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CHAPTER 29 – Daniel vs The Dictator. Part 1
(Pov – Daniel.)
(World 20.)
Sigh. Sigh. Another sigh. One more… I think these aren't just sighs anymore—I'm hyperventilating.
I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to stop breathing. There's nothing wrong with running away; it's the freedom of one country in exchange for saving every existing world. Don't overthink it. Please, don't overthink it.
We're almost there. I feel mentally ready, even if my body says otherwise. I think I can do it. I have a feeling—I know I can. I trust my abilities… Well, I'm a rookie, but I have the advantage of seeing attacks in slow motion, my sword is incredibly powerful, and if I get into trouble I can fly to recover energy and think of strategies. I just must never let my guard down.
…Where are the civilians? I imagined they'd be gathered around the base, but I don't see anything. Where are they?
"We're almost there," Nismei said.
"Yeah… Are you ready?" Bravo asked.
Nismei picks up a pistol from the floor and a small knife with her other hand. I definitely don't want her here, but there's no turning back now. I'm a rookie too—I don't know how to fight—but I can see attacks in slow motion, which lets me react fast and either strike or get away if needed. I guess I have to trust her. We need all the help we can get anyway.
…A tiny group against thousands of superpowered people who probably train all day… Well, well. They'll definitely die, but I won't worry about that. They took the drugs; they chose to risk their lives on an impossible mission. They must have something more than just those drugs.
"Ready."
Well, well.
I was planning to fight from a distance, but I think I'll use the sword, staying defensive and in close combat. I'm really strong thanks to magic, but I absolutely have to avoid touching Froulen—it would be way too dangerous if he used his power on me. That's why I won't fight with my fists; I'll fight with a sword. My long-range attacks are kind of weak compared to my sword, so I won't attack from afar… Ah, well, well. I keep repeating the same thing over and over. Daniel, calm down already! Just ignore your worries. Do it. Now.
"Sword Dex."
The sword appears and I grip it tightly with my right hand. I see the veins in my hands swelling… Your mission is your top priority; everything else is secondary. Escape or fail. There's not much to think about.
I won't think about this anymore. I've made my decision.
If he's impossible to beat or it gets too complicated, I'll escape.
"Ready."
Bravo pulls some small buttons from his pocket and presses them. One button turns into a pistol, the other into a knife. Wow, that's so… outdated. Technology in this world is good, but my world is far more advanced. Those button gadgets stopped being used 70 years ago back home.
"All right. Here we go."
The car stops a certain distance from the base, which is huge. Really huge.
It's a bit different from what I had imagined. Judging by the size of the windows on the building that towers in sight, yes, it's only a 10-story building—but each floor is like 30 floors tall in real measurement. Why are they so enormous?
I look at the wall surrounding it. Are the civilians on the other side?
"Now we just wait for the signal."
The signal, the signal. Blessed signal… Huh?
This chill down my spine. My eye is burning so much. And…
"Ever since I took those pills, I stopped feeling pain. Maybe I can…"
Little by little, the voices grow quieter until everything falls silent.
"Do it."
Whose voice is that? It's a male voice, and I feel like it's not the first time I've heard it. It's not Bravo—someone else. It sounds like an echo, as if someone were speaking to me from far away but I heard it close. I don't know how to describe it.
"I know you know what I mean. Do it."
"…Search."
I activated the spell. I know I should save as much energy as possible, but my body and mind made me use it—like pure instinct. My field of vision split into 16 parts. W-what's going on?
I see 15 people watching us from a distance, but they're very spread out. I can see them clearly while they watch us. And in the center of my vision, there's a map of the area showing their exact locations like dots.
Is this the maximum potential of the "Search" spell? I detected my enemies in seconds.
"Just a little more. Just a little more time and you'll be ready," the voice said.
… I look at my sword. In fantasy magic stories, talking swords are common. Could my sword talk? Judging by my companions' reactions, they didn't hear anything.
"Dex, do you have a life of your own?" I whispered so they wouldn't hear.
… No answer. Ah, well, well. One more mystery to the list. Whatever.
15 people are watching us; the dictator already knows we're here. Won't he do anything to capture them? How far will he go? He gives them the illusion they can infiltrate undetected—just for fun.
I glance sideways at Bravo, who's going over the infiltration plan again. Did they never realize the dictator was just toying with them? Spy flies are common in my world; maybe they thought the dictator wouldn't have such advanced tech. Or maybe they know the dictator doesn't care about his servants' well-being and that's why he let them keep existing.
… Well, well. My vision focused on a single target and I stepped out of the car.
"Daniel?" Nismei said.
The dictator is on the top floor, next to a woman taller and more robust than him. A woman with two small black horns, long white hair, wearing a brown outfit like bull fur. A bull woman…? Or cow woman? Do cows have horns? Well, well. I doubt he needs a bodyguard. Is she his wife…? Ah, no, he's gay. From what I understand, he only had one son to know what it felt like to be a father, but when he saw his son was born with so many physical defects, he didn't want more. That's the official story, but I wonder if it's the real one.
We lock eyes and he smiles at me. Should I go already?
"Are there civilians on the walls?!" Bravo said, talking on the phone.
Well, well—they're inside the walls. Maybe…
"Search."
I used the spell again while Bravo kept talking to the others.
I want to know how many people there are… Ouch.
My vision split into thousands of fragments while I felt my nose flood with blood and my body boiling. Uwaaah! The blood is hot! My blood is burning! Cancel the spell—I want to turn it off!
My vision returned to normal and I fell to my knees on the ground. Ah, ah… W-well, well. That was… horrible! I'll never do it again! I overheated!
T-the good thing is I managed to see the map. The entire wall is packed with people—the wall is hollow. Did the dictator design it that way to make challenges more epic? Like a classic final boss fight with an audience. The entrance has no people, so we can destroy it without fear of killing innocents.
And yes, there are thousands of Froulen's members inside the base… Well, well. And not just living ones. There are some ghosts outside. Wow, they look really powerful. They don't seem like civilians. Since I arrived, I've only seen a couple of ghosts, but now I see 17. I guess everyone who dies prefers to rest in peace rather than stay in this shitty country. Were they former members?
Hmm… Maybe…
"Daniel?! What's wrong?!"
Nismei jumps out of the car and helps me to my feet.
"Are we under attack?!"
"Hey, Nismei—can you make drawings come to life?"
"Drawings? No, I can only manipulate paper and ink."
"And how many sheets of paper can you control?"
"Hehe. My record is 10 sheets!"
"That's enough. I need you to do me a small favor."
It's time to increase our allies.