Bad Born Blood - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Blood streamed down the face of Claude, whose head was impaled by the spear. Though his brain had ceased, his body trembled with residual signals, like the last echoes of consciousness.

There was no time for prayers.

*Buzz.*

The spear embedded in Claude’s head glowed once more. That light was Force Aura. A thin thread of the aura connected it to the knight’s hand. With the knight’s body encased in armor, it was nearly impossible to distinguish what was serving as the Force’s catalyst.

The spear of the Holy Knight shimmered again, transforming back into light, and withdrew from Claude’s head.

*Swish!*

The light slashed through the air. The spear, now in physical form again, returned to the knight’s hand.

*Creak, creak.*

A headache flared up. My right cybernetic eye switched to combat mode, attempting to predict the spear’s trajectory. All it produced was a flood of errors.

There was no way to calculate it. The Force’s powers, which defied physical laws, were beyond computation. The Holy Knight of the Holy Nation of Cora distorted space and transformed matter into light.

‘Forget these meaningless calculations.’

I dismissed the trajectory prediction function of my right eye and shut it off. I had to rely on my instincts and intuition, not the computer’s calculations.

*Bang!*

A gunshot rang out. Cadets who were covering Claude and me opened fire. They tried to maneuver closer to my position while shooting.

We were competent soldiers, but fully armored Holy Knights were not foes we could handle with our combat abilities. His combat prowess rivaled that of an Imperial Guard equipped with the Legion.

Even if we tried to escape, there was no escaping the Holy Knight’s reach. We had to fight to buy time.

‘The Imperial Guard reinforcements will come.’

An Imperial Guard member observing us was likely on their way right now. The wait would last only a few seconds, but each of those seconds felt unbearably long.

*Buzz!*

The Holy Knight’s spear was glowing once more. It was hard to tell when to dodge, even though I saw it coming. But I couldn’t hesitate.

I crouched down, tucking my body and legs in. Then, I dove to the side, rolling away instinctively.

*Whoosh!*

The spear appeared where my head had just been. The trailing glow of Force lingered behind it like a tail.

I wanted to check the Holy Knight’s next move, but even dodging the spear aimed at my back was overwhelming.

*Creak!*

The floating spear spun around, changing direction. Its tip was now aimed at me. It seemed impossible to dodge this time. After Claude, I would be the next to die.

…Yes. I had lost this battle before it even began. I had believed I couldn’t withstand this enemy and had only run, cornered into a dead-end. Like a pig being led to slaughter.

When the enemy swung their sword, I had to swing mine. That was the way to survive on the battlefield. Showing your back only meant a bullet in the back of your head.

I gripped the hilt with both hands. Underneath the synthetic skin, the circuits of my prosthetic arm glowed a deep red, like blood vessels. I pushed my output to the maximum.

Before that spear disappears… I would strike first.

*Ka-ang!*

I advanced and slashed at the spear hanging in mid-air. It was before the light of the Force fully enveloped it.

*Crash!*

My interference triggered a Force explosion. The spear, having lost control, spun wildly before embedding itself in the ground.

*Crackle, crackle.*

The synthetic skin on my prosthetic arm peeled off in layers. My fingers, caught in the explosion, were broken, twisted, and left tattered. Current sparks flew from exposed wires.

‘The spear has stopped for now.’

It looked like the connection between the Holy Knight and the spear had been severed. I turned my gaze toward the Holy Knight.

*Shing.*

The Holy Knight pulled out a sword instead of the spear and lowered it. Light surrounded the blade.

*Whoosh!*

He swung the sword through the air repeatedly. The trail of the blade formed crescents of light, gathering into the shape of a crescent moon. There were three crescent blades in total. As soon as they took full form, they cut across the ground, racing forward.

I opened my eyes wide. This was easier to predict than the spear. I thought I could dodge it.

But this time, it wasn’t aimed at me. The crescent blades descended on the cadets who were covering me. From behind, groans and low screams escaped. I couldn’t tell how many were hit or killed.

All of this happened in less than ten seconds. Each second felt unbearably long.

Just as defeat began to feel inevitable, the rescuer we’d been waiting for arrived.

*Bang!*

An explosion struck beside the Holy Knight’s head, filling the air with thick, acrid smoke.

*Screech, screech.*

I moved my pupils toward the sound. Eyes glowing red emerged, cutting through the underbrush.

