Bad Born Blood-Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Iskan wavered like a ghost in the stormy rain. I didn’t know what technique he was using, but his presence blended into the scenery, becoming indistinct.

I focused, trying to separate his form from the background. That moment of perceptual shift was exactly what Iskan had been waiting for.

He advanced as if swelling forward, his spear tip shrinking to a fine point, aimed directly at my forehead.

Ka-ang!

I barely managed to deflect the spearhead with a wide swing of Crucis. Iskan retreated, not hastily, but as if probing.

Kkirik, kkirik.

A grinding noise came from my arm. I had been injured by Paigon’s self-destruction. The damage to both my cybernetics and my flesh was severe.

Even Crucis felt unbearably heavy. Just holding it was exhausting; my upper body and arms drooped under the weight. For the first time, I regretted wielding such a high-density heavy weapon.

...I needed to assess my body. And I needed time—time for the pieces I had set in motion to start moving.

I wasn’t fighting Iskan to die.

“Do you know what the Commander of the Imperial Guard is planning? Perhaps even that it may be an act of disloyalty and rebellion against the Empire?”

I spoke to buy time.

I didn’t care if it was considered cowardly or disgraceful. Right now, I had to play every card I had to increase my chances.

The greater the uncertainty and the more variables at play, the more effective Akies Victima became. If I wanted to defeat Iskan from this inferior position, I had to use everything.

There was no way Iskan wouldn’t recognize my intent. But he would still answer.

‘Iskan likes and pities me.’

He would want to kill me cleanly. That meant he would try to answer my questions as much as possible. Even if he killed me afterward, he would be able to justify it to himself—convince himself that he had done what he could.

“Luka, I came here prepared to share Hemillas’ fate. No matter what choice Hemillas makes, I am ready to endure it. For over half a century, we have fought back-to-back, protecting each other. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

Iskan even smiled.

Of course, this was exactly why the Imperial family sought to suppress the Imperial Guard and the military.

Those who fought side by side for years had their priorities shift. Their comrades in arms became more important than loyalty to the Empire or the Emperor. Because they were not machines—they were human.

“But ‘Hemillas’ will sacrifice the upper ranks of the military and the Imperial Guard to the Emperor in order to secure the Custoria family’s survival. Will you still follow him?”

I pressed him. Hemillas had something more important than his comrades—he had a family to protect as its head.

“Haha, I’m not following him. I’m helping him. Luka, time is relentless. One by one, my fellow guards—brothers in all but blood—have either died or left the Imperial Guard. Before I knew it, the only person I could truly call family was Hemillas.”

Even as events hurtled toward catastrophe, Iskan didn’t lose his smile.

“Whether Hemillas succeeds or fails, you will die.”

“A butcher like me, who’s killed countless people, deserves a suitably miserable death. I’m not shameless enough to die lying comfortably in bed.”

He was unwavering. Iskan was a soldier of steel who had lived for nearly a century. He wouldn’t be shaken by a greenhorn who hadn’t even lived twenty years.

Creak, creak.

I opened and closed my fingers one by one, finishing my internal assessment while we talked.

‘My limbs still move. But my output is less than half of what it should be.’

Even that was a miracle of endurance. My cybernetics had held up because they were high-performance prosthetics, personally gifted by Francec, and brand new.

‘My body, though...’

Honestly, I couldn’t even tell how many bones were broken. The burns on my back were severe. A body this badly wounded wouldn’t be able to withstand the strain of weakened cybernetics.

But I had to fight. Struggle wasn’t a choice—it was something imposed upon you. Struggle was inevitable, and the world itself was an obstacle to be overcome.

Drrrr!

I lifted Crucis and steadied my stance.

“With so many to accompany me to the afterlife, I won’t be lonely, Luka.”

“I don’t intend to die just yet.”

“It’s not like Hemillas or I want to die either. It’s just that, like the countless people who have been used and discarded before us, this time, it’s our turn to be spent.”

Iskan walked toward me with heavy, deliberate steps. He looked like a giant. Even with his spear lowered, the pressure he exuded was overwhelming.

“...You chose death, while I am being forced into it.”

So if someone has to die, let it be you.

I spun, swinging Crucis upward from below. Lacking strength and stamina, my movement was too large and slow.

Whoosh!

My blade sliced through empty air. Iskan effortlessly tilted his body and thrust his spear toward me.

Kit!

I twisted my head just in time to avoid it, the spear tip grazing my cheek.

Iskan extended his front foot, trying to hook my ankle. His weapon and close combat techniques assaulted me simultaneously. I barely managed to retreat, but my balance was disrupted.

‘This is bad.’

There were no variables to exploit. This was a pure contest of skill.

Iskan was already stronger than me under normal circumstances. In my current injured state, I had no way to win. My thoughts reached for a path to victory, but every avenue was blocked.

“I don’t want to make you suffer, Luka.”

Iskan spun as he stepped back. Then, suppressing the tension in his body, he thrust his spear forward like a bullet.

A thrust faster than sound shot toward me.

Kang!

