Chapter 55
The tiled floor of the training hall had a texture as cold as the bluish lighting. When I lightly bounced on it, a pleasant rebound sensation rose up through my toes.
While I warmed up, Kinuan was drinking tea. He'd brought tea in a thermos flask all the way to the training hall. He really seemed to love tea quite a bit.
‘Kinuan intends to properly teach me Akies Combat Techniques.’
Regardless of his intentions, I needed to learn it thoroughly. At first, I'd been disappointed upon hearing that Akies Combat Techniques were incompatible with Legion, but ultimately, these techniques had saved me several times.
“Luka, you remember well the origin of Akies Combat Techniques, right?”
Kinuan took a sip of tea, closing his eyes.
“You mean the combat technique that Noel Mullizcane created for the leaders of the rebels?”
“What do you think that has to do with ‘Conformity’?”
‘Conformity’ was the very first concept Kinuan had taught me.
Conformity, Optimization, Adaptation.
These concepts were opposite to the Empire's combat techniques. If one were to summarize the framework of the standard Imperial combat techniques similarly, they would be Collision, Reinforcement, and Overcoming.
Imperial combat techniques focused on acquiring and controlling 'greater power,' whereas Akies Combat Techniques revolved around making use of 'limited power.'
Therefore, Akies Combat Techniques suited rebel and guerrilla warfare perfectly.
The rebels didn't even get proper supplies. Their cybernetic implants couldn't be maintained in time, and sometimes they even had to fight without combat implants altogether. Soldiers under their command were a ragtag group without formal military training, a highly uncertain combat force.
Insufficient resources, inferior circumstances, poorly performing weapons, and implants.
Yet, they couldn't afford to complain. Whether they liked it or not, they had to fight in these poor conditions and ultimately had to achieve victory.
The only equal asset they had was their ‘brain.’ They strained themselves by pushing their minds to overload. They burned themselves out fiercely, almost to the point of breaking.
I organized my thoughts and voiced them aloud. Kinuan occasionally widened his eyes and laughed.
Once I finished speaking, he added an explanation.
“…Even among Noel’s rebels, the officers each had drastically different backgrounds and careers. From street fighters to soldiers who betrayed the Empire, they had it all. There were even people from Cora and Bellato. Since teaching a unified combat technique thoroughly from scratch was impossible, Noel introduced the concept of a meta-combat technique—a ‘combat technique for utilizing other combat techniques.’”
I brought up the question I'd been harboring since earlier.
“You told me I had a talent for mastering Akies Combat Techniques deeply, Instructor. But I've been enhanced by Imperial procedures since childhood, strengthening my nervous system. It took all of that just to get me this far in Akies Combat Techniques. I'm not boasting, but are you implying there were plenty of rebel officers comparable to someone like me?”
At my remark, Kinuan smiled coldly.
“Luka, if one is willing to accept risk, there are plenty of ways. Countless, actually. To give you one example, most rebel commanders constantly relied on near-lethal doses of stimulant drugs. It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say their brains were filled with drugs instead of cerebrospinal fluid.”
Kinuan tapped his own head lightly with his finger as he spoke. He paused, sipping his tea slowly before continuing.
“On top of that, they underwent experimental neurological enhancement procedures, completely unverified by theory. The neurological-chemical treatments we received from the Empire today… were perfected through the deaths of those people.”
Kinuan's gaze was distant. I silently observed him. Even that distant look could be deceitful or fabricated.
“So, today’s lesson is all theory?”
I asked mockingly, waiting for Kinuan's response.
I was eager for actual combat. This time, I felt confident. Kinuan’s prosthetic was built for everyday use, not combat. Of course, even with such prosthetics, he'd beaten me repeatedly in the past.
‘But now it’s different.’
Even Kinuan wouldn’t be able to handle me now with his everyday prosthetics. Physical limits existed. As Kinuan himself had said, Akies Combat Techniques weren’t magical methods that could create miracles.
“You look desperate to beat me up.”
“My personality is twisted. You already know that.”
Kinuan stood up from his chair. His movements were calm. His balance was so perfect it was eerie. It was impossible to discern whether he was left- or right-handed. He revealed no outward information about himself, seeming almost like a blank slate.
“You’re progressing faster than I expected. I didn’t imagine you'd approach Mysta this quickly. Talent is one thing, but... it’s your excessively intense combat experiences that have truly shaped you.”
“Mysta?”
“It refers to someone who has reached a level capable of teaching Akies Combat Techniques to others. In the past, the ranks within Akies Victima were subdivided into multiple levels, categorized like this. But now even the genealogies have vanished, making such distinctions meaningless. Just remember vaguely that it existed.”
I had no interest in genealogies. I simply mulled over Kinuan's words.
“So, saying I'm ‘close’ to Mysta means I haven't reached it yet.”
“You learn faster with your body than with words, as always. Today, I intend to show you my true skill. If you don't want to end up hospitalized, guard your head and torso well.”
Kinuan put his left hand behind his back. He extended only his right arm forward. His right sleeve slipped down to his elbow.
‘Combat prosthetic?’
I raised an eyebrow. A faint motor sound came from Kinuan's right arm, clearly surpassing the output of an everyday prosthetic.
