#108. The Outbreak of War (2)
—
**Bang──!**
The gunshot rang out from an unexpected direction.
Before anyone could react, McCurley had already assumed a shooting stance, his gun aimed at the enemy.
**Bang─! Bang─! Bang──!**
The gunfire, unleashed without a silencer, left a deafening echo in the air.
The enemy, struck in the chest between the gaps of his bulletproof vest, collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
**Thud! Clatter!**
“Ta! Hurry! What are you doing?!”
McCurley grabbed Bruno, whose face was blank with shock, and pulled him along.
The transport truck, loaded with everyone, accelerated rapidly.
**Screeeech──!**
Through the narrowing gap of the closing rear doors, enemy vehicles were seen pouring into the alley.
**Bang!**
The doors slammed shut violently.
Darkness swallowed their vision.
Silence settled over them.
**Tchk─! Tchktktk─!**
The sound of bullets pelting against the armored exterior echoed like rain hitting a window.
McCurley steadied his breathing.
He approached Bruno and firmly gripped his shoulders.
“Bruno. Because of you, everyone here could have been put in danger.”
His voice was low, but tinged with quiet anger.
Bruno, still unable to shake off his shock, kept his head down, unable to say anything.
After a long moment of trembling lips, he finally spoke.
“…I’m sorry. I… have no excuse.”
A brief silence followed.
McCurley took a deep breath, released Bruno’s shoulders, and returned to his seat.
Seconds passed.
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, brother. Thank you for pulling the trigger on my behalf.”
“…Yeah. I appreciate your understanding.”
Bruno’s gaze darkened.
Then, he turned toward Ray and Veronica.
The small and young allies probably hadn’t fully grasped the situation.
At least to some extent, an explanation was necessary.
With that in mind, McCurley opened his mouth.
“Lord Ray. Lady Veronica. I sincerely appreciate the great help you provided just now. And I must apologize. To be honest, I didn’t expect the two of you to be of crucial assistance in this mission. But… just now, or rather, the magic unfolding even now is…”
It was on a completely different level from that of the enemy mages.
Perhaps, with these two, they could truly…
A flicker of violet mana shimmered in one corner of McCurley’s vessel before vanishing.
“…In any case, I apologize once again.”
His apology was sincere and respectful.
“And as for what just happened…”
“The person who fell… was he close to you? To Bruno?”
“…You grasped the situation well. Yes, that’s right. The one I shot was Bruno’s younger brother, Mark.”
“His biological brother?”
“Yes.”
Ray began to understand the situation.
When the unexpected enemy appeared, Bruno’s vessel had surged with bright yellow emotions—joy and relief.
However.
‘…I also saw emotions like anger and resentment at the same time.’
That part was difficult to comprehend.
It was common for people’s vessels to hold a mixture of various emotions.
But for directly opposing emotions to appear simultaneously—Ray had never seen such a case before.
Joy and sorrow.
Reunion and hatred.
‘How…?’
How could someone feel such emotions at the same time toward the same person?
And in such overwhelming volumes?
Even more intriguing was that McCurley and Jack, who had also seen Mark, displayed the same phenomenon.
While Ray’s curiosity burned, McCurley continued his explanation.
“The truth is… not everyone who sided with the opposition did so out of loyalty to Brook.”
After Niles went missing, Nisoha had split into supporters and opposition, locked in a bitter struggle.
One side wanted to maintain the existing rules:
Collect only the necessary amount of protection fees.
Protect women, children, and the elderly.
Avoid engaging in activities that harmed others, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking.
These long-held principles became a point of contention.
“The truth is, even before Niles went missing, Brook had many grievances about the organization’s rules. He always complained that after building up the organization, all we were doing was acting as a self-styled vigilante group for the residents.”
Brook often revealed his dissatisfaction and ambition whenever Niles was absent.
How many businesses could be operated if they took control of the sector?
How much money could they gain if they abandoned mere conscience and morality?
“…He changed. He was never like that when we were kids. Fortunately, not many people were swayed by his words.”
Most of Nisoha’s members were orphans from the streets.
The first generation consisted of Niles, Colin, Brook, McCurley, and their group.
The second generation were those who had survived life on the streets thanks to Nisoha’s aid.
“We all share the belief that we must give back to the streets what we once received.”
