Chapter 418 - 371: On the Bridge, Rebel Infighting?

On the bridge.

Two recorders, the lowest-ranking members of the command structure responsible for transcribing orders, carried the body of Technician Priest Gallik and placed it alongside the remains of another Technician Priest.

Six Navy veterans were assisting with the ship’s cannons, intercepting the Assault Boats attempting to board.

Two Star Speakers with Spiritual Talent, clad in dark blue robes and holding long staves, were following Koller’s orders. A Spiritual Tide blanketed the entire Cyrenaica Star System, cutting them off from all outside contact. Still, the two of them mechanically tried again and again to reach the Imperial Administrative Region, as well as the Eleventh and Twelfth Infantry Legions.

Eight Masters of Government Affairs had been seconded from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Dressed in dark brown robes, they had integrated into the Vengeful Angels’ command structure and processed the first batch of backlogged documents. Now, they were completely idle.

They were pure-blooded Iberians of noble birth, whose families had served in the Ministry of Internal Affairs for generations.

But they were still mortal.

Immersed in Koller’s Spiritual Power Spectacle, they could faintly hear piercing screams and meaningless whispers. Their minds would occasionally drift into a stupor, as if they were drunk.

To resist the spiritual corruption of the Spiritual Energy, they knelt in a circle with their eyes shut tight, reciting scripture and begging the Divine Emperor for protection.

Meanwhile, the last Technician Priest, Pavlo, stood hesitating before the Avenger Flagship’s control port. Under Koller’s gaze, he drew out his Neural Metal Wire with a trembling right hand.

The gruesome deaths of his two colleagues, and the agony they had suffered while still alive, flashed through his mind.

His mind was in turmoil.

He didn’t want to die—at least, not in torment and agony.

But an Emperor’s Angel stood right beside him. He knew it was his turn to make the sacrifice.

’Bathed in the glory of the God of All Machines, I beg for Your guidance. Let my life serve the radiance of the Empire.’

Unfortunately, no one but him could understand the internal prayers of the Mechanical Order.

Pavlo took a deep breath. With his trembling right hand, he plugged the Neural Metal Wire into the Avenger Flagship’s control system. The next second, a massive torrent of information, carried on a wave of Witchcraft Energy, surged into his consciousness with unstoppable force!

He felt as if his body was on fire. Every nerve screamed under the assault of the Witchcraft Energy, transforming into a bone-piercing pain that coursed through his entire being.

He tried to cry out in agony, tried to pull out the Neural Metal Wire.

But the immense Witchcraft Energy acted like a magnet, locking his wire firmly into the port. His body went haywire under the impact, and he couldn’t even perform the most basic act of speaking.

After the first wave of torment passed, his body seemed to adapt to the soul-gnawing pain, gradually growing numb. He knew that in this moment, the countdown to his death had begun.

From the moment his superior, Danske, the first Technician Priest to be sacrificed, had opened the Avenger Flagship’s core control access, the fate of his successors was already sealed.

His own abilities and Life Force were far from sufficient to process such a colossal amount of information.

All he could do was find the sections controlling the ship’s cannons and engines. He had to give his all, before death claimed him, to bring this Divine Creation of the God of All Machines to a stable landing on Cyrenaica.

...

「Meanwhile.」

The second wave of rebel troops marched out of the elevator shaft in a great procession.

The Imperial Knight at their head exuded the Mighty Power of a Four-star Earth Military Rank. Clad in ancient Anti-Magic Steel Armor, he strode forward with purpose.

He rounded a corner and stopped at the end of the corridor leading to the bridge.

Reinhardt and Nelom were already waiting for him.

Upon seeing Nelom, however, he was visibly surprised. His gaze swept warily over Reinhardt before finally landing on Nelom.

"Ash-Burning Tyrant... what are you doing here? Could it be..."

His first thought was that Nelom had boarded the ship first, slaughtered all the Vengeful Angels, including Reinhardt, and seized control of the vessel.

But when he realized something wasn’t right, he raised a hand to halt the men behind him, exhaled a deep breath, and drew his Knight’s Broadsword.

"You’ve defected."

Nelom sneered. "Defected? Wells, have you got the nerve to say that word to my face without batting an eye?

Heh. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I might’ve thought I was the one who just boarded *your* ship."

As he spoke, Nelom tightened his grip on his Knight’s Broadsword and threatened, "I’ll give you two choices. Get lost on your own, or I’ll throw your corpse off this ship."

Apparently, this rebel named Wells knew Nelom, and the two had crossed paths before.

Faced with Nelom’s threat, Wells frowned. Although they were both of the Four-star Earth Military Rank, their strengths were worlds apart. From what he knew of Nelom, this former Battle Group Commander who had betrayed the Holy Temple of Justice was not someone he could handle alone.

’Besides...’

Wells’s gaze pierced through his Full Coverage Helmet and fell upon Reinhardt.

’This man... could he be the rumored Vengeful Angel? He seems to have suppressed his Knightly Aura, so I can’t gauge his strength.’

’But anyone qualified to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ash-Burning Tyrant Nelom couldn’t possibly be weak.’

’If these two teamed up, I probably wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.’

While contemplating his next move, he carefully scanned the battle-scarred corridor. The dents from impacts indicated that someone had definitely boarded before him and fought with the Vengeful Angels here.

But for some unknown reason, there were no bodies to be found in the narrow corridor or on the path he had taken.

Unfortunately for him.

What he didn’t know was that at the same time he was boarding the Avenger Flagship from Hangar Bay 3, the famous Lord of Ostia, Sipia—a man far more powerful than him—was making a pathetic escape from this terrifying place via an assault boat from Hangar Bay 1.

’However...’

’I came here with two powerful Knight Warlords, both of them also Four-star Earth Military Rank. It’s three against two. If a fight really breaks out, I’m the one with the advantage.’

Facing Nelom’s threat, he returned the sneer.

"Is that so? Then let’s see if you have what it takes. Will I be the one stepping over your corpse to enter the bridge, or will you be the one throwing our three bodies out?"

As soon as the words fell, a battle was imminent!

However, just as Nelom took a step forward, the high-temperature Ashen Battle Armor materialized over the surface of his Power Armor.

A Spiritual Energy communication from the Vengeful Angels’ command structure suddenly cut into his consciousness.

Then, Urus’s cold voice rang out.

"Nelom, stand down. I’ll take care of these people."

’Leave it to Urus?’

The sudden Spiritual Energy communication in his mind startled Nelom, causing his forward step to falter visibly.

He instinctively glanced at Reinhardt, wanting to know if this order came from the Great Tutor of Vengeful.

But before he could get an answer...

...sudden screams echoed through the corridor.

Wells let out a low GURGLE—the death rattle of a man whose throat was flooding with blood, choking off his windpipe!

Nelom whipped his head around.

The sight before him made his expression change drastically.

The two rebel Knights who had accompanied Wells had turned on him. One had drawn a short blade and plunged it straight through the back of Wells’s neck and out his throat. The other, with a swift stroke of his sword, had cleanly executed the three accompanying Personal Guards!