Chapter 20

Bullet Magic whizzed through the air at supersonic speeds and hit mark after mark. Mages were used to that power, which created supernatural effects through the magic laced in their bullets. Their attacks transformed into phantasmal projectiles that pierced even armored weapons and downed them in but a single shot. However, mages could also avoid such powerful attacks. They possessed an ability to predict the movements of those supersonic bullets—Qualia. An intuitive power that granted a mage the ability to “foresee” the future. Such powerful predictive future sight was unique to mages, and it helped them turn modern warfare on its head. Thanks to Qualia, special soldiers who could avoid bullets traveling faster than sound dominated the battlefield. War zones quickly became an uninhabitable space for the common man, so mages reigned supreme. “Tch…” One such young mage, Rain Lantz, strained his prediction powers to their limits. The trees surrounding him obstructed his field of vision. Unfortunately, wherever he ran, his Qualia alerted him to a possible deluge of bullets. And so, he rushed through the front lines as fast as his legs could carry him. “Haaah, haaah…!” He ran while his lungs screamed for air. Bullets zoomed overhead, nearly brushing against his skin. The places they hit burst into flame, but luckily, the shock waves were minimal. Rain continued his march, forcing his way through enemy lines. However, the very next moment… “Ah…!” …a shadow blocked his path. Something black rammed into Rain, and he knew something was coming. Danger… Rain reflexively guarded his abdomen, but at that very same moment, something stabbed into him. “Gaaah, aaah!” He hit the ground and rolled around powerlessly. Rain tried to scramble back up, but intense pain kept his legs from moving right. And when he looked up, his consciousness cloudy, he saw… “Shit…” …a white uniform. A mage from the West. He’d been ambushed. Rain found himself unable to get up as the enemy soldier moved in to deliver the finishing blow. I’m gonna die… That single thought crossed his mind. But… “Seventy seconds.” …a cold voice crackled through his wireless transceiver. It seemed to belong to someone too young for a battlefield. “Now, then. I suppose it’s time.” The girl sounded surprisingly listless and casual given the circumstances…but she also sounded awfully familiar to Rain. “Let’s correct this world.” As soon as she finished delivering her message, everything warped. “Ah…” A sense of distortion and vertigo struck Rain. And the next moment… …the world shifted.