Chapter 134
Medic didn't look closely at the rest... Anyway, she now knows everything she needed to know.
As for whether obeying the prophecy would lead to that awful ending, or whether their own resistance would create that seemingly hopeless era of war... Medic didn't care.
I'm just an assassin; I'm only responsible for my mission.
Currently, Agent Number Seventy-Seven and Medic's work... is to ensure that the Ursus the Infected, who can be used as political bargaining chips, can smoothly enter Columbia and play their originally intended role... And right now, regardless of Black Snake's purpose, Medic has already designed its future.
As the tattered, jet-black military knife pointed towards their own side, and the black mist enveloped the area, it seemed that even the speed of those rushing to provide support slowed down.
Medic slowly unfolded the Chitinous Knife, and the twitching Inner Guards moved erratically, flashing around in an arc.
It was eerie, fast-paced, and the movements were completely unconnected, but the next second, a blade as dazzling as the starry sky sliced through the gaps in the black mist, cutting through the 'world'. The Chitinous Knife remained sharp even after changing color, as if cutting through paper... Blood belatedly seeped from the Inner Guards's wrist and neck.
As the heavily corroded military knife began to slowly fall, seemingly dancing in the black mist, the black-haired dancer's other hand gleamed with silver light... and so, the gun barrel was pointed Inner Guards's chest:
Your future is already decided.
Three flashes, two shots to the chest, one shot to the brow... The dance moves then changed, as if the opponent had crashed into them, and then, as if they had foreseen the future, three more shots.
No, this is the result of foreseeing the future.
Medic didn't like the other side escaping, resulting in the outcome of a world war... In the last two shots, Medic shattered the Inner Guards's knee.
While gripping the knife, he changed the magazine with three fingers. Only then did the group that had rushed into the 'The Dominion' reach the side of the black-haired Feline.
Looking at the stunned crowd that had rushed over... mainly the integration personnel, Medic didn't have time to explain. To avoid that terrible future, she had to act immediately... As for whether the new future would be even worse, she'd deal with that when the new future arrived.
"Talulah, breathe fire!"
"Ah... um?!"
"Towards that direction."
"Oh!"
Seemingly realizing what was happening, the white-haired Dragon Lady drew her extraordinary longsword, and before it could scorch FrostNova, Medic stepped in front of the White Rabbit... Then, what reached the ice was a tangible destruction called fire.
Temporarily ignoring Huang's seemingly "I can do it too" look, and with Medic's reminder, everyone looked at the misty ice surface. Because no one dared to breathe, they clearly heard a "plop".
That was clearly the sound of someone falling into the water.
Before Talulah could even begin to ask, the black-haired Feline twirled the short sword in her hand. First came the sound of a sharp blade tearing through fabric, followed by the sound of wind whistling through the air.
The inhuman roars and screams, along with the sounds of creatures struggling in the icy water but clearly unable to climb out of the ice, blended together to create a truly comical spectacle.
However... for Medic, who still couldn't get over the Rosemary thing, this feeling of everything being planned from beginning to end was truly something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Targeted secret techniques, leverage to force the opponent to act, and relentless pressure through political maneuvering—all these factors ultimately forced you to come alone... The culmination of everything is your defeat... Undying Black Snake, your schemes against Talulah end here."
Standing on the shore, Medic raised his hand, and a black blade, as dazzling as the starry sky, returned to his grasp... The starlight reflected from its blade clearly indicated that it was not from the material world.
Despite Medic's words, the stubborn Inner Guards continued to struggle, but seemingly realizing how unseemly that was, he became quiet during the conversation, his hoarse voice utterly repulsive.
"It's over... no... how do you know if I've already gotten what I wanted...?"
Having said that, seemingly unable to bear the humiliation of being surrounded by a group of people in the icy water, the Inner Guards who called himself Black Snake suddenly dived into the water... Since Medic had already seen the future of letting him go, the girl closed her eyes and lightly flicked the blade with her finger.
Visibly, thick black fog began to converge on the blade from all directions... This was Medic's desperate measure; the 'gate' implanted in the opponent's body, belonging to Medic, would continuously devour the opponent's the Warp. Ursus would only use the disappearance of this Inner Guards as a pretext for war because he was Inner Guards.
