Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 279

Theo’s figure had become a mere blur, moving so quickly that it was nearly impossible to discern his form. His lungs burned, each breath straining against the pressure in his chest, but despite it all, a sense of exhilaration coursed through him.

Neck, abdomen, thigh.

A rapid sequence of three strikes.

His attacks came so fast that it seemed as if all three blows were delivered simultaneously. From the Second Apostle’s front, Theo’s relentless flurry of strikes was like a storm of death.

Thud-thud-thud-thud—

The thunderous resonance of the Triple Core reverberated in his ears, drowning out the sounds of the battlefield. Even though the Apostle seemed to be shouting curses at him, not a word was audible amidst the chaos.

“Just a bit more.”

Though holding Caliburn still strained his hands, the weight was starting to feel less burdensome. Slowly, he was adapting to the sword’s presence. Each strike became smoother and sharper than the last.

Shick!

The Apostle’s dark claws grazed Theo’s right cheek, leaving a thin line of blood. But Theo paid it no mind. Avoiding every injury wasn’t his goal. What mattered now was surrendering himself fully to this rhythm, to this sensation.

For the first time, he unleashed techniques he once would have hesitated to use, executing them with complete abandon.

“Damn you!” the Apostle snarled.

Though shallow, a long line of blood now ran down the Apostle’s chest where Theo’s sword had struck. But it wasn’t just the visible damage that mattered.

“I can see it.”

The Apostle’s movements were no longer inscrutable. Theo’s perception had sharpened to the point where every action seemed to break down into distinct, measurable increments.

“Is this foresight?”

The ability he had awakened during his fevered delirium was now fully emerging in battle against this overwhelming opponent. Each feint, every deceptive movement, was laid bare before his eyes.

Even the Apostle’s most ferocious assaults could now be dodged with the smallest motions, avoiding harm without needing to raise his sword.

“I told you,” Theo said, his voice calm yet cutting. “You’ll die a death worse than a dog or a mosquito.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, as sharp and unforgiving as the blade in his hands.

***

Theo's icy gaze swept over the Second Apostle, his sharp eyes dissecting the Apostle’s every move. An unidentifiable unease began to flicker across the Apostle's face, an expression of bewilderment blooming as if encountering something alien.

This wasn’t mere frustration from having his attacks read. What disturbed the Apostle was the eerie sensation that Theo wasn’t just predicting his movements—he was reacting as if he already knew them. It felt as if Theo was playing a game where he had seen the script in advance.

The Apostle knew what this feeling was, though it had been so long since he last experienced it that he had nearly forgotten.

Deep within the recesses of his mind, the forgotten emotion crawled forth, bringing with it a chill that raised the hair on his skin.

“Fear…? Am I feeling fear?”

Fear had been an extinct emotion for him. Ever since he devoted himself to the Holy Church of Light, such weakness had been eradicated, replaced by unwavering faith.

But now, there was no denying it. The sensation was unmistakable: raw, unfiltered fear.

“This cannot be!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Second Apostle roared, swinging his right arm in a wide arc and unleashing a storm of mana projectiles like a shotgun blast. Yet, even this was futile. Theo vanished before the attack could connect, only to reappear in the instant the explosions subsided, his blade slicing forward.

Ssshhh—

The Apostle barely avoided a fatal cut to his carotid artery, but the chilling sensation of the blade’s proximity left him unnerved.

“How can such a human exist?”

It felt as though he was trapped under the hand of a god, every thought and movement laid bare. Every action, every plan, seemed to be anticipated, leaving him drowning in a tide of humiliation.

“I must kill him before he becomes any stronger. I must be the one to do it!”

Theo’s growth was staggering—an exponential climb toward greatness. A man barely out of youth, yet already surpassing thresholds most would never approach.

The Apostle realized something chilling: this young man would one day become a disaster for the Holy Church of Light. Perhaps, he already was.

“Die!”

BOOM!

Massive torrents of water surged from both sides, crashing together with violent force. Theo and his companions leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the raging waves.

