Chapter 67
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 67
Thoom!
The Shock Pistol Ruina roared in rapid succession. Energy particles swirled, mingling with the smoke.
Rick darted back and forth, leaving afterimages in his wake as he tried to slip out of my line of fire.
Rick's defense rating isn't high enough to block shock rounds.
Shock rounds could damage even full-armor prosthetics. No matter how high the defense rating, a full-body combat suit stood no chance against them.
Whoosh!
I leaped and flipped on the spot, swinging my sword down in a heavy, weighted blow.
Screeech!
My sword, Crucis, could shatter concrete and tear through steel with ease.
Both Ruina and Crucis prioritized raw firepower and destructive force. Because of that, Rick couldn't block my attacks—he could only dodge. I had completely sealed off one of his possible action patterns.
Eliminating a single pattern made reading his movements far easier.
Thoom!
I have to be faster, Luka.
I expanded my nervous system and senses. Sharpening my mind, I forced the information from my sensory organs straight into my brain. Inside my head, chemicals and hormones flooded like a burst dam, drowning my thoughts. Unnecessary emotions went numb. Mercy vanished. Fear ceased to exist. A bizarrely swollen aggression and combativeness transformed me into a war machine.
Only combat logic and tactical calculations piled up in my mind like puzzle pieces. And I was in the middle of putting that puzzle together.
At the same time, through dual-thought, I split off my tactical thinking. Another "me" emerged, watching myself.
Good. I was in peak condition. Today, I would pour everything I had into this.
Whirrrrr!
As I pushed the output to its limit, my combat prosthetic let out a pleasant hum. The tuning and maintenance were flawless—not even a microsecond of friction or stiffness. Even the dull sensation unique to cybernetics had vanished. In this moment, this hunk of metal felt like my own flesh and blood.
I can do this.
I slid backward, opening some distance between us. Then, bending my knees and lowering my upper body, I steadied my breathing.
Crack!
I lunged, kicking off the ground with explosive force. Cracks spiderwebbed across the spot where I'd just been standing.
I kept pulling Ruina's trigger until the magazine ran dry, pinning down Rick's movements. Having taken six shock rounds, the office was now riddled with gaping holes, looking like a piece of fruit hollowed out by insects.
Whoosh!
My feet barely brushed the ground. I sustained my acceleration by leaping again and again with minimal movement. Every time I bounced off the walls and ceiling, I grew faster.
Die, enemy of the Empire.
And this is for Felix, too.
...Crucis caught up to Rick.
Screeech!
The shriek of metal shearing metal rang out. Sparks showered brilliantly. As I slipped past Rick's side and pressed forward, I finally exhaled the breath I'd been holding. Hot steam escaped my lips.
Thud!
Rick's left arm dropped to the floor. I had severed it clean at the shoulder joint with Crucis.
A shiver ran down my spine. It was unspeakably thrilling. I had never landed a more satisfying blow in my life. If cutting off a single arm felt this good, how exhilarating would it be to slice off Rick's head? The sheer rush might melt my brain.
"Haha..."
I probably looked like a madman, but I couldn't stop the laugh that spilled out, soaked in pleasure. Raising Crucis once more, I fixed my gaze on the now one-armed Rick.
Clack.
I spun Ruina in one hand, slamming in a fresh magazine. The spent coolant casings scattered across the floor were still glowing red-hot.
"You are now, undeniably, a fully realized Imperial Guardsman," Rick said, touching the severed stump of his shoulder. Tiny components clattered to the floor.
"In the name of His Majesty the Emperor and the subjects of the Empire, I shall pass judgment upon you, Rick Silva Nunez," I said mechanically, barely reining in my excitement. Even with the upper hand, I didn't drop my guard—I kept watching him.
But something nagged at me. He wasn't using any weapons. No sword, no spear. And he didn't seem to be hiding any, either.
There was no reason for him to fight bare-handed. A warrior of Rick's caliber would be far stronger with a weapon. If he still hadn't drawn one even after losing an arm, there had to be a reason.
"Luka, as a gift for how far you've come, let me show you one of my tricks."
With those words, Rick's combat suit began to glow.
Hummmmm!
Thread-like lines of light flared along the seams and edges of his suit.