‘He replaced only his right arm with a combat model.’
Kinuan beckoned provocatively with his finger.
Until now, I hadn't even known Kinuan's right arm was combat-grade. Despite what must have been a significant difference in feel and weight, he revealed no imbalance whatsoever between his left and right sides. Such control was simply astonishing.
“…Thank you, Instructor.”
There was no deceit in the words I had just uttered. They came from genuine sincerity.
Kinuan's damaged neurological system couldn't handle high-output prosthetics. He had accepted significant risk for my sake.
Opportunities like today would be rare. Actually, this might never happen again.
Expressing respect toward my mentor, I solemnly took a combat stance. Then, I advanced.
Swoosh!
My foot grazed the tile floor as it slid forward. I lowered my stance, spinning sharply. My upper body was low, but my foot flew high.
My first strike was a spinning back-kick targeting his head. For reference, I didn't hold back. Even a slight touch would kill Kinuan.
* * *
Bang!
With a shock that felt like the world collapsing, I was defeated.
‘I lost again.’
The spar with Kinuan lasted five seconds. Five seconds wasn’t a short time for people like us. It was ample time to pour out all our power in close combat.
It had certainly been enough time for me. I'd unleashed my full skill on Kinuan.
…and was lying here now, miserably stopped by just a single arm.
Kinuan didn't rush me as I lay on the floor. I was lost in thought.
‘In terms of conditions, I overwhelmingly had the advantage. That’s always been the case.’
Kinuan's only combat prosthetic was his right arm. Even its performance wasn't significantly different from my implants.
‘An unpleasant sense of incongruity.’
It felt as if Kinuan possessed the ability to see into the future. He executed the optimal defense and offense, as though fully aware of where my fists and feet would land.
As if choreographed, my kicks and punches were neatly blocked by Kinuan’s right arm.
Soon after, Kinuan saw through my openings, grabbed my wrist, and threw me onto the floor. That was how I ended up here.
The sharp pain stabbing my back meant nothing. Self-loathing hurt more.
I'd experienced this before. Back then, I'd chalked it up simply to a gap in experience and skill. Technically, it was still a matter of skill, but this wasn't ordinary combat ability—it was something more advanced and subtle.
“…Instructor, can you see into the future or something?”
I spoke frankly about what I felt.
Slightly raising my head, I glanced at Kinuan. He was sitting back in his chair, bringing the tea to his lips.
“If I had that kind of ability, would I be suffering like this?”
“Well, I guess that's true.”
I sat up, resting my arm on one raised knee.
“Luka, Akies Combat Techniques are something you learn by stealing.”
Damn, that's difficult.
I forced down the grumble that rose in my throat. Noticing my frustration, Kinuan laughed and pointed upward with his index finger.
“Until now, you've learned how to create additional eyes—by expanding your senses and changing how you perceive the world.”
I knew exactly what he meant.
We could vividly visualize a precise three-dimensional image of our surroundings using expanded senses—especially visual data. This allowed us to minimize delays between movements, eliminating the need to shift our eyes or heads constantly to observe the environment.
This required extraordinary simulation capabilities. I could intuitively calculate ballistic trajectories without assistance from computational aids. That was why I had been chosen.
“Members of the Imperial Guard are trained specifically to use Legion. Your brain still has resources left unused. Try figuring out how to tap into them. We'll continue from there in our next lesson.”
My lips twitched into a slight smile. Kinuan was a ruthless mentor.
If I couldn't figure it out myself, I didn't deserve to move forward. My progress in Akies Combat Techniques would end here.
“You can leave first, Luka.”
Kinuan spoke without standing up. I rose and walked toward the door, but stopped abruptly. Turning back, I approached Kinuan again.
“…Let me lend you my shoulder. It must be hard for you to move right now.”
I'd noticed Kinuan’s fingers trembling faintly since earlier. His pupils intermittently lost focus as well. He stayed seated because standing up was difficult. Likely, even while speaking to me, his consciousness had shut down multiple times, like a broken machine.
Kinuan had fought at high speeds, controlling a combat prosthetic with his damaged brain. I knew exactly how incredible that was.
Leaning against the wall, Kinuan rose unsteadily and practically fell onto me for support.
“Then, I'll take you up on your offer.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I supported Kinuan all the way to his office. There were mountains of things I wanted to ask him—his relationship with Tora, or what he'd done in the lower districts in the past. There was no need to trouble myself investigating; the man who knew everything was right beside me.
Yet even if I asked, Kinuan wouldn't answer. Nor did I desire him to.
Instead, we chatted about trivial things. He even advised me to try getting a girlfriend. Kinuan mentioned subtle sensory differences between biological bodies and prosthetics, suggesting I gain sexual experience before undergoing a full-body prosthetic replacement. Well, I'd handle that on my own.
…In moments like this, we felt almost like a normal master-disciple pair.
‘Maybe someday….’
But it was likely that our relationship would ultimately end in ruin. Our bond was exceedingly fragile. Both Kinuan and I were always prepared to sever our ties at a moment’s notice.
It wasn't sad. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave a bitter taste.
I only hoped that I wouldn't have to dispose of Kinuan with my own hands.