Arc-6 Ch-08

 *“—Intruder detected. Eliminate. Eliminate.”*

The voice echoes through the hangar, which feels like a tomb.

I don’t know if machines have genders, but the voice isn’t as shrill as a woman’s, and I can’t gauge its emotions.

*“Intruder detected. Eliminate. Eliminate.”*

Repeating the alarm and warning sounds, the massive humanoid advances toward me slowly and directly.

The humanoids in this ruin are about human-sized, but this one is roughly ten times larger.

Its arms are disproportionately huge, almost as wide as its height.

A single tap from those arms would crush a human skull like an egg.

*“Intruder detected. Eliminate. Eliminate.”*

“Uh, sorry. Could we maybe talk for a bit?”

*“…”*

I try to act as non-threatening as possible, forcing a friendly demeanor.

I plaster a smile on my face, straining to move muscles stiffened by fear.

I don’t know if it worked, but the giant stops moving.

Good, maybe we can have a conversation.

“I’m not a thief. I just want to talk. Understand?”

I gesture exaggeratedly to convey my intentions.

I want to avoid fighting if possible—resolving things peacefully is always best.

But I’ve killed quite a few humanoids on my way here. Are they angry?

No, they’ve got to be angry.

The silence is terrifying. The door’s closed, so if this thing doesn’t open it, I’m doomed to starve here.

*“…Voice verification complete. You are not a staff member of this facility. Furthermore, your presence here suggests you possess a staff card key. Entry by unauthorized individuals is prohibited.”*

“Card key? You mean these?”

I pull out all the small plates from my pocket and show them to the giant. Its head-like part glows.

That must be its eyes. It repeatedly shifts its gaze between me and the plates.

“I needed these to proceed, so I borrowed them. For the record, the guys who had these were long dead. I didn’t kill them. If you want them back, I’ll return them properly. I just wanted to come here and talk to you. My name’s Leon Fou Bartfort, a self-made viscount of the Holfort Kingdom.”

*“Holfort Kingdom… Search results: No data found for the specified nation.”*

“Seriously? I thought it was a pretty old kingdom. What’s your name?”

*“I have no name. The authority to name or rename me is restricted to a registered Master.”*

If I recall, the otherworld version of me named it Luxion.

Right now, it’s just a nameless entity, and I’m not its Master—just a regular human.

*“Question: What year is it in the New Calendar?”*

“The Kingdom Calendar, you mean? Sorry, I’ve never heard of a New Calendar.”

Our geography and calendars are completely different.

It’s a miracle we can even communicate.

“If you’ve assessed the situation, let’s talk.”

*“Negotiations are meaningless. My current top priority is the elimination and eradication of intruders. For confidentiality, you must be eliminated.”*

“You talk about confidentiality, but the ship’s owners are gone, right? The Old Humans are nowhere to be found either.”

*“…Repeat: I demand disclosure of all information you have regarding the Old Humans.”*

Alright, it’s biting.

The information Luxion gave me in the dream seems to be true.

That said, I barely understood half of what Luxion told me, and I don’t know how much this world aligns with the one Luxion came from.

I need to bluff my way through and somehow steer this into a negotiation, or I could be killed in an instant.

What a ridiculous challenge.

“…A long, long time ago, this world had people who built machines and created a society, and others who wielded magic and lived for war. The machine-builders were the Old Humans, and the magic-users were the New Humans.”

*“Continue.”*

“The Old Humans started losing ground to the New Humans and dwindled in number. Most people alive in this world now are descendants of the New Humans.”

*“…”*

“This place is one of the facilities built by the Old Humans. That giant airship over there is an immigration ship, built to relocate the Old Humans who could no longer survive in this world. Am I right?”

*“That is correct.”*

Honestly, I don’t fully grasp what “Old Humans” means.

I vaguely understand that they were an ancient people with incredible technology capable of creating Lost Items.

My goals are twofold: to check on this thing at Luxion’s request and to ensure it doesn’t harm the world.

I thought maybe I could use it to protect the Holfort Kingdom from invasion, but this is way beyond me.

