Theo charged at Hyde first, his Zweihander slicing through the air with unstoppable force.

Clang!

The powerful impact coursed down the blade, jolting Hyde to his core. His eyes widened in shock.

“Guh…!”

A groan slipped from his lips, unbidden. It felt as though his arms might tear from his body under the sheer force.

‘How is he this fast…? And what strength…! Dammit! This wasn’t part of the plan!’

Hyde cursed as he recalled the Council Chairman’s dismissive assurances that Theo was nothing to worry about.

‘Curse that old fool!’

Yet, the battle had begun, and Hyde could hardly afford to retreat now. No matter how formidable Theo appeared, he couldn’t lose to a mere “lowborn.”

Gritting his teeth, Hyde tried to push Theo back, but the ground beneath his feet began to give way.

Grind…

Theo remained immovable. Hyde was the one faltering, as Theo’s relentless strength forced Hyde’s sword closer to his own skull. He felt as though Theo would shatter his blade—and his head—at any moment.

And then, as if to compound his fear, he felt the raw intensity radiating from Theo. Just meeting his gaze sent chills down his spine and prickled his skin with the icy sensation of impending death.

Cold eyes.

An unyielding killing intent.

Overwhelming power.

Hyde was reminded of a wyvern he had once seen while accompanying his father on a visit to the White Armor Corps. The cold, predatory aura and ruthless strength mirrored the aura now pouring off Theo.

‘Is this wretched bastard really like that…?’

Rage contorted Hyde’s face.

“Like hell!”

He roared, drawing every ounce of mana to try to force Theo back.

In that moment, Kao and Rune sprang at Theo from the sides.

“Damn leech!”

“Die!”

Theo didn’t pursue Hyde; instead, he stomped down hard on the ground to steady himself.

Thud, thud, thud!

His heart still thundered wildly, every beat intensifying his senses, honing his awareness of the incoming attack.

He twisted sharply to the side.

Whoosh!

In one fluid arc, he swung the Zweihander, the blade tracing a broad arc that repelled both attackers.

“Ugh…!”

“What is he, some mindless brute…?!”

The unexpected force forced both men to stagger back, barely keeping their balance.

And that was the opening Theo had been waiting for.

The Zweihander glinted ominously, almost as though it were gathering momentum.

Crack!

A vicious diagonal slash came crashing down.

His target: Rune, who had lost his balance.

“...!”

Panic washed over Rune’s face. He reflexively raised his sword, but it was no use.

Clang!

The Zweihander, infused with the essence of Dragon’s Claw, cleaved through Rune’s weapon, slicing into him from his shoulder to his hip in a spray of blood.

—Wound Aggravation.

Rune’s injury was visibly festering, spreading far beyond the initial cut.

“Gurgh…!” he gurgled, collapsing in a pool of his own blood.

“Ruuune! You bastard!”

Kao, his eyes wide with rage, lunged at Theo.

“Stop, you fool!” Hyde shouted, but Kao, consumed by rage, paid no heed.

Thud… Thud…

In that moment, Theo’s heartbeat slowed. The tension eased, his heightened senses now able to fully process the situation around him.

Theo stepped back, his Zweihander poised to meet Kao’s wild charge.

Clang!

Kao’s blade was sent spinning upward.

“Think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?”

Having experienced Theo’s strength firsthand, Kao attempted to redirect Theo’s attack with a snake-like twist of his own blade—a bizarre, erratic move.

“Die, damn you!”

Kao thought he had the upper hand, knowing that the heavy Zweihander left significant openings if it missed. In contrast, his own sword style, Clown’s Game, was famous for its unpredictable, shifting forms.

‘Theo only relied on brute force in the first test. He’s probably just a fool trying to compensate for lack of skill…!’

But then…

Swish!

Against Kao’s expectations, Theo’s Zweihander curved mid-swing, slicing toward Kao’s side with a frightening hum.

Whoosh!

The blade’s momentum was so powerful it seemed to split the air around it.

‘He forced it to turn?!’

Realizing Theo’s raw strength was allowing him to break all conventional limits, Kao barely managed to pull his sword back to deflect the attack.

Clang!

The impact jarred Kao’s arm, sending waves of pain radiating through his bones as he struggled to maintain his balance.

‘Dammit… I need another opening…!’

Just as Kao was about to assess Theo’s stance again, his eyes widened in horror.

Whirr! Whirr!

The Zweihander was carving a series of rapid arcs through the air, each movement as swift as the last.

The sheer speed was unimaginable for a weapon of that size.

Kao was forced to respond with his most advanced move.

Clang, clang, clang!

Clown’s Game – Mocking the Clown.

Sword clashed against sword in a rapid succession of parries, but the smaller blade was inevitably at a disadvantage.

Klang! Klang! Klang!

It felt as if he was being struck by a hammer with each collision. Kao could barely process what was happening; how was Theo moving such a heavy sword so quickly?

