Chapter 268

The collapsed buildings stretched starkly towards the hazy sky, like the scorched ribcage of a long-dead beast.

The streets were carpeted with glassy broken floors and shattered stone fragments. Every time knights and vehicles patrolled the area, a crunching sound echoed.

The surrounding buildings had toppled in strange directions, as if a rampaging giant had slashed through them mercilessly.

Asteria’s cityscape had withstood the relentless flames of the core, but it could not endure the aftermath of battle.

And at the center, where the most savage strikes had carved their mark, the fallen vanguard of the other world writhed, bleeding like a caterpillar.

“■■■-!”

The Apostle was immobile.

Its limbs were ruthlessly severed. Its existence let out an unutterable scream of pain.

Nothing had changed. The noise that would normally shake a human’s mind and color their brain with fear only made the knights behind their visors squint slightly.

From the severed limbs, an incessantly shimmering blood slowly lost its color, turning black.

In truth, even if the limbs had been intact, there was nothing the Apostle could do.

There were few uninjured places from its head to its abdomen, and the vital areas were shattered.

Above all, one foot of the Steel Giant bore down heavily on the part of the Apostle’s chest.

“Ridiculous, right? Isn’t it?”

Cordo could not suppress a subtle enjoyment mingling with self-pity.

Just moments ago, he had beaten this monster with overwhelming strength, as though slaughtering a dog.

What had arrived, after immense funding equivalent to a national budget poured in since his father’s generation, and the essence of scientific achievement in the academy city, was barbaric and primal violence.

The Apostle had no organs to convey nonverbal expressions, but Commander Cordo, currently piloting the Goliath, could sense a fragment of this alien being’s emotions.

It was just a hunch, but his prediction was somewhat accurate.

The Apostle felt unbearable resentment.

“Why! Not just one, but two!”

“We’re going to split. I understand. Being trampled by something you despised and mocked so much must be terrible. I’d feel sick if I had to kneel before the commoners as well. Valefor said so. Your kind thinks you are the most noble, chosen race in this world.”

The impossible communication ran parallel.

The miraculous weapon, forged by the overwhelming output of artifact technology and energy reactors, reshaped individual willpower and mindset with sheer force, rendering it inadequate for communication.

Yet between the two beings’ monologues, a faint connection began to emerge.

“This can’t happen… How could we, ordered by His Majesty, end up like this…”

“But you’re wrong.”

The foot of the Goliath lifted off the Apostle’s chest.

As a procession of vehicles in the distance came to a stop, the knights approached the leading large truck.

“Nobility? Do you think such a word suits the wretched and cursed beasts of your realm? Huh?”

Federal technicians clad in protective suits emerged from the truck, approaching under the knights’ escort.

The Apostle turned its head to see the identity of the objects being unloaded, only for a device to be affixed to its half-damaged head.

“The only truly noble beings in this world are humans.”

“I won’t die like this!”

The last Adriana spike sputtered and ceased to function, sparks flying.

As an opportunity arose, the Apostle drew on its last strength, delivering a desperate blow.

A strange wave of magical power pierced the Goliath.

The Goliath froze in its movements.

“Commander!”

“It’s mental corruption!”

Cordo found himself in a white mental space in the blink of an eye.

“Ah, is this the space the founders of the clans spoke of?”

Before him stood a constantly churning and boiling Black Figure, trembling as it cried out.

“You’ve let your guard down; no one shall win. I’ll make you a fool. Restraid!”

A black wave surged from beyond the consciousness, crashing over him.

In an instant, Cordo’s body was engulfed in a viscous liquid.

-Brother! How could you do this to me? You said you would help!

-Onii-chan! This isn’t right, please, our husband and child don’t know anything!

-Are you even human? Did you covet the throne of the clan so much?

Forgotten old phantoms and vengeful spirits clawed at him, tearing at his flesh.

Cordo gritted his teeth.

He thought he’d forgotten long ago, yet it seemed a weak corner of himself remained.