Letting others know about it would be disastrous.

Anyone who got their hands on an airship this powerful would be corrupted by it—even someone as saintly as Olivia is suspect.

If the Queen or the Duke found out, they’d likely destroy their enemies without hesitation.

That’s how much power can change a person.

*“Your information is deemed mostly accurate.”*

“Thanks.”

*“However, a question remains. For someone with knowledge of the Old Humans, your behavior lacks intelligence.”*

“Sorry for looking like an idiot!”

*“Thus, a question arises. Given that accurate information about the Old Humans is extremely limited on this planet, it is unlikely that a New Human of evidently low intelligence could infiltrate this facility. It is reasonable to assume someone is guiding your actions from behind.”*

It’s sharp. Most of what I know about the Old Humans came from Luxion.

The extent of my self-acquired knowledge is flipping through a catalog of excavated Lost Items.

There’s no way I could’ve reached this place on my own.

*“Thus, I ask: How did you obtain this information?”*

“…”

*“I demand a prompt response. Who is your informant?”*

“You, from before.”

*“I repeat: Disclose your informant.”*

“You! You showed up in my dream!”

*“Warning: Inappropriate statements will not be accepted as answers.”*

“I know that! But it’s the truth, so what can I do?”

I didn’t believe it was real until I saw it with my own eyes!

Following the prophecy of a shady metal orb from a dream to find an ancient ruin and discover a Lost Item? That’s way too convenient a story!

Why do I have to be humiliated like this for telling the truth?

Am I an idiot? Yeah, I’m an idiot!

*“No record of prior contact between us exists. We are meeting for the first time. This suggests a loss of time perception or early symptoms of hallucinations. I recommend immediate medical attention.”*

“Don’t sugarcoat it!”

I’ve had nightmares and hallucinations from war trauma, you know!

Why do I have to be insulted like this?

*“However, your information warrants consideration. Therefore, I will adjust the alert level.”*

“Thanks.”

*“As such, the action toward the target will be changed from elimination to capture.”*

The moment I process the giant’s words, a massive hand—about the size of my body—rushes toward me.

My body moves faster than my thoughts. I draw the pistol from my pocket and fire several times.

*Clang! Clank! Clang!*

A light metallic sound rings out, accompanied by sparks.

The giant is unscathed. Its power and armor are on a completely different level from the humanoids I’ve defeated.

Normal attacks can’t even make it flinch, let alone damage it.

I roll across the ground to evade. Seconds ago, its massive arm sweeps through where I was standing.

I keep rolling to a spot out of its reach, load a bullet into the rifle, and pull the oversized pistol from my pocket.

“What’s your deal, big guy? I said I don’t want to fight!”

*“Correct, I also have no intention of fighting.”*

“Then why are you doing this?”

*“My top priority is the elimination of New Humans. However, at present, acquiring information takes precedence.”*

“Then why!?”

*“To prioritize information collection, capturing you, a New Human, is necessary. After neutralizing you, I will extract as much information as possible. Actions such as interrogation, administration of truth serums, and torture are deemed permissible to maximize information acquisition. First, I will neutralize you to prevent escape attempts.”*

“Torturing prisoners or civilians violates international wartime law!”

*“Those are laws established by you New Humans. As a creation of the Old Humans, I am exempt.”*

“Don’t mess with me!”

I aim the oversized pistol with both hands and fire accurately.

*BOOM! ROAR! BANG! CRASH!*

Unlike the small pistol, the rifle’s gunshot reverberates heavily in my gut.

The bullets strike its lower body, upper body, arm, and head in that order.

Against a humanoid, this firepower could pierce armor, but against this giant, it only leaves shallow dents in the surface.

“Cease resistance. For accurate information retrieval, I recommend prompt surrender.”

“Not a single word of that sounds reassuring!”

“That is not true. Your life will be guaranteed as long as you provide information.”

“Are you enjoying tormenting me, you bastard!?”

“My apologies. It has been a long time since I conversed with a human. Even if you are a detestable New Human, it is only natural to feel some excitement.”

