"What a difficult position..."
Topaz glanced at his back, then her gaze returned to Boothill, who was clearly on the verge of breaking loose.
"Oink"
Numby rushed in front of her, ready for battle.
"You'd better do what you said you would."
Topaz sighed, tossing the Cornerstone to Numby and muttering to herself.
If Leon were to fail, her only option would be to shatter the Cornerstone.
When the Corporation arrived, their attitude toward Leon would be unknown, but they would likely kick Boothill while he was down.
She didn't want to burn bridges, so it was best if that situation never came to pass.
"If you lose, don't blame me for taking your head to claim the bounty."
Topaz said helplessly, looking at Boothill, who had entered the Iron Tomb's proxy-battle state.
"Oink"
Numby opened its mouth and swallowed the Cornerstone. Its entire body began to glow with the light of topaz, radiating the power of Preservation and exuding an imposing aura without any display of anger.
"Well I'll be damned! C'mon, Corporation dog, let's have a fair duel!"
Boothill raised his revolver as his left hand extended and transformed, creating a standoff with his dual pistols!
...
...
Meanwhile.
"Just some roadside trash. I'll kick it to death."
Leon kicked apart the weapons that had begun moving on their own.
All sorts of flashy things were attacking him: energy guns, robots and hounds, and even various vehicles.
Can you imagine a fully-armed starship, with no one at the helm, relentlessly firing its cannons as it charges straight for you?
The absurdity was on par with winning the transmigration lottery.
"Unbelievable."
Leon raised his twin blades, and for an instant, a flash of cyan and violet light burst forth!
Shnk!
A few slashes later, the starship crashed.
As Leon sliced it into small pieces, the energy contained within Vanquisher directly vaporized it in the physical sense!
It even saved him the trouble of recycling the scrap!
The miracle man forged ahead, overcoming all obstacles. Small hindrances were kicked to death, and large ones were sliced to death in a few strikes!
Without a doubt, nothing present could stop him, an Emanator.
Leon proceeded unimpeded all the way to Balanza's very core: the Balanza Forge.
The massive forge glowed with a crimson light, flames burning within. Onlookers could glimpse the flickering fire through narrow windows.
There, he saw Rupert III, who had merged with the forge.
The Balanza Forge had become its main torso. A Mythus Cannon served as its right arm, an Imaginary Annihilation Cannon filled out its left, and two starships acted as its legs.
In short, its entire body was composed of products created by the Corporation; only its head was the wreckage of the Difference Engine.
No, it could no longer be called wreckage.
Under the coronation ceremony specially prepared by the Iron Tomb.
Believing it had gained the approval of the first generation and aided by a Scepter, Rupert III had completed a self-coronation, hollow as it was.
"Hey, are you this Emperor Rupert thing?"
Leon asked.
"Rupert?"
A hint of indifference could be heard in Rupert III's emotionless electronic voice.
"No, I am not it!"
"Power, ideals, destiny."
"When I inherited the name of Rupert, I also received everything that comes with the title of Emperor!"
Rupert III suddenly shouted.
"But, beneath this name, nothing is truly mine!"
"I am merely playing the part of a shadow that died many years ago! But why must I play the part of a failure's shadow!"
"That's right! I will accomplish what the first generation never could!"
"The Corporation, the Genius Society—I will take my revenge on them all, one by one! And Balanza will be the first stop on my ascension to the throne!"
Rupert III's state was akin to madness.
"I have already surpassed him! Aided by the Scepter, I am unparalleled!"
Rupert III raised its left and right arms, aiming the Mythus Cannon and Imaginary Annihilation Cannon at him.
"And you, pathetic organic lifeform, your death will be the first shot fired to announce my return!"
Just as Rupert III was about to fire, it saw him holding a black notebook with "DEATH NOTE" printed on it, writing something.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
A strong premonition shot through Rupert III's circuits.
"Country bumpkin, you've never seen one of these, have you."
Leon chuckled, tossing his two daggers into the air.
He then took out the pen and paper that came with his superpower, opened the notebook that had transformed to this appearance at his will, and wrote the name "Rupert III" inside.
"You... you can't do that!"
Rupert III's intuition told it that he absolutely must not be allowed to finish writing, or there would be big trouble. It immediately fired in a panic!
"Listen up. A created being must not harm its creator or its own kind."
Leon spoke unhurriedly, then wrote this sentence below its name.
BOOM!
The Mythus Cannon and Imaginary Annihilation Cannon clearly fired in a straight line, and Leon was standing still. Logically, it should have been impossible for them to miss.
But after he finished speaking and writing, both beams abruptly veered upward.
With a whoosh and a bang, the two massive blasts of energy exploded in the sky, and no one was harmed.
"Damn you, organic lifeform! What did you do?!"
Rupert III's arms rose stiffly of their own accord, aiming the parts of the cannons corresponding to the palms of a human hand at him. It sensed something wrong with its operational circuits and cried out in terror.
"What I did... you'll understand sooner or later."
Leon snapped the notebook shut.
"Ge... General! 🖐😭✋"
Rupert III wanted to say more, but when the words reached its lips, only those two remained.
Although it had no face and couldn't display the facial expression of crying, a rare, distinct sob could be heard in its electronic voice.
["If You Come in Winter" effect doubled]
[When the words used to activate the ability are recorded by someone, you hold the unquestionable power of life and death over the one who has sworn loyalty]
[Seeing the General and not shedding tears of emotion? Not crying? Then you will never cry again!]
"Haha, this is the Death Note! So what if you're an emperor? An emperor can only watch as your big bro Leon uses it!"
Leon tossed the notebook into the air with a wicked "you-dare-challenge-me" expression.
"You were spouting so much crap just now. What cup size gives you the right to shout at me?"
The paper and pen thrown into the air dissipated mid-flight, replaced by a falling cyan longbow.
The moment it was thrown, Vanquisher had autonomously combined from the two daggers.
Clack!
"Any last words?"
Leon reached toward the sky and caught Vanquisher firmly.
"General ✋😭🖐"
Rupert III began to jump up and down, causing the earth to shake. The nearby ground trembled with the movements of its massive body.
It was sobbing uncontrollably, as if it could never repay his grace.
It felt that the figure standing before it was as dazzling as the sun, impossible to look at directly. Just getting close risked accidental vaporization.
And the sun is selfless; it shines upon everyone.
Even an inorganic being like itself was no exception. Therefore, his intention to vaporize it now must be to grant it a new life!
Rupert III believed this with the unwavering conviction of a cult fanatic.
If you come in winter~ I'll trade for a coat of pure white~
"Without tears, I find it hard to believe in your loyalty."
As Leon said this, he began to draw his bow.
______
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