Dark Moon

The first method that comes to mind… is a trap.

I thought back to the day we'd entered Rumel Forest. The trackers who'd latched onto us then had been dealt with using Air Traps.

…I'm abandoning the trap idea. The traps I can set are limited.

I knew how to build booby traps, but I didn't even have bombs on hand. Air Trap, being a spell, burned through mana at a brutal rate.

More than anything, there's a high chance they already know about Air Traps.

Judging by the number of people hunting us, Major Vague of the 105th Unit had clearly joined hands with the Resistance. That meant information on Air Traps had almost certainly been shared.

Fifteen trackers on my tail. Two of them were 1-Class mana awakeners. And I was a 3-Class Battle Mage.

The calculation was finished.

I fight. Kill the enemy and climb from prey to hunter.

I quietly checked my gear.

About five minutes later, their presence came through sharp and clear. They emerged between the trees, rifles trained on me, and quickly scattered. Using the trunks as cover, they advanced.

Unlike the 105th Unit that had been wiped out by Air Traps on day one, these ones were careful.

"Didn't think you'd just sit here waiting. Legs give out from running all day?"

"You're just as tired as I am."

"We rotated shifts while tracking you. And unlike you, we adapted to Rumel Forest a long time ago. Drop the pointless resistance and surrender."

"Surrender? You said what I was about to say first."

"Battle Mage, huh? Pretty arrogant for one. Trusting that paper-thin barrier of yours? What are you waiting for—shoot! Magic or whatever, numbers make it meaningless. Let's teach this cocky bastard a lesson!"

Triggers pulled from every direction at once.

The instant I sensed the tiny mana detonations, I activated Charna. The world slowed. I could see the bullets leaving the muzzles.

Mana bullets. A lot of them. Enough to shatter even a 3-Class barrier without much trouble. Good thing I used Charna the second I felt the mana.

They'd made a mistake.

To make sure of the kill, they'd closed to ten meters.

My telekinesis range is fifteen meters. They're inside it.

Twisting their necks with telekinesis outright would be hard. Living things—humans included—possessed an innate, if slight, magic resistance. Telekinesis was heavily affected by a target's willpower and magical resistance. Grabbing objects was far more efficient than seizing a body directly.

Mana bullets are still a pain… but better than grabbing people.

I decided to catch every incoming mana bullet with telekinesis. Seventy-two rounds total. A lot for fifteen shooters.

They even factored in the barrier. They really meant to kill me for sure.

Too many bullets. Full control was beyond me.

Forget perfect control—just change their direction. As long as they don't come at me.

The moment I activated my mana roads, Charna released. That meant one thing: mana movement was also affected by Charna. In other words, the mana roads themselves accelerated. The formula was already calculated. Nothing stood in the way.

Telekinesis triggered faster than the mana bullets could fly.

The incoming rounds veered off and began thrashing wildly through the air. Dozens of multicolored trails—red, blue, green, yellow, purple—painted the empty space. It looked almost like a work of art. The results, though, were far too gruesome to call art.

"Gyaaaaaaah!"

"My arm!!!"

"H-help me. My leg's frozen solid!"

"Aaaaaaaagh!"

A red mana bullet streaked past me, struck a tree, and erupted in a small explosion. An explosive round.

The tree's on fire. Other trackers will be here any second.

Six had survived the storm of mana bullets. Surviving didn't mean they were intact.

I picked up my rifle and walked toward them to finish the job. Mana had to be conserved. No need to waste magic on enemies who'd already lost their combat ability.

Six dry, hollow gunshots rang out.

I left before more trackers could arrive.

I was tense because of the mana awakeners mixed in… but they weren't much different from ordinary people. Probably because they were only 1-Class.

Six in the morning.

Around the time the sun began to rise, I found their temporary camp and killed the eight who remained. It was the 105th Unit, all right. The tents making up the camp belonged to the Freesel Kingdom army.

I burned the tents while gathering supplies. Food first, then bullets. Unfortunately, there weren't many mana bullets.

"How absurd."

A deep, weighty voice heavy with authority came from behind me.

I flinched. Even exhausted, I hadn't expected anyone to slip past my senses. Cold sweat ran down the back of my neck. I'd kept a barrier ready, but taking the first hit was never good.

I shook the emergency rations from my hand and turned.

A tall middle-aged man stood there in a black military coat. The smell of oil rose from his mechanical right arm.

"I step away for a moment and an entire unit gets wiped out—not by the Black Panther of the Ross Unit, but by some green brat…. Brat. How am I supposed to take this?"

"Simple. Think of your last words."

I leveled my rifle at Major Vague.

"Not that I plan on listening to the last words of trash like you."

I squeezed the trigger.

