Chapter 43 - An Honest Betrayal

The zeppelin carrying the group of users, Thaddeus, and his escorts had begun to move once everyone was aboard. Under Admiral Augustus' orders, they wouldn’t wait for him and were to leave as soon as possible while he fought with all his strength against the two enemies intent on destroying the aircraft—or at least that’s what it seemed. Both Adam and Kazue had peered through one of the windows, watching as the muscular old man struggled to defend himself from the relentless attacks being thrown at him.

The one taking it the hardest was Kazue, who kept screaming at the top of her lungs from the other side of the glass, cheering for Augustus even though he couldn’t hear her. In truth, even Adam found it difficult to process. He remembered the Admiral as a lively man, always with a perpetual smile on his face. Just a few hours ago, he had seen him defend them with his life, laughing in the face of powerful enemies. Now, however, Augustus was barely able to stand there, covered in wounds and drenched in blood from the cursed injuries that refused to heal.

"I had heard stories about the famous Admiral Augustus Redmond, about how his skin was supposed to be so tough that no blade could pierce it... But look at you now. Cutting you is so easy. You're nothing more than an overrated old man, hahaha!"

Even though the old man was now his enemy, Merrick couldn’t help but feel genuinely bad about what was happening. His reluctance to fight him was real; after all, Admiral Augustus Redmond had been one of the first to take him under his wing when he was just a young soldier filled with hope and dreams. It was something Merrick would never forget, and he would always be grateful for it.

In fact, Merrick had witnessed his former mentor's capabilities numerous times, and the level Augustus was showing now was nothing compared to his former self. What had happened to him in those ruins to leave him in this state? It left a bitter taste in Merrick's mouth, which was why he had been holding back. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about the pirate.

Little by little, Davey was gaining ground and inflicting more and more damage on the Admiral, something Merrick watched with disgust. It wasn’t just that his old friend and ally was in such a pitiful state; it was also because he knew the pirate wasn't truly strong at all, Davey was probably the only leader among the Seven Guilds who didn’t reflect the level of strength and power that someone in that position should have.

After Davey was recruited into their cause, Merrick learned that he'd reached his rank through deception and cunning, exploiting the fact that the previous leader had been killed in a battle against Merrick himself. A lowly, opportunistic scoundrel who only looked out for his own interests—the kind of person Merrick despised the most.

The barrage of attacks continued relentlessly, each strike seemingly about to land a fatal blow on the Admiral, only for him to narrowly dodge at the last second. This pattern repeated over several tense moments, the attacks growing fiercer, until finally, in a last desperate assault, Augustus stumbled. His strength waning, he was forced to drop to one knee, the ground beneath him stained with his blood as he struggled to regain his footing.

"This is the end, old man, hahaha!"

Davey shouted, his voice dripping with arrogance as he lunged forward, his massive chainsaw-like weapon revving up for the final blow. The pirate's eyes gleamed with anticipation, eager to see the legendary Admiral fall before him.

But that didn't happen. Instead, the pirate's weapon stopped dead in its tracks just before striking its target, as if it had gotten jammed on something. Even the spinning blades had ceased. It was then that Davey looked up, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the old soldier raising his right arm, defying all logic. Augustus had stopped the chainsaw-like weapon with just one hand.

Red chains materialized around Augustus at that moment, only to shatter into a thousand pieces and vanish, signaling that the skill sealing had finally ended. But was it too late? Not for someone like the most experienced Admiral in the Armada. His body began to emit smoke, a sight so intense that even the kids watching from the zeppelin window could make it out from a distance.

"Let's goooo!"

Kazue shouted, raising her arms in excitement, fully aware that this was the moment when Grandpa Augustus would get serious and show them what he was truly capable of.

Meanwhile, the pirate couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. In a fit of rage, he abandoned his motorcycle-weapon and charged at the old man with his bare hands. At the same time, several nodes on his armor began to glow and emit a tremendous amount of energy, indicating that his abilities were boosted to an unimaginable level.

“It doesn’t matter; you’re just an old relic. You’re no match for—”

But Davey's words were abruptly cut off when a powerful punch landed squarely on his face before he could even react. The impact was so forceful that the sharp sound echoed throughout the area, creating a shockwave that kicked up clouds of dust. The pirate's body was violently catapulted backward, bouncing along the ground multiple times until he disappeared from view amidst the sparse vegetation that remained in the area.

