System Mission: Seduce the Final Boss [BL]

Chapter 155: See the future signs, ****

Bang!

A fist crashed into the ground barely a foot away from Blake.

The earth ruptured.

Stone split apart beneath the force alone, and a violent shockwave blasted through the clearing. Dirt and shattered rock erupted upward, forming a thick brown cloud that swallowed nearly everyone nearby.

Blake instinctively threw an arm over his face.

"Cough—"

Dust filled his lungs immediately. He started coughing repeatedly as pebbles rained against his jacket.

When the cloud finally began to settle, Trail-X stood exactly where he’d struck the ground, his armored fist still buried inside the crater he’d created.

The soldiers surrounding them had instinctively taken several steps back.

No one dared interrupt.

Trail-X slowly straightened, his voice remaining calm, but with an angry strain.

"I allowed you to continue speaking because I believed there was value in hearing your side."

He looked directly into Blake’s eyes.

"Do not mistake patience for permission. Even if I grant you some grace, that does not mean you are free to say whatever you please."

Blake dusted off his sleeve.

His heartbeat had definitely sped up after witnessing that display of strength.

Still, he refused to look intimidated.

"No."

He met Trail-X’s gaze.

"You need to realize that AL-TECH is a vile—"

One metal gloved hand wrapped around Blake’s face, although not in a particularly painful way.

It communicated exactly how effortless overpowering Blake would be.

For several long seconds, Trail-X simply held him there.

Neither spoke.

Blake could hear the helicopter in the distance.

The wind.

The soldiers shifting uneasily.

Then Trail-X inhaled slowly, held the breath, and finally exhaled, his fingers loosening.

Blake grunted as soon as he was released, immediately rubbing his jaw.

"You’ve got some issues listening to other people, hero."

"We’re changing subjects."

Blake sighed.

"Sure, I mean, it’s not like I can oppose."

"My next question is about the other individual."

"What?"

"The one who accompanied you."

"There wasn’t anybody with me, though."

"There was. I saw another intruder escaping much before you, hence why I decided to come here. He was wearing a black-and-white metallic armor, and, like you, entered the building first."

"..."

Blake froze.

’But then, that means...’

His eye twitched.

’That son of a deadbeat...’

It wasn’t Blake’s infiltration that had triggered the facility’s response, it had been that man who screamed like a madman into his ear.

’So none of this happened because I made a mistake.’

Even if the situation wasn’t going to improve because of this discovery, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over him.

Followed immediately by annoyance.

’Great, I was blaming myself for staying in there too long... but turns out it was this dude who couldn’t even sneak out properly.’

Blake clicked his tongue.

"I don’t know who he is, actually, we even fought."

"When?"

"Inside the underground facility."

This time, Trail-X tensed slightly, which made him raise an eyebrow.

"Hold on, don’t you know there is an underground facility here?"

"I’m not affiliated with AL-TECH, I simply happened to be nearby and spot that first intruder."

"... uh-huh."

Trail-X didn’t respond.

"That’s genuinely the excuse you’re going with? So you just happened to be flying over an abandoned industrial district."

"Coincidentally."

"And then coincidentally discovered an infiltration?"

"It is completely unrelated."

Trail-X remained unmoved.

Blake sighed dramatically.

"That’s a terrible lie."

Lowering his voice enough that only Trail-X could hear, Blake leaned slightly closer.

"I already know you’re affiliated with AL-TECH. So honestly, you don’t need to keep pretending."

Trail-X breathing paused briefly, then, he slowly leaned forward as well.

"Who would tell you such a lie?"

"Oh please, I have sources, no need to be so obvious."

"I asked who."

"Why does it matter, if it’s fake anyway?"

The silence stretched.

’Nah way, he is science smart but everything else in his brain isn’t too above average. But I mean, he is barely eighteen.’

Finally Trail-X spoke again.

"...Who’s behind you?"

Blake frowned.

"What?"

"Who’s giving your organization orders?"

Organization.

Blake almost smiled, so that’s what they believed.

That there had to be somebody directing all this.

’If only things were that organized...’

Instead, everything Blake had accomplished had largely been improvised.

He couldn’t exactly admit that, nor could he invent a mysterious leader.

That would only create unnecessary complications later.

So, he settled somewhere in the middle.

"There isn’t one person, there are multiple people and we don’t answer to the same leader. We simply..."

Blake searched for the right wording.

"...share the same objective."

Trail-X studied him.

"And that objective is?"

Blake smiled faintly.

"Wouldn’t you like to know?"

Trail-X continued watching him, trying to determine whether he was lying, trying to understand whether Blake himself even believed what he was saying.

Eventually, he changed direction.

"So, do you associate with society’s trash?"

Blake frowned.

"RENARTEN, PLIOD, RTEU..."

Each name sounded increasingly familiar.

The infamous criminals that go against the government of not only this country, but the world.

The villains responsible for countless attacks, who use advanced technology for their own gain and destruction.

Blake had heard every one of those names before.

"I don’t, they possess some knowledge similar to ours, but that doesn’t mean we’re allies."

"...Ours."

Blake realized what he’d said.

’Oops.’

"So you admit you’re part of something."

Blake sighed internally.

’Haha. No, it is a misunderstanding.’

