༺ Land That Flows Like A River – 2 ༻

The Regressor and I shared the same thought on the need for countermeasures.

“Gunmaster…! Tch, so troublesome!”

The Regressor stood up in an irritated manner and shouted.

“Stay here! I’ll check outside!”

“Don’t expose yourself! They’ll shoot the moment they see you!”

“I know! I’ll twist the space with Heavenly Mirror, it’ll be fine!”

“It’s salvo fire! Are you sure you’ll be fine?!”

“I’ll just have to deflect it! There’s no other way! What else should I do then? Should I drill a hole to peek through?”

Drilling a hole would immediately give us away to Historia. That punk, though reckless in action, strangely always hit the nail on the head, whatever it was. How should I put it? I guess she had good intuition? Instincts?

As I shook my head, the Regressor grumbled and prepared to go outside.

“Who in the world…thought of shooting with such overflowing Qi?! It’s somehow gotten even more troublesome!”

Sorry.

I muttered briefly and then quickly pulled off the cloak I was wearing. After creating a cross shape with two iron bars and draping the cloak over it, a human-shaped dummy was instantly fashioned.

Good. This should draw their attention.

“I’ll open the back door and throw the decoy. When the gunfire is directed there, move forward!”

“Alright!”

｢What’s this? He’s pretty good at working together!｣

Look at how pleased she is. I scored some points, it seems.

I kicked open the back door of the container, holding the hastily made decoy. As the door opened with a clatter, gunfire poured towards the door. Chilling sounds came one after another.

The half-open door repeatedly closed and opened due to this shock.

“Heup!”

I threw the decoy through the open door with all my might. The moment a human figure appeared, the soldiers’ gunfire was directed there.

｢A decoy. Is that Huey’s work?｣

But Historia, whom I wanted to deceive, only gave a very short glance before turning her attention away from it. Her gun barrel was still steadily aimed at the container. So that she could react to anyone who came out.

Tch, I have to use this too. Well then, what if the decoy greets you? How will you react then, huh?

Are you that great at listening to noises? Then listen to this too!

“Good morning, Ria!”

I shouted loudly and pulled the wire connected to the thrown decoy. The part tied with the steel bar twisted and the cloak, which was becoming ragged, momentarily took the shape of a raised hand. For a very brief moment, Historia’s gun barrel aimed there.

｢Tch, a blatant trick…!｣

Why else would something be blatant? Isn’t it blatant since it’s often used? And isn’t it often used because it’s effective?

Immediately afterwards, the Regressor sprang forward. The Regressor, who escaped with Qi Deflection in the short moment the shower of gunfire relatively weakened, immediately wielded the Chun-aeng.

Skyblade Art, Heavenly Mirror.

The bullets that were poured out half a beat late lost their way in the swirling wind. In the rain of bullets scattering in all directions, the Regressor, holding an invisible sword, opened her eyes wide open.

The eyes that could see far, Indigo Eyes. The Regressor, who looked around with her Sixth Eyes, frowned and shouted.

“Only one of the Six Star Generals?! How ridiculous!”

“Ridiculous, you say?”

It was hard to counterattack as she missed the timing. Instead, Historia stood firmly on top of the automation carriage and slowly aimed at the Regressor.

While smiling chillingly…

“You’re full of confidence, Cutie.”

Baang.

Qi swirled in a spiral as the gunpowder and Qi Art exploded at the same time, thus pushing the barrel. The target was the center of the Regressor’s chest. It was a full-powered shot that did not have an ounce of mercy.

At the same time, the Regressor’s blade was already moving.

The Seventh Color of the Seven Colored Eyes.

The eye that could see power, Violet Eyes.

She slowly watched the tremendous torrent of power, from its discharge all the way to its trajectory.

The stronger the power, the less it was affected by any external factors. In other words, the beginning and end were clear without any change.

The eyes, practically capable of precognition, observed the release of power. The Regressor moved her wrist to reach the end of that trajectory. The weightless Chun-aeng moved in an instant.

The surprisingly excellent performance of those Magic Eyes captured the movement of the bullet.

But if I could follow its final destination just from observing it, I would have ruled the world long ago. No matter how good one’s eyes were, no matter how good one’s Qi Sense was, if they couldn’t block it, it was useless.

But the Regressor had Qi Art specialized for defense.

Heavenly Counter Domain, Defensive Form. Parry.

Chun-aeng cut through the air, and at a similar moment, a gunshot also rang out. Two trajectories passed through the same time and space.

A flash of light glanced off. The Regressor, after deeply exhaling her held breath, stirred Chun-aeng as soon as she swung it.

