Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Descent
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That instant, everyone shot to their feet—even Claire's jaw dropped in disbelief as he stared at the cannon barrel right in front of Luan Zhu.
Just one more second, and Luan Zhu would be blasted to pieces in a hail of fire.
Charlie squeezed his eyes shut in terror, holding his breath as he braced for the horrific explosion—but the wait dragged on endlessly. That single second stretched into eternity amid the silence, and he could even hear his own heartbeat contracting in the stillness.
Thump.
Thump.
“...”
Charlie cautiously cracked his eyes open a sliver.
The smoke cleared from the open ground, and Luan Zhu remained frozen mid-lunge. The cannon barrel in front of it hadn't fired—in the heart-stopping hush, the black mecha stood rigid with its cannon, like a lifeless rock.
“Lasgard...” the technician stammered, trembling. “...We're under control too...”
Dean gaped in shock, then suddenly snapped to. “Gavin, was that you?!”
Gavin stood by the forward viewport of the technician cabin, his face expressionless, gaze locked in focus. Luan Zhu's spiritual thread cowered far behind him, quivering in fear.
Two superhuman spiritual forces twisted and clashed in the air, locked in a silent scream of battle. Seconds later, the one who had struck first faltered and retreated. The girl's pupils contracted sharply as she abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Lasgard!” The technician lurched to his feet.
Claire bellowed, “Now—!”
With a dull boom, Xuan Bing sheathed its blade and leaped skyward. Under the sunlight, its white wings gleamed blindingly. In that moment, it was like a wild dancer, its steel frame swinging in a perfect semicircle around the enemy in midair. At the apex, the cannon barrel extended, swiveled, and locked on target.
Flames roared out, crimson tongues like a viper's fangs, blasting the black mecha backward in an instant!
Luan Zhu's spiritual control shattered at once. Dean charged forward without hesitation. In that seamless teamwork between Luan Zhu and Xuan Bing, the instant the cannon fire died, the former unleashed its electromagnetic railgun!
Boom—!
The entire valley shuddered violently. Massive boulders rained down from the cliff tops. Towering ancient trees ripped free by the roots, tangled with thick branches and clumps of earth, tumbling from the mountainside like a thundering cavalry charge!
Claire roared, “Danger! Run!”
Dean spun and dove backward, rolling midway to snatch up the cockpit of the opponent he'd just defeated. It was a razor-thin escape—the surging rocks nearly grazed his back, swallowing the red mecha whole and instantly smashing it into a crumpled heap of twisted metal.
The next second, Luan Zhu burst from the valley and crashed heavily to the ground.
“Claire?! Charlie?!” Dean snapped awake from his daze and seized the communicator, yelling into it.
“H-here...” Charlie's quivering voice crackled through the earpiece, followed by Claire's irritable snarl. “We're not dead yet, so quit yelling! Gavin? Gavin, you okay?”
Dean's temper flared. “He's fine too! Worry about yourself! If it weren't for us... Huh? Gavin?!”
The side monitor on his left showed the technician cabin in shambles—the seat empty, the emergency hatch wide open.
Luan Zhu said timidly, “He jumped out...”
“Holy shit!” Dean was floored. “He actually did that!”
At the same moment, fifty meters away, the last massive boulder slammed down, crushing the black mecha's cannon barrel flat.
Countless fragments pelted the upright wing like bullets, while on the other side, Lasgard stood with blood trickling from her mouth, hands braced desperately against a tungsten-steel army blade.
The blade pressed tight against the arc longblade in Gavin's grip, screeching with strain.
The technician burst from his cockpit and froze at the sight of the tense standoff.
A moment later, he blurted blankly, his lollipop tumbling from his mouth. “Thanks for raising the wing...”
When the mountaintop collapsed, the mecha had already been hijacked—it was Gavin who'd guided it through the escape. In that split-second crisis, he hadn't even forgotten to erect the wing, shielding the Lasgard standing outside the mecha.
A surge of admiration welled up in the technician's heart. What a guy!
“Your way of saying thanks is a bit unexpected.” Gavin's voice was ice-cold as he twisted his wrist. With a screech, he shoved the opposing army blade back.
Lasgard seized the opening to rise, slashing down wordlessly. Clang! The blades collided heavily. Their eyes locked in that instant, veins bulging on their crossed arms as both weapons trembled from the crushing force.
