Chapter 409 364: The Might of the Axe and Koller's Glory and Determination

As the Black War Axe, wreathed in destructive Mighty Power, smashed unavoidably into Sipia's Dissolving Battle Armor, his tough, square face—which usually looked quite heroic—was completely consumed by the fear of death and utter disbelief!

He had completely lost his composure, his features contorting in horror!

The very instant the War Axe's blade touched his Dissolving Battle Armor, Sipia realized just how terrifying Reinhardt's power truly was.

This Extraordinary Armament had saved him from the Death God's grasp countless times. But now, it was like wax thrown into a furnace, dissolving at a speed far beyond his imagination as it madly tried to absorb the War Axe's destructive power.

But the cost was steep. In an instant, clouds of scorching white steam erupted from the surface of the Dissolving Battle Armor, leaving Sipia, clad only in his simple military uniform, completely exposed to the War Axe's deadly blade.

In that instant between life and death, Sipia's expression contorted. Veins bulged on his forehead as his soul screamed in a mad refusal to die!

'No... No—!'

'He refused to accept this!'

'He couldn't die yet!'

'He absolutely could not die here!'

In that very instant, his survival instinct erupted into a wildly surging Spiritual Power, forcefully awakening a fifth Extraordinary Armament within him!

Even the power of his Five-star Earth Military Rank grew considerably.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Reinhardt as he let out a hysterical roar.

The next moment, his body shot out like a cannonball. WHOOSH! He broke the sound barrier, creating a terrifying sonic boom inside the bridge. He savagely smashed through the twenty-centimeter-thick steel blast door, taking the entire gate with him as he crashed heavily into the far wall!

The terrifying force of the impact made the entire Avenger Flagship shudder as if struck by an earthquake.

Furthermore, the aftershock from the axe strike transformed into a turbulent gale. Wreathed in Destructive Suppression, it enveloped the entire bridge!

At this moment, everyone—the Vengeful Angels and the boarding rebels alike—was frozen in place, stunned by the aftershocks of the battle between Reinhardt and Sipia.

Lu Jia drove back her formidable opponent with a single sword strike. The two broke apart simultaneously, both turning to look toward the entrance where the blast door had been.

There, they saw a majestic figure standing proudly, bathed in Blood Flame.

A single glance was all it took. The intense visual impact, like the approach of death itself, sent a violent shudder through the hearts of all the boarding rebels.

No matter how tempting the promised rewards, no matter what guarantees the Lord of Ostia, Sipia, had given them, now that they had truly witnessed Reinhardt's power...

...these boarding rebels finally realized they weren't boarding a merchant vessel from some Merchant Dynasty or a warship from the Administrative Region Navy.

They had boarded the genuine flagship of the Vengeful Angels!

And the enemy they faced was no ordinary Clan Knight.

It was the terrifying entity whose fearsome reputation was so widespread that even Demons would retreat to a respectful distance at the mere mention of his name—Reinhardt!

However, greed had blinded them, poisoned their hearts, and made them gamble on a slim chance. They believed that as long as Sipia could hold Reinhardt back, as long as they seized control of the ship with lightning speed, and as long as they could withdraw in time, all death and sacrifice would be avoidable.

But was that really the case?

Perhaps the great warlord Sipia, sent screaming and smashing through the steel blast door, was the answer!

As for the crew of the bridge's command center, they didn't understand the Extraordinary Power of an Imperial Knight. Nor could they judge strength based on the intensity of an aura.

But they could understand this: the Great Tutor of Vengeful, Reinhardt, had sent the strongest of the boarding rebels flying with a single swing of his axe, shaking the colossal Avenger Flagship to its core.

What terrifying power!

Meanwhile, Tulius, still locked in combat with Koller, stared in utter shock in the direction Sipia had been sent flying.

He was horrified. 'This is impossible!'

'That's Lord Sipia!'

'A top-tier powerhouse ranked among the strongest in the entire Ash Soil Star Zone!'

But that wasn't what terrified him most. As he looked toward Reinhardt, the terrifying figure holding the War Axe, bathed in Blood Flame, turned to gaze back at him.

Tulius's body shuddered violently when he saw the Blood Flame burning within Reinhardt's eye sockets.

'This is bad—!'

Unfortunately for him, he wouldn't have to wait for Reinhardt to make a move.

As a member of the Eldest Son of the Emperor and the Think Tank Director of Dusk, Koller rarely used methods that were not entirely... 'Loyal' in front of outsiders.

He believed it would damage the Legion's image.

Under most circumstances, with his own power augmented by the Devouring Book of Reality, there were almost no enemies who required him to use his full strength, let alone those less-than-Loyal powers.

Due to the Spiritual Tide, his Spiritual Perception was confined to the Avenger Flagship.

But...

Koller glanced out of the corner of his eye. He saw the Technician Priest, coughing up blood, his body severely tainted by Witchcraft Power and barely clinging to life. He saw the command center, where thirteen crew members had been slain in the first moments of the assault.

「Outside the window.」

Boarding Ships, intercepted by the ship's cannons, became blazing fireballs of death. They slammed into the Avenger Flagship, showering it with debris, while thousands of smaller vessels swarmed toward them, heedless of the cost.

Farther out, the massive rebel fleet lay entrenched in low orbit above Cyrenaica.

Koller knew if he didn't do something—if they relied on Reinhardt alone—they might never reach Cyrenaica.

Perhaps he was too Loyal.

Perhaps this thousand-year-old veteran had experienced and witnessed too much betrayal and political infighting.

The fall of Dusk, his honor as one of the Eldest Son of the Emperor... even after joining the Vengeful Angels, he had always restrained himself. He told himself that he was only serving in this Battle Group—one that operated outside Imperial law—to repay his debt to Sedon and assist Reinhardt in winning this counter-insurgency.

He could give his all when it came to administrative duties, but he didn't want to get too involved in the fighting.

He had seen too much, and so he knew with deep certainty that if he fought too many battles here as a Commander of Vengeful—if he killed people—he would be indelibly branded by his service in this illegal Battle Group.

He didn't know if he would ever have the chance to return to the Eldest Son of the Emperor, but he knew that if the brand of the Vengeful Angels became too deep, his parent Legion would never accept him back.

He didn't want to lose his chance to return to his parent Legion just to repay a debt to Sedon.

And now, everyone was making sacrifices at their post. Even the Technician Priest, a mere Mortal, was enduring the immense agony of contamination by Witchcraft Power, holding his position at the cost of his life.

As one of the Eldest Son of the Emperor, his honor and his dignity would not allow him to stand idly by for his own personal gain.

The thought filled him with a profound sense of shame!

As one of the Eldest Son of the Emperor, it was his duty and his obligation to lead the charge at a difficult time like this, to fight on the very front lines of death! Not to cower behind Mortals for the sake of his personal future, timidly tangling with a single traitor.

Then, Koller produced a black Scepter from thin air, one that flowed with powerful Witchcraft Power.

A torrent of surging Witchcraft Power, like a rushing river of ethereal blue light, completely submerged both him and Tulius!