139
Swish.
In the wind and rain, Iskan swayed like a ghost. I don’t know what technique it was, but his presence was vague, as if he was blending into the scenery.
I concentrated hard to separate his form from the landscape. Iskan was looking for that shift in perception.
Iskan came forward, swelling up. Before I knew it, the tip of his spear had turned into a dot and was aiming for my forehead.
Ka-Ang!
I swung Crux wide and barely managed to knock the blade away. Iskan took his time and retreated as if exploring.
Creak, creak.
I heard a noise from my arm. I was injured by the self-destruction of the Pygon. The damage to my body and flesh was quite serious.
The Crucis was too heavy now. It was too much to even hold, and my upper body and arms were sagging. For the first time, I regretted using a high-pressure heavy weapon.
… … I need to check my body. And I need time, time for the foundation I laid to move.
I’m not fighting Iskan to die.
“Do you know what the Captain of the Guard is preparing? Perhaps it is disloyalty and rebellion against the Empire?”
Words said to buy time.
It doesn’t matter if you think it’s cowardly or ugly. Right now, I have to pull out all the stops and increase my chances.
As uncertainty grows and variables increase, the effectiveness of the Archies Victory increases. In my inferior position, I had to use everything to defeat Iskan.
Iskan cannot be unaware of my intentions. However, he will answer.
‘Iskan likes me and pities me.’
You probably want to kill me cleanly. So you’ll try to answer my questions as much as possible. Even if you kill me, you’ll be able to rationalize it by saying, ‘I did what I could.’
“Luka, I came here prepared to share my fate with Heilas. Whatever Heilas chooses, I am willing to endure it. We have stood back to back for over half a century, protecting each other. Do you understand what this means?”
Iskan even smiled.
As you know, this is also the reason why the imperial family wanted to attack the royal guard and the military.
Those who have been together for a long time in the battlefield have changed their priorities in their actions. They prioritize their comrades over loyalty to the Empire and the Crown. This is because they are human, not machines.
“But ‘Haylas’ will offer up the upper echelons of the military and the Royal Guard to the Emperor to ensure the survival of House Custoria. Do you still follow him?”
I emphasized. There was something more important to Heilas than his comrades. As the head of the family, he had to protect his family.
“Haha, I’m not following you. I’m helping you. Luca, time is cruel. The guards who were like brothers to me have either died or left the guards one by one. When I came to my senses, the only person I could call family was Heilas.”
Iskan never lost his smile even as the tide turned toward destruction.
“Whether Heilas succeeds or fails, you will die.”
“A moderately miserable death suits a human being like me, a butcher who has killed countless people. I am not a man without conscience who would die in bed.”
He is firm. Iskan is a steel soldier who has lived for nearly a century. He is not shaken by a rookie who has not even lived for twenty years.
Creak, creak.
I opened and closed my fingers one by one. I finished checking while talking.
‘The limbs move, but the output is less than half of normal.’
This was also a miraculous durability. It lasted because it was a high-performance body gifted by Francesque himself and was brand new.
‘The body is… … .’
To be honest, I couldn’t estimate how many bones were broken. The burns on his back were also serious. A seriously injured body would not be able to withstand the load of a prosthetic body with reduced output.
But you have to fight. The fight is not an option, it is a given. The fight is inevitable, and the world is an obstacle that you have to overcome.
Ddddd!
I lifted the crucifix and took a stance.
“You won’t be bored since you have many companions on the way to the afterlife, Luca.”
“I have no intention of dying yet.”
“It’s not like I and Heilas want to die. It’s just that, like so many people who have been consumed by us, it’s our turn to be consumed this time.”
Iskan trudged toward me. He looked like a giant. Even though he was approaching with his spear tip down, the pressure was immense.
“… … You chose death, and I was forced to.”
So if you want to die, you die.
I swung Crux up and down while spinning around. My movements were large and slow due to my lack of stamina and strength.
WHEEK!
The tip of my sword cut through the air. Iskan leaned forward leisurely and extended his spear towards me.
Kit!
I turned my head and barely avoided the blow. The tip of the spear grazed my cheek.
Iskan stretched out his front paw and tried to grab my ankle. Weapons and martial arts came at me at the same time. I barely managed to step back, but my balance was lost.
‘difficult.’
There are no variables. It’s a pure battle of skill.
Iskan was stronger than me to begin with. If he was seriously injured, there was no way to win. My thoughts were blocked on all sides, unable to find a path to victory.
“I don’t want to cause you pain, Luca.”
Iskan spun around and stepped back. He held his body taut as he stepped back, then extended the blade like a bullet.
A stab faster than sound struck me.
Kang!
But I was able to stop it. Iskan’s spear blade was aimed only at my head.
‘Affectionate murder.’