But I managed to block it. Iskan’s spear tip was only aiming for my head.

‘A merciful killing intent.’

It sounded ridiculous, but it was true. Iskan wanted to kill me in a single strike. If my head was destroyed, I wouldn’t even have time to feel fear or pain.

Kuung!

With one hand, Iskan swung his spear and knocked Crucis to the ground. Even with a single hand, his strength exceeded both of mine combined.

Tang!

Having sealed my sword, Iskan drew his pistol. The muzzle was aimed directly at my forehead.

I kicked upward with my toes, nudging the barrel just slightly. Even I had to admit it was an impressive feat of precision.

The bullet grazed the top of my head. It felt as if the Grim Reaper had just kissed the back of my neck and passed by.

‘Hah.’

I laughed inwardly. I actually found myself enjoying this. Judging by the fierce grin at Iskan’s lips, he felt the same. We were both wretched men.

We derived intense pleasure from battles where our lives were on the line. That was the fundamental difference between us and ordinary people. The chemically enhanced neural processing for high-speed cognition paled in comparison to this.

The restraints weighing down my limbs seemed to disappear. I moved more fluidly, unfazed by my injuries.

My pupils quivered as I expanded my perception, scanning my surroundings.

Kaaaak!

I raised Crucis high and brought it crashing down. As expected, Iskan evaded, and the blade struck the ground powerlessly.

Tak!

I let go of the embedded Crucis and took a step forward, my fingers forming a sharp point aimed at Iskan’s forehead.

Tuk!

With practiced ease, Iskan struck my arm away with the lower part of his spear shaft. Without stopping, he spun his weapon, flipping it around to thrust the spear tip at me.

Whoosh!

I ducked my head just in time to evade it. But before I could counter, Iskan’s foot was already rising toward my head—a perfectly executed kick. The force behind it was no joke.

I extended both hands, intercepting his kick before it reached full power. But even a dampened strike was more than enough to send me flying.

‘Get Crucis.’

As I was launched backward, I grabbed the hilt of Crucis, which was still lodged in the ground. The sword came free as I was flung away, dragging along with me.

Kiiiiiiiik!

I slid back across the ground, scraping the floor like a brushstroke, with the tip of Crucis carving a long gash into the earth.

I survived again. What a thrill.

If I kept enjoying this sensation, it would come back to bite me one day. I just hoped that day wasn’t today.

Tang!

I rolled immediately. I had seen Iskan firing his pistol repeatedly.

Ting! Tiing!

I blocked the bullets using Crucis and my cybernetics to protect my body.

Chizik!

I flinched. My right arm felt heavy.

‘Damn it, an electro-paralysis round.’

Its velocity was slow enough that I could have dodged it under normal circumstances.

“I always keep one of these in my last round. Since you’ve mastered Akies Victima, you understand the importance of variables in battle, don’t you? Hmm, I sound like I’m lecturing. There’s no point in that anymore.”

Iskan spoke as he reloaded his magazine.

‘I can’t properly wield Crucis.’

My right arm wouldn’t respond. With only the weakened output of my left arm, handling Crucis was difficult.

‘Assess the situation, Luka. Stay calm in moments like these.’

I broadened my focus beyond Iskan.

We had moved quite a distance away from the Imperial Guard headquarters. It showed how determined Giselle had been to drag me here.

The fact that we weren’t interrupted on our way here meant... the headquarters was practically empty. Hemillas must have arranged it. He had likely sent the personnel outside to discreetly extract Giselle and me to the main house.

More than anything, the biggest reason the headquarters was empty had to be related to the smoke rising in the distance. Even through the storm, I could see flames and plumes of smoke.

‘The riot has begun. No wonder no one is paying attention to this fight.’

I recalled a fragment of memory. When I had contacted Nemesis with Kinuan, I had seen their plans and schedule.

Shifting my gaze, I saw smoke rising from various points along the boundary separating the upper and lower districts. It seemed disturbances had broken out there as well.

‘Nemesis has about a hundred soldiers, but more people will get swept up in the momentum and join them.’

I had no way of knowing the exact situation beyond or below.

Though my thoughts had run long, only a brief moment had passed.

I steadied my breathing and refocused on Iskan. He had adopted a fierce stance, ready to lunge. If his body sprang forward like a released bowstring, I would die. I couldn’t think of a way to evade his next attack.

... I had done everything I could. Now, I could only trust and hope.

When Enrico Lagan caused an incident in the lower district, the woman from La Vie en Rose had called for Grace. Grace had arrived at the scene in twelve minutes from La Vie en Rose’s territory.

Now, I calculated the distance and the possible routes.

Then how long would it take for Grace to get here? No—was she even coming? Would she really risk herself to help me?

Was the "beacon" in my possession properly activated? Had Paigon, who brought my belongings, tampered with it beforehand?

Even if Grace had set out to help me, overcoming all these uncertainties... there wasn’t enough time.

‘This is hopeless.’

No matter how I calculated it, there was no chance. Even if Grace rushed at full speed, there simply wasn’t enough time.

