Chapter 73

“Are you awake?”

“Are you alright, Theo?”

Trainer and Evelyn were the first to ask, their voices full of concern.

Theo nodded in response.

“I feel refreshed. Thank you.”

“That’s a relief. Looks like it worked well!”

Only then could the two of them let out a sigh of relief.

Theo’s words were not a lie.

In fact, he felt far better than what he had said.

‘Thanks to the One Branch of Plum Blossom, it feels like my brain’s information processing speed has significantly increased. Even my heightened senses no longer feel unfamiliar.’

What particularly stood out was his understanding of the sword.

The fifth claw.

It felt like something was just within his grasp, but not quite there.

He had an urge to jump into battle as soon as possible.

“Well then… It seems like we’ve rested enough, so shall we get ready to move?”

Evelyn, as if she could read Theo’s thoughts, glanced at the members and spoke.

The team members nodded as they got up, their breathing more relaxed than before.

The sound of bombardment had ceased some time ago.

It meant that the enemies were approaching nearby to assess the situation.

Now was the time to strike back.

Suddenly, Evelyn’s eyes sharpened.

“5th Squad of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry! Who are we! Answer!”

“Indomitability! No Retreat! We are the White Armored Dragon Cavalry!”

“Who are we! Say it!”

“Unbeatable! Undefeated! We are the 5th Squad!”

“That’s right. We are the 5th Squad of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry. So from now on…”

With disciplined responses, the eyes of the other squad members shone as brightly as Evelyn’s.

“Let’s show the enemy exactly who we are!”

“By your command!”

“By your command!”

“By your command!”

“Then, let’s go.”

Step.

The White Armored Dragon Cavalry once again raised their swords.

* * *

“Make sure they’re all dead. We can’t allow any survivors.”

At Sidra’s command, the agents of the Central Intelligence Bureau began their search.

The area where Blanky Fortress once stood had been reduced to ruins.

Dust filled the air, and all that remained were the remnants of structures barely holding together.

Surviving here seemed utterly impossible.

“It’s become a real mess.”

“If anyone survived this, you’d have to acknowledge their survival skills.”

“Heh, can’t disagree.”

The human corpses scattered among the debris were all in terrible condition.

Every body was either blown apart or broken in some way.

They were methodically stabbing each one with swords to ensure they were dead, but it didn’t seem like there was much else to check.

Then suddenly—

“So, when we get back, how about grabbing a beer…”

One of the agents, chuckling as he casually chatted with a friend, suddenly coughed up blood.

A flash of light surged up from beneath the ground.

Slash—

Splurt!

“M-Mmph…!”

His companion, standing beside him, stared blankly at the blood fountain spraying into the sky. By the time he realized what was happening and reached for the signal flare in his coat, his head had already been severed.

Thud!

Evelyn landed silently on top of the two collapsed corpses.

Her eyes, sharp as ever, gleamed under the swirling dust that wrapped around her like armor.

“Eliminate them.”

That word itself was the signal.

A gust of dust swept across the area.

Boom!

Swish—swish—swish!

The White Armored Dragon Cavalry burst out from the debris as explosions erupted all around.

The agents of the Central Intelligence Bureau, unprepared for the unexpected ambush, could do nothing but fall helplessly.

“What… what is this?!”

“How did they even survive…?!”

“Ugh!”

“They’re still alive! Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Sidra, who had been the last to arrive at the scene, stiffened as his expression hardened.

‘The plan’s gone awry! How could they survive through that bombardment?’

The real problem was that it would be nearly impossible to defeat the White Armored Dragon Cavalry in group combat—they were a unit that had undergone countless drills and battles.

If their identities were exposed, it could trigger a severe political backlash. Sidra thought about retreating and moved to blow his whistle, but—

“So, you must be the leader, huh?”

Suddenly, a chilling voice descended from above, accompanied by a swirling cloud of dust.

Startled, Sidra swung his sword upward in a rough arc.

Clang!

As sword energy collided with sword energy, shattered fragments scattered in all directions.

Simultaneously, the swirling dust that had blocked Sidra’s vision began to form a vortex.

It was a trap designed to bind him.

Amidst the gusts of wind, more than ten sword energies shot out.

It was the Squall of the Thunder Lord.

