Chapter 319: Generation Shift
"How is it? Is the operation in the Northern Border proceeding smoothly?"
Touka, The Capital. Inside a completely sealed underground space, massive arrays of computers operated without a moment's rest. Information and images of all kinds were constantly being archived in multiple formats.
However, that information would always vanish in ways incomprehensible to human scientists.
The headquarters of Project Heaven's Gate had gathered researchers from Touka's top universities, as well as top experts from every field.
The man leading them was a middle-aged man wearing a casual traditional suit.
His name was Director Toudou. He was nearing fifty, but his temples were groomed meticulously, and he exuded an aura of authority without anger.
The operators at their stations didn't lift their heads. Information was constantly aggregated into the supercomputer named Valhalla, and only then shared with the personnel in charge at various levels based on clearance and need.
Holding a tablet and wearing semi-transparent special optical glasses, a woman in a military uniform stood with a cold expression, exuding an aura of iron and blood. She was the supreme commander of the Seiryuu Division and the primary leader of this Northern Border operation, Commander Hazuki.
"Among the target intelligence modules we established based on internal information before the operation, two have been confirmed to have turned blank."
"In other words, even though that 'Information' has been eradicated, we have reason to believe the operation has made some progress."
"Ten-Setsu contacted headquarters 7 minutes ago, requesting reinforcement from an ability user capable of dealing with Yin Spirits and Cursed Spirits. Therefore, we have re-established a blank archive for this situation, codenamed [Wraith]. Currently, there is no further information on this target, tentatively classified as a [Dangerous Level] target."
Humans were creatures that would never succumb to the unknown, even if 'Information' was completely erased.
But a blank record itself was also a form of record.
Before the operation, the group from Project Heaven's Gate had specifically categorized the target data sent back by Miss Momiji. They framed and archived each one, assigning independent codenames and filing cabinets.
As Commander Hazuki spoke, Director Toudou stood up and walked to the row of white electronic filing cabinets, numbered from 001 to 372.
These were the ability user records that the Touka government had verified and collected data on so far.
He looked up. On cabinet 001, the codename [Sato] was clearly written. The last one was the newly added [Wraith].
Completely trusted files like [Sato] emitted a gentle green light, while [Wraith] emitted a yellow light. Above them were the [High-Risk Level] targets emitting red light, and file number 177, the [The Final Day] file sealed in a black cabinet.
However, the few electronic filing cabinets before [Wraith] had turned into a blank glow. Aside from the serial numbers, the codenames and names on them had disappeared.
Except for those ability users, no ordinary person could recall the records that were once in these cabinets.
This was [Cognitive Interference]...
Director Toudou felt both worry and curiosity about this unknown ability. He came from a high-tech background, but no country in the world had research on this.
This was a technology completely beyond existing human civilization.
He vaguely felt that a new era had arrived silently.
Commander Hazuki didn't share Toudou's sentiment. She was as cold as a robot. Even though dozens of the elite soldiers she had personally trained had been lost since the operation began, she seemed to feel nothing.
She merely waited indifferently for more archives to be cleared.
Unlike Toudou's open and tolerant attitude, Hazuki disliked those ability users. Even Inspector Sato, the first to stand on their side, was considered an unstable factor by her.
The only thing she wanted to see was the entire wall of archives being cleared.
As a human, completely eradicating those monsters beyond comprehension in her own way was the pursuit of the rest of her life.
Some cruel images flashed through Hazuki's mind.
"Report to Heaven's Gate. South Pacific patrol ship detected special images. Transferring now..."
Hazuki projected the image onto the large screen. In the next moment, everyone from Director Toudou to the operators looked up. On the giant screen, a massive steel giant swiped its hands through the air, causing several fighter jets to explode mid-flight. Then, it lifted a ship and threw it through the air toward the Free Federation's most famous aircraft carrier.
In the footage, silent explosions followed. Massive firepower from other ships and fighter jets poured onto this steel giant, but it had absolutely no effect.
"Striker Eureka. That's the thing from the movie..."
Director Toudou was willing to accept new things. He had watched the movie Pacific Rim, so he recognized the origin of this giant mecha.
At this moment, the secret information that those ability users couldn't tell him directly was verified. The source of those people's abilities might already be clear.
