Semi-Coercive Imperialist

Pssshhh──

The sound of the ocean waves faintly reverberated along the steel walls.

Emulen, a mid-level executive of the armed organization Zentra, cautiously turned his head to look beside him.

“Are you ready?”

A giant man whose face could only be seen after raising one’s gaze considerably. A man with abnormally massive build and muscles, the iron fist martial artist ‘Dun Caan’.

He was one of Zentra’s core combatants.

“…….”

He looked down at Emulen without saying a word. The silence itself was oppressive. Emulen swallowed dryly.

“Please rest a bit more comfortably. We’ll be arriving soon.”

This dark and narrow place was the inside of a container on a ship heading to the port. Zentra’s agents were now being “delivered” to their target location, disguised as cargo.

There wasn’t much time left until the operation began.

Dun Caan was going to crush the hounds of the Empire.

***

The 3rd Port on the southern side of Calen Island. The salt-tinged wind whipped between cranes and containers in the afternoon.

Tiana, Julian, and Leon first gathered in the control room.

“I will now explain the escort route.”

A company representative in a suit explained the escort route. The deployed escort personnel included seven mercenary teams including Akarius, and company security staff, totaling over a hundred people.

“This cargo escort will continue for three weeks, and…….”

After the explanation ended, everyone took their assigned positions. Tiana stood atop a pile of containers and let out a faint chuckle as she looked down at the chaotic scene of the port.

“……This place is the same, too.”

It was her impression of the Canilan Independent State. Only the official status was missing, but the invisible hierarchy was even more clear. The only standard was money. Those with money held more power than nobles.

You could tell just by watching the behavior of the escort mercenaries. The members of Akarius, famous even in the Empire, stood tall like knights, while the rest watched them warily. Some even asked each other’s salaries, and if someone earned less, they were treated as inferior.

─Tiren. Can you hear me?

Leon’s voice came through the earpiece.

“Yeah. What is it?”

─Just checking if comms are working properly.

According to the intel, Zentra’s assault would happen either tonight or tomorrow night.

“Mr. Ullator. What do you think? Max should be up there now.”

Code name Ullator, Julian answered briefly.

“The sky is Max’s concern. What matters to us is the ground.”

Julian quickly walked off somewhere. His movement was a constant patrol. Like a residential security guard, he’d circle back here in about 30 minutes.

─Tiren, I’m curious though. How exactly does he plan to do the assault?

“I don’t think we’ll have to see it directly.”

Zentra was certainly a strong armed group. But the one we would face was mid-level officer grade. As Max said, even considering variables, with Julian here it was sufficient.

“─You sure talk a lot. Out for a stroll?”

An annoying voice suddenly cut in. A mercenary in Akarius uniform raised his eyebrows while looking at her.

“This line of work is small~ What’ll you do if you slack off and can’t get your next gig?”

Was this some typical mercenary show of dominance?

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it myself.”

Tiana replied with a smile.

“Haha. Well, I’m sure you will. If you’re okay with it, want to exchange numbers?”

……Was this not a power game, but flirting?

“I’ll see how well you do first.”

“Hahaha. You’re a fun one.”

The man swept his hair back smoothly with a greasy smile, and Tiana turned her focus back to perimeter surveillance.

The boring wait continued.

“Yaaaawn.”

A yawn escaped naturally. Even Julian in the distance was reading a book while on patrol.

Should I have bought a book too?

Tick. Tick.

As night deepened and dawn approached,

Tiana suddenly sensed the air change. She gripped her sword tightly in alertness, and Julian’s twenty-sixth patrol had just begun.

Vrrrrrr──

In the distance, a cargo ship arrived at the port. A crane lifted a container from it and placed it down on the port.

Thud─ Thud─

It was at the moment when she was carefully watching the scene, as if observing a claw machine.

Scrrrk──

A faint reverberation spread out, as if something was being scraped or torn.

──KWAANG!

An explosion erupted from one of the containers. Immediately afterward, other containers were torn open left and right as assailants poured out.

Zentra’s armed assault. All security personnel rushed to that location.

“Enemies!”

Tiana leapt across the containers and observed the battlefield first. The mercenaries were the first to engage them. The security captain’s words, urging them into battle, were quite unusual.

“──In case of early suppression, life hazard bonus included, you’ll be paid triple! Escort bonus will go up to ten times depending on enemy power!”