“Now that’s more like the old master I know…”

Merrick said with a nervous smile, hoping that the attack had been enough to finish off the pirate, though he doubted it. After all, the armor would have likely absorbed most of the damage.

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet, kid; now it’s your turn.”

Augustus exclaimed, finally regaining his smile as he felt his strength returning in full force, with his ability, [The Man that Shattered the Stars], operating at maximum capacity. He stepped forward, inviting his former student for a customary exchange of blows. However, all he saw in return was a somber yet sorrowful expression from Merrick, who could only manage to murmur something barely audible under his breath.

“I’m sorry.”

Was he sorry? What the hell was he talking about? No matter how much he apologized, the least he should endure was a beating for the foolishness of attempting to betray the Armada; they would figure out how he could atone for his sins later… But then Augustus halted, feeling a dreadful dizziness that made him drop to his knees and, to everyone's surprise, coughed up a large amount of blood.

The Admiral himself appeared bewildered, not knowing where that had come from. But before he could lift his gaze, a tremendous pain began to stab at his chest, making it extremely difficult for him to breathe. The imbalance in his body was so severe that his internal mechanical implants stopped functioning, and his ability was canceled, ceasing to emit smoke and causing him to gasp for air.

“You're poisoned, Master. The attacks from these armors carry a particular type of energy; it doesn't affect the wearer, but anyone who gets hit ends up like this—or even worse. It’s almost like a toxin that lingers in the air; it’s terrifying if you ask me.”

Said Merrick calmly as he began to move toward his former mentor.

"Where... where did you get those damned things?"

Augustus asked, gathering his strength and battling a pain he felt in every fiber of his body, as if a toxin was gradually invading each of his cells.

"You don’t have to worry about that... I'm serious. You just need to accept my offer and your wounds will be treated. Trust me, this is the best way to help everyone truly."

Merrick replied, a hint of sorrow in his voice, for despite his words, it was clear what the response would be.

"Haha... You may have never liked to show your true self to others, but I know that your conviction for justice is as strong as steel. I wonder what they did to convince you.”

As he spoke, still with blood on his lips, the elderly man gradually rose to his feet, flexing his arms to showcase his muscles, just as he always liked to do.

“I am Augustus Redmond! First-Class Admiral of the Ironclad Armada, proud head of the Redmond family, and sworn protector of the Allied Kingdoms! Under my jurisdiction, dear former student, you are under arrest! Haha… You should be aware by now."

With that, the man launched himself at full speed towards his former companion, arms outstretched, attempting one of his powerful grapples.

“I would never accept such an offer!!”

As they were only a few steps apart, Merrick simply raised his right arm, which began to glow intensely as the small reactors in his armor powered up.

“I know…”

With a swift movement, the young traitor stepped forward, and before Augustus could ensnare him with a grip, he used his arm like a harpoon, piercing through the elder's chest and emerging from his back. It was done; this was the end, even at his best, surviving such an attack would be impossible, especially now that he was weakened by the radiation.

Merrick felt a pang of pain in his side, not a literal one, but an emotional one. Though he had been prepared for this moment from the beginning, he had never imagined it would come to this, even in his worst nightmares. Killing a loved one, under any circumstances, was a soul-crushing experience. However, in those fleeting moments, Augustus's arms moved, startling Merrick as he realized that his master was still alive for some reason. If Augustus managed to grab him, it could turn dangerous.

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But instead of grappling him, the old Admiral simply embraced his old student with the little strength he had left, and with one last smile that made his lip tremble, he murmured his final words.

"I know you think you’re doing the right thing... I just hope you’re right and that you don’t end up regretting it."

After that, Augustus's arms finally gave way and his body lay in the embrace of his former disciple, finally lifeless after so many years of battles and adventures, yet with a peaceful smile on his face… The scream that Merrick let out next was so loud that it even somehow reached the ears of the zeppelin's passengers, who had long since moved away and lost sight of the combatants.

"I just hope that Grandpa is okay..."

Kazue said, her voice filled with sadness, hoping with all her might that they could reunite with him once everything had calmed down. Yet, for some reason, she had a terrible feeling, especially as she watched the apocalyptic scene unfolding outside the window. Perhaps she was seeking comforting words from one of her companions, but the truth was she wouldn’t find them; Sebastian and Nikolai were tired and didn’t understand the girl, while Li was talking to Thaddeus, and Adam... well, he was lost in his thoughts as he stared out the window.