The Apostle twisted his hands, gesturing sharply toward the sky.

Krrraaaah—!

Between the surging waves, small volcanoes erupted in unison, creating a hellish landscape of fire and molten rock.

Whoooosh!

Columns of flame burst skyward, the raging inferno devouring everything in its path. Trees ignited instantly, their flames climbing higher with each passing moment. Smoke thickened, obscuring the heavens as the forest became a blazing purgatory.

“Haa… haa…”

Breathing heavily, the Second Apostle stood amidst the hellscape he had wrought, his eyes scanning the burning battlefield for signs of Theo and his companions.

“I saw them land. They couldn’t have escaped.”

He was certain they had landed amidst the chaos. The torrents had converged, and the eruptions had sealed all possible escape routes. There had been no way out.

And yet…

Thump-thump-thump.

His chest pounded with a sudden surge of unease. Something was wrong.

Then he saw it.

The Apostle’s eyes widened, his gaze locking onto an impossible sight. He froze, unable to process what he was witnessing.

Whooooom—

The flames, which moments ago had seemed eternal, began to converge, spiraling toward a single point. The blazing inferno twisted and swirled, drawn into an ever-shrinking vortex.

And at the center of it all was Theo, his sword raised high.

Behind him, a sun-like orb swirled, absorbing every trace of the raging fire.

***

The technique Theo had finally unleashed.

Behind him, a blazing sun had risen, greedily consuming the flames of the inferno surrounding them. The fire was drawn into its radiant core, transforming into pure mana, an overwhelming power that coursed through Theo's veins.

“It burns… It feels like my entire body is going to combust!”

The massive blaze condensed into a single source of mana, radiating an unbearable heat. Red streaks, like fractures on shattered glass, etched across Theo’s raised arm, marking the strain on his body.

Nearby, Lodbrok was supporting him, helping him stabilize the torrent of energy. Without her assistance, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Theo’s arm had already burst apart from the pressure.

Ting!

As the flames were fully absorbed, Caliburn began to emit a faint crimson glow, as if imbued with the essence of the fire itself.

“What are you?! What in the world are you?!”

The Second Apostle’s voice cracked with fury and desperation as he charged at Theo, his speed a blur.

Whoosh!

Theo surged forward as well, leaving a trail of searing heat in his wake. The roar of his acceleration echoed across the battlefield.

“It’s too fast. This power… it’s almost impossible to control.”

Even with Nirvana expanding his cognitive perception and reaction speed, the raw energy coursing through him far exceeded his ability to handle it.

Theo swung Caliburn in a quick slash.

Swish—

A sharp sound accompanied the cut, and the Second Apostle’s left arm was severed cleanly. The dismembered limb burst into flames midair, disintegrating into ash.

Despite narrowly avoiding a lethal blow, the Apostle’s resilience was astonishing.

“GAAAH! Theo… Theo! What are you?!”

The Second Apostle howled, his rage manifesting as torrents of black mana that lashed out like feral beasts. The shadowy streams surged toward Theo, seeking to engulf him entirely.

Slash, slash, slash—

With precise, red streaks of energy, the shadowy tendrils were cleaved apart mid-flight, scattering harmlessly into the air.

“Die!”

BOOM!

With an icy snarl, the Apostle gathered mana into several orbs between his hands, compressing them until they detonated in a massive explosion.

“Such recklessness.”

Theo had foreseen the mana build-up through his Foresight ability, but even he hadn’t expected the Apostle to risk damaging himself in the process.

Thud.

The explosion wasn’t strong enough to kill Theo, but the proximity forced him to endure the damage. Wounds marked his body, and blood dripped onto the scorched ground.

“Haah… haah…”

The Second Apostle panted heavily, blood spilling from his mouth. Chunks of internal organs came with it, evidence of the toll the battle had taken on his body.

“I no longer care about surviving…”

Woooosh!

His eyes turned pitch black, glowing with an ominous light. He sacrificed the last remnants of his life force, igniting it in a final desperate bid to destroy his enemy. The Apostle’s dark aura expanded, consuming the battlefield in an oppressive void.

