Chapter 40: Second Match (8)

“How…?”

I blurted it out without thinking, totally thrown off by what I was seeing.

“How? Is that seriously the best you can say right now?”

While I was frozen in confusion, Eve stood up slowly, her whole body making creaking metallic noises, like grinding gears.

Ah, I should’ve just kicked her in the head while she was down. I was too stunned to think of that.

Should I just blow her head off now?

Just as I clenched my fist and started reaching out to do it, Eve opened her mouth and spoke first.

“You asked how I survived the EMP, right? Well, I figured the second grenade went off too close to stop it in time. So

instead of trying to disable it, I quickly pulled energy from about ten androids and caused a canceling interference to

block the electromagnetic storm. But still, look at me—my whole body’s a wreck. If I hadn’t blocked it, I’d be dead for

sure.”

Tch. This always happens to me. I’ve got this bad habit.

Even when I’m in the middle of a deadly fight, if the enemy starts talking, I end up listening out of curiosity instead of

attacking.

Logically, I should just shut them up with a clean blow to the head as soon as they start rambling.

But people don’t always live by logic, right?

See? Now I’ve got a new question after hearing her explanation.

“Bullshit. The EMP grenade was closer to the androids than to you. Their stored energy would’ve been dispersed the

moment it exploded. So how could you still pull energy from ten androids to create a shield? The sequence doesn’t make

sense.”

“Hmm, well… telling you this is kind of a disadvantage for me, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other after today, so I

guess it’s fine. Leilia, my body is specialized in absorbing, storing, and emitting energy. In other words, I’m built to

manipulate energy.”

“…That’s even possible?”

“Yup. After going through training as a battle nun and with the QPD, I replaced all my implants and cyberware with ones

that specialize in that. Of course, there’s a limit to how much I can store at once. I’d say… around the amount held by two

androids. But the thing that lets me temporarily break that limit is…”

Rustle.

Eve dug into her belt again and pulled out that same weird chocolate.

What the heck? I was watching her the whole time, and I still don’t know where that came from. Does she have a

Doraemon pocket on that armor?

“This chocolate. Its real name is some complicated chemical term, but I just call it chocolate because that’s what it looks

like. When I eat it, for about an hour, my implants’ performance—especially energy handling—skyrockets. That’s how I

could absorb energy from thirty androids without blowing myself up and still had enough time to raise a shield right

before the EMP hit.”

“A real Doraemon gadget, that chocolate.”

“Doraemon? What’s that?”

“It’s a thing. Doesn’t matter. You wouldn’t know it anyway.”

Well… as ridiculous as it sounds, I guess it’s possible.

I mean, I’ve pushed a 30-ton panic room with my bare hands and thrown 4-ton cars before.

The Kyro Society has tech that lets this tiny body of mine output several times the strength of a grown man. So a drug that

boosts energy storage? Yeah, I can believe that.

“Wait—if I eat that chocolate, would my Neural Overclock get stronger? Or would my energy storage increase like yours?”

“Who knows? Wanna try it?”

Eve casually held out the chocolate, like she was genuinely curious.

“No, thanks. You eat it.”

I took a step back instead of accepting it.

Sure, I’ve done all kinds of crazy stuff to get stronger, but I’m not stupid enough to pop some unknown chemical into my

mouth.

And something with that much boosting power probably has nasty side effects.

Plus, it might only work on Eve’s specific body.

“That’s a shame. I’ve always wondered what would happen if someone else from QPD tried it.”

“Well, let that curiosity stay buried with you.”

Anyway, fun chat time is over.

“But hey, even if you avoided taking the EMP head-on, you’re clearly not in good shape, huh?”

is it that obvious?”

Eve laughed awkwardly and scratched her temple, but even that small motion made her arm let out disturbing noises.

“That sound your body’s making right now—I know it. That’s the sound of artificial joints being forced to move without

power. Your cyberware’s out of juice, and you’re basically dragging your body around. You’re too damaged to even move

your limbs properly.”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re still conscious, so your core system must be barely functioning.”

“Correct.”

“But your core system isn’t Neural Overclock, it’s energy management, right? Even if that’s working, there’s no energy left

to manage. So what’s the point?”

Eve nodded, admitting it openly.

“Yep. You got it right, Leilia. Sharp as always.”

…What the hell?

She’s admitting her body’s trashed and she can’t even put up a proper fight?

Why?

If she was going to give up this easily, she should’ve stayed down after the EMP hit. She might’ve survived that way.

…Don’t tell me—she’s really following the order from the Kyro Society to stall me?