“…A trauma trigger? So, it was true to the records.”

The Apostle, who had been mocking its brief victory amidst defeat, suddenly turned serious.

The mass encased in the black wave slowly, but stubbornly advanced.

A pair of arms extended from within the black wave, tearing away the black memories that had bound him one by one.

Severing the brothers who begged for their lives, the sisters who pleaded.

“Just stay dead and buried. Losers.”

Tearing away the comrades and subordinates who wailed.

An uncompromising, disconnected mindset ripped apart the grips of the phantoms holding him back, propelling him forward.

“What are you doing? You are…”

“Did you really think I would break here? Like some child, whining and falling over?”

The Apostle, retreating, collapsed against the mental floor.

“I have a mission. A path paved with glory and hardship.”

An iron grip seized the Apostle’s throat.

“You barbaric creature. I shall never yield.”

“Ugh, gack!”

Between the Apostle and the Supreme Commander, a woman with sad eyes intervened.

-Wife. Please, Sebi is still young… only 5 years old!

“Ah, Ines. Long time no see.”

Cordo’s eyes narrowed as he faced one of his deceased former wives.

-Sebi is hurt again. That kind of training is excessive! This isn’t right. Please…

“Yeah, with this airheaded girl’s blood mixed in, it makes sense you’d lose like that!”

The strong hand casually grabbed the noose around the woman’s neck and violently tossed her aside.

The woman, crumpling to the ground, scattered like smoke.

“How could a mere human free himself from restraints…!”

The Supreme Commander scoffed, not bothering to explain.

There was no regret. No hesitation. Just that.

“Enough games. Aedos.”

The world flipped. The cold reality rushed at the Apostle.

As it staggered and struggled to raise its head, a massive metal fist flew towards its face.

-KWAAANG!

The Apostle’s face was smashed in by the Goliath’s punch. Once, twice, three times. The strikes were merciless.

“You beast, be grateful for the chance to be the stepping stone to reclaim the entire continent of Trist.”

The Apostle, trembling, slumped.

As the Goliath’s armor opened, a sweating Supreme Commander jumped out.

“I knew it would be unappetizing. Commander of the Guard, start!”

“What are you doing? You slugs! Move faster!”

The technicians watching scrambled to begin their tasks at the Lieutenant Commander’s shout.

They placed a restraint device on the Apostle’s head and began to screw it in.

With the pain tearing through its head, the Apostle weakly thrashed.

Every glowing magic formula engraved on the restraint pulsed with ether, disrupting the Apostle’s miracles.

Once a being consumed by malevolent intellect, it was now on the verge of becoming a lifeless decoration.

The severed limbs were seared with fire, and various complex restraints were affixed.

Next, a container opened with a hydraulic lift creaking as it lowered the enhanced isolation facility to the ground.

Technicians swarmed the vehicle to repeatedly check the integrity of the restraints.

An energy field hummed ominously, and a chilling blue glow seeped through the gaps.

“It’s over.”

When the isolation device finally sealed with a loud clunk, the Apostle was encapsulated within layers of cutting-edge technology and magical engineering.

“Congratulations on the victory.”

“It was just luck. It only escaped because it was worn out. Casualties?”

“Five dead, twenty injured. Most are minor injuries.”

“More precious knights have fallen… how regrettable. Their names shall be inscribed in the Hall of Glory, and pensions and compensation will be distributed to their families according to procedure.”

Though he expressed annoyance, Cordo’s expression was inwardly lightened. The sacrifices of the brave knights were not in vain.

‘I’m looking forward to it. If a prototype reduced to a fifteenth of its size performs at such a level…’

What would the power of a fully constructed Goliath be? It was unimaginable.

If they analyzed the Apostle’s body gained this time, the hesitating plan could seize a new opportunity to leap forward.

And, and…

‘We will invoke the gods and reclaim the entire continent.’

At the forefront of that glory would stand the name of Restraid.

A truck laden with precious cargo that would serve as a stepping stone set out.

