Chapter 184

-Twenty minutes before the assault.

As the Troiban encampment came into view in the distance, Julius sent a telepathic message to his troops.

「A few days ago, Black Snow intercepted an interesting piece of intelligence. The Holy Demon Church’s dark god has been dormant for unknown reasons, and they’re scrambling to perform a ritual to resolve it.」

Theo had already reported everything he had experienced at the Eternal Mausoleum, including the temporary sealing of the .

However, the upper echelons decided not to disclose this information publicly.

The reason was simple: they didn’t want to put Theo in even greater danger, knowing how firmly the Holy Demon Church had already marked him as a target.

「The site of the resurrection ritual is a few kilometers away from the main encampment, hidden in the hills. There, they’ve erected a secret altar and are preparing a human sacrifice. What you’ll see there… will likely surpass anything you’ve witnessed before in its brutality.」

Julius’s voice was calm, but it carried a weight that sent a chill through Theo’s chest.

He could sense a deep-seated killing intent in Julius’s tone.

“Does the captain have a personal vendetta against the Holy Demon Church?”

Theo’s eyes narrowed slightly as Julius continued his explanation.

「Do not let yourselves be impulsively drawn in. Squad leaders, make sure you keep your members in check. Here’s the operation plan:」

The plan was concise:

The White Armor Vanguard would launch an aerial assault to disrupt the resurrection ritual directly.

While the Vanguard engaged the enemy, the Black Iron Brigade would infiltrate from the ground to crush the enemy forces.

In anticipation of reinforcements, the main forces of Troiban would be countered by Ragnar’s main army.

「Additionally, there is a secondary objective to assassinate Granada Troiban. This operation will involve the Black Dragon, Ice Dragon, Sword Dragon, and Illusion Dragon—four of the Nine Dragons.」

The fact that five of the Nine Dragons were participating in the operation underscored Ragnar’s determination to stop the resurrection ritual.

“Or perhaps, it means Torkel—or whoever’s behind him—is perceived as a major threat to Ragnar.”

As one of the primary heirs and leader of the Black Iron Brigade, Torkel’s position was undeniably significant.

If his role as a spy were exposed, it would have severe repercussions both internally and externally.

Thus, the plan was to bury the truth by presenting his death as a casualty of chaos.

Having a large-scale operation involving the Nine Dragons would only lend credibility to this narrative.

“And they’ll frame his death as a hero’s sacrifice to boost morale.”

The Black Dragon’s meticulous strategy accounted for several moves ahead.

「This mission leaves no room for error. Do you understand?」

Julius’s solemn command resonated in their minds.

「Understood.」

Second Squad Leader Eate nodded firmly.

「Ohoho! It’s been a while since we’ve all come together. Of course, we can’t afford to make any mistakes. Leave it to me to wipe them all out!」

Third Squad Leader Gorito laughed as he pounded his chest confidently.

「We will execute this flawlessly.」

Fourth Squad Leader Hanata smiled warmly, her tone reassuring despite the gravity of her words.

「Honestly, Captain, you worry too much. What’s with all the unnecessary concern? These folks are almost forty already!”

First Squad Leader Amore joked, laughing heartily.

The other members chimed in with their own remarks, adding to the relaxed and free-spirited atmosphere that characterized the White Armor Vanguard.

「Wow… raising the average age here. Wonder whose fault that is?”

「What? Fight me if you’re upset!”

「Can’t you stop with the lisping? You’re almost seventy, you know…”

「Shut it, will you?”

The playful banter made Theo scratch his cheek awkwardly.

As a newly appointed squad leader, he felt compelled to say something but was unsure what to contribute.

-Quite the noisy bunch, aren’t they?

-Well, they are the White Armor Vanguard, the successors to our order after we were wiped out. The tradition clearly lives on. Hah!

-Still, back in our day, commands from superiors were followed with absolute precision, weren’t they?”

-You’re full of it. Didn’t you get caught embezzling funds for booze and get your ass kicked by the captain?”

-Hey, you were there too!”

Even the murmurs from the Eternal Blade were noisy, adding to the commotion in Theo’s mind.

「Hey, Squad Five Leader! You’d agree, right? I’m the kind of older sister who looks out for her squad and the other leaders. Where would you find someone like me?”

「We call that meddling in someone else’s business, ma’am.”

「Oh, shut up, you lot! I’m asking Squad Five Leader here!”

Theo chuckled bitterly, unsure how to respond.

At that moment, Lodbrok intervened.

“Hahaha! My tongue-tied partner! Always so quick with words, yet you falter here. Pathetic!”

“I don’t have a choice here, do I?”

“I’ll give you a trick. Just repeat after me.”

Following Lodbrok’s guidance, Theo said:

「Does age matter? What matters is how young you look. Honestly, when I first met First Squad Leader, I thought she was my peer. I nearly made a fool of myself.”

The other squad leaders froze, their eyes wide in disbelief, before Amore burst into laughter.

「Hear that? Hahaha! Exactly! It’s how you live that counts, not how old you are!”

「…This kid sure knows how to suck up.”

「Look at that silver tongue. Impressive.”

Julius, observing the squad leaders, chuckled softly.

He had worried Theo might struggle to fit in, having risen to the rank of squad leader within less than a year.

But it seemed Theo was finding his place just fine.

Even so, they couldn’t maintain this lighthearted mood as they neared the mission. Clearing his throat, Julius redirected their focus.

