The homunculi controlled by Tirkanjaka could not use the Overseers' powers. Instead, an ominous crimson aura enveloped their bodies. Strengthened by Tirkanjaka's darkness and blood sorcery, they overwhelmed the Golden Mirror's homunculi using sheer physical force.

The homunculi struck by their own kind could not regain their composure. Despite outnumbering their attackers, the Golden Mirror's forces failed to stop them before they were upon them. Crimson fists flew toward their faces like meteors.

Blood splattered, and shards of metal scattered. Homunculi whose heads snapped to the side appeared dead to anyone watching. But then, the crimson aura seeped into their bodies, and those whose necks had twisted unnaturally began to rise again, their eyes glowing red. Revived from death, they joined Tirkanjaka’s forces to attack the Golden Mirror’s homunculi.

The crimson mist gradually spread, marking the battlefield’s progression. Tirkanjaka, observing the battle with a calm demeanor, spoke softly.

"Strange, isn’t it? Their blood, though within their bodies, resonates with my senses. As if their blood were laid bare despite the lack of wounds. Even though my powers have weakened significantly, I can still command them to this extent."

Command? Blood? Could vampires also control the blood of homunculi?

No, think again. Vampires can only perfectly dominate human blood. In other words, the homunculi’s blood must be identical to human blood.

Hearing Tirkanjaka’s words, the truth dawned on me.

“They’ve fallen into a dilemma!”

“A dilemma? Are you referring to the homunculi’s dilemma?”

“Yes! If these homunculi are controlled by the Golden Mirror, then Tirkanjaka can control them as well. The composition of their blood is identical to human blood! Their bodies must also be like human bodies! But since they lack the instinct to protect themselves, they can’t resist Tirkanjaka’s power!”

Homunculi have no will of their own. They might appear to think and act independently, but their bodies are entirely creations of the Golden Mirror.

In other words, these homunculi are tools. Tools that both the Golden Mirror and Tirkanjaka can use at will. Their functions might differ depending on who wields them, but they are inherently manipulable.

…Is the human body really so easy to replicate? Never mind that for now.

It’s been a while since I figured something out on my own without reading thoughts. My mind is still sharp!

“Good! Let’s escape while we can!”

“Escape?”

“Yes! Tirkanjaka can create a stalemate for now, but there’s no benefit to dragging this out into a war of attrition with the Golden Mirror!”

The battle raging before us was extraordinary. The homunculi under the Golden Mirror's control continued to transmute steel as they attacked, while Tirkanjaka's homunculi took blows head-on, striking back with fists and limbs.

Considering the Overseers’ powers, the Golden Mirror’s forces held an overall advantage, but in terms of sheer physical capability, Tirkanjaka’s homunculi were superior. The durable bodies of these homunculi, leagues beyond ordinary constructs, allowed them to pick up anything as a weapon and wreak havoc.

The sudden betrayal and ensuing chaos even left the Golden Mirror faltering. Only Hecto, having heard about the situation from Peru earlier, quickly grasped what was happening.

‘Control through blood… That’s the progenitor’s power! To think it could extend to even homunculi. I should have been more cautious! Though it’s too late now.’

In contrast, the Golden Mirror struggled to comprehend the scenario. The homunculi attacking one another created utter confusion. A bit of basic knowledge would have revealed that Tirkanjaka was a vampire and was using blood sorcery to dominate the homunculi. Yet the Golden Mirror failed to grasp this.

“…My… Golden Nation… Why is it… behaving so strangely…?”

Was the Golden Mirror being foolish? Impossible—it's a divine being. It merely lacked the adaptive instincts necessary to perceive and respond effectively to danger!

“It’s a vampire! The vampire is controlling them through blood!” Hecto’s urgent report finally brought clarity to the Golden Mirror. It creaked before responding.

“Vam-pire? Such a thing… never before. How?”

“It’s happening now! They’re controlling the homunculi with blood! We need countermeasures!”

“Counter-measures. Devised.”

The Golden Mirror’s monotone response was followed by action.

