“Are you alright?”

“Feeling better, Theo?”

Trainer and Evelyn were the first to voice their concerns, their expressions filled with worry. Theo nodded in response.

“I feel refreshed. Thank you.”

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

Only then did they both breathe a sigh of relief, and Theo’s words were no exaggeration—in fact, he felt even better than he let on.

Thanks to the One Branch of Plum Blossoms, my brain’s processing speed has significantly increased. Even my heightened senses no longer feel overwhelming.

Most notably, his understanding of swordsmanship had deepened, yet something about the fifth claw still eluded him. He felt an intense urge to test his skills in real combat.

“Well then… if everyone’s rested, let’s prepare to get moving,” Evelyn said, reading Theo’s thoughts and scanning the team.

The members, now breathing easier, nodded and rose to their feet. The bombardment outside had ceased, suggesting that the enemy was closing in to verify their status. Now was the time for a counterattack.

In that moment, Evelyn’s gaze sharpened.

“White Armored Knights, Unit Five! Who are we? Answer!”

“Unyielding! Unretreating! We are the White Armored Knights!”

“Who are we? Speak!”

“Unbeatable! Undefeated! We are Unit Five!”

“That’s right. We are Unit Five of the White Armored Knights. So from now on…”

With each precise response, the determination in her team’s eyes mirrored Evelyn’s fierce gaze.

“Show the enemy who we are!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Then, let’s go.”

Step by step, the White Armored Knights raised their swords once more.

“Make sure they’re dead. Leave no survivors.”

Following Sidra’s orders, agents of the Central Security Bureau began their search. The area that had once held the Blanky Fortress was now reduced to ruins, with nothing but crumbling structures remaining. Survival here seemed impossible.

“What a mess.”

“If anyone survived this, they must have nine lives or something.”

“Haha, right?”

The bodies scattered among the debris were all battered and broken. The agents were stabbing each body with their swords to confirm the kills, but it looked unnecessary.

At that moment…

“So, when we get back, how about a drink—”

One agent, chuckling as he chatted with a colleague, suddenly spat blood. A flash erupted from beneath the ground.

Swish!

Blood sprayed into the air.

“Wha—!”

The agent beside him, staring in shock at the bloody fountain, reached for his signal flare, but his head was severed before he could use it.

With a quiet thud, Evelyn landed on top of the two bodies, her eyes sharp as ever, her gaze like a razor’s edge.

“Eliminate them.”

Her command was the signal.

A storm of dust swept through the area.

Boom!

Thud, thud, thud!

Explosions erupted from the debris, and the White Armored Knights sprang from hiding. The Central Security Bureau agents, caught off guard, fell one by one.

“What the hell is going on?”

“How did they survive…!”

“They’re still alive! Prepare for battle!”

Sidra, who had just entered the scene, froze, his face pale.

The plan has failed! How did they survive that bombardment?

In a group battle, defeating the well-trained White Armored Knights would be challenging. There was also the risk of political backlash if their identity was exposed. As he considered retreat, Sidra reached for his whistle.

“Are you the leader here?”

A chilling voice descended from above, along with a swirling cloud of dust.

Startled, Sidra swung his sword upwards in defense.

Clang!

The clash of swords scattered fragments in all directions as the dust cloud began to spiral, trapping him. Blades flashed through the gusts, attacking him from multiple angles.

It was the Gale Technique of the Thunder God, combined with the Piercing Sword of the Flying Sword Technique—a legendary combination of techniques unveiled after forty years.

“…!”

Sidra struggled to fend off Evelyn’s relentless assault.

She’s fast… impossibly fast!

Evelyn, who had once been on the verge of breaking through the Barrier, had gained even more power after mastering the techniques of the Wind Lord. With her current strength, even Sidra, a swordsman trained under Ed, found himself overwhelmed.

Clang!

Their swords clashed again, sending a shockwave skyward.

“As I suspected.”

“…?”

“You know my swordsmanship and my movements far too well. Are you from Ragnar?”

“…!”

“Regardless, I must take you alive.”

Damn it!

Sidra clenched his teeth. This was the gravest mistake he had made since becoming a top-tier agent. He quickly reevaluated his priorities.

No matter how they survived, with them alive… I need to secure Balmung first…!

But before he could complete his thought, he noticed a flicker in his peripheral vision.

Swish!

Sidra turned his head, horrified to see the decapitated head of the Balmung keeper flying into the air. Beneath the spray of blood stood a young boy wielding the massive Zweihander—Theo Ragnar.

He was the very person Ed had ordered to confirm as dead.

How could he have known?

The existence of Balmung was a secret known to fewer than five people within the Central Security Bureau—all of them Ed’s closest confidants.

The only explanation was clear.

There’s a mole in the Bureau!

Sidra clenched his teeth in fury. Who would betray the Bureau Chief?

