Chapter 40 Train (2)
The Train (2)
'How dull.'
It was a complete letdown to have randomly picked such a book for amusement. Of all the countless books available, it just had to be one about religion and theology.
I'd thought God is Gone might be some fantasy novel, but no.
All it contained were fundamental theories and discussions about religion. At the very least, it wasn't the kind of book a near-atheist like me would enjoy.
Closing the book, I placed it back on the table.
Lifting my head slightly, I saw Adel and Lily leaning against each other. Exhausted, they had fallen fast asleep.
Watching them wasn't such a boring sight after all.
'It's been a while since things felt this peaceful.'
Unconsciously, my body grew languid just looking at them. Of course, even this small peace wouldn't last long.
Hmm...
'A flag, I suppose.'
From the detection magic I'd already spread out, I sensed an ominous presence.
Not surprising. There was no way the Imperial House's eyes wouldn't reach this far.
Still, for things to align so perfectly with expectations was a bit absurd.
Hmm...
I roughly stirred the mana flowing within me.
A refreshing sensation enveloped my entire body, sharpening my senses further. It was a method of using mana as an additional sensory organ.
Soon, an image of the train I was riding formed in my mind.
The fierce wind rushing past the train, the leaves slowly falling, even the sight of mana burning as the train's power source—
Countless pieces of information flooded my mind like a tidal wave. I discarded most of it, focusing only on the details about the train tracks.
After all, what had triggered the detection magic was on the rails.
'That's...'
A man stood on the tracks.
His massive frame was unmistakable as he stood with arms crossed, silently glaring at the approaching train.
Before long, the name of the man I'd seen in the original work surfaced in my mind.
'Hah, could it really be him?'
I teleported instantly to the top of the train.
As my vision adjusted, the red-haired man came into view. The rough scars carved into his cheeks, arms, legs—even around his eyes—were striking.
He measured the distance between himself and the train with his fingers before taking a deep breath.
"Huuup!"
With a short shout, he thrust his hand toward the train. His fist pierced through the air, advancing slowly.
The sheer absurdity of it made me laugh involuntarily.
BOOM!
His fist tore through the front of the train.
Amid the thunderous noise, the man began sliding backward along the tracks. Thick veins bulged on his face.
His feet dug into the rails, leaving deep, jagged marks behind.
Screeeech—
The gears turning the wheels screamed as they clashed. Sparks flew between the rails and wheels, emitting an ear-piercing noise.
The train's speed was undeniably slowing.
Sheer brute strength stopping a train with nothing but a fist—no aura involved. My suspicions were confirmed.
Screeeeeech!
I frowned at the agonized shriek of metal.
The already decelerating train had now slowed to a crawl. Soon, with a deflating whoosh, it ground to a complete halt.
"Hah, still not rusty, I see."
The man pulled his fist back from where it had pierced the train's center and rolled his wrist.
Like someone stretching after a workout, he loosened his shoulders and shook out his limbs.
Catching his breath, he glanced around—then his eyes met mine.
"Hoh."
Whoosh.
The sound of wind rushed past my ears.
CRACK!
A fist stopped right before my eyes. The force of his leap from the tracks had pushed me back slightly. My slightly tousled hair whipped wildly.
"Entertaining. You blocked that?"
"Who are you?"
"Hah, who else would I be? The Bandit Leader, of course."
Bandit Leader?
I couldn't help but scoff.
Since when did bandit leaders stop trains with their bare fists? I'd never seen a bandit who could throw a punch faster than my reaction speed.
If the world were filled with bandit leaders like this, the Empire would've been conquered by them long ago.
"Emperor's Sword—Katra."
His pupils trembled slightly at my words. Had he really thought his disguise would work?
Seizing the brief opening he gave me, I thrust out my hand.
THUD!
A hammer-shaped space magic blast sent him flying. Caught off guard, he took the hit squarely and crashed onto the tracks.
Dust billowed, obscuring the fallen man.
"Hah, just as I'd heard. Duke Hardenberg."
'Already dropping the act?'
The red-haired man slowly emerged from the dust.
Katra.
A warrior from a barbarian tribe the Empire had annihilated. A monster who became the Emperor's Sword through sheer combat prowess alone.
In the original work, he was a villain powerful enough to rival Abel blow for blow. While his martial prowess was formidable in its own right, what truly made him troublesome was something else entirely.