“Ahem.”

The troops immediately snapped to attention.

「Remember, more important than the mission itself is your safety. If it seems too dangerous, retreat without hesitation. I’ll cover for you. Understand?”

「Yes, sir!」

「Understood!」

Their resounding replies filled the air, their determination sharpening like honed blades.

「Then, let’s go.」

At Julius’s command—

Screeeaaak!

The wyverns dove. The assault had begun.

***

The White Armor Vanguard’s assault was straightforward:

The wyverns would drop bomb-laden crates onto strategic points, creating chaos, and then the troops would launch their attack amid the confusion.

BOOM! BOOM BOOM!

Explosions erupted across the ritual site. The altar collapsed, and flames shot skyward.

Even the grotesque black flower bud, created at the cost of 10,000 sacrifices, suffered significant damage.

“We’re under attack!”

“They’re trying to ruin the ceremony!”

“Water! Bring water! The flower is burning!”

The sight of the Holy Demon Church’s panicked blood priests scurrying about was a novel spectacle to the Vanguard troops.

“Oh, this is fun.”

“Hah! Nothing better than beating down fanatics. Heh heh!”

Normally, the blood priests operated like mindless automatons under their bishops’ orders. The sheer chaos unfolding now underscored just how critical this ritual was to them.

Taking full advantage of the disarray, the Vanguard troops quickly executed their descent and began dispatching the blood priests with precision.

Among the squads, Second Squad and Third Squad stood out for their exceptional performance.

Their mission was disruption: breaking enemy ranks to ensure the priests couldn’t form a defensive line.

“Protect the flower! The flower must be protected—urk!”

“Priests of Yukran Diocese, defend the altar! Baccon Diocese, stop the intruders—gugh!”

Hunting down mid-level leaders like bishops and diocesan priests, who attempted to restore order, was the job of Fourth Squad.

Squad Leader Hanata was a swordsman second only to Julius and Amore in skill within the Vanguard, and her squad excelled in cooperative tactics.

Clang! Clang clang!

Hanata flicked blood off her blade after cutting down a bishop, her eyes gleaming with determination.

“As expected, no sign of the .”

Before the assault, Julius had made an offhand remark:

“If their god is sealed, so too is their ‘grace.’ Without Bloodlight Harmony, blood priests are nothing. I’ll handle the cardinal, so make sure to clear out as many as you can inside.”

What made the blood priests so terrifying was their boundless magical power, a gift of their god’s grace.

Without it, they were no longer a threat.

The most enraged person on the battlefield, however, was Cardinal Vector.

“How dare they… disrupt a sacred ceremony!”

His face flushed crimson, veins bulging across his forehead.

He snapped his gaze toward Ed Troiban.

“Troiban! What was your house doing while Ragnar prepared this attack?! How could you let it get this far?!”

The accusation was clear: why hadn’t Troiban’s forces uncovered Ragnar’s plans?

But Ed simply smiled—a cold, unreadable smile.

“Who knows.”

“Is that all you have to say?!”

“Rather than wasting time arguing, shouldn’t you focus on stopping this?”

Before Vector could respond, a sudden surge of danger made him instinctively leap aside.

BOOM!

The ground where he had been standing erupted, a black shockwave scattering dust and debris.

“Shame. I could’ve ended it in one strike.”

Vector turned his glare toward the source of the attack and froze.

Julius stood there, his sword resting casually on his shoulder, a cold smile on his lips.

“The Black Dragon…”

The infamous general who, alongside Kyle Ragnar, had relentlessly hounded the Holy Demon Church. Vector had crossed swords with him several times before.

“How have you been? It’s been a while since we last met. And you, the Dragon Slayer, it’s been some time as well.”

“Indeed. A long time, Black Dragon.”

Ed swept back his wind-tossed hair and smirked.

Then—

SWOOSH!

In a flash, Ed vanished, reappearing midway between them. He clashed with Julius, their blades colliding with a deafening roar.

BOOM!

Their auras exploded outward, shaking the ground and reducing everything in a wide radius to rubble.

The two fighters, like dragons locked in combat, tore through their surroundings in a cataclysmic display of power.

“Finally caught you, rat.”

“A rat, you say? That’s a harsh term.”

“Sneaking into another’s house to steal their supplies—what else would you call that but a rat?”

“Fair enough.” Ed nodded, a sinister smile spreading across his face. “But you’ve got one thing wrong.”

Dark energy began to swirl around Ed’s blade, transforming the air itself.

The space around him distorted, suffused with an ashen aura. His Domain, , was activating.

“I wasn’t stealing Winterer—I was taking it back. Because it belongs to us.”

“Nonsense—!”

Julius unleashed his own Domain, , as their contest of domains erupted in earnest.

Meanwhile…

The Black Iron Brigade arrived near the altar, perfectly timed according to plan.

RUMBLE!

They began their frontal assault, tearing through the Holy Demon Church’s forces.

“Now!”

Seizing the opportunity created by the chaos, Theo moved.

The battle had reached its crescendo. The skies were ablaze with fire and blood as wyverns roared and knights clashed.

Amidst it all, Theo’s target loomed ahead.

The altar, and the secret that lay hidden within.

Theo narrowed his eyes, his sword glinting with the promise of death as he descended into the heart of the chaos.

The game was in motion. It was his move now.