But he had no time to dwell on it.

“You’re awfully bold, aren’t you? Even glancing away in the middle of battle.”

Swish, swish, swish!

Evelyn’s sword, enveloped in a whirlwind, slashed towards his neck with deadly precision.

Meanwhile, Theo retrieved Balmung from the fallen keeper’s body.

“Everyone—!”

In that desperate moment, Sidra made his decision.

“Protect ‘the item’—at all costs!”

The agents, channeling their life energy, charged at Theo.

The forbidden technique—Reverse Blood Arts—drains life force, risking death, but in exchange, it grants a temporary surge of power, making it popular among elite dark practitioners. However, they had no hesitation, as loyalty to orders demanded they risk their lives.

Swish!

More than twenty attacks converged on Theo.

“They’re using the Reverse Blood Arts? Just what are these people…? White Armored Knights, protect Theo!” Evelyn’s voice rang out, her tone filled with urgency as she commanded her team.

Flash, flash, flash, flash!

Selpherd, Arin, and other members swiftly took positions in front of Theo.

Selpherd shouted from the lead.

“We can’t let the rookie outshine us! Let’s show him what we’re made of! Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

Clang, clang, clang!

The clash between the agents and the White Armored Knights was intense, with blades flashing and blood spraying everywhere. Amidst the chaos, Theo was right in the thick of it.

[Item has been stored in inventory.]

He stored Balmung in his inventory to avoid losing it in the chaos, then raised his Drake’s Blade, taking a deep breath.

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

Theo recalled Mae Hua Gungjoo’s teachings from One Branch of Plum Blossoms—the branch represented the sword, and the blossoms represented the art of swordsmanship.

In the <Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom> technique, the more flowers that bloomed, the deeper the mastery. Within this art, he sensed Julius’s sword as well—a blade with claws sharper than anyone’s.

Theo worked to merge the two techniques. Though challenging, he believed it was possible. After all, both Mae Hua Gungjoo and Julius had achieved their mastery by following the path of Kyle’s sword.

The bridge…

Whoosh!

Theo’s mind whirred, almost painfully, but without the headaches he’d experienced before. Instead, he felt exhilarated, more focused than ever. The answer soon became clear.

Wind.

The teachings of the Wind Lord made it possible. Just as lightning and petals flow with the wind, so could his strikes.

To harness it… Dragon’s Claws.

But speed was crucial.

[Applying 10 additional points to Agility.]

[Agility: 62 → 72]

[Movement becomes smoother.]

[Attack speed increases.]

Swish!

In that instant, Theo’s body felt almost weightless, and his Drake’s Blade gleamed.

The First Claw. Theo’s blade sliced through the head of an agent who had slipped through the defenses.

The Second Claw. He deflected an attack aimed at Arin’s blind spot.

The Third Claw. Theo charged forward, tearing through the enemy ranks like a tidal wave.

Boom, boom, boom!

“Damn… Our rookie doesn’t take a break, huh? What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Selpherd and the other members, following Theo’s lead, pressed the agents harder. Soon, the agents found themselves overwhelmed.

Slash!

The Fourth Claw. Theo’s blade slashed diagonally, spilling the blood of three agents.

Finally, the Fifth Claw.

Black lightning infused the blade, exploding on the ground with an immense force.

Crack!

The black lightning shot out, creating a massive crater and electrocuting any agents caught in its path. Thunder continued to rumble in the sky as bolts of black lightning rained down.

—Thunder Calling.

It was an elemental magic Theo had woven into his swordsmanship with the creation of his Fifth Claw.

Rumble, rumble.

Thanks to this, the White Armored Knights gained the upper hand. The Central Security Bureau’s formation collapsed in an instant.

“Retreat! Fall back!”

Seeing the situation turning dire, Sidra shouted desperately.

But at that moment, a large shadow fell over the heads of the Bureau agents.

“Captain! We’re here!”

“Haha! You bastards are done for!”

Erica and Holkus arrived, mounted on their dragons. Mana bombs rained down on the retreating agents.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Agh!”

“No!”

The barrage of mana bombs from above, combined with the fierce assault of the White Armored Knights on the ground, left the agents of the Central Security Bureau completely surrounded with no way out. Sidra’s face turned pale.

What do I do…?

Slice!

“Aaagh!”

As his thoughts grew desperate, Evelyn’s blade sliced through Sidra’s right arm.

A blade was instantly at his throat.

“Down.”

Her gaze was cold, making it clear that any resistance would result in his death. Sidra clenched his teeth, considering self-destruction, but Evelyn, sensing this, swiftly stabbed her sword into his aura core.

Thud!

“Ugh…”

Sidra’s mana began to leak uncontrollably.

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

“...!”

Sidra finally bit his lip, sinking to his knees.

Clang!

His sword clattered to the ground in defeat.

The White Armored Knights had claimed victory.