Chapter 125 - The Limitations of Source Energy

The Coalition’s Oriental Republic Army Group was universally acknowledged as powerful in this world of source energy.

After the young man upstairs made that declaration, the crowd quieted down. Even if they meant to do something, nobody would be stupid enough to expose himself at this moment.

Baudouin was glad to see it.

At this stage, the Preservers and the Azure Coalition were in a state of superficial harmony.

Although the Oriental Republic people had crushed this news down with sheer force, there was no guarantee that some Preserver genius hadn’t been tempted, or hadn’t taken offense and was preparing to move.

If Baudouin could use this event to provoke a large-scale conflict between the Preservers and the Oriental Republic Army Group, that would be a significant achievement.

He had to survive to claim it, of course, which meant getting out alive.

At this point, everyone in the ground-floor lobby had withdrawn, clearing a field where the two sides could directly face each other.

Baudouin tightened his grip on the blade and took a deep breath. His eyes darted warily left and right before settling back on Han Qingyu.

“Thank you,” Han Qingyu said, head raised toward the Oriental Republic teams on the second floor. “I’m truly grateful, but it won’t be necessary. I’ll come find all of you if there comes a chance to cut down the Sharpie at the end.”

He had actually refused the offer of two Oriental Republic teams to travel with him and help him.

The majority hadn’t seen that coming.

As his words spread in translation through every language, the place filled with disbelief. Does he want to die or something? Is he laying himself out on the chopping block?

“Are you afraid of dragging us down? Or...” The Oriental Republic comrade upstairs trailed off questioningly.

Han Qingyu smiled, shook his head, then lowered his gaze back to the Wipers and drew his blades.

“My team and I look forward to facing you all. See you inside.” With a blade in each hand, he added, “I have business to deal with here first.”

With that, Han Qingyu took a step forward.

Then stopped.

He glanced at Yin Caixin, then at Baudouin and the others behind her.

“Uh, could you translate that line for me too?” he asked Yin Caixin.

“Huh?” Yin Caixin blinked.

“That bit about looking forward to facing them and seeing them inside.”

Yin Caixin nodded. “Mn.”

This time, though, Baudouin stopped her from speaking. He didn’t even care that he had no idea what Han Qingyu had said.

When he realized that Han Qingyu was walking toward him, he tensed in terror. The distance between them was down to a little over twenty meters. He jabbered something out.

“He says stop, and he’s asking what you’re going to do.” Shen Yixiu translated.

Han Qingyu gestured with his blades. “Kill him, of course.”

Shen Yixiu paused.

“Translate that for—Never mind, I happen to know this one.” Han Qingyu raised his head and said to Baudouin in English, “Kill. You.”

Everyone present understood that one.

Is he really just going to walk over and kill that Wiper? they thought in shock. So the hostage was only a translator, and now that there’s a new one, he doesn’t need her and doesn’t care?

Baudouin, the party most concerned, was the most stunned of all. I have a hostage. A hostage! Can’t you see her? Take a look, will you?

Agitated, he shoved Yin Caixin a step forward, talking and waving his combat blade, pressing her to translate for him.

It really did feel as though Yin Caixin were nothing more than a hostage translator.

“He says if you dare come any closer, he’ll kill me,” she said anxiously.

“Oh. Then if I accidentally get you killed, that’s all right, isn’t it?” Han Qingyu asked.

He didn’t come any closer. His arms swung loosely, as if bored, a dead iron straight blade in each hand spinning fast under his palms.

It took a second, but the whole place was soon in an uproar as translations spread.

Is the hostage allowed to die? Why drag this out so long? Is he making a show of force? Or showing off?

Yin Caixin, the other party most concerned, stood there gazing carefully into Han Qingyu’s eyes. It seemed he wasn’t joking.

The hurt and fear were unavoidable. A tear slid out of her pale blue eyes, trailed down her cheek in a line, and hung from her chin.