My cybernetic eye tried to analyze the bizarre phenomenon, but it returned nothing but a cascade of error messages. I had seen this kind of thing a few times before.
Flash!
Rick vanished. Not high-speed movement. He had literally, physically evaporated from existence.
"Luka, I won't waste your time with clichés. Telling you the Empire isn't worth your loyalty, or preaching about the voice of the people—none of that would mean anything to you. You're an extremely individualistic person, after all."
The voice came from about five paces behind me. A chill crawled down my spine. It was a completely unexpected supernatural ability.
A Force ability?
Rick had teleported. The energy wavelength pattern was similar to the technique used by the Holy Knights of the Kora Holy Nation.
Whoosh!
I spun and swung my sword. Rick blurred and vanished. My blade cut through nothing but a lingering afterimage of light.
Rick reappeared in his original position. My mind was in disarray. This variable was far beyond anything I had anticipated. I had to throw out every scrap of combat logic and tactical planning I'd built up and start again from scratch.
...It was hopeless. No matter how many times I ran the numbers, the result was the same. There was no way to defeat Rick as long as he could teleport.
Seeing my expression stiffen, Rick scratched the back of his helmet.
"Now that you've seen this, I can't let you walk out of here alive. Don't pin your hopes on a miracle. This isn't like last time. I'm going to crush your brain and make sure you're dead. This is my final offer, Luka. Will you live as a machine, or as a human? You still have a choice."
Rick extended his remaining arm, holding his palm out toward me. I had no interest in his tangled talk about machines and humans.
In that desperate moment, I closed my eyes. My thoughts lasted only a fraction of a second. My chances of winning were abysmally low. My heart pounded. Rick had declared, with full confidence, that he would kill me if I refused.
My loyalty to the Empire had once been pure. Like the innocence of a child who believes their parents can do no wrong.
But I knew better now.
The Empire wasn't always right. It harbored plenty of ugly darkness. And yet, the Empire had acknowledged me. Heilas had accepted me. Ilay Kartika was my friend. Giselle was... family, for now. And, well, there were Gabriel and Gilda too.
No matter what anyone said, the Empire was where I belonged. I would carve out my own place and defend it.
"My name is Lucaus Custoria—the sword and shield of the Empire. The enemies of the Empire are my enemies."
I holstered Ruina. Extending Crucis forward, I braced the blade with my other arm.
"Do you plan to do their dirty work your whole life, only to be thrown away in the end?" Rick sneered.
My eyes wouldn't betray even a tremor of doubt. I glared at him. Don't give up on the possibilities, Luka. Trust in the Akies Combat Style—no, trust in the skills you've built with your own hands.
"If someone has to do the dirty work for the Empire... then that will be my role."
I'd never thought of myself as someone burdened with grand notions of justice or conviction. But perhaps, right now, something close to it had taken root inside me.
Rick planted his remaining hand on his hip, stared down at the floor, and sighed. Then, slowly, he looked up.
"That's what he says. Did you hear that? Kinuan—I know he's your favorite, but he's a lost cause."
My resolve, built up solid as bedrock, shuddered as if it were about to crack apart.
Why was Kinuan's name coming up here?
Following Rick's gaze, I looked up, my eyes widening. A man who had absolutely no business being here was standing above us.
Kinuan stood on the broken window frame. The hem of his clothes fluttered in the night wind. He stepped off, letting himself free-fall feet-first.
Tap.
Landing as gracefully as a crane, Kinuan came to rest beside Rick. He looked down at me through half-lidded eyes.
...The first thing I felt was betrayal. Yes—I'd known. I'd known that one day, Kinuan would become my enemy. But even if my head understood it, my heart wasn't ready yet.
"Were you... an enemy of the Empire all along?"
I tried to bury the emotion. Whether I succeeded, I couldn't say. I had no way of seeing my own face.
* * *
Kinuan stood beside Rick, making it perfectly clear whose side he was on. The gaze he leveled at me was cold.
"Luka."
My name slipped from Kinuan's lips. I flinched, snapping my focus to him as if reacting to a superior officer. Habits were terrifying things.
"Are you an enemy? Or an ally? I don't need any conversation beyond that."
