An Eye for an Eye (3)
A long-forgotten sensation pierced through his body. The profound unity he'd felt the first time, battling the chimera with a crude rock golem. Even though he was just working the controls to execute preset movements, it felt like his own body was acting as the golem's heart and brain, assisting and amplifying every motion.
The enemy sensed the change too. Amid the blistering heat pouring from its rampaging form, the one-eyed giant's eye locked onto him. The foe, convinced of an easy victory, had caught on and was now on high alert. Soon, it twisted its maw and charged straight at him.
“Uoooooh—!!”
“Yeah, let's finish this!”
He manipulated the Cyclops immediately, and fists hurtled toward each other once more. The punch that had sent his Cyclops flying earlier met his own head-on. They collided with a thunderous boom, rebounding violently.
He quickly regained his stance and swung the dagger still equipped on his right arm, slicing across the one-eyed giant's flank.
Tssszzz...
The giant's side sizzled and burned. The golem's pickup mic picked up the unmistakable sound of searing flesh. Was it because too much mana had been infused? The dagger's crimson glow was unnaturally fierce.
“Analysis can wait...!”
Right now, it was time to pour every ounce of remaining strength into toppling the enemy. He moved the Cyclops, and the one-eyed giant charged again. Another brutal exchange of blows erupted, massive fists and dagger slashes inflicting lethal wounds on each other.
Because of the synchronization with the golem's body, he felt pain—and scorching heat—in his own. “About 50 seconds left, huh!”
This state he'd dubbed Overload wasn't meant to last long. In a way, it hijacked the pilot's mana to force the golem's entire body into overdrive, smashing past the safety limits set for normal operation. Naturally, the golem itself screamed in protest, and fuel consumption skyrocketed. Time was short.
And the same went for his opponent.
Grrrrrind...
Having pushed beyond its limits for minutes, the enemy was now flirting with death. If anything, since it had been burning through its life force even before his Overload kicked in, it was at the disadvantage time-wise. Rationally, it should flee. All he had to do was stall.
But maybe because they saw each other as worthy foes, neither one-eyed giant showed any sign of backing down. A steel fist shattered its jaw, and the enemy's flailing arm became a monstrous bludgeon, smashing into the Cyclops's cockpit.
Blood trickled from his forehead on impact. In response, he thrust the dagger forward—straight into its heart. Blood poured from the one-eyed giant's eye and mouth, painting the crumpled white armor red. The superheated dagger incinerated its innards, and the rampaging beast dropped to one knee.
Then it scooped him up and hurled him away. The Cyclops crashed, pulverizing the surroundings. The screams and grotesque noises over the mic must have come from the lesser monsters.
As he stopped spinning and rose, the one-eyed giant swung a massive fist at him. He accelerated the Cyclops's backpack thrusters and charged.
“I can see that coming a mile away!!”
He slammed his shoulder into its chest, wrapped his arm around its extended limb, and suplexed it clean over.
Kaboooom!!
Already larger than the Cyclops, the impact echoed like an explosion. As he moved to stomp its head for the finish...
“...Damn it...!”
Overload ended. The machine wailed, smoke billowing. With the mana stones sparking wildly, the one-eyed giant rose and shoulder-checked him. The Cyclops toppled backward.
“Uoooooh!!”
A triumphant roar, certain of victory. The enemy had no hope left either. It was just determined to claim one final win before dying. Maybe it really was the leader. A one-eyed captain determined to go out without shame.
It charged. With that insane bulk and power, it could smash the Cyclops's cockpit like tin. Its speed was ferocious, as if this were its last strike. One wrong choice, and he'd be dead.
He moved the golem's arm at once—and snatched up the machine gun the enemy had thrown earlier.
“That was your mistake.”
The foe was undeniably strong. In the end, he'd been pushed back. But this machine wasn't built for close quarters; the Rodellini Machine Gun was its primary weapon, a mass-produced general-purpose unit.
The enemy's blunder? Fighting wildly and letting him reach the spot where his main armament lay discarded.
Confusion flashed in its eye, then a grim smile. Defiance even in defeat, refusing to halt its advance.
“You were a worthy adversary.”
The golem pulled the trigger. The remaining rounds tore into the one-eyed giant's body. Shells punched clean through, smoke no longer pouring from the wounds.
