“We’re here.”

Odin’s airship fleet entered visual range of Valhalla.

Ten thousand KOGs encircled Valhalla, ensuring Road had no escape.

And right before their eyes loomed the imperial capital, Valhalla.

Towering buildings lined the streets, and at the center stood Valhalla Castle, resembling an ancient fortress.

They were still some distance away, so it was only faintly visible to the naked eye.

“How’s it looking, Lilbelt?”

“He’s still holed up in his room, issuing commands from there, sir. Your orders, Lord Odin?”

“Yes. God’s Thunder. Prepare to fire.”

“Understood!”

Energy began charging.

At the same time, a communication came through to Odin.

The floating airship Zeus intercepted a broadcast directed at the entire Earthguard military.

The sender was…

“Brother! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“…Road. What’s got you in such a panic? Or have you finally realized you’re beaten?”

The image showed a familiar sight.

Road, with the background of what used to be his own room—the military command center.

Zeus had drawn near, surrounding Valhalla, and this was Road’s emergency transmission in response.

His voice was thick with urgency.

“…You’re wrong about this!”

“Me? No, you’re the one who’s wrong, Road. The world needs a ruler.”

“Planning to make yourself a god, are you?”

“That’s right. I will become a god—for the livestock of this world. And for we chosen Earthguards, a god to rule it all.”

“Humanity will one day surely understand each other.”

“Fairy tales… If you think so, then try and stop me. As a corpse.”

Odin rose from his throne in Zeus’s command room.

He issued the order—for the airship’s ultimate weapon, its maximum-output energy cannon.

The strike dubbed God’s Thunder, capable of turning a city to ash in an instant.

All to kill a single man, with just one word.

“Fire.”

The activation lever was pulled, and energy surged into the barrel.

Red light gathered at Zeus’s cannon turret, particles of light shimmering.

In the imperial capital Valhalla, countless Earthguard citizens looked to the sky.

The sky was still bright, yet it glowed red like a sunset. Why?

And then.

Everyone in the capital clapped their hands over their ears.

A piercing screech echoed across the world as the energy cannon fired, a red flash striking the capital.

“Wh-what is that? Thunder? An air strike?”

The residents glanced around in panic.

As if a massive bomb had just dropped.

And the sight that greeted them…

“H-hey… that… over there…”

It was unbelievable.

“The military’s… command headquarters… it’s gone…”

“Right now, that was where… Lord Road was commanding from…”

Collapsed, burned—that would have been understandable.

But this was beyond that; it had literally been erased.

Where the command headquarters once stood was now a massive crater gouged deep into the earth.

The surrounding area was so hot the ground itself had melted.

The command headquarters had vanished. And Road with it.

“Hit confirmed. The command headquarters… obliterated. And…”

The feed showed nothing but static.

Without a doubt, the strike had severed the transmission.

Odin listened silently to the report from his subordinate.

His gaze fixed on the capital, his expression far from joyful.

“It’s over… Lord Odin.”

“…Yes. No bones left after that. I said ‘as a corpse,’ but there won’t even be a body.”

“…Yes. The feed cut out. Road is definitely dead now.”

“…I see. So it’s done.”

Odin tilted his head to the sky, a hint of disbelief lingering.

He had killed Road. Slain that genius.

But no one could survive that strike.

Odin flew Zeus straight ahead and arrived at Valhalla.

There were no more enemies for him here; this was his nation now.

He surveyed the scene: citizens fleeing the bombardment, the obliterated command headquarters.

And the ancient castle, unchanged since time immemorial, standing serene.

He gazed at the fortress that was also his home.

“To Valhalla Castle. That’s the new command headquarters. My castle.”

“Understood.”

Odin directed the floating airship Zeus to his residence, Valhalla Castle.

It landed in the plaza, and he stepped out.

With Road dead, the Earthguard military would begin to crumble. He needed to take command immediately and rally them.

Because what lay ahead was war with the World Alliance.

So he steeled himself.

“Road is dead. I am the Emperor.”

He said it aloud once more.

As if convincing himself.

And he headed for one place alone.

The seat he was certain would be his.

The one he never imagined would be taken from him.

Odin and Lilbelt advanced toward the throne room.

“At last, Lord Odin.”

“But this is just the beginning. We have much left to do, Lilbelt.”

He flung open the massive doors and entered the grand hall.

Valhalla Castle stood empty.

Having lost its master, the ancient fortress loomed silently, awaiting a new one.

“Finally, it will be mine.”

Odin took that step forward.

The throne room was dimly lit, lamps unlit.

This was the grand hall where parties were held, with a soaring ceiling—the place where the Empire Sword Martial Festival had been declared that day.

Ornate decorations adorned it, and only one person in the world was permitted to sit in that chair.

And Odin beheld the throne.

And then.

“Why…”

He lost his voice.

“I’ve been waiting, Brother.”

Seated in the shadowed throne was Road.

Road Earthguard, who should have been utterly vaporized, sat there on the throne.

With brazen composure, all alone.

Perched on the throne in the dim room.

Odin’s face twisted in disbelief.

“Why are you here? Why are you alive? You were supposed to be commanding… from the headquarters.”

“I wasn’t at the command center. I’ve been directing operations from here the whole time. That footage of our conversation? It was pre-recorded. Didn’t it feel a bit off? Well, I knew you wouldn’t bother having a proper talk with me anyway.”

Road had ordered everyone to believe he was secluded in the command center, issuing commands alone.

Unsure where Odin’s spies were, he couldn’t trust any allies.

So he commanded solely via comms from this throne, alone.

And that footage? Just a pre-recorded clip.

Road had predicted Odin’s responses perfectly—after all, he knew his brother well.

“…I see. Pathetic tricks. But your army isn’t here. The power difference is clear.”

Odin raised his hand.

Numerous soldiers flooded into the throne room.

And outside, KOGs stood ready.

Valhalla had no forces for Road.

The identification signals made that plain.

No KOGs guarded Road in this nation.

Even if he’d dodged Zeus’s God’s Thunder with deception, victory was impossible.

“Surrender, and I’ll spare your life. Though you’ll rot in a cell forever.”

But Road showed no panic.

“Brother. Do you remember? That day.”

“That day?”

Road rose slowly.

“Yes, that day. Back when we were kids, the first time I nearly beat you. When I checkmated you, you flipped the board and pretended the game never happened. That’s always been your way. You never fight me fairly—you battle on different terms. Even at the Empire Sword Martial Festival.”

“That’s strategy. Quit your sore-loser whining.”

“True. You always fight outside the rules. Even if it strays far from justice, ends justify the means.”

Road sent a message via the device in his hand.

“But I won’t deny it. The rules of this world are ‘anything goes.’ So I learned from you… how to fight from outside the board. Therefore!”

“What are you—?!”

Thunder roared.

Odin and his men ducked.

As if the heavens themselves had exploded, something crashed down from the sky.

“No way…”

Odin saw it.

The ceiling shattered with a boom, sunlight pouring through to illuminate it.

A pure white giant knight wielding two swords.

“Now, Brother. Check.”

The knight landed between Odin and Road, swords pointed forward.

The two strongest swords in the world.

“Can you flip the board this time?”

It aimed at Odin’s despairing face.