The muzzle spat fire. Casings clinked cheerfully to the ground. Twelve explosive rounds, four shock rounds, five impact rounds. I poured mana bullets without holding back.

More than enough firepower to shred Major Vague's coat to tatters.

"Bold little brat."

The problem was that only the coat had been shredded. The mana bullets had barely torn his artificial skin. Through the rips, gray steel showed.

"…So it wasn't just the right arm."

"Getting older, the body isn't what it used to be. I remodeled myself with the money I'd made. Needed a performance test anyway…. A monster the higher-ups are raising in secret makes a decent sparring partner."

I pulled a magazine preloaded with mana bullets from my coat. Major Vague was acting calm, but the mana bullets couldn't have been completely ineffective. I needed to deal whatever damage I could.

Major Vague stretched his right arm toward me. Part of it glowed blue.

Wiiiiing.

"Brat, that's too dangerous a toy for you. Confiscated."

"……!!"

The rifle in my hands flew into Major Vague's grip. Not just the rifle—the sidearm and elemental sword I'd prepared as backups flew as well. Magazines and knives were no exception. Worst of all, even the artifact bracelet Lexy had given me was stripped away. Metal objects, including my gear, clung in a dense cluster to his hand.

The one silver lining: Major Vague didn't realize the elemental sword and bracelet were artifacts.

"I'll give you credit for not clinging to your weapons. Most people get dragged along trying not to lose them. But how do you plan to fight without weapons? With those soft little fists?"

I linked mana to the elemental sword. Major Vague, not a mana awakener, didn't notice even when I moved mana openly.

"You're mistaken. My weapon is mana. A substance you can't even perceive."

Those who never awakened mana carried an inferiority complex toward those who had. Even a little control over this world's mysterious energy made life easier in countless ways. In special workplaces like the military, simply being a mana awakener earned preferential treatment and faster promotion than the unawakened.

"Learn how to provoke people from that woman, did you?"

Major Vague's face twisted hard. For a machine, the expression was vivid.

Click.

His left wrist folded back and a muzzle emerged. White light gathered at the tip and shot toward me. A laser. I sprinted sideways and barely dodged.

"Show me how far that precious mana of yours can go!"

Another laser fired. This time I couldn't dodge. It struck my 3-Class barrier and canceled out, but left a hole.

…One more hit and the barrier itself disappears. If I re-cast it… the mana left for a counterattack gets razor-thin.

I'd used a fair amount of mana getting this far.

If I focus only on defense, I won't survive.

The laser fired again. I couldn't dodge. The barrier vanished.

"Haha! Finally peeled the shell off!"

He grinned brightly and aimed the muzzle at me. Particles of light gathered in front of it. Three seconds until the laser fired.

Finally got careless.

Certain of his victory, his focus locked entirely on the laser. He meant to land a clean hit and end it.

Water.

Water poured from the elemental sword stuck to his right hand.

"?!"

Major Vague reacted a beat late. Being a machine, his response was sluggish.

Spark.

The attribute switched to electricity. Waterproofing was standard, but electricity was another matter.

"Krrrgh…! You little brat and your cheap tricks!"

His right arm crackled repeatedly, then a small explosion sounded and black smoke rose into the sky. The weapons held by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠magnetic force clattered to the ground. His right arm was clearly out of commission.

"Damn it. Just thinking about fixing this arm makes my head spin. Die!"

Charna.

I saw the laser and dodged. Lacking the knack for moving my body, I hit the ground. A glance showed Major Vague preparing another laser.

One Charna use left.

One is enough.

Feeling the sweat run down my jaw, I stretched a hand toward Major Vague and triggered telekinesis. From among the fallen weapons, the artifact bracelet flew to me. I immediately activated a 4-Class barrier. The laser aimed at my head was stopped cold.

"Tch. So that bracelet was a barrier artifact."

"A 4-Class barrier. You'll need to land at least three more laser hits. Assuming you still have the power for it, that is."

I stood, composure returning.

No laser came.

Even in a world with such an excellent optical weapon as the laser, bullets remained the mainstay because lasers had abysmal cost-efficiency. Major Vague clearly had no battery to spare—he couldn't spray lasers freely.

Click.

His left arm transformed. The muzzle widened and a cartridge loaded with a solid sound. Immediately after, the muzzle spat fire. Mana bullets came flying. I sprinted behind a tree. I didn't dodge perfectly, but some were stopped by the 4-Class barrier.

High-quality mana bullets. Even a 4-Class barrier won't last long. I have to settle this before it disappears.

I moved the elemental sword on the ground with telekinesis. It silently went for Major Vague's nape.

"Think I'll fall for that twice?"

He spun into a reverse kick. The elemental sword flew far and buried itself in a tree. That wasn't ordinary human leg strength.

As expected, the lower body is mechanical too. The elemental sword is outside telekinesis range.

