Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Heir of the Radiant Dragon Emperor (2)
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There was no flaw in Torquel's words, that much was certain.
If the Radiant Dragon Emperor, who knew the Ragnar system inside and out, had founded Troyvan, then it made perfect sense that the four great legions Ragnar prided itself on would emerge intact.
It wouldn't be strange at all to have a new White Dragon Knights and Black Iron Knights.
"Brothers by blood I couldn't choose, but those men are the true brothers I can choose."
Torquel's cruel smile grew wider.
"Little brother, today, with your deaths as the trigger, I'll make sure the whole world knows exactly where the true Ragnars are."
It seemed he had resolved to no longer hide their identities.
The annihilation of the White Dragon Knights would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the Empire and the world.
This stage had been a trap from the very beginning.
A trap designed to wipe out the White Dragon Knights and boost Troyvan's momentum.
"You're trying to broadcast to the world that the Ragnars are a pathetic, crumbling house?"
"Was there ever any honor left in this family to begin with?"
Torquel sneered as he raised his hand high.
At that signal, the charging new Black Iron Knights simultaneously angled their spears 45 degrees upward.
The new White Dragon Knights began drawing mana orbs in the same fashion.
The moment he swung his hand down forcefully, the javelin barrage and aerial assault began.
"Everyone, prepare defenses—!"
Theo bellowed with mana surging through him, viciously slashing Drake's Blade upward.
Fwoooosh!
The aura clinging to the blade leaped into the air, spreading high into the sky.
A makeshift aura shield.
Its area was too vast for much power, but it would at least soften the incoming destructive force somewhat.
"Ah, these damn Black Snow bastards aren't doing shit! Driving me crazy! Never heard of crap like this!"
"Team 1 and team leaders, activate your domain skills—!"
"Regular members, focus on self-protection—!"
Amore and Team 1, who had repeatedly tried to approach Torquel amid the Black Iron Knights' interference, halted their efforts and lent their power to Theo in unison.
In an instant, layers upon layers of aura shields stacked up, while the less skilled members wrapped aura shields around their own bodies.
Seizing that moment, Torquel and the Black Iron Knights attempted to flee to the outskirts all at once.
Soon after, an even fiercer bombardment commenced.
KABOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
RUMBLE! RUMBLERUMBLE—
GRRRUMBLE...!
Relentless assaults hammered the area where Theo and the White Dragon Knights stood, kicking up thick clouds of dust.
The ground sank, flames erupted repeatedly.
Black smoke belched out relentlessly, turning the altar and ritual site into a smoldering wasteland in moments.
But Troyvan's Black Iron Knights and White Dragon Knights showed no sign of stopping the barrage.
As if intent on erasing every last trace that Ragnar's White Dragon Knights had ever existed in this world.
KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOOM!
The aftershocks continued unabated.
"Finally... it's in my grasp."
Torquel reached the fully bloomed black flower and swung his spear.
The flower, grown by absorbing the blood of the Holy Demon Church's ten thousand followers and the Black Iron Knights' warriors, glistened like black pearls—so beautiful.
But with a snip, it fell to the ground and shattered like fragile glass, scattering pitifully.
In its place remained a black orb, shining as darkly as Torquel's pupils.
Hummm! Hummmm!
Torquel reached out and grasped the black orb.
In that instant, immense madness and demonic energy wormed into his palm.
His freely circulating mana jolted as if on the verge of explosion.
His veins swelled, turning his entire forearm blue-black.
Agonizing pain followed, but Torquel laughed.
This orb was the treasure his grandfather had longed for all these years.
*The Bead of Shame... containing that being's intent. If Grandfather absorbs it, he could even aim for the Church Lord's seat.*
The sudden sealing of the [Nameless Lord] had been a bolt from the blue for the Holy Demon Church.
But for the Radiant Dragon Emperor and Troyvan, it was a golden opportunity.
The Radiant Dragon Emperor's current rank in the Holy Demon Church was one of the Five Apostles.
While the symbolic weight of "Apostle" meant numbers didn't strictly denote rank, it was true that his relatively late entry left his position precarious.
But the Bead of Shame would overturn that in one fell swoop.
It would help him shed the human guise he still wore by force.
A god.
It was the key to becoming the supreme being beyond those heavens.
Indeed.
The Radiant Dragon Emperor aimed for ascension.
And following that, Torquel would become the apostle of the god-ascended Radiant Dragon Emperor, eliminate or unify the Church's remaining factions, merge Troyvan and Ragnar, and rule the world.
This was the plan crafted by those grandfather and grandson.
Torquel was already gripped by the ecstasy of having this world in his clutches.
Crunch!
Torquel clenched his fist tight.
As the Bead of Shame shattered, its leaking demonic energy and madness began seeping not just into his palm, but through every pore in his body.
Tsss—
And with it, Torquel's eyes grew ever blacker.
* * *
BOOM! BOOM! KABOOM!
