Chapter 269

Chapter 269

There is a mercenary of human origin on Planet Novus. A man who has shrouded himself in secrecy and survived countless battlefields.  

‘One-Man Army, Mushir al-Kashura.’  

Mushir al-Kashura is a figure who exists beyond the veil of mystery. His trail must be far more intricate and grand than I can imagine, just one of the countless secrets buried on Planet Novus.  

But what matters to me now is that he is my obstacle—my hindrance.  

Mushir al-Kashura was like a jagged rock that suddenly jutted out in my path—deadly and sharp. If I let my guard down, he would smash my skull without hesitation.  

Creak, krrrk.  

Mushir al-Kashura rose to his feet, the various actuators in his body letting out an eerie screech, as if crying out in agony.  

Clang!  

His back split open, and two pairs of auxiliary arms shot out.  

‘That’s intense.’  

I tightened my grip on Crucis while staring at Kashura’s glowing eyes and the extra limbs that extended from his frame.  

‘Mushir al-Kashura, the Brain Collector.’  

He was likely linking the brains he had gathered together, using them as a biological computer.  

‘The brain of an Akies Victima user would make for a highly efficient biocomputer.’  

For Kashura to have reached this point, there must have been a complex web of backgrounds and deals at play.  

Regardless, my immediate priority was survival.  

His armored prosthetic body was not too different from the ones I had defeated before. However, it wasn’t new—its outer shell bore the marks of past battles, suggesting it had been in use for quite some time.  

‘So he has multiple armored prosthetics.’  

He was switching them out as needed. Much like how Legions took on different forms depending on their function.  

“I’ve linked my finest brain for you. A far superior one compared to Valek’s.”  

Kashura introduced it almost proudly.  

The two pairs—four optical lenses—attached to his helmet scanned in different directions, and the alternating movements of his auxiliary arms made his appearance all the more grotesque.  

“……How considerate of you.”  

I blinked as I responded.  

“You will be my companion. For the next half-century, perhaps even a full century with proper care. It’s not a bad offer for you either. Join me, and we shall enjoy an immortal life together.”  

Kashura extended a hand toward me.  

“Somehow, I doubt your definition of immortality aligns with the conventional understanding.”  

His glowing eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharpening.  

“You’re stalling by indulging me in conversation. But to properly utilize Akies Victima, you’ll need to create a dynamic situation.”  

I simply shrugged.

There was nothing to hide anyway. Kashura must have expected my reinforcements as well. I had wanted to finish everything on my own, but that was no longer possible.  

“Fine.”  

Kashura grabbed the weapons stored throughout his prosthetic body. There were no high-powered arms or lethal killing devices—he instead pulled out blades like spears and swords, a pistol, and an electromagnetic net.  

‘He’s only trying to capture me alive.’  

Kashura’s goal was to sever my limbs and incapacitate me.  

Clang!  

He raised his spear and sword high, attempting to crash down on me.  

…And then, things started moving even faster than I had anticipated.  

Screeeeeeeech—!!  

From beyond the horizon, something streaked through the sky, spewing bright red flames and smoke. Dozens of missiles tore across the air.  

Even I hadn’t expected this. As expected, government forces operated on a different scale.  

“Hmm. Quite a gamble, Luka. How do you plan to deal with the aftermath?”  

Kashura spoke as if he could see straight through the horizon.  

“Putting out the fire in front of me comes first.”  

Kashura’s glowing eyes narrowed as he looked up at the sky. I didn’t take the chance to ambush him but instead turned my attention to the fallen Kinuan.  

‘Can I capture Kinuan before dealing with Kashura?’  

Kinuan was left with only his upper body, but he had teleportation abilities. Even with just his torso, he could still put up a serious fight.  

Shiiiiiiiing!  

The missiles in the sky adjusted their trajectories, their thrusters shifting in complex patterns as they locked onto their target. Once they fixed their direction, they roared forward like raging beasts.  

All of their warheads were homing in on Kashura.  

Kashura hadn’t anticipated the missile strike either—he hastily pulled out a high-powered weapon.  

