Chapter 251: Guardian Corps
Chapter 251: Guardian Corps
“That fellow Jeba was far too careless.”
The sound of a tiger’s voice drifted from a distance.
Even though his comrade had just died, he merely flicked his pipe and stared intently at me.
“Lord Bushi. Please, watch your words.”
Lina, seemingly displeased by this, glared at the tiger.
“Why? Did I say something wrong? As long as one maintains a humanoid form, a single moment of carelessness is fatal.”
As he spoke, the tiger removed his monocle and began wiping it with the lining of his clothes.
How ironic.
For someone discussing carelessness to show such an opening.
And so.
Boom.
I immediately kicked off the air, leaping to stand before the tiger.
Before this man who remained leisurely even as an enemy appeared right under his nose.
“Ho. So if one reaches the pinnacle of physical force, one can set foot in the realms of time and space.”
Even as his movements slowed under my influence, he continued to wag his tongue.
In response, I swung my hammer.
The Hammer still bore the scorched flesh of the Guardian Corps, emitting the stench of burnt meat on a hot griddle.
The Hammer lunged.
The tiger, Bushi, remained indifferent.
I sensed instinctively that he had something up his sleeve.
But the launched hammer could not be stopped.
Therefore, I poured even more strength into it.
If the attack were to be blocked by some means, I would simply overwhelm it.
Thump.
The Hammer collided with The Enemy.
Because The Hammer had grown so heavy, I couldn't judge the impact by the sensation in my hands alone.
At the very least, it didn't feel like I had hit a barrier.
“…If such a thing were possible, perhaps I should have polished my skills a bit more.”
Amidst the thick tobacco smoke billowing out in puffs.
Hammer and fist met.
It was but a single exchange.
Yet, I could sense the opponent's caliber.
This man was a master of close-quarters combat.
One who could use technique to deflect a weight capable of destroying worlds.
That was why.
Pang!
We immediately parried each other's attacks and swung our weapons again.
Pang! Pang! Pang! Pang!
Again and again, our strikes collided.
Hammer and fist.
Fist and hammer.
Offense becoming defense.
Defense becoming offense—an endless slugfest.
Even within accelerated time, the tiger’s fists kept pace with the speed of my hammer.
Just as I began to feel this exchange might continue for eternity.
“Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself. I am 06-51, Bushi. The oldest living member of the Guardian Corps.”
“Like I give a damn.”
If an opponent reveals their name, it is only proper to reveal one's own.
But these people were targets of my vengeance.
There was no need for pleasantries.
I answered with my hammer instead.
Crash!
The sound, the sensation—it was different.
Blood splattered.
A definitive strike.
The difference between a fist and a hammer.
Perhaps, as he said, it was because he hadn't continued down this path as I had.
Amidst those thoughts, I readjusted my tilting hammer, spun my body with its momentum, and looked at my enemy.
The Enemy who was smiling even though one of his hands had been torn away.
The Enemy who bared his fangs with a wildness befitting a tiger.
“What do you think the Guardian Corps is?”
Boom.
The second strike.
The first was the tiger’s left hand.
And this time, what flew off was the tiger’s right hand.
Now, nothing stood in the way of The Hammer.
“The Guardian Corps is an entity that protects The Queen.”
The tiger was babbling something, but I didn't care.
Even to my eyes, there was no power greater than this.
A strange pressure existed, much like Lina’s, but to me—exploding with power fueled by rage—it wasn't even worth considering.
“And The Queen is another name for this world.”
The Queen? I’ll send her to join you later, so don't worry.
You can play together in The Afterlife.
I swung The Hammer toward the tiger’s head.
With no interference, The Hammer carried nothing but pure destructive power.
“In other words, we are the protectors of the world.”
Snap.
The pipe snapped and flew apart.
Scattering half-burnt embers and wooden shards.
And then, the being before me began to swell.
“Those who have touched the taboo in order to protect.”
Yellow fur was dyed black.
Black eyes turned white.
Fur became needles.
The Black Tiger shed its humanoid form and transformed into something gargantuan.
