026
I have to fight Ilay from now on.
If I think about it calmly, I have the upper hand. If I don’t make any mistakes, I will win. However, things don’t always go as planned in real life.
Creak, creak.
My right prosthetic eye moved on its own and chased after the Ramones family.
I reminded myself of my purpose. I constantly reconsidered what the optimal judgment would be through countless inferences and thoughts.
For now, I’m grateful for the expanded cognitive abilities I’ve gained from the Archies combat techniques.
‘There is no need to confront Illei head-on.’
Ilay is trying to protect the Ramones family, Lillian Ramones to be exact.
‘I have to kill Lillian. Even if it leaves a grudge in the future, I can save Illei for now.’
It didn’t matter if Ilay and I became mortal enemies and our relationship became estranged. At least with this method, I wouldn’t have to kill him with my own hands.
‘Kill the Ramones family and all witnesses, and make Ilay’s rampage seem like it never happened.’
Even if there are suspicious circumstances, it will probably get overlooked somehow since he is a descendant of the Kartika family.
Having decided on a course of action, I felt a sense of self-loathing. My determination to judge Ilay had already taken a back seat. My mind was racking its brains trying to come up with a plan to save him.
… … I guess I’m a pretty retarded idiot.
“Luka, are you going to ignore me and attack Lillian?”
Ilay said sharply. As expected of a good guy.
I scratched my head and pretended to answer, then ran forward.
Ta-Ang!
Illei also pulled the trigger to stop me. The gunshots continued in succession.
For us, who are basically predicting the trajectory, a single shot won’t work. It’s just a check shot to slow me down. If it were me a while ago, I would have hesitated to avoid the bullet.
However, before I went to the battlefield, I had to forcefully expand the speed and bandwidth of my cybernetic signals. After completing the upgrade, I was able to move faster and more precisely than Ilay had predicted.
I continued on without slowing down. I could sense Ilay’s confusion in the stray shots. The last bullet missed me so much that I didn’t even realize it.
‘I’m ahead with this.’
Ilay ran towards me late to block my path.
‘Avoiding direct conflict with Ilay.’
It will be difficult to subdue Illei in a short period of time. In the meantime, the Ramones family will escape.
“Hoooo… … .”
I let out a murky breath and increased the output of my legs. There is not much difference in the performance of Ilay and my body. However, since my reaction speed is faster, I have the advantage in acceleration.
Too- Woong!
I picked up speed all at once and passed Ilay’s line. From now on, he had to chase me from behind.
There was nothing in the direct line between the Ramones and me. My eyes were fixed on the Ramones. In two seconds, they and I would collide.
I can feel Ilay’s presence behind me. But don’t worry about what’s behind you. Just finish everything before Ilay approaches.
The two sons of the Ramones family took up arms to confront me. They were trained soldiers, too, though not the Guard.
“Don’t fight back!”
Ilay screamed. At the same time, I reached my two sons.
I rushed at my two sons with my knife and pistol drawn. They opened their eyes wide and tried to pull the trigger.
Slow, slow. Infinitely late.
They were so slow that it was almost a sigh. They were fools who couldn’t even gauge their opponents’ abilities. They didn’t even pass the Royal Guard aptitude test. It seemed like the Ramones family had high expectations for Claude.
I pulled the trigger and blew a hole between my first son’s eyebrows. Then I cut my second son’s head lengthwise with a knife. A cross-section of his brain is visible.
widely!
I landed between the two boys. They stumbled and fell down.
There are three people left: Hugo Ramones, his wife, and Lillian.
Hugo Ramones witnessed the death of his two sons with his own eyes. He tried to shout at me.
Phew!
I stabbed Hugo from his chin to his crown with the knife stained with my second son’s blood. The sensation of digging into his mushy brain was vivid.
Queek!
I twisted the blade and crushed Hugo’s brain firmly. Hugo’s body, his eyes rolled back, convulsed with residual signals.
Hurry up, Luca. Illei will be on my back soon.
There was no time to remove the sword that had pierced Hugo’s head. So I judged, and struck Madame Ramones’ temple with the blade of my hand.
Kwajijijik!
Following my hand, the lady’s head was torn horizontally from the cheek. The head, with only the lower part of the head remaining, was quite desolate.
The body of the noblewoman, who had lost control of her brain, flailed around like a broken toy. At first glance, it looked like a drunkard’s dance.
The deaths of the four were fleeting. Only Lillian remained.
“ah…….”
Only then did Lillian lick her lips. She was belatedly realizing the reality, as she was not capable of thinking as quickly as I and Iley.
Her family was slaughtered in front of her eyes. It will remain an unforgettable trauma for Lillian. But she doesn’t have to worry about the future. She will die soon.
Soon Lillian will let out a terrible scream.
I spun around and aimed my gun at Lillian’s head. I could have shot her without looking.