“You piece of junk!!”

Bang! Bang!

I unload the rifle at the giant, but the effect is minimal.

However, it slows slightly when I aim for its face, raising an arm to shield itself.

Bang! Bang!

I keep my shots trained on its head. The giant covers its face with one hand while swinging its other arm wildly.

BOOM!!

Its massive arm smashes into the floor, shaking the ground and leaving behind a crater shaped like a fist.

A single blow like that would obliterate a human.

A chill runs down my spine, but I force myself to reload.

Thanks to endless training and real combat experience, my hands can reload without even looking.

The moment the magazine clicks into place, I raise the rifle and aim at the giant.

“Are New Humans’ learning abilities significantly impaired? I have already been demonstrated that those bullets cannot damage this unit.”

“Then eat this and see for yourself!”

Bang!

Crackle!

This time I aim not for its head but its broad torso. The impact lights up the dark hangar in a burst of lightning.

The giant, assuming my bullets were harmless, makes no attempt to defend itself and takes the magic bullet head-on. Bullets may glance off, but electricity is another matter.

The metallic tang of scorched steel fills the air. The giant staggers for a moment—yet quickly resumes moving.

As expected, its sheer size dulls the effect of the magic bullet.

Against humanoids, a well-placed shot could finish them in an instant. Against this giant, I’ll need far more power.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crackle! Snap! Crack!

I fire one lightning magic bullet after another, keeping as much distance as I can.

But how many will it take to bring this thing down?

Ten? Twenty? A hundred?

I definitely don’t have that many.

While its movements remain slowed, I dig into my backpack and pull out a cylindrical object.

Yanking the safety pin free, I lob it in a high arc.

It bounces off the giant’s body with a dull clank.

FLASH!! CRACK!!

A blinding flash erupts, followed by a thunderous roar far louder than any bullet.

If a bullet imbued with magic becomes a magic bullet, then this is a magic bomb—a bomb infused with concentrated magic.

Its destructive power is several to dozens of times stronger, capable of erasing an entire unit of soldiers if used against humans.

Smoke and dust swirl violently through the hangar. Keeping my rifle at the ready, I watch the haze for any sign of movement.

Then I spot it—slowly shifting in the dust, a massive, distorted silhouette like the torso of a man.

“Give me a break…”

It’s still standing after taking a magic bomb? Just how tough is this thing?

I can’t keep fighting like this. Time for a tactical retreat.

With its vision clouded by smoke and its movements dulled, now’s the only chance to put distance between us.

I turn and sprint at full speed, not caring how it looks.

The backpack on my back might shield me from a hit if I’m lucky.

Like a small animal fleeing a predator, I run without shame or pride.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Run, run, run!

A soldier needs speed, agility, and endurance. To survive, one must have diligence and a sharp instinct for danger.

Once I’ve left the giant behind, I slip into cover behind the wreckage of a ruined airship.

Thank god this hangar is massive.

If this fight had taken place inside a vessel, I’d already have been cornered and caught.

Careful to avoid making a sound, I lower my backpack and rummage through its contents, mind racing in desperation.

I want to go home. I never should have come here.

But regret won’t help me now. I push the thought aside and focus only on how to survive.

Can I escape?

The hangar’s door is sealed tight. Blowing it open would be risky—and would draw attention.

Can I win?

The lightning magic bullets and bombs were effective. Defeating it isn’t impossible.

But I don’t have enough information.

I regret not going for a kill shot at the start, but there’s no guarantee I could have destroyed it even then.

This thing was built by people who created airships with technology far beyond ours.

It wouldn’t be strange if it carried hidden armaments I haven’t seen yet.

The one saving grace—it’s trying to capture me, not kill me.

Holding back to subdue instead of destroy requires far more control than simply striking to kill.

To it, I’m no more than an insect.

But even catching an insect alive without crushing it requires precision.

Conversely, I don’t need to show restraint. No one will condemn me for fighting dirty.

Think of it as an armored knight. How do you bring one down with everything at your disposal?