“My name is Firenze,” the girl said, staring him down. “Firenze Lasgard. What's yours?”
“Gavin.”
“You're one too—?”
Gavin smiled faintly, mind racing. The wrecked black mecha's arm lifted at his command, swatting the technician away with a whoosh!
Lasgard: “...”
The technician soared elegantly for a dozen meters before crash-landing face-first in the dirt. After a beat, he lifted his bruised, swollen face, blood streaming from his nostrils. “What'd I ever do to you?!”
“Sorry,” Gavin said sincerely. “Missed the angle. Want to go again?”
Technician: “...”
Gavin's wrist surged with power, slamming the army blade back with a whoosh. Lasgard staggered half a step but held her attack, confusion in her eyes. “Why are you...?”
“What's so strange about it?” Gavin sheathed his blade casually. “The universe is vast. You're never the only special one—there could be others just like you out there, only no one knows it yet.”
“But you're the only one I've met...”
“So what? We're both human—eat, drink, shit, sleep, same as anyone.”
Gavin waved dismissively with a smirk and leaped down from the toppled mecha. Lasgard took two steps after him, but he didn't look back, slinging his longblade over his shoulder.
“Your technician's no match for me, and neither are you. But I'll let you go this time—now get off the field and don't cause more trouble.”
“...Who are you?” Lasgard called out.
Gavin didn't answer.
—Who am I?
He walked onward, wind whipping smoke across his face, gradually morphing into a howling sea of yellow sand. In a daze, he saw vast fields of blooming crimson flowers in the distance. An old man in a coarse hemp cloak stood sword in hand, pointing at a snarling youth kneeling in the sand.
“...I'm the only one—always have been! Who are you? What kind of monster are you?!”
The old man was weathered with a shock of white hair, but his frame was imposing. He threw his head back and laughed, his voice booming with power.
“Fool, you think you're that special? Just another ordinary human who eats, drinks, shits, and sleeps! Using those petty pains as an excuse to dive into darkness—what a naive coward!”
The youth struggled to rise but was smacked flat by the old man's sword. “Coward, you've got a long way to learn! From now on, you're following me. Got it?”
“Shut up!” The youth exploded in fury, roaring hoarsely. “Who are you? What the hell are you?! Let me go!”
...
Who the hell are you?
And who am I?
The girl's shrill voice echoed distantly, hazy and unreal. Gavin squeezed his eyes shut tight, then opened them, full of bewilderment.
He saw history looping endlessly, like a train pulling away from the station after another whistle. Old faces vanished on the receding platform; all partings and joys faded to dust. He sat alone in bewilderment, facing the next endless repeat of the journey.
“Gavin! Gavin, what's wrong? Hurry over here!”
Gavin jolted back to reality and turned. The valley blazed with harsh sunlight. Dean strode up, grabbing his hand and scanning him up and down. “You okay? Hurt anywhere?”
Gavin furrowed his brow deeply. He felt like he'd just remembered something, but chasing it only brought a splitting headache. “N-no... It's nothing.”
He rubbed his temple and shook his head in confusion. Dean checked him over thoroughly, confirming no injuries, then exhaled in relief. “Lasgard's crew left. We should too. Wanna rack up a few more kills for points?”
“No... No need.” Gavin steadied himself, thoughts clearing. “Enough to make the playoffs. No more fighting.”
Dean had no objections and turned with him toward Luan Zhu.
By now it was day four of the forest cross-country race. Most teams had traversed the sea of trees and gathered at the endpoint for the next round. The public channel looped the rankings endlessly: the top score belonged to a seeded player from an imperial frontier academy, while pre-race favorites like the Royal Military Academy and the Stellar System Military Academy lagged far behind, shocking their commandants.
Caroline held steady, but Dana fretted endlessly, pleading with the emperor. “Our students got too cocky this year—they're not usually like this! Please don't hold it against them, Your Majesty. I'll drill them hard when we get back!”
“No need to rush, my dear subject.” Heinrich sat in the skybridge box, smiling amiably. “Youths are always a bit hot-headed. I went through that phase myself—how could I not understand?”
A chorus of praise for His Majesty erupted around him.
“Either way, it's heartening that these teams escaped the kidnapping segment I arranged on the fly.” Heinrich nodded graciously to the commandants. “I hope my impromptu decision didn't trouble the committee—after all, these children are the empire's future. I simply couldn't wait to see those new sparks of hope.”
