Commander Arm. Gunblade.

A weapon that the Military State devoted their heart and soul into creating solely for Historia.

It was two pistols connected by a chain at the handle end. The edge of the black barrel was adorned with sharp blades, making it easy to stab and slash due to their pointed sharpness.

The presence of blades didn't render the gun or chain useless. Inside the barrel, specially processed heavy bullets lay in wait for enemies, and the chain connected to the pistol had its own usefulness.

The gun thrown by Historia flew right in front of the Regressor, its chains clinking along the way.

Not the bullet, but the gun itself.

‘That damned gun which is neither a gun nor a blade…!’

The Regressor spun Jizan in a circle, thrusting it forward in an attempt to wrap the chain.

Upon noticing that action in a moment, Historia aimed the other gun and pulled the trigger. The Regressor blocked the bullet with the Heavenly Counter Domain, but Historia took the opportunity to pull the chain and charge.

Ba-Bang, two warning shots. The Gunblade then fell towards the constrained Regressor's head. The Regressor clashed Jizan onto it.

Clang, the Commander Arm and Jizan collided. Historia frowned at the heavy sensation.

‘A heavy, pitch-black sword. Hmm, is it fine to think of it as the opposite of the invisible sword? There is… no need to clash with it head-on.’

The judgment was swift. Historia's wrist smoothly rotated. Upon letting go of the handle and hooking only her fingers, the caught Gunblade spun Jizan around. In an instant, it freed itself from Jizan and aimed at the Regressor.

“Tchh!”

The heavy Jizan was slow to respond. Instead, the Regressor swung Chun-aeng. Just before a loud bang could erupt, the Regressor managed to deflect the muzzle away successfully. The rough gunshot caused both of their ears to ring.

It was too minor of a damage to stop the fight. The Regressor and Historia clashed again.

A brief struggle of power. Chun-aeng was longer compared to the short Gunblade. When the Regressor managed to shake off the Gunblade and aimed to deeply cut the Gunmaster’s face…

From below her line of sight, a military boot swept the floor. A kick to the thigh made the Regressor lose balance and groan.

“Damn it…!”

The Gunmaster had distracted her in an instant, disorienting her eyes and ears with the muzzle and gunfire. An attack to the lower body followed while she was still in an unstable stance. For the one receiving such an assault, it was an infuriating situation.

On the other hand, Historia merely muttered in an indifferent manner.

“Sorry, my legs are a bit long.”

“Then why don’t I shorten them for you!”

While Chun-aeng struck down like lightning, chains jingled and intervened. The enraged Regressor applied force to cut through the chains. Chun-aeng’s blade precisely struck the chains and their joints.

“Whew. And it’s hooked.”

At the same time Historia whistled…

Chrrrrrrrk.

The chains loosened momentarily, softly enveloping Chun-aeng. At the same time, Historia drew a small circle with the tip of her foot, lightly wrapping the chain around, before launching the irons.

To the Regressor, it seemed as if dozens of chains were clanging and attacking from all directions.

‘The Heavenly Counter Domain isn’t responding…! Does this mean it’s an unprecedented attack even over all my past regressions?! How does she keep attacking in such extraordinary and original ways?!’

There was, however, a defensive technique in the Heavenly Counter Domain that fended off unforeseen attacks. The Regressor shouted desperately.

“Chun-aeng!”

The space compressed within Chun-aeng was released, expanding like a bubble and increasing the distance between the Gunmaster and the Regressor.

The safest shield in the world was distance. If an attack couldn’t reach its target, it was meaningless. If the recoil-free Jizan was called the strongest shield that could block anything, Chun-aeng could be called the ultimate shield, capable of nullifying the attack itself.

However, it didn't work against the Gunmaster.

Explosive Discharge Domain, Zero In.

Bang.A bullet that was promised to hit tore through space.

“Oho.”

The torn coat hem and the blood that leaked through the gap scattered with the wind.

The bullet grazed the Regressor's right arm. Though to say it had grazed was a bit of an understatement; a piece of flesh from the right arm was torn off and bleeding, far from the outcome expected from a Qi Arts that had touched upon the Axiom.

“Good weapon, good clothes, and good reaction. Had just one of the three been missing, an arm would have flown off…”

Qi mixed with gun smoke rose. Historia blew on the muzzle. The dispersed smoke flowed backward with the wind.

“Of course, a big part was that rushing my shot weakened its power. Anyway, you. You’re tough. At least, more than you look.”

Ignoring the throbbing pain in her right arm, the Regressor gritted her teeth.

“So annoying…!”

“Is that really something you should be saying to this noona, huh?”

Historia, pulling the chain with the tip of her foot, spun the Gunblade around. The Regressor, slowly healing her wounds with Bloodcraft, raised Chun-aeng.

‘No matter how strong a gun is, it's still just a gun. Annoying, but that's all! It can be countered in some way, but…!’

Even without her gun, Historia was simply strong.

She was young in age, full of vitality. Her movements were acrobatic, her strength considerable. Above all, she maximized the use of her situation and weapons with her innate combat sense.

She waged psychological warfare with her wavering muzzle, responding aptly at both long and close range. If the Regressor got distracted by that, the flashing blade would strike. If she swung to block, she lost the means to respond to the following bullets. Furthermore, whenever the Regressor adjusted the distance, the Gunmaster followed up with martial arts in close combat and chains at medium range.

‘Do I have to open the Eyes of Fate? But this kind of Sense Type is difficult to deal with... Tch, I still can’t even begin to understand. That this woman, who is the closest to the Military State, would become a key figure in the New Kingdom...!'

