EP.210 A Rigged Game
"Nyaaah! Kyaaaaah!"
"Keugh...! A cat!"
"Good job, good job! Our Nabi!"
Sharp claws flashed. Historia faced Nabi's fierce attack with her weapon, the blade-gun.
Ki-ki-ki-k, the clash of claws and blade. Naturally, claws held the advantage. The blade-gun's teeth were chipped, and scratches ran along the gun barrel. It was the Military Nation's proud Level 4 Refined Steel, but the opponent was ill-matched.
Nabi was the King of Beasts, and among them, a powerful and renowned Cat King.
With pure brute strength, one cannot defeat the King of Beasts. Even for the Military Nation's daughter, it was the same. Just when it seemed she might hold out briefly, Historia's arms trembled and she was pushed back.
'What's your scheme, Hughy? If you make the King of Beasts run amok, you'd be in danger too. Or are you trusting in your armor?'
However, Nabi surprisingly didn't pay any attention to me. With the threateningly gleaming sharp blade-gun menacing her, there was no reason for Nabi to turn her gaze toward me.
Whenever Nabi had a moment's respite and turned her head, I would freeze my body and pretend to be a mannequin. After briefly surveying this direction with suspicion, Nabi soon turned her head back and gave her all against Historia again.
'Beasts are sensitive to stimuli. If you make a loud noise or inflict a wound, they'll back off.'
The blade-gun slid off the claws and scratched Nabi's paw. The fur-protected forelegs were weapons and shields in themselves. The wound was shallow.
Historia accepted the loss and pushed in with more force. At the same time, she concentrated her qi and fired the gun while boring inside.
Explosive Death Cannon, Air Blast.
A close-range shock shell that compressed air within the muzzle and used it as a bullet roughly parted Nabi's fur and tore her skin. Startled by the explosive sound, Nabi bristled all over.
However, she didn't back down. Rather, she burned with hostility and merely pounced on Historia even more.
A fierce force struck Historia away. Her entire body creaked like a puppet.
Historia, who was sent flying, stood upright with an amazing sense of balance.
'She won't back down... Strange. The plan doesn't match at all. Hughy, is this your doing too?'
No. The lord of all creation made it that way. That's why they should have been uprooted long ago.
'Haa. Dangerous. With the wound from earlier, and firing guns all day since morning... my stamina is at rock bottom.'
Her swaying body was precarious. Historia barely managed to compose her body that kept disobeying her commands, taking in the charging Nabi with both eyes. Nabi, who had no hesitation in using her forelegs, continued to press Historia with claws and forelegs as weapons.
Historia's figure swayed in the storm of fur and claws. Even when she aimed for openings with kicks, fired bullets in surprise attacks, or tried to confuse the enemy with chains and blades.
Nabi either dodged with beastly instincts or endured and attacked.
Historia was a technician. A combat specialist who performed all sorts of tricks with innate sense. But the opponent was bad.
The King of Beasts who wielded overwhelming power while evading killing intent or threats with beastly instincts. Given a bit more time, who knows, but for now, she could not defeat the King of Beasts. Moreover, unlike dogs, cats... had no hesitation in attacking.
'I'm going to die.'
The word death momentarily flashed through Historia's mind. After that, the direction of her thoughts turned toward me with resentment first.
'You really intend to kill me. Hughy.'
With bitter feelings, this time the muzzle pointed at me.
Huh? Why me suddenly? Don't tell me you're planning to take me with you?
'Endure... this much. It's my last act of defiance.'
There was no leisure to attack me while fighting Nabi. This was literally a life-abandoning strike. It was close to mutual destruction.
I hastily twisted my body, but Historia's muzzle clearly followed me. My thigh could be seen inside the sight.
Bang.
The bullet flew straight at me. However, just before the bullet was fired, a shadow blocked my path. It was Azi with a cloth rag in her mouth.
"Woof!"
Azi, who declared she would protect me, swung her head and struck the bullet away.
Since it was a fight between humans, and the attack wouldn't take a life anyway, it would have been fine not to block it, but Azi protected me of her own will.
And Historia, who failed to achieve her goal at the last moment due to the Dog King, let out a short sigh.
"...Ah."
Above that, Nabi pounced on her.
Historia was now practically rolling on the ground. She could no longer even compose her stance. Her hair and clothes were in a miserable tangle, and even her consciousness grew hazy.
To finish her off, Nabi walked with victor-like majestic steps. Perhaps intoxicated by victory, her face was somewhat refreshed. Her fully extended claws gleamed eerily.
'Is it... the end?'
When both Nabi and Historia sensed the end.
Azi moved.
"Woof woof."
"Nyahaak! Nya, nya?"
In an instant, Azi stepped in front of Historia and restrained Nabi. Nabi hissed nervously, but when Azi bared her teeth and growled, she flinched in fear and backed away.
Nabi cried out as if in rebellion.
"Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa!"
"Woof, woof. Rrrr."