The commandants took it at face value, rising to assure him there was no trouble at all—His Majesty's wisdom was utterly impeccable.
Caroline eyed Heinrich dubiously. As one who'd truly fought alongside him, she sensed something off in his demeanor, a nagging wrongness everywhere.
But voicing doubts here would be suicidal. As she pondered, the floating screen flickered. “Next to finish: two teams from the Royal Military Academy—Luan Zhu and Xuan Bing! We see the mechs approaching down the main road. Luan Zhu's armor is pristine and intact—a rare sight...”
A guard in the outer retinue stood, revealing a faint knife scar on his profile as he glanced casually toward the emperor.
Heinrich nodded slightly.
The scarred man averted his gaze and strode toward the restrooms.
“Let's check Luan Zhu's score: seven thousand five hundred twenty! Not the highest, but enough for playoffs. And with the mecha in such pristine condition—barely a scratch—it'll give them a huge edge in the next round...”
The public channel's droning grated on Dean's nerves, and he shifted irritably.
“She's right,” Gavin said calmly. “We'll have the advantage in round two.”
“—But this score...”
“It's not food or drink. Why obsess?”
Dean's eyebrow twitched, and he finally shut up.
Luan Zhu and Xuan Bing marched side by side down the flat track. The dense roadside trees thinned out; soon they'd exit the forest to the landing pad, await results, and prep for the playoffs.
The monotonous trek bored any pilot. After a stifling silence in the cockpit, Dean broke it. “Gavin?”
“Yeah.”
“Hear any noises?”
“Nope.”
“...Maybe Luan Zhu's knee joint's damaged.”
“Won't be.”
“...”
“Can't you tell he just doesn't wanna talk to you?” Claire's voice gloated over the comms. “Listen up, kid—when an omega says that, it's a rejection. Means you're annoying, and he's not interested...”
Dean and Gavin snapped in unison, “Shut it!”
“At times like this, you gotta double down—though more likely, you'll end up blacklisted forever, totally ignored from here on out...”
“—Shut it!”
This roar came from Gavin. Dean blinked, then a buzzing filled the sky behind them.
The hum swelled in seconds to a deafening roar. Dean whipped around, jaw dropping. A massive shadow like storm clouds had appeared overhead—countless swarming black insects!
“What the...”
Luan Zhu raised an arm to block, and the bugs locked on instantly, surging down like a tidal dragon.
“—Gold-devourers!” Dean roared. “Run!!”
No need for a second warning—Luan Zhu and Xuan Bing bolted at once!
Gold-devourers were among the primitive forest's deadliest species, the ultimate nightmare for steel mecha—they rarely emerged in daylight, but once they did, minutes were all it took to gnaw a towering steel giant down to its last rivet!
“Aren't they supposed to be nearly extinct—how are there so many?!” Claire bellowed over the deafening buzz. “Run run run—!”
The insect horde slammed onto the mecha hulls, acid corrosion spewing white fumes as they chewed wings and joints into pitted craters. Terror overrode all else; they sprinted blindly ahead while Dean yanked the comms. “Committee! Committee! Gold-devourers! Requesting backup! Backup!”
A thunderous crash—Xuan Bing's knee bearing finally melted through, toppling the steel giant with earth-shaking force. In the chaos, it tripped Luan Zhu, which slammed down hard, shaking the ground.
The bugs hovered an instant, then dove en masse, blanketing both mechs!
The moment was pure dread—everyone knew they were done for.
In the cockpit, Gavin's forehead bled from the impact. He strained for the controls, trying brute force to stand Luan Zhu. But the crash had flipped the technician cabin; he was wedged between seats, out of reach.
A dense buzz hummed outside. Two minutes max, and the hull would be eaten through.
Gavin gritted his teeth, focusing to sync with Luan Zhu's scrambled neural net. But it couldn't respond properly; sweat poured down his temple. Suddenly, a booming command rang from outside:
“Who's in there? Hold on!”
“Rescue incoming!”
A seismic boom rocked the earth as the golden mecha landed amid the gale, scattering gold-devourers in a blast.
Gavin gaped in the cockpit, forgetting the controls. Through the upended viewport, he saw the mecha make its flashy entrance, radiating invincible swagger—the golden Bi An.
The Imperial Emperor Heinrich himself had arrived!