Carbel was an innovation of the future.
Even in Tirna, which was already far more technologically advanced than other countries, Carbel was a machine that secretly consolidated and collected technology beyond the structural limitations of a steam suit in size, and with flexible responses to handle it freely.
More free than an automaton, more comfortable than a steam suit.
If there was one drawback, it was the act of stripping away humanity by transplanting a human brain into the machine.
In this city, there were many people who easily gave that up for their own benefit.
Not to mention if it was packaged as a greater cause for the city's technological advancement, that is, for the future.
Fortunately for them, Carbel wanted to transplant his brain into the machine willingly to survive.
And his brain showed higher compatibility with the machine than expected.
[My body is an indicator of the future. Do you think you can defeat someone like me?]
Carbel took great pride in his condition.He didn't become like this against his will. He came this far to survive and take revenge.
For that, he threw away all unfavorable elements of being human.
Carbel was no longer just a Dead Dagger assassin who would be consumed as mere parts.
He had now become an indicator pointing toward the future. Carbel felt proud of himself for this.
Even using someone else's brain, they couldn't move this freely.
Different people had different levels of response to the machine. This compatibility was considered a key factor, and Carbel was extremely superior in this regard.
Yes. This is a role only I can fulfill.
I'm different from these pawns who have fallen to become mere disposable parts.
I am superior.
I am special.
-Zhing.
Carbel's red optical light glowed stronger with excitement.
So here, he would eliminate those who opposed him.
His arms, still five remaining though one was cut off, moved.
The necessary bullets were quickly supplied and loaded from the pack on his back.
While doing this, Carbel made his assessment.
Projecting such powerful firepower wasn't quite suitable for stopping Kudan or Malina.
Kudan had inherited Ogre's blood, and above all, he used a strange power.
Based on analysis through his subordinates, it was estimated that he possessed the ability to manipulate powerful kinetic energy at will.
Seeing the sight of the Raven assassin who shattered just from a light touch to the shoulder confirmed this.
As for Malina, conversely, because she hid in shadows, most physical attacks didn't work well on her.
If she hides, we could just use our prepared special flash bombs, but then she would surely retreat craftily.
If we keep our distance, we can't catch Malina, but if we close in, we have to face Kudan.
A choice forcing either/or. Indeed, a tricky combination.
But Carbel didn't mind.
Though he was alone, his ability to handle weapons and respond to situations exceeded that of a team.
And beside him, weren't there pawns he could freely discard?
[Block them.]
The remaining Raven forces threw themselves at Kudan.
Though knowing they couldn't stop him, they charged forward. There were no moths afraid to advance toward the flame.
Kudan frowned but didn't stop running.
Raven assassins clung to various parts of his body, but they burst apart just from him exerting force a few times.
Beyond those remains, he could see Carbel discarding two firearms and taking out new weapons.
-Zhiing.
It was a gun with a different design than before. The barrel was longer than other guns and had various parts attached to its sides.
-Crackle!
Intense current flowed through the gun. Beyond the muzzle, blue lightning could be seen writhing explosively.
"...!"
For the first time, Kudan's eyes widened.
Though he prided himself on being able to ignore any attack, for the first time, he changed direction and threw himself sideways.
Right after, two streams of blue lightning extended through where Kudan had been.
[You're quite sharp to dodge that. Or should I say you have good instincts?]
With a hiss, the coolant attached to the barrel quickly cooled the gun.
Kudan looked back at where he had just been.
The place where the blue lightning had grazed was melting and dripping.
The fog was torn apart for a moment by the intense heat. The condensed air spread hot winds.
Of course, that empty space was filled by jet steam sprayed from Carbel's pack, but the scene still flickered before his eyes.
[It's something called a high-power, high-output Gauss cannon. It shoots concentrated high-voltage current in a straight line. Should I say it's an enhanced version of the electric magic that mages use?]
Carbel kindly explained while reloading his weapon.
Something like a half-burned metal casing popped out, and a new casing was supplied from the pack.
