章 60: 10.4 Gatekeeper

Managing to stand on my own two feet, I leveled my katana up to my chin again, ready to take a stand against this big hunk of armor that somehow regenerated from damage and had symbols of variables that I only know due to proximity and osmosis from my other major subjects and other various major subjects like physics-

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! FVCK THIS!!!!!"

I clutched my head in annoyance. I knew these strings of symbols, dammit! My idiotic brain was going into a stupid feedback loop of parsing through my memories, and it still refused to give me the answer! It hurts to not know something that I knew to be basic!

"Shvt! Fvck!" I cursed as my head spun in its own self-contained view of the world, my stance faltering as I failed to ignore my own annoyance. "Just tell me how your stupid armor works already!"

The formula was just too familiar for my stupid mind to let go of too easily. The 'f' variable, alongside some of the basic algebraic expressions... They were all organized into the shape of a linear equation... like 'f' is equal to 'm' over 'a'? Wasn't that momentum? Or force? Some kind of Newtonian bullshvt that I forgot ages ago? Then there were the 'k's. I don't even know what those were anymore! But somehow-

"S-Stupid?"

The small indignant remark caught me from my downward spiral as I managed to level my gaze on the Dezimal. He seemed to be shaking in his feet, his grip on his halberd tightening as the jovial mockery turned into outright scorn.

"S-Struck a nerve?" I choked out through my stupid headache. "If you just told me how your shi-"

*SMACK!*

"YOU INSIGNIFICANT PEST!"

I didn't even have the chance to put up any sort of guard as the backhand collided squarely on my right cheek, the blow causing me to tumble out a ways away from the large snowflake as he growled.

"You dare to insult the armor of the Flamme?!"

I raised an eyebrow despite the pain. The Flamme... That sounded awfully familiar... A Zahler of some sort? Perhaps a Primzahl?

"S-So what?" I ground out as I slowly got up from the blood-soaked ground. My cheek stung like a bvtch, and my neck felt like I just dislocated something important somewhere, but at least the pain gave some form of distraction from my stupid brain overloading itself. "Is this Flamme some kind of Zahler as well?"

"A shvt-!"

*SLAM!*

"UGHHH!!" F-Fvck!!

"You insignificant speck of a human being!"

I clutched my stomach in pain as the Dezimal proceeded to slap me six ways to Sunday due to my apparent slight.

"You!-"

*SMACK!*

"Dare!-"

*SLAP!*

"To sully!-"

*SLAM!*

"The Dame's name!?"

*THUD!*

Each strike struck like a ton of bricks as my body started to ache all over from the abuse. I could honestly feel each rip, tear, and crack occurring inside me from each hit, making me wonder if this was how being beaten up felt like...

It was painful. So very... very painful.

*THUD! THUD! THUD!*

"I'll have you know that the Dame Flamme was once only second to the top Primzahl of the Empire!" the Dezimal proudly declaimed as he repeatedly stomped on my body with his painfully hard iron boots. "And it's only because of treasonous Nenners like you that the Flamme rebelled against the hand that guides us!"

I didn't even properly hear the idiot anymore as pain permeated my very soul to every inch of my battered body. At some point, the repeated hits stopped registering in my brain, the pain being the only thing reaching my consciousness as I gritted my teeth against the onslaught.

*THUD! THUD! THUD!*

Still, despite the foreign feeling of being subjected to a complete and utter beatdown, my mind whirred in its usual whimsical nature. But instead of giving me something to work with... something that would actually help me escape or fight back somehow...

*THUD!*

His stupid armor was still on the back of my mind!

"The Flamme was a beacon of hope for our people! Living proof of our Imperial superiority! And yet you stupid Dirt Eaters managed to sway her allegiances!"

With a grunt, I tried getting up despite the heavy foot pressing down on my back. I didn't care about who this stupid Flamme was. I just needed to get some space away from this big monster.

"Ho? Trying to escape are you?"

*THUD!*

"Urghh..."

My breath was taken from me as he pressed his foot down even harder, preventing me from getting out of his pin. Taking a glance at my oppressor, his armor glinted against the orange glow, the Seigels making it work faintly emitting their telltale bluish glow.

"This is your end, Dirt Eater."

I ground my teeth as I fought for survival. Try as I might though, I just couldn't get myself out from under his boot. He then raised his strange halberd, flipping it over so that the sharp end above the blade was pointed straight at my chest. It was terrifying, yet strangely fascinating- fvck, brain! Priorities!

I needed to get out of his pin! This wasn't the time to keep analyzing his stuff!

Tightening my grip on my katana, I readied myself for what could possibly be my last stand in an effort to preserve my life. While it was fairly easy to parry or deflect blows with this thing, my katana was far from being a shield that could easily defend against piercing attacks. Nevertheless. it should be strong enough to block this attack. I just hope that I've gotten my estimations correct so that I won't die out of a miscalculation.

"Die."

I watched anxiously as the foreboding halberd descended menacingly toward my chest, its blade more than ready to impale me for even the slightest misplacement. I've only got one shot at this... My arms were ready for the most clutch block that I've ever done in my life, and I wasn't going to mess this up...

...

......

Now!

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