EP.279 The Blessed Nation, The Cursed Humans - 2
『Daughter of the Military Nation. Born in the Military Nation, raised in the Military Nation, the future of the Military Nation... In the end, even you.』
Even before the angel of overwhelming majestic authority, Historia's will was not broken.
"I will correct my ways. I sincerely apologize for failing to meet your expectations."
『You had power, authority, and honor. Despite all that, what reason made you abandon everything? What did you lack that you betrayed the Military Nation?』
Historia gripped her gun with her ruined hand. She too was one who had reached the pinnacle of Qi Control. Within minutes, she reset her dislocated bones, but her condition was still far worse than normal.
That was why Historia gripped her gun with her ruined hand. To fight.
"...A friend."
Eimeder tilted her head.
『Merely because of that?』
"...And, a space for friends to exist. The Military Nation had nothing."
『You had power, authority, and commanded countless subordinates. Yet you ran away without fulfilling your responsibilities... Truly, you are an endlessly childish one.』
The conversation ended with the angel's lament. She might have spared Historia depending on her actions, but Historia showed no intention of begging Eimeder for forgiveness. Since their opinions diverged, only battle remained. Everyone held their breath, anticipating the fight to come.
A silence without a single noise. In that tension as taut as a thread about to snap.
Beastly eyes gleamed behind the angel.
"Meow!"
The battle began with Nabi's ambush.
As beasts, Aji and Nabi had no interest in things they couldn't eat, and the Military Nation's true nature and ideology were certainly inedible. Upon entering the quiet and dark communication module, Nabi had padded into the room and fallen fast asleep.
At that moment, the angel's appearance was too boisterous. Enough to wake Nabi from her sleep.
I groaned in pain and muttered.
"Tch, and I brought these beastly bastards for exactly this reason..."
Eimeder was made of light. Nabi's hunting instinct activated toward things that glittered and moved quickly. Moreover, Eimeder, who hadn't donned a human vessel, would find it difficult to notice a beast's ambush. Just like when we fought Eimeder that time....
Or so I thought.
『A mere beast.』
The true Eimeder, wearing a human vessel, noticed Nabi and spread her wings wide.
The wings glittered before Nabi. Following instinct, Nabi's eyes instantly chased the tip of the wings. Her front paws followed like lightning to tear the wings apart, but it was an illusion.
『If that is the entirety of your faith.』
"Nyaaaaah!"
Immediately after, a brilliant light flashed, and Nabi screamed as she was sent flying. It was because she had been struck by the other two pairs of wings. Blood-soaked white fur scattered among the halos of light.
『I shall show you directly just how arrogant that is.』
Eimeder folded her wings in midair. Instantly, a small storm erupted within the building, and Eimeder moved abruptly as if pulling an invisible handle. Eimeder surged toward Historia.
Historia, who had intended to coordinate her attack with Nabi's timing, now faced the angel one-on-one due to Nabi's retreat from battle.
However, Historia was a Yukjangseong. A Qi Master who had reached the pinnacle of anti-personnel combat. Meanwhile, the angel barely fell into the category of anti-personnel combat.
'The wings move before the arms and legs. The power that moves the angel comes from the wings. I'm not certain, but I need to confirm it. If so, then avoid the wings.'
Recalling the angel's characteristics, Historia planted her front foot firmly and twisted her body. The massive wing grazed past the tip of her nose.
Even as the fierce wind pressure lashed her face, Historia observed her opponent.
'The range is too wide. Every attack is sharp and fast. Closing in is impossible. Then!'
The moment she finished her judgment, Historia raised her gun. The gap that appeared because each side had three wings. She pushed the muzzle into that hair-thin gap and fired the bullet with all her might.
Click.
However, the bullet was not fired. Pure white feathers had obliquely burrowed into the pistol.
'Not just the wings, but the feathers as well...?! Damn!'
『I am the Military Nation itself. Within the Military Nation, Eimeder is omniscient.』
Eimeder's wings engulfed Historia.
What suffering would a fly perched on the tip of a hawk's wing endure? If you ask Historia later, you might hear the answer. The massively expanded wings sent Historia flying.
Sliding over the wings, scraped by feathers, caught in the storm. Historia experienced all manner of sensations in a fleeting moment.
