*Boom!*
The explosion at Kriemhild’s Colossus echoed sharply, reaching Antoniou, Selpard, and Arin.
And then, a brilliant flash shot up into the sky.
“What’s happening?”
“Could he have deceived us?”
“No, no! We didn’t know anything about this either!” Antoniou, pale and stricken, shouted as a blade pressed under his chin.
“Then what is that?”
“That...!”
A chilling thought crossed Antoniou’s mind.
‘No way! Those maniacs, Draw and Gray!’
Antoniou knew well how much hatred Draw and Gray harbored toward Ragnar.
Though the battle at Blanqui Fortress had been a trap set by Troy’s faction, it was still true that Slow, whom they had trusted, had been killed by Ragnar.
Still, he had thought they would follow the consensus of the leaders in pursuit of the greater cause!
And then it happened.
“Ugh!”
*Snap!*
Without warning, Selpard’s fingers jabbed Antoniou in several places across his body.
**Acupuncture Points.**
One of Ragnar’s techniques, the sealing of magic.
“Whether you knew of this or not, we’ll find out soon enough. For now, you’re my hostage.”
Antoniou tried to speak, but his magic was utterly paralyzed, leaving him gasping for air.
Lifting Antoniou onto his shoulder, Selpard sprinted toward the Colossus.
*Flash! Flash!*
*Rumble—*
With each burst of light, Kriemhild’s Colossus shook visibly.
Antoniou bit his lower lip hard.
At this rate, the entire Floating Archipelago would learn of their plans.
Their scheme to secretly seize the relic would be nothing but a broken dream.
‘If this goes on, even Father will... discipline me...!’
But Antoniou’s thoughts did not continue for long.
*Boom!*
Part of Kriemhild’s Colossus was crumbling.
The landmark symbolizing the Floating Archipelago!
‘No, noooo!’
Antoniou was unaware.
That the scream he just uttered was the same as Draw and Gray’s earlier cries.
* * *
“You insufferable cur! Won't you stop?!”
*Bang! Bang!*
Draw, like an enraged bull, stomped the ground furiously.
Each time Theo brandished the Dragon-Slayer Sword, Kriemhild’s Colossus exploded like a firework.
Of course, due to its massive size, only pieces were falling off.
But to the residents of the Floating Archipelago, who had revered Kriemhild’s Colossus as sacred, it was nothing short of blasphemy!
‘How did things get this way!’
Though Theo and his group might not have known it, Draw had recognized them as Ragnar’s from the moment they arrived on the Floating Archipelago.
“What? Are you certain?”
“Yes! It’s confirmed. Those scoundrels are Ragnar. The very Black Iron Dragon Squad that killed Slow.”
A lone survivor from Blanqui Fortress had managed to escape before the battle turned fatal.
Driven by a vow to eradicate every last one of Ragnar’s bloodline, they had concocted this plan...!
But things were spiraling out of control.
Did they really think someone coveting the relic would simply let it slip from their grasp?
It was obvious—they were hell-bent on ensuring no one could have it if they couldn’t.
Meanwhile, he found it suspicious how the Colossus, which held the relic, was falling apart so easily.
*Crack! Crack!*
Watching the fractures spread across the Colossus, he no longer had time for such concerns.
Especially around the part of the sword stabbing the dragon, which looked as if it would collapse at any moment.
“Why should I care?”
With a scoff, Theo swung the Drake Blade in his right hand downward.
*Boom!*
*Thud—*
Draw staggered back, feeling as though his arm had been torn from its socket.
His eyes shook.
Never in his life had he been outmatched in pure strength.
Even his esteemed brother Slow had conceded when it came to raw power.
Yet Theo, smaller than him, was overpowering him effortlessly—with just one arm.
‘This is impossible!’
“You destroy everything in your path as you see fit, so why should I protect any of it?”
“You... foul-mouthed brat!”
Draw, without further thought, lunged at Theo once again.
In his mind, if strength failed him, he’d simply beat Theo until he won.
“Draw! We’ll cover you!”
Realizing Theo’s strength, Gray quickly began casting spells with his allies.
Balls of fire rained down from the sky, while vines erupted from the ground, aiming to ensnare Theo’s feet.
From all sides, other swordsmen appeared, joining forces with Draw to launch a coordinated assault.
**<Thunder Calling>**
*Rumble! Rumble!*
But thunderbolts crashed from the sky into the midst of the mages.
“Aaaargh!”
“He’s using magic! That guy’s a mage!”
“Retreat! It’s targeted magic; we can dodge it!”
“But that’ll break our magic coordination every time!”
**<Dragon’s Claw>**
*Flash! Flash!*
Each time beams of light tore across the ground, the formation grew chaotic, making it nearly impossible to approach Theo.
“Damn it all!”
“The Colossus! It’s collapsing!”
“Somebody, stop him! Take him down already!”
“The cracks are growing! Stop it! Do something about the Colossus!”
‘This is a complete disaster.’
Theo shoved Draw aside with his right hand and, using his left, delivered a devastating blow to Kriemhild’s Colossus, flashing a sinister smile.