But if the Demons within him, that 'The Dominion,' is directly devoured from the Warp, Medic will have completed his link with the Demons. Then, how will you prove you are Ursus's Inner Guards?
Seeing the blade's brilliance grow even more dazzling, Medic sheathed it... In the distance, as the black mist dissipated, the transport plane's airdrops, like babies being born, had already been carried into the Exploration Vehicle by everyone.
As for the transport plane itself... it's long since vanished without a trace.
As the Reunion Movement warriors belatedly looked around and watched the black mist gradually disappear, they began to cheer for their victory.
"But... is that all?"
Seeing Huang's obviously uneasy expression as she leaned closer, Medic fiddled with the butterfly knife in his hand, shrugged, and feeling his still-filling 'The Dominion':
"No, this is just the beginning... He will come looking for us again."
"Black Snake?"
"No... I meant that Inner Guards."
Based on Medic's assessment, Black Snake's arrangements for the resurrected 'weak' Inner Guards will likely not be as effective as they are now.
As a traitor who is constantly losing power, whether out of necessity for the Black Snake or for self-preservation to escape the sanctions of other Inner Guards, he does not want his situation to continue to deteriorate, so he can only come to me... In this way, handing him over to the Emperor or the Patriot will completely destroy Ursus's pretext for declaring war.
As for the Black Snake itself... Medic glanced at Talulah, who also had a smile on her face.
Judging from Foresight perspective, Medic needs at least an entire the Dominion of the Inner Guards to fully realize the Black Snake within Talulah's body... Hmm, it will take some time.
Holding the Little Cat that hadn't left VII Zero's father's hand due to fear of accidentally hurting it, Medic used Tactical Unit to make eye contact with a certain Sarkaz in a distant the Dominion.
Well, this guy named Manfred is a prime example of someone who's persistent and clingy.
However, judging from the Demons aura unique to the Inner Guards around him, it would be very difficult for this guy to make contact with him.
"Get in the car, the second checkpoint, there's another fierce battle ahead..."
PS: I thought for a long time about whether I should break the chapter, but never mind, it's one chapter anyway, why break it... For now, I'll just write it chapter by chapter. (Part 3)
(I'm getting my shot at nine, I'll start writing now.)
PS2: Waaaa Cat Phosphorus
4th Crimson Warm Winter: 141 For Ursus
The Emperor's Blades, the rhythmic sound of that breathing machine, was a nightmare for countless people.
However, since the passing of the late emperor, whose civil and military achievements were unparalleled, the Inner Guards has been plagued by internal turmoil... Leaving aside the conjectures and partial evidence presented to the current emperor by the Loyalist Faction regarding the Inner Guards's involvement in the assassination attempt on the late emperor, even the 'Blades' have their own ideas about how to judge Ursus today.
Loyalist Faction, Noble Faction, New Nobility Neutral Faction... Despite being a small group, they seem to be divided into countless factions... Naturally, the Black Snake Faction can be considered one of them.
After all, the assassination attempt on the late emperor by the Inner Guards was orchestrated by the evil god of Ursus... the immortal Black Snake.
"Why... um... of course it's because he's become weak..." I
In a university library in Ursus, a Liberi woman named Kashena muttered to herself.
She snapped the diary shut. Although she often reminisced about her time working with the late emperor, the days that allowed Ursus to stand tall on the land, there were more important matters at hand now.
Bubbling tea rose from the stove, and a messy chessboard sat on the coffee table next to a single sofa in the corner of the lounge...
It's described as chaotic mainly because the pieces don't strictly adhere to the rules of chess; even the number of black and white pieces is completely disproportionate. At first glance, it might seem like a casual game played by an ordinary university history lecturer, but to a discerning eye, the pieces are not randomly placed.
The chessboard, with only sixty-four squares, is now piled with more than twenty black pieces. And now, Kashena frowns as she adds a 'castle' and a 'queen' to the lone white piece with only a king...
Muttering to himself about things like 'Wendigo,' 'Loyalist Faction,' and 'Fifth Army,' the white-haired Liberi, after much deliberation, added another 'soldier' to the White side.
"... Rhodes Island."
