novelraw Chapter 204
Chapter 204
Chapter 204
It had always been that way.
You had always been that way.
Ever since I was a child.
The first time I met you was when I was fifteen.
At Old Mayfield School—a boys’ boarding academy attended only by the top 1% who led New Valhalla City.
I didn’t like you from the start.
You were the son of the man who, decades ago, had resorted to the worst possible move—war—to keep Millennium Technology in check as it rapidly grew.
Your father had pushed us down with military might, forcing us to remain second place.
Because of his personal greed—his refusal to relinquish the throne—rivers of blood were spilled in the last civilized city of humankind.
But… do you remember?
Crown Prince, Aaron Stingray.
When I first confronted you about that fact.
You didn’t even recognize who I was.
You didn’t even see me as a rival.
The humiliation was unbearable.
‘From that moment on, you were my enemy.’
No—long before that.
You had been my enemy since the moment you were born.
From the moment we met, our fates were entwined in hostility.
You were the man I was destined to hate with every fiber of my being.
“Module Online—[Bullet Time]!”
I hated your build that was far too sturdy for a fifteen-year-old, the way you accomplished everything with ease during class, your arrogant attitude, and the sycophants who groveled before you. I hated all of it.
I hated you.
I didn’t know how you felt.
But as for me—
You were someone I had to make kneel before me someday, to beg for forgiveness beneath my feet.
To reclaim the crown that should have rightfully belonged to Millennium Technology, I had done everything.
I studied, built my body, underwent top-tier cyberware surgeries, injected nanomachines to become an Adaptee, and equipped the finest modules ever produced by Militech.
All of it—to catch up to you.
And then, at some point, you finally began to recognize me. Just as I looked at you with envy and longing, you responded with disdain and mockery. The more that happened, the wider the distance between us grew.
Even so… in a way,
my life, not yet thirty years long,
had been filled with you.
I had lived solely to catch up to you.
To one day defeat you.
I had dedicated everything to that purpose.
And yet…
Even so…!
“Why can’t I win!? Why!?”
Vladimir roared as he charged toward Aaron. In the world slowed by [Bullet Time], Aaron once again stood motionless before his eyes.
But the blade Vladimir swung moved—slowly, yes, but it moved. In a world where even bullets were frozen in place, his blade alone sliced through time.
An impossible speed.
‘Had my module activation been a second slower, I’d be dead…!’
Vladimir narrowly dodged Aaron’s blade and slipped behind him, pressing his plasma-bullet pistol to the back of Aaron’s head and pulling the trigger without hesitation.
But the instant time resumed, Aaron moved with unbelievable speed—evading every round.
“Damn it…!”
The new Game-Changer-level module he had obtained wasn’t showing any power at all. No matter how strong his attack during time acceleration, if Aaron simply dodged everything once time returned to normal, what use was it?
Still—when you lose something, you often gain something else. From Aaron’s evasive movements, Vladimir learned a few things.
First, that his attacks were effective.
If Aaron’s defense had been absolute, he would have simply endured Vladimir’s assault instead of avoiding it. The fact that he dodged meant that even Aaron couldn’t withstand a .50-caliber plasma round head-on.
Second, the threads Aaron had set up.
Vladimir realized too late that Aaron had spread [Cloud Spider] throughout the entire area beforehand. He’d thought it was just a trap—but it wasn’t.
‘He’s using it like a sensor.’
No matter how fast the human reflexes, the brain has limits in processing visual information.
Even when boosted to the extreme through cyberware and combat modules, the chain—[Information → Eyes → Brain → Action]—is nearly impossible to override.
So Aaron had chosen a different method.
‘He made his body move on its own…!’
While he moved, his body brushed against the [Cloud Spider] threads without even realizing it.
They were so fine, so thin, he couldn’t consciously perceive them—but touching them triggered an automatic physical response, like setting off a trap.
‘Then…!’
Cut the threads.
A simple solution.
“Module Online—[Aegis]!”
Once again, Vladimir deployed [Aegis]’s energy shield—max output, max range—enough to protect his wife and daughter while enveloping the area.
Pzzzzzzzzzt!
Sparks erupted in midair. Invisible strands shimmered into view—Aaron’s [Cloud Spider] threads.
Seeing his prediction proven right, Vladimir grinned and aimed his gun at Aaron once more.
“You won’t be able to react to this!”
He activated [Bullet Time] again.
His thoughts accelerated.
Moving quickly, Vladimir squeezed the trigger repeatedly. The heat resistance of his Skin Armor Module had reached its limit—pain began to flare in his arm. He was nearing his limit.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Seven large-caliber rounds drifted slowly toward Aaron.
[Overload Rate Rising!]
[Bullet Time Module Forced Deactivation!]
[Cooling System Engaged!]
Sensing the danger to his life, the nanomachine system forcibly shut down the [Bullet Time] module. The sluggish world regained its original pace, and the flying bullets accelerated instantly.
But—
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Aaron swung his sword with impossible precision, deflecting all seven rounds.
“What—!?”
Vladimir froze in disbelief that very moment.
When I came to my senses, Aaron’s blade was already piercing through my shoulder blade.