“Since it’s come to this, let’s broadcast it to the entire Floating Archipelago: ‘Black Skull is destroying Kriemhild’s Colossus.’”
“...!”
Only then did Gray realize Theo’s plan.
The bastard intended to turn the tables and make Black Skull into the archipelago’s enemy!
‘N-no... we have to stop him... But how...? Surrender? Should I surrender...?’
*Boom!*
At that moment, a heatwave surged from the Dragon-Slayer Sword, sweeping across Kriemhild’s blade.
It left marks as though the slain dragon had risen from the dead, wildly slashing its claws.
And then,
*BOOM!*
Kriemhild’s sword exploded, sending fragments flying everywhere.
“...!”
“...!”
“No...! The Colossus...!”
“The relic...!”
Amid the chaos, fragments embedded themselves in the cliffs, shattered the surrounding walls, and scattered over the sea.
Draw, Gray, and the others were left in a stunned, mind-numbing silence.
But,
‘It’s coming.’
Theo saw it clearly.
*Swish—*
From within the broken Kriemhild’s blade, a blue light began to grow uncontrollably.
Theo’s relentless targeting of the Colossus’s sword had been no accident.
‘A message. The hint to awaken the relic was hidden in there.’
The Dragon-Slayer Sword wishes to return to its rightful place. This line had caught Theo’s attention.
‘The rightful place. Where the fake stone sword had been.’
The sword held by the Kriemhild statue looked nothing like the Dragon-Slayer Sword. Clearly, the legend had been misinterpreted.
What if, as the message implied, he removed the false sword and placed Valmung in its place?
‘Correcting the legend would unlock the relic.’
The Floating Archipelago, which had revered Kriemhild’s Colossus without fully understanding it, had failed to unlock its secret all along.
Using all his strength, Theo hurled the Dragon-Slayer Sword toward the blue light.
At that moment,
*Ziiing!*
[The dormant <Relic> awakens.]
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*Whoosh!*
A blinding blue light exploded, engulfing Theo and everyone around.
Draw, Gray, and their entire group were swept up as well.
‘Where am I?’
When Theo opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dense jungle of broad-leafed trees.
The ground was damp and muddy, and the air was thick with humidity, making it feel oppressive.
*Tweet! Tweet!*
*Chirp-chirp—*
The sounds of birds and insects filled the air around him.
“What is this?”
“Why are we suddenly here? Where’s the Colossus?”
Caught in the mysterious phenomenon, the members of Black Skull scanned their surroundings in confusion.
“Gray!”
“Hold your position! We need to assess the situation first.”
Gray quickly scanned the area, thinking.
‘We were pulled into this strange light when the Colossus exploded. If that’s true...!’
Only one word came to mind.
Relic.
“Everyone, stay alert! This is the arrangement our ancestor Kriemhild left for us...!”
Gripping his fist in resolve, Gray felt a surge of pride at the thought that they, not some Ragnar outsider, could claim this relic.
*Swish—*
*Thunk!*
But then, with a slicing sound, his neck burned with a searing pain. He tried to speak but found he couldn’t.
“Gray!”
‘Why... is Draw looking at me like that?’
With that final thought, Gray collapsed to the ground.
*Splat!*
A long spear was lodged in the back of the fallen man’s neck.
A spear carved from what looked like the bones of a large beast.
“An ambush! Defend yourselves!”
Without time to retrieve his fallen brother, Draw cried out frantically.
Thwip! Thwip!
At that moment, dozens of spears identical to the one that killed Gray filled the sky, raining down like a hailstorm.
It was the beginning of a massacre.
Thud, thud, thud—
“Aaaaagh!”
“Save me...!”
“Tei! Get a hold of yourself—urk!”
“Shields! Anyone with a shield, raise it!”
Already spread thin from fighting Theo, the Gang Brotherhood was caught off guard, unable to organize their defense effectively.
Some were even skewered by four or five spears at once, collapsing instantly.
Dash!
Draw sprang into action.
He was determined to save as many of his brothers as possible.
Whoosh!
Meanwhile, Theo, unlike the Gang Brotherhood, had swiftly climbed up a tree.
He needed a better view of the area.
[The “Mystery of Kriemhild” has begun.]
[Recover all of Kriemhild’s scattered bones, cursed by the evil dragon, and place a sword in her hand.]
‘The curse of the evil dragon.’
He needed to understand precisely what that entailed.
Just then, he caught sight of something creeping through the dense jungle.
Skeleton soldiers moved stealthily, scattered throughout the jungle and swampy terrain.
The problem was,
Rustle, rustle!
There were too many of them.
‘At least several thousand... no, tens of thousands.’
They stretched not just around Theo but as far as the horizon, filling the jungle with their bony ranks.
It looked like an army, complete with various military units.
Spearmen, archers, swordsmen, shield-bearers, mounted knights, flying mages, and even commanders leading the ranks.
The Legion of the Dragon’s Teeth.
The mythical army said to be born from the dragon’s teeth and bones was advancing like a swarm of locusts.
“And I have to find Kriemhild’s bones among them?”
A cold sweat trickled down Theo’s back.