Chapter 205

Drat!
In response to a hail of 5.56mm rounds from the flank, Heinrich slid back.
His shoulder brushed against the stone wall, which had been heated by the flames a moment ago. He pushed and pushed and pushed, until he was pushed up against the wall, and he planted his right foot against it, pushing through the searing pain.
‘Again, mid-range is unfavorable…….’
I was about to rush it in one breath.
Somewhere along the way, Kim got rid of the submachine gun and created another weapon. Heinrich’s eyes widened as soon as he recognized its distinctive appearance: a long hose connected to a fuel tank.
“You crazy bastard!
Chapter Aaaaahhhhhhh!
The flamethrower breathed furiously against the wall.
Heinrich quickly slid across the ground to avoid the blow. The flames were a threat, but so was the poisonous gas. He needed to stop it quickly, if only for a second.
He approached from a low stance and extended the tip of his blade. The mist followed the blow a step too late, but this time it could only cut into the air.
Kim threw away his weapon before the spell could be suppressed. The amount of heavy weaponry he pulled out was not a waste. He pulls out his pistol and fires as he retreats.
He seemed to be speaking at random, but targeting different areas.
The first shot is the hands. Then the abdomen, then the thighs, then the shoulders, then the arms. Even the slightest shift in aim was enough to make it difficult to cope. Some of the most skilled swordsmen can even cut bullets, but there are degrees.
Ambiguous close range, not reaching the sword. Shoots from the top down. Creepily accurate aim. Aiming at the corners of the body that cannot be defended with a sword due to anatomy.
Heinrich spun in an almost faltering position and shook off the shot. No, “shook off” is an understatement. Unaccounted-for bullets whizzed past his limbs.
The gap this creates.
Heinrich’s gap, not Kim’s. Whether you’re attacking or defending, there’s inevitably a delay after a big move. Unlike a gun, you have to use your whole body to wield a sword.
But sometimes a gap is an opportunity.
“Give me the flesh and hit the bone.
In their previous exchanges, Heinrich has gotten a feel for Kim’s skills. This is not an opponent who can be defeated without damage. The sloping stairs and the debris underfoot also worked against him.
It’s better to take a loss once than to keep getting chipped away at.
Heinrich tenses his muscles in preparation for a counterattack, keeping his head hidden. He may not be able to dodge perfectly, but he can at least give one shoulder. I’ll take your neck in return.
But the muzzle was pointed in the wrong direction.
As if he had read Heinrich’s mind.
“This……!”
Just before the shot rang out, Heinrich rolled out of his crouch. As soon as his right arm dropped, the muzzle of the gun burst into flames. Swung in a half-circle, the sword cut the bullet aimed at the Emperor midway.
Reaction time and fuselage vision beyond human comprehension. Predictions based on years of experience and innate senses. A swordsmanship that has reached the level of a divine skill, combining many elements.
It was a feat that would have been admired by anyone, but not by me.
Even he, who prioritizes the end over the means, blurted out the words without thinking.
“Damn, what a messy fight…!”
“All of a sudden, they’re raving.”
It was the first enemy of its kind I’d ever encountered in my long life.
“Was this guy, Hyun, really that much of a monster?
Its reactions are as sharp as its swords. Cunning and daring in equal measure. They are quick on their feet, making quick decisions in the heat of battle.
There are too many hands to consider. Extreme anomaly. Blades and axes fly at you as you dodge gunfire, and shields pop out of nowhere as you try to take up space.
His spellcasting is ridiculously fast. Heinrich’s spells were hard to keep up with as he constantly switched positions, drew different weapons, and mixed in paint.
Of course, if it was one-on-one in an open space, the composition would be completely different, but that’s a useless assumption. The current situation itself was created by Kim’s hands.
In short, initiative.
Kim never relinquished the initiative.
Ever since the day we raided the prisoner convoy.
“Asteriske!”
Asterique shouted, and he sprinted off, the task force long since reduced to charcoal. While the nature of her abilities made it difficult for her to actively participate in combat, there was always a role for her to play.
Her toes naturally turned toward the Emperor, even though she hadn’t been told otherwise. The [Vibranium Composite Sword] once again surged with heat.
The Emperor has the ability to defend himself, but it’s only a ‘skill’. It has no place here. Heinrich twisted his upper body to block.
Bam!
With little time to spare, a shotgun appeared in Kim’s hand.
“Off……!”
A loud burst of fire pounded Heinrich’s side. The sword shot out like a bullet, its trajectory twisted. Asterike’s blade sliced into his arm, sending droplets of blood flying.
Asterike frowned, but didn’t stop walking. The fog doused the flames again. The fact that it distracted Heinrich was credit enough.
Also, she is a Pekatum before she is an Able.
Boom!
“Pole, ewww…!”
He grabbed the emperor by the back of his head as he tried to flee and pushed him against the wall. With that, the emperor offered no resistance. Unless Heinrich could subdue Kim Yi Hyun, this was a foregone conclusion.
“Your Majesty!”
When the Emperor’s life was in danger, Heinrich ignored Kim and rushed to Asterike’s side. The act of showing his back to the enemy. It was loyalty, or perhaps an obsession.
Which is closer to the truth.
For Kim, it was probably a good thing.
To him, it was a weakness.
Bang, bang!