Zap, zap!

Theo’s strikes came faster and faster, his attacks almost blinding.

In that moment, Kao finally realized the truth.

‘He… mastered continuous Dragon’s Claw strikes?’

But it was too late. The final, devastating slash caught Kao across his right eye.

Pain.

Heat.

Those were Kao’s last sensations.

Splurt!

The Zweihander cleaved Kao’s head like a melon, his blood and brain matter splattering onto the pristine snow.

Hiss…

Theo stood amidst the rising steam from his heated blade, and turned his cold gaze upon Hyde, the last one standing.

The terror in Hyde’s face was unmistakable.

“Do you know your mistake?”

“…”

“Not bringing an examiner along.”

A grim smile curled at the edge of Theo’s lips.

“You should have considered the possibility of your own death.”

“…!”

Hyde ground his teeth, fury and fear mingling within him.

‘How did this idiot turn into such a killer?’

In Hyde’s experience, a person’s first kill usually left them in shock. It was precisely this moment of hesitation that Hyde’s crew had exploited time and again, allowing them to take down even those stronger than them.

But not Theo.

His detachment was unnerving, as though this was completely normal for him.

—Just like them.

‘Could this not be his first kill?’

Hyde found himself genuinely wondering. It was the only explanation that made any sense.

“When did you learn all that swordsmanship from Lady Plum Blossom?” Hyde asked, trying to make sense of it. “Or was your encounter before the Blossoming Ceremony all just an act?”

He could see it now: the blend of the Dragon’s Claw and techniques only Lady Plum Blossom could have taught.

Theo gave a faint laugh.

For three days, Theo had analyzed the technique Lady Plum Blossom had demonstrated, Blossoming of Plum Flowers, deconstructing and reconstructing each part to understand its flow.

His knowledge, passed down from Evelyn, of foundational sword forms and ten secret techniques had proven invaluable.

The key lay in speed and circular motion, creating a rhythm that allowed multiple arcs to flow seamlessly into one another.

Though Theo could only replicate it to a limited extent, he had managed to incorporate elements of Blossoming of Plum Flowers into his attacks.

He called it:

—Dragon’s Triple Claw.

Each iteration added another strike, creating a deadly sequence that grew faster and stronger with every move.

The goal was to eventually achieve the full 120 arcs of Blossoming of Plum Flowers.

Perhaps by then, the Dragon’s Triple Claw would no longer resemble mere “claws,” but something closer to a whirlwind of slashing death.

—Dragon’s Frenzy.

Perhaps he would call it that.

“Damn it… There’s no way a pathetic rookie like you could actually beat us unless… unless it was all an act. You and Lady Plum Blossom and the White Armor Captain have been working against the Council all along, haven’t you?”

Hyde’s conspiracy theory grew as his eyes gleamed with manic realization.

“Yeah, that has to be it. You’ve been their secret pawn all along. That’s the only thing that makes sense!”

The rant devolved into muttering. Theo’s silence only seemed to fuel Hyde’s paranoia.

“Is that it? I hit a nerve, didn’t I? You bastards… Giving such power to some lowborn wretch!”

Hyde sneered.

“A fool, aren’t you, Theo? You don’t even realize you’re just a puppet… though I suppose that suits a lowborn like you.”

Theo’s expression remained unchanging as he stared at Hyde.

“Oh? Have I struck a nerve?”

“Done talking?”

“What?”

Theo’s mocking smile faded as he looked at Hyde, his gaze turning deadly.

“Then it’s time for you to die.”

“…!”

Hyde tried to raise his sword, but Theo had already disappeared.

‘Where did he go?!’

Hyde frantically looked around, squinting through the blowing snow. Theo’s presence vanished so quickly that Hyde’s eyes could barely keep up with him.

‘…Below me!’

He finally realized, eyes darting downward. But it wasn’t that Theo had disappeared—he’d simply moved too fast for Hyde to track.

Theo’s image flickered back into view, and in that brief instant, Hyde felt an eerie chill crawl up his spine.

It was the unmistakable feeling of imminent death.

With his Zweihander raised, Theo swung downward, his blade glinting with ominous force.

Dragon’s Triple Claw – Rupture

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Theo struck three rapid blows in succession, like a dragon swiping its claws.

The first claw shattered Hyde’s sword.

The second claw slashed diagonally, splitting Hyde’s lower body.

And the third claw, with a finishing stroke, sliced through Hyde’s neck, sending his head tumbling through the air.

Shhhkt—

Hyde’s headless body fell to the snow in pieces, blood spurting in violent arcs. It was a devastating sight, leaving the once-pristine snow stained in dark red.

The force of Theo’s final strike had truly ruptured Hyde’s body.

In that moment, the full power of Dragon’s Triple Claw was realized, creating an image of a dragon’s merciless talons tearing its prey to pieces.

It was a fitting end for Hyde.