"...Tch. If that's how it is, we're screwed."
Military Nation Yukjangseong, Heavenly Communication Eimeder. The power of her true form, the angel, was terrifying.
The most terrifying part was that this Eimeder possessed sufficient knowledge and the intelligence to utilize it.
"Nyaa! That thing is weird! It's hard and pointy!"
Nabi rolled on the ground, screaming in pain. Even after taking a massive impact, Nabi didn't look that endangered. It was because Eimeder, even while fighting, hadn't inflicted fatal wounds on Nabi. She had merely bristled her feathers like hooks and plucked out fur.
Feeling pain, but not to the point where her life was in danger. If so, Nabi wouldn't unleash her Fierce Nature. Sensing pain and threat, she would just watch from afar with sidelong glances.
"Woof..."
And of all things, because she descended wearing IA's vessel, Aji, my next prepared fighting force, was now beside me licking my fingers.
These useless beastly bastards.
"...Woof. It hurts."
"Me? Yeah. I'm hurting like hell."
I grumbled and pulled out two Heart cards.
There were no noticeably injured spots, but the sheer impact was too great. Blood was flowing, my internal organs were slightly damaged, and my bones throbbed.
When one part hurts, you just use medicine for that part. Then what about when your whole body hurts?
"Anesthetics, as expected."
I layered Heart 4 and 5. I held the two cards horizontally with a very slight gap between them. When I tapped them, a deep red liquid oozed from between them.
Heart 4, Death. Heart 5, Sensory Poison. A drug that kills sensation, created by combining the two.
That's right. Anesthetics. Or narcotics.
Medicine created by combining cards. Every drug contained in the Hearts was simple and dangerous, but just as potent. I tilted the card and let it flow into my mouth. The thrilling first taste instantly turned tasteless and odorless. It was because my senses had gone numb.
The rebound would be severe, but overcoming the immediate crisis came first. The future is something you can only prepare for after you've survived.
"Woof. Not you. That one."
"Who? That sparkly one?"
"Woof."
Is this the time to worry about that one? She's the one who stopped her own thoughts and offered up her body of her own accord.
"It must hurt. She essentially used her own body as a sacrifice to summon an angel of the Shared Imago. I expect she won't last long. About an hour..."
But an hour was more than enough time to thoroughly cook me. I needed to quickly figure out a countermeasure before the terrifying creation called Angel Chef's Signature Steamed Hughes made its appearance in this world.
Perhaps the drug was taking effect as the pain faded and power filled the void. With this power boiling deep within my body, it felt like I could do anything.
No, truly I could do anything. The card in my hand was actually a broken legendary sword, and if I displayed my 'true sincerity', I could cleave an angel in half in a single stroke. Eimeder, you've pranced about quite well until now. I'll slaughter you completely...
'Your Excellency's condition is abnormal! You're standing up while trembling all over, clinging to the wall and sobbing! I speculate something abnormal has occurred!'
...Of course that couldn't be. The delusion that just arose was a side effect of the anesthetic. The world is filled with only pain, so when you forget the pain, you forget reality along with it.
But I am a mind reader. As long as there are people watching me, I don't lose objectivity. Thankful that my pain was invisible to others' thoughts, I straightened my swaying body.
Just then, Captain Eibi ran over.
"Your Excellency! Are you unharmed?"
"I'm fine for now, Captain Bbi."
Taking advantage of my regained sanity, I surveyed my surroundings. Historia was still fighting. Nabi was cautiously approaching over there while keeping watch on the angel. The princess had been evacuated by Siati. Siati still had her thumb remaining, so she could help in a pinch, but... I wasn't sure if an angel would be affected by black magic or the like.
Hmm. A desperate situation indeed.
"It's been a while. I've missed you. How are your injuries? Are they not severe?"
"I'm not in pain anymore."
"That's a relief. I've confirmed your well-being, so I will now report on the current situation."
Perhaps it's because she's a Communicator even when nearly dead. After confirming my well-being, Captain Eibi looked me over with concern while clearly listing information from her mouth.
"Currently, the Eimeder summoned by Communicator Yuel is displaying strong hostility toward this unit, other Communicators, and Your Excellency. The odds of victory are 0%. Therefore, this unit strongly suggests that Your Excellency escape from this location."