“Steel Overseer.”

In an instant, the battle turned. The Golden Mirror’s homunculi, which had been attacking the traitors indiscriminately, shifted to precise, coordinated actions. Using alchemy, they forged long, steel snares to bind the legs of the rebellious homunculi. Superior physical strength alone could not overcome the overwhelming cascade of steel traps without tools. Tirkanjaka’s homunculi thrashed like beasts caught in a snare.

Having created a momentary stalemate, the Golden Mirror touched a nearby farmer-like doll and muttered.

“Mirror Overseer.”

With a flash of alchemical light, the farmer transformed. Clad in attire that blended seamlessly into the landscape, the figure now bore the appearance of an Overseer. The newly transformed homunculus, draped with spectacles, magnifying glasses, and lenses, unfurled its lens-like wings and soared into the sky.

Religious teachings claim that sunlight symbolizes righteousness, but like all doctrines, nuances emerge in practice. Dozens of lenses refracted sunlight, focusing it to a single, intense point.

The condensed beam, bright enough to take shape in the air, resembled a massive spear. The Mirror Overseer unleashed the spear of light upon the crimson-tinged homunculi.

With a fiery burst, the homunculi ignited. Tirkanjaka’s dominion, rooted in blood and darkness, dissipated in the face of the concentrated sunlight. While a vampire might resist slightly, these homunculi were not truly alive. They neither writhed nor evaded; they simply burned and fell, silent even in death.

Tirkanjaka’s homunculi were utterly destroyed. The “countermeasure” had proven devastatingly effective. As the Golden Mirror surveyed the charred remains, it muttered:

“I will not… allow my Golden Nation… to be sullied…”

Yet, the homunculi had already fulfilled their purpose. We had broken through the encirclement and reached the Golden Palace’s perimeter.

This was the second time they had taken a defensive stance. Without setting an ambush, they wouldn’t be able to stop us now.

"Fools, it's too late now! Goodbye, suckers!"

With a taunting laugh, we crossed the perimeter of the Golden Palace. The surroundings blurred momentarily, as if we had leapt across worlds. The battlefield, once filled with fierce combat, vanished, replaced by vast cornfields.

We were safe—at least for a moment. But among the corn, a figure emerged, distinctly different from the crops.

Dressed in overalls that resembled work clothes, with a rust-red aura emanating from her ashen ponytail, Peru, the Verdant Overseer of the Heat Nations, stood wide-eyed, staring at us.

‘…How did she get here?’

Peru, who had accompanied Hecto but remained outside the Golden Palace, had, by some misfortune, appeared at the worst possible moment.

Behind me, the regressor and Tirkanjaka emerged from the shifting space. In the distance, I could see homunculi chasing us, with Hecto, the Golden Mirror, and Elik further behind.

Peru stood frozen, unsure of what had transpired within the chaotic Golden Palace.

But Hecto, spotting her, shouted urgently.

“Verdant Overseer! Stop them!”

Peru could piece together what had happened. The desperation in Hecto’s expression, the bloodied rampage of the homunculi, the towering figures of the Golden Mirror and Elik—it wasn’t hard to deduce the outcome.

‘…So, the truce negotiations failed.’

Her innate magic seemed to forewarn her of impending ruin. Biting her lip, Peru lamented to herself.

‘…Nothing I do ever works out. Not this time either.’

Her efforts had been futile. Worse, they had plunged both us and the Heat Nations into grave danger—herself included.

“Use your power if you must!”

Peru’s obligation as an Overseer demanded that she act. The juggernauts granted to the Heat Nations were gifts of the Golden Mirror, along with the power, wealth, and prestige they enjoyed. But—

“No! Stop!”

Hecto’s frantic cry was drowned out by Elik’s chilling scream.

The scream wasn’t directed at me, the regressor, or even Tirkanjaka. Elik, casting aside all pretense of composure, shouted at Peru as though gripped by sheer terror.

“Don’t use your poweeeer!”

‘…As expected.’