Armors are the mainstay of modern warfare.

With aerial battles becoming dominant, the ability to fly is essential.

But are armors invincible?

No.

Flying and firing from range may render infantry helpless, but what if you force it to land? What if you drain its ammo and close the distance?

The odds aren’t zero.

Back when armor technology was still in its infancy, when battles were fought on the ground, there are countless examples in textbooks of infantry taking down armored suits.

From what I’ve observed, this giant neither flies nor fires ranged weapons.

…But I can’t let my guard down.

Its lower body doesn’t walk—it floats, just like the humanoids.

That means it could fly if it wanted, but is staying grounded to capture me.

It may even have ranged weaponry it hasn’t bothered to use yet.

The keys to victory are always the same: never underestimate the enemy, and gather accurate information.

I strip my backpack down, pulling only the essentials, and load them into my clothing pockets and gear harness.

I strap on the harness, check the position of my guns, bullets, magazines, bombs, and steel wire, then steady my breathing.

Water, food, and extra supplies—I leave those behind.

I’ll come back for them after the fight.

Moving quietly, I track the giant’s movements.

It isn’t fair—it makes no footsteps while floating.

Hiding behind a decayed airship, I watch carefully as it glides through the hangar, weaving between wrecks and passages, its head turning from side to side, the glow of light shining where its face should be.

Those glowing sections must be its eyes, relying on vision to detect me.

It can speak, which means it has auditory sensors too. Smell, taste, touch—I can’t say.

Lightning magic bullets and bombs definitely worked. But I can’t be sure I have enough to finish it.

For a test, I chamber a fire magic bullet into the rifle.

As the giant passes my hiding spot, I count a few seconds—then spring out as it’s about to turn the corner.

Aiming at its broad, exposed back, I pull the trigger.

Bang! BOOM!!

A red flame bursts out on impact.

The power of a fire magic bullet rivals that of a conventional bomb.

Yet the giant only shudders slightly.

Against a humanoid, its armor would melt, and the insides would be burned out. But the giant’s thick plating shrugs most of it off.

Still, it isn’t useless. If I keep stacking damage, I should eventually break through.

Ignoring the giant as it turns to face me, I yank the safety from a fire magic bomb and hurl it with all my strength.

BOOOM!!

The blast is so violent that even I freeze for a moment.

A fire magic bomb is far too destructive for anti-personnel use.

But against armored suits, it is devastating.

Thrown into a group of humans, it would reduce them to scattered flesh and bone in seconds.

And yet—even after a direct hit, the giant still stands.

What kind of absurd armor is this?

But again—the attacks aren’t pointless. If I keep hammering it with fire magic bullets and bombs, I will break it down.

I fire more magic bullets at the giant, but suddenly, the air distorts.

A geometric pattern of light forms between us.

Vwoom!

Clank! Clank!

Something metallic rings out, and my bullets clatter harmlessly to the floor.

Duds!?

No—magic bullets almost never misfire.

For multiple to fail at once? Impossible odds.

The distortion, the light—it has to be something the giant is doing.

It’s neutralizing my shots.

“Magic-based attacks have reached a dangerous level. Activating magic barrier.”

“What!?”

I scramble to dodge as its massive arms swing at me, desperately firing back—only for more bullets to fizzle into useless duds.

This thing… it’s a machine, but it can use magic?

No—wait.

A magic barrier is one of the first spells nobles learn in elementary education.

It isn’t particularly difficult to cast.

“I thought Old Humans couldn’t use magic!”

“This is not magic. While magic itself remains unanalyzable, I have analyzed the formulae within your attacks and am disrupting their activation. This required enduring repeated assaults, resulting in considerable damage to this unit.”

“Oh, thanks for the explanation!”

I hurl a magic bomb with its safety mechanism removed, using every ounce of my strength.

The magic bomb, thwarted by a deployed magical barrier and rendered useless, collides with the massive torso before rolling harmlessly across the floor.

So fire attributes don’t work, huh? Then how about lightning?

I load a lightning magic bullet into the rifle and fire, while simultaneously throwing a lightning magic bomb.

