Zion’s senses were able to pick up on the subtle energy that crackled in Lapis’s hand. He was far stronger than Lapis, who was only a Supreme stage mage. While Zion was also a supreme stage, his mana method and Divine Apostle status put him far above that stage.
"Do you really wanna go that route?" Zion asked, glancing up at the prince with eyes full of anticipation. "I don’t mind adding you to the list of people I’ve killed."
Lapis growled. "Do you know who you’re speaking to?" Now it was obvious that he was angry, and he didn’t care that others had stopped their conversations to pay attention to the commotion going on at Zion’s table.
"I’m aware. The question is, do you know who you’re speaking to?" Now, annoyed, Zion stood up and faced Lapis. "Don’t let your pride and ego get in the way of your thinking. You’re supposed to be the calm and collective prince, right? Why are you so heated? Simply because I don’t wish to speak to you?"
"It’s the way you spoke to me! I’m a prince and should be spoken to with respect. You’d be dead if you were a nobody."
"Well, it’s a good thing that I’m a Divine Apostle." Zion made sure to emphasize ’Divine Apostle’ and said it loud enough for everyone to hear. Gasp and murmurs riddled the crowd as people started questioning Lapis’s attitude toward someone of Zion’s status.
"And even if that wasn’t the case," Zion continued, walking closer to Lapis. "I’m the heir to a grand duchy, which puts me on the same status as you. So, regardless of how you want to put it, at the bare minimum, we’re of equal status."
Anger and embarrassment filled Lapis’s mind. He had forgotten that Zion was a Divine Apostle, and now he just embarrassed himself in front of everyone there. He knew that people would look at him differently now, especially when the succession war started.
But on the other hand, he couldn’t let this go. He had to protect his honor and status as the prince. He wouldn’t allow someone, regardless of who they were, to trample all over him.
"I cha-" Fear overtook him before he could get all the words he wanted to say out of his mouth. His body trembled, and his heart pounded. Looking up, he saw it, death in the form of Zion’s golden eyes.
Just by looking at them, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against him. He would lose in an instant, or even worse. The mana that he was building up sizzled out of his hand, and he lost all of his confidence at that point.
Lapis swallowed his pride, re-adjusted his suit, and cleared his throat. "I apologize for the way I acted. I let my anger get the best of me. I’m sorry." He nodded, showing some form of respect, and turned to walk away.
Zion chuckled at his poor attempt to save face. He enjoyed what was happening, making a scene and embarrassing the prince. He truly didn’t care about his actions or how others would see him. Zion just liked the chaos.
"That’s right. Walk away. Pussy."
It was there when Lapis’s sense of reason completely broke. He stepped up and was the better man, apologizing for his actions. He showed Zion respect and walked away from the situation. Now he went and called him a pussy? Lapis refused to be insulted that way and lunged at Zion.
"How dare you talk to me that way! I’ll fix that fucking mouth of yours!" The mana around Lapis’s hand pulsed with mana, its effects warping the space around his hand.
Zion could feel what he was trying to use, gravity magic. Powerful and deadly. But to Zion, it was nothing. Lapis would need to be on the level of his sisters to affect him with gravity magic.
In a swift motion, Zion stepped to the side, brandishing the sword of forms, and cleanly sliced off Lapis’s arm. It was so quick that not even Lapis knew his arm was gone, and he was still in the lunging position.
Putting away his sword, Zion pressed two fingers on Lapis’s chest, and a surge of mana blew him back until he collided with a nearby wall, ruining some tables and wasting food and drinks in the process.
"Arghhhh!!!!!" Now with the pain finally setting in, Lapis screamed in pain at both the loss of his arm and the feeling of the bones in his chest being broken.
The king, who was sitting at a grand table with his four wives, two on each side, enjoyed what was going on between his son and Zion. He didn’t care too much about what happened to his son, but Zion, he was interested in his power.
At the tournament, Zircon was left baffled by whatever power Zion possessed. Not his Apostle abilities, but the power of his technology, not that he knew what it was.
He wanted that, no, he needed that. ’If I could have that power, I could rule all of Midgard! But for that to happen, I need Zion on my side.’ He didn’t know how he could coax Zion into sharing his knowledge, but he hoped he could at least marry him off to one of his daughters to make things easier.
He even spoke to the dwarves to see if they knew what power Zion used, but they were also clueless. They didn’t even know how Zion’s recording device worked, so they wouldn’t even be able to comprehend his giant space laser if they ever saw it in person. Unless they studied it, of course.
"Noo! My baby!" One of Zircon’s wives got up from her seat and ran toward Lapis. She was Lapis’s mother and had dark blue hair and eyes just like him. She was a total milf.
"You! How dare you harm my prince!" She yelled in anger, pulling out a wand from her dress and pointing it at Zion.
Zion looked at the woman, his cold eyes piercing through her motherly appearance. "Lady, do you want to get your arm cut off as well?"