It’s funny, but it’s true. Iskan wanted to kill me with one blow. If my head was crushed, I wouldn’t even feel fear or pain.
Kuung!
Iskan swung his spear with one hand and knocked my crucis to the ground. Although it was only one hand, it had more power than both of my hands.
bang!
Iskan, who had sealed my crucis, drew his pistol. The muzzle was aimed at my forehead.
I raised my toes and slightly lifted Iskan’s gun. It was a great feat, even in my opinion.
The bullet passed over my skull. It felt like the Grim Reaper had just kissed the back of my neck.
‘Haha.’
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I laughed inside. I felt happy in this situation. Iskan was the same, with a ferocious smile on his lips. We are bad guys.
We get intense pleasure from life-threatening combat situations. That was the crucial difference between us and ordinary people. Speed accidents due to neurochemical processing were trivial compared to this.
The restraints on my limbs seemed to have disappeared. I moved more nimbly, not caring about my injuries.
I expanded my awareness by checking my surroundings with my pupils trembling.
Kaaaak!
I slammed down with the Crucis I had heard above. Of course, Iskan dodged, and Crucis was helplessly pinned to the ground.
widely!
I put down the crucis stuck in the ground and took a step forward. Then I curled my fingertips into a point and aimed for Iskan’s forehead.
Bam!
Iskan, who was clever, struck my arm with the bottom of the spear. He turned the spear he had swung around and tried to stab me with the blade.
Whoosh!
I ducked my head to dodge. And then Iskhan’s foot was already rising towards my head. It was a proper kick. The output was extraordinary.
I extended both my arms and blocked Iskan’s kick before it reached its peak power. However, even the kick with reduced power was more than enough to send me flying.
‘Take care of the crusade.’
As I was flying, I grabbed the hilt of Cruxis’ sword stuck in the ground and was pushed back. Cruxis was pulled out and slid down with me.
Kiiiiiiiiik!
I was pushed back as if sweeping the floor. The tip of Crux’s sword also scratched the ground like a brush.
I survived again. How thrilling.
If you enjoy this feeling, you’ll get in big trouble someday. I hope it’s not now.
bang!
I rolled over right away because I saw Iskan firing his pistol repeatedly.
Ting! Teeing!
He protected his body and stopped the pistol bullets with his crucian car and body armor.
Chi-chik!
I flinched. My right arm felt heavy.
‘Damn, electric shock bomb.’
The speed of the electric anesthesia bullet is slow, so I would normally avoid it.
“I always put this in as my last bullet. Since you’ve mastered Archie’s Victory, you know the importance of variables in battle, right? Hmm, you sounded like you were teaching me. It’s meaningless now.”
Iskan said as he changed the magazine.
‘I can’t hear the crucifix properly.’
My right arm didn’t move as I wanted. It was difficult to handle Crucis with only the output of my incomplete left arm.
‘Let’s assess the situation, Luca. In times like this, stay calm.’
I broadened my focus on Iskan.
The place where we were fighting was quite far from the guard headquarters. I could see how hard Giselle had been dragging me there.
The fact that Giselle and I were able to move here without any interference… means that the Royal Guard headquarters was almost empty. It must have been Heilas’s plan. He must have sent out personnel from the headquarters to sneak Giselle and me back to our home without being noticed.
Above all, the decisive reason why the headquarters is empty is probably related to the smoke seen in the distance. Smoke and flames are visible even in the wind and rain.
‘The riots have started. So there’s no one here to worry about.’
I pulled out a piece of memory. When I contacted Nemesis with Kinuan, I saw their plans and schedule.
When I turned my eyes, I saw smoke here and there, as if there was a commotion at the boundary between the upper and lower levels.
‘Nemesis’s force is about a hundred, but those who are moved by incitement and the flow will continue to increase.’
I have no way of knowing the details of what’s beyond and below.
The accident was long, but the time that passed was fleeting.
I took a deep breath and focused on Iskan. He was preparing to charge, his body poised fiercely. If his body shot out like a bowstring, I would die. I couldn’t think of a way to dodge the next attack.
… … I did everything I could. I just believed and hoped.
When Enrico Lagan had an accident in the lower area, the woman of La Vie en Rose called Grace. Grace arrived at the accident site from the La Vie en Rose area in 12 minutes. Let’s calculate the distance and the route taken.
So how long will it take Grace to get here? Or will she even get here? Will she risk her life to help me?
Is the ‘caller’ in my arms working properly? Did Pygon, who brought my luggage, notice it and tamper with it in advance?
Even if Grace had set out to help me through all these uncertainties… … there was not enough time.
‘It’s hopeless.’
No matter how hard she tried, it was hopeless. No matter how hard Grace hurried, she didn’t have enough physical time.
‘If you don’t use the aerial vehicle, it’ll only be enough time to reach the boundary between the lower and upper layers.’
