Ragnar reached into the air—
And pulled out an apple.
No storage ring.
No spell.
Just… appeared.
He took a bite.
Casual.
Unbothered.
Then sat down on one of the chairs, leaning back slightly as if this were nothing more than a passing conversation.
Crunch.
His eyes shifted.
Narrowing.
Finally—
Landing on Jester.
"…So."
Another bite.
"Who are you?"
—
The pressure vanished.
Instantly.
Jester collapsed to his knees, gasping for air as if he had just been released from something suffocating.
His body trembled—
Just slightly.
But he recovered quickly.
Of course he did.
Slowly—
A smile crept back onto his face.
Twisted.
Amused.
"To think…"
"The great Sword King himself would descend from his seclusion…"
"Fo—"
Ragnar yawned.
Mid-sentence.
He waved his hand lazily.
"Skip the boring part."
A pause.
His crimson eyes sharpened.
"…Get to the point."
"Or die."
Silence.
Heavy.
Jester's smile didn't fade—
But his eyes did.
They narrowed.
Cold.
Calculating.
"…Even you," he said softly, "the strongest of humanity…"
"…won't be able to stop what's coming, Ragnar."
The room grew still.
"If Arthur Veridian couldn't stop the Voidborn—"
A faint grin.
"What makes you think you can?"
A shift in tone.
Darker.
"Heh…"
"For a thousand years… the Void-Born haven't been idle."
"They've been growing."
"Adapting."
"Evolving."
Each word landed heavier than the last.
"And now—"
His gaze swept the room.
Across the dukes.
The council.
The King.
"…look at you."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"An era of peace."
"Softness."
"Weakness."
The atmosphere changed.
Subtly.
But noticeably.
Some of the people present—
Felt it.
That sting.
Because a part of them knew—
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Humanity had gotten weaker.
—
Jester's eyes curved again.
Fixing on Ragnar.
"Tell me—"
A pause.
"Do you really think humanity stands a chance?"
Silence followed.
Waiting.
For Ragnar's answer.
Ragnar smiled.
Then—
He laughed.
Not loud.
Not wild.
But steady.
Confident.
His laughter echoed through the chamber, filling every corner, washing over the tension like it meant nothing.
"That's where you're wrong, Jester."
—
Jester's eyes narrowed.
Ragnar leaned back slightly, still holding the apple.
"Humanity hasn't been getting weaker."
A bite.
Crunch.
"The current generation… might surprise even us."
His tone remained light.
Casual.
"Sure, they haven't gone through the same hardships."
A small pause.
"Does that make them weak?"
He shook his head.
"No. Not at all."
His gaze shifted.
Toward the window.
A faint smile forming.
"I'd say…"
"This generation might even rival those of the Dark Ages."
The room stilled.
"If the people of that era could survive in those treacherous times—"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"What makes you think this generation can't?"
Silence.
Then—
Ragnar glanced back at Jester.
"And as for your other question…"
A faint smirk.
"If Arthur Veridian couldn't stop them—"
"…does that mean I can't?"
Jester spoke, his voice colder now.
"…What are you trying to say?"
Ragnar tilted his head slightly.
Almost amused.
"You ask why?"
A step forward.
His presence—unshaken.
Unmatched.
"Because…"
A small smile.
"…I'm stronger than Arthur."
Ragnar's smile didn't fade.
"These six years of seclusion…"
"I haven't been idle."
And then—
It happened.
A pressure spread.
Not just within the chamber—
Not just the palace—
But the entire kingdom.
Every man.
Every woman.
Everyone—
Felt it.
But it wasn't crushing.
It wasn't suffocating.
It didn't force them to kneel.
It was warm.
Like being embraced.
Like standing beneath sunlight after endless darkness.
Even Jester felt it.
His pupils trembled.
His thoughts—
Stilled.
Blank.
The dukes smiled faintly.
Ragnar…
Was still Ragnar.
He stood up slowly.
Taking one last bite of the apple.
"Goodbye, Jester."
A flick of his finger.
And Jester—
Vanished.
No explosion.
No resistance.
No trace.
As if he had never existed.
But just before that—
Ragnar's voice reached him.
Calm.
Almost amused.
"…Tell that boss of yours."
A smirk.
"I'd like to meet him soon."
Silence fell over the chamber.
Absolute.
___
In another dimension—
A barren hill stretched beneath a dark, endless sky.
At its peak—
Jester sat.
Still.
Eyes closed.
As if nothing had happened.
Then—
His body trembled.
Violently.
"—!"
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Dripping onto the ground below.
His eyes snapped open—
And he doubled over, coughing.
"Cough—! Cough—!"
More blood followed.
His aura flared uncontrollably.
SS+ rank power erupting outward—
Shaking the entire mountain beneath him.
Cracks spread across the ground.
The air itself distorted.
"DAMN YOU—RAGNAR—!"
His voice echoed.
Filled with rage.
With something else—
Fear.
"Cough—!"
He steadied himself, breathing heavily.
His body still trembling slightly.
"…That bastard…"
Then—
A portal opened behind him.
Silent.
Distorting the space around it.
From within—
A woman stepped out.
Alyssa Von Straven.
Her expression was cold.
Unfeeling.
As if Jester's state meant nothing to her.
"Jester."
Her voice carried no emotion.
"The Boss is calling for you."
—
Jester clicked his tongue.
"Tch…"
He wiped the blood from his mouth, forcing himself upright.
"…Fine."
No jokes.
No laughter.
Just irritation.
He stepped forward.
Toward the portal.
Without another word—
He walked through it.
Alyssa followed.
And the dimension fell silent once more.