Chapter 270

Chapter 270

An inferior weakling must create a "variable" to confront the strong.  

Akies Victima exerts its power in situations that are impossible to predict. The deeper the chaos, the greater the advantage.  

The darkness of chaos was growing thicker.  

It had started as chaos between me and Kinuan. We engaged in a battle of wits, trying to predict each other's moves. To break our opponent’s expectations, we boldly revealed our cards, injecting variables into reality.  

'To steer the direction of chaos more favorably.'  

Against most opponents, even a small dose of chaos would be enough to secure an advantageous position and achieve the goal.  

However, Kinuan and I were both skilled in Akies Victima. We could read each other too easily, and to catch the other off guard, we had to introduce variables that defied common sense.  

Thus, we gambled repeatedly—over and over again.  

It was like loading five bullets into a six-shot revolver, pressing it against my temple, and pulling the trigger.  

Only by surviving this perilous gamble countless times could we accomplish our goal.  

If we failed even once in the process, we would be devoured by the very chaos and confusion we had created. That was our rule.  

My trump card was the Empire.  

I had dragged the Empire into the center of this chaos.  

'Ivan won’t miss the chance to get his hands on me.'  

Right now, I was outside Border City, and the situation was in turmoil. It was the perfect time to take me away.  

The Emperor’s Shadow Legion, the Federation’s prototype MAU, Mushir al-Kashura, and me—Luka.  

Powerful factions with differing objectives had converged in one place. Amidst the tangled web of conflicting interests, I had to find the right answer.  

Whirrrrr.  

Mushir al-Kashura gazed up at the sky. The clear heavens shimmered.  

'An unbelievable monster.'  

Ordinarily, Akies Victima was incompatible with power armor prosthetics. Power armor prosthetics consumed an immense amount of the brain’s resources and computational capacity.  

However, Mushir al-Kashura overcame this weakness by using multiple brains. He possessed the combat prowess of power armor prosthetics while also utilizing Akies Victima.  

'Just as Barbara can easily transfer into another’s body, the ability to integrate and control multiple brains is unique to Kashura.'  

If such soldiers could be trained or bioengineered, the Empire would have already done so. It was likely a trait unique to him.  

Even upon hearing that the Empire’s Legion was approaching, Kashura remained still, and Ismael’s MAUs maintained their standoff from a distance.  

'Cunning, Ismael.'

Ismael had no intention of clashing head-on with Kashura like this. He had also realized that Kashura’s combat capabilities were different from last time. As a high-ranking official of the Federation, he had likely reviewed Kashura’s battle records.  

‘If he loses the prototype MAUs here for nothing, Ismael’s career is over. He has no choice but to be cautious.’  

With a deafening roar, a dark dot came to a halt in the sky. It was the Empire’s high-speed transport aircraft.  

Legions would soon descend. Ivan would deploy the fastest available Imperial forces here.  

"Luka, I hope you won’t strain your brain any further in this battle. I’d like to preserve that precious mind of yours for as long as possible."  

"I appreciate the patience, but that won’t be possible."  

I descended, alternating between Crucis and Ruina. I was ready to fight at any moment.  

‘In the worst-case scenario, I…’  

I had no intention of living for decades as spare parts for that monster. I was prepared to press a gun against my own head and pull the trigger.  

"Hm, I expected that answer. And if push comes to shove, you’re thinking of killing yourself, aren’t you? That would be just like you. So, let me make you an offer. You’re looking for Miss Giselle Custoria, aren’t you?"  

My eyebrow must have twitched. Right now, controlling my emotions was difficult.  

‘I can’t listen to what he says next.’  

But there was no way for me to stop his words. This was the plight of the weak.  

"I will find Miss Giselle Custoria for you."  

"Hah. Even the rulers of an entire planet and intelligence agents who control the lives of millions don’t know where she is."  

I let out a scoff, mocking him. However, it seemed Mushir al-Kashura really had a way.  

"There is a method beyond your imagination. Hoo, hoo, hoo. And now, all the key players of the stage have gathered."  

Kashura let out a mechanical laugh, then accelerated backward on the wheels attached to his feet.  

Kwa-ANG!  

