Bermuda [bl]

Ting, ting–!

Steel-like bullets grazed the rear bumper diagonally and ricocheted off. Another bullet, cutting through the pale smoke, struck the metal wheel, throwing the vehicle's balance off.

Two shots hit the hazy rear window, but only left slight scratches without breaking it. This was because the vehicle's exterior was completely covered with a thin layer of ice. Thanks to this, the enemies' barrage was meaningless, but for some reason, the distance was gradually closing.

The once wide road had narrowed to the point where a slight turn of the steering wheel would result in hitting a pillar. The three escort vehicles sped precariously through undergrowth taller than a person, as if performing acrobatics.

"My lord, this direction..."

The driver, busily moving her hands, feet, and gaze, glanced at the rearview mirror as the road became increasingly familiar. Hugo, who had been watching the rear, turned his head and answered nonchalantly:

"This is the only way to shake them off completely. Keep going straight."

The driver bit her lip with a worried expression but quickly focused on the road ahead.

Before her eyes, the dense forest path they had just fled through to escape pursuit unfolded once again. The eerily drooping branches on both sides were occasionally brutally snapped, exposing their inner flesh.

Wheel spin marks were scattered across the dirt ground. Following the path, a grayish-white landscape appeared sporadically through the dense leaves.

The grand granite structure built in layers came into view, making them realize that the long-awaited dam was approaching.

'Four followed this way, and one...'

Hugo, staring out the window, checked his watch and then tightly embraced Leonardo's waist, who was seated between his legs.

Although it was intended to cushion the impact, he couldn't ignore the mental comfort provided by the relatively warm body temperature. Inhaling the sunlight-scented fragrance in the golden hair, Hugo repeatedly clenched and unclenched his right hand.

Of the five individuals they had encountered at the dam entrance initially, four knights had caught up with the lagging escort vehicle. They were currently in pursuit, so the entrance should be empty, but the absence of one was particularly concerning.

Given the situation, it might be better to teleport the entire vehicle, assuming the surroundings were a minefield, but Hugo didn't possess the monstrous recovery ability that Leonardo had. With the aftermath of the battle not yet subsided and unable to gauge how much mana would be consumed, a premature attempt now, when he needed to conserve strength, would be a foolish waste of hope.

As his head began to heat up along with the overheated engine noise, a warning sign indicating 50m to the dam entrance whizzed past him. Hugo turned his head and created a thick fog behind the vehicle.

"We're almost there."

The driver, also seeing the sign, slowed down slightly to change direction. At that moment,

"Wait, in front–!"

Screech–

A large shadow leapt out from the undergrowth in front of the vehicle. No sooner had the person in the passenger seat shouted in discovery than the startled driver swerved the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes.

Crash–!

Immediately after, there was a dull sound as if colliding with a wall. One of the Imperial Knights' horses had been hit squarely by the front bumper and let out an ear-splitting scream.

It happened so quickly that the driver's excellent reflexes were rendered useless. There was also a light chain collision with the following vehicles.

Moreover, the knight riding the horse reflexively brought down his sword blade, creating a vicious crack in the windshield. However, he had already disappeared under the bumper, and it was impossible to tell whether he was alive or dead. The driver exhaled shakily, tightly gripping the damp leather steering wheel. From her contorted lips, a silent confusion disguised as curses leaked out.

Meanwhile, the person in the passenger seat quickly opened the window and gestured to the other vehicles.

"Go ahead!"

From behind, consecutive gunshots stimulated their composure. Hugo, adjusting his hold on Leonardo and grasping the driver's shoulder, tried to speak calmly:

"It's alright, stay calm."

As the two following vehicles changed direction and advanced first towards the entrance, the appearance of the uninvited guests who had come close became clear.

Moreover, as if worries had become reality, another group came rushing in from the opposite side, shouting. The startled driver wiped her chin with the back of her hand and quickly changed direction.

"I'm sorry."

The vehicle shook violently as the wheels ran over something, but no one mentioned it.

After falling behind briefly, they soon rounded the curve and passed through the perfunctory "Under Construction" sign without hesitation.

