Semi-Coercive Imperialist

Inside Gigantes

00:35

Kuuuuuuung──!

The signal from the Revolutionary forces had arrived.

I quietly listened to those sounds from within the hideout.

Bang! Bangbangbangbang─!

In truth, this went beyond mere auditory perception. The virus pulsed intensely, emitting mana, and it detected the wide area affected by the wave, transmitting that sensory information to me. In other words, it was an expansion of perception, where the field of view that the virus observed was overlaid onto my neural network.

Aaaagh─! Gahk─!

Gunfire and screams intertwine. The guards confronting the Revolutionary forces collapsed helplessly. The members swiftly occupied the passageways and set up barricades.

In the meantime, another force entered.

The Imperial Guard.

They are fundamentally different from knights. If knights are the sword of the Empire, standing alone as elites, the Imperial Guard are the hounds of the Imperial Palace. They are a militant group raised solely for the Imperial Palace, educated from a young age within the Palace and cultivated as machines devoted to it.

“…….”

I closed my eyes and focused.

Amid the overlapping waves of mana, suddenly.

A distinctly foreign wave was detected.

Thump-

A being that made my heart tremble, an Ezenheim.

That bastard was hiding among the Imperial Guards, who exist to protect the Emperor.

Is that possible?

It’s not impossible. If they somehow managed to smuggle a five or six-year-old Ezenheim into the Palace.

However, for now, I simply observed. I did not rashly draw my sword.

I simply waited calmly.

For a variable is most destructive when it is presumed not to exist.

***

Inside Gigantes

00:45

“S-Stop them! Stop those bastards! Shoot them all dead─!”

The supervisor panicked and fled from the Revolutionary forces emerging from somewhere underground.

“What are you doing, you morons! Shoot already, shoot!”

The flustered guards fired machine guns indiscriminately, but the Revolutionary members deployed artifacts to deflect the barrage and took them down with precise return fire.

“Aaah, aaahhhh!”

Crash. The supervisor ran desperately but was grabbed by a familiar face. One of the laborers he had kicked with his boot just a few days ago.

The man’s lips twisted with hatred.

“Pig bastard.”

“P-Please-”

Bang!

There was no hesitation. The bullet hit the supervisor squarely in the forehead. His eyes rolled back and he drew his last breath, but they didn’t spare him even a glance. Even a moment to indulge in personal emotions was a luxury.

“Move!”

They hastily wove a barricade out of steel beams and materials. They had to buy even one more second for their comrades to infiltrate the heart of Gigantes.

Thud─ Thud─ Thud─

In that instant, heavy footsteps echoed through the ground. The scent of mana drifted in on the wind.

The Revolutionary members stared through the gaps in the barricade.

Through the parting steam and smoke, a guard clad in pitch-black full-body armor appeared.

“Fire!”

Bangbangbangbangbang─!

The Revolutionary members rose in unison and pulled their triggers. Hundreds of bullets rained down, but the guard neither dodged nor blocked. The bullets struck the armor with faint clinks and bounced off powerlessly. Armor coated with care by high-ranking alchemists could not be scratched by mere rifle rounds.

Whooosh!

Someone threw a grenade. The guard waved his hand. Invisible mana crushed it mid-air.

“Fire! Do not stop!”

The members did not stop. Though afraid, they showed no fear. Their lives had already been cast aside.

If the Empire continues to exist, it makes no difference whether they live or die, so they would rather become bloodstained cornerstones for the sake of their descendants.

“Shoot! Don’t stop, shoot!”

Ratatatatatata──!

Bullets containing mana streaked forward, leaving behind blue trails.

…….

Inside Gigantes

00:50

Deep underground. The access gate leading to Gigantes’ mana stone vein was a forbidden zone, off-limits not only to laborers but even to supervisors.

“Detonate.”

Kwakwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

The Revolutionary forces blew the door clean off with Menshi’s mana bomb.

“Enter.”

Before the smoke had even cleared, they entered in perfect coordination. The heat and pressure emitted by the raw, unrefined mana rushed at them first. Then, at the center of the cavern several hundred meters underground, the raw ore that stretched endlessly downward was revealed.

The heart of Gigantes, flashing with alternating red and blue light like a living organism.

Around the mana stone vein, a complex network of pipelines and cooling devices wrapped tightly, and between them, a spiral staircase stretched on without end.

“……The demolition team, proceed downward, attaching at each designated point.”

At the command of the Tiger Mask, the members dispersed. To destroy the mana stone vein, uniform pressure had to be applied at precise points. There were hundreds of calculated targets. They slipped down the depths of the spiral staircase.

“All combat units, regroup into formation.”

The Tiger Mask gave another command. Elite agents, including Rabbit Mask and Eagle Mask, responded immediately. They checked their gear and warmed up their mana.

“Let’s go.”