"I want to be on your side," Kinuan replied vaguely. He was always like this. But today, I couldn't just let it slide.
Listening to our exchange, Rick cut in, sounding irritated.
"Kinuan, why'd you pick this kid? Wouldn't Ilay of the Kartika family be a better fit? Someone who already resents the Empire would be much easier to bring over."
So Rick and Kinuan really were working together. And on top of that, Rick knew all about Ilay. Just how many dissidents were hiding inside the Empire?
"Ilay is exceptional, but he isn't compatible with Akies."
"Is the Akies Combat Style really that important?"
"To play the role of a double agent, one needs the mindset of an Akies Victima. Excellent compatibles like Luka are rare. The fact that he found his way here even in the middle of this chaos is proof of it."
Kinuan laid out a major secret in front of me with disappointing ease. I had learned a lot today. Rick could teleport. Kinuan was a double agent.
Now that I'd heard all this, I wouldn't be leaving this place alive.
...Or—though the odds were slim—I could kill them both with my own hands and walk out.
Well, whether it was possible or not no longer mattered. I had no other choice. Like scraping the bottom of a dry well, even if the effort came to nothing, I had to squeeze out every last drop of possibility. All while praying for a miracle.
"Rick, let me talk with Luka a little more. Give us a moment, please. I ask this as a friend."
Kinuan said it while lowering himself loosely onto a tattered sofa. I didn't want to talk to him, but buying time wasn't a bad deal for me either.
Rick stepped back, positioning himself so Kinuan and I could focus on our conversation.
"I won't drag this out, Luka. I need someone to succeed me. I don't have much time left."
"I have no intention of becoming a traitor to the Empire. You know me well, don't you?"
"I also know that you're constantly wavering. If things keep going like this, you'll become an Imperial Guardsman. The most glorious soldier of the Empire... You'll be granted honor, status, and material support beyond measure. But in return, you'll have to become 'part of the machine.'"
Imperial Guardsmen were bestowed with the ultra-high-performance Legion full-armor prosthetics.
"Becoming part of the machine is just... a matter of perspective. We don't become part of the Legion—we use it. As a tool, no different from any other prosthetic."
At my words, Rick let out a snicker. Kinuan shot him a warning glare, then went on.
"It's not a matter of perspective. It's a hard fact. The Legion is different from other full-armor prosthetics. It isn't a weapon a human brain can control. To put it simply, training an Imperial Guardsman is a process of shrinking a person's humanity, leaving behind only the personality and thoughts needed for a weapon of war. The 'biological computer' that serves as the core component of the Legion is none other than the Guardsman's own brain. Because artificial intelligence can't adapt fast enough to rapidly changing situations."
Suddenly, Heilas's words came back to me.
'You need irrational, inefficient impurities inside you to last long. That's the key to opening the box called humanity.'
Imperial Guard Captain Heilas—my father—had given me that advice out of genuine concern. He hoped that one day I wouldn't be devoured by the Legion.
"You're sharp, so you understand what I mean. Judging by your eyes, it looks like you already do."
"Even if that's true, it's no reason to betray the Empire. Besides, I just have to make sure I never lose to the Legion."
I steeled my resolve.
"Kinuan, that's enough. Let's end this. He's not the type to be moved by persuasion. I like that about him—but it's a pity."
Rick said it as he stepped forward. Kinuan rose as well.
"What a pity. Truly a pity."
Kinuan spoke wistfully. He walked past Rick, as though leaving my disposal to him.
Zip!
That was the exact moment. Kinuan's arm moved in a fluid motion. His palm slid open, and a sharp blade shot out.
"Gah, ack—!"
Kinuan's dagger punched up through Rick's jaw, driving all the way through to the crown of his head. Rick convulsed violently, rolling his eyes—now streaming with bloody tears—to look at Kinuan.
"To think I'd have to kill you here, Rick... All I can say is that I'm sorry."
Kinuan twisted his arm. The dagger scrambled Rick's brain.
Thud.
Rick's body went slack. Only faint, intermittent tremors ran through his limbs. Kinuan pulled the dagger free and withdrew his arm.
Rick dropped to his knees, then pitched forward.
...Rick Silva Nunez, the Empire's most wanted criminal, was dead.