The needle-clad Black Tiger continued to grow in size, looking down at me.
As if he were the night sky itself.
The power I felt was at a level where I could only laugh.
Haha, insane.
To think I can't even sense the limit.
I hadn't felt this since The Modifier Linshua mentioned.
Was he a being like the sky, impossible to take in with a single glance?
“…Lay down your weapon and stop. If you do, everything can be restored….”
Boasting his massive size, the Tiger of the Night let out a thunderous voice.
As if even this wasn't his complete form, he continued to grow larger.
Yes, I cannot defeat him.
The sky is a symbolic concept. Even if I swing my hammer, it won't disappear.
However.
What I held in my hand was no ordinary hammer.
“The night vanishes when the sun rises.”
Vrooooooooom.
The engine began to roar.
As if the mana it had sucked up until now was merely a warm-up.
A massive demand that would exhaust even an infinite source.
Originally, The Key to this was entrusted to Un-ho. But now that its owner was dead, nothing remained.
“You reap what you sow.”
Vroom.
The final vibration of the engine.
The engine noise began to fade.
But that didn't mean the attack was over.
It only meant it was about to begin.
And so.
Trusting in Otherworldly Power Erosion I had unleashed.
I poured out every emotion.
Pouring out the endless emotions I had continuously suppressed.
Toward a realm I could never reach.
Toward a feat I could never achieve.
I swung The Hammer.
Whoosh.
Even though I had released all limiters, this was something that exceeded my own boundaries.
My body fractured.
My consciousness flickered.
My emotions dulled.
My memories faded.
Yet, I could still swing it.
To the place we reached together. Alone.
Sacrificing countless things.
Reaching it all by myself.
That light in the heavens.
“Seal Release.”
Within a vision devoid of light.
A star was unleashed.
From below to above.
Not toward the innocent.
But solely toward the target of my vengeance.
The power of the star surged into the void.
In this power, nothing existed to symbolize itself.
No bright light.
No loud noise.
No color whatsoever.
The light of the star, possessing only pure power, shot toward the sky.
And then, everything ended.
Without any reaction.
The Hammer, which had opened everything, quietly closed its body again.
The tiger that had adorned the sky vanished.
The original sunset glow returned.
That makes two.
I wanted to say that, but.
As expected, even in this state, I couldn't use this technique without taking damage.
My body is a mess; I can't believe I missed that.
Falling from the sky was the tiger, whose left half was gone.
And a fairy with one wing torn off, holding onto him.
I couldn't tell exactly how she did it because my perception was failing, but.
The fairy, presumably Ronia, had rescued the tiger from within that strike.
But their luck ended here.
Because I had witnessed it.
So, stepping on a tattered foothold created with my waning willpower, I leapt.
My body was weakened, but it was enough to face a frail fairy who didn't belong in this place.
Looking at her, I smiled and brought The Hammer down.
It was infinitely slower compared to the beginning, but it still possessed enough power and speed to crush someone.
A moment of terror flickered across the face of the opponent about to face it.
But it was only for a moment.
Soon, she gritted her teeth, reached out, and deployed a blue Magic Circle.
And thus, a small barrier was completed.
Weak.
This can't block anything.
Not Par’s fist.
Nor my hammer.
Even so.
An enemy is an enemy.
The Hammer struck.
The barrier turned into light and vanished without offering any resistance.
The Hammer descended.
It was time to give up, yet.
As if she still had will remaining.
She reached out her hand.
Was it an instinctual manifestation to block my hammer even a little?
Or did she have confidence?
I didn't need to know.
I was simply striking for the sake of revenge.
The Hammer and The Enemy’s hand touched.
There was a faint resistance.
But her hand was simply pulverized.
Due to the overwhelming difference in power.
With enough force that her hand was crushed faster than her body could be blown back by the impact.
How much time did she buy by staking everything?
0.1 seconds?
That’s an overestimation.
An instant. That would be enough.
But that instant brought about a great change.
Giiiiiiing.
A blue barrier.
And the female fairy deploying it.
Lina.
She had stepped in between me and the other two.
Just like with Par.
