Osian gazed quietly at the Puppeteer.
The black, sleek, streamlined body was massive, about 3 meters tall. Its legs were reverse-jointed, suitable for running fast, and its arms had an eerily long reach.
Even Osian, who had seen various automatons through many experiences, had never encountered this type before. It wasn't a mass-produced item from a factory. It was a custom-made piece crafted stitch by stitch with the full devotion of craftsmen and scientists.
'Above all, that agile-looking appearance.'
Anyone could see it was a special automaton designed for combat, specifically close combat. Who on earth would need to fight in close combat in a place like this?
[Hand over Cromwell. Then we'll let you go.]
"Appearing at such a time. Have you been watching from the beginning?"
"I had no choice. I was under their surveillance."
Cromwell casually uttered shocking words. Cromwell, who had been difficult to track and hiding thoroughly until now, had actually been living under surveillance and control by the city government.
What did it mean that Cromwell, who had been under control, had crossed the line? The fact that the Puppeteer appeared now most likely meant experimenting with artificial knights was the cause.
[And you said things that shouldn't have been said.]
"Oh my. I was taken hostage, but there's no consideration for mitigating circumstances?"
Though it was a joke, saying it with such a serious face made it not sound like a joke. Cromwell already knew this would happen and seemed to have half-accepted this situation.
"Then you just need to take me alone."
[No. Not just you. The order is to shut down this place itself.]
Cromwell frowned.
"Shut down the place? That means..."
[There should be no one in this place, including you.]
Leave no evidence. That also meant killing all the modified humans who followed Cromwell.
"Then it seems I'm included in that target as well."
When Osian stepped forward and spoke, the Puppeteer turned its red glow toward him.
[Fixer Osian. You may go.]
"Am I receiving special treatment? I thought it wouldn't be okay to let me go after learning truths I shouldn't know."
[You have the qualifications for that. But the others don't.]
Osian looked back. Beyond the line he had drawn, he could see the modified humans trembling in fear. Though they had gained bodies that transcended ordinary humans, they knew that they absolutely couldn't fight against the Puppeteer.
[Fixer Osian. Step back now. I'll allow you to take your companion as well.]
"What generous treatment, I don't know where to put myself."
Osian twisted his lips at the Puppeteer's words.
"But you know what, I'm afraid I can't do that."
The Puppeteer fell silent for a moment.
[What do you mean by that?]
"Exactly what it sounds like. I won't leave like this, and I won't hand over Cromwell either. I don't know about other things, but this guy is prey I caught myself."
[Are you saying you'll draw your sword against the city government now?]
"City government? You should speak properly. I’m drawing my sword against Deliphiros and the current king, aren't I?"
[Yes. I've been expecting a day like this would come eventually.]
"You look strangely pleased."
[I've been arguing that you should be eliminated for some time now. Now that this opportunity has come, how could I not be pleased?]
Hiss. Clank. Compressed ether water steam was ejected from the Puppeteer's automaton. Using ether water as fuel for automatons was no longer surprising.
"You brought such a special automaton assuming you'd fight me from the beginning, yet you're making excuses."
[I won't deny that. I thought that you would never back down even in a situation like this.]
"You seem to have put quite some effort into it, but you can't stop me with such scrap metal. You must know that."
[Of course. Even if this is a custom-made item to deal with you, I'm not foolish enough to rely on just this one thing.]
Whirr.
Red glows began to appear one by one behind the Puppeteer.
Clank. Clank. Clank. With busy sounds, black automatons walked forward. At a glance, there seemed to be more than twenty of them. That number kept increasing in real time.
Hissss. Thoom.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the ground. Osian narrowed his eyes. Crash. The ceiling collapsed and debris poured down. Dusty particles spread like a curtain. Through the gaps in the collapsed debris, something heavy and massive could be seen falling.
The giant machine raised its crouched body. Seeing its silhouette, Osian frowned.
"Now you're even bringing something like that?"
A giant similar to the one Battle Trench had created appeared. Battle Trench had disappeared, but their technology still remained. Since the city government had recovered it, it wouldn't be strange for the Puppeteer to know about it.
[It's been upgraded further.]
The Puppeteer's voice carried confidence. Indeed, the black giant raising its body looked much stronger than the ones he had fought before.
Even through the pierced ceiling, black metal tubes were floating and drifting about. They weren't for attack, but seemed to be something used for support.
'Indeed. Is this the true appearance of the person called the Puppeteer?'
The rumor that he could wage war single-handedly wasn't wrong. With enough automatons, he could truly demonstrate power worthy of an army.
[Can you fight against a legion?]
"What's the big deal about that? I've fought against the military before. And among the enemies I've fought, there were much more dangerous ones than that."
[Then try proving it.]
As soon as the Puppeteer finished speaking, the automatons simultaneously drew firearms from their backs.
Ratatatatatatata!
Large-caliber bullets illuminated the underground darkness. Simultaneously, a ring of light appeared above Osian's head.
Pop pop pop pop bang!
With flashing lights in mid-air, all the bullets exploded. They couldn't withstand the power of the solar barrier.
Osian immediately looked back.
"Seren. Take Cromwell and get out of here."
"You're telling me to save this guy now?"
"Then will you abandon him? They have no intention of leaving Cromwell alone. Even if they don't kill him, they might drag him somewhere we can't find him anymore. I trust you don't want to play more tedious hide-and-seek."
