Chapter 348

BOOM!

With a tremendous explosion, it felt as though the entire world was twisting and warping.

Lodbrok, calculating the enemy's arrival time, glanced up at the sky and smiled faintly.

She wasn’t the only one who felt the shockwave.

“W-What is that!?”

“What’s happening…?”

“The sky… It’s cracking! What in the world!?”

Despite the night sky, cracks had appeared like fractures in a black glass dome. The Golden Lion Knights stared in horrified disbelief.

And then—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The deafening roar, akin to the apocalypse, was accompanied by violent tremors that shook everything.

Crack! Snap!

A fissure opened, and something small hurtled down from within, plummeting to the ground.

BOOM!

The impact sent a dense cloud of dust soaring high enough to overshadow even the tallest trees.

“Gah…! Khaaagh!”

Dante’s entire body burned as if his flesh was about to disintegrate. Blood poured from countless wounds, and his limbs twisted unnaturally.

“Such tenacious vitality. I didn’t expect you to survive in that state,” Theo remarked, his aura as cold and foreboding as death itself as he approached Dante.

“Cough…! Y-You! What did you do!?” Dante screamed, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

From the angle, it seemed like a simple sword slash. Yet his overwhelming force had been scattered effortlessly, and the next thing he knew, he was consumed by excruciating pain as his body tore apart.

However, Theo’s labored breathing revealed that he too had paid a price.

“Hah… Hah…”

Theo, feeling the disarray of his mana, managed a faint smile.

‘So this is what it feels like.’

The strike wasn’t simply an attack—it was a manifestation of Ragnar itself. A move that embodied Kyle’s ethos and the burdens he bore.

Even attempting to replicate it had drained Theo entirely. He felt as though his vitality had been consumed by Caliburn.

‘Father’s wall still stands high.’

Though humbled by the gap, Theo also felt a sense of clarity.

‘I’ll surpass it soon enough.’

For the first time, he had poured his full strength into a single blow. In a twisted way, he was grateful to Dante for his foolish contract with an Outer God. Without it, Theo wouldn’t have pushed himself to this extent.

Crack. Crack.

Dante’s body, no longer capable of regeneration, began to fracture.

“N-No… This can’t…!” Dante screamed in despair as his strength seeped from his body. Along with it, his ambitions crumbled into ruin.

“Pathetic.”

Theo’s honest assessment cut through the chaos. Dante’s features reverted to their original human form, but they quickly aged into those of a decrepit old man.

Now oblivious to Theo’s presence, Dante flailed his hands at the dissipating black smoke, desperately trying to grasp what was slipping away.

Slice.

A cold, clean sound echoed as Theo’s blade severed Dante’s head. The lifeless body staggered for a moment before collapsing.

Theo then felt an unsettling gaze fall upon him.

“Is it regret?” he murmured.

It was the lingering presence of Ashin, still hanging in the air. After briefly lingering over Dante’s corpse, it swiftly vanished.

Theo then felt another presence watching him. Though no words were spoken, he recognized the gaze—it was Kyle’s. With a soft smile, Theo acknowledged it.

Rustle.

The ground trembled faintly as the forest stirred. For a moment, Theo thought the enemies were closing in, but instead, their presence retreated.

‘Why are they retreating?’

It felt as though they had only waited for Dante’s death before withdrawing without hesitation. Knowing their thorough preparations, this unexpected retreat left Theo uneasy.

He waited until their presence had fully disappeared before heading toward the dock.

“You’ve returned,” Lodbrok greeted him with a smile as he arrived.

The Golden Lion Knights erupted into cheers upon seeing Theo, chanting Ragnar’s name in unison.

“Ragnar! Ragnar!”

The sheer force that had shaken the ground was attributed to Theo, and the knights celebrated having such overwhelming power on their side.

Hummmm!

Amid their cheers, the majestic hum of the airship’s engines filled the air. The airship rose into the sky—Felix had succeeded in reclaiming it.

The sight of the airship soaring above reinvigorated the Golden Lion Knights, their morale reaching its peak.

“Let’s board first. We’ll handle the aftermath later,” Theo said.

As Theo advanced, Felix, observing the ground from the bow of the airship, descended the craft to allow for boarding.

“Well done,” Felix said, clasping Theo’s hands with both of his. His gratitude was evident.

What brought Felix the most joy, however, was that not a single life had been lost during the operation. The way he looked at Theo now was almost reverential, as though gazing upon a deity.

“You’ve worked hard as well, Sir Felix,” Theo replied.

After a brief exchange of congratulations, they turned their attention toward the imperial palace.

“What’s your next move?” Felix asked respectfully, addressing Theo as if he were his superior.