The fact that he was a pure battle maniac.
"I hate people who flap their mouths nonstop."
He cracked his knuckles, glaring at me.
Soon, a crimson aura flared from Katra's body. So until now, he had stopped the train using nothing but his physical strength, without even employing his aura.
His level of power was on an entirely different plane from anyone I'd faced before.
"What a coincidence. I feel the same way."
"Then let's have a proper fight."
A flash of red gleamed in his eyes. Before I could react, his fist was already inches from my face.
Yet it stopped—just a hair's breadth away.
In raw physical ability, Katra undoubtedly held the advantage. But my primary strength had always been magic.
A fist that hadn't yet reached the pinnacle of its realm couldn't break through.
BOOM!
A flurry of strikes followed. Fists driven purely by aura and brute strength. Yet every single one of them was neutralized right before my eyes.
"What kind of trick is this now?"
Katra's face twisted in frustration. The veins on his arms bulged violently—his attacks were powerful enough to rupture steel, yet they couldn't so much as scratch me.
"Just ordinary magic."
Magic that dominated space itself.
A realm the Abel of the original work had never reached.
Without even needing to move a finger, I could bend space to my will. And within that space, I nullified all forms of energy.
In other words, right now, I was Katra's perfect counter.
"Ha. That's amusing."
He snorted and stepped back.
"Didn't want to resort to underhanded tactics, but..."
The moment Katra flicked his fingers, black-masked men materialized around us.
They hadn't simply been hiding—if they had, I would've noticed them sooner.
This was closer to teleportation.
An artifact, perhaps?
No, I didn't have the luxury to analyze.
If I stayed here any longer, Adel would be in danger.
The black-masked men shattered the windows and stormed into the train.
The Emperor's Hand.
The moment that term surfaced in my mind, I activated teleportation magic.
My vision flipped, and the interior of the train came into view.
Screams of all kinds stabbed at my eardrums. The windows were already smeared with blood. Those who had resisted even slightly had been cut down without mercy.
It was pure carnage.
"Lily, stay back!"
Adel was calmly holding her ground against the Emperor's Hand, a shield spell deployed around her. Though even that seemed precarious.
CRACK!
I raised my hand, and one of them shot straight up into the ceiling. His head burst like a watermelon, scattering unrecognizable fragments in all directions.
I wiped away the blood staining her shield with a flick of magic. Spotting me, Adel frantically grabbed my hand.
"Abel! What in the world is happening?!"
Her voice was uncharacteristically sharp, her face unmistakably panicked.
"An ambush. And it's obvious who's behind it."
As I answered, I extended my right hand toward a masked man lunging at us with a blade.
An invisible hammer struck him head-on, sending him crashing into a seat before bouncing out of the train.
"...How did you even know?"
"Hmph. I wonder."
To say I didn't know would be a lie.
But I had no intention of explaining in this situation. Besides, it was an imperial secret—I couldn't divulge it even if I wanted to.
"More importantly, are you unharmed?"
"Yes, I'm fine. But..."
Adel trailed off, glancing away.
Gag—
Lily was there, clutching her mouth and retching uncontrollably. Adel patted her shoulder, trying to soothe her.
"Lily's in this state, so... Huh?"
Adel suddenly twisted around, sensing someone behind her.
BANG!
The train door flew off its hinges and slammed into the man sneaking up on her. With a sickening crunch, the door—and the man—were embedded into the ceiling before he could even gasp.
Turning my head, I saw Evan standing there, his sword wreathed in a blue aura.
"My apologies, Your Grace. I'm a tad late."
He wiped the blood trickling down his forehead, breathing heavily. Though drenched in blood, most of it didn't seem to be his own.
A quick scan with mana confirmed he wasn't seriously injured.
"Evan. Protect her—"
Before I could finish, my instincts screamed a warning.
A blinding white magic circle flooded my vision.
An impact unlike anything before reverberated from beyond the circle.
Had I been even a second slower, not just Lily—but Adel's head would've been gone. The chilling realization sent every nerve in my body on edge.
"Huh. You blocked that?"
"What... is this...?"
Perhaps shaken by the near-death experience, Adel's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
Katra, utterly indifferent, simply stared at me in silence.
"Then let's start over, Duke."
A crimson aura erupted like flames.