Perhaps thanks to the bonuses, the mercenaries fought quite well. The movements of the Zentra agents were organized, but the mercenaries’ individual skills were no joke. A member of “Akarius” clearly stood out, the black-haired swordsman who had flirted with Tiana. He darted nimbly between the containers, killing enemies.

Slash! Shlick! Clang──!

Bang─!

The sound of steel clashing, gunfire ripping through the air, and the reverberation of flesh being torn apart quickly filled the port.

Tiana calmly analyzed the enemies. Even in the heat of battle, the objective was clear─ the executive, Emulen.

─Tiana. Look to your left.

As she turned her head as Julian instructed- there was “Emulen”, a bald man with large prayer beads around his neck.

“Confirmed.”

─Confirmed.

All three had identified the target.

─Moving in.

At Julian’s signal, Tiana kicked off the container.

She leapt high and charged toward Emulen, right at that moment.

KWA-AAANG───!

A container was crushed as some massive figure revealed its presence. Tiana turned to look. The Akarius mercenary who had spoken to her earlier stood in front of a blood-red giant exhaling visible breath.

The mercenary swung his sword, but the giant caught it barehanded and grabbed the mercenary’s face. The head was gripped like a piece of fruit in that large hand.

Crunch─!

His face burst. The man who had asked “Shall we exchange numbers if you’re okay with it?” instantly became a corpse. The blood-soaked giant’s eyes locked onto Tiana.

Tiana rolled her body away. She exploded mana from the soles of her feet and forcibly altered her trajectory. At the spot where she had just been, the enemy appeared and slammed a fist down. The ground cracked like a spider web and shot upward.

KRAAAK─!

He was about to charge at her immediately, but Julian had already landed beside her. Julian extended his sword and blocked the giant’s fist.

Clang──!

A shockwave erupted where sword and fist collided. Julian’s feet scraped against the ground. The enemy struck again with a straight punch, and Julian swung his sword.

Clang! Clang-clang-clang!

Sword and fist clashed repeatedly, sending off sparks. An exchange too fast to follow with the eye. It was a battle between masters.

A faint smile formed at the giant’s lips.

“You’re strong.”

The enemy’s footwork was unimaginably fast. He quickly adapted to Julian’s swordsmanship, closed the distance, and drove a punch into his solar plexus. Julian, seizing the moment, stabbed the giant in the jaw.

“Guh!”

Julian was knocked back. This time, Tiana stepped in to block him. She aimed for the enemy’s injured jaw, but─

Fssshhh──

The wound healed instantly. As Tiana flinched in surprise, a fist came flying at her.

One strike, two strikes, three strikes.

Three blows struck her sword in quick succession. The vibrations from the blade resonated through her body. The enemy exploited her disturbed posture and launched a fourth punch, this time aimed at her jaw.

Tiana twisted her entire body.

“Guh──!”

Her shoulder was smashed instead of her jaw, but she barely avoided a fatal blow.

Tiana gasped and tried to catch her breath. No, what was strange was that she was allowed time to catch her breath. Looking back at the battlefield, Julian and Leon were there. Julian had returned at some point, and Leon had crossed over from the opposite side to face the enemy.

Clang─! Screeeech─!

Clutching her shoulder, Tiana assessed the situation. Zentra’s mid-level executive Emulen had nearly overwhelmed the escort mercenaries, and the monstrous being that had suddenly appeared was a tough opponent even for Julian.

Things were clearly not going well. That damn blood-red monster that popped out of nowhere was the problem.

She brought her hand to her earpiece.

“Max!”

The ally who had ascended into the sky, taking into account possible enemy variables.

“Do something!”

The moment Tiana shouted─

───.

A pure white meteor appeared in the sky.

***

‘A martial artist, you see, must always be at least half a step faster than a swordsman. Otherwise, fists have no meaning.’

In my ear, Freya’s voice faintly lingered.

‘They have the advantage of using their entire body as a weapon.’

A martial artist uses their fists. Therefore, the speed at which the brain’s commands are executed is significantly faster than that of a swordsman. For that reason, they are always half a step faster, and they must be. If they aren’t, the advantage of the fist disappears.

‘In other words, you only need to be…’

“Faster than him for just one moment.”

As dawn approached. At that exact time stored in my memory, I launched the transport aircraft. I wore a Drogue Suit that fit my body perfectly. It was far more suited for a knight than an unstable parachute.

KWA-A-AANG───!

Right on cue, an explosion erupted among the stacked containers at the port. The flames lit up the night air.