A bullet to the bare back.
One foot, Heinrich stumbled. Two shots, his knees buckled. A third, and he fell to the ground. Still holding onto the hilt of his sword, Heinrich’s courage was truly chivalrous.
Kukuk.
He stomped on Heinrich’s back and pointed a shotgun at his head.
“Lungs, ha…….”
Bang-!
The acrid smoke of Chapter rose up to near his nose. Once Kim was sure the enemy was dead, he turned away. The emperor, pinned against the wall, was looking this way.
“You still have those stupid eyes.”
Emotionless eyes. Even as he watched his old friend and loyalist die before his eyes. Even though his own death is so close, he seems unmoved by it.
A long life, but shorter than Vidia’s. The Emperor was already worn down, though not to the point of losing his humanity, a side effect of the Parasite Factor.
“I’m starting to think Kushan is a bastard.”
He threw away his shotgun, which was out of bullets, and drew a pistol from his waistband.
When I put my index finger on the trigger, the Emperor slowly opened his mouth.
“Kim Yi-hyun, your existence has always been questionable.”
“Well, that’s who.”
“Let’s stop pretending it’s not funny.”
Kim just shrugged.
I didn’t see the point in matching.
The Emperor didn’t seem to want an answer, either.
“It was in Kilikia that I first heard the news. I thought the Legion had tripped over a boulder. He survived, and survived, and survived, until he became an eyesore.”
He lamented in a flat tone.
“I should have nipped it in the bud.”
A will that’s not much different from those who went before.
It was the moment I aimed for the head and brought the hammer down.
Click, click, click!
Footsteps echoed through the gunfire and explosions outside. A shadow descended from the top of the stairs, and when he squinted in that direction, he saw a familiar face.
“You’re here.”
Maximilian Zeldorf.
The imperial firstborn showed no fear in the face of the disaster before him. The sight of Heinrich’s body startled him, but only for a moment. His breathing, ragged from running, quickly stabilized.
From his reaction, the emperor understood the truth.
“Maximilian, you’ve done something stupid.”
“…….”
“Say something.”
Their red eyes reflected each other.
“Do you dare to take on an empire?”
All the years of the Emperor’s life were contained in his bland words. He had long been the man who held Shiran together. He was a wise and wise ruler, at least to his subjects.
“Can you, who can’t see a single step ahead, elevate the greatness of the empire?”
It was only a few steps.
The grand scheme that had been in the works since the discovery of the Parasite had been thrown into disarray as it neared completion. Whatever influence the prince may have had, it was clear from the circumstances that he was involved in the attack.
Maximilian didn’t deny it.
“No one could love Shiran as much as you do.”
I saw the emperor beyond the shell of his father.
Great and ugly, wise and cruel.
“I only wish, I only wish that Shran was a human empire.”
With those words, the emperor glimpsed the future of Xuran.
The golden age of empire he had hoped for would not come.
“…… is ridiculous.”
His voice was unlike anything I’d ever heard before, deeply regretful.
tang-!
A single lead shot pierced the Emperor’s temple, and his body sagged against the wall, instantly dead. Though the Emperor had been granted a body that would not age, he died before Vidia, who had taken refuge in the forest.
The last days of the giant that roamed the continents from beneath the water were humble.
[ERROR!]
[An unexpected error occurred].
[confirms the death of the character “Ho Kook Kyung”].
[confirms the death of the character “Emperor”].
[Calculate the damage rate for the scenario].
[Now Loading…….]
A long-awaited message filled my vision.
“A favor to the emperor.
The emperor’s name is rarely mentioned in the game, let alone in a friendly way. Even in summits and when facing enemies, he is only referred to by the title “Emperor”.
For it is his identity.
Kim glanced at it, then looked away. The exact amount was unknown, but given the scale of the incident, it would not be settled immediately. The operation was still ongoing.
“Leila, what’s going on over there?”
– Sorry, we’ve been overwhelmed by the never-ending influx of additions…!
“I thought so. We’re done here.”
– What!? Burr, you’re done already?
They were surprised that it took only two people to organize it. Of course, it was nothing to be ashamed of. The agents had put on a special show to stop them.
If we had more people here, it wouldn’t have been so simple. We were in a difficult position to catch up if we lost them, and we were still losing time.
“Get ready to get back to work.”
– Ah, yes, I’ll pass that along to the respective teams.
“Okay. I’ll signal when I’m on my way up.”
Kim hung up the radio and looked up. Suddenly, Maximilian caught his eye. He was looking down at the Emperor’s corpse with a look of relief, but also of unease.
“Hang on tight. It’s all yours from here on out.”
“……Of course I know. I just needed time to clear my mind.”
Maximilian’s eyes fluttered open and closed. A faint ray of sunlight streamed in from the pierced ceiling. His eyes, redder in the light of dawn, met Kim’s.
“I’ll come back to it soon.”
“It will be.”
Before you wander off.
Kim asked, as if it just occurred to him.
“Oh, by the way. If you were to get hurt, where would you prefer?”
“…Injured? What do you mean?”
“Why, it would be unnatural to face a terrorist and be the only one unharmed.”
I’m sure you’ve got some bullets left, that’s the kindness you can show.
“Pick the one that hurts the least.”
Maximilian stifled a sigh of frustration.