The possibilities were endless. They could use the secret stronghold to evacuate their people, or they could strategically retreat to prepare for a later strike. Whatever the decision, Felix was ready to follow Theo’s lead.

Theo remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

“A blade raised must strike its target.”

Hearing this, Felix furrowed his brow.

“We’ll launch a direct assault on the imperial palace.”

Felix’s gaze drifted into the distance.

‘I’m still thinking defensively, aren’t I?’

He realized how his mindset had become overly cautious. Retreating now, buying time, would only delay the opportunity to clear their names.

Instead, the decisive offensive that Theo proposed seemed far more fitting.

Felix felt his heart race.

Thump. Thump.

The strong, rhythmic beat of his heart reminded him of the thrill he hadn’t felt in years. His blood surged, and he instinctively knew that avenging Emperor Horik was finally within reach.

“Prepare for departure! Target: the imperial palace! Move out!”

“Yes, sir!!”

At Felix’s command, the knights sprang into action, and the airship accelerated toward the imperial palace.

***

“Just a dog, after all.”

The Second Apostle sneered as he received a detailed report of the battlefield, mocking Dante's failure. It was entirely expected, of course. After all, the Church had deliberately arranged for Dante to contract with a mere fragment of Ashin’s power.

Through Dante, the Church had obtained all the necessary information.

‘He’s ascended to that level, has he?’

The Second Apostle had watched the battle between Theo and Dante unfold through his familiars. He could clearly see how Theo had surpassed his previous self from the time of the Beastlands. The image of Theo’s heightened state flickered in the Apostle’s mind, filling him with a bitter sense of frustration.

‘There’s no end to this disgust.’

Theo’s achievements were aggravating enough, but what truly stoked his fury had occurred just two days prior.

“Lord Mangwolje, an urgent report! It’s a letter from the First Apostle.”

The Second Apostle vividly recalled the contents of that letter, sent before Dante’s contract was arranged. Every line had caused his veins to twitch with anger, and even now, the memory of it caused his blood to boil.

Beside him, the Grand Duke could only lower his head, as though sitting on a bed of thorns.

“…Clean it up.”

The Second Apostle coldly ordered the Grand Duke before rising from his seat.

“B-But if you leave like this… Hiiik!”

The Grand Duke tried to stop him, but the Second Apostle’s icy glare forced him to bow his head low, unable to meet his gaze.

Landing lightly in the palace garden, the Second Apostle ground his teeth in irritation.

‘What a farce.’

For the first time, he questioned the First Apostle’s reasoning behind the order. No matter how much he thought about it, the contents of the letter were incomprehensible.

‘Why is the Church observing that brat’s growth?’

The First Apostle had yet to provide an explanation. However, one thing was clear: the Church was intentionally nurturing Theo’s growth.

“What an unpleasant face you’re making.”

Without a hint of sound, the First Apostle appeared, speaking with a calm yet mocking tone.

“…Did you enjoy your little clown show?”

The Second Apostle glared at him, his frustration bubbling over. All his meticulously crafted strategies, planned from within the stifling confines of the imperial palace, had been rendered moot by a single letter from the First Apostle. It was humiliating—a farce in every sense of the word.

The Second Apostle’s expression twisted in indignation, loathing how his life was constantly manipulated by the First Apostle’s whims.

At that moment—

“Do you need more education?”

A warning. A thin line of blood appeared on the Second Apostle’s right cheek, a subtle but deadly reminder.

The First Apostle’s message was clear: disobedience would not be tolerated.

“Since when did you begin to question His will?”

This wasn’t merely a rebuke; it was a declaration of intent to kill if necessary. The Second Apostle, unfazed by the threat, wiped the blood from his cheek and coldly responded.

“You speak so boldly. If this is for the Church, then why haven’t you eliminated him yet? Why watch him grow?”

The Second Apostle’s voice dripped with icy anger as he raised his aura. His demand for an answer was unyielding, his intent clear.

The First Apostle stared at him for a moment, then remained silent.

“You may proceed first.”

With those dismissive words, the First Apostle vanished like a mirage.

The Second Apostle trembled with rage, his vision blurring from the intensity of his emotions. He felt the veins in his neck bulge as his frustration boiled over. Yet, unable to vent his fury, all he could do was scream silently, his rage echoing only in his mind.

From the airship, the view of the ground below was chaotic. The theft of the airship had disrupted the enemy’s command structure, and their movements were disorganized.

Despite this, the scene below left Theo deep in thought.

‘Didn’t they want my head?’

The imperial palace was only a short distance away, yet there had been no resistance, no tension.

‘Even the Apostles remain silent.’

Their absence was unsettling. What were they planning? What were they waiting for? Theo couldn’t discern their intentions. Heightening his vigilance, he fixed his gaze on the imperial palace below.