Chapter 353 - 310: Awed by the Great Tutor’s Power, a United Front

Inside the Avenger Armor, Reinhardt’s face was hidden.

The dim glow from the damaged lights reflected off his Power Armor. He held a massive, terrifying War Axe, and the Angel Vision technology caused the visor of his helmet to gleam with a blood-red light.

Merely by standing in place, an intangible threat descended upon the bridge, wrapped in the Destructive Suppression of a Five-star Earth Knight who wielded Domain Power.

At this moment,

in the Knight Perception of Koller and Urus,

Reinhardt—the Great Tutor of the Vengeful Angels, unleashing his Knight Power for the first time before them—was no longer the ’New Recruit Knight with only a little strength and an empty reputation’ they had believed him to be before starting their service here.

Caught within the range of Reinhardt’s Destructive Suppression, Koller’s Spiritual Power felt as if it had crashed into a mountain. A bead of cold sweat slid silently down his temple.

Urus was even more aghast!

He had assumed that to overpower him with a single hand, this young Imperial Knight must have used at least eighty percent of his strength. But he never expected that the man hadn’t paid his attack any mind at all!

What terrified him most was that even now, he couldn’t be sure if this man had truly used his full strength.

’Could the rumors be true? Did Fear Knight Du Ma really die at his hands?’

At this thought,

a chilling fear gripped Urus. He suddenly realized what an incredibly powerful Imperial Knight he and Koller were trying to dissuade!

’If I were facing one of the lords from the Night Demon Legion right now, I’d probably already be...’

Each of the Empire’s thirteen Main Battle Corps had its own unique Legion culture and long history.

Clearly, compared to the Emperor’s Shield and the Eldest Son of the Emperor, the Night Demon Legion’s style revered martial prowess. It was dark and oppressive. And while it didn’t go so far as comrades murdering one another, there was certainly no brotherly camaraderie.

To question a superior’s decision, let alone obstruct it—if this were the Night Demon Legion, not only would he receive a savage beating, but he and the Silencer would undoubtedly be assigned to a mission in the most dangerous Star Zone afterward.

This would be his punishment for insubordination and questioning a superior’s authority.

The oppressive atmosphere on the bridge was finally broken by Reinhardt’s cold voice. War Axe in hand, he walked before Urus, towering over him by half a head and looking down with a commanding gaze.

"You’re questioning my orders."

’Manon and Matthias would have followed his orders without question. Agate was quiet and reserved, and Raphael always respected his judgment.’

’These two new members of the Vengeful Angels talked far too much.’

If he were merely a Four-star Earth Military Rank, even the authority of a Great Tutor wouldn’t be enough to keep these two Imperial veterans in line—men whose long lists of commendations and experiences could fill a history book.

But now that he had been promoted to the Five-star Earth Military Rank, wielded Domain Power, and joined the ranks of the truly powerful in the Ash Soil Star Zone...

...everything was different.

Caught in the awkward atmosphere, Stearns quickly stepped forward to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. His tone was sincere. "Lord Reinhardt, Lord Urus."

"The grand war on the Verne Front Line isn’t over. It’s not worth arguing just because the enemy is trying to sow dissension among us."

"For the Emperor, and for victory in this Administrative Region."

Urus took a deep breath and slowly took a step back. Though he said nothing, his posture was a clear concession.

However,

Koller, the senior Think Tank, remained staunchly righteous and unyielding. He refused to back down even a single step in the face of Reinhardt’s anger and rebuke.

The law was absolute. As a Commander of the Vengeful and the Vengeful Grand Think Tank, he would never allow something like Reinhardt infiltrating the enemy camp alone to happen on his watch.

Even when it came to sacrifice and dying, Reinhardt would have to get in line behind him.

It was his responsibility and his duty.

Spiritual Lightning crackled around Koller’s eyes as he frowned. "To think it’s at the bottom of the sea... My lord, I suggest we leave the matter of rescuing Seventy-Six’s remains to the Assassin Court and the Mechanical Order."

