Chapter 278: The Blessed Country and the Cursed Human - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 278: The Blessed Country and the Cursed Human - 1
『Daughter of the Military State. Born in the State, raised in the State, the future of the State… And yet, even you.』
Even before the angel of overwhelming majesty, Historia's will did not break.
“My apologies. For failing to meet your expectations.”
『You had power, authority, and honor. Why then did you forsake it all? What did you lack that made you betray the Military State?』
Historia gripped her gun with her broken hand. She, too, was a master of the Gam Qi Art. In just a few minutes, she had set her dislocated bones back in place, but her hand was still in far worse condition than before.
And so, Historia gripped her gun with her broken hand. To fight.
“…My friends.”
Eimeder tilted its head.
『For that alone?』
“…And a place for my friends to exist. The Military State had nothing.”
『You had power, authority, and countless subordinates, yet you run away without a thought for your responsibilities… Truly, you are but a child.』
The angel's lament concluded their conversation. It seemed there might have been a chance for mercy depending on her actions, but Historia showed no intention of asking for forgiveness. Their opinions had diverged; all that remained was to fight. Everyone held their breath in anticipation of the battle to come.
A silence devoid of any sound. In a tension stretched taut like a thread about to snap.
Behind the angel, a pair of beastly eyes gleamed.
“Nyah!”
Nabi's surprise attack opened the battle.
As beasts, Azzy and Nabi had no interest in things they couldn't eat, and the Military State's identity and ideology were certainly inedible. The moment Nabi entered the quiet, dark communication module, it had trotted into a room and fallen into a deep sleep.
But the angel's appearance had been far too loud. Loud enough to wake Nabi.
I groaned in pain and muttered.
“Ugh, so this is why I brought these damn beasts along…”
Eimeder was made of light. Nabi's hunting instincts are triggered by anything that glitters and moves quickly. Moreover, I figured an Eimeder not bound by a human body would find it difficult to notice a beast's ambush. Just like that time we fought it…
Or so I thought.
『A mere beast.』
The real Eimeder, inhabiting a human body, noticed Nabi and spread its wings wide.
A wing glittered before Nabi. Instinct took over, and Nabi's eyes momentarily followed the wing's tip. Its paw shot out like lightning and tore through the wing, but it was only an afterimage.
『If that is all your faith amounts to.』
“Nyah-haaaaaaak!”
Immediately after, a brilliant light flashed, and Nabi was sent flying with a scream. Eimeder had struck it with its other two wings. Blood-soaked white fur scattered amidst the halo of light.
『Then I shall teach you myself just how arrogant that is.』
Eimeder folded its wings in mid-air. A small tempest instantly brewed inside the building, and Eimeder moved abruptly, as if pulling on an invisible handle. Eimeder surged toward Historia.
Historia, who had planned a pincer attack timed with Nabi's assault, was now forced to face the angel one-on-one due to Nabi being taken out of the fight.
But Historia was a Six General, a Qi practitioner who had reached the pinnacle of single combat. And the angel, just barely, fell into the category of a single combatant.
‘The wings move before the arms and legs. The power that moves the angel comes from its wings. I'm not certain, but I have to confirm it. In that case, I need to avoid the wings.’
Recalling the angel's characteristics, Historia planted her lead foot firmly and twisted her body. A massive wing grazed the tip of her nose.
Even as the fierce wind pressure battered her face, Historia observed her opponent.
‘Its range is too wide. All of its attacks are sharp and fast. Getting close is impossible. In that case!’
The moment she made her decision, Historia raised her gun. A gap, created by the three wings on one side. She shoved the muzzle into that thread-like opening and fired with all her might.
Click.
But the bullet didn't fire. A pure white feather had pierced the pistol at an angle.
‘Not just the wings, but the feathers too...?! Damn it!’
『I am the Military State itself. Within the State, Eimeder is omniscient.』
Eimeder's wings enveloped Historia.
What sort of ordeal does a fly caught on the tip of a falcon's wing suffer? If we ask Historia later, we might get an answer. The massively expanding wings sent Historia flying.