Whiiiiirr!  

Amidst the chaos, blue particles began to converge around Kinuan’s body. It seemed he could still teleport.  

‘Kinuan’s retreating. It’s time for me to pull back as well.’  

I moved to create distance from Kashura. He seemed too preoccupied with calculating missile intercepts to focus on me.  

‘…Is retreat really the right choice?’  

If Kashura failed to intercept the missiles, I would be caught in the blast as well. His armored prosthetic body would survive the explosions, but I—  

‘Even a minor explosion could seriously wound or kill me. Kashura will have to intercept all the missiles for my sake, too.’  

The decision was complicated, but time was short.  

Kinuan had chosen to retreat via teleportation.  

As for me… I was going to attack Kashura right here and now.  

“You fool—!!”

One of Kashura’s glowing eyes locked onto me and widened.  

I charged at him without hesitation. The heavy blade of Crucis dragged low, scraping against the ground.  

‘If I want to kill Kashura, now’s my chance.’  

He had to intercept the incoming missiles. And this time, he would have to shoot down every single one—even the ones he would normally ignore. Otherwise, I would be caught in the explosion.  

If I wanted to defeat him, I had to take this gamble.  

Kiing!  

Kashura twisted his body halfway toward me.  

Giiiing!  

I raised my reloaded Ruina and fired.  

Kwa-BOOM!  

Kashura spread the gauntlets of his auxiliary arms wide, forming a makeshift shield to block the blast of the shock round.  

While the explosion erupted, I rushed toward his left side. I was within striking distance—one swing of Crucis, and I could reach him.  

Kashura released the firearm in his left hand and drew a sword.  

Kaaang!  

Crucis and Kashura’s blade clashed. He blocked my attack with a single arm while simultaneously focusing on intercepting the missiles.  

Giiiiing!  

Of the four glowing eyes on his helmet, the upper left one gleamed intensely, as if signaling an increased neural activation.  

Kiiing!  

The other eyes began to brighten in sync, resonating with the first.  

…And then, I experienced something bizarre.  

I was swinging my sword with everything I had. Desperately trying to slash at his head, his metal plating, the tangled mass of cables running through his body.  

I had steeled myself for the worst—that even if Kashura fell early and I got caught in the missile explosion, it didn’t matter. I was prepared to stake everything.  

‘Not a single hit is landing. He’s reading all my attacks.’  

A crushing sense of powerlessness crept up my spine—the same feeling I had occasionally experienced back in my cadet days.  

Kashura wielded his sword at an overwhelming speed, deflecting every single one of my unpredictable attacks. With just a single eye and a single arm.  

This wasn’t the same Kashura I had faced before. His skill had ascended to an entirely different level. I couldn’t even begin to think of a way to break through him.  

‘I made a mistake.’  

I realized what I had overlooked.  

‘Even Kinuan used his teleportation solely to escape.’  

Kinuan could have chosen to teleport behind Kashura or me and launch an attack. Instead, he had fled without hesitation.  

‘Because he knew Kashura’s current level was absurdly beyond us.’  

The moment Kinuan decided to run, I should have done the same.  

What held me back was… my aggression and thirst for battle.  

Even while engaging me, Kashura was simultaneously firing energy projectiles and anti-air rounds into the sky.  

Kwa-BOOM! Boom! Rumble…!  

The sky was ablaze. It was as if crimson thunder was crashing down.

Dozens of missiles exploded in midair. Not a single blast struck the ground.  

Kiiiiiik!  

Kashura pressed down, guiding my Crucis toward the ground by grinding his blade against mine, as if binding it in place.  

Whoooosh!  

The force of the aftershock sent fierce winds roaring through the battlefield.  

"Your greatest weakness is your reckless aggression. But if we become one, I can control it. Humans—no, people—must cooperate, compensating for each other's shortcomings. Alone, we are nothing but incomplete beings."  

Kashura spoke with something resembling a smile. His intense, gleaming eyes had calmed, now emitting a steady glow.  

'Those missiles belonged to the Federation.'  