The weather right now makes it impossible to use air vehicles.
My thoughts were split in two. I was calculating Grace’s travel time while trying to avoid Iskan’s attacks.
However, Aquis Victory is not a magic that produces miracles.
Every accident, no matter how many times I reviewed it, came to the same conclusion: Grace wouldn’t arrive in time, and Iskan’s next attack would pierce my head.
‘You will die here, Luca.’
My brain, unable to come up with a solution, declared the end of my life.
Iskan’s feet kicked the ground. He grabbed the bottom of the spear and stabbed it long. The scene was slow to see. But my body didn’t react.
Too- thump!
There was a loud noise. Iskan’s body twisted to the side as if he had been hit by a hammer.
The impact of a ‘shock bullet’ is strictly divided into two parts: the physical impact of the bullet and the explosion of energy. It only appears to happen at the same time because it is so brief.
Kwaaaaang!
Then a blue-ish energy explosion came from Iskan’s side, seemingly consuming his body.
“hmm…….”
Iskan, who lost his left arm and half of his body from the explosion of the shock grenade, staggered. His gaze was not directed at the person who had shot him. He was still aiming at me, his spear of obsession extended.
Kaang!
I also swung Crucis with difficulty. It was hard to hold it properly with one hand. Iskan was also having a hard time.
As soon as our swords and spears clashed, they broke free of each other’s grasp and flew into the air.
thud!
I pushed Iskan with my shoulder. Our physical abilities were now equal.
We fell over, tangled. I saw the Graken Boots stowed at Iskan’s side. They were taken from me.
Woohoo!
I held Iskan’s neck and shoulder with my left arm, then buried my face in his chest.
Keying.
I bit the handle of the Graken boot with my front teeth and pulled it out, but I didn’t have the luxury of holding the Graken boot with my hand and stabbing it.
Crunch!
We were struggling to climb over each other’s bodies. At this point, it felt more like a fight between street urchins than a fight between guards.
Iskan bravely moved despite the shock of having his left arm and half of his upper body blown away. It was a tenacious fighting body of the Royal Guard. No, Iskan’s mental strength must have been amazing.
‘You’ll be barely conscious.’
Iskan’s pupils had been unfocused since a while ago. He was moving only with a sense of mission to kill me. And the battle instinct ingrained in his body was still fierce.
‘Kinuan’s technique.’
My brain extracted the information it needed from the past. I had once woken up Kinuan, who had passed out. At that time, Kinuan had subdued me with a strange joint movement. It was like a snake coiling around me.
Whirl!
I imitated Kinuan. I relaxed my strength and tried to induce Iskan’s reaction. Iskan, who was left with only instincts, tried to move quickly.
I waited for the moment when the balance of power would shift. I turned my body behind Iskan and grabbed his neck with my left forearm.
Ugh!
I tried my best, but it wasn’t easy. It’s hard to kill him with a stranglehold.
‘I’m sorry, Iskan.’
Iskan tried to kill me painlessly. But I couldn’t afford to do that. I was weak compared to him.
I held the Graken boot with my trembling right hand, having been hit by an electric shock bullet.
Woohoo!
The Graken boot dug into Iskan’s lower jaw.
Urgh, urgh, urgh!
It was a slow execution, almost like torture.
The blade of Graken Boot slowly pierced through the jaw and moved towards the crown of the head.
Boom!
The tip of the sword touched Iskan’s only living organ. Iskan convulsed as if in a fit. I used the last of my strength to twist the blade.
Bam!
Iskan’s arm fell limply. He was dead.
“Haa, haa.”
I was out of breath.
‘Did Grace help me? How…?’
I turned my head to the side while lying next to Iskan. I could see the wall dividing the upper and lower levels in the distance. I could faintly see someone from the direction the sniper had come from.
Quite.
I closed my left eye. As soon as the biological vision synchronization stopped, only my right prosthetic eye narrowed its focus and field of vision like a telescope, magnifying distant objects.
“……haha.”
The reason I survived was because I underestimated Grace’s capabilities. I thought I would die, but Grace was a better soldier than I expected.
Akes Victima cannot see what it does not know. It simply makes the best judgment within its field of vision and information.
Grace stood silently on the ramparts, her left eye, which had always been hidden behind a blindfold, revealed for the first time.
Her left eye was strangely large. She had no eyelids, and blue circuits stretched out around her eyes like spiderwebs. Her left prosthetic eye was specially made for long-range sniping.
In Grace’s grasp was a familiar yet strange ‘Ruina’. It was a Ruina modified for sniping. The barrel was longer than Grace’s arm, and it also had a buttstock and a support.
Anyway, the appearance of Ruina when we met again was different from what I remembered.
… … I felt exhilarated.