It appeared to be some medium that allowed electrical energy to travel in a straight line.
Kudan tried to take advantage of the moment while he was reloading, but it wasn't easy because Carbel's remaining three arms continued firing to keep him in check.
'Extremely annoying. No openings.'
Explosions, flames, and thick gunpowder smell were everywhere.
Even someone like him would be swept up in the death zone if he stepped wrong, so Kudan couldn't move carelessly.
-Swoosh.
A shadow formed above Carbel's head as he kept Kudan in check.
From the mirror-smooth shadow that formed without sound or presence, black arrows poured down like rain.
[Is this supposed to be an attack?]
Carbel activated his kinetic barrier once again.
The shadow arrows all bounced off. It was a disappointing sight for an ambush attack.
[Even if you use your head...]
At that moment, one of Carbel's feet sank into the ground.
Carbel's gaze turned to his leg. The ground had changed into a swamp and swallowed his leg.
Seizing the moment Carbel lost his balance, Malina jumped out from the shadows and swung her shadow blade toward his body.
-Clang!
But the shadow blade only made sparks and scratches, failing to inflict proper damage to Carbel's body.
[You seem to have underestimated me just because I use a kinetic barrier. My body is designed to withstand even attacks like yours with pure durability alone.]
Malina bit her lip and tried to quickly follow up with additional attacks, but Carbel had been waiting for this moment as well.
[I predicted you would come out like this.]
-Phshing!
-Bang!
The flash bomb exploded once again.
The light that burst at close range showed much stronger performance proportional to its proximity.
The shadows wrapping Malina's body convulsed as if in pain from the light that tore everything apart.
Due to the shadows breaking free of control, Malina couldn't properly hide her form.
One of Carbel's long arms grabbed Malina by the collar.
As if determined not to let her escape this time, her body was slammed into the ground.
The muzzle was aimed at Malina, who couldn't hide in the shadows in time.
[I thought you would try to approach somehow to kill me. That judgment became certain. No. Should I say it was analysis based on data?]
The red optical light glowed maliciously.
Though replaced by machinery, the emotions of one who had reached the brink of completing his revenge were clear.
[Let's end our tiresome grudge now.]
Kudan threw broken debris from far away to save Malina.
-Whoosh!
The rock that flew with sonic speed was easily blocked by the kinetic barrier. Though strong enough to make the kinetic barrier ripple for a moment, it couldn't stop Carbel from pulling the trigger.
-Bang!
The large-caliber bullet pierced Malina's forehead.
The force was so strong that Malina's upper body disappeared as if erased.
It was natural since it was closer to a cannon shell than a bullet.
‘Finally!’
Carbel felt elation at the thought that he had completed his revenge.
Nerve stabilizers were injected to calm his excitement, but it was hard to control easily.
However, when he saw Malina's corpse collapse into pitch-black shadow right after, his reason returned as if cold water had been poured on his head.
[A fake? How?]
According to his combat pattern analysis, Malina would surely have tried to force close combat to finish him off but what he saw before him was fake. No matter what, a corpse wouldn't disappear like that.
The sensation when he grabbed her certainly felt real, but even that was a clone?
Then where was the real Malina?
'No. I don't need to panic. She can't kill me anyway. Escape is impossible too.'
Malina couldn't go far even if she ran.
She must have used up a lot of power to create a clone to deceive his eyes.
As long as she's in Tirna, Dead Dagger will persistently hunt her.
Which way?
As Carbel's single eye quickly looked around, he witnessed an anomaly.
Beyond the hazy steam fog from the jet propulsors, he saw a mass of pure white light moving.
Like countless fireflies forming a legion, it was being sucked into one place beyond the fog.
[What is that...]
-Click.
His red pupil peered as if seeing through the far distance.
Osian, who had momentarily hidden his form behind the hazy fog, came into clear view.
Seeing that sight, Carbel became even more confused.
[A horse?]