After the battle ended, the people of the exhibition hall followed guidance to the gate.

“Let’s go home!”

“I’m hungry!”

We had achieved much.

Firstly, we had lectured the wicked Apostle in the spirit of democracy and held back the monsters.

And we saved people.

“We are the Violets of Justice!”

However, there were many patients.

Returning after the fight, most of the people were coughing as if they’d caught colds.

“They all look too sick. Did they catch COVID?”

“If only Daphne were here…”

Due to the overwhelming number of those unable to walk, emergency patients were conveyed out beyond the barrier by airship or ambulance.

Moreover, there was a sad matter as well.

“No! Rugilinn’s Iron Fist!”

Unit 1267, who had been roaming the battlefield to collect equipment, cried out.

What we saw before us was the remnants of Rugilinn’s Iron Fist, a brave Federal light tank.

Our strong steel friend, who had fought valiantly against the Apostle, had been ruined in the fallout of the nuclear bomb.

Not only had its chassis been flipped over, but perhaps being near the epicenter had left parts of its body charred and melted beyond recognition.

“My friend is dead!”

“Those Restraid folks! I won’t forgive them!”

Soon, all 2501 Violets fell into sadness.

The bent and twisted barrel and the sagging track remained as the sole testament to Rugilinn’s Iron Fist, which had once stood grandly upon the earth.

Unit 2 nearby was in a similar state.

In fact, it was already smashed to bits from the Apostle’s attack, and there was no hope of reviving it.

“I didn’t think I couldn’t take them back…”

“How did it end up like this!”

It was heartbreaking. I couldn’t bear the sadness.

Still, the Violets steeled their emotions and stood up.

Despite all the loss, we had to move forward.

We must overcome.

The spirit of the Violets is indomitable; even if bent and broken, it grows anew.

“And our will shall be inherited!”

Amidst the charred wreckage, there were still remnants to remember our friend.

A license plate inscribed on one side of the tank, though scorched and crumpled, miraculously remained intact.

Besides that, we cut out any mementos of our friend with our swords.

“Rugilinn’s Iron Fist will run the battlefield again!”

The name of the great tank would be passed on to the next generation of tanks.

Someday, we would wait to see the second Rugilinn’s Iron Fist.

“I’m going to remember! I will definitely resurrect you!”

“So, who did you catch?”

“Yeah, I’ll explain later when we get back!”

After the Ariel Group quietly withdrew, Violet returned to her primary job as a student.

Lucian glanced at Violet with a drained expression.

“Where should we meet? A quiet place would be nice, like the library…”

“…No, I’m not interested.”

Although she was quite curious, Lucian was secretly hesitant, fearing getting dragged into another major incident while trying to resolve his questions with Violet.

The sounds of intense battle still echoed within the exhibition hall. The sounds of nuclear bombardments were one thing. I couldn’t bear to imagine what kind of major battle was unfolding outside.

‘I just want to attend the academy quietly…’

“Hey, weren’t you curious? You had a curious expression on your face.”

“I’m not curious, honestly…”

“Shh! Levi is sleeping.”

Before them, Levi was being carried out by medical personnel.

Her condition had improved significantly since being discovered, but it seemed she would need to rest for a while.

There was someone else in poor condition.

“Ariel is still unwell…”

Violet watched Ariel with a gloomy face.

It was pitiful. Surely, her parents were now in chaos, having turned into monsters. I didn’t know what to say.

“Um… sis.”

“Yeah, it’s me. Violet!”

“S-so, sis, that…”

As Ariel opened her eyes, something seemed to arise to her mind, and she struggled to ask a question.

Violet’s index finger rose over Ariel’s trembling lips.

“I’ll tell you when I visit later! Alright?”

“Okay…”

Violet watched until Ariel boarded the airship and left beyond the barrier.

According to the medical personnel, she was headed to a major hospital.

“So, who is that kid?”

“Yeah, she’s going to be our junior! Isn’t she cute?”

“What are you thinking now…?”

Lucian shook his head.