"Escape? I never expected to hear such words from your mouth first, Captain Eibi."
"There is no time for empty words. The situation is urgent. If Director Historia is defeated, Yuel's Eimeder will immediately attack Your Excellency and this unit."
Her tone was as stiff as a golem's. But the content contained within was different from before.
Captain Eibi was alive. And she was doing her best to survive. If possible, together with me.
Yes. The resolve to do anything to survive. The resolve to even cast aside an angel's command and flee. This is what I need.
Without that, the Communicators would be innocent and flawless.
I pounded on the seamless wall with bangs.
"How do we escape from here when there isn't even a window, let alone a door?"
"We need to buy time. According to this unit's judgment, Yuel is presumed to hold great wariness toward Your Excellency. Your Excellency, has there ever been an instance where you attacked Yuel, or do you have any means to threaten her?"
"Not at all. I don't even know who Yuel is... Huh? Wait a moment."
The Communicator had definitely said it earlier. Eibi—she was the Communicator closest to Ei, the first Communicator.
I had roughly guessed that Captain Eibi held a very important position. Her identification name was at the very front of the sequence, and her abilities were surprisingly formidable. She could send her consciousness from the surface to the Abyssal Chasm Tantalos.
No one would call Tantalos a minor facility just because it was in the frontier. From primordial monsters to vicious criminals. A historical abyssal chasm that imprisoned monstrous beasts that threatened the Military Nation or had the ability to do so.
The being who monitored that place alone couldn't be ordinary. That was why I had tried to draw some conclusions.
"Do you know Yuel? Who she is, where she lives?"
Perhaps, Captain Eibi was a much bigger figure than I had thought.
Captain Eibi listed the information she knew with all emotion excluded.
"Negative. After receiving their identification name, Communicators are assigned without informing anyone of their duty station. This applies even to fellow Communicators. This unit only communicated with Communicator Yuel; aside from that, there has been no other interaction."
"You communicated with that Communicator. And that Communicator made an angel descend here."
From here on was territory even I didn't know. But a rough guess was possible.
The being called Yuel possessed a Communicator's abilities. And while having communicated with Captain Eibi, she made an angel descend here.
The unknown being called Yuel was deploying her abilities across the entire Military Nation. In short, no matter what method of measurement was used, one couldn't be certain of where she was....
But a guess could be made.
"The Military Nation didn't fall from the sky. It's a country someone created with a purpose."
When the Kingdom fell and the Military Nation was established, rejecting the existing large city called Amitengrade, the Military Nation built its headquarters in this location.
In the early days, it was a facility to supervise the installation of the Meta Conveyor Belt. The soldiers set up lodging for laborers on the plains where horses used to roam, and managed the manpower and resources needed to build the Meta Conveyor Belt.
"If that angel is a historical entity that was involved in the birth of the Military Nation, she must be in a place long handled by the Military Nation."
Thus, just before the Meta Conveyor Belt was completed and the Military Nation entered its golden age, this place became the headquarters.
It was a rational decision. Originally a plain used only for pasturage, after the revolution called the Meta Conveyor Belt was achieved, this place became a transportation hub. Leaving aside if it were bare land, there was no reason to abandon this place where facilities had already been built.
"For example, like this headquarters."
"However, the headquarters is vast, and numerous soldiers are standing by fully armed. How do you propose to search for her here?"
It was impossible with normal methods. But there might be a way.
There is nothing new under the sun. All creation, except for coincidence, arises from imitation. The Communicators too were highly likely modeled after something.
The Military Nation is god. The Communicators are priests.
The ones closest to Ei.
"Captain Eibi. Do you trust me?"
It must have been quite an abrupt question, but Captain Eibi nodded without a single hint of hesitation.
"Affirmative."
Hmm. I was going to explain in case this was impossible without faith, but I guess there's no need for further explanation.
"If they can find a Communicator, then if we can see this place through a Communicator's eyes... I can't do it, but Captain Eibi, you might be able to find her. Look for her, Captain Eibi."
She didn't doubt. She didn't even ask how to do it.
Captain Eibi was a well-trained soldier, and she would execute her assigned mission with all her might. As long as her faith was firm.
"Confirmed. Communicator Eibi. As of this moment, I will undertake the mission to locate Communicator Yuel."