Trail-X nodded to himself.

"...Truthfully, I suspected as much."

Blake blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"No masked individual has deliberately killed anyone."

Trail-X’s tone remained analytical.

"They destroy property, steal and interfere with everyday lives, even killing innocent people. But you avoid unnecessary casualties."

Blake found himself genuinely surprised.

’Ah? What a big, second misunderstanding... although I guess you could say I wouldn’t kill other people.’

Trail-X sighed.

"Even so."

He gestured toward the destroyed surroundings.

"Breaking into restricted property, violence against employees and assault, those remain crimes. You will answer for them."

Blake nearly laughed aloud.

Answer?

If he surrendered, there wouldn’t be a trial.

AL-TECH would make sure of that.

No judge.

No prison.

Just a quiet disappearance.

Probably somewhere underground.

Then, silence finally broke as the rhythmic thumping of helicopter blades echoing across the clearing got stronger.

Every soldier instinctively looked upward.

A military helicopter descended toward the battlefield, its rotors whipping the air into violent gusts.

Dust and loose stones spiraled across the ground as the aircraft slowly lowered itself toward the designated landing zone.

Trail-X grabbed him by his wrist again, forcing him up.

"We’re leaving."

Blake didn’t resist, calmly walking beside him, each step bringing them closer to the helicopter.

Inside, however, his thoughts raced.

’Come on, closer...’

The system remained silent.

He still wasn’t in enough danger.

His eyes flickered toward the spinning rotor overhead.

Then toward the exposed landing skids.

Then back to Trail-X.

’I’ll have to force it.’

He didn’t particularly like that conclusion.

Actually, he hated it.

But he’d already done worse, he knew as much. So there was no point in complaining, he had to mouth the fatal order.

"Deactivate defence buff."

The helicopter continued descending until it hovered only a few feet above the ground.

The downdraft became almost unbearable.

Trail-X adjusted his footing against the wind.

’Perfect.’

Blake took a slow breath, then spoke quietly.

"How’s your mentor doing?"

Trail-X glanced sideways.

"...What?"

"Still lying to you every day?"

For the first time since they’d met, Trail-X’s composure cracked, his grip instinctively loosening.

"W-what did you just say?"

Blake smiled.

"You heard me."

"I don’t have a mentor—"

"He knows about the underground."

Blake cut him off.

"He knows what AL-TECH is doing. He knows far more than you do, you’re being kept in the dark."

"Enough."

Trail-X’s voice rose, trembling.

"Who told you that?"

"Nobody."

Blake laughed quietly.

"I saw it myself."

For a split second, Trail-X froze entirely, getting probably more frustrated, and that was enough.

Blake violently twisted his wrist free before immediately sprinting, not away from the helicopter...

But toward it.

"Stop him!"

Several soldiers shouted simultaneously.

Even Trail-X didn’t know what to do.

Because Blake wasn’t running toward safety.

He was running straight toward the descending aircraft.

"What is he doing?!"

"He is trying to kill himself!"

The helicopter had almost landed.

The massive rotor still spun at terrifying speed, each blade becoming little more than a blurred circle overhead.

Blake didn’t slow down.

’Just a little closer...’

His heartbeat thundered inside his aching ears.

The pilots clearly hadn’t expected anyone to rush beneath the aircraft.

Someone inside shouted.

Another crew member reached for the emergency controls.

Too late.

Blake leapt.

Not toward the cabin.

Toward the front landing skid.

His hands grabbed the metal bar for only an instant before he deliberately pulled himself upward, straight into the rotor’s danger zone.

The crew inside reacted immediately.

"DOWN!"

Someone lunged toward him.

Another pilot jerked the controls violently upward.

The rotor dipped, one blade slicing through the air mere inches above Blake’s head.

The pressure alone slammed him backward.

His grip slipped, body twisting.

Then the edge of the rapidly moving landing skid smashed directly into his ribs.

Crack.

Pain exploded through his side.

The force threw him beneath the aircraft.

For one horrifying second...

The spinning rotor above seemed close enough to tear him apart.

There was nowhere to roll.

Nowhere to escape.

Everyone watching instinctively realized the same thing.

"Move!"

"GET HIM OUT OF THERE!"

Even Trail-X’s eyes widened.

"No!"

The familiar blue screen finally appeared.

[ !WARNING! ]

[ Fatal threat detected. ]

Blake almost laughed.

’There you are.’

[ Emergency extraction commencing. ]

[ 3... ]

He forced himself onto one elbow despite the agony spreading through his ribs.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

The helicopter crew rushed toward him.

Trail-X had already started running.

[ 2... ]

Blake slowly turned his head, their eyes meeting one final time.

Trail-X’s expression no longer carried suspicion.

Only confusion.

Concern.

Questions.

Exactly what Blake wanted.

He smiled faintly despite the pain.

Then silently mouthed the words.

"Open your eyes..."

A pause.

"...to the underground."

Trail-X stopped dead, his pupils shrinking.

"Underground, but why...?"

[ 1... ]

Blake disappeared.

The soldiers reached nothing but empty air.

The helicopter continued roaring overhead.

And Trail-X remained standing in the dust, staring at the place where Blake had vanished, unable to shake the final words echoing through his mind.