Even amid the chaotic explosion hell, Theo poured [Spirit] into his eyes, tracking Torquel's every move.
Far off, under the Black Iron Knights' protection, Torquel was attempting to absorb the orb.
The thought that he had to stop it somehow crossed his mind—yet strangely, his heart pounded wildly.
At the same time, his vision and senses narrowed sharply, fixating on the orb.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump...!
A impulsive instinct quietly reared its head in a corner of his mind.
-I want that.
The thought suddenly struck him.
Flinch!
'...What?'
Theo startled, turning inward to examine himself.
Why had such a thought come out of nowhere?
-I want that thing so badly.
-Go get it.
The whisper was sweet, like a devil's temptation.
-If you take it, you'll become far stronger than you are now.
Strangely, the orb looked so familiar to Theo's eyes.
Even though it was clearly the first time seeing it.
'No. I've seen it before. Where? What is it?'
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
As his heartbeat thundered in his ears, Theo racked his brain for a long while before realizing why the orb felt familiar.
'The orb from the sword Father gave me!'
Kyle had once crushed one of his past arch-enemy's swords in his chambers and handed it to Theo.
Though Theo never knew the original owner, the intent contained within had granted him countless insights into swordsmanship.
He had guessed the original owner must have been a master swordsman in life.
And now, the thing in Torquel's hand looked just like it.
'That sword... it was the Radiant Dragon Emperor's.'
Only then did Theo understand.
The provision Kyle had made for him.
'You knew something like this might happen someday... and prepared in advance. So I could face it without being swept away by the madness.'
Fwoooosh!
Theo's vision, narrowed toward the orb, widened once more.
'No. So I could seize it!'
The impulse from within was the sword orb's own desire.
Just as Torquel sought to absorb the orb and amplify his madness, the sword orb yearned to devour the [Nameless Lord]'s orb to replenish its deficient intent.
But Theo took care not to be swept away by the intent emanating from the sword orb.
If he gave in now, he would cease to be Theo and become a half-formed 'Radiant Dragon Emperor.'
Kyle might have ordered him to absorb it out of faith that he wouldn't, but Theo had no desire to take the risk.
So he flipped his thinking.
'Kerto.'
『I've been waiting for your call.』
The moment Kerto Sukus's chuckling reply echoed in his mind, a message appeared before his eyes.
[The Dragon Legion appears.]
Rooooar!
The ground heaved, and from where Troyvan's Black Iron Knights had been, numerous Desert Worms burst forth, jaws gaping wide.
"Such...!"
"Pull back the legion!"
Troyvan's Black Iron Knights ceased their javelin throws and desperately tried to withdraw their lines,
But the suddenly weakened ground caused their ironclad horses to sink en masse, slowing their movements.
The Desert Worms devoured the ironclad horses in seconds.
Horse neighs and knights' screams echoed everywhere.
Kieeeek!
Troyvan's White Dragon Knights fared no better.
Griffins swooping from above tore into wyvern necks in an instant, while Fairy Dragons cast ice arrow spells, piercing every wyvern wing.
Other dragons poured out endlessly, throwing the battlefield into chaos.
"Whew...! We're alive!"
"You sneaky bastards, toying with us? Now it's our turn!"
The White Dragon Knights, who had silently endured the onslaught, sprang back into action.
Divided by teams, they scattered in all directions, their eyes now filled with venom.
Their minds held only the thought of punishing those who had betrayed and insulted the family.
KABOOM-KABOOM-KABOOM—
Thus, the battlefield devolved into melee once more.
Theo spread his right hand wide toward where Torquel stood.
'Yeouiju Sun.'
Whoooosh—
Whirrr-whirrr-whirrr!
Above Torquel's head, a bright yellow thunder orb formed, spinning like a top.
The thunder orb sucked in every scrap of energy around it.
Naturally, that included the madness and demonic energy leaking from the Bead of Shame Torquel was trying to absorb.
"What is this?!"
Theo revealing Yeouiju Sun for the first time caught Torquel completely off guard.
He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to absorb as much of the Bead's energy as possible.
But by the time he managed a single unit, the thunder orb had claimed over ten.
It quickly swelled into a massive sun, hanging bloated in the sky.
Demonic energy and madness intertwined within, black sunspots dotting it ominously.
'Heavy.'
Theo felt his soul and body crushed by the immense pressure, his mind reeling.
The energy contained in the thunder orb that had swallowed the Bead of Shame was that formidable.
"You said you wanted to sever all ties with Ragnar? Fine, I'll make it happen."
"N-No...!"
Torquel frantically reached for his spear, a sense of dread overwhelming him.
But Theo swung Drake's Blade with full force first.
<Eclipse>
Slash!
A line sliced long across the thunder orb.
The shattered sun's fragments became dozens, hundreds of lightning bolts, scattering everywhere.
RUMBLE-RUMBLERUMBLE—!
Exposed before that colossal tidal wave, Troyvan's White Dragon Knights and Black Iron Knights vanished, swallowed by the light.