Peru neither had the means to stop us nor the will to do so. Yet even her duty had been stripped from her. With her unique magic withdrawn, she simply stood with her arms outstretched, as if trying to block us with her body.

It was like trying to stop a waterfall with her palms. Without her unique magic, a woman with no other powers stood no chance against the regressor or Tirkanjaka. Against someone as ordinary as me, even less so.

However, unlike me, the regressor could not read the thoughts of the Verdant Overseer.

Peru stood before us, blocking our way, and even showed faint signs of intent to attack. Her perceived threat level shot up in the regressor's mind.

‘Even if she was favorable to us, an enemy is still an enemy…! She must be killed!’

Though the regressor had spent some time with her, his ability to sever emotional attachments was unparalleled. He coldly assessed the situation.

‘Being surrounded in the enemy’s heartland is dangerous. Especially with allies at risk! I can’t leave even the slightest danger unchecked!’

Though there was regret in forming his intent to kill, there was no hesitation. The regressor sharpened his murderous resolve into a blade, discarding sentiment without a second thought. Tianying emerged from his grasp.

Ugh, no. Killing her is problematic. She’s a card the other side finds tricky to deal with. I can’t just throw her away like this!

“Hey, Shay! Ahead!”

Moving quickly, I stepped in. The regressor, poised to strike Peru down, had to halt Tianying’s trajectory when I appeared in his path. Startled by the sudden interference, the regressor couldn’t react in time and slammed his forehead into my back.

“Ugh! What are you doing?!”

“You’re the one being reckless! That was dangerous!”

It really was dangerous. Our heads collided, and it felt like my back had been hit by a shot put. While my interference saved Peru, it was painful enough to make me regret it a little.

“Anyway, I’ll handle this!”

I shouted as I moved toward Peru. Without any intent to attack, she merely stood there with her arms spread wide, attempting to block the path with her body and completely ignoring any form of defense.

Her defenseless abdomen came into view. If you leave yourself open like this, I can’t resist! Without hesitation, I drove my fist into the middle of her overalls, directly into her unguarded stomach. My full-powered strike sank deep into her abdomen with a dull thud.

“...!”

Unlike the other Overseers, Peru had no means of protecting herself. Even if she tried to acquire one, it would rust away soon enough. As a result, my single strike completely incapacitated her. Off balance, her body collapsed forward onto me.

I lifted the fallen Peru onto my shoulder. From encounter to defeat, it took less than a second. A truly perfect victory.

Damn, this makes me feel like I’ve grown stronger. Strength is all about relativity, after all. Even someone ordinary like me can go on a rampage if the opponent is weak enough. How’s that? Pretty impressive, right…?

“To strike an unresisting woman so harshly… Honestly…”

Ah, crap. It seems my reputation has taken a hit.

But it couldn’t be helped! Technically, I saved her. Now that she’s clashed with the Golden Mirror, leaving her like this actually ensures Peru’s safety!

With Peru swiftly subdued, the regressor sheathed Tianying. His intention to kill had been purely practical—to eliminate any remaining danger. Now that Peru was neutralized, there was no need for further action.

“Still, I doubt the Verdant Overseer will help us.”

“We’ll just hold a blade to her throat and threaten her!”

“Well, I suppose that works, if it does…”

‘She didn’t resist and even let herself be hit. That means there’s no reason to kill her… If not for Shay, this could have gotten messy. I might have gone too hard on her stomach, but in the end, I saved the Verdant Overseer.’

At least the regressor understands. Fine, even if no one else does, you should at least acknowledge what I did.

Ugh. But still… carrying someone while running… is a bit much for me…

“Shay. Peru’s pretty heavy. Could you take over?”

“…Hand her over.”

‘No sense of style…’

I get the feeling my reputation is sinking further. Let’s just say that Peru kicking me in the transfer process was an accident.

In any case, my tactical brilliance seemed to shine through as the regressor carrying Peru increased our speed significantly. We quickly left the cornfields behind, the Golden Palace fading into the distance.