Mist.
It was obvious that this wasn't a real name.
Needless to say, the only one who could use Mist Breathing from the world of Demon Slayer and control numerous combat mechanical dolls of Yoriichi Type One in this world was obviously Riezel.
At this moment, Riezel had arrived at the location provided by Serena, the abandoned mansion where Sorren hid his family—or rather, the original Riezel's family.
On the way, however, Riezel happened to catch Sorren sneaking out of the royal palace and coming to this abandoned mansion.
Riezel wasn't surprised by this—in fact, he had already expected Sorren to come here.
Since Sorren had gone through a lot of trouble to drag Baron Carfield and the Brynhart family to the royal capital, he definitely wasn't going to just sit around and do nothing. Riezel had already anticipated that Sorren would show up personally, using the people he had captured to execute some wicked plan.
Riezel had come precisely for this reason.
Going through so much trouble to attack this abandoned mansion, Riezel's goal was clearly not just to wipe out the hideout of Sorren's private troops, as evident from the fact that as soon as he confronted Sorren, he had gone straight for the killing move, showing no regard for the fact that the young man in front of him was a prince.
Surely, Sorren could see this too, see that the mist-shrouded swordsman in front of him wanted to kill him, to cut him down.
Nevertheless, it wasn't the first time Sorren had faced danger like this.
As a member of the royal family, and with such a violent temperament at that, Sorren had faced many assassination attempts throughout his life. Still, the attack from the swordsman just now was definitely the closest he had come to death and the most dangerous he had ever felt.
As a result, despite the anger boiling inside him and his desire to tear the flesh of the swordsman in front of him and devour it, Sorren understood, after that brief exchange, that he might not be a match for this swordsman.
"Who sent you?"
Sorren suppressed his rage, gritting his teeth as he questioned.
"Was it the Cordelion family? Someone from the Duke Faction? Or someone high up from a foreign country?"
All of these were the possibilities Sorren could think of.
As for Riezel, Sorren didn't suspect him at all.
He had already investigated everything about Riezel and knew that Riezel had always been alone, without any men under him. If not for Lizbeth's appearance, Riezel wouldn't even have had an attendant by his side.
As for the Frenzel family, they didn't have a powerful swordsman like this mist-shrouded one either. Although the three attendants under Yuri were all Sword Masters, none of them could pose a threat to him, including Marilyn.
Not to mention, there were so many powerful dolls here.
Judging by their performance and abilities, they were clearly crafted by a magician highly skilled in the Structure System and might even have been created using Tactical-Class Magic from the Structure System, which was completely beyond the Frenzel family's capabilities.
He knew that Yuri specialized in the Control System, while Riezel, according to preliminary tests at Spriller Academy, had been confirmed to only have excellent magic compatibility with the Interference System, while the others were average.
Considering this, neither of them had the means to use Tactical-Class Magic from the Structure System, nor was it possible for them to create so many high-performance dolls.
Buying or acquiring them from somewhere else was also unrealistic.
Transporting such a large number of dolls to the royal capital would be a huge undertaking, impossible to keep hidden from the eyes of the royal family. Even if they used summoning magic to bring them to the royal capital from somewhere else, the amount of magical energy required and the commotion caused by summoning so many dolls would not go unnoticed.
Moreover, knowing that the Frenzel family could be considered the most scrutinized among the noble families, it was even more impossible.
Before, there were always people watching them in secret because of Yuri's achievements and their neutral stance, and now, thanks to Riezel's appearance and his extraordinary feats, spies from every major force on the continent hovered around every day.
If such a large commotion had occurred, it would have definitely drawn the attention of all parties involved.
Considering all of this, Sorren didn't suspect Riezel's involvement and definitely didn't think the mist-shrouded swordsman in front of him was actually Riezel himself.
Why?
It was simple.
In Sorren's eyes, the swordsmanship used by the swordsman in front of him was obviously different from Riezel's.
One should know that Riezel, known as the Lightning Sword Saint, was already famous throughout the continent. Everyone knew he used a swordsmanship similar to thunder and lightning, emphasizing speed and explosive power, with a strong ability to defeat his opponents instantly.
However, the mist-shrouded swordsman in front of him, though their slash was indeed impressive, clearly employed a style of swordsmanship more suited to assassination and stealth.
Not only was the trajectory of the swordsman's sword slash unpredictable, but their figure was also like a ghost, appearing and disappearing at will—clearly a skill only a professional assassin would possess.
Moreover, he didn't sense any aura or magical energy from the swordsman, which suggested that their concealment ability was also something only a professional assassin would possess.
Ironically, all of this led Sorren astray from the correct answer, making him the perfect example of someone who was too clever for his own good.
Riezel, seeing that Sorren had been successfully misled by his swordsmanship, gave a faint smile.
"Guess."