There was an insurmountable gap between this outstanding troublemaking girl’s way of thinking and his reputation as a top student.

After seeing the two off, the two boys and girls headed towards the temporary passage developed beyond the barrier.

Following a type of gate opened with detailed machinery and the efforts of numerous mages, streams of people continued onward.

“Sis, I’m hungry!”

“Alright, let’s rest and go back. Lucian, right? Is there something you want to eat?”

Sophie El, who had been waiting nearby, immediately joined them.

At the entrance, the Awakened Soldiers stood on guard.

They held the strange cameras they had seen before the transfer to the Erosion Zone, inspecting people one by one.

Nearby, clan members of various shapes and knights were observing vigilantly.

“Hmm, could they be trying to catch Apostles disguised as humans?”

Violet, nonchalantly passing through the entrance.

The soldier holding the detector carefully aimed the sensor at Violet.

On the screen, a short moment revealed a pattern designated as Code Omega around the girl.

An automatic alarm went off.

-BEEP! BEEP!

Short, successive threatening sounds rang out. Rotating turrets turned.

People began to withdraw, and piercing gazes and weapons surrounded Violet.

Violet felt a bit tense.

She thought, feeling like she had brought something that shouldn’t be with her.

“What’s the problem?”

“Please cooperate. Follow us. Oh, you with the blue hair. You too.”

Sophie El stepped forward, holding out her identification.

“Wait a moment, as you can see, we are affiliated with the Inspection Bureau. This child is currently under our jurisdiction as a student. What is the matter?”

The soldier explained, seemingly used to objections.

“Oh, it’s nothing much. The higher-ups are concerned that unknown substances or interdimensional plagues might have leaked out… please understand that we have to follow protocol.”

Thanks to the involvement of the Inspection Bureau agents, the demeanor of the people softened somewhat.

A few minutes later, a separate re-inspection began.

“Hmm? Why isn’t it ringing?”

The detector failed to sound the alarm again.

The screen was clean. Subsequent multiple inspections revealed no anomalies.

Despite drawing blood, scanning their bodies, and examining them closely with magic, there were no points of suspicion at all.

“How strange… it definitely went off just a moment ago…”

“It must be a mechanical issue.”

Having endured a troublesome examination, Violet was finally cleared.

“I’m free!”

“Oh dear…”

Lucian, lumped in with the crowd, sighed as he walked out. He swore he would never again get entangled with Violet no matter what happened.

With her tension lifted, Violet lightly changed her pace.

Suddenly, Violet felt something was off.

Instinctively realizing something had gone wrong, Unit 61 checked her inventory and then finally recognized the mistake she had made.

What she had pulled out was a variety of artifacts of various sizes.

A flickering red orb, a pair of sunglasses, and various other trinkets.

“Oh no,”

“I just brought them out, didn’t I?”

Her inventory contained the artifacts she had collected from the exhibition hall.

Thinking carefully, Violet interpreted the situation to her benefit.

“Let’s think of it as a prize, a gift of democracy!”

“That’s nice!”

A few hours later, Unit 2501 Violet faced an unexpectedly late scholarship officer.

The interview had not been scheduled.

When Sophie El heard Violet’s state, she looked ready to jump for joy, then connected with her younger sibling who was hovering in the skies over the academy city.

After enduring her elder sister’s brief scolding about where she had been and Violet’s complaints, the scholarship officer finally managed to ask a question.

“…So, you were an Apostle?”

“Yeah, well, technically I was an Apostle, but not anymore!”

The girl grinned widely, opening her mouth as if to say something silly. The scholarship officer’s face stiffened slightly.

“That’s impossible, how could you possibly be an Apostle…”

Reading the unease in Seijis’s expression, Unit 2501 realized her existence was being perceived as a threat.

What should she do in this situation?

“Let’s show that I’m harmless!”

So Unit 2501 smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry, I’m a good Violet!”

Seeing the sisters’ expressions still unchanged, Violet fell into thought.

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