To interfere with my revenge.
“…Ronia. Run.”
She spoke with an expressionless face.
At those words, the being with the crushed arm nodded quickly and fled while carrying the tiger.
“You think I’ll let you go?!”
I swung my hammer to stop their escape.
But my pursuit was halted by the barrier Lina had created.
It wasn't a particularly strong barrier.
Purely in terms of defensive performance, the Waiter’s barrier was likely superior.
So, I should have been able to break it.
But because my strength wasn't whole.
I lost the targets of my vengeance.
A silent void, devoid of even conversation.
For the first time, I looked around.
Nothing existed here anymore.
Was it the aftermath of my power?
The ground had already vanished, becoming a vertical pit whose bottom couldn't be seen.
The air had all evaporated, leaving only heat behind. Its very existence was lost.
It was damage enough to destroy the world.
But this damage was confined to a circle.
The yellow cylindrical barrier the Guardian Corps had erected.
That was the range in which I fought.
And the range of destruction I had created.
And it was proof that the Guardian Corps had not fought with their full strength.
An absolute barrier that used a portion—perhaps most—of their power to protect the world.
“…I suppose you won’t call it cowardly.”
It was a statement without context.
“Yes, for that is the duty of the Guardian Corps.”
Lina seemed to understand everything. She spoke and bowed her head.
A brief conversation to cool the heat of battle.
Bushi and Ronia were gone.
Only Lina remained.
“Are you hiding something too?”
Bushi was a waste.
If he had just a little more, he might have been able to stop me.
The compatibility was just too poor.
“No, nothing.”
“Then why are you still here?”
“As I said before, I am a Guardian. One who protects the world by any means necessary.”
Is that so?
Then.
“Try and stop me.”
I immediately threw myself forward and swung my hammer.
Clang!
The sensation of striking a barrier, which now felt natural.
But what unfolded before my eyes was entirely different from the others.
Countless layers, like the compound eyes of an insect.
A multi-layered defensive wall.
The Spatial Destruction following The Hammer’s trajectory was shaving away the barriers.
But due to the sheer number of barriers, The Hammer had not yet reached Lina.
However, it was only a matter of time.
Like a drill boring into a rock face, The Hammer moved forward bit by bit.
Destroying the barriers layer by layer, scattering their light into the surroundings.
Little by little.
If so, Lina should have done something before The Hammer reached her head.
But Lina was doing nothing, merely keeping the Magic Circles deployed.
As if she couldn't move as the price for creating these overwhelmingly powerful barriers.
“….”
How pitiful.
To think your final resort is a defense that leaves you immobile.
The moment I increased The Hammer’s pressure on the barrier.
“As the final breakwater that protects life, I, Lina of the Guardian Corps, entreat you.”
A song echoed.
…The Song of Origin?
Now?
Is this a final struggle?
“I pray that my voice reaches you.”
Was it because emotion had entered her expressionless face as she sang?
For a moment, Lina’s face overlapped with Lin’s.
But only for a moment.
I soon snapped out of the illusion and poured more strength into The Hammer.
“I’ll at least give Lin your regards.”
I’ll tell her you’re doing well.
This, too, would be carved into my heart as my sin.
“This is not merely a single desire.”
The chant continued, but The Hammer did not stop.
The blood-stained hammer drew closer to the defenseless fairy’s head, destroying the barriers one by one.
“It is but a wish for everyone here. I only hope for a shining tomorrow.”
She didn't even react to The Hammer; she simply closed her eyes and reached out her hand.
As if pleading.
With a sorrowful voice.
But it had no effect on me.
“Goodbye.”
I merely returned a farewell as my answer.
“I pray. O Queen of Chaos, who hears our prayers.”
…The Queen?
Clang!
With a shattering sound, the final barrier turned into light.
“Reveal… your mercy.”
The chant ended.
And The Hammer struck down.
A white space opened.
The Hammer was swallowed within it, losing all physical force.
Brushing The Hammer aside like a curtain.
She appeared, clad in Black and White.
She smiled.
With a face invisible within the darkness.
Singing of The End.