Sliding across the wings, scraped by the feathers, caught in the tempest. Historia endured all manner of experiences in that brief instant.
“…Tch. At this rate, it's game over.”
The Six General of the Military State, The Envoy Eimeder. The power of its true form, the angel, was terrifying.
The most frightening part was that this Eimeder possessed ample knowledge and the intelligence to use it.
“Nyaa! That thing's weird, nya! It's hard and pointy, nya!”
Nabi shrieked in pain as it rolled on the ground. But despite the heavy blow, Nabi didn't seem to be in critical danger. That was because Eimeder, even while fighting, hadn't dealt a fatal wound. It had merely stiffened its feathers like hooks and torn out some fur.
Enough to cause pain, but not enough to threaten its life. In that case, Nabi wouldn't unleash its true ferocity. Feeling pain and threat, it would just watch timidly from a distance.
“Woof…”
And because Eimeder just had to descend into IA's body, my next line of offense, Azzy, was currently licking my fingers beside me.
These useless damn beasts.
“…Woof. She's in pain.”
“Me? Yeah. It hurts like hell.”
I grumbled and took out two Heart cards.
I had no visible injuries, but the sheer impact was immense. I was bleeding, my organs were slightly damaged, and my bones ached.
When one part of you hurts, you use medicine for that part. So what do you do when your whole body hurts?
“Anesthetic, of course.”
I stacked the 4 and 5 of Hearts. Holding the two cards flat with a slight gap between them, I tapped them. A crimson liquid seeped out from between them.
The 4 of Hearts, Death. The 5 of Hearts, Sensory Poison. A drug that kills sensation, created by combining the two.
Yes. An anesthetic. Or a narcotic.
A potion made by combining cards. All the medicines contained in the Hearts are simple and dangerous, but all the more potent for it. I tilted the cards and let the liquid flow into my mouth. The sharp initial taste instantly became bland and odorless. My senses were going numb.
The backlash would be severe, but overcoming the immediate crisis was the priority. You can only prepare for the future after you've survived the present.
“Woof. Not you. Her.”
“Who? The sparkly one?”
“Woof.”
Is this really the time to worry about her? She's the one who stopped thinking, decided she liked it, and offered up her own body.
“Of course she's in pain. She basically used her body as a sacrifice to summon an angel from a shared Spiritual World. I predict she won't last long. An hour, maybe…”
But an hour is more than enough time to steam me like a dumpling. I have to figure out a countermeasure quickly, before the horrific dish known as 'Chef Angel's Homemade Steamed Hughes' makes its debut.
The drug was starting to take effect. The pain subsided, and strength filled the void. With this power boiling deep inside me, I felt like I could do anything.
No, I truly can do anything. The cards in my hand are actually a legendary broken sword, and if I unleash my 'true power,' I can slice that angel in two with a single blow. Eimeder, you've had your fun rampaging around. Now I'll slaughter you…
‘Subject's condition is abnormal! He is standing up, trembling, and sobbing while holding onto the wall! I surmise something is wrong!’
…Of course, that's not true. The delusion that just surfaced was a side effect of the anesthetic. The world is full of pain, so when you forget the pain, you start to forget reality along with it.
But I'm a mind reader. As long as there are people watching me, I won't lose my objectivity. Thankful that my pain was invisible to the thoughts of others, I straightened my swaying body.
Just then, Captain Abbey ran over.
“Sir! Are you unharmed?”
“I'm fine for now, Captain Bbey.”
Having regained my senses, I surveyed my surroundings. Historia was still fighting. Nabi was warily circling toward the angel. The Princess had been evacuated by Shiati. Shiati still had her thumb, so she might be useful in a pinch… but I had no idea if an angel could be affected by black magic. Hmm. A desperate situation.
“It has been a while. I was worried. How are your injuries? Are they not serious?”
“It doesn't hurt anymore.”
“That is a relief. Now that I have confirmed your well-being, I will report on the current situation.”
A signaller to the end, even after a near-death experience. After checking on me, Captain Abbey began to list off information in a clear voice, even as she looked me over with concern.