And the piercing thrust of the Flying Blade Technique.

For the first time in 40 years, the secret technique of the Wind Lord fully revealed itself.

“…!”

Ch-ch-ching—

Sidra frantically parried the rapid strikes, his hands moving in a blur.

‘Fast…! Just who is this?!’

In the blink of an eye, Evelyn had cornered Sidra.

Originally, she had been a master swordsman who was said to be just one step away from reaching the “Wall”—the highest level of swordsmanship. After acquiring the Wind Lord’s secret manual, her skill had soared by several levels.

In fact, she was even stronger now than when she had lost her left arm.

Naturally, Sidra, who only knew her past strength, was caught off guard.

However, he too was no ordinary swordsman, having personally learned swordsmanship from Ed.

Regaining his composure quickly, Sidra engaged Evelyn head-on.

Boom!

As their swords clashed again, a powerful gust of wind shot high into the sky.

“As expected.”

“…?”

“Your swordsmanship and even your footwork… you know me far too well. You must be one of Ragnar’s people, aren’t you?”

“……!”

“No matter what, I must capture you alive.”

‘Damn it!’

Sidra gritted his teeth.

This was the worst mistake he’d ever made since becoming a First-Class Agent.

He tried to prioritize his next move.

‘I don’t know what trick they used to survive, but if they’re still alive… I have to get Balmung out of here first!’

However, before he could even finish that thought, a gust of wind grazed past his eyes.

Swish—

‘No way!’

Sidra turned his gaze in that direction, his heart filled with dread—and what he saw left him in shock.

The head of the Balmung keeper, who had been stationed in the rear for an emergency, was flying into the sky.

Splash!

Beneath the fountain of blood stood a boy wielding a massive Zweihander.

It was Theo Ragnar, whom Sidra had seen during the Blossoming Ceremony.

He was the one Ed had explicitly instructed to make sure was dead.

‘How does he know about that!?’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The existence of Balmung was known to fewer than five people within the Central Intelligence Bureau.

And all of them were among Ed’s closest confidants.

Yet, the fact that Theo had accurately targeted that meant only one thing.

‘There’s a mole inside the Bureau!’

Grit!

Who could possibly betray the Director?!

But Sidra didn’t have time to dwell on that thought.

“You’ve got some nerve. To be distracted during a battle like this.”

Swish, swish, swish—

Evelyn’s sword, wrapped in a whirlwind, came slashing toward his neck.

Her movements were as sharp as if she were the embodiment of the wind itself.

Meanwhile, Theo was already picking up Balmung from the fallen corpse.

“Everyone—!”

In that moment of desperation, Sidra was forced to make a decision.

“Protect ‘the item’ at all costs—!”

Protect it with your life.

The agents, their faces grim, activated their inner strength and charged at Theo.

Reverse Blood Explosion Technique.

It was a forbidden technique used mostly by dark mages, one that drastically increased their combat abilities at the cost of life force, making it extremely dangerous.

But the agents didn’t hesitate.

The Central Intelligence Bureau operated under a different creed from the White Armored Dragon Cavalry—they carried out orders, even if it meant giving their lives.

Swish—

More than twenty attacks converged on Theo.

“They’re using Reverse Blood Explosion? What the hell are these people…! White Armored Dragon Cavalry, protect Theo!”

Evelyn’s voice trembled with urgency as she cursed the dark mage-like techniques, swiftly issuing her command.

Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

In an instant, Selperd, Arin, and several other members of the squad stepped forward, positioning themselves in front of Theo.

Selperd, who was at the forefront, shouted.

“We can’t show a rookie something embarrassing! Let’s show him just how great we seniors are! Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

Clang, clang, clang!

The clash between the Central Intelligence Bureau agents trying to close in and the squad members blocking them was fierce.

Sword energy clashed with sword energy, and gusts of blood swept across the battlefield.

Theo was right in the middle of it all.

[The item has been stored in your inventory.]

Amidst the chaos, Theo tossed Balmung into his inventory to avoid dropping it. Holding up Drake’s blade, he took a long, steady breath.

‘My movements feel lighter than ever. My senses are sharper too.’

Theo recalled the teachings of the Mistress of plum Blossom that he had learned from the One Branch of Plum Blossom.