“…….”
“But I can’t say that there were no members who joined purely for their own survival.”
Brook targeted those people.
He subtly spread discontent about the organization and gathered sympathizers.
“Niles knew this too. He simply turned a blind eye, hoping Brook’s mindset would change.”
That was how ties of kinship worked.
As time tangled people together, their connections became indistinguishable, making it impossible to sever them in the end.
But that was only in the usual cases.
Brook had cut those ties with ease, severing Niles’ connection completely.
Then, he led his forces to attack the supporters within the hideout, seizing control of the organization.
That was the turning point.
Those who had remained neutral after Niles’ disappearance were finally forced to make a choice.
“Most chose to side with Brook. Only a few remained with Colin.”
Ray raised a question.
“Was the opposition really that powerful? Enough to make the neutrals surrender so easily?”
“To be precise… what the neutrals feared, and still fear, is not just the opposition—it’s the force backing them. Murcred.”
McCurley’s vessel filled with anger and resentment.
But it quickly faded, replaced by a sense of helplessness and self-deprecation.
“I can’t say I don’t understand their position. It was hard for them to side with the supporters when our defeat was all but certain. They simply chose the path with a higher chance of survival.”
McCurley did not blame them.
Nisoha had been built entirely on the foundation of Niles.
With the central pillar gone, weathering the storm without being swept away was nearly impossible.
**Clunk! Clunk!**
The vehicle took sharp turns without stopping.
The container shook violently.
**Tchk─! Tchktktk─!**
The relentless gunfire did not cease.
McCurley got up and peered through a small slit in the rear door.
Beyond the alleys, they had now entered a web of roads stretching like a spider’s web.
Several enemy vehicles were still in hot pursuit.
“…….”
Through the glass, he could see the conflicted expressions of some of the drivers.
McCurley turned back inside.
“Just months ago, we were laughing and talking together. Now, we see each other as enemies. It’s tragic… but inevitable.”
He looked at Bruno, who still seemed dazed.
Meanwhile, Ray continued observing the conflicting emotions within people’s vessels.
‘If I were to inject artificial emotions into them… eliminating sorrow and leaving only anger…’
Ray suddenly stopped his train of thought.
The supporters’ vessels contained the same starlight as Niles’.
And it was impossible—or extremely difficult—to implant artificial emotions into vessels that held starlight.
But more than that.
‘…….’
A strange sense of resistance arose within him.
He didn’t want to manipulate their emotions.
Ray, who had momentarily questioned his own thoughts, decided to voice the question that had come to mind.
“If we reveal that Brook betrayed Niles, wouldn’t that create a variable in the war?”
“It’s not that we didn’t consider that possibility yesterday. But even if we spread the rumor, it would be difficult to overturn the situation.”
That Brook was the one who orchestrated Niles’ disappearance—
That kind of rumor had circulated before.
However, by the time such suspicions arose, Brook had already firmly established his own power.
And the biggest reason was—
“There is no definitive proof that he eliminated Niles.”
“…….”
Ray, lost in thought for a moment, continued asking questions.
“The opposition consists of Brook, his loyal followers, and those who were originally neutral, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Do those who were neutral still carry the starlight that Niles left behind?”
“…What?”
McCurley looked confused by Ray’s phrasing, so Veronica stepped in to explain.
“Starlight represents a person’s beliefs.”
After a brief hesitation, she added,
“For reference, I am the Sun.”
As soon as she said it, she seemed embarrassed, fidgeting slightly.
But at the same time, she looked quite pleased
—perhaps because it was something she wanted to proudly declare to anyone.
“I am Ray’s Sun.”
“…….”
Regardless, McCurley roughly understood Ray’s question.
“If you’re asking whether they share Niles’ beliefs, then yes. Most of them originally joined the organization because of him. However… now that he’s gone…”
He trailed off, but Ray understood the unspoken words.
Most of the starlight that had once filled their hearts had likely faded away.
And at that moment—
“…….”
A powerful impulse surged through Ray like a tidal wave.
He wanted to see it.
He wanted to see the starlight.
The streets where that man had lived.
The way countless stars illuminated them brightly.
He wasn’t sure.
Whether this was a long-standing thought that had been buried in his mind—
Or whether it had just surfaced at this very moment.
But one thing was clear.