Osian, who he thought had run away, was riding a horse. Not an ordinary horse, but one whose very body emitted starlight as if containing the Milky Way.
Above Osian's head on such a horse, one small ring of stars was floating.
No, the gathering light concentrated above his head and became two.
Then the starlight centered on Osian became even more brilliant.
Enough to see properly even without using special lens functions.
It was a bizarre sight that Carbel had never seen before in his life.
Even in the data injected when he was replaced by machinery, nothing like this existed.
Witnessing an anomaly for the first time, Carbel's brain quickly worked to grasp the situation.
Even until two rings formed above his head, Osian wasn't moving.
The fact that he wasn't retreating to create distance but staying like that meant he must be preparing some kind of trump card himself.
'I don't know how many rings it needs to become, but it's dangerous to leave it be.'
Carbel's muzzle pointed at Osian.
The distance didn't matter. It was too easy to aim at a stationary target.
Though wearing sturdy armor, if he aimed for the head, he could crush it right there.
The targeting correction wasn't easy due to the pure white light mass, but it didn't matter.
It would take more time to gather the third one. If not for that, this side could stop it.
It was the moment when the slightly shaking muzzle became fixed.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he sensed Malina's presence.
'You mean to draw my attention, but it's useless.'
Even if Malina tries to interfere, her skills cannot damage this body.
Though Kudan was dangerous, using the kinetic barrier would suffice, and even now the charged Gauss cannon was keeping him in check.
In other words, there were no elements that could interfere with him at this moment.
"Remember that day?"
But surprisingly, the action Malina chose was not throwing weapons or manipulating shadows, but speaking in a fresh voice.
"When you noticed my betrayal and attacked me with your low-grade subordinates to make achievements, without even reporting to superiors."
He should ignore her words and pull the trigger without paying attention.
"Your expression when you came with your subordinates was so triumphant, it still makes me laugh thinking about it now. It was the end of a fool who rushed in without even gauging the opponent's skill."
He should pull the trigger but his finger won't move. His brain felt like it was being cooked with anger.
"When everyone died by my hand, you even begged for your life while spitting blood with your limbs torn apart."
Emergency sedatives were injected. The clear and strong drug flowing through his cerebrospinal cord tried to forcibly hold onto his reason.
"Though you hide your form in that huge tin can, to my eyes you're still just that idiot crying and begging in the pit. Why don't you beg again now like back then? I might forgive you this time."
[You damn bitch!]
But all that process couldn't overcome the hatred Carbel had harbored for decades.
Carbel's muzzle turned toward Malina, and the moment Malina showed a satisfied smile.
Carbel realized he had made an irreversible mistake.
-Clang!
Countless starlight formed the third ring above Osian's head.
The three rings of starlight resonated while shining as if interlocking with each other.
-Whoosh!
White flames spread across the Nebula Silk fluttering behind Osian's shoulders.
A brilliantly and hotly burning knight gazed at Carbel and the warhorse began to step forward.
First one step.
Then two or three steps.
The running speed rapidly accelerated instantly, becoming invisible to the eye.
Wrapped in light, it was a meteor running across the ground.
[This...!]
All of Carbel's muzzles pointed at Osian.
Even the charged Gauss cannon, everything. His instinct warned that this was no time to be selective.
-Dudududung! Phshing!
But before the gradually approaching meteor, his struggles were futile.
The bullets disappeared crumbling upon touching the light, and even the powerful Gauss cannon was enveloped in starlight and vanished.
[Maximum kinetic barrier!]
Carbel poured the entire machine's output into the kinetic barrier.
Even the endlessly spraying steam jets disappeared, and all that ether water energy flowed into the barrier.
The maximum output kinetic barrier spread semi-transparently as the meteor collided with it.
Bang───!!!
However, it easily pierced through despite maximizing the barrier output. Just touching it caused the center of the barrier to burst as if a tunnel had been drilled.
[Ah.]
Along with Carbel's short exclamation.
Crash───!!!!
A flash of light struck the center of the machine.