Branches are the sword. Flowers are the swordsmanship.

However, in Full Blooming Plum Blossom, there weren’t just one or two flowers.

The more flowers that bloomed, the deeper the realization one would attain.

And within those flowers lay Julius’s swordsmanship.

His sword, sharper than anyone else’s claws.

Theo tried to blend the two into one.

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

The Mistress of plum Blossom and Julius had walked entirely different paths to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

‘But it should be possible.’

However, Theo didn’t think it was impossible.

After all, both of them had reached their current heights by following Kyle’s sword.

All Theo needed to do was create a link between the two methods.

‘A link.’

Fwoosh!

A sharp pain shot through Theo’s head, but his mind was working faster than ever.

White Heat.

The overheating had begun.

But unlike before, it didn’t come with a headache.

In fact, he felt refreshed.

His focus had sharpened, and his concentration was much greater than before.

Thanks to that, it wasn’t long before the answer he had been seeking came to him.

‘Wind.’

With the Wind Lord’s secret manual, it was possible.

Lightning, flower petals—everything flowed with the wind in the end.

‘What brings them forth… is the Dragon’s Claw.’

And to do that, speed was key above all else.

[You have invested 10 bonus stat points into Agility.]

[Agility: 62 → 72]

[Your movements have become smoother.]

[Your attack speed has increased.]

Swish—

In that moment, Theo felt his body become lighter, and Drake’s blade gleamed brightly.

First Claw. The head of a Bureau agent who had managed to push through the squad was split in two.

Second Claw. Theo deflected a sneak attack aimed at Arin’s blind spot.

Third Claw. Theo surged forward, sweeping through the enemy lines like a storm.

Boom, boom, boom!

“Ha…! Our rookie doesn’t even stop to rest. What are we doing, then? Let’s get moving too!”

Selperd and the other squad members followed Theo’s lead, pressing the agents even harder.

The agents, disoriented, quickly found themselves overwhelmed, and the tide of battle reversed in an instant.

Clang, clang, clang!

The Fourth Claw. Theo’s sword flashed diagonally, slicing through three agents, sending their blood spraying through the air.

And then—

The Final, Fifth Claw.

This time, the blade, enveloped in pitch-black lightning, struck the ground with explosive force.

Crack-boom!

Flash! Flash! Flash!

The black lightning created a deep crater, its destructive energy spreading out across the ground in all directions.

The enemies caught within the blast were either flung backward by the shockwave or fell paralyzed from the electric charge, collapsing to the ground.

Above them, bolts of black lightning rained down relentlessly.

– Thunder Calling.

It was elemental magic that Theo had integrated into his swordsmanship with the birth of the Fifth Claw.

Rumble, rumble…

Thanks to this, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry gained complete control of the battle.

The Central Intelligence Bureau’s formation crumbled in an instant.

“Retreat! Retreat!!”

Sidra, realizing how dangerous the situation had become, screamed out in desperation.

But at that exact moment, a dark shadow loomed over the agents’ heads.

“Captain! We’ve arrived!”

“Hahaha! These bastards are dead meat!”

Erika and Holcus had appeared, riding their wyverns.

Magical projectiles rained down on the agents who were attempting to flee.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Gahhh!”

“Aaaah!”

From the outside, a barrage of magic bombardments.

From the inside, a counterattack by the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.

The Central Intelligence Bureau was surrounded, with no escape in sight.

Sidra’s face turned pale.

‘What do I do…?’

Slash—

Splurt!

“Arghhhh!”

Just as Sidra’s mind went blank with fear, Evelyn’s sword slashed across his right arm.

In the blink of an eye, her blade was pressed against his neck.

Evelyn spoke coldly, her gaze icy.

“Kneel.”

Her eyes made it clear—if he resisted, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

Sidra clenched his teeth, debating whether he should end it all himself, but Evelyn read his intent first. She swiftly plunged her sword into his Aura Hall.

Thud!

“Ghh…!”

Sidra’s magic power began leaking uncontrollably.

“Kneel! If you don’t want all your remaining men to die!”

“……!”

In the end, Sidra bit down hard on his lower lip and sank to his knees.

Clang!

His sword clattered unceremoniously to the ground.

The White Armored Dragon Cavalry had claimed victory.