I'd expected that. Drawing his attention was all the elemental sword needed to do.

Shock Wave.

I cast the 3-Class spell Shock Wave. The shockwave launched from my fingertips tore toward Major Vague. Trees in its path snapped; earth heaved upward.

KWAANG!

Hit head-on by Shock Wave, Major Vague slid backward. His mechanical body withstood the spell, but it couldn't stop cracks from spidering across the surface.

Do I hit him with another Shock Wave? Mana's razor-thin. Can I create an opening?

Among 3-Class spells, Shock Wave ranked near the top in pure physical destructive power—but the mana cost was steep.

Enraged, Major Vague poured out mana bullets. The thick tree shielding me burned, froze, and collapsed into splinters. The rounds finally reached my barrier. It shuddered. Startled, I was about to sprint sideways when the mana bullets stopped coming.

Click-click-click.

Hollow sounds rang from Major Vague's left arm.

"Damn. Out of ammo…. Fine. Looking at you, you can't keep spamming magic either—you're low on mana. I'll cut you down myself."

A blade sprang from his left arm.

"You want a close-quarters fight with me? Confident in a game of tag, are you?"

I sneered at him. As if I'd be crazy enough to brawl a cyborg up close. I had zero intention of giving up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the range advantage.

"Tag was always my favorite game. I liked being it. Catching the ones who ran was fun."

Major Vague's back opened and thrusters appeared. My face twisted. He laughed loudly. The thrusters spat flame, and he came flying, smashing through trees and vines in his path.

Running is impossible. I have to fight.

High-speed thruster combat. A terrible matchup for someone weak in close quarters. But it wasn't as if I had no options at all.

Telekinesis.

I controlled my own body with telekinesis. Magic was a hundred times more reliable than my pathetic motor skills. I slipped sideways past the charging Major Vague. Surprisingly easy to dodge.

So thruster combat is new for him too.

He rushed me head-on. His speed dipped slightly. I realized the thruster fuel was dropping fast.

If I hold out a few more times, a chance to run will open up. But… I don't have the confidence for a stamina fight against a cyborg. I settle it here.

Calculating the formula, I locked onto Major Vague as he flew in on thrusters.

His blade was aimed at my shoulder. Not going straight for a vital point—he intended to drag the fight out more carefully. He knew I was in a state where collapsing wouldn't be strange.

Instead of dodging, I drove forward. The blade grazed my shoulder. Not dangerous.

I take the recoil with telekinesis…!

I thrust my palm into Major Vague's solar plexus. Contact. At the same time my body was thrown backward. My back slammed into a tree.

"Lightning Grab!!"

I spat the chant like I was chewing through the searing pain in my back.

Mana drawn from the Astral raced through the mana roads, transformed into the prepared formula, and became magic.

Pajijijijijijijik!

Hundreds of bolts of lightning erupted from my palm like an explosion and raced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through Major Vague's mechanical body. The light of the lightning turned the surroundings bright as day.

"You little braaaaat!!"

Major Vague raised his left arm. But the blade never came down. The lightning had wrecked his mechanical body. His expression froze. The only thing still moving was his left eyeball.

"Major Vague. I win."

My mana was already empty, but finishing off a tin can didn't require mana.

I snapped off a suitable branch nearby. Into the left eye of a man who couldn't even open his mouth, I drove the branch deep.

A nauseating sensation traveled up through my hand.

Not being able to replace the brain with machinery—that's the limit of a cyborg.

Replace the brain and it's no longer human. It's a robot.

Victorious, I let out a long breath and turned my back on Major Vague. I glanced over my shoulder. Even dead, his mechanical body didn't fall. An impressive physique, enough to draw admiration.

Doesn't make me envious, though.

I sat down hard on the ground. The moment my mana recovered, I planned to smash that impressive body into fine pieces. If there was a camera on that body and the data was intact, the trouble wouldn't stop at merely annoying.

Noon.

Dragging my exhausted body, I arrived at the meeting point.

Lexy was already there. She didn't look whole either. Her right arm was broken, and her short pink hair was lightly singed.

"Found the Resistance base and cleaned it out. The target, Lieutenant Olkor, was still alive with his arms and legs cut off."

"Did you kill him?"

"I had the time. Just couldn't be bothered."

She shrugged. I nodded calmly. I would have made the same choice. I had zero desire to haul around that kind of annoying dead weight.

Lexy came closer. Her head rested against my shoulder.

"Ah. I want to have sex."

"…Is that really what you should be saying right now."

"Just saying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what I actually feel. Let's go to the stream, wash up, and get some sleep. And when we wake up… you know."

I didn't tell her I'd killed Major Vague.

The return to base would take longer, but a Tarzan life with Lexy wouldn't be so bad.