Chapter 155: Give Me a Hundred Children
The angel-type automaton is also divided into three grades.
The [Daggers] used by the small fry; the [Greatsword] used by Loki; and finally, the [Golden Greatsword] that appeared before the two of them.
One could feel the difference in the pressure alone.
But to be honest, the mana on it was not as much as Loki's.
[Spectator] helped him quickly find the enemy. He looked up at the window on the third floor. A slender gentleman was looking down at him and Loki with composure, his expression plain, not losing his composure at all despite the two of them rampaging like a pair of huskies.
The gentleman stepped on the window frame and leaped into the air, then landed in the courtyard as lightly as a feather.
Kobayashi raised an eyebrow. If this was achieved by telekinesis, then that was some amazing control.
"It seems I am very lucky."
The gentleman turned his deep-set face towards them and said coldly, "After all, I can take such a rare 'part' into my possession without any effort."
"——!"
Loki's eyes widened, and his legs couldn't stop trembling, like a newborn fawn.
The gentleman before him was his father.
Bronson.
By the way, is it necessary to be so scared?
...No, of course he's scared. The terror that had been built up in his psyche for so long was probably why he didn't dare to fight back, even if he could bare his fangs.
Bronson looked at the two of them and said indifferently, "Luring him into a pre-arranged trap. Well done, son."
Hearing his words, Loki shouted at him excitedly, "Don't believe him! This is...!"
"Sowing discord."
He finished, and at the same time sighed and shook his head in regret. "You're too flustered. If it were Akabane-kun, he would have definitely taken the opportunity to act along and then strike at a critical moment. It's a real pity to waste such a good opportunity."
At the end of the day, they just had no tacit understanding. Or rather, after meeting his "father" Bronson, Loki had lost his usual calm.
Loki clenched his fists.
He was very angry, but not at him, but at himself for being so disappointing. He showed a strong anger, glaring at his foster father.
In contrast, Bronson was completely at ease, and glanced at him with a gaze as sharp as a blade.
"If you had just gone along with my words just now, and done as I thought, your mistake would have been erased. Son, have you gone mad?"
"...It was the me from before who was mad. I never questioned anything, just blindly wagged my tail at you. But an idiot who was willing to be tied to a gallows to save his sister woke me up! So I'm back to normal now!"
Gabriel, behind him, reacted to its master's anger and raised its two longswords.
Loki released his mana, making it charge forward, and shouted, "You, go to hell!"
Controlling Gabriel was heavier than it looked, like riding a unicycle while carrying a hundred-kilogram weight. The slightest misstep and you would lose control. But he was completely unaffected, which showed his talent and strength.
Gabriel's longsword was raised high, and it swung with extreme precision at Bronson's neck.
However—
A shortsword that looked like a white feather intercepted it. It didn't move an inch despite taking such a heavy blow.
What kind of control was this!
Gabriel leaped backwards to create distance, but a golden greatsword had been waiting there for a long time. The towering golden greatsword instantly transformed, taking on the shape of a person, the golden angel Lucifer. Like Gabriel, it also held a longsword in each hand, and then it decisively swung down.
With a loud bang, the defenseless Gabriel was hit in the spine by the longsword, which instantly broke.
"Tsk."
Loki clicked his tongue softly, and at the same time, glared at him with annoyance.
It was all this man's fault for dismantling Gabriel with brute force, leaving only its main body. Otherwise, with the help of a dozen or so floating daggers, he might have been able to hold his own against Lucifer for a while.
He asked, puzzled, "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Hmph, I'm just annoyed that you're in the way," Loki's sharp tongue was also not weak. He said bluntly, "Get out of here! Don't be a hindrance!"
At the same time, he swung his greatsword and slashed at Lucifer, but it slid over its surface in vain, making the blow futile.
—Hot Wind Operation.
The Magic Circuit installed in the angel-type automaton. The move his "father" had just used was to use high-density hot wind to attack and offset the blow. It was a magic that was more profound and exquisite than mere rotation.
It was simply unbelievable.
That was like a trick of shooting a flying bullet with another bullet to change its trajectory.
Loki's expression was not good.
"Gabriel, spin!"
Receiving the command, Gabriel changed into its greatsword form.
In an instant, his perception made him aware of an invisible nozzle. The sight of the scorching air being concentrated and sprayed out was as real as if he were seeing it with his own eyes.
It ejected and gained a reactive force.
There was more than one nozzle. Under the combination of multiple thrusts, the greatsword gained a complex mobility.
