Глава 10

12-end

You're already down to your last few men.

On any past battlefield, Victoria would've needed at least two or more Steam Knights in order to hold me off.

But look at yourselves now—

You're just a bunch of plain soldiers.

—Hold formation!

Those who still have energy in your shields! Stand together with me!

Snipers, sustain fire, pin him!

Yes, Captain!

I've said it before—no matter how strong he is, he's still just a flesh-and-blood Sarkaz Infected. His Arts have a limit!

You want to wait until I cast my body dry?

You'll never live to see me exhaust my strength.

Ugh!

Blake!

Horn, take my sword—

—Got it.

When they fall, they turn their gazes to you, still with hope.

I never thought I'd see such brilliance in Londinium again.

But how much longer can this fragile light persist?

Horn!

...Robben?

*pant*... *pant*... No cause for alarm... falling here... just returning... returning... back to Londinium's land.

Sarkaz!!!

You fired all of your remaining ammunition at once?

Well done. You've stopped me in my tracks for the first time.

But after this, you're out of tricks.

After you watch your comrades die one by one, will you lose the will to fight too, White Wolf?

Rita.

I can understand how disappointed you are in your father.

Yes, a soldier's blood flows through my body.

But just as Victoria invented steam trains, yet only decades later abandoned steam—

Modern Victoria has taken off the crown meant for people to lift their gazes at, and no longer needs soldiers like your great-grandmother or me to fight for her.

There'll come a day the White Wolf, together with the Lion Padishah he accompanied, will be no more than indistinct images left in the history books.

Your father's taken note of that. He's ground down his own sharp claws so the family isn't torn apart by the tides of the ages.

But you're different.

You grow in a changing Victoria.

Rita Skamandros, you won't need to fight a landtrotter's campaign in the name of the Aslan King.

But Victoria is still your home.

Sarkaz... So long as you occupy our cities, I will always have a reason to fight.

My desire to defeat you is shared with every Victorian.

Your shield is of little use now.

I still have a sword.

Your sword... heh, common as could be.

You want to battle me with a sword like this?

*huff*... Don't underestimate it, or me.

You're so fond of remembering... the Steam Knights...

When you take off the armor that Victoria forged them...

They turn out just to be—

Victorians!

We actually... got inside? Why has this wall turned so soft?

Not bad! For an instant back there, I thought I was gonna get my head painted over Londinium's walls!

It was Misery's Arts. He wouldn't see us hurt.

Right... Kal'tsit told me your brain was an important asset to Rhodes Island.

My hands don't come cheap either, c'mon!

After that, I'm never asking to hitchhike with you again... Blaze carrying me everywhere is a way smoother ride than your Arts!

Am I right or am I right, Doctor?

Your hands are always busy. That's gotta be something.;I wouldn't say the Blaze Express is THAT comfortable.

You'd better take a breather, Misery.

I agree. Misery, I saw it clearly... Manfred almost impaled you with that thrust.

That was just a desperation blow. He had no other move.

You successfully provoked his rage, and that made him overlook my approach. I didn't even think I could fool him twice.

I didn't at all intend to...

When he asked me that, I definitely felt his anger. That rage of his rushed at me like a heatwave.

If Manfred uses all his strength, anyone nearby would have trouble lasting for long. Best I... *cough* *cough* *cough*...

Misery, I know you want to help that Victorian officer, but using large-scale matter-transformation Arts several times in one day is too taxing on your body.

It's okay, Amiya.

I won't drop dead for a while yet. Besides, I promised Kal'tsit...

You elite operators... make plenty of promises to Dr. Kal'tsit, don't you?

Inject these emergency meds into yourself. The fight in Londinium's only just begun, and I don't want to see you off somewhere alone again, swallowing down all the blood you're practically throwing up.

Amiya, enemies inbound.

Amiya, cut them off!

Feist, tie up six ziplines to me.

Closure, let's plant the bombs.

Hm. Misery found us a weak point in Londinium's defense system... We need to see this control room destroyed.

Blistering speed—White Wolf, this was your true aim, wasn't it?

Fangs and claws as fierce as these, yet tamed by Victoria's noble etiquette... Was it really worth it?

Sarkaz, wasn't your present appearance once packaged in so-called culture?

I hear your people used to look very different.

You can try your hardest, but you still cannot kill me. So long as this city's defenses continue to churn—

No. Wait. White Wolf, you're only stalling me!

You—You and Rhodes Island are collaborating again.

Do you know who they are? Do you know what that Cautus leader...?

I only know—that they can stop you.

White Wolf, should you miraculously succeed today... you will witness a corner of Londinium's walls collapse, with your own eyes.

Is that what you want to see? From this moment on, the legend of Londinium everstanding may well no longer—

From this moment on?

The fact you can be stood here means... the idea that Londinium has never fallen is nothing more than a self-reassuring joke.

Damn you! If those dukes outside take note of this—

Are you aware? You're finally showing a hint of panic in your face.

That goes to show my decision was the correct one.

If this wall... only exists to smother the screams of the Victorians from within, then it's already lost its founding purpose.

You ought to let those dukes hear!

Hear... how our fellow citizens cry out under your slaughter!

How... How much longer until we can go outside?

Oh... it feels like this passage is about to collapse... are we all going to die here?

Don't look down, and don't look back.

If the fear gets too much, just stare at the way ahead.

The signal light's still on. This is our hope that our soldiers lit for us.

We wait for the light as it turns bright... and then we can catch sight of the sun in Londinium once again.

Their firepower's too strong—