Chapter 264: Imaginary Bullet
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: Imaginary Bullet
Why would Zigrund, a man from another country, be loyal to the Military State?
Because he likes this nation? Anyone who says something so transparently obvious is either a con artist or has a Public Safety officer watching them. You’d have to have lived in the old kingdom for this place to seem remotely decent. What is there to like about a country with no Arcane and nothing to do for fun?
Because they pay him well? This insane nation has an extreme structure where even the Six Generals, its most powerful figures, can't live in luxury. It’s a remarkably honest country, structured less like a pyramid and more like an obelisk, where the top 1% possesses 1% of the wealth. Most of the funds are managed directly by the State, which will pour money into making weapons but give out personal assets in paltry sums. The fact that there’s nowhere to spend it anyway also plays a part.
There is only one reason Zigrund is loyal to this godforsaken country.
It’s because ‘she’ found him.
The ‘she’ in his memories—I haven’t read them directly, so I don’t know the details—found Zigrund while he was in hiding.
After a long life on the run, Zigrund had lost track of who he originally was and what he looked like. He used her as an anchor for his ego, building himself around her.
She is special. But she isn’t the only one.
Because I can recognize him, too.
“Then, and now. They’re both fabricated faces, aren’t they? This one is even worse. The last one was at least a human face, but this one looks like a sculpture you got bored of and threw away. Are you really okay with making that your identity?”
“…What do you mean, okay? I am who I am. What do you know.”
“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you to tell me. Your real face… no, who you really are.”
Real. At the mention of that word, Zigrund’s expression became inorganic. It didn’t look like a deliberate attempt to feign composure, but more like a preparatory stance, tensed up before fabricating something new.
“Is who I am so important? I am Zigrund, one of the Six Generals, and changing my appearance is a powerful specialty of mine. That in itself defines me. I don’t need any other feature to distinguish myself.”
“What are you talking about? Who here doesn’t know that you are you? I’m not asking about a feature, I’m asking about your right to be you.”
Haunted by the fear of losing himself, Zigrund had anchored himself to ‘her,’ the one who recognized him, and worked for her sake.
So, what must I do to shake him? Obviously, I have to remove the anchor.
“I listen to people’s desires, their wishes, and act on them. It’s a different path from the prophets. They see a fixed future and change the situation, but I help people obtain what they desire within a given situation.”
“I don’t see the difference. They look the same to me.”
“They’re different. Because their desires were real. A real life. It was the desire of those who, from the moment they were born, were given a single, unique life and lived so fiercely they had neither the need nor the time to doubt whether it was real or fake. I simply granted those wishes.”
Real. Fake. Real. Being a natural actor, Zigrund didn’t show it, but as a mind reader, I could feel a flinch every time I mentioned real and fake.
This anchor is a bit light. It shifts every time I touch it. How is it supposed to hold him steady?
“And yet, here you are, with a made-up face and a made-up identity, only following the State’s orders. Is this the real you that you found?”
“You…”
I grabbed the anchor in his mind and, with a smile, pulled it out.
“You’re just a tool, aren’t you? Do they use the word ‘life’ for tools these days?”
“…A petty provocation. You must be running out of things to say.”
‘It’s a provocation. I can’t fall for it. He reads wishes? That must also be a form of prophecy. I must use Shiati and Historia’s hatred and suspicion to corner him.’
He didn’t doubt my ability for a second. He wouldn’t simply dismiss my arrival in the deepest part of the Military State as a coincidence or good luck. He suspected everything, was wary of everything, and delved into every little detail. It was probably a personality trait he developed after being hunted for so long.
But because his suspicion was so excessive, he believed in my ability completely.
“I told you, didn’t I? I read wishes.”
“…What?”
“You want to reclaim your lost self, don’t you? Then why are you living like this?”
An anchor of existence is not a harbor. He is nothing more than a castaway on a shipwreck in the middle of the vast ocean.
Which means that even the ego known as ‘Zigrund’ is, in fact, just a fabrication.
“The more you play the part of Zigrund, the further you’ll drift from your original self, won’t you? A fake mission. A fake life. A fake face. Even your goals as one of the Six Generals are just you being faithful to the role of Zigrund, not your own desire. What the hell… Ria! Protect me!”
There was no need for further words. At that moment, Zigrund, his very existence threatened, kicked off the ground and rushed toward me.
There was no reason. It is a just and natural principle to resist when someone tries to stab you with a knife. By rejecting me, the one attacking his ego, Zigrund was trying to protect himself.
But Historia was standing in front of me.
“Don’t you dare…!”
Historia, who had not let her guard down, reacted in time. Worried that I would get hurt in the aftermath of the fight, she took two steps forward and confronted Zigrund. Planting one leg firmly, she threw a kick as if to snatch the charging Zigrund out of the air.
CRRAAAAASH!
The collision was nothing short of a disaster. An explosion roared, and shattered pieces of the floor flew in every direction. Historia’s Qi Art, the Explosive Discharge Domain, had a repulsive property.
It was a tricky type of Qi Art to master, but easy enough to use crudely. Historia unleashed it without restraint. The clash between two of the Six Generals, both possessing immense Qi, produced a result similar to two rubber balls colliding head-on. Like mirror images, they shot away from each other, sliding across the floor.
“Huey! Be careful!” Historia shouted, having realized his objective from their single exchange.
“He’s after you!”
Immediately after, Zigrund charged again. Not at Historia, but straight toward me.
He made no attempt to hide his intentions, aiming directly for me. Historia rushed over, blocking his path and pulling at his arms.