Speaking in an indifferent voice, Riezel slowly walked toward Sorren, and soon a thin mist began to spread around him, followed by a haze of light.
If Muichirou were here to witness this, he would definitely be astonished.
Simply walking, yet mist billowed out like a mere breath—such mastery, such a phenomenon had far surpassed the Mist Breathing Muichirou used and understood.
It was only natural.
At this moment, Riezel wasn't just using Mist Breathing but also incorporated some of the insights he had gained in his recent fight with Rohm into this breathing style.
Riezel had to admit that Rohm's Shadow Strike Sword Style was truly unmatched in stealth. It not only allowed him to hide all aura and presence like the Selfless State but also let him hide within shadows, control them, and evade almost all means of detection and surveillance.
If Riezel hadn't mastered the Transparent World, which just happened to counter Rohm's Shadow Strike Sword Style, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to defeat the invisible Rohm using only Thunder Breathing.
Thanks to the Transparent World, Riezel understood Rohm's state clearly when using the Shadow Strike Sword Style.
Whether it was the direction and contraction of Rohm's muscles, the way he used the swordsmanship, his breathing rhythm, or the activity and flow of magical energy when using it, all of this was observed by the Transparent World.
Adding to Riezel's exceptional memory and rapid growth, after a few days of deliberate practice, he successfully grasped part of the essence of the Shadow Strike Sword Style and incorporated it into his own Mist Breathing.
Although Mist Breathing hadn't evolved or transformed like Sun Breathing, it now had some traits of the Shadow Strike Sword Style.
While the Shadow Strike Sword Style could freely manipulate shadows, Riezel's Mist Breathing could now freely manipulate mist.
While users of the Shadow Strike Sword Style could hide within shadows to avoid detection, Riezel's Mist Breathing allowed him to do the same, letting him hide within mist, unseen by any eye.
Whether it was slashing or moving, Riezel could do so silently and unpredictably, toying with his enemies as he pleased.
Now, Sorren was getting a taste of this.
*Whoosh—*
Amid the billowing mist, Riezel's figure suddenly disappeared like a ghost.
"?!"
Seeing this, Sorren's heart tightened, and without thinking, he quickly turned and ran.
Unfortunately for Sorren, his speed was nowhere near fast enough to escape Riezel.
"Mist Breathing - First Form - Low Clouds, Distant Haze."
In the surrounding mist, Riezel suddenly appeared, wavering like a mirage.
*Whoosh!*
A sword thrust forward, like a flash of light, darting out abruptly.
*Pu-chi!*
Sorren's side was instantly pierced by the sudden stab, blood gushing out in a large spray.
"ARGHHH—!"
Sorren cried out in pain, but he swiftly turned, slashing a fierce strike at Riezel beside him.
*BOOM!*
With an explosive sound, Sorren's sword struck the ground heavily, shattering the floor.
Surprisingly, Riezel, supposedly struck by Sorren's sword, merely swayed like a mirage, blurring and fading away like a ghost, disappearing into the unsteady air.
"Mist Breathing - Second Form - Eight-Layered Mist."
In the next moment, eight rapid slashes cut through the mist, turning into eight streaks of light, all striking Sorren's body.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
The sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh echoed continuously.
Eight times in a row, each slash drew blood from Sorren's shoulder, thigh, abdomen, waist, back, neck, and arm—one even cut across his cheek, leaving a gruesome wound on his face.
"AAAGGGHHH—!"
Sorren screamed in agony, his whole body ravaged as if he were being flayed alive, nearly collapsing to the ground in pain.
Had Sorren not, in this life-or-death moment, tapped into his potential to avoid being hit in the most fatal areas, he would probably be dead by now.
Even Riezel had to admit that this Mad Dog Prince was indeed impressive.
Sorren's ability to unleash such dodging skills in a desperate situation was proof enough that, despite his cruelty and nasty personality, his strength and potential were undeniable.
Unfortunately—
"Nice dodge, but this is the end."
Saying this calmly, Riezel emerged from the mist, appearing behind Sorren.
"Allow me to grant you the kind of mercy that vanishes like mist in the wind."
Behind Sorren, Riezel raised his sword and mercilessly slashed at Sorren's neck, but suddenly—
"GET LOST!"
Sorren abruptly lifted his head, veins bulging as he roared in fury.
*BOOM!*
A sudden roar burst through the air as an astonishing force erupted from Sorren's body, spreading in all directions.
Needless to say, it was none other than the spiritual power from the inherited swordsmanship of Jinas's royal family—the War King Sword Style.
Sorren had finally unleashed his spiritual power, blowing away the surrounding mist and forcing Riezel, who had been about to deliver a fatal blow, to freeze in place for a moment.
Such overwhelming pressure, which Riezel had once felt from Lizbeth, now pressed down on his body once again.
"DIE!"
Sorren seized the opportunity and, with a savage expression, swung his sword at Riezel's neck.