Chapter 89
Amid the rain falling like tens of thousands of needles, a crowd surged forward.
Lilieta expanded her awareness.
Though the rain narrowed her vision and dulled her senses, it didn’t matter. This battle was not one to win by force.
“We can’t win, and we can’t lose either. We have to maintain a razor-thin balance—just pushing a bit more, enough to think we could catch them.”
Since there might be real people captured among the clones, she couldn’t recklessly kill the duplicates.
She counted the sensed presences.
“Seven Linzies, eight male clerks, ten female clerks, thirteen gatekeepers, and three types of special agents… Nine red-haired men, ten men with muskets, twelve women with hats — thirty-one special agents total, sixty-nine in all.”
If even one of them disappeared, they had to stop fighting, pretend to flee, and then chase that one down.
“If Senior Is notices the situation and joins, that’s best. In that case, we’ll entrust him with the pursuit while we hide.”
Of course, they had a plan in case Isaiah did not join until the end.
While Lilieta was thinking, the clones entered the Botanical Hall.
Rita climbed onto the roof of a small storage shed and took aim with her gun. Gide stood firm below her, raising his sword.
Ten men dressed as special agents with muskets stopped at the edge of the square and fired their guns. Half of the bullets flew toward Gide, half toward Lilieta.
Gide slashed all the bullets flying at him with his sword. Rita didn’t blink as she swiftly moved her gun barrels, shooting her bullets to intercept and deflect all incoming bullets.
[Admiration: The Creator said the user deflects bullets with bullets, and that wasn’t an exaggeration—]
Grace’s admiration abruptly stopped. The deflected bullets each flew toward different clones. Several clones who were rushing in clumsily tried to block the bullets in their own ways.
[Amazement: Could it be that she calculated the angles of deflection and returned the shots?]
Focused, Rita didn’t respond to Grace’s excited chatter. Under the rain-soaked blonde hair, her purple eyes moved busily. Aside from the few bullets she deflected, the rest collided with Gide.
The Linzies wielded daggers to flank around, the male clerks threw fist-sized orb-like objects, the female clerks swung axes, gatekeepers thrust spears, red-haired special agents wielded swords, and the hat-wearing special agents cast magic.
[Casting: Strengthening magic cast on user’s eyes and arms]
“Good job, Grace.”
Rita quickly distinguished which attacks Gide could easily block, which he could not, and what to prioritize, moving her barrels accordingly.
Gunshots continued like the sound of rain.
The first to come were the orbs. These small bombs were pierced by bullets in midair and exploded before landing.
Then, the magic-casting special agents abruptly stopped chanting and retreated to avoid bullets striking at their feet.
Finally, three of the flanking Linzies’ heads exploded, and four dropped their dagger weapons after being shot.
“The Linzies know the original. Sixty-six.”
Ribbons, ties, or jackets might be lost, or ponytails might come undone, but the absence of the under-eye mark or having six fingers was definite proof of a clone.
While Rita provided cover, Gide fought the clones without any unique techniques — relying purely on swordsmanship and physical skills.
He kicked over a table to knock down a female clerk charging with an axe, then turned and propped up the edge of another table. Gatekeepers’ spear blades pierced the upright iron table like a shield.
At the same time, Gide’s sword clashed with a red-haired special agent’s blade, and a dagger slipped past beside his neck.
In the next moment, Gide’s returning sword swung back, severing the red-haired special agent’s head. He had confirmed by contamination check that the target was a clone before beheading him.
The floating red head was pierced by an explosive bullet fired by Lilieta. The bubbling liquid mixed with rain and poured down.
“Sixty-five.”
No clones approached the small storage shed where Rita stood. She remained still, moving her gun barrels.
“It’s easy with Gide around, as expected.”
[Question: Is such a chaotic battle simple for the user?]
Focused again, Rita ignored Grace’s comment.
While Gide kicked an iron chair to knock down two clerks and tilted a table’s edge to strike a special agent’s jaw, Rita stuck explosive bullets into two gatekeepers’ heads.
“I saw the originals when they entered the main hall.”
Quickly scanning people and memorizing key features was a kind of habit.
Rita selected for death the clones who differed from the gatekeepers she remembered — the ones with hooked noses and no double eyelids. Those dressed differently were left just in case.
Meanwhile, Gide decapitated clones he was certain about among those whose weapons he crossed with. Rita repeatedly planted explosive bullets. The liquefied clones mixed with rainwater and flowed away.
“Sixty-one, sixty, fifty-nine. No one has escaped.”
She again fired bullets head-on at incoming gunfire to deflect them. Gide pushed iron tables along the wet floor. Some special agents who were firing guns fell over.
The hat-wearing special agents cast magic again. Rita kept them in check but intentionally missed one.
“To appear as if exhausted and making a mistake.”
The magic became ice arrows flying toward them. Gide glanced at one and tried to dodge it, but suddenly saw Rita and hurriedly slashed it down with force.
After blocking the arrow, his fierce golden eyes glared at her as if to kill. Then he struck the head of an approaching clerk.
[Question: Why does a comrade glare at the user like that?]
“I was going to take the hit, but guess I got caught. You’re really spooky.”
[Affirmation: …The Creator was right. The user lacks a self-preservation instinct.]
“No, I only wanted to scratch a little.”
Rita muttered inwardly but reflexively moved her gun barrels when she saw Gide deliberately expose his forearm to a spear.
A defensive bullet exploded like golden fireworks, blocking the spear blade.
[Proverb: User, today’s proverb is ‘Walk a mile in another’s shoes.’]
“Shut up, Grace.”
Rita clicked her tongue, ignoring Gide’s gaze on her, and resumed controlling the mages. Again, she intentionally missed two but didn’t take the attacks.
“Gradual injuries are perfect to give the impression we’re losing… fifty-seven.”
The torrential rain began to ease as the fire alarm ended. Gide intentionally shook his shoulders, spreading his breath irregularly.
Rita deliberately missed an explosive bullet on a decapitated head Gide had cut off. The fallen head rolled and then reattached, reviving the clone.
Her eyes flashed.
“Fifty-six!”
Without killing, the number of clones decreased by one. When she expanded her detection range beyond the Botanical Hall, she sensed one running somewhere. She pretended not to notice that direction.
Almost simultaneously, a reflected light struck her face. Looking briefly, a fast-spinning light flew sharply toward the direction the clone had escaped and vanished.
It was the beacon squad signal meaning confirmation and pursuit.
“Senior Is.”
He was apparently watching and understanding the situation. His summoned beasts would be much easier and safer at tracking clones than Rita or Gide.
“Now we should hide.”
Rather than worrying about real people and fighting clones, it was better to hide and rest before killing the originals.
Rita immediately fired a smoke grenade near Gide’s feet. Smoke billowed like a tidal wave, covering all around.
Gide swiftly retreated as the smoke burst, grabbed Rita from the shed roof, and jumped up to a large tree at the edge of the square he had scouted earlier.
He sat astride a thick branch and pulled her close. The thick leaves of the unknown tree perfectly concealed their bodies. Rita gripped her revolver and thought,
“Grace, magic.”
[Casting: Temporary camouflage magic cast. Duration 30 seconds.]
[Repeat: Magic will be recast every time the duration ends. Will repeat until enemies leave.]
“Excellent. Thanks to you, my head hurts less.”
[Suggestion: Rapid magic for Oath users is weak and short-lived, and repeated casting causes fatigue. Would you consider teaching the true magic to improve this artificial spirit?]
“If that were possible, Orly would’ve already taught you. It’s already insanely great to cast rapid magic on my behalf, so don’t be greedy.”