“It’s-it’s all right.” Little Caixin’s voice caught in a cough, audibly sniffling as her lips trembled. “You have to promise me, though. Kill them all. Don’t let a single one get away.”

She faced death without flinching. The sight of her crying and acting tough was heartbreaking.

The mutterings of the crowd turned fierce. Many shouted in outrage, condemning Han Qingyu for his cruel act.

“All right.” Han Qingyu put out his hand and beckoned. “Just come here first.”

As he finished speaking, a sound echoed through the lobby.

It wasn’t very loud.

Of everybody, Yin Caixin heard it most clearly, because it came from right behind her ear.

She dared not turn around. The man behind her was Baudouin, and not far off, the three planted Wipers kept watch of their other angles.

The whole place went dead silent.

Many of those upstairs could already see the grisly sight. Behind Yin Caixin, Baudouin still held his hostage-taking pose. A dead iron straight blade had buried itself in his head, angled slightly from upper right to lower left. It had driven clean through and was now resting there.

At last somebody noticed that Han Qingyu’s hand, the one he had stretched out and beckoned to Yin Caixin with, was empty.

What did he say just now? It sounded like, “Just come here first.”

Yin Caixin felt Baudouin’s hands move. First, the left hand gripping her collar loosened, then the right hand holding the blade followed.

The dead iron straight blade fell to the floor in front of her with a clang, nearly landing on her foot.

Then, Baudouin’s body hit the ground with a thud.

“Come here!” Han Qingyu shouted urgently, looking exasperated. “Oh, never mind.”

He grabbed his left-hand blade and charged forward.

Yin Caixin gave up on thinking, let out a cry, and ran for him with everything she had.

A few steps in, Han Qingyu caught her with one hand and pulled her behind him.

His left blade came down on the Wiper chasing after her.

The other two Wipers lunged at him with their blades.

A streak of iron-armored light flashed past and came to an abrupt stop.

Shen Yixiu stood there, her left-hand blade held level in a reverse grip, blood dripping from the edge.

The wounds burst open.

The two Wipers clutched their necks and collapsed, struggling.

It was over.

Han Qingyu had faced the Wipers with a hostage between them, and declared that he would kill Baudouin. He had promised to kill them all.

And he had.

***

“So his blade went around from the side, along a counterclockwise arc that came down at an angle?”

“Yeah, and the key is that big pillar. The blade went around that pillar and buried itself in Baudouin’s temple.”

“When did he throw it?”

“It was probably while he was playing with the blades, swinging them back and forth. On one of the backward swings.”

“How did he do it?”

“No idea. Did the rest of you notice anything else? Nobody heard a sound!”

The strongest recruit the Erasers have had in ten years... He’s terrifying!

Then there’s that robot, the full suit of armor. What it did was even more terrifying!

***

“Rust Girl Vortex Slash, the silent version. Impressive, right?” Han Qingyu asked as he turned to face Yin Caixin. She stood behind him with tears still on her face, dazed.

Shen Yixiu was standing right beside him. When she heard this, she couldn’t help but giggle.

Han Qingyu waved a hand in front of Yin Caixin’s face. “Hey, translate for me. You never translated that last one.”

“Huh? Translate...” Yin Caixin snapped back to herself.

“My team and I look forward to facing you all. See you inside.” Han Qingyu repeated with a hint of helplessness.

“Oh, right!” Yin Caixin finally came around. Nodding hard, she hurriedly wiped her tears, lifted her head, and, still hiccupping and unable to stop, said the line once in English and once in French.

This girl was threatening every potential enemy in the place through her sobs!

The whole place was silent.

Soon, though, some had the urge to laugh as Han Qingyu cleared the battlefield. He crouched down as if nobody else were there, opened Baudouin’s combat case, and pocketed the energy cores.

Then the next one, the one after that, and finally, the fourth.

Han Qingyu stood up happily once he was done.

“Isn’t... isn’t that a bit too eager?” Someone upstairs laughed.

The scene was amusing, ridiculous even. For some, though, it was more frightening than what had come before, frightening enough to send a chill down their spines.