Глава 7

No wonder I get kinda... Okay, I admit it, kinda scared when I see her. I don't hate her, but I might really be afraid of her.

And fear breeds caution. If you've got your guard up, you're prepared.

Your little tricks are actually able to neutralize my Originium Arts. I might have underestimated you.

Hey, this 'little trick' took me hours to put together. Show some respect, huh?

But if a little bit of your fire was all it took to make me roll over and die, what kind of devil would follow me?

You came prepared. You planned to attack me from the very beginning.

You made the first move, dragon lady. Are you trying to torch me because I'm a pain, or do you wanna shut me up because I've seen through you?

To punctuate my sentence, a wave of heat surges from her fingertips and leaps towards me. Man, this dragon bitch just won't let me have any fun.

I bend my waist and drop into an exaggerated roll, making it look like I'm tying my shoes.

Uh-oh.

Aim better next time.

W, your dirty tricks have been exposed. You are now an enemy of Reunion.

Why do you oppose me? This is certainly of no benefit to you?

Why? Why do you think this was my idea? I sure as hell didn't want us clawing at each other's faces this soon.

Fact of the matter is, you attacked me first. Hmm, trying for a little shock and awe, huh?

I guess I have no choice then. I just have to kill you before you kill me.

Your insanity has deepened your blind confidence.

Lying to me is no big deal. I don't really care who you lie to, how many people you kill, or how many people you lie to...

But, dragon lady, you'll regret lifting a finger against me.

Am I the kind of person who says stuff like this?

Maybe I really am losing it. Can't even call this insanity at this point. Seems more sentimental than anything else.

I guess I really fucked up.

I see. Pretending to be crazed and stupid had us all fooled. Turns out, I misunderstood your character this whole time.

So considerate of others. What a lovely little devil you are, such a colorful character.

Ahaha... *spits*.

Not as lovely as you, of course. But, you'll be even cuter once I rip your tongue out. Can't have it lolling around.

Do you think your little traps are enough to kill me?

Of course not.

Did I ever mention that I set a trap?

Better watch your feet. Might be a trap. Say, how many do you want?

How many do you have?

You pitiful thing. My flames have found you.

You will pay for your betrayal.

Woah... Creepy. What's the matter with you? Who are you talking to with that tone of voice?

You.

I know you hate these words, W. You also hate me for pointing out your purpose.

Uhh, well, thanks for being so considerate of my preferences. You think you can rile me up with the right phrasing?

And like, my purpose? How many people you plan to kill has nothing to do with me, dragon lady.

What do you know about me? You've got like eighty different plots within plots going on in that noggin and you're gonna guess what's in mine?

W... You want to prevent me from using the core city to attack Lungmen.

...Oh?

If you simply wanted revenge, you would not have chosen this moment. If you wanted to kill me, W, you could have waited until both Lungmen and I are incapacitated. That would have been the wise move.

Trying to talk me into giving you information was another cover. A mercenary leader who cares nothing for the direction of Reunion would not ask me, the 'Leader of Reunion,' about my plans.

You know, I won't kill you— as long as you put aside your interest in this war. Do that, and I'll spare your life.

I'm fond of you, W. You're good comic relief. And I have no desire to execute a harmless harlequin.

However... a madwoman who will use any methods available to kill me has no right to judge good and evil, let alone claim to understand my plans.

...Are you really as violent and insane as the performances you put on suggest, W?

Would you shut up already—

You are not.

You want to stop Reunion. You want to stop the attack on Lungmen. Those are your intentions.

W, W... You're all too easy to read. I didn't even need to make any plans to investigate you. You came here wearing your heart on your sleeves.

That's a load of bullshit.

I'll turn you into a puddle of gore and have someone dump you down the waste chute, assuming there's anything left.

I press the button on the device in my hand. A simple Originium detonator switch, remotely operated, chained explosions.

A blazing light of destruction mixing with a deliriously pungent aroma. Waves of heat carrying fragments of debris, overturning everything in front of me. Just as I planned, everything reduced to cinders, even the most thick-skinned Sarkaz...

Wait...

Wait, wait... Didn't I have a detonator mechanism for the explosives?

Why did she plant her sword in the ground?

Was this your trap?

Try me, W of the Sarkaz. Try again.

Hold on, you...

No fire. No burning.

The hundreds of Originium explosives I painstakingly twisted into the steel foundations of the city... are all gone.

Where are the explosions? The heat? The shrapnel?

Nothing.

The place where I planted the Originium is deformed, melted, and warped. Drips of iron and the burned oil paint covering it gives off nasty smell. But that's it.

My shrapnel. My blast waves. My light show. It's not going to happen.

The cataclysm that I pictured in my mind a million times over... isn't going to happen.

The cunning dragon lady must have poured her Arts into her sword and channeled it deep into the steel beneath us.

The heat radiated to each of my traps, melting them away.

You figured it out. You're so smart, W.

The world-ending explosion from all directions that should have blown her into a billion little pieces... is nothing but a big, wet fart.

All right, I've been thoroughly played.

*Cough,* *cough...*

Dragon lady, you're... not half bad...

Was this result also part of your plans?

Let me guess, your backup plan is, you'll show me an improvised suicide bombing spectacle, isn't that right?

Let's not waste each others' time.

Don't get too cocky... *cough*, *cough*... little girl. Say, are you... even the same person? Right now, even I... don't really wanna know.

I don't need you to define me.

Choose your death. Die by my flames, be thrown from the city walls, or be run through by my sword.

Can you really... finish me off?

Steel must endure a thousand trials in the forge before it can become a sword. A sword is destined from birth to be a weapon.

But you... are just a mortal shell that has not yet died.

Ah, that... would be an honor.

To be impaled by this sword... Would I be... the first one?

Unfortunately, you'll have to accept second.

Now... If we're talking people I've blown up... You, well...

...wouldn't even have a number.

Am I going to die? I guess so.

But what's so bad about death? There are many things worse than dying.

So, when you feel like you're done for...

As long as you've prepared for the stuff worse than death, you'll even manage to surprise yourself.

Now... I think, it's about time I also blow this joint.

*cough*...

You blew yourself apart right in my hands...? I thought you'd be more afraid to die.

Though your defection didn't surprise me, you, yourself, did... surprise me a little.

You had some potential... as the opening act of a farce.

I hope your death was painful enough, W of Victoria.

After the battle, 31 hours until impact, 6:30 P.M.