An explosion erupted where Kashura had just been standing. A shot had been fired from the sky.  

Shiiiiiii!  

Five dark Legions were descending from above. The Emperor’s Shadow Legion. They landed with their waists and knees bent.  

Kuuuuung! Kung!  

Their pitch-black cloaks billowed as if they were wailing. Their red lenses flickered as they alternated their gaze between me and Kashura.  

The Legions positioned themselves between me and Kashura, as if to shield me.  

Whip!  

One of the Legions tossed me a communicator. I attached it to my ear.  

Chzzzt. Chzzzt.

The Empire’s highest-security communication line had opened. The external circuit of the communicator was glowing red-hot. To avoid interception, the line was likely switching frequencies thousands of times per second.  

- A desperate moment, Luka. You needed my help after all?  

The constantly shifting frequency distorted the voice, but not even the interference could erase the elegance of Ivan’s tone.  

"You didn’t trust me and sent the Shadows on your own, didn’t you?"  

- Haha, let’s not play word games. You came to Border City knowing I’d send people. In a situation like this, I have every justification to take you away.  

"The Kinuan you’ve been searching for is nearby, gravely injured."  

- I know. I’ve already sent another team to handle it.  

I flinched. The Imperial forces might end up clashing with the Equessian mercenaries. That wasn’t what I wanted.  

"You promised me freedom if I captured him."  

- Well, if he’s caught here, then I’m the one who captured him. Not you.  

I expected as much. From the beginning, even if I handed over Kinuan with my own hands, Ivan was never someone who would grant me freedom. If he had been someone I could trust, I would have returned to the Empire long ago.  

"I lured him in, Your Majesty," I muttered meaninglessly.  

- I’d love to continue this conversation, but you’re facing Mushir al-Kashura. One of Novus’s biggest headaches…  

Ivan’s next words weren’t meant for me, but for the Shadows.  

- …Loyal and sacred guardians. Subdue this chaos and, in the name of order, bring Lukaos Custoria before me. Eliminate all obstacles.  

The largest of the Shadow Legion stepped firmly in front of me, raising a shield.  

- From here on, this is not your fight. Personal violence has no meaning here.  

I couldn’t bring myself to deny those words.  

Yes, I knew it too. What followed was chaos beyond my control.  

…The chaos I had created had slipped from my grasp.  

The "war" I had ignited had begun. Both the Legion and the MAUs were weapons of the state.  

The sheer number of explosions rendered any attempt to describe them meaningless. The battlefield was engulfed in brilliant eruptions, making it nearly impossible to distinguish friend from foe with the naked eye.  

The Shadow Legion and the prototype MAUs formed an unspoken alliance. Even without words, they understood that Mushir al-Kashura was the top priority.  

Energy projectiles and high-explosive rounds tore through the ground and consumed the air. The land was turning into a blackened wasteland.  

‘The violence of nations.’

Even that Kinuan was ultimately an individual. He had waited decades for a single moment that would shake the empire.  

The violence of a state is absolute. No individual's power can surpass the violence of a state. That is a fundamental condition for a state's existence.  

'The One-Man Army, Mushir al-Kashura.'  

Now I understood why Ivan had called Kashura a headache.  

'Kashura is an existence that should not be tolerated from a state's perspective.'  

An individual was withstanding the violence of a state. To be precise, he was not exactly an "individual." Mushir al-Kashura was an entire collective.  

'A military force that exists alone, outside the state's protection.'  

That was Kashura. Of course, he was bound by various constraints in normal circumstances—enough that I could take him down—but at its peak combat strength, Kashura was a force even states had to be wary of.  

Drones separated from Kashura’s armored prosthetic body floated in the sky. They roamed the battlefield as if possessing their own will, simultaneously attacking and defending.  

The electronic system missiles of the MAUs seemed to be hacked by the drones, causing them to crash or even turn their propulsion systems against their own forces. Some missiles even fell onto the Legions.  

'It’s a superior hacker’s brain inside a metal box.'  

Kashura’s positioning and movement were optimized in a way unique to Akies Victima. Others might not understand his positioning, but... to me, it was the correct answer.  