Muttering to herself, the woman held the chess piece and placed it on her own bottom edge, which was surrounded by the black side. Although it seemed like there was no way out at first glance, in the rules of the game, a pawn reaching the bottom edge means that it can be promoted.
Kashena pondered for a long time, holding a pile of white chess pieces, still unsure whether it represented a 'castle' or a 'knight'...
"You... can't possibly be the 'Empress'..."
Using it to push over a black queen representing the Inner Guards, Kashena sat back upright on the sofa, no longer looking at the naked fins. The white chessboard, now in disarray, was disrupted by the addition of the abandoned willow branch.
The woman's final movement caused the toppled Black Emperor chess piece to slide down its round base and fall onto the coffee table, as if it were about to plunge into the bottomless abyss of hell.
"... Damn it, my the Dominion... why...?"
[That was the devouring of its own kind by Demons. That Feline used a 'door' to link your the Dominion; this is the erosion of another world.]
"No... no! This is impossible! The Inner Guards has never been so easily defeated!"
[Easily... How could anything on this land be considered 'easy'? Perhaps falling into the abyss would be one.]
[But a single Feline... using demonic tricks to specifically defeat an Inner Guards... this should be described as 'premeditated' by any measure.]
[She might have gone to find Talulah of you...]
Hearing the sighs echoing in his mind, even adjusting the protective suits back to normal couldn't stop the Dominion's disappearance. The Inner Guards, filled with fear, said:
"So that means they, and the next Duke Koschei, have already found a way to deal with me... No, I don't believe it, I don't believe that the invincible the Dominion has no effect on them at all... I can try again, this time I will bring 'Snake Scales' and the 'Shadow' from another world! Serpent Lord, please give me another chance!"
[You've always had opportunities, and how you act is entirely your prerogative... We'll do anything for Ursus, that was agreed upon from the beginning... However, your colleagues may no longer be able to tolerate your solo actions, the 'cover' is currently ineffective, and the Loyalist Faction could find you at any time.]
"... What loyalty... Their loyalty isn't to the nation. A weakened Ursus will only be torn apart and devoured by the surrounding wild dogs. Those who don't understand this, even if they possess a 'The Dominion,' are merely obedient lackeys..."
[And you—you are a warrior fighting for Ursus, without a doubt.]
With a dull thud, the thick ice on the frozen lake shore gradually turned black. To the rhythm of his breathing, the Inner Guards with duct tape wrapped around his wrists and neck climbed ashore step by step. The pitch-black water formed black footprints. In the blink of an eye, the Inner Guards, whose movements were twitching, had left the area. Unbeknownst to him, the surroundings had been stained by the "The Dominion".
"That's right... I am the warrior of Ursus ... I am Ursus ... I will be invincible..."
If Medic were here, she could almost certainly assert that this Inner Guards, who was supposed to be fighting against Demons and devouring the Pollution with his 'The Dominion,' is now being devoured by Demons instead... His sense of self is becoming confused, and his fear is materializing.
In the black mist, the low murmur of 'All for Ursus' echoed across the Snowfield, melting away his self. Fear gradually filled his memory. If his reason still remained, he would surely realize the predicament of his physical form disappearing.
Unfortunately, fear had filled its mind. Whether it was the abandonment and purge by the nation or no longer being needed by the evil god Ursus, it was all an unacceptable thing, as if it were the end of its life.
As the fear continues to deepen, after a while, even the memories themselves will likely sink into the chaotic the Warp... At that point, even the Inner Guards who also govern the Dominion will no longer be able to obtain valuable information from this intangible colleague.
Whether judged by the fact that they are the guardians of humanity's northern frontier against Demons, or by the exorbitant cost of becoming Inner Guards who must undergo arduous surgery and be selected from among thousands, this is undoubtedly a regrettable and infuriating waste.
But... Black Snake... no matter which Black Snake it is, they will not comment on this.
Although the new batch of Snake Scales did indeed follow in the footsteps of this Inner Guards... perhaps "escort" would be a more fitting description of the current situation? But in the end, he was just an Inner Guards, and even with the addition of that Old Nobility pawn who was also a piece of the dark-skinned nobility, compared to the millennia-old foundation of Ursus, he was merely a necessary sacrifice.