“Don’t mess around! This place is windy!”

In a land that flowed like a river, a fierce wind stirred. The Regressor, engulfed in a storm so intense it could distort one’s vision, wielded a massively inflated Chun-aeng, swinging it like a fan.

Skyblade Art, Bloom of Chaos.

At the end of the giant butterfly’s wingbeat, an invisible storm brewed. A whirlwind insignificant compared to a breeze, yet precious and ever so thankful when lifting the small, light body of a butterfly.

Now, magnified by thousands of times, it slammed into the automation carriages running parallel to the belt.

Rumble. Even the heavy automation carriages shook helplessly in the vortex of the wind. The automation carriages, losing balance, wobbled from side to side and some individuals were about to fall out of it.

Even so, Historia reloaded her next bullet, sticking to the roof of the carriage. As if the shaking beneath her feet had no effect on her, she skillfully maintained balance with her arms and legs and aimed her gun.

“Tch, how troublesome…!”

“Look who’s talking.”

As the two women confronted each other, I pulled out a carefully folded wrapping cloth I had kept aside.

I couldn’t bring everything in the rush to escape, but I managed to bring a few really important items. One of those was my trump cards. A deck of magic cards, each imbued with a tremendous amount of alchemic gold.

And another was a special wrapping cloth I had specially ordered from Sephier.

“It’s not originally meant to be used this way…”

It was a wrapping cloth for magic tricks. During performances, it was opaque, used to blindfold the audience and make objects inside disappear or change. Its feature was that it was very durable and creased well.

This was a secret, but it was actually double-layered, allowing something to be hidden inside.

Anyway, I put the cloth in Azzy’s mouth, grabbing her shoulder as she looked at me intently.

“Azzy, can you do it?”

“Woof. Trust, me!”

With a firm resolve, Azzy immediately sprinted forward.

Azzy landed in front of the Regressor, who was preparing to block the next bullet. With a cloth in her mouth, Azzy shook vigorously.

Even amidst the scattering storm, suppressive gunfire continued. It had its purpose in gnawing at the nerves. However, with Azzy’s arrival, even that became futile.

The flapping cloth swallowed all the bullets.

Tududududuk. Like a net filtering water, the cloth leaned back, creating uneven marks where the caught bullets wailed in vain.

｢The King of Dogs is using a tool? But still, she’s the King of Dogs. She’s not able to become an enemy.｣

Historia ignored Azzy, who was wriggling in her line of sight. She aimed past her at the Regressor and pulled the trigger.

｢They blocked each other’s field of vision. I’ll attack by using the moment when they cannot see me.｣

It was quite the carefree thought.

Just before the bullet was fired, Azzy’s fur bristled all at once. An animalistic instinct close to a sixth sense. As such, she leapt high.

Bang. A gunshot echoed again.

But this time, the Gunmaster’s gun achieved no effect. Azzy, firmly biting the thick, sturdy magic cloth, had blocked the bullet.

A normal cloth would have been pierced through. Especially if the opponent was Historia. The bullets she fired, imbued with Qi Art, were ferocious enough to tear the world apart.

But my cloth was no ordinary fabric.

Bullets spun. It was a tactic to cut through the wind and maintain a straight trajectory without wavering. However, this rotation also made them more likely to cling to something.

Just as the bullet attempted to pierce the wrapping cloth, the part it touched twisted into the shape of a vortex. Except for the part Azzy was biting, every other part of the cloth stretched back as if someone was pulling it hard. Though it seemed like it would tear any moment, my magic fabric somehow held on.

Phew, that was close. I got scared shitless for a moment.

If the opponent had a sword enveloped in Qi Art, it might have cut through, but I knew the cloth could block bullets. I believed in you, Cloth!

The impact briefly turned Azzy’s head, but in a flash, she swung her head. When she did so, dozens of bullets caught in the cloth fell to the ground and rolled away. While Historia clicked her tongue, an officer riding on another automation carriage shouted.

“King of Dogs, we are humans! Do not obstruct us!”

“Woof? This, is what I’m, obstructing?”

Azzy tapped the fallen bullets with her paw. The infuriated officer, veins bulging on his neck, shouted back.

“You are currently opposing humans!”

“Woof? Pity!”

“Why is the King of Dogs taking sides?”

Holding the sturdy cloth in her mouth, Azzy looked towards the multitude of people on the other side and declared.

“It’s a political move! I, am a king, after all!”

“What?”

“Military State, express regret!”

“This is why things like kings are…!”

As the angry officer growled, Historia, sensing something, fired a blank into the sky. A blue energy made of Qi Art rose like a signal flare.