But right now, that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was...
They were witnessing the decline of a hegemon.
The defeat of the most powerful aircraft carrier, symbolizing the Free Federation's dominance over the globe, perhaps also symbolized that the power of this planet was about to change hands.
Watching that giant robot and the land remaining intact after the nuclear explosion, Director Toudou couldn't help but have this thought.
Before the fist arrived, electricity surged through the air toward Kirinji.
However, he kept a magic barrier active at all times. The electricity hit the barrier and dissipated in all directions.
In the next moment, that violent fist smashed the barrier to pieces. The force was so great it was like a bomb exploding directly in front of him.
Kirinji had no time to ponder why Mercenary Tao had gone mad. His figure [Blinked] again. This space movement ability with an extremely short casting time was a life-saving divine skill sought after by many magic-side Reincarnators.
Buzz.
Kirinji appeared a hundred meters away with a gloomy expression. He was about to speak but was startled as scorching breath sprayed like smoke.
The expanded Mercenary Tao had already appeared behind him.
What kind of speed is this? A Godspeed-type transcendent trait?!
Buzz~
Kirinji blinked again, but this time, before he could turn his head, a fist punched through his body from behind.
Kaito looked indifferently at the man in the fedora whose chest he had pierced with one blow, frowning.
"Is this Title Level? So weak..."
Flesh and blood dripped from his fist. He was still under the state of Tier 5 Setsuna.
Hearing Mercenary Tao's words, Kirinji turned his head. His body slowly disintegrated, turning into hundreds and thousands of brown bugs. They squirmed and landed on Kaito's hand, covering his body.
Zzzzt!
Electricity erupted. Kaito's body shook instantly, and countless bugs were shattered in an instant.
This form of attack had no effect on him. He felt neither disgust nor fear.
In the next moment, a figure rose from the magma. Crimson flames also ignited on the man's body.
[Seven-Colored Magus · Kirinji] had completely analyzed the operation form of [Crimson Night]. Even though he couldn't replicate it completely because it was a Title Ability granted by the Nexus...
To 'join' it, he only needed to understand the operation form and magical nature of this Reality Marble.
"Mercenary Tao, have you misunderstood something?"
"A guy like you probably can't understand us... Pfft!"
A series of sonic booms exploded in the air. Kirinji's body, which had just condensed from the magma, shattered instantly.
Seeing this from afar, Momiji, hiding within the Reality Marble, revealed an inexplicable smile.
Should she say she was lucky, or that Kirinji was unlucky to encounter an opponent with such poor compatibility?
Destructive power strong enough to instantly shatter protective magic, speed fast enough that Blink couldn't escape, giving him no chance to cast large-scale magic... and a set of abilities completely unrelated to [Mana].
Bang bang bang...
Amidst a series of explosions, Momiji watched Kirinji emerge from the magma again and again, only to be shattered again and again.
She knew very well that Kirinji had invaded her Reality Marble. In this state, he became a [Phenomenon]. As long as the observer still existed, he would regenerate countless times.
Momiji watched the seemingly frenzied Mercenary Tao, but she clearly sensed that his attention was constantly scanning the surroundings. He was still waiting for her to show herself.
"In that case, let's play a bigger game."
She closed her eyes and began to chant. A faint voice appeared along with magical fluctuations. Both Kaito and Kirinji reacted simultaneously.
Taking advantage of Mercenary Tao's distraction, Kirinji twisted his body instantly. Hundreds of phantom images appeared. His hands formed seals, and golden chains bound Mercenary Tao.
"Strength, Speed... You know nothing about the essence of power. Mercenary Tao, in this space, you can't kill anyone."
Kaito felt an unprecedented killing intent directed at his body. It was the first time that woman had revealed killing intent towards him. His heart beat violently.
But the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing an increasingly obvious smile.
Kaito inexplicably understood the woman's thoughts, as if in this kind of battle, he could instinctively know others' minds and thinking patterns.
He was beginning to approach the profound state he experienced when facing the Black King that day. This made Kaito increasingly excited.
That woman was casting a terrifying spell, targeting everyone present.
And before that spell fell, he would kill the man in front of him and successfully escape.
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