"We have neither the time nor the equipment for a deep-sea..."

Before he could finish, Koller’s head snapped up toward the ceiling. His brow furrowed as if he were in communication via Spiritual Energy with someone. His weather-beaten, aged voice turned slightly hoarse.

"This is Senior Think Tank Koller. State your purpose."

"The Judgment Court? We’ve never received any orders regarding this. You mean... Reinhardt? Impossible! You must have made a mistake. I want to speak with the Judge."

"...You have an arrest warrant jointly signed by the Secret Order and the Inquisition? Does the Grand Governor know about this? ...I... understand."

The moment the Spiritual Energy communication ended,

six ships loaded with Hidden Order Knights and carrying three Judges entered the atmosphere, streaking like burning fireballs at high speed toward the Avenger Flagship’s position.

First, the betrayal of Technician Soldier Hook. Then, the discovery that the enemy was already prepared on Savenxis World.

And now, the Judgment Court was descending with menacing intent, as if they had been lying in wait at the Orbital Port, just for them to reveal themselves on this world.

Everything was connected, one link in a chain. Even though this was Koller’s first day of service with the Vengeful Angels, he realized it all: this was all aimed directly at Reinhardt!

’A heretic?’

’A capital crime of blasphemy?’

’What a load of bullshit! This was clearly the work of opposing factions in the Administrative Region, trying to use this as an opportunity to eliminate a rival and weaken the Grand Governor’s faction by getting rid of Reinhardt.’

During the Old Empire Era, the Regent Council had needed the power of the great Legions to expand the frontiers and fight the Space Aliens. But at the same time, they were always wary of the high-ranking officers who held Extraordinary Power and command over those Legions.

He had seen too much of this sort of damn political maneuvering back when he served with the Dusk.

Koller removed his Full Coverage Helmet and strode down from the second-floor command deck, his expression grave. "My lord, it’s the Judgment Court."

Reinhardt couldn’t hear the encrypted Spiritual Energy communication, but he knew this wasn’t the first time the Judgment Court had made a move against him.

However, thanks to the Judgment Court’s sudden interference, the atmosphere on the bridge eased considerably.

Urus, who was already seething with pent-up fury over the Infiltrator Council affair and had nowhere to vent it, now laughed in sheer anger. "So these traitors aren’t even bothering to pretend anymore?"

"They even went so far as to plant a traitor to control the ship, leaving us with no path of retreat."

As he spoke, Urus also removed his Full Coverage Helmet, revealing a particularly grim face. Messy, short black hair fell across his forehead over a face with unkempt stubble and bloodshot eyes. When he frowned, he looked both dissolute and vicious.

"Lord Reinhardt, if the Judgment Court makes a move, I will stand firmly in front of you. They want to arrest you? They’ll have to get through me first!"

Seeing Urus take a stand, Koller also gave a slight nod to Reinhardt, expressing his own position.

Both men knew full well that if the Judgment Court executed Reinhardt on charges of heresy and blasphemy, they, as Commanders of the Vengeful Angels, would certainly not escape the aftermath.

This was far more meaningful than insincere pronouncements about being Battle Brothers on their very first mission together.

At this moment, it was their aligned interests that compelled them to stand firmly by Reinhardt’s side.

In this life-or-death struggle within the Administrative Region, any step backward meant falling into a bottomless Abyss!

However,

compared to these two calculating, world-weary Imperial veterans, Stearns’s thoughts were much simpler.

He and Reinhardt had bled together at the Verne Orbital Port. In fact, he owed his very life to Reinhardt, who had stayed behind alone on the Demon Mother Ship to cover their retreat.

Since the Honor Guard had yet to arrive, as the Second Company Commander, it was his undeniable duty to act.

Stearns was the last to remove his Full Coverage Helmet. Gripping his Knight’s Broadsword in one hand, he stepped in front of Reinhardt and to his side, roaring, "If you want to arrest Lord Reinhardt, you traitors will have to step over my dead body!"