Chapter 126 Part 2
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Translator: Jiro Editor: Ryunakama
The severe pain made me lose the ability to think. My consciousness began fading. It was then that it happened.
The strength of the wires that had a hold over me suddenly weakened. The wires fell to the ground as they were sliced brilliantly.
「Cough!! Cough!! W-What happened?」
「Zeph-sama, are you okay?」 asked Soara as she stood before me. Metal wings had sprouted from her back.
Within her hand she held the small knife that she had used to cook for us.
You mean she cut up the wires with that?!
「Y-You are…」
「Dr. Gepard, it has been a while.」 said Soara politely as she bowed.
Milly must have realised that I was in a pinch and probably sent Soara here. Good job Milly.
I removed the remaining wires and recovered my posture.
「Even though we’re two against one, he is a powerful enemy. Magic doesn’t work, so if you have some other method I’d love to hear it.」
「I do.」 said Soara and reached for my chest.
She pushed me lightly and my body was thrown overboard.
「Wh…」
「Zeph-sama I apologize.」
I continued to fall and Soara’s voice only grew more distant.
「Zeph-chi! Are you okay?」
「Y-Yea…」
Lydia caught me just before I fell to the ground.
However, I still couldn’t calm down. I looked up at Volganon.
Ridiculous. What in the world is she thinking? No matter how you look at it, he’s not an opponent that Soara can defeat alone…
「She… can’t be…!」
An unpleasant thought crossed my mind. I shouted while looking up at Volganon.
「SOARAAAAAAAAA!」
My voice echoed within the laboratory.
6
After pushing off Zeph from Volganon’s deck Soara glared at Gepard. After a long silence, Gepard finally opened his mouth.
「… I remember now. You’re M-9996. Prototype Droid No.6… Soara was it? A long time ago you were entrusted with taking care of my everyday necessities.」
「Yes, at that time I did help you.」
「Then why are you baring your fangs at me? I perceived you to be a good doll, faithful to its orders.」 said Gepard as he glared at Soara.
However, Soara still had that blank look on her face.
「The order that I received from you was to be helpful to humans. I am still faithfully fulfilling that order.」
「… I see. Because I turned into a monster and am now attacking that human mage you saw it as your duty to protect him, is that it?」
「That’s correct.」
At Soara’s response Gepard nodded as he stroked his beard.
Originally, automatons wouldn’t disobey their masters. Even if they were to turn into monsters that still shouldn’t happen. That’s just how they were programmed.
The only explanation that I can think of is that she’s stayed in the Dungeon for too long…
Things that have stayed in a Dungeon for an extended period of time suffer significant changes in their properties.
In his previous life Gepard studied that phenomenon. However, what he found out in the end was that a really, really long period of time was needed for something to suffer changes to its properties.
The changed automaton, in the form of Soara, greatly attracted Gepard’s interest.
「Kuku!! Fabulous, this is just fabulous.」 laughed Gepard happily.
After laughing for a moment, he then once again stared at Soara.
「… Well then, let’s test out how faithfully you can keep my orders.」
Using Gepard’s words as a signal, arms with tools such as saws, knives, pliers and hammers extended from Volganon’s deck.
All of them were attachments which Gepard could use to dissect captured mages, without actually touching them.
「I’m coming.」 said Soara as she headed towards Gepard without fearing the attachments.
She dodged each and every single one of the rotating saws and sharp blades.
「Wha…?!! She shouldn’t be able to dodge those…!!」
It was just as Gepard said, those weren’t attacks that Soara should have originally been able to dodge.
However, albeit for a short time, she had still seen Zeph and the others fight, and had learned from them.
Just now she had used Lydia’s dodging as a reference. And she had used her drill-like arm in order to block the attacks which she couldn’t dodge. She had used Claude’s shield handling as a reference for that one. She wasn’t as good as the originals, however by combining them she was able to display high evasive ability.
With each step she took she got closer to Gepard.
However, in the end, her evasion turned out to be just an imitation. Just as she was one step away from reaching Gepard, her leg got caught by one of the attachments.
Starting with that, the screwdrivers and knives pierced Soara’s body.
「!!」
「Kuku! It was a good try! But now I have my tools buried in your vital spots! You shouldn’t be able to move anymore!」
Soara tried moving her body, but it wouldn’t budge.
The attack just now had been aimed at the deadliest part of an automaton’s joints that only Gepard knew of.
Soara wouldn’t be able to move her body anymore.
However, Soara didn’t care at all about that. That was because she had already finished what she set out to do.
「Kuku!! As expected of myself! Truly the work of a god! Well then, I’ll have fun disassembling you… Hmph?」
It was then that Gepard noticed.
He noticed that the left hand that Soara was still supposed to have wasn’t there.
He hadn’t noticed that, that left arm had now been stuck into his flank.
He then remembered something else.
He remembered that both of Soara’s arms had powerful bombs planted into them…
「I think it would be for the best if you quickly defuse it.」
「Wh…?!!」
Gepard hurriedly began defusing the bomb.
He tore Soara’s arm in half. He tore the metal part and without any hesitation he cut the wires.
「This one, then this one… now this… Okay!!」
It was something he had created himself. He knew the structure well.
Even though he was impatient and it had been a bit difficult, Gepard still managed to defuse the bomb.
「… Phew, you sure surprised me there. However, it seems your plot failed Soara.」
「No, it succeeded.」
Just as the words left Soara’s mouth, a sound was heard. Gepard’s body was thrown by the impact and he struck against the glass wall of the small room.
And then Volganon’s frame also began tilting.
When Gepard got up and looked, Volganon’s hull was already stuck inside the factory’s wall.
「You would need to concentrate in order to defuse the bomb. Especially when rushed. Which meant that you would pull away your attention from other matters… Such as controlling Volganon.」
「N-No way…」
With a loud explosive sound Volganon’s hull was dyed red.
Gepard’s screams were drowned by the explosion and Volganon slowly fell.
◆ ◆ ◆
All of us looked with shock as the smoke rose and Volganon fell.
It seems like Soara did it. I’m worried about her, but the way we are now it’s dangerous for us as well.
「Everyone, run away! We’ll get squashed!」
「…. O-Okay!!」 Claude and the others somehow managed to return to their senses and began running. Milly however, just stood there.
Tsch, so annoying.
「No… way…!」
「You too Milly! FAST!」
I grabbed a hold of Milly and ran.
An explosion occurred behind us and I was sent flying by the shock waves.
「Zeph-chi!」
「…Phew.」
Lydia used her body to stop us and the Blue Wall that Silverie cast blocked all of the flying debris.
Over the ice wall we could see Volganon collapsing.
It was ironic that the ship that he created with the purpose of taking down mages, ended up getting destroyed by his own automaton.
We just stood and watched for an unknown amount of time.
Suddenly Milly grabbed my hand and ran towards Volganon.
「Milly?!」
「I saw Soara! Everyone, hurry!」
As Milly’s words left her mouth all of us looked towards the wreckage left behind, Volganon, and surely Soara could be seen there.
However, she seemed exhausted and couldn’t move.
「If she stays like that she’ll get swallowed by the explosions. Let’s go.」 I said
「Tsch…」
Silverie followed behind us, seeming somewhat reluctant. But even so, she seemed to be somewhat relieved as well.
Good grief. She should be more honest with herself.
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