“Ready.”

Eventually, the Imperial Guard would arrive. Without killing them, the mission could not succeed.

Only twelve had been confirmed so far, so from this point on, it would be guerrilla warfare.

“Move out.”

The elites dispersed across the various branches of Gigantes.

…….

Inside Gigantes

00:55

Thunk─!

A guard slammed his gauntlet down onto the pavement.

Pazzzzzjik!

The hard asphalt split like paper. The fragments flew out and tore the barricade apart, and the Revolutionary members’ bodies exploded without even a scream.

As the guard raised his fist again,

Kkadadadak──

A sharp metallic sound came from above. It was Rabbit Mask, riding a hoverboard. The steel she launched coiled around the guard’s arm and neck.

The Imperial Guard mockingly released Mana throughout his entire body.

Kuwaaah─!

He intended to melt the wire with the heat of mana, but Rabbit did not panic. Rather, she instantly caught the frequency of the mana wave he emitted and sent mana through the wire at the exact opposite phase.

Interference cancellation. A basic principle of mana theory, but one of the most difficult techniques to execute in real combat.

Thanks to it, the wire did not burn. While the guard’s mana dispersed, neutralized in mid-air, the steel cord tightened even more firmly around the armor.

“……!”

In that brief moment of confusion, Tiger Mask closed in. The thin blade he held flashed like lightning. It sliced precisely between the helmet’s slit and the neck guard.

Clang.

The helmet rolled away. Upon seeing the exposed face, Rabbit Mask hesitated briefly.

“…….”

He was young. Barely past adolescence, perhaps in his late teens at best.

The eyes of a boy looking at her, filled with fear.

─Slice.

Tiger’s sword cut him down.

“Do not hesitate.”

Rabbit nodded quietly.

“11.”

Twelve Imperial Guards remained. There was no time for sentiment. They moved toward the second target.

Kuwaaahhh!

This time it was a guard wielding a greatsword. The over-two-meter-tall figure swung the massive blade, and with each strike, entire walls of the narrow passageway were torn apart. The mana contained in the sword burst like shockwaves, crushing the space itself.

Kwakduk──!

Tiger tried to meet the sword head-on but was repelled the moment it made contact, overwhelmed by its immense weight.

Shaaeeeek!

Rabbit Mask swiftly launched a wire toward the guard’s ankle. The giant didn’t budge. Instead, he grabbed the wire and pulled Rabbit toward him.

Charruk!

At close range, she scattered dozens of small spheres. They burst lightly on the guard’s face.

No matter how solid the armor was, its joints couldn’t be perfectly sealed. Breathing holes, gaps for vision. These were blocked by a barrier of mana, of course, but the neutral particles of mana slipped through like they were swimming inside.

“Keueuk!”

The particles that entered through the respirator burned the lungs and clouded his vision. The guard faltered, covering his face with one hand.

“Heup!”

Tiger Mask charged at him and swung his sword. At the same time, Rabbit Mask dove on her hoverboard. Sliding low, just skimming the floor, she planted a small mana bomb into the exposed knee joint of the Imperial Guard.

Boom!

With the explosion, the giant collapsed.

“……10 remaining.”

The two looked at each other, panting heavily.

Chzzk.

Just then, a static-laced report came through the earpiece.

─Sector 3, Imperial Guard neutralized.

─Sector 7. Same here.

─Sector 9. It’s Eagle. Man, that was rough. We ganged up and took one down.

Tiger Mask flicked the blood from his sword and spoke.

“No. 7.”

A faint smile spread across Rabbit’s lips.

While a fierce battle raged at the external entrance, the remaining comrades were attaching bombs one by one to the surface of the mana stone vein in Gigantes.

“It’s almost over.”

No dramatics. There was no need. Everything was unfolding exactly as planned.

─0 Imperial Guard remaining. Most of the guards have been dealt with too.

─No need to kill the ones still hiding. Leave the rest to the comrades outside and return.

The Revolutionary members, having eliminated all the Imperial Guards, began regrouping one by one, and finally reached the deepest bottom of Gigantes.

“Tagan.”

Rabbit Mask handed a bright blue bomb to Tiger Mask, Tagan.

A special mana-condensed bomb designed to be attached to the final root of the mana stone vein and drill inward. Once activated, it would reach from the very base to the crown in 20 minutes.

During that time, they had to escape through the tunnels.

It was more than possible, but at this point, their lives were of secondary value.

“……For the cause.”

Tagan raised his hand, gripping the detonator. Everyone gathered and pressed their wrists together.

Then, without hesitation, Tagan pressed the button.

─Thud!

─Thud! ─Thud!

─Kuuuuung!

Small explosions flared successively on the outer surface of the mana stone vein. These were preliminary blasts, shaving off the surface and paving the way inward.

Swoooosh──.