Even though they were moving away from the island, it couldn’t be said that they were out of danger. The surrounding area was still engulfed in the war between the three factions—or perhaps it would be better described as a one-sided massacre. Adam could even see a 'Sea Knight' and a 'Sea Titan', robots belonging to the Armada and a pirate guild respectively, fighting back to back against others of their kind, though now marked with strange symbols on their massive bodies. At the same time, those large dirigibles with thrusters continued advancing slowly, firing those energy blasts that could destroy anything they touched. He even witnessed a massive black submarine emerging from the ocean, attempting to latch its mechanical claws onto one of the aircrafts, only to be hit by two shots that pierced its armor effortessly, sinking it without accomplishing anything.

Adam didn’t understand what was happening—how and why this strange and powerful army had appeared out of nowhere, and why it was equipped with technology clearly belonging to the 'Atomica Arcanum.' And that wasn’t the only problem. The appearance of a traitorous Admiral, along with the fact that machines and soldiers from both sides were turning against their comrades, made it clear that the third faction had infiltrated from the beginning, lying in wait for the right moment. Kazue had been right all along, at least in concept, though it was far from a welcome surprise.

As he continued thinking, Adam also noticed how more and more mechanical sea beasts began emerging in the ocean battles, wrapping around and attacking every giant robot and ship they could find—except for those belonging to the traitorous army. It was as if they knew those forces wouldn’t harm them, and neither side seemed to be paying the other any attention. It was too much, more than Adam could bear. Frustrated, he turned around and, filled with anger, marched straight toward Thaddeus.

"What’s going on? Why does this mysterious military force have the power of the 'Atomica Arcanum'!? I know you know something! Tell me, you promised to tell me the truth!"

The boy shouted so loudly that even Li, who was nearby, raised an eyebrow in surprise. One of the two masked escorts made a move to draw something aggressively from his waist; however, Thaddeus calmed him with a simple gesture, then he looked Adam directly in the eyes and, after a moment, sighed.

"So you managed to understand what was written in the book after all... Well, I never lied to you. I promised I’d be by your side every step of the way, and I have been. I promised you’d be rewarded once everything was over, and I intend to keep that promise. I told you the book would be destroyed after we found it, so no one else could use it—and that’s exactly what we did."

Said Thaddeus calmly, trying to appear as composed as possible, though the blue flame emerging from his chest still gave him a rather imposing presence. However, the last part of his statement left Adam frozen, finally realizing what had happened, though he still refused to accept it.

"So no one ELSE could use it? ... Did you...?"

A chill ran down his spine as he noticed the cold look in the scientist's eyes when he made his accusation.

"I asked you to understand me. I told you what my goal was, why it was important, and why it was the only way... But since you really want to know every detail, I will tell you; you all have the right to know."

By that point, both Kazue and Sebastian, along with Nikolai, had turned their gaze towards Thaddeus, completely in shock by what they were hearing. It was then that the young Volta began to speak, knowing that everyone was now paying attention to him.

"As I said before, the only real way to help the world is by destroying the old and rotten and doing things the right way again. I became the current president of 'Stratos Technology' after the high command of the Armada rejected the development of technology based on the discoveries from the 'Necrogear Citadel' despite its proven usefulness. I... I apologize for this small aside, but the reason I know that technology is useful and could be a great advancement for the world is because of my own existence."

As he said this, he carefully opened the front of his shirt, revealing once again the wound he had and the blue flame that powered his mechanical heart.

"This machine that kept me alive... Although I don't know if it could truly be called living, was created by my father based on the recovered body of one of the guardians of the Citadel. With it, he saved my life and gave me a second chance, and now Mr. Sebastian has returned it to me once again. I finally feel alive again, as if all this time I had been incomplete until now. Ironic."

Adam couldn't help but look at the flame in his chest, exactly like the one possessed by the Guards of Envy. According to his description of the system, those flames were their souls. So if what Thaddeus said about the origin of his mechanical implant was true, then it made sense that he hadn't felt complete until Thaddeus's own soul manifested in that place.

"Sorry for digressing, but it's important for you to understand this point: technology like this is too precious for the world; it could save countless lives and improve the quality of life for everyone. Yet, none of those overindulged idiots in high-ranking positions and nobles of the 'Allied Kingdoms' wanted to listen. They don't care about anything but their own benefit, even as their population suffers from hunger and dies from diseases in the outskirts of their most prosperous cities... They disgust me."

That was information Adam already knew, but the other members of his group, except for Li, were greatly surprised by such revelations, unsure of what to say or feel.