The giant staggered a few steps toward him.
“Grrrrr...”
Letting out what sounded like an admission of defeat, it collapsed sideways.
****
The warehouse battle was heating up.
“Who'd have thought one of the Empire's sword saints would stoop to backstabbing spies!”
“Says the one rolling around with academy brats?!”
Reina's fierce face twisted as she and the sword saint slashed at each other. Her strikes were bold and sweeping; his curved in with exquisite precision. His blade nearly grazed her several times, only for her to knock it away with knee or elbow strikes. It looked like the sword saint held the edge,
but Reina was the one with breathing room.
“One more push and I'll have you. Step it up!”
“Where'd a street rat learn these tricks?!”
The sword saint's swordplay lived up to his title—refined technique beyond Reina's. But she bridged the gap with raw physical prowess. Even when his blade slipped past her guard, she'd deflect it with a hardened limb, disrupt his rhythm, and seize control.
Only because he was a sword saint could he recover and counter; any lesser swordsman would have panicked at her unorthodox body techniques and lost their head.
“This is why you fear the ones who clawed their way up from nothing!”
A commoner who picked up a sword, made a name, shone on the battlefield, and claimed her current status.
“Should've thrown everything at her back then—sword, money, whatever—to drag her over!”
Tsvite grinned through gritted teeth as he spoke. Reina's roots were commoner stock. The Empire had tried scouting her repeatedly but failed. Back then, they'd figured a fat paycheck would do it, but the current Phoenix Count—then in heir training—had gifted her a treasured sword outright, cementing her loyalty to the kingdom.
After that, her nickname Blitz Reina stuck for blitzing through enemy lines.
“Tell you what—I'll toss in seven masterwork blades. Tempted to switch sides yet?”
Not serious, just banter. The sword saint feigning nonchalance despite the pressure.
Reina gave a wry smile and shook her head. “Three years earlier, maybe I'd have considered it.”
Not true.
“But now? Swords don't mean much anymore.”
This was.
Tsvite's eyes narrowed as he caught his breath on the quip.
“...Harsh words from fellow sword-for-hire types.”
“Fact's a fact. Ten years from now—no, make it sooner if I'm greedy. By the time I'm doting on grandkids, swords'll be for parades only.”
“...Because of that one-eyed giant? Its maker, Aizen Arclight?”
Empire spies, alright. Their intel was no joke, Reina thought with an inward mutter and a chuckle.
“From the moment that kid was born with his talents fully bloomed, our era's done.”
“Teacher's pet much?” Tsvite sneered.
Reina shrugged. “Can't be helped. Takes my all to catch the guy. Holding his own in a chase against academy profs? Proof enough he's exceptional.”
Tsvite's expression shifted. A chase against Blitz Reina? A kid who'd never even held a sword?
“If he'd picked up a blade, he'd surpass me. Magic? Court mage material. Pours it all into his crazy dreams—and delivers results.”
Reina sighed there. “Wish he'd channel that talent a bit more normally. He's this weird mix of idiot, genius, madman, and everyman.”
“You into him or what?”
“Age gap's a problem. Trying to make me a criminal?”
Tsvite laughed at that. Then—
“Guess he dies here, then.”
Cold as ice.
Reina tightened her grip. “Not on my watch.”
“Then you first.”
The sword saint shifted stance. Reina sighed at him.
“Drop the hope some ally shows for a pincer.”
And—
“The kingdom's future's brighter than you think.”
With that, lightning crashed down. Tsvite dodged as Noel extended her hand. A dazed spy lay before her. Then a redheaded swordswoman slashed low from behind, forcing Tsvite to twist away with a grimace.
“Even for you guys... way too fast...”
The two spies were already subdued by Noel and Erica.
'Least drag one down with me.'
Mutual destruction could take one or two. As Tsvite calculated and lowered his stance—
“Not happening.”
A heavy mechanical voice rang out, and a massive hand slammed where he'd stood.
“Unit 2!”
“Mina, huh.”
Noel cheered gladly; Reina grinned. Mina must've hopped into the Cyclops the moment Unit 2 went operational.
“We could go all the way—sounds fun!”
A triumphant voice followed.
Tsvite eyed them and smiled.
Then—
“Time to run.”
He declared retreat.