I checked the time. Only about 40 seconds had passed since the EMP grenade went off and this conversation started.

She gave up her life… just to buy 40 more seconds?

Was Eve that loyal to the Kyro Society?

“…Well, I’ll do you a favor and end it without pain, for old time’s sake.”

“Old times, my ass.”

Eve chuckled and raised her sword.

“If you want to kill me, you’d better be ready to risk your life.”

“…What?”

What is this? Bluffing?

No. My instincts—sharpened by countless brushes with death—say this is no bluff.

But how? She has no power left.

I ditched the half-assed plan of dodging and knocking her out. If I had to use more energy, I’d attack properly.

“Here I come.”

—Neural Overclock.

My whole body heated up as extra energy surged into my cyberware.

Target: her head.

My fist moved dozens of times faster than usual. If I landed this punch, Eve wouldn’t even realize what hit her.

I really thought that.

My fist never even reached Eve. Her sword, swung defensively, knocked it away.

“What?”

Eve smirked right at me and then let out a long yawn.

“Phew. What’s wrong? Something didn’t go right?”

I had definitely activated Neural Overclock.

Time felt like it slowed down. My whole body was burning up with power. I didn’t imagine it.

Then why was Neural Overclock suddenly deactivating on its own?

Leilia? Didn’t you just say, ‘Here I come!’? So… when are you coming?”

“Shut up.”

This wasn’t an accident. Not a system error or a mistake.

If it were, Eve wouldn’t be mocking me like this.

That relaxed attitude clearly meant she did something.

‘One more time.’

—Neural Overclock.

This time, I didn’t move right away. I checked the time first.

—June 2, 2075. 11:28:07.75

—07.78

—07.83

—07.89

—08.81

It turned off!

About 0.14 seconds later, Neural Overclock deactivated again.

While I was distracted by the timer, Eve’s sword came flying toward my neck.

‘Block with my arm—’

Just like she knocked my punch away earlier, I tried to block her sword with my cyber-arm.

But suddenly—

I felt like I absolutely should not do that.

“Gasp!”

Still halfway through raising my arm, I dropped my upper body backward, almost falling.

Eve’s sword sliced through the air, passing just above my face and cutting through a handful of my silver hair still floating from momentum.

A normal blade wouldn’t be able to slice hair like that in midair.

That means…

She coated her sword with energy.

Technically, it was more like a thin plasma layer than a shield. Like a sword aura from old martial arts novels.

Whatever you call it, she added energy to the blade—even though she had no power left?

How?

Thump. Crash! Crack crack.

I didn’t force myself to stand. I sat back and kicked off the ground like a spring, widening the distance.

“I thought you’d try to block. How’d you catch on?”

Eve licked her lips in disappointment, then laughed again.

“Did you have energy hidden somewhere?”

“Beats me.”

Beats me, this b*tch.

I was boiling with anger, but forced myself to stay calm and stood up.

—Crafted Vision.

Once I activated Crafted Vision, I could see energy and data flow.

Empty…?

Eve, seen through this vision, had lost almost all the radiant energy from before the EMP. She now held just a flicker, like a dying match.

How could she wrap her sword in energy in that state?

‘Huh? What the—?’

While I was thinking, a chunk of energy suddenly oozed out of my head and floated toward Eve—like it was alive.

At the same time, Crafted Vision forcibly shut off, and I returned to normal vision.

And Eve—who the energy flew toward—

Her glowing eyes came back.

The blue glow in her eyes, which had completely vanished, reignited—faint but clearly visible.

She recovered energy?

“Oh! From that surprised look, I guess you figured out part of my secret?”

“So your ability to control energy… you can forcefully extract it from others too?”

“Correct! I knew you’d catch on quick. You’re amazing, Leilia.”

“But… but that’s impossible…”

Everything I thought I knew about the world was turning upside down.

She can forcibly absorb energy from others nearby?

Just because she’s got a few implants?

“Huh. I didn’t think I’d hear you say the word ‘impossible.’”

“What?”

“Honestly, you’re the one who’s been doing all the impossible, miracle-level stuff. And now you’re shocked over someone stealing a bit of energy? Kinda hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“…You’ve got a point.”

When I agreed without hesitation, Eve looked confused this time.

“Come to think of it, I don’t care what kind of weird energy magic you’re pulling off.”

Step.

I brushed all the complicated thoughts aside, stepped forward with my left foot, and raised both fists in a light guard.

My most basic boxing stance—the one I’ve used for over half my life.

Just getting into this stance calmed my heart.

“Implants? Cyberware? Who needs ’em? I’ll kill you with just my fists.”