Adam swallowed hard, realizing that he had misunderstood everything from the beginning. That "third faction in the shadows" that the system had warned them about before entering the stage had always been rooted in the other two, with its leader being the boy they had unknowingly been helping all this time.

"Our investigations and discoveries allowed us to replicate the technology used by the first users of the 'Atomica Arcanum', the greatest heroes in the history of the world. However, we could do nothing to emulate a fraction of their energy source. We needed the book and its knowledge to gain the power necessary for our ultimate goal. That's when, fortunately, one of our new recruits, Finn O'Malley, here present, informed us that he had the perfect team for a deep expedition into the Citadel."

Finn O'Malley? The moment Thaddeus said that name and pointed at Li, everyone wore confused expressions while he tried to avoid their gazes. Adam immediately understood why the information the veteran had provided had been so contradictory and why he had been the first to dispel their initial suspicions about the scientist, redirecting them toward Admiral Augustus instead... Everything had been part of his plan to get the group to help without truly knowing what they were getting into.

"But how did you obtain the power of the book? At no point did you take possession of it, and you destroyed it as we agreed. You only observed it for a moment and..."

Adam halted his own words, recalling that it wasn't true that Thaddeus had only read a little; he had seen Thaddeus activate two skills, one of which contained information he hadn’t been able to see.

"It seems you’re starting to understand, but I must admit that I lied when we spoke in the armory. I actually have two skills: the one I already mentioned and another... that allows me to store all the information from any object I touch. Once I did that, I sent it as signals to every piece of technology we secretly developed, as they are my property."

Adam finally understood everything, and a surge of rage filled his body. He didn't know why; even with everything happening, logic screamed at him that it really didn't matter. After all, they were in the middle of a story, and everything occurring around him was nothing more than characters... right? Still, his body moved on its own, ready to leap at Thaddeus in a fit of fury. However, before he could take a step, one of the bodyguards was quicker. With a leap, he positioned himself beside Adam, grabbing both of his arms and pinning him to the ground, placing his knee on the boy’s back.

“Hey!”

Seeing this, Kazue didn't stay still and tried to help her companion, only to experience the same fate with the other bodyguard. However, this time the girl activated her electric attack immediately, causing the masked man holding her to receive a powerful shock upon contact. Yet, nothing happened, as if it had no effect at all.

"I see that you've improved a lot; I could even say I'm a bit proud."

Then, a familiar feminine voice was heard from the masked figure holding her. It wasn't until she willingly removed the mask and hood that everyone could see, with astonishment, that it was none other than Commodore Kathlene, who looked at her "student" with a hint of mischief but did not let her go at all.

"What?!"

"Kid, calm down. I know you're smart, so just be quiet."

Adam was so shocked by the Commodore's appearance that he shouted in disbelief, only for his captor to respond with a familiar voice. It couldn't be, could it? Slowly, the second bodyguard removed his mask and hood to reveal the rugged features of none other than the pirate captain Magnus, whom they had last seen during the siege of the factories when he had saved them from the woman holding Kazue. The fact that he was there was insane, causing Adam to struggle, which made the man apply more pressure to his hold, inflicting considerable pain.

What the hell could he do in that situation? His [Ghost Phasing] skill wouldn't help at all in this position, as he could only turn one part of his body intangible at a time, not to mention that he still didn't have full control over it. Maybe he could use his newly obtained ‘Espectronomicon’? He had no choice but to take the risk given the circumstances. But before he could call forth the ghost in the form of a book, Thaddeus spoke.

"Please don't be violent with them. Despite their recent behavior, they are still the heroes who helped our plan to help the world, and my friends with whom I've shared my own life."

That made Adam's blood boil even more. He continued to struggle a bit but managed to say what was on his mind at that moment.

"I'm not your friend! I... I... despise you! If I had known what was going to happen, I would have never helped you!"

The boy shouted, only to be taken aback by Thaddeus's expression, which shifted from calm to one that genuinely conveyed sorrow in his eyes.

"It's a shame, because I do consider you a precious friend, and my gratitude and promise that nothing will happen to you all is genuine."

The fact that the covenant between them remained active and its effects were not visible meant that what he said was true, which was not very reassuring at that moment. But the worst came next, as if the system itself wanted to mock those present one last time. An information window appeared for all the members of the group except for Li, displaying something they never thought possible.

image [https://i.imgur.com/AJ9NXgr.png]