But I didn’t pull the trigger right away.
Lillian is a victim of chaos. I know that. And she was a woman who had been kind to me in the past.
I thought it was my duty to see her face one last time. Whether it was hate or despair. Either way, I would never forget her. At least not until my conscience completely evaporated.
… … When our expectations go awry, our brains go into a momentary blank space. That’s what happened to me just now.
‘Are you laughing?’
I couldn’t pull the trigger when I saw Lillian’s expression. She was crying with wet eyes. But the corners of her eyes and lips were twitching and smiling. Joy was on Lillian’s face. The tears she was shedding were tears of joy.
‘Why are you laughing?’
Her reaction was strange. That made me hesitate. It was enough time for Ilay to catch up.
“Lukaaaaaaa-!!”
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Ilay swung his sword and separated me and Lillian. I had never seen him so angry before. His face was ablaze with blue-white light.
I tried to pull the trigger and shoot Lillian in the head, even if it was late.
Ting!
But the bullet ricocheted off Ilay’s sword.
Calm down. It’s not what I expected, but things aren’t bad for me.
Anyway, we’ve already dealt with the Ramones family except for Lillian. We can subdue Illei here and kill Lillian.
The one who lost his mind is Illei. Let’s deal with him like a wounded beast. If we cut off all his limbs, he won’t be able to do anything.
… … It was a little strange, but right now I was smiling with anticipation and excitement. There was an opponent in front of me who would test all my skills in a real match.
I know it’s not a laughing matter. But I don’t deny the innate violence within me. I don’t want to dismiss the instinct that brought me here as something bad. To put it nicely, it’s the aggressiveness that soldiers need.
A deep red emotion was filling me. But I shouldn’t get caught up in it. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up killing Ilay here.
“Don’t laugh, Luca.”
Illai stood before Lillian like a knight protecting a princess and said.
I made a mistake just now. Illei regained her composure after seeing my eerie smile. If it has come to this, it won’t end easily.
“Ellie, did you see that woman’s expression just now? She’s happy that her family died. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
I stepped back and said sarcastically. Illie must have seen Lillian’s strange expression. If Illie is shaken by these words, it’s to my advantage.
“… … It’s not strange. I’m finally free now.”
Illai said as if he knew why Lillian was smiling. His eyes were unwavering.
I squinted my eyes. The current flowing between Lillian and Ilay was strange. It didn’t seem to be just Ilay’s unrequited love.
“Lillian means more to you than just your first love.”
Ilay didn’t answer. Maybe I was right.
I wiped the blood from the knife on my pants. Ilay was waiting for my move.
Kiing!
I stretched out my arm and aimed the cleaned tip of the sword at Ilay.
“Well, okay. It doesn’t matter anyway. Let’s get started.”
* * *
As guard cadets, we are different from ordinary people. Throughout our training, we strengthened our nervous systems with chemotherapy and synthetic drugs.
A high-performance combat suit is beyond the capabilities of a natural brain. The suit’s movements are faster than the human response limit, and it exchanges high-intensity signals that would cause muscles to rupture if it were a living organism.
That’s why ordinary people can’t even respond to our movements.
Ilay and I fought in a high-speed battle. Lillian, standing behind us, wouldn’t even be able to tell how we were moving.
Kiiing!
I moved my arm and swung the sword. The blade’s trajectory was so fast that it seemed to bend like a whip.
Ka-Ang!
Illei also extended his sword to block my attack. My fingers holding the sword felt like they were going to break. Illei must have felt the same way.
The attack continued so quickly that it looked like there were multiple blades. The blades clashed again and again. The teeth on the blades were falling off as the two metals collided.
At first glance, the situation seemed even. But both Iley and I knew it.
‘I’m the one who wins.’
In the past, we were equals, but Ilay had no desire to become stronger. While I was sharpening myself, he was lost in strange thoughts and distracting thoughts.
‘Even if you come now and try hard, you won’t gain strength that you didn’t have before.’
Ilay was fighting desperately. Even though he knew he would lose, he was still hoping for luck and was using all his strength to the max.
‘Is Lillian Ramones worth this?’
I really want to ask that. Ilay was protecting Lillian by throwing away everything he had. Even the hope was extremely low.
“after.”
I let out a short breath. That was enough for me. But Ilay was shaking her shoulders as if she was out of breath.
“It was fun, Ellie.”
I said, taking my time.
“Don’t talk like it’s over.”
Ilay spoke with shaking hands. The guy was smiling bitterly, knowing that his words were not convincing enough.
“You’re smart. Don’t be stupid. It’s not too late. You shouldn’t be doing this because of a woman.”
My breathing had slowed down. On the other hand, Ilay was still breathing heavily. If I attack now, I can quickly subdue him.
“Luka, you don’t know anything.”
Ilay didn’t seem to be interested in my persuasion.
