Lancer had no idea of the chaos now unfolding in the Capital. His attention was wholly on the report from the scout team Najenda had dispatched.
"We've located the enemy's base, but the majority of the squad was wiped out..."
His expression barely shifted upon hearing the news. Over the past year, aside from raw strength, perhaps the biggest change in him was becoming numb to the presence of death.
Back in his days with the CCG, he'd occasionally hear of Investigators killed in action, but unless it involved someone he knew personally, the emotional impact had been minimal. Yet in this war against the foreign tribes, after every battle, the corpses of his comrades piled up in mountains. It was a brutal reality he couldn't change, no matter how desperately he fought.
No matter how strong he became, he couldn't singlehandedly decide the fate of an entire battlefield. Liver had once reminded him of this harsh truth:
"Instead of brooding here, think about how you can carry on their will, how to protect those who are still alive. That's the best way to honor the dead."
"As expected, the enemy's started relocating," Lancer murmured, scanning the report again, "but there is one piece of good news."
Seeing the phrase "gigantic tree continuously bearing fruit" mentioned in the report, Lancer felt genuine relief. If their enemy had been using [Shambhala], this situation would've become exponentially more complicated.
After all, no one understood better than Lancer that [Shambhala] currently rested in Honest's hands. Though he couldn't completely rule out a connection between Honest and the northern tribes, there was one crucial detail: at least he could destroy the Teigu responsible for providing their endless food supply.
The true terror of [Shambhala] lay in its unpredictability, instantly teleporting targets within range, making it equally effective against long-range attacks. The wielder's escape ability was practically a cheat, turning the user into an unkillable nuisance.
But despite this small reassurance, he still felt an uneasy premonition gnawing at his gut.
...
"Our mission this time is a decapitation strike—but unlike before, our target isn't a person; it's the Teigu itself. Only Teigu users will participate in this operation, so it's limited to us. Captain Liver, we'll have to trouble you with guarding the fortress."
"Securing supply lines and retreat paths is just as critical," Liver agreed without hesitation.
Liver was long past the age of reckless bravery; his composure made him perfect for this support role. Yet as Lancer studied his four companions, his expression turned complicated.
Naturally, Najenda would join the raid. Her [Pumpkin] boasted the greatest firepower of all their Teigu. But what surprised him most was spotting Bulat among them.
Bulat—yes, that Bulat!
Lancer had tried tracking him down back when he was stationed in the west, but whether Bulat had enlisted in another unit or never joined the army at all, they'd never crossed paths. Yet here he stood at last.
Gone was his flamboyant pompadour, replaced by a disciplined, almost severe bearing, strikingly similar to Liver himself.
Besides them stood Najenda's deputy, assigned personally by the Emperor, who wielded the mask-type Teigu [Power Surging: Balzac]. And lastly, there was Lancer's own assistant for this mission, carrying a trap-type Teigu seized from an earlier assassin. Lancer didn't know the Teigu's proper name—only its lethal effectiveness.
Lancer and Najenda's deputy would serve as vanguards, Najenda herself would provide the main firepower, while the trap-user would cover their retreat. It was a small but well-balanced squad.
"No point wasting time. Let's move immediately. With our scouts discovered, the enemy could vanish at any moment!"
"Yes, sir!"
The four of them departed swiftly without saying a word to the others. It had been Lancer's suggestion—Honest had stabbed him in the back too many times, and in his eyes, no caution was too much. Who knew whether Honest's informants were lurking even here, inside the northern fortress?
Guided by markers the scouts had left behind, the team quickly reached the designated rendezvous point. From there came reports that the enemy had begun evacuating, though the sheer volume of supplies slowed their departure. Most importantly, the "miracle tree" still stood there.
After a full day of relentless marching, the four finally reached the tribespeople's camp hidden deep in the snowy mountains.
Surprisingly, the settlement was lush with greenery, though whether this was due to the Teigu's power or the unique terrain remained unclear. Towering above it all, however, stood a colossal tree over five meters thick, dominating their view.
"We stick to the plan," Lancer commanded decisively. "You two head to the eastern ridge and set your traps for the detonation point. Wait for my signal to trigger the avalanche. Once it hits, I'll provide cover while Najenda destroys the tree. Even if we can't take it down immediately, once it's buried, digging it out won't be easy."
"Understood."
While both relied on explosives, the convenience of Teigu's was unquestionable. No cumbersome wiring, no detectable explosive packs, and the crucial advantage of detonating safely from a distance. All Lancer and Najenda had to do now was quietly observe the distant village and wait.
Najenda, however, gave Lancer an odd look. She'd already noticed his weapon differed greatly from his usual lance. He seemed busy tweaking something.
"A new weapon?" she asked, unable to suppress her curiosity.
This time, instead of brushing her off, Lancer gave an extra line of explanation. "You could say that. Think of it as insurance. If you can't destroy that tree in one shot, I'll help finish the job."
Najenda was left puzzled, clearly not grasping his intent. Lancer merely shrugged, not bothering to elaborate further. After all, even he felt a sting at the weapon's exorbitant cost.
He'd purchased four [Flame Sacs] from [Supplies], combined them with explosives, and added various fire-based Danger Beast materials. In essence, this lance-shaped weapon was nothing more than a glorified, hyper-explosive payload.
He'd dubbed it the [Burst Lance]. It wasn't a lance for combat but a devastating projectile designed purely for throwing. And if combined with [Weapon Overload], its destructive power would be tremendous.
After a short wait, their teammates finally returned, having encountered no patrols along the way. Their position was simply too far removed—a range that only someone as powerful as Najenda or a natural disaster like an avalanche could threaten.
"Begin!"
At Lancer's order, the trap-user activated his Teigu, pressing down firmly on a small red button at its center.
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
A chain of deafening explosions echoed across the mountains, yet it wasn't the blasts themselves that inspired true terror. It was the tidal wave of white that followed in their wake.
The mountain unleashed its most dreadful weapon:
An avalanche!
---
T/N: ohohohohohoho guessing burst lance is an original creation, yep feel free to correct me
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