“Currently, the Eimeder summoned by Signaller Yuel is expressing strong hostility toward myself, other signallers, and you, sir. The probability of victory is 0%. Therefore, I strongly suggest that you escape from this location.”
“Escape? I never thought I'd hear those words from you first, Captain Abbey.”
“There is no time for idle talk. The situation is urgent. If Major General Historia is defeated, Yuel's Eimeder will immediately attack you and me.”
Her tone was as stiff as a golem's, but the content of her words was different from before.
Captain Abbey was alive. And she was doing her best to survive. Preferably, with me.
Yes. The resolve to do anything to survive. The resolve to defy even an angel's command and flee. This is what I need.
Without that, a signaller would be innocent and flawless.
I pounded on the seamless wall.
“There are no windows, let alone a door. How are we supposed to escape?”
“We must buy time. In my judgment, Yuel holds a great deal of wariness toward you. Sir, have you ever attacked Yuel, or do you possess a means to threaten her?”
“Not at all. I don't even know who Yuel is… Huh? Wait a minute.”
The signaller definitely said it earlier. Abbey is the signaller closest to A, the first signaller.
I had already guessed that Captain Abbey held a very important position. Her identification name is one of the first, and her abilities are surprisingly formidable. She can send her consciousness from the surface to the Abyssal Prison, Tantalus.
Tantalus may be on the frontier, but no one would call it an insignificant facility. A historic abyss that imprisons everything from primordial monsters to heinous criminals—all the beasts that threaten the Military State or have the power to do so. The being who monitors such a place alone could not possibly be ordinary. That's why I'd been trying to get on her good side.
“Do you know Yuel? Who she is, where she lives?”
Perhaps Captain Abbey was a much bigger deal than I thought.
Captain Abbey listed the information she knew, devoid of all emotion.
“Negative. After being assigned an identification name, a signaller is deployed to their post without informing anyone of their location. This applies even to fellow signallers. I have only communicated with Signaller Yuel; we have had no other interaction.”
“You've communicated with this signaller. And that same signaller summoned an angel here.”
From here on, I'm in unknown territory. But I can make a rough guess.
The being called Yuel has the abilities of a signaller. And she communicated with Captain Abbey while summoning an angel to this location. The unknown being called Yuel is extending her abilities across the entire Military State. In short, no matter what method of measurement you use, you can't be certain where she is…
But I can guess.
“The Military State didn't just fall from the sky. It's a nation someone built with a purpose.”
When the kingdom fell and the Military State rose, it bypassed the large existing city of Amitengrad and built its headquarters in this location. In the early days, it was a facility to oversee the installation of the Meta Conveyor Belt. The soldiers built barracks for the laborers on the plains where horses once roamed, managing the manpower and resources needed to build it.
“If that angel is a historical figure involved in the birth of the Military State, then she must be in a place steeped in the State's history.”
After the Meta Conveyor Belt was completed and just before the Military State entered its golden age, this place became the headquarters. It was a rational decision. This land, once used only as pasture, became a transportation hub after the revolution that was the Meta Conveyor Belt. If it were bare land, maybe, but there was no reason to abandon a place where facilities had already been built.
“For example, like this headquarters.”
“However, the headquarters is vast, and countless soldiers are armed and on standby. How do you propose to search for her here?”
It's impossible by ordinary means. But there might be a way.
There is nothing new under the sun. All creation, except for chance, stems from imitation. The signallers, too, were likely modeled after something.
The Military State is the god. The signallers are the priests.
The one closest to A.
“Captain Abbey. Do you trust me?”
It must have been a rather abrupt question, but Captain Abbey nodded without a hint of hesitation.
“Affirmative.”
Hmm. I was prepared to explain, since this is impossible without trust. But I suppose there's no need.
“If that side can see this place through the eyes of a signaller… I can't do it, but you should be able to find her. Find her, Captain Abbey.”
She doesn't doubt. She doesn't ask how.
Captain Abbey is a well-trained soldier and will carry out her given mission with all her might. As long as her faith is firm.
“Understood. Signaller Abbey. As of this moment, I will commence the mission to locate Signaller Yuel.”