Seren bit her lip. The fact that she had to protect Cromwell from the Puppeteer was terribly disgusting, but thinking rationally, there was no one more suitable than her.
"Fine! Alright! I'll do it!"
"Good choice. Now retreat quickly. I have to play with that guy here."
Osian noticed the Puppeteer was up to new tricks.
[Special freezing rounds, replacement complete. Commence simultaneous firing.]
Thoom thoom thoom thoom thoom!
The automatons simultaneously changed their ammunition and resumed firing. What was shot were grenades containing pure white coolant. The grenades exploded in mid-air just before touching the solar barrier, scattering white powder and coldness around.
Hissss!
Intense cold swept in, enough to wash away the heat of the solar barrier. Simultaneously, capsules flew through the gaps. The magic stored in the capsules activated. Ice flowers, spikes, and storms of cold raged everywhere.
"Quite the money-wasting spectacle."
The automaton units were expensive, and the weapons used were extraordinary too. Just how astronomically expensive an amount had been spent to deal with him?
Whoosh!
Osian ignited his Starlight Sword inside the solar barrier. Now was the time to focus on the battle before his eyes.
Seren led Cromwell toward the depths of the laboratory.
"Serendipity. Or should I call you Seren Gracia?"
"Shut up! You just answer what I ask. There's an emergency escape route inside, right? There's no way you wouldn't have made something like that."
"There is one, but with surveillance in place, there will be forces waiting outside as well."
"Taking that into account, don't you think I wouldn't know there's another escape route?"
Cromwell obediently nodded.
"I did prepare for unforeseen circumstances. But it's not a perfect escape route. You'll have to accept risks. You might lose your life in the process."
"Rather than sitting still and waiting to die, I have to do something."
Seren's words seemed like she was muttering to herself.
"With your abilities, couldn't you get me out without anyone noticing?"
Seren glared at those words.
"Are you kidding right now? Only I can use this power."
"But it keeps getting stronger. It's the power to traverse dimensional rifts. There's no way it can only move one person."
"Use my power more here? Ha. Yeah, what if I die doing that? It would be nice since there'd be no one left to hold you hostage, right?"
"If that's how it sounded, I can't help it. I was just suggesting the safest way to escape in this situation."
"I'll make the decisions. You shut up and just guide the way."
Seren said that, but inside she couldn't hide her anxiety. She had barely made it this far. She had finally caught Cromwell. But the world didn't grant her rest. Deliphiros had stepped forward, the Puppeteer was moving, and they were trying to capture Cromwell.
Going deeper inside, she could see the cultivation room where the artificial knight was created. Knight Alpha Prime must have been made there. But now it was a meaningless place. Seren looked around.
"Where's the escape route?"
"This way."
One of the modified humans who had followed Seren spoke. He opened a secret passage hidden in one wall. Seren was about to escape immediately but paused for a moment.
'Wait. If the Puppeteer came here, what about the others?'
Osian wasn't the only one here. The knight order that trusted and followed him was also with him. The Puppeteer said he would only let Osian go. He didn't seem to intend to leave the knights here alone either. Even if he had intended to let them go quietly, now that he was fighting Osian, the knight order would have become targets for elimination too.
'I need to let them know about this.'
Seren considered using her ability to find them and warn them. But then, who would be holding onto Cromwell?
"You seem flustered."
Cromwell was seeing through Seren's psychology.
"Are you worried about your companions who came with you?"
"Be quiet. Those people aren't my companions."
"But you're concerned about them. I thought you'd only be cold and ruthless to capture me, but you have an unexpectedly soft side."
"So what!"
Seren struck Cromwell's cheek with her fist. Cromwell's head turned, and the modified humans were startled and tried to approach. It was Cromwell himself who stopped those modified humans.
"Stop."
"B-but Doctor!"
"Stay still."
Cromwell, who had calmed the modified humans, gazed at Seren and said:
"It seems something can't be done with that ability?"
"What?"
"I've been curious for a while. How exactly did you find this laboratory where I was? The security here is thorough despite appearances, and there was no reason for information to leak. No matter how excellent your ability is, you couldn't have figured out that I was making Knight Alpha Prime."
"What are you trying to say?"
"When I sent the artificial knight, you were already going to warn that man named Osian. How did you know about my secret experimental subject that was being unveiled for the first time? As if you had come from seeing the future, so vividly."
"..."
Seren closed her mouth. It wasn't because of the strange heat in Cromwell's eyes. It was because he was gradually approaching the truth she had been hiding.
"Dimensional rifts, that's the power to interfere with space. But is it really just space? What about the continuity of time? When spatial abilities expand, wouldn't it be possible to touch timelines too? Thinking that way, the blurry answer became clear. In other words, Seren Gracia. You can see other timelines."
"...So what if I can?"
"If that's the case, couldn't you check whether or not the things you're worried about will happen?"
Seren clenched her fists tight. The modified humans watched the scene tensely. They were worried she might hit Cromwell again.
"I can't. This is also an ability I only recently became aware of. Even that, I can't control."
"Can't control it. Is the power getting stronger and going out of control?"
"Why? Is it so funny that I'm dying?"
"No. That's not it. It's rather the opposite."
Cromwell said:
"I thought of a way to resolve the side effects of your ability."