He wanted to see it so desperately that it drove him mad.
If he could fill the entire sector with starlight—
So that the man, wherever he was in the sky, could see it—
That would be—
Truly, an incredible sight.
At that moment, the course of action the boy needed to take became clear.
Feeling his breath quicken, he asked urgently,
“If there were definitive proof that Brook killed Niles, would the neutral faction—”
**KWAANG──!!**
The vehicle suddenly lurched violently.
From the driver’s seat, a panicked voice called out through the gap.
—S-Sorry! A spell flew in, and I instinctively swerved…
McCurley’s voice rose in anger as he issued an order.
“Open the doors! Damn it, of course those bastards wouldn’t just let us get away unscathed!”
**Screeeeech───!**
As the doors swung open, blinding light flooded in, revealing their surroundings.
The scenery had changed—they were now on a wide road, having left the city streets behind.
The number of pursuing vehicles had increased to nearly ten.
Around the vehicle, Veronica’s protective barrier was still functioning—
**BOOOOM──!!**
—holding up against the incoming barrage of fireballs.
Though cracks briefly formed on the barrier with each impact, they quickly repaired themselves.
“Mages…!”
The squad members groaned.
On the roofs of several enemy jeeps, mages stood ready.
There were five in total.
Each one raised a hand toward the sky, summoning small flames that rapidly grew in size.
A chilling sensation ran down everyone’s spines.
“Shoot! Aim for their tires first so they can’t keep up!”
At McCurley’s command, Veronica adjusted the barrier settings.
Now, it only blocked attacks coming from the outside in—allowing them to fire back freely.
**Tudududududu──!**
The team members at the open doors gritted their teeth and pulled the triggers.
**Screech—! BOOM!**
Several enemy vehicles spun out of control as their tires were shot out, veering off into the distance.
But the jeeps carrying the mages remained unaffected
—they had their own barriers deployed.
**KWAANG──!! KWAANG──!!**
More massive fireballs, fully formed, shot toward them like bombs, engulfing their field of vision.
Ray leaped out of the container.
“Wait—!”
“……!”
Before anyone could react,
He stepped onto the exterior foothold, gripped the container’s edge, and pulled himself up in an instant.
—Don’t get hurt!
Veronica’s voice called out from below.
That’s not a promise I can make.
Balancing himself with reinforcement magic, Ray stood firmly atop the container.
Thanks to Veronica’s barrier, he wasn’t swayed by the rushing wind.
“…….”
He surveyed his surroundings.
They were on a major road at the outskirts of the sector.
A little further ahead, they would reach a wide bridge.
‘They herded us here on purpose… so the mages could cast their spells freely.’
Ray turned toward the enemy.
Five fireballs were streaking toward him from a distance.
He exhaled and focused his mind.
Then—
……!
……!
The five fireballs, tearing through the air, all vanished.
Leaving behind only faint embers, like dying cries.
The enemy, startled, hurriedly formed new fireballs and launched them again—but the result was the same.
“…….”
Ray waited for them to cast more spells.
Dismantling the elemental bonds of magic to erase it required some mental effort.
But considering the mana expenditure of the five enemy mages, the exchange was far from a bad trade.
The longer this continued, the more advantageous it was for his side.
“……?”
Then, the enemy made a sudden move.
The jeeps, which had been spread out, shifted lanes and converged side by side.
The five mages simultaneously funneled their mana toward a single point in the air.
**Rumble…!**
The small spark at that point rapidly expanded in size, and Ray immediately realized—
‘…That one won’t be easy to dismantle.’
Within seconds, the fireball had grown to the size of a small vehicle.
A triumphant grin spread across the enemy mages’ faces, as if to say:
**”Let’s see you block this one.”**
“…….”
Ray quietly took out Walter’s ring.
The enemy had led them into an open area, but it didn’t matter.
After all, they too had been holding back in the city due to magic restrictions.
**Whoosh!**
The boy raised his arm high.
A small flame ignited in his palm.
**Fwoosh!**
The ring’s crimson gemstone gleamed.
Fueled by two powerful sources—his own mana and the ring’s energy—
In mere seconds—
**Fwoosh!**
The flame in his hand grew to match the size of the enemy’s fireball.
And it didn’t stop there.
It continued to expand.
The faces of the five enemy mages paled.