Despite being bulkier than the Legions, Kashura skillfully evaded attacks. Some of the Legions drew their spears and swords, attempting close combat.  

Kiing, King!  

Two of Kashura’s auxiliary arms unsheathed dual swords, engaging the Legions in melee combat. At the same time, his other arms wielded firearms, carrying out ranged attacks.  

Kiiiiiiiing!  

Kashura’s monomolecular blade sliced through the waist of a Legion unit.  

Charruruk!  

He then sheathed the blade, now stripped of its monomolecular coating, into his thigh. After five seconds, the blade extended once more.  

'He applied monomolecular coating on the spot.'  

Right there on the battlefield, he had recoated his blade with monomolecular coating. Since it was a quick application, the weapon seemed slightly weaker than before, but it compensated for the inherent fragility of monomolecular coatings.  

Tu-kang! Tung!  

Kashura fired his shoulder-mounted sniper cannon twice in succession. Although it was a consecutive barrage, the trajectories of the shells were completely different.  

A high-speed maneuvering MAU, tracing a circular path, had its cockpit pierced. The first shot had been dodged, but the second had predicted and intercepted the escape route.  

The MAU, its pilot struck, lost balance and tumbled to the ground.  

…Around this time, I realized.  

'My gamble has failed.'

I had lost Kinuan as well. The forces I had brought were being utterly devastated by Kashura.  

Kashura wasn’t just enduring the coordinated attacks with overwhelming skill—he was launching counterattacks of his own.  

'I thought the worst possible outcome was getting captured by the Empire, or being defeated and killed or taken prisoner by Kinuan.'  

Being caught by Kashura was never a scenario I had considered.  

The world is an endless sequence of unpredictable events and outcomes. Another lesson learned today, Luka.  

Click.  

My fingers clenched tighter around Ruina.  

'Giselle.'  

Kashura had said he would find Giselle. Those words pulled at my resolve.  

Static.  

Interference crackled through the Empire’s communications device.  

- Luka! I’ll be there in 12 seconds. Get ready to run.  

Ilay’s voice came through the communicator.  

Boom!  

The Legion unit that had been guarding me rushed forward, blocking Kashura’s line of sight.  

Kiiiiiii!  

At the same time, a sharp noise rang out from behind. Ilay and his subordinates were approaching aboard an airborne two-wheeled vehicle.  

'Ilay Carthica.'  

Ilay was coming this way, with five of his men.  

'Is he following Ivan’s orders, Ilay?'  

I wanted to ask.  

'The team searching for Kinuan must have been Ilay’s.'  

It was the other team Ivan had mentioned, the one looking for Kinuan.  

'So did Ivan withdraw the search order and prioritize extracting me instead?'  

No matter how capable Ilay was, he couldn’t just whisk me away in plain sight. Not with five of his subordinates watching.  

- Trust me, Luka. Just this once.  

Ilay spoke as if he knew I was hesitating.  

…Damn it, I didn’t have any other options anyway.  

Ilay extended his arm outward as he sped toward me.  

Kashura, noticing the movement, opened fire on Ilay’s unit.  

The Legions threw themselves into the line of fire, using their bodies as shields to block Kashura’s attacks and suppress further gunfire.  

Kiiiiiiing!  

Ilay’s airborne two-wheeler skimmed the ground as it approached.  

I shut my eyes for a brief moment before reaching out.  

Smack!  

Ilay’s prosthetic hand grabbed mine and yanked me up.  

Skreeeeech!  

The moment I climbed aboard, Ilay swiftly tilted the vehicle, altering its trajectory. The scraping sound from the underside was deafening.  

Vrrrrrm!  

But the airborne two-wheeler changed direction with astonishing maneuverability, hovering low to the ground. Its acceleration barely faltered, though the underside wobbled oddly.  

“This thing’s got a Corite anti-gravity engine. Pretty sick, huh?”  

“Save the bragging for later. Just drive! He’s coming.”  

I twisted around in the backseat, aiming Ruina.  

Screeech! Crack!  

Mushir al-Kashura was cutting down and knocking aside the Shadow Legions that lunged at him. He ignored the long-range attacks from the MAUs, his focus locked onto us.

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