‘Unless she’s using an aerial vehicle, she’d barely reach the boundary between the lower and upper districts by now.’

And in this weather, aerial vehicles couldn’t be used.

My thoughts split in two—one side calculating Grace’s arrival time, the other searching for a way to evade Iskan’s attack.

But Akies Victima wasn’t some miracle-working magic.

No matter how many times I reviewed my options, the conclusion remained the same. Grace wouldn’t arrive in time, and Iskan’s next strike would pierce my head.

‘You will die here, Luka.’

My brain, unable to devise a solution, pronounced the end of my life.

Iskan’s foot slammed into the ground. He gripped the lower end of his spear and thrust forward in a long, piercing strike. The scene played out in slow motion, but my body couldn’t react.

Tu-kung!

A deafening roar erupted. Iskan’s body twisted sideways as if struck by a hammer.

A "shock round" impacts in two distinct phases—first, the physical force of the projectile, then the energy explosion. The two occur so quickly that they seem simultaneous.

Kuaaaang!

A bluish energy explosion bloomed from Iskan’s side, consuming him.

“...Hngh.”

The blast tore away his left arm and half of his torso, leaving him staggering. But his gaze didn’t turn toward his attacker. His focus remained locked onto me, his spear still thrusting forward with relentless determination.

Kaang!

I barely managed to swing Crucis. Holding it in one hand was nearly impossible. Iskan was in the same state.

As soon as our sword and spear clashed, they slipped from our weakened grips, flying into the air.

Thud!

I rammed my shoulder into Iskan. Right now, our physical abilities were evenly matched.

We tumbled to the ground, entangled. That was when I spotted the Graken Vuth holstered at Iskan’s side. He had taken it from me.

Crack!

I pressed my left arm against Iskan’s neck and shoulder, pinning him down. Then I buried my face against his chest.

Kiing.

I clenched the handle of the Graken Vuth between my front teeth and yanked it free. But I didn’t have the luxury to grab it with my hands and stab him.

Kwaduk!

We wrestled, both trying to gain the upper position. By this point, it didn’t look like a battle between Imperial Guards—it was more like a brawl between street thugs.

Despite losing his left arm and half his upper body, Iskan was still moving. A testament to the tenacity of an Imperial Guard’s combat cybernetics. No, it was more than that—Iskan’s sheer willpower was staggering.

‘He must be barely conscious.’

His pupils had lost focus a while ago. He was moving purely out of duty—the sole mission to kill me driving him forward. Yet, even with half his body gone, his combat instincts remained ferocious.

‘Kinuan’s technique.’

My brain pulled the necessary information from the past. I had once woken up a fainted Kinuan before. At that time, he had used a bizarre joint lock to subdue me—it had felt like a snake coiling around its prey.

Whirik!

I mimicked Kinuan. I loosened my strength, baiting Iskan into reacting. With nothing but instinct left, he moved swiftly, taking the opening.

I seized the moment when the balance of power shifted. Twisting my body behind his back, I locked my left forearm around his neck.

Eudeudeuk!

I squeezed with all my strength, but it wasn’t enough. A chokehold alone wouldn’t kill him.

‘I’m sorry, Iskan.’

Iskan had tried to give me a painless death. But I had no such luxury. Compared to him, I was the weaker one.

My right hand, trembling from the electro-paralysis round, gripped the Graken Vuth.

Udeuk!

The blade of the Graken Vuth sank into Iskan’s lower jaw.

Euduk, deuk, dedeuk!

A slow execution—more like torture.

The blade crept upward, piercing his jaw, making its way toward the top of his skull.

Udook!

The tip of the knife reached Iskan’s only remaining organic system. His body convulsed violently. I summoned the last of my strength and twisted the blade.

Tuk!

Iskan’s arms fell limp. He was dead.

“Haa... haa...”

I gasped for breath.

‘Did Grace help me? But how...?’

I lay next to Iskan and turned my head to the side. In the distance, I could see the boundary wall separating the upper and lower districts. From the direction the shot had come, I faintly made out a figure.

Kkik.

I closed my left eye. Disabling my biological vision synchronization, my right cybernetic eye narrowed its focus like a telescope, zooming in on the distant figure.

“...Haha.”

The reason I had survived was because I had underestimated Grace’s capabilities. I had assumed I would die, but Grace had proven to be an even greater soldier than I had anticipated.

Akies Victima could not account for what it did not know. It only made optimal decisions based on the information within my reach.

Grace stood silently atop the wall. For the first time, she had revealed the eye she had always kept hidden behind her left eyepatch.

Her left pupil was unnaturally large. There was no eyelid, and blue circuits branched out from the eye socket like a spiderweb. Her left cybernetic eye was a custom-made implant, designed for ultra-long-range sniping.

In her grasp was a familiar yet unfamiliar Ruina. It had been modified for sniping. The barrel was longer than Grace’s arm, and it had a stock and stabilizing supports attached.

No matter how I looked at it, Ruina was different from the one in my memories.

...A strange feeling settled over me.