble without Lord Harold's skill, too.
Anyway, the ice statue was finally complete.
"Thank you, Lord Harold. You had an incredible skill — if you'd told me, I would have..."
Perhaps from now on, he should consider borrowing others' strength whenever possible.
He turned around, mulling this over.
"Gagh! *cough*"
"Hang in there, Harold!"
Lord Harold doubled over, coughing up blood, while Lord Yarlute held him up.
And then, my power boost wore off.
"'Extra Heal'! Lord Harold, are you alright? I was thinking of having you use your skill one more time to boost me for the finishing blow on the True King..."
I used healing magic to bring Lord Harold back around, but reactivating his skill looked like a no-go.
"Give me a break — if I do that again, I'm not confident I'll survive. And honestly, the sheer audacity to boss around a prince of a whole country... Only someone like you, Alan, could get away with that."
◇◇◇
Skills: [Reverse][Divine Eye][Sword God][Fist God][Spear God][Scorching Magic][Ice Magic][Clear Gale Magic][Stone Iron Magic][Holy Magic][Dark Magic][Spacetime Magic][Thunder God Blade][Phantom Thief Gentleman][Ninja Master][Seeker of Truth][Prodigy][Swift Wind][Pain Relief][Complete Status Ailment Resistance][Dark Spirit's Protection][Super Intuition][Heaven's Gate][One Who Pacted with the Abyss][Magic Hand][Treasure Search][Temptation][Incitement][Tell-Mesmerism][Eloquence][Lucky Break][Tenfold Growth Speed][Growth Limit Break][Afterimage Magic][Dark Stalker]
Rank: Orichalcum
(All abilities currently boosted by [Royal Strategist])