A member of the Imperial Guard, equipped with the Legion combat exoskeleton, appeared at the ruins. Stripped of all unnecessary and weak organs, this being was a weapon unto itself. The armor seemed to move with a life of its own.

My right cybernetic eye recognized the Imperial Guard. Information flashed before my eyes.

The Imperial Guard’s standard combat exoskeleton, Legion, model designation: Hector. The pinnacle of the Empire’s advanced technology had appeared in this place.

*Whooosh.*

The cloak that shrouded Legion’s frame fluttered. Its limbs were long, and its waist was narrow. It had no digestive organs, and, naturally, no mouth.

The Legion combat exoskeleton, with its armored form, had no human face and could not display expressions. As a result, it showed not even a hint of emotion. There were no parts or functions for eating, sleeping, or reproduction.

Though designed purely for combat without regard for human activities, the Legion exoskeleton seemed to retain a fierce instinct for battle. It was a weapon that pursued extreme practicality and efficiency in warfare.

*Thunk!*

The Imperial Guard, Legion, extended his hand and pulled the trigger. In his hand was a crude revolver. It was called a handgun, but its caliber and power were on par with artillery rounds.

*Boom!*

The bullet fired by the Imperial Guard struck the Holy Knight repeatedly. Yet, the knight appeared largely unharmed. Each explosion triggered a faint, translucent glow from his Force shield. The blue-and-white armor showed not even a smudge.

*Click.*

The Imperial Guard tossed the gun to the ground, then reached toward his back.

*Creak!*

A weapon latch on his back opened, and the axe-spear, hidden under his cloak, emerged with a massive presence. He swung the weapon, which was as large as his own body, with ease.

*Thud!*

The Imperial Guard brought the blade of the axe-spear down to the ground and started striding toward the Holy Knight.

*Vreeeeng!*

The Holy Knight advanced with his sword, as if moving to meet the Imperial Guard. The knight was a head shorter than the Imperial Guard, yet the intimidating aura of his Force, visible as an aura of light, made him seem equally imposing.

The two monsters exchanged no words. They acted as if it were only natural to consider each other mortal enemies. Only murderous intent and animosity passed between them.

*Ka-ang!*

The Imperial Guard’s axe-spear collided with the Holy Knight’s sword. Blue sparks and red embers burst forth, scattering toward each other. The movements of their weapons and arms were so swift they were nearly impossible to track. Their sounds and movements even fell out of sync.

*Crack!*

The Holy Knight’s shoulder armor shattered under the impact of the axe-spear.

*Screech!*

The sword sliced across the Imperial Guard’s chest. The metallic exterior tore like fabric.

*Crash!*

The axe-spear and the sword clashed head-on, and a struggle of strength began.

*Screeee-!*

The Imperial Guard gripped the axe-spear with one hand and began pushing the Holy Knight back. The Holy Knight’s body staggered, bending backward as though he might fall. The mechanical strength of the Imperial Guard seemed to give him the advantage.

*Crack!*

The Imperial Guard reached out with his free hand and grasped the Holy Knight’s face. A grinding sound came from the Holy Knight’s helmet as the metal dented. He seemed ready to crush the skull and seize the brain within.

At a glance, it seemed like the Imperial Guard was winning. But the Holy Knight pulled one of his hands away from the hilt, leaving just one hand gripping his sword. Even with only one hand, he was still holding his ground.

The knight, who had been losing ground with both hands, was now holding steady with just one. Something was off.

‘A feint?’

That thought crossed my mind.

The Holy Knight was pretending to be pushed back. He was angling to exploit an opening, even if it meant exposing his head. These two monsters were so evenly matched that he had to take such a gamble to stand a chance.

*Whoosh!*

The Holy Knight moved his free hand. His fingers twitched, re-establishing a Force Aura link with the spear that had flown away. If the spear was once again bound to his Force Aura, it would soon return to its luminous form.

I had to stop the knight from controlling the spear.

I tried to grip my sword, but all my fingers were shattered; I couldn’t hold it.

*Buzz!*

While I hesitated, the spear embedded in the ground started to tremble, then rose up. The light around it intensified, enveloping the spear. It would soon aim for the Imperial Guard’s head.

…Today, luck just wasn’t on my side. An extreme solution came to mind.

The only things I had left were my legs. I didn’t even have time to sigh. I braced myself against the ground and leapt, spinning through the air.