Deputy Minister Ismael and the Strategic Weapons Research Department were moving. Direct support would be arriving soon.  

But the question was—could I hold out until then?  

Creak.  

Kashura took a step back, subtly lowering the sword in his left hand. His gaze turned toward the direction the missiles had come from.  

"Luka, I'll wait for your reinforcements to arrive. Once you're with me, I'll show you what we can accomplish together. It may be a brief respite, but you should close your eyes and clear your mind."  

…Was this arrogance? Or the composure of an absolute force?  

"If you're collecting brains, wouldn't it be better to secure Kinuan as well?"  

"You chose a question over rest, Luka. But the brain I need is not Kinuan’s—it's yours. After that fight, I’m certain. The lack of experience and excess aggression in your combat style are things I can refine. In terms of compatibility, you are the better choice. Kinuan is no longer a candidate."  

Kashura responded with polite clarity.  

"That was Kinuan’s plan all along. He intentionally set things up so that I would be the one to take the fall."  

"Even if it was a trap, your brain is superior to Kinuan’s. I’ve seen it firsthand and made my comparison. Even if I was used, securing you remains the optimal choice. When emotions are put aside, the range of possible decisions expands significantly."  

I had seen this kind of pragmatism during the Storm Era. The concept of allies and enemies was fluid, dictated by circumstances and necessity.  

'There’s no point in trying to appeal to Kashura’s emotions.'  

I pulled out my terminal and checked it. After steadying my breath, I spoke.  

"If you grant my request, I won’t run. I’ll face you head-on with the forces I’ve prepared."  

"I truly do like you, Luka. Your decisions often defy my expectations. That very difference between us is what will make our ‘complementation’ even stronger."

“A transport aircraft from Jafa Trading Company will be arriving here soon. Don’t shoot it down—just let it pass. They won’t interfere in our fight. Their only goal is to track down Kinuan, who ran away. The deal is over, so you have no reason to protect Kinuan anymore, do you?”  

Kashura slowly nodded.  

From the moment I had rushed out on my two-wheeled vehicle, I had fully opened my terminal’s network—ensuring that those watching me could track my location.  

‘Jafa Trading Company, Deputy Minister Ismael…’  

I sent a signal to En through my terminal. Jafa Trading Company’s target was solely Kinuan. The Equessian mercenaries would use Jafa’s resources to scour the area within dozens of kilometers, relentlessly tracking him down.  

Kiiiiiiing!  

A transport helicopter carrying En and the Equessian mercenaries roared across the sky. They ignored us completely and flew past.  

- So, Mushir al-Kashura has returned. He wasn’t part of the original plan.  

Deputy Minister Ismael’s voice rang through my earpiece.  

Beyond the horizon, combat MAUs began to emerge—four in total. Each was a different prototype from a different manufacturer, their designs and weaponry distinct. The only commonality was that they were all bipedal machines.  

“What about Sonsu Industries’ MAU?”  

- They claim technical issues prevented its deployment. A transparent excuse.  

I frowned. The most combat-effective prototype was missing from the field.  

- Well, this may actually work in our favor. If we recover Kashura’s remains here, we can move forward without Sonsu Industries in the equation.  

“That’s assuming we win. What about additional support?”  

- That missile strike alone has drained our quarterly budget… and not a single one even reached the ground. Do we stand a chance?  

If I said no, Ismael would withdraw without hesitation. But if I lied, he was sharp enough to see through it.  

I had sent Jafa Trading Company’s Equessian mercenaries to track Kinuan. And I had received backup from Ismael and the MAUs.  

‘I was prepared for destruction.’  

Receiving support from Jafa Trading Company and Ismael wasn’t enough to bring me to ruin.  

Only one faction had the power to bring me to the brink of annihilation.  

…I had stepped outside Border City and willingly revealed my location to Ivan Accretia.  

“The Empire’s Legion will be here soon.”  

Even Kashura, who had been calmly waiting, narrowed his glowing eyes at me and let out a single remark.  

“How utterly chaotic.”

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