The sword was so sharp that I hadn’t even noticed it entering my body until it was too late.
“Kh—ugh!?”
Aaron’s speed was close to teleportation.
However, even this was within Vladimir’s calculations. No—perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had been waiting for this moment.
“[Aegis]!”
He deployed his shield once again.
A spherical Energy Force Field enveloped both Aaron and himself, though its size was far smaller than usual. Remaining within that state, Vladimir began to compress the shield’s size little by little.
[Warning]
Air pressure increasing!
Temperature increasing!
The air trapped within the shield compressed, and the pressure and temperature began to rise to dangerous levels.
“Heh... hehehe... You would never have stood still if I’d just raised a normal shield...”
“Vladimir...”
Aaron twisted the sword embedded in Vladimir’s shoulder, as if demanding he dispel the shield. But Vladimir had already activated a Pain-Block Module. Mere pain wasn’t enough to immobilize him.
Aaron’s expression faltered slightly as he spoke.
“...You won’t walk away unharmed either.”
“Hah, what are you saying... You don’t even know what modules I came prepared with, do you? You know nothing about me.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But why do you hate me so much?”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
Ha! Vladimir wanted to laugh at the absurdity, but the increasing pressure made even breathing difficult. His ears started ringing, and the oxygen and nitrogen levels in his blood climbed dangerously high.
If they were ordinary men, they would already be dead. Yet as top-class Adaptees, the two continued speaking calmly.
“Why do I hate you? Let me turn the question around. Why are you so unaware? How can you live so carefreely after ruining so many lives?”
“...”
“Silence, huh. A wise choice. I’m not asking for an apology anyway. To be exact, even if you hadn’t been arrogant or condescending, I would’ve hated you all the same.”
“Why is that?”
To Aaron’s question,
Vladimir answered.
“Because you’re a monster.”
There are those who destroy the lives of others simply by existing.
Even without causing direct harm—just by breathing, just by being alive—they wound others and trap them in unending suffering.
Aaron was such a person.
He had been that kind of boy, and that kind of man.
A man made to become Crown Prince, a being who naturally overwhelmed everyone around him. People instinctively sensed his danger—either fearing him, or willingly falling beneath his feet.
To Vladimir, who was one of those “ordinary” people watching from below, it had been unbearable torment.
Because he was the heir of Millennium Technology, he was constantly compared to that “monster” Aaron, scolded for not being able to surpass him, and trapped in a cycle of self-loathing for failing to meet those expectations.
Yet no matter how much he tried, he was still human—and could never become a true “monster.”
“...I wanted to defeat you.”
Just once would have been enough.
He wanted to beat Aaron Stingray.
He wanted to prove that there was at least one thing he could do better—especially before his wife and daughter.
“I know, Aaron Stingray. This isn’t your full strength. You’re not in a condition to fight at your best. That’s why... this is my only chance.”
“Vladimir.”
“So I beg you. Please... just this once, lose to me. I don’t want to lose them because of my own weakness. Those two are everything I have left. You probably see me as an idiot in love with a test subject, but I—!”
“You’re not an idiot.”
At Aaron Stingray’s words,
Vladimir froze.
“...What, what did you just say?”
“On the contrary, I respect you.”
“...Are you mocking me?”
“No. Not at all.”
Aaron shook his head.
“I should’ve died long ago. The fact that I’m standing here now is nothing but a twisted quirk of fate. And I know what happens after my death.”
“What are you talking about?”
“After I die, you would’ve remained as Chairman of the Militech Foundation. Benedict would’ve inherited my position, and Kallia would’ve risen to oppose him.”
There was conviction in his voice,
and Vladimir unconsciously found himself listening.
“Within two years of my death, you would’ve risen as the undeniable successor of Millennium Technology, taking all authority into your hands. Then you’d have struck the weakened Stingray family—torn apart by the struggle between Benedict and Kallia. Another corporate war would erupt... and its victor would be Militech. Yes, Vladimir—you were destined to become an Emperor.”
“...!”
Aaron nodded slowly.
“You were an ordinary man. Aside from your lineage, your abilities were only slightly above average. Compared to the Stingray brothers—products of experiments meant to create a ‘perfect human’—you were simply... human.”
“...”
“And yet, within just two years of my death, you defeated both Benedict and Kallia. You’re an incredible person. You knew your limits, and still kept striving. Arrogant and complacent, yes—but also someone who never lost hope. You’re the very embodiment of ‘human triumph.’
So no, I don’t look down on you. I know how great you are. I mean that sincerely.”
“What...!”
“So.”
Aaron concluded.
“Don’t envy me. If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid. You shouldn’t chase after me, Vladimir. Do that, and you’ll forever walk in my shadow.”
Aaron drew his blade.
Blood began to trickle from his ears.
His eyes reddened, his breath grew ragged.
“Walk your own path. Don’t think you’ve lost just because we fought in my field. And let me make one thing clear—don’t resent this defeat.”
In that moment,
Aaron’s blade gleamed.
[Techblade: True Form].
A sword so sharp it defied visual perception—a theoretical weapon capable of cutting through anything. Holding that blade, Aaron took his stance and declared:
“Combat is my specialty.”
And then his blade swung.
The world was split in half.