As I rotated mid-air, I brought my heel down hard on the spear shaft.

*Screeeech!*

With my powerful strike, the spear wobbled, tipping to the side. But the light enveloping the spear started crawling up my leg, spreading cracks of light through it like an infection.

At any moment, my foot could explode.

*Shraaah!*

The spear, covered in light, disappeared. The resulting explosion threw me to the ground, and I rolled, hearing the sound of bones breaking all over my body.

Lying on the ground, I moved only my eyes, trying to assess the situation.

‘What happened?’

The spear had grazed past the Imperial Guard’s head. It had missed. My interference had helped, it seemed.

*Crack! Crack!*

The helmet clutched in the Imperial Guard’s grip was crushed, almost reduced to half its size. From the gaps in the helmet, red blood was trickling down. Victory was within the Imperial Guard’s grasp.

*Vreeeeng!*

The light around the Holy Knight’s armor was fading. But in exchange, the glow of Force in his left hand grew even stronger.

The Holy Knight extended his light-wrapped hand toward the side of the Imperial Guard’s head. The Imperial Guard tried to tilt his head back to dodge, but the explosion was faster.

*Boom!*

A Force explosion at point-blank range. The impact was so immense that even the Holy Knight was caught in it. It was, quite literally, a move of mutual destruction.

The ground trembled as dust and smoke billowed upward.

*Clang! Clang!*

Before the smoke had even settled, I heard the sound of metal colliding and crumpling.

“Ah…”

As the echoes of the explosion faded, everything came into sharp focus. I opened my blood-filled mouth, stunned at the strange scene before me.

The Holy Knight’s left arm had been consumed in his own explosion, vaporized all the way to the shoulder.

Then my gaze fixed on the Imperial Guard. At first, I didn’t immediately understand what I was seeing.

*Crack! Crunch!*

The Imperial Guard had mounted the Holy Knight, mercilessly pummeling his helmet with his fists. The crushed helmet had flattened, resembling a tray. Broken skull fragments and flesh smeared the Imperial Guard’s fists, turning to a mushy pulp.

It wasn’t the brutality of the scene that shocked me. The reason I couldn’t look away lay elsewhere.

‘The Imperial Guard… has no head?’

The Imperial Guard’s head had been blown away in the Force explosion, leaving only part of his neck and lower jaw. His final biological component, the brain, was gone. In other words… the Imperial Guard was biologically dead.

And yet, Legion was still moving.

*Ooooooo…*

The Imperial Guard let out a roar of victory. A hollow cry resounded, reverberating through his throat. Even without a brain, the Imperial Guard did not cease his struggle.

*Screeeech!*

The Imperial Guard rose to his feet.

Cybernetic prosthetics often continue to move through residual signals, even after losing their brain. But this Imperial Guard was not moving through residual signals.

*Creak, creak.*

The Legion combat exoskeleton walked forward. With no human brain to control it, the movement of its limbs was awkward, yet it was clearly driven by some kind of will.

I felt a visceral sense of repulsion. Looking at that sight, an unbearable loathing stirred within me.

It felt as if the human mind wasn’t the master controlling the mechanical body but rather just another part—a mere component—of the machine.

The Imperial Guard stood over my fallen head, reaching out his hand as if to lift me up. He didn’t seem to know that he was already dead. If ghosts existed, would they look like this…?

I didn’t take the Imperial Guard’s hand. Instead, I spoke words that I probably shouldn’t have.

“…Are you really still alive, even in that state?”

The Imperial Guard flinched. He raised a hand, as if trying to feel his own head.

*Swish! Swish!*

His hand swept through empty air.

Only then did he seem to realize that his head was gone. He continued to swipe at the place where his head used to be, then let out a scream.

*Ooooooo…*

The hollow sound that escaped his throat was hoarse, the voice lost along with his vocal cords.

*Thud!*

The Imperial Guard knelt down and collapsed beside my head. He had lost the final piece of his natural body. The moment he became aware of that, he met his complete death. All signals from the computational device that had been assisting his prosthetic movements ceased.

“I… all this time…”

Lying there, I looked up at the headless Imperial Guard.

“…was this the kind of monster I wanted to become?”

Undergoing full-body mechanization, eventually being granted Legion, the symbol of the Imperial Guard—it had been my only goal in life. But for the first time, a different thought surfaced.

Legion might not be liberation from a weak body; it might be a prison for the mind.

How dangerous, Luka.