With that huge thrust, the greatsword flew through the air.
Is Loki going all out?
Before he could react, his automaton, which had transformed into a greatsword, drew a large arc in the air and slashed towards Lucifer.
But Lucifer did not meet it head-on.
Instead, it retreated, and at the same time, shot out four daggers. The daggers flew past Gabriel's side and directly attacked Loki, who was standing behind it.
Splurch.
The four daggers pierced his body. Two cut through his shoulders, and two pierced his abdomen.
The proud chuunibyou boy was knocked to the ground, his whole body limp.
Seeing the struggling Loki, "father" Bronson said with a disappointed look, "How foolish. In a real battle, attacking the operator is common sense."
"I agree. A puppeteer is much easier to deal with than an automaton."
He nodded in agreement from the side.
Loki turned his head painfully and, seeing him standing beside him, roared, "You idiot! Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you not to get in the way!"
"...Um, no matter how you look at it, I wasn't in the way. After all, you were taken down in an instant," he retorted.
From his perspective, Loki was a case of "I'm on it! Got insta-killed! What's there to say?" His slogan was very passionate, but he couldn't even slow the enemy down. It was too embarrassing.
He took a step forward, stood in front of Loki, and said:
"Although I am both humble and tolerant... there are still three types of people I cannot forgive: those who order me around, those who defy me, and... guys who can show off even more than me!"
"You..."
Loki, lying on the ground, widened his eyes slightly. Although his lines had been stolen, this time, he was not annoyed at all.
"Hmph," Bronson snorted and said to him, "I've seen your battles. Your mana affinity is very high. Higher than mine... no, higher than anyone I've ever seen."
He had a very high evaluation of him.
Even to the point of—
"Therefore, would you like to come to my side and join the D-Works workshop?"
"...What did you say?"
He frowned slightly, not understanding what he was trying to express.
Bronson, however, spread his hands and said with some fanaticism, "I was too one-sided before, blindly thinking that as long as there was enough mana, I could create an automaton that could influence the battlefield. To that end, I didn't hesitate to exploit them and treat the test subjects as consumables. But after seeing you, I understand. Mana alone is not enough! —Mana affinity! It is the key to a high degree of compatibility with an automaton!"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about at all. I'm just an unqualified puppeteer," he said, shrugging, indicating that he was just an amateur.
"Is that so? What a pity."
Bronson immediately lost his interest in showing off his knowledge. After all, for an insider to talk about these things to an outsider was purely a waste of breath.
But this did not affect him from continuing to recruit him.
To this end, Bronson offered a very high price. "I can give you Frey. I can even let her and Loki stop participating in the experiments. I can even agree not to dispose of those 'Garms'."
"Oh ho? What a tempting bargaining chip," he said, pinching his chin, but his eyes became sharp. "Then, what is the price?"
"Give me children."
"...What?"
"I want you and Frey to give me ten... no, one hundred children!"
His words echoed in the silent night.
Loki, lying on the ground, widened his eyes, a little disbelieving of his own ears.
He, on the other hand, couldn't help but retort, "Do you think she's a pig? Ten in one litter? Ten litters in ten years?"
Hearing the other party's ridiculous condition, he even began to suspect if the other party had lost his mind.
Is this something a person can propose? It's too ridiculous!
Bronson was clearly not a person without common sense. He said, "Of course, Frey alone cannot complete this arduous task. But you've also seen the other white god-children (test subjects) in the orphanage. You can pick any of those children. Even if they don't suit your taste, it's fine. I can just make more!"
Although it was a condition that would make any man's heart stir, from his mouth, all he could hear was a contempt for life and a lofty indifference.
"A harem? That sounds like a pretty good option. But... I refuse! I love saying 'No' to people who are full of themselves!"
"Refuse? I think this is an excellent condition for you."
"That's just for you!"
Even if it was just a pure exchange of benefits, there were situations where one was unwilling to accept. The thing he hated the most was RT experiments!
He stared coldly at the demon in a gentleman's skin before him and said, "I have a question. You... what do you think of life?"
"...You think I'm cruel? But, this is a necessary sacrifice."
Bronson chuckled and shook his head.
Then, he added, "The development and progress of science is an accumulation. There is no possibility of going backwards. No, regression or stagnation are not allowed. For humanity, stagnation is tantamount to extinction. The study of mystery, the search for truth, and the development of science are the paths we humans should take. Magicians must contribute to this development. The academy exists for this reason, and the throne of the Wiseman also exists for this reason..."
"You're lying."