A long bridge connecting to the vast dam and grand canal unfolded before their eyes. Majestic pillars soaring on both sides welcomed the fleeing group.

***

"There they come!"

One of the managers peering out the window with binoculars from the floodgate control room atop the dam's high wall shouted urgently. At this, other managers rushed over, pressing against the windows and scanning the area near the bridge intently.

"Oh, there they are!"

Three black dots lined up in a row had just entered the starting point of the white bridge over 1km long. The long tail following them also revealed itself in succession.

"Everyone, get ready!"

Two of Hareth's knights waved their arms widely as if signaling to move to positions as soon as they confirmed the presence of the Imperial Knights.

The managers wearing thick, rough gloves rushed out of the control room, following their voices. The point the managers were moving to was the top of the wall stretched horizontally, also called the dam's crown.

To open the majestic floodgates engraved with elaborate intaglio, one had to manually operate the cross-shaped crank handles above the gates. However, the reason they had hesitated until now was literally because hundreds of thousands of tons of water were surging beyond this point. The stone floor, often soaked due to reservoir water occasionally overflowing when not opened in time, was covered in moss.

As soon as the floodgates opened, wave-like currents would form from the point where the water escaped. In the worst-case scenario, an enormous amount of water could wash over the heads of the managers controlling the handles, sweeping them away.

But having come this far, they could no longer delay. Eight strong men attached themselves to the cross handles in pairs. Their forearms and trapezius muscles tensed, and one shouted with a fighting spirit:

"Turn it!"

The heavy handle slowly moved, grinding away years of rust. The surface of the reservoir, calm for a long time, began to churn.

***

Boom–

Hugo, passing over the straight bridge, stared directly at the large dam on the right. The dam's wall, overwhelming with its height and width of hundreds of meters, was made of grayish-white granite, its smooth surface reflecting light.

'Is it starting?'

A subtle vibration arose from beyond. The flow of chaotic water particles was fully transmitted to Hugo.

"Reduce speed."

Following the stern voice, the driver checked the side mirror and reduced speed, maintaining a distance that was just out of reach of the pursuers. Seeing hope, the knights on horseback lowered their posture even more and desperately tried to close in.

'---.'

'---!'

Perhaps due to the emotional disturbance caused by their colleague hit by the bumper, the speed at which the enemies were chasing noticeably increased. Although the outside sounds were blocked and their words couldn't be heard, it was clear without opening the window that their shouts were hitting the glass.

As the order of the vehicles changed and they moved to the very back, they realized that the intensity of the attacks endured by the rear had exceeded an ordinary level. Moreover, six or seven knights from who knows where had joined, making it seem as if almost the entire main force had converged on them. It looked like they had now thrown away any pretense of justification they had been maintaining on the surface and decided to give it their all. This was rather what they had hoped for.

Two of them at the forefront broke away, and the horse heads briefly flickered in the car window. The swinging sword blades repeatedly struck the wheel of the escort vehicle. It would be nice to break their swords and pierce the horses' temples, but Hugo merely thought about it before extending his arm towards the far side and slowly clenching his fist.

The rapidly moving vehicles were crossing the middle of the waterway, approaching the center of the white bridge. Below, the dry and desolate grand canal boasted a dizzying scale.

If one were to fall from this height, either side would suffer considerable damage. Nevertheless, Hugo, having mentally prepared himself, gradually curled his trembling fingertips. The moment a thin stream of water flowed down into the deep and wide waterway penetrating the earth,

Boom–

A much stronger vibration than before occurred.

The knights riding horses instinctively looked back at the source of the vibration.

"...What's that?"

The solid bridge floor shook slightly. The horses, sensing the unusual elasticity, wavered and noticeably reduced their speed.

Although the target they needed to catch immediately was right in front of them, instead of whipping their reins, the knights stared at the floodgates shimmering like heat haze.

"Shit..."

Their complexions uniformly turned pale. An uncontrollable fear spread in their upward-gazing eyes.

A vast amount of water began to pour down furiously with a roaring sound. White foam, opening its fierce maw, rushed towards them like a tsunami, threatening to swallow them whole.