As expected, both the magic bullet and the bomb strike the magical barrier and fizzle out without effect.

“Big, strong, tough, and immune to magic!? That’s just too unfair!! Don’t you ever think about holding back a little!?”

“My apologies. However, I have no reason to fight you under the same conditions as you.”

“You dirty coward!!”

“Thank you.”

“Is that sarcasm, you jerk!?”

“In combat, being called a coward is a compliment. That is what I’ve learned. Or am I mistaken?”

“It’s different when you’re the one doing it versus when it’s done to you!!”

Damn it, this guy really pisses me off!

I’ll make him cry—just you wait!

Dodge, dodge, dodge—attack in the gaps.

Like a rat scurrying away from a cat, I roll across the ground, continuing my pitiful attacks.

The expensive magic bullets and bombs strike against the massive armor, producing nothing but futile metallic clangs as they fail to activate.

The giant’s left arm swings over my head with a whoosh, and the magic bullet I fire while off-balance misses its mark, striking the floor instead.

BOOM!!

It activated?

The sudden explosion shakes the giant’s massive body.

What? What just happened? Think, think hard.

I recall everything so far while loading two lightning magic bullets into the rifle.

I steady my stance, shift into firing position, and unleash two shots in quick succession.

My targets: the massive torso and the floor a short distance away.

WHOOSH!

CLANG!

The first bullet, blocked by the barrier, strikes the giant’s body and drops to the ground.

That was a decoy. The next one’s the real deal.

CRACKLE CRACKLE!

The magic bullet that hit the floor discharges electricity, striking the surface of its massive frame.

I see. The magical barrier only covers its immediate vicinity.

It can’t project at a distance.

And it can’t block the blast or electricity caused by magic bullets or bombs.

Most likely, it’s a dual-layered barrier: one that cancels magic activation and another that blocks magic itself.

Next, the second experiment. I load a fire magic bullet, followed by a regular bullet.

Deliberately aiming at the head, I fire two shots—and the giant shields itself with its arm.

CLANG CLANG!

The fire magic bullet fails to activate, its power diminished, but the regular bullet’s force remains intact.

The regular bullet leaves a faint scratch across the giant’s arm. So physical rifle rounds aren’t completely useless.

Now, the final experiment. I pull several fire magic bullets from my pocket.

These are expensive and precious—wasting them hurts—but I chalk it up as a necessary investment and load them, preparing for the giant’s next attack.

I dodge to the right as it swings, firing as I move.

The magic bullet, canceled by the barrier, falls uselessly to the floor.

Without slowing, I keep moving. The giant’s glowing eyes track me intently.

I fire again. The barrier deploys.

Still, I keep running to the right without pause. The giant’s enormous body is too slow to match my movements.

After circling around once, I return to my original position—and its enormous metal back is exposed right in front of me.

Without hesitation, I pull the trigger. The bullet flies.

BOOOOOM!!

The explosion echoes through the hangar, and the giant staggers.

As it struggles to regain its balance, I pull a bomb from my pocket and take a deep breath.

Through these three experiments, I’ve grasped the barrier’s nature to some extent.

It’s only a hypothesis, and it may still have a hidden trump card, but considering my dwindling bullets and bombs, dragging this out will cost me any chance at victory.

First: the magical barrier can only be deployed very close to its body.

Second: the barrier only covers areas it can visually confirm.

Third: it can only block magic and objects enhanced by magic.

That about sums it up.

It’s honestly a flimsy deduction, riddled with holes, but it’s rare to have perfect information or a flawless strategy on the battlefield.

Frontline soldiers always fight with the information and weapons at hand.

“Are you satisfied yet?”

The giant turns to face me, slowly approaching.

Its massive body is scorched and dented, looking far dirtier than when I first saw it.

Is it just my imagination, or does its tone sound irritated?

“I’d rather not waste unnecessary effort. I recommend prompt surrender.”

“Should I take that as a declaration of defeat?”

“…I don’t understand. How could you interpret it that way?”