The Regressor was one who had always been confident in her vitality, but she was truly uncertain about who would win if the fight continued like this.

However, she was not anxious.

After all, the longer they fought, the more advantageous it became for the Regressor.

“Keuk…!”

It was a single blow.

One general officer flew through the air. Right as the general officer barely managed to withstand the blow delivered over her weapon and was sliding with the Gunblade pierced into the ground… Her body was sucked towards a white girl.

Despite the fierce wind, not a single piece of clothing or hair fluttered. Tyr, holding a black parasol at an angle towards the sun, seemed to walk as if time had stopped around her, extending her hand.

“Since it is difficult to control my strength, try your best to survive on your own.”

The darkness spreading in all directions headed towards its master. The general officer flailed her arms in the flow, unable to escape. It was a futile resistance.

Tyr, with a motion that could be considered leisurely, opened her palm and pushed the general officer away.

Though the gesture looked like a lady's caprice, the one being hit did not think as such. She suddenly felt as if gravity had shifted, plunging her into the ground.

Her waist bent and her body floated up. Her crumpled body rolled across the flowing land.

The general officer, who was like the sky to her soldiers, was knocked down without much resistance.

An officer gathering the troops screamed in horror.

“Unstoppable! Unstoppable!!”

A pitiful cry, a desperate report, as well as the simplest expression of the situation.

Tyr advanced, ensuring no one could be present behind her. She advanced forward pushing aside one soldier after the other.

“Major General! We need reinforcements! We can’t…! Stop her!”

Historia, having been held back by just one person, couldn't respond. She laughed in vain, making a bitter expression.

“...I have to admit. Your defense is remarkable. I can’t break through it easily.”

The Regressor gasped for air and replied.

“Look at you brimming with confidence!”

“Cutie. Sorry. But I don’t have any time to dawdle.”

Historia aimed the muzzle upward and pulled the trigger.

Baaang.

A bright light burst into the sky. It was a flare. Historia, tucking away her weapon, murmured in a regretful tone.

“If possible, I wanted to stall until the main force arrived…. But it can’t be helped. I have no choice but to signal the call.”

“They’re far away, though. Do you really expect that shooting a flare will bring them here?”

“Of course, it’s possible. How do you think I outpaced you? Wait, no. Should I have instead asked if you think I actually came alone?”

It was just as she said.

Using retreat as a strategy was proudly included in the Military State's manual. To avoid engaging in combat was one thing, but as long as the Military State decided to fight, there was no way they would take a half-baked approach to it.

At the very minimum, they had to secure a tactical superiority; that was the Military State's method before engaging in battle.

Then the question arose. What did the Military State consider as superiority in combat power?

‘Even if it’s the Military State, it would be difficult to go against Tyrkanzyaka without high-ranking mages or priests…. And there is no way there are any priests in the State. No. Could it be?”

Right as the Regressor, realizing something, felt something ominous and turned her gaze… voice was heard.

“I am starting the magic.”

A powerful voice calling upon mana was laid low from the Meta Conveyor Belt. The Regressor, guessing the owner of that voice, turned desperate.

‘No! This is probably…!’

“How about now? Do you still think that time is on your side?”

This time, Historia was the one to attack. The Regressor couldn't respond and continued the battle.

Meanwhile, the magic began.

“Set.”

How would a human reach the top of a mountain?

“Re.”

One might run vigorously. Someone else might jump straight up to stand on its peak. Some may scale cliffs while others fly and land gently at the top.

Or some may even be born at the summit, unaware of the existence of the neighborhoods below them.

However, the most common method was to ascend one step at a time.

Daftly. Sincerely. Foolishly. Diligently.

Those who overcame paths not traversed by others in extraordinary ways and showed the way to those who would follow were called pioneers. People admired and praised them.

Yet, those who walked step by step toward the distant summit were mocked as foolish. Climbing up the stairs one by one, in a way anyone could, elicited neither awe nor inspiration.

Only mockery and ridicule would be the companions of their journey.

『This is Military State Signaller Piyu, in charge of the Meta Conveyor Belt. This is a warning to all troops of the Military State.』

In the gap between the ongoing spell, a golem shouted as loud as possible.

『In a moment, General Prelvior’s magic will be cast. All soldiers, please take all possible personal defensive measures.』

Their path was stupid and inefficient. Life was short and the journey long, thus its limits were far too clear; they would fall before even reaching the midpoint, let alone the summit.

However…

Mother Nature, which humans so admired, was also made from gathered dust. And from that, mountains were formed. The droplets that carved stones over the stubborn years drew awe and the rivers carved by the flowing water were soaked with admiration.

Even if it was a slow process, piling and piling onto it could move mountains.

She had gathered and accumulated tiny specks of mana. While others created the world, she used only the magic available to everyone. Through just Standard Magic, she built her foundation step by step. While always consuming what was known to enhance mana, she increased her mana quantity and affinity.

Just like that, days, weeks, months, years, decades passed... And at the end of continuous training and research, she became a Star General.

She still couldn’t use high-dimensional magic. She lacked the talent to.

But in terms of quantity, the magic of the Mage Marshal had developed to be incomparable to anyone else.

『If you do not, you will die.』

Before the Signaller’s warning even ended, the soldiers had already hidden in their trenches, huddled up, covered with waterproof and fireproof cloths.

They had finished their preparations.

“Check.”

Unique Magic, Magic of Magnitude.

Mana that seemed to cover the entire world instantly converged into a single point.

Unique Magic, Magic of Magnitude.

“Fahrenheit. Millionaire.”

The sun descended.