"Nya...! Nya!"
I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it's normal that I can't understand, right? I took a purely bystander stance and quietly observed the conversation between dog and cat.
"Nyaaaaah! Each and every one is so stressful, nya! This dog...!"
Nabi, who had finally given up on finishing Historia, narrowed her vertical pupils even more and sharply turned her head toward me. Indiscriminate aggression was now directed at me.
I can't read beasts' minds, but I know to be afraid when I see a beast.
Nabi, she's about to attack me!
Nabi crouched as if about to pounce at me. And the moment she unfurled her spring-coiled body to leap.
Azi, who had approached at some point, bit Nabi's ankle tightly and held on. Nabi was yanked in her leaping posture and planted her head in the ground. The disheveled Nabi cried out nervously.
"Nyahak! Again! Again you're interfering, nya!"
"Woof. Chew chew."
"Nyaaaa! Nyaaaa! Don't bite nya, nya!"
It was a grip stronger than an average bear trap. Nabi, caught in it, threw a fit as if feeling wronged and annoyed, but also pitifully just kept meowing as if it hurt and she was scared.
Good. Nabi, you served your purpose well. Now I should give you a reward.
I took out one magic herb cigarette I had brought as a spare and lit it. As soon as the familiar scent wafted, Nabi's face noticeably brightened.
"Having a hard time? Here, be good again."
"Nya? Nya!"
Even with her ankle still bit, Nabi stretched her body out trying to snatch the magic herb cigarette. When I gave Azi a glance, Azi quietly released Nabi's ankle. Anyway, Nabi followed the magic herb cigarette trotting along. Holding the magic herb cigarette in my hand and swaying it enticingly, I headed toward the box. When I tossed the smoking magic herb cigarette into the box, Nabi also slipped right into the box.
Smoke rose from inside the box. Nabi, bothered by something, tapped the box's wall with her paws. I nodded and promptly closed the box's lid.
And regained silence. The smoking cat returned to the box, and the world found peace again.
Completely drained Historia looked at the box hollowly.
"...Heh. Right. I forgot. The King of Beasts wouldn't... fully take anyone's side."
True. The King of Beasts is a conceptual existence.
Since I'm not even a beast-person, there was no way an excited Nabi would ignore only me. I just temporarily escaped being an attack target by standing still like a steel mannequin.
Likewise, for some unknown reason, Azi showed a particularly cooperative attitude toward me, but she was still the Dog King. She didn't tolerate a mere cat trying to kill a human. If Historia had given up all resistance, Azi would have protected her.
The Military Nation also knew that fact. That's why they didn't go all out against the King of Beasts. Unless the beasts were hostile to the progenitors reeking of blood, they wouldn't take their side and fight against the Military Nation.
But like me, there's always a way to use them better.
That's because you're needlessly strong. Try being fragile like me. If you had given up resistance from the start and left it to Azi, your strength wouldn't have drained.
Anyway, Historia was in a battered state from the consecutive battles with Nabi. Still in perfect condition, I clanked my iron armor and spoke proudly.
"Give up. Right now, because of you alone, they seem to be having quite a hard time over there too."
While the Returnee and Freybjör, Tir and the Severing Spear faced off, the Musketeer Corps and the Generals were trying to bypass the battlefield and approach this side.
Right now, Tir and the Returnee, who had a compatibility advantage, were holding them off, but if even one of them slipped through, I would have to face a General enraged by the crisis the Military Nation's daughter was in, one-on-one. Unfortunately, without any preparation, even stalling for time was impossible.
For now, let's make her give up.
"...Heh. After trying to kill me. You want me to give up here?"
"Honestly, if you want to escape, you can escape anytime, right? You just have to jump off the belt."
The Military Nation's operation manual surely had that. If you blocked the front of the meta-conveyor belt and couldn't endure it anymore, throw yourself outside the belt. Then our small group would have difficulty pursuing.
If they pursued, the distance with the main force would close much faster, consuming time to escape. Since the other side would be much more advantaged.
"If you, battered as you are, jump off, the Musketeer Corps and Generals will also withdraw. You become safe, and we become safe. Isn't that a win-win?"
"...No, not at all."
However, Historia, who refused my proposal, stood before me with difficulty in her body's limit state. Historia pointed at me with her heavily trembling arm.
"A clue I found with such difficulty... You want me to let it go? If I miss it here, the military authorities might give up the pursuit entirely. That... can't happen."
So stubborn.
But it was a roughly expected result. Naturally, there was also a proposal prepared for this moment.
And for me, it would be much better if she accepted this proposal.
"Then there's another way, Lia. How about it, want to hear it?"
"...For proposals you make, none of them have been proper."
"You won't listen?"
"Don't test the waters and just say it."
'You knew and still fell for it, and you fell for it even after catching on, don't act so new to this.'
I expected as much. Like a salesman recommending a good product, I proposed to Historia in a very gentle tone.