He interrupted his rambling and said bluntly, "Everything you do is built on the pain of others. If it were really for progress, it would be fine. But your so-called development and progress are just a false front for you to obtain powerful strength. You have long since become a slave to power."
"...Hmph, perhaps."
After being called out, he did not continue to debate with him.
He elegantly extended his hand, controlled the greatsword in the distance to rotate. The same move as Loki's displayed even greater power in his hands.
It came towards him with a strong wind.
His words followed. "Rest assured, I will not kill you. After all, you are a fine specimen."
He was clearly treating him as a stud horse.
"Well, thank you very much for that."
The greatsword was about to cut his legs. He didn't move, just looked at him indifferently. Just as he was about to be cut in two, two crossed scythes blocked the greatsword.
It was RyuZU.
She, who had been a bystander all this time, finally made a move.
He said, "I am an unqualified puppeteer. I don't even understand everything about my own attendant. But... my RyuZU is invincible! She is the strongest automaton in the world! She is my sharpest weapon, and also my strongest shield!"
As he spoke, the scythes sent the greatsword flying.
The standing RyuZU's cheeks flushed slightly. Even if she had been praised many times, she was still a little shy.
He pointed a finger at Bronson, and as the gentleman's face twisted slightly, he said, "You said one thing I agree with. In a real battle, attacking the operator is common sense."
"Hmph, it's useless."
Bronson summoned his angel-type automaton to his side, and it opened a defense to protect him from behind.
He said proudly, "Don't get too cocky, boy. At the very least, I am a person who has touched the throne of the Wiseman. You can't defeat my Lucifer with just your automaton girl."
"You're wrong. The outcome of this battle was decided from the very beginning. I told you, RyuZU is invincible."
He waved his hand.
"—Imaginary Switch!"
It was as if time had jumped.
From Loki's perspective, RyuZU's figure instantly disappeared and then reappeared behind his "father."
Then she bowed to Kobayashi, incomparably elegant.
Even though they were in the middle of a battle, she would still make such a move. Did she not want to live? Did she not know who the enemy before her was?!
But the next second.
Under Loki's shocked expression, "father" Bronson stopped moving. A large gash suddenly opened on his chest, and crimson liquid spurted out. His pupils continuously contracted and then dilated, and he muttered something.
"Im... possible... how... could it... be..."
Then, his "father," who had always given him a strong sense of pressure and was incomparably arrogant, fell backwards.
With a thud, he lay on the ground.
Kobayashi put his hands behind his back, looked up at the moon, and said in an extremely show-offy way, "Bronson, there is only one reason for your defeat. And that is that you pissed me off."
At the same time, the corner of his eye was constantly watching Loki's reaction.
He had thought he would be too shocked to speak, or would congratulate and flatter him.
However—
"You idiot!"
"...Eh?"
Loki's sudden roar startled him.
But he hadn't stopped.
"If you had such a powerful move, why didn't you use it earlier!"
"This is a trump card. A battle is all about who has more trump cards. You can't use it until the very last moment, right?"
"Did you really need to hide that one just now? If you had used it earlier, you would have won long ago! Are you happy to see me lying on the ground?! By the way, don't tell me you did it on purpose!"
"Huh? Isn't that your family rule?"
"Huh?! Are you an idiot? How could there be such a ridiculous family rule!"
"Is that so? Then I must have misunderstood."
"As I thought, you bastard just wanted to see me make a fool of myself, didn't you!"
"Hey, don't think you can splash dirty water on me just because you're Frey's brother. I'll sue you for slander!"
"Then I'll go and tattle to my sister that you deliberately let me get hurt."
"Wait, that's too much!"
"Who told you not to use it earlier!"
"Next time for sure, next time for sure."
He helped up the immobile Loki and looked around, as if searching for something.
"What is it?"
"Mmm... I feel like I've forgotten something."
There should be one more person...
The two looked at each other, and then said in unison, "Yomi!" x2
"This old one is here."
During the battle, Yomi had hidden somewhere. After the battle was over, it had run out again.
He complained, "How is it that you have even less presence than RyuZU?"
"Don't say that. Just like that boy said just now, a hindrance should get out of the way. This old one couldn't help, so..."
Yomi showed a rare embarrassed expression.
Oh well. It's the same with or without it. Anyway, it was another day of RyuZU carrying the team 1v4.
He looked around. It was a complete mess.
It would be troublesome if they were caught. They had to hurry back before the academy found out.
Let's go, let's go.
(End of Chapter)