While everyone focused on the signal of the Star General, Historia fiercely shouted.

“Everyone, take cover!”

She didn’t know how Azzy had intervened, but the Regressor didn’t miss the opportunity that presented itself. Always seizing and capitalizing on opportunities was a virtue of the Regressor.

She focused and gathered her strength. The flowing wind did not trail behind the Regressor as a starting point.

Though she wielded Qi Art and held a legendary sword, the Regressor’s power resembled that of a mage. She changed and twisted the world, creating the desired reality with immense power; a method commonly used by reformers. Rebels. Alterers of the world.

“Do you think you’re the only one who can shoot?!”

The wind was sufficient. The Regressor, with condensed wind in hand, lifted the handle of Jizan to meet it head-on.

Until now, Jizan served as the handle and Chun-aeng as the blade whenever she swung for an attack, but this time, it was different.

Jizan became the barrel and Chun-aeng the bullet.

She aimed at the Gunmaster, using her own style against her.

｢Fighting guns head-on is troublesome, but projectiles of long-distance firepower don’t scare me at all!｣

Historia’s weapon, after all, was a gun meticulously crafted by the Military State. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it could not escape the inherent limitations of a gun.

In contrast, the Regressor’s weapon was a treasure kin that was near-omnipotent.

The Regressor returned Historia’s method back to her.

The wind that should have evenly pushed both away readied itself on the recoilless Jizan, preparing to launch the whole body of the weapon forward. Compressed wind heated up, warming the tip of Jizan. A red aura swirled around the black tip of Jizan.

A claim from the earth to the sky, a statement from the land to the heavens.

Aerith Blade Supreme, Volcanic Bow.

It was different from Historia. If Historia’s power sent bullets piercing through the world with their sound…

The Regressor’s bullet of wind enveloped its target silently, as if even the sound was too precious to waste. Pure force was unleashed.

Stray energy turned into heat. A torrent of wind, laden with immense heat, was launched. The reason it didn’t catch fire was simply because there was nothing to burn.

Yet, even in its flight, the tumultuous, shimmering heat sufficiently hinted at the power contained within.

Historia clicked her tongue, opting not to load another bullet but instead inhaled the air violently.

Contrary to when she was firing, a whirlwind occurred as Qi and wind were sucked into the barrel. Historia, having condensed her power to its limit, chose to detonate the Qi Art instead of pulling the trigger.

Explosive Discharge Domain, Fire Net.

Historia’s Qi Art resembled fire – it burst, blazed, and erupted.

It was not a fire net formed by crossing bullets, but a literal net of blue flames spread out to block the Regressor’s wind.

The net of fire shot out, clashing with the wind bullet. Flames and heat, the two that had always been companions, now collided and momentarily countered each other.

For a brief moment, the flames seemed to engulf the heat and swell up.

But it was futile.

The Regressor wielded two legendary swords. Moreover, it was even the dual swords of earth and sky, an overwhelmingly powerful combination akin to a cheat. Individual firepower couldn’t possibly stand against it.

Still, some resistance was possible.

“Mage Officer! Create a counterwind!”

As the officer shouted, a uniform sound echoed from the automation carriages. Officers who had been gathering mana simultaneously extended their arms, shouting.

“Set, Re! Pascal!”

Countering unique means such as magic was difficult without that very same magic. The Military State, rigid as it may be, would only be hunted down if their tactics remained stiff.

Mage Officers stationed in each unit pulled together their remaining strength for resistance. Counterwinds poured from extended arms and the armor surrounding them.

Even that was insufficient, but it was still better than nothing. Three automaton carriages barely managed to stay put, their left wheels slightly lifting as they were on the verge of tipping over,

One nearly fell as its left wheel lifted, but Historia quickly drew her pistol and fired three shots, stabilizing it and returning it to position.

After holstering her pistol, Historia showed a sign of discomfort.

｢Had there been no countermeasure… everything would have capsized. The power of handling the wind is troublesome. And the Progenitor hasn’t even intervened yet.｣

Left with no choice, Historia ordered a retreat. The automation carriages slowed as if waiting, turning their wheels outward. With a Rumble, the wheels vibrated roughly as they moved away.

That alone quickly widened the gap between us significantly, seeing as how we were on the Meta Conveyor Belt.

｢But it was enough to confirm the enemy’s methods. After all, we were the ones in need of information.｣

Historia, perched atop the automation carriage, continued to glare in our direction. After exchanging gazes with the Regressor, she briefly glanced inside the container.

｢The full assault is tomorrow morning anyway. As a reconnaissance, this wasn’t all too bad.｣

This was supposed to be… a reconnaissance?