Explosive Discharge Domain, Explosion.
A bluish Qi pushed everything away. An explosion unleashed by Historia, whose Qi reserves were in the upper echelons of the Six Generals. Not even Zigrund could block it head-on. Instead, he swayed his body back and forth.
The foundation of grappling is to let things flow. Instead of resisting the current, he slipped through the gaps. Like a ship that refuses to break before a headwind, he advanced calmly, one step at a time.
‘He’s a master of combat, too. I don’t know if I can win or lose in a fight, but I can’t protect Huey.’
Having gauged her opponent’s caliber, Historia urgently shouted at me.
“Run somewhere safe!”
“Got it!”
Nodding, I stuck myself right onto Historia’s back. She jumped in surprise at the sudden contact.
“What are you doing?!”
“The only safe place here is behind you. I’m counting on you.”
“It’s dangerous! The shockwaves from the Qi are no joke!”
“Getting caught in the shockwaves is better than dying. Whoa! Ria, in front!”
A hand shot out from under Historia’s armpit. Just as the long fingers were about to snatch my clothes, Historia noticed and wrapped her right arm around Zigrund’s.
In that instant, Zigrund slid inside Historia’s guard. By driving his knee deep and twisting her arm, he instantly shattered her center of gravity.
‘Grappling?! This is bad. He’s taken the low ground…!’
Among the weak, it’s said that taking the high ground is more advantageous, as you can add the weight of your body to your downward strikes.
For those who have mastered Qi, it’s the opposite. Mere weight is of little help. Since the pushing force of Qi is stronger than the pulling force, losing the low ground means your feet leave the earth. Then you’re completely vulnerable.
‘Danger…ous…!’
Moreover, Historia’s Qi was the Explosive Discharge Domain. It was strong in repulsion but lacked in adhesion. Unable to withstand the force pushing up from below, Historia’s body began to lift.
Of course, taking the low ground doesn’t decide the fight immediately. The problem was that Historia wasn’t alone right now.
‘Huey!’
Zigrund’s plan was to get rid of Historia and target me. Historia gritted her teeth and held on, but her limit was approaching fast.
“No—!”
Whoosh. Historia’s body was flung into the air, and having cleared the obstacle, Zigrund immediately aimed for me behind her and threw a ferocious punch. The sound of it tearing through the air filled the control room….
But his fist missed. Because I was clinging tightly to Historia’s back, flying right alongside her.
Phew. I would’ve been in big trouble if I hadn’t held on tight. It paid off to just jump on her back as we were sent flying.
Stuck to Historia’s back, I felt a sense of liberation and shouted.
“Hahahaha! You look pathetic! Did I hit a nerve? Of course I did! Every single one of your wishes I read was a fake!”
“Huey! It’s better not to provoke him…!”
“It’s too late! We’ve come this far, we have to see it through!”
Historia, who had somehow managed to regain her balance in mid-air, planted her feet on the chain-link fence covering the wall and stood upright. With me on her back, of course.
Being in this position, with me lying flat against her, was surprisingly comfortable. I shot a sneer down at Zigrund, who was looking up at us from below.
“Sorry, but you have no right to say anything to me! Even if I grant human wishes from an observer’s standpoint, they’re real. The real me, as my real self, listened to the wishes of humans who lived their real lives fiercely! That’s different from you, who throws away and replaces your face, name, and identity whenever you need to!”
Have a taste of a mind reader’s taunts. I’ll pick at all your weak spots. My provocation sent Zigrund leaping toward our wall.
Historia, the one actually fighting, was now awkwardly stuck between us.
“Huey! You’re provoking him too much!”
“There’s nothing we can do now! We’re riding a tiger!”
“I can’t guarantee a win even in a one-on-one fight, and I can’t fight with you on my back…! Especially without a weapon…”
“You need a weapon?”
I had one we could use right now.
I pulled a diamond card from my sleeve. After performing an alchemical transformation via my Bio-receptor, I discreetly placed it on Historia’s shoulder, out of Zigrund’s sight. Without even looking, Historia recognized the object by its heavy feel.
“A gun?”
“It’s an alchemic weapon I used. It’s loaded.”
Historia took the gun, naturally placed her finger on the trigger, and gave it a spin. Befitting her title as the Gunmaster, she instantly grasped the revolver’s structure and remaining bullet count.
And then she got angry.
“There are only three shots!”
“I didn’t have time to load more.”
“Even so, how am I supposed to…! And why three, of all numbers?!”
‘Zero In is a technique that requires three bullets to calibrate. To use it, I need at least four!’
“Shh! Zigrund doesn’t know there are only three! If he doesn’t know, three is the same as six! The imaginary bullets will keep him in check!”
“As if…!”
Still, having no better option, Historia accepted the gun and hid it under her sleeve. I never taught her such tricks. The pranks we played back when we used to play cards must have left quite an impression on her.
Then, for a moment, Historia’s long fingers stroked the revolver’s grip as she fell into thought.
‘This gun. It’s the same type as the one Huey gave me when he suggested I try using one… Not that he’d remember.’
“I’ll give it a shot. Find somewhere safe to hide… No. Hold on tight until we get down!”
Finishing her words, Historia leaped down the latticed chain-link fence as if it were a staircase. Just before hitting the ground, she slowed slightly, and I used that opening to grab onto the fence, which was barely attached to the wall, and jump to the floor.
I’m used to rolling on the ground, but I’d rather not get used to the ache in my back muscles. As I staggered to my feet, I saw Historia once again blocking Zigrund’s path.