As the darkness condensed, it coalesced into his right hand, taking the form of an enormous spear.

Crackle, crackle—

The spear shimmered with black sparks, the overwhelming energy threatening to break the fabric of reality itself.

Theo’s instincts screamed at him. Even without Foresight, he could sense the danger emanating from the spear.

“This is deadly. I can’t let this hit.”

The spear was infused with the entirety of the Apostle’s remaining life force, augmented further with layered magic circles that sparked along its surface. Its aura was so fierce that the mere act of standing in its presence was suffocating.

If struck directly, death was certain. Even evasion would likely result in catastrophic injury.

“There’s only one way to stop this.”

Theo stepped forward, his resolve unshaken. He recalled the lessons of his Enlightenment at the Gate of Ascension, grounding himself in the memories of his growth and struggles.

Tzzt, tzzt—

His body began to shift, assuming the traits of his draconic transformation. The Triple Core surged in perfect synchronization, powering his movements and his thoughts.

Theo gripped Caliburn tightly, pouring his mana into the sword, seeking to unify with its essence.

“Sword and wielder as one.”

It was a realm he had yet to fully achieve, but the battle had brought him closer than ever. The sword was no longer a mere tool—it was a companion, a partner.

DONG—

A resonant chime echoed in his mind as his mana fused seamlessly with Caliburn. A tingling sensation spread through his fingers, a mix of precision and devastation ready to be unleashed.

The storm of the Apostle’s energy clashed against Theo’s focused calm. The battlefield held its breath.

Then, the silence shattered.

Step, step, step—

A steady, unhurried set of footsteps echoed through the void, cutting through the tension like a knife. The sound was casual, almost mocking, as if its owner cared nothing for the apocalyptic clash about to unfold.

Theo’s gaze darted toward the source.

“Who is that?”

Emerging from the oppressive darkness was a figure, walking calmly as though taking a stroll through a park. The figure paid no heed to Theo or the Second Apostle, striding directly into the epicenter of their clash.

Fwoom—

As the figure stepped between them, the overwhelming tension dissipated. The spear’s violent energy calmed, and the darkness receded.

“!?”

The figure appeared human at first glance, but Theo quickly realized that wasn’t the case.

“I can’t read him at all.”

Chills ran down Theo’s spine. The lack of discernible presence was deeply unsettling. Even with his heightened perception, the figure was a complete enigma.

Nearby, the Second Apostle trembled uncontrollably, muttering under his breath.

“...The First Apostle…”

Theo’s eyes widened in shock. The First Apostle had entered the battlefield. What this meant for their fight—or their lives—was unclear, but one thing was certain: the balance of power had shifted dramatically.

“At least he doesn’t seem intent on killing us.”

Theo thought grimly. If the First Apostle had intended to kill, it would have already happened. His entry had been so seamless that neither Theo nor the Second Apostle had noticed until he was already there.

“But why is he here?”

The First Apostle, still silent, stood between Theo and the Second Apostle. His gaze roamed over the battlefield, as if evaluating the aftermath of the conflict.

It was as if he were a detached observer, a judge overseeing the chaos.

“Why is the Second Apostle so terrified?”

The once-proud Second Apostle cowered like a beaten dog, trembling under the First Apostle’s presence.

Theo felt an odd pang of frustration.

“If I could just strike now…”

The opportunity was tantalizing. But logically, Theo knew better. Engaging the First Apostle here would be suicidal. His aura was so subdued it was as if he didn’t exist, yet that very absence was what made him so terrifying.

Even Lodbrok’s voice echoed in Theo’s mind, cautioning restraint.

?Do not act recklessly. This is no opponent you can face right now.?

Theo clenched his teeth, his body trembling with the effort to hold back. He understood. Lodbrok was right. Even she, in all her might, was only observing.

Finally, the First Apostle spoke, his voice calm yet heavy with authority.

?What disgraceful behavior, Mangwoljae.?