Machinist of Mana Chapter 117 Children at War

The train lurched as the first of the cars fell away, the reduction in mass noticeable throughout it. That had not been intended, nor was it welcome in the least. Had I known... no, I probably still would have cut the car away, no need to expose those people to any further risk.

It did however make the people in the car before me now scream though, and look about in panic as I entered from the back.

“Is anyone hurt?” I asked as I strode in, looking for enemies and finding none.

My question was answered before anyone spoke. On one of the seats was a man, bleeding profusely from a wound to his gut, the slash covered with cloth and tied tight, but it wasn't stopping. It was a nasty injury, and on Earth it might well have been a slow way to die. If he didn't get to someone to aid him soon he certainly would, but should he a priest could set him right. A risk, but I had to leave him behind.

“Tried to stop them, but...” he began, gray hairs sticking to his forehead from the sweat.

“Everything will be alright, I'm here to help,” I told him, not needing further explanation.

“Where's the rest of your team?” the woman beside him, an aged lady asked worriedly.

“Not here at the moment, but worry not, help will be here before long.” I didn't bother telling them that help was a pretty loose definition and we might soon have soldiers trying to destroy the train outright; they didn't need that kind of stress.

A few people seemed a bit off-put by that answer, maybe seeing the deflection.

“What do we do?” a little girl asked, still clearly afraid.

“Sit tight, I'll take care of it,” I reassured her.

We'd heard there were nine total, with one down that meant eight to go, and I didn't have time to waste. I made my way to the opening between cars once more, but before I could cut the primary connection there was a scream of rage.

I turned in time to see her, for it was decidedly a her, making a throwing motion towards me. Instinct took over and I ducked under what looked like a ball of lightning. It slammed through the window letting people see the other cars and melted the glass before passing almost a foot over my head. It struck the car I'd just left, sending a wave of energy out that even through my resistance made my skin tingle.

That attack against anyone else would be quite deadly, more than what I'd seen from the other goblins. All the people inside the cars should be fine, for the same reason that you'd be okay if lightning hit your car, all of them were basically sitting inside Faraday cages. Nor was her attack that much a problem for me, my resistance to magic should protect me, not that I wanted to get hit.

However the blow wasn't followed up, interesting, either she was waiting or couldn't. As the door to the car she was in slammed open and before she had a chance to do anything I put my blade through her. As her face realized that there was now a sword going piercing her chest I saw it, she was young. Not just young, but almost childlike, if she'd been a human perhaps fourteen maybe fifteen? Thinking back the other one was like that too, I was effectively fighting children. Even though I myself was in the body of a very young man that struck me.

I had no choice though, two down, seven to go.

After cutting the previous car away I moved ahead again. People called out to me but there really was no time, the train shook with each one I released, and I noticed something else, we were moving faster. The engine was still going full bore up front, and as I cut away the weights it had less pulling it back.

One car with nothing, then I saw the next. The goblin there was bulkier, with a large metal club, something like one of the ones Japanese demons had always been depicted with. He was kind enough to let me actually enter before doing anything. This was a dining car too, with no people, just the two of us tables, chairs, and a bar around us.

“What you doing?” he asked.

“Saving these people,” I responded. “If you surrender I'll do what I can for you too.”

“No, Father save these people, you a danger and have to go. No hard feelings.” His grammar was poor, but he did at least sounded like he didn't hate me.

We both charged in an instant, and I was surprised. The initial attack looked like it was simple, an attempt to crush, but before the clash his weapon turned, striking the flat of my sword and slamming it hard enough that it flew from my hand.

For an instant I felt panic, watched as he raised his club again, ready to kill me. With nothing to respond I wasn't in a good position, but there were options. I charged, moving too close for him to get his weapon swinging again and began to punch. It seemed counterintuative, but was something our classes had taught us, to keep the enemy from generating any power with their weapons if we had to, and here it would work. There was no time for anything else.

My face was inches from him as I tried to land blows anywhere I could in quick succession, kidney, stomach, getting a shot at his solar plexus would be perfect, but I couldn't get the angle. Before we could go to the floor though he used the pommel of his weapon to slam me to the side, sending me sprawling over a nearby bar.

As I hit the floor I rolled, reaching for the pistol at my waist now that I had room. Just in time too as the club came down where I'd landed a second later, sending broken glass and liquor everywhere. I popped up, aiming quickly and pulling the trigger.

Once more my opponent used his club, bringing it before his body as I aimed and sending the bullet ricocheting away, in what had to be a cheating move before bringing it around again. Once more I dove, firing off another shot as he took off all the taps on the bar and much of the display case behind it with a sweeping gesture.

“You're pretty good,” I said as I rolled out and hopped over a table.

“You too,” he replied as he wrecked the small wooden barrier.

A kick sent a chair flying at his face and he flinched. Whoever this goblin was he had skill, potential, but nowhere near enough training, young, just like the others. That flinch let me put two rounds in his center of mass.

I thought it was over but no such luck, he moved forward this time, but his charge was interrupted as the carriage shook, part of the ceiling being blown away. As it was we both looked briefly, seeing two halves of a lithe form flying away into the night, nothing connecting the top and bottom.

“Cinna?” the goblin said, pain in his voice as his eyes widened in shock. It seemed he'd had a backup plan if he wasn't able to handle me on his own.

It felt dirty to do, but I took his momentary shock to put a bullet through his eye, I couldn't let the innocents here die. His body froze like he'd been shocked then fell over, brain destroyed in an instant.

“Sorry friend,” I said to him. “You seemed like a decent sort.”

In the sky above I could see the plane, my grandfather sitting in the seat. Much like my enemy I wasn't alone.

With a sigh I retrieved the sword, happy to see it wasn't damaged. What if we'd managed to get to these goblins before they left? Could Sasha have convinced them not to follow in this madness? Clearly they too were victims, children pulled into a war they couldn't possibly understand.

There was no time for consideration though, instead I set my jaw, took my blade and moved forward.

Five left to go.