The battle had begun.

I took a deep breath and stood from my seat.

“Opening the ramp.”

Creeeaak──

With the screech of metal, the rear ramp of the transport opened fully. Pitch-black darkness and a fierce wind roared into the cabin.

I closed my eyes in silence.

‘Max. Now answer. What did I step on as I moved through midair?’

Freya’s question. Her lesson replayed in my mind.

‘……Mana.’

She did not step on the ground. To be precise, she stepped on a layer of mana that she had spread thinly beneath her feet. Thus, the answer was mana.

‘Correct. A knight steps on what cannot be stepped on.’

Stepping on mana. Using mana as a foothold, a knight gains propulsion once more in midair. And in that process, there is no unnecessary rupture or damage to the mana. The mana of Ebenholtz is inherently calm and refined.

‘To do that, you must be able to control your body perfectly in any situation. If you can control your body completely, if you can just stand properly on both legs, it doesn’t matter where your body is thrown.’

I must be able to control my body in any situation.

In other words─ even from this dizzying altitude.

─Max!

Tiana’s voice rang out from the communication device in my ear.

I opened my eyes.

─Do something!

As the cold wind surged into my lungs, I lightly stamped my foot.

Without hesitation, I threw my body into the sky.

Tap─

First, a strange sense of liberation, as though my consciousness had been freed. Then came the suffocating air resistance. It felt as though my very existence was being separated from the world.

There was no need to fear.

I released my mana. Silvery particles spread along my descent path. My body glowed coldly like a shooting star.

Fwwwwwwwwwww──!

Time in the sky was strangely long. Terminal velocity was, instead, comforting. It allowed enough time for so many thoughts to pass.

I tilted my body, measuring the angle and distance of the fall.

From such a height, everything on the ground appeared as mere specks.

But the body continued to fall endlessly, and the distance rapidly shortened soon, his form became clearly visible.

The entire body dyed black. Eyes pitch-black without whites.

One of the many nightmares I remembered…

──Tick.

Time slowed. At this moment where my descent stagnated, I adjusted my posture. I locked my eyes on the target.

Leaning my upper body forward, stretching my legs straight, I gripped my sword.

A stance for Swordfall.

And from that stance, I stepped on the mana I had spread across the air.

Tap──.

It felt like stepping on transparent glass. The space beneath my feet shattered instantly, and the mana particles exploded in a chain reaction, propelling me forward. My body was fired once more toward the ground.

KWA-A-A-A-A-A───!

All the power built up from a high-altitude fall from several thousand meters,

Focused into a single point at the tip of my sword,

Struck down.

────!

A sword path was carved into the night sky. Silver fragments scattered. The rupture slashed across the entire area, and I landed on the ground.

Dun Caan’s eyes were right in front of mine.

…As I stared into those eyes, I recalled my memories.

Before the regression, the utterly pathetic version of myself used to look down on the mercenaries here. I used to elevate the pride and dignity of being a Sentinel to the skies and thought they were pitiable.

But when Dun Caan actually appeared, I was nothing more than a burden. The sword I swung once with a flicker of courage was effortlessly blocked by his fist, and a single returning punch shattered my ribs.

That shock left me half-crippled. I was paralyzed with fear and unable to move, and Julian risked his life to save mine.

Even afterward, while bedridden and recovering, I was haunted by nightmares every night. Dun Caan of the desert. Just hearing the name made me convulse.

Eventually, I grew fearful of combat itself. I found excuses to back away from every battlefield.

That’s how flawed I was. Even calling me weak was not enough─ I was a full-blown idiot.

Not anymore.

Now, I know a fear even greater.

To prevent destruction, for the survival of myself and humanity, there is no time to be distracted by mere obstacles.

Crackkkkk──.

My sword pierced into Dun Caan’s neck.

“──!”

His eyes widened. Eyes without whites. The terrifying retina of that asura I once feared endlessly now stared straight at me. This time, I didn’t avoid that gaze. I met it directly, and even smiled.

I had every reason to be glad. Opportunities to sever one’s nightmare with one’s own hands are rare.

Dun Caan reached out and grabbed my skull with his palm.

Crunchh!

A skull-crushing pressure pressed down on me.

But,

Scrrrk───

My sword had already passed through his neck.

A silver current swirled, and mana surged violently. The wind that had followed me from several thousand meters in the sky descended to the ground.

KWA-A-A-A-A-A───!

At the place where the I had descended, a small typhoon erupted.