“Haha, I don’t even want to know. The thoughts of a guy who killed his own platoon.”
Ilay kept his mouth shut at my sarcasm. He must feel guilty too.
“The families that were designated as traitors, including Ramones, never rebelled. The Empire just made up a good excuse, but in reality, it was a purge.”
“You’re just talking nonsense. Nothing will change even if you waste time.”
“It’s true that I want to buy time to catch my breath, but I’m not making this up. Considering that I prepared for a rebellion, my counterattack is too weak. At best, it’s just the family’s private soldiers. If I really wanted to rebel against the Empire, I would have brought in Corana Bellato! Or at least hired an alien mercenary group. They’re families with that kind of wealth.”
I couldn’t respond right away. Even though I didn’t want to think about it, my head started spinning on its own.
‘That’s true. The size of the rebels is too small for a group of three families combined. There are no outside forces.’
It was difficult until we entered the Arcane Fortress. Once inside, everything was a breeze.
The Holy Nation of Korra and the Federation of Bellato were eagerly eyeing the possibility of a split in the Empire. If the powerful families of the Empire rebelled, there were plenty of forces in the world that would support them.
The answer to my question flowed from behind Ilay.
“This is why the empire is after our family.”
Lillian said as she searched through her father’s body. She took a cube out of the body. It was a cube with a soft glow.
I felt like something I shouldn’t know was coming out of Lillian’s mouth. I shouldn’t listen to her anymore.
I had to subdue Ilay and kill Lillian right away. The instinct of a soldier who had been imprinted on me slowly crept up to the back of my neck. However, curiosity was suppressing the dark murderous intent.
I kept listening to Lillian.
“This is an arcane relic. It is thanks to this that we were able to activate the fortress that had been dormant for countless years.”
Lillian released the Arcane Cube. It floated slightly in her palm, spinning around. It looked like an Arcane artifact I had seen before.
“No, your family is just traitors. You must have stolen the arcane relics and studied them without permission.”
I said it as coldly as I could.
“Luka, the Ramones family has been investigating and researching Arcane relics at the behest of His Majesty the Emperor. Innocent… … .”
Just as Ilay was about to protest, Lillian shook her head. She cut Ilay off as if she was interrupting him.
“No. It’s wrong to say that my family is innocent. In fact, my father prepared for the rebellion. He discovered the method of using the Arcane relics to maneuver the fortress, but he didn’t report it and hid it. He thought that it might give him power that could surpass the Emperor.”
“Lillian! Now… … .”
Illai screamed at Lillian.
To be honest, I could have defeated them both at any time, but I was interested in Lillian.
Lillian was calmly reacting to the situation, even though her family was killed right in front of her. And she didn’t act like a victim. I never imagined she was like this. I just thought she was a self-indulgent noble lady.
“Luka, you value Ilei, don’t you? Ilei can’t live the life she wants in the Empire. Right now, Ilei can escape the Empire. With me.”
I hesitated. I remembered something from before. Ilay had tried to escape from the Empire, but had stayed behind because of my serious injuries.
My aggression has softened somewhat. I think Ilay and Lillian are sensing that as well.
“… … But there’s nowhere to run. The Imperial Army has the entire fortress surrounded. If you’re counting on a secret passage, they’ve probably already figured it out.”
I said it as if I was compromising. Even if I and I miraculously joined forces, it would be impossible to escape with Lillian.
“There is a teleportation device in the fortress’s basement. According to the data my father deciphered, even living organisms can be teleported. It must have been an escape device in case the fortress falls.”
I tilted my head for a moment.
“A teleportation device?”
“Luka, if you want to kill me, then kill me. I’m not stupid. Ile is less skilled than you. If I die, it’s over, and I don’t want to ruin Ile’s life. But if this Arcane Artifact reacts to the teleportation device… … Ile and I can escape the Empire. All you have to do is say you didn’t see us.”
It’s refreshing. Whether Lillian lives or dies is not my concern.
‘Illei can escape the Empire. This is a battlefield, so it’s easy to pretend to be missing or dead.’
This caught my attention and interest.
Let’s say I dealt with Lillian and somehow saved Ilay. But Ilay won’t survive long. One day, she’ll be in a situation where even the glory of her family won’t be able to save her life.
Kiing!
I turned the sword around and put it back in my waistband. Ilay’s expression brightened as she saw my attitude.
“roo…….”
“Shut up, Ilay. Just promise me one thing. If the teleportation device Lillian mentioned doesn’t work or doesn’t work… …don’t stop me. You heard me, right? Lillian doesn’t want you to get in trouble.”
Illai bit her lower lip and looked back at Lillian. Lillian nodded willingly.
I first fell in love with a woman named Lillian. I even thought that if I had known she was like this, I might have dated her.
“I promise, Luca.”
A reluctant word came out of Ilay’s mouth.