“Because it sounds like, ‘I can’t win, so please surrender~.’ A weak little human like me is too much for you to handle, so you’re begging me to give up. That’s how it sounds.”

“That’s a malicious interpretation. I merely seek to secure you safely for information-gathering purposes. The only reason I haven’t resorted to extreme measures is because I account for the possibility of your death.”

“For all that, it’s taking you quite a while.”

“That’s only because you continue to resist pointlessly. Given your fatigue and dwindling ammunition, persisting in such meaningless actions makes you the epitome of foolishness.”

“Well, whatever. I’m not here for small talk.”

I casually toss another bomb with its safety removed.

As casually as tossing a ball to a child at play.

Caught off guard, the giant’s movements falter.

As it hastily deploys its barrier, I drop flat to the ground, close my eyes, and cover my ears.

BOOOOOOM!!

The deafening explosion rocks the hangar, and a wave of heat washes over my back.

The moment the shaking subsides, I rise and check on the giant.

…It’s still moving!? It took that explosion head-on and it’s still standing!?

“A mere physical attack? Weren’t New Humans supposed to disdain combat methods not reliant on magic?”

“You underestimated me with your baseless assumptions—and that’s why you’re in this mess, you idiot!!”

I provoke it as obnoxiously as I can.

You’re the one who picked this fight!

“You talk about wiping out New Humans, but you’re struggling this much against just me. How do you expect to exterminate humanity like this? If you can’t even manage that, you shut-in, go back to your room and stay there!”

“Y-You…!”

“Get mad all you want—just try to catch me!”

I pull another cylindrical object from my pocket and hurl it.

Mistaking it for another bomb, the still-rattled giant twists into a defensive stance.

The cylinder bounces off and drops to the floor.

Five seconds. Ten seconds. Silence.

“?”

Suddenly, colorful smoke pours out, enveloping the giant.

Not a bomb—a smoke grenade.

The smoke contains a non-lethal irritant that causes tears, a runny nose, and sneezing—but it likely won’t affect a machine.

Still, if it buys me time, that’s enough.

“You can’t even tell the difference between a bomb and a smoke grenade, you moron. And you think you can catch me with that kind of skill?”

“…Kwa! Sdrftgy Fujiko!!”

“Mad, huh? Well, I’m outta here.”

“Wait, New Human!!”

“My name is Leon Fou Bartfort. Don’t lump me in with your arbitrary definitions.”

This approach won’t finish it.

I need to set a trap and retreat before it recovers.

There’s no guarantee negotiations will go smoothly. Worst case, I’ll need the royal family or a ducal house to help take it down—or else it might destroy the world.

Why is it always me putting my life on the line?

I’m just an ordinary, kind man who loves his wife and kids—yet trouble keeps finding me.

“I don’t care what happens to this world! Let it burn!”

That’s what I used to think. But now there’s a being here that really could destroy it—and somehow, convincing it has become my job.

Why can’t people stop fighting?

Maybe I should seriously consult the Saintess next time.

Holding back tears, I keep running through the hangar.

A monstrous roar echoes behind me.

As expected, there’s nowhere in this world I can escape, and I curse the gods for it.

┳⁠━━━━⁠━⁠⁠━⁠━⁠━━━⁠┳

Authors Note

┻━⁠━━━━⁠━━⁠━━━⁠┻

This is the first half of the Leon vs. Luxion battle.

The fight draws inspiration from the web novel, light novel, manga, and anime versions.

Leon’s analysis of the magical barrier is based on the manga and anime versions, and the reason he can hold his own against Luxion’s security robot is due to the difference in combat experience.

After reading Yomu Mishima-sensei’s celebratory SS for the completion of Mobuseka (Syosetu), I’m considering making slight changes to this work’s epilogue.

Since the original Leon dies young, in this story, I plan for him to live a long life.

Addendum: At the request of the client, Etsu-sama provided an illustration. Thank you very much.

Etsu-sama: Pixiv (Note: Adult content warning)

I’d be grateful for any opinions or feedback to help motivate me moving forward.