Blue and red mana stone fragments rained down like a storm. Willingly taking on the shards of the vein, Tagan and the Revolutionary members smiled in triumph.

……But.

Something was off.

The most important one, the condensed bomb meant to pierce the heart of Gigantes, was silent. It gave off no reaction, only flickering with a blue glow.

“……What.”

“This, what is this.”

“Tagan! It’s not working!”

For the first time, the comrades showed signs of unrest. Tagan pressed the detonator button repeatedly.

Nothing changed.

There wasn’t even the slightest tremor from the bomb. Tagan gritted his teeth hard.

“What happened?!”

Rabbit Mask, Sensi, grabbed Tagan and questioned him.

“……What do you mean, what happened.”

In this deep, silent, hot, and dark bottom,

Looking back and forth at the faces shadowed in the gloom, Tagan spat the words through clenched teeth.

“It means there’s a traitor among us.”

Sensi inhaled deeply and slowly turned her head. The comrades looked at each other. There was a faint hint of suspicion in their eyes, but Sensi’s gaze was fixed solely on one, Eagle Mask.

“Huh? Me?”

Eagle Mask took a step back in panic.

“Me? You think it’s me? Don’t you know me? We’ve been doing this together for ten years!”

Tagan’s Tiger Mask trembled with rage.

“……You were the one who first reported that Menshi had been captured. You’re the one who forced yourself to get close to her in the first place. We made it clear, we shouldn’t have any personal connections.”

The eyes of the comrades grew fierce. Eagle Mask raised his voice in protest.

“Bullshit, it’s not me! I’m the one who should be suspicious of you, Tagan! You’re the one who’s been inspecting the bomb yourself all this time!”

“…….”

Shing! Tagan drew his sword. Eagle let out a hollow laugh.

“Wow. Look at him. You’re just going to kill me based on your hunch?”

“Everyone, stop-”

“Amazing, really~”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

He started clapping.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sound of applause echoed through the underground.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Sensi pointed a finger at him, glaring.

“You. Stop. Why are you clapping?”

“……Hmm? Ah~ because.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

And yet, even as he continued to clap, Eagle Mask raised his eyebrows slyly, slowly scanning each of them.

“Because you were right.”

Goooooooo─!

At that moment, part of the underground wall was torn apart as another new form burst in.

A dark crimson-black armor, tinged with a blood-red aura, housing a monster radiating a completely different dimension of mana.

A Squad Captain.

***

Inside Gigantes

Behind the Revolutionary forces’ masks, and inside the helmets of the Imperial Guards, the Ezenheim were hiding. They held cards on both sides and shook the board as they pleased.

Ezenheim’s plan.

That’s how things reach ‘zero’.

However, if the destruction is only partial or imperfect, the story changes. The Empire would be forced to squeeze out massive resources to restore Gigantes. For an Empire already drying up, reconstruction costs would be a fatal hemorrhage, and countless thieves would steal that money in transit.

Of course, perhaps the Revolutionary forces also understood that.

But what they wanted was not efficiency, but a ‘symbol’.

Symbols are as important as ideology.

The liberation of forever destroying Gigantes, a nest of imperial exploitation. The solidarity of knowing that a group exists for the sake of the workers. They staked their lives on the message their success would send to the citizenry.

But the Ezenheim betrayed their pure aspirations, twisted them at will, and even tried to fabricate a false hero in the form of the “Imperial Guards who protected Gigantes from terror”.

Truly fucking bastard sons of bitches.

“…….”

I walked through the now-silent interior of Gigantes. I stepped through the underground blast door, which had been completely torn apart, and looked down into the depths on the far side.

This underground pit was a full 400 meters deep. Virtually an open drop. But as my retinas tinged blue, the scene down below was reflected clearly.

I could see the Revolutionary forces clashing with the Imperial Guards.

─Fuck you, it’s because of you!

─You asshole!

─Aaaaargh!

─Because of you, traitor fuck like youuuuuagh!

Their enraged shouts, betrayed at the most crucial moment, echoed like ghosts.

“……How savage.”

I waited until the chaos below reached a relative lull.

As the noise subsided, I slung the bomb I had prepared over my shoulder.

With this inadequate brain of mine, I had prepared for every situation as best as I could.

One of those, “in case something goes wrong with the bomb”, had hit the mark. The bomb I purchased from Ekentoi in the underground black market had enough power to obliterate the mana stone vein.

If the job succeeds, I might owe Chiron a meal.

I placed my foot on the topmost ledge.

A 400m vertical drop. This too could be an aerial assault.

No, it was definitely an aerial assault.

The essence of aerial assault was not space.

If I thought about it, the biggest difference between Imperial Guards loaded up with such heavy armor and a knight like me──

Might just be the fact that I descend from the sky.

Tuk.

I lightly stepped off.