Although things didn't go as planned and the flames didn't start in Lungmen in the east, the standoff between the Fifth Army and the other two major armies did bring Ursus, the extension of his own hands, to life, his body that was slowly dying in the frost.
This the Dominion won't freeze to death in the winter snow, even if the fuel is 'itsselves'... That's fine too.
After all, sometimes misjudgments occur, and the 'weak' defeats the 'strong'—this has happened frequently in the history of this land. But when this happens, it is immediately clear who is stronger and who is weaker.
The Black Snake only believes in the law of the jungle.
And everything He did was for Ursus.
Shifting his focus back to the depths of the Snowfield, standing beside the out-of-control black 'stream' of the Dominion, Manfred did not look at the battle behind him.
The two sides, dressed in identical military uniforms, were engaged in fierce combat. However, while one side was shouting battle cries, the other side remained silent... This was normal, after all, an army composed of the dead cannot make a sound.
Manfred now felt that bringing in the Carrion Eater Legion from within the country was the right choice, and that his operations on the Ursus border were more difficult than he had imagined.
That unknown Bloodfiend not only possessed advanced arcane arts like teleportation, but also had the full support of Rhodes Island, a company with an extraordinary position in the country...
There's no doubt that Alfred and the supporters of His Highness's fallacies are currently in that car. After all, Manfred was already suspicious when he discovered that it wasn't just him being chased by the Inner Guards, but also Rhodes Island.
What could be the reason that a company with legal entry registration in Ursus is being chased by the country's intelligence agencies... After thinking it over, the only explanation is that they are carrying illegal 'items'.
Because the Rhodes Island factory was still needed domestically, Manfred didn't have any ill feelings towards his employees, but... he needed an explanation for his mission.
Whether it's the Blood Bloodfiend that the Sanguinarch is incredibly curious about, or the old man who's practically become an encyclopedia of Sarkaz... or even anyone else, it doesn't matter.
After all, although the Regent seemed stern, he had privately said that Theresa's theories were actually useful even in peacetime.
Fanaticism and violence alone cannot construct the soul and spirit of the Sarkaz people; Manfred still remembers His Highness Theresis's sigh.
"... However, the Emperor's Blades... it actually managed to pierce through the Carrion Eaters's army... not bad."
The response to the demon's words was a series of military knives poised for attack.
During their previous encounter, both sides had discussed their respective objectives. Clearly, the Inner Guards did not allow members of the Sarkaz Military Commission to arrest people on their territory... even if it was Sarkaz they wanted.
Manfred had no interest in continuing the discussion with the Inner Guards. With a flick of his finger, the young officer summoned vines made of flesh and blood from the ground to surround him. Inner Guards' slashing and stabbing from all directions were ineffective, and a sound like metal clanging came from the fleshy branches.
Then, the dark red, mottled vines swelled and twisted, resembling 'people' made of plants. Carrion Apostles, still wearing tattered Ursus military uniforms, emerged from the ground. A group of monsters, each over two meters tall and so large that even the Inner Guards had to look up at them, blocked Manfred's path between him and the Ursus Blades.
The Inner Guards are strange, but as long as you keep an eye on them, they will be restricted... The clearer they are observed, the less use their strange abilities become.
The Sarkaz may have a longer history of dealing with Demons than the Ursus. And Manfred has already provided the answer on how to deal with them.
To fight this kind of enemy, all you need to do is become pure, powerful.
An irresistible attack, coupled with an impenetrable defense... the lives collected from numerous battles against the Ursus army formed an impregnable wall that prevented the Inner Guards from continuing their pursuit.
"Unfortunately, this was originally intended to deal with that guy..."
Keep moving forward. Manfred recalled the Rhodes Island warrior, Feline, fighting the Inner Guards, wielding a silver pistol and dancing across the Dominion like a dancer.
He was at least self-aware enough to know that, in terms of combat skills, even the Inner Guards at full power lost completely as if they were courting death. He didn't think he was any better at combat skills than the Inner Guards possessed Demons powers.
Fortunately, the number of Inner Guards is limited, so he doesn't have to waste all the 'life' he has collected... He can at least summon a fully-enhanced Carrion Apostles.
"If everyone else on Rhodes Island fought with all their might, there might be a few more..."