Ed stood up and placed his hands on the desk. He could feel the grooves of the wood as he pressed down in frustration, causing small dents on the surface of the desk. He whispered, "Do you think Bustion will protect you? He's injured and out of commission right now. I will raze this entire goddamn city to the ground if I must."
The chubby mayor leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Do you really think I'm afraid of you and your little ragtag group of nobodies? You're an upstart, kid. Bustion will kill you before I even need to lift a finger. I'm not going to bite the hands that feed me. Miami will not be providing any food support. Nor will any other city in the state. We'll embargo other states from sending food as well. Hahahaha!!!" He laughed while placing his hands on his stomach. "Now get out of my office!"
"Fine." Ed agreed while clenching his teeth. He forcefully stood up and walked out from the office and city hall. The blinding rays of light from the bright Florida sun caused him to wince as he covered his face with an arm. 'It's so damn hot today. I guess a little bit more heat never hurt anybody though.'
Fireballs built up in his hands. Streams of flame danced in the wind as it shot from his arms. City hall quickly caught on fire and smoke rose into the air. Screams rang out from within the building. Ed grinned while reaching down for his Harmony mask and placed it on his face.
"BASTARD!!!" A wave of swirling black water covered the flames throughout the building. Steam floated into the air, making it difficult to see, as if there was a fog covering the building. The chubby mayor walked outside the building.
"Mayor!" Ed happily called out. "I read once that true men become friends through fighting! Unfortunately, I usually kill my opponents. But you never know!"
"ARGH!!!" The mayor grunted as blackish water formed a large sphere around him. Shaking tentacles of water sprouted out in all directions, creating a combination of offense and defense.
Flames blasted from Ed's legs as he shot into the air. He eyed the strange water cautiously. 'The book said his power is some type of corrosive water. That much is obvious at a glance though. Offense of C, Defense of B, Agility of D, and Versatility of D. He's just below an overall C grade, but his defense is going to be a pain in the ass.'
Whoosh. Two water tentacles tore through the air. The corrosive stench of the water smelt like rotting garbage, causing Ed's face to scrunch up in disgust. He shot two blasts of fire towards the tentacles to blow them up, but the tentacles suddenly sped up! One tentacle blew apart. Acid rain fell to the ground and sizzled against the city street. The other tentacle managed to dodge the fire and lashed towards Ed.
"Ugh!" He groaned as a searing pain spread across the left side of his waist. He quickly backed away and placed a hand there. He could feel a bubbly sensation as the corrosive water burned through his skin and blood. It sounded like boiling water. He quickly used his mana to remove the corrosive water and patch the wound.
'I was careless.' He frowned while glaring at the enemy. He had overly relied on the agility ranking within the book, but not even Nexus's information could be perfect. Especially since agility could refer to both speed and maneuverability. Ed was better as the former while the Miami mayor was clearly better at the latter.
Ed aimed at the mayor and started to prepare flames for his next attack. He glanced downwards at the crowds of ordinary people watching the fight and recognized some faces. 'Tsk. Miami espers from the Hunter Association.' He quickly changed the direction of his attack and the flames shot him backwards. He turned around in midair and kept the flames firing as he flew off into the distance.
The vast grasslands and waterways sped past him as the wind stung his eyes. 'I should have planned first. I bet the mayor only acts cowardly in public to throw off his enemies. I underestimated him. It's no wonder he wasn't afraid of me. I'm not truly worth fearing yet. Not unless I use an unexpected plan or ambush. Hell, I even struggled taking out a few Sinless soldiers back in Georgia. I still have a lot of room to grow.'
He soon arrived back at Reef City. It was unlikely that any espers would chase him. Most espers couldn't fly, and this would be enemy territory to them much like how their cities were enemy territory to Ed. He returned to his office and called for Dupe. He sank into the chair and sighed while drinking some tea.
Soon, Dupe arrived. "Back already?" He questioned.
"Mm." Ed nodded. "I failed."
"I figured it wouldn't be easy." Dupe sighed while shaking his head. "They're all completely loyal to the governor. My sources say that Bustion treats them quite well but is also feared by them."
"The signs of a good leader." He agreed. "I think the result will be the same if we try negotiating with other cities. I may be able to force some weaker cities, but it would only be a temporary measure at best. How long can our current food supplies last us?"
Dupe frowned, "Two weeks at normal usage. Four weeks if we stretch it, but that'll lead to malnourished soldiers. I don't recommend it."
"I see." He thrummed his fingers against the table while thinking. "We have no choice but to move our plans ahead of schedule. I originally wanted to wait six months to be fully prepared, but we'll reduce it to three months. I'll get World Walker to focus mostly on teleporting in food supplies for now. He should resolve the problem if he works daily to teleport food in from Georgia."
"Is that really a good idea?" Nick questioned with a grim face. "Three months... Most of our recruits are brand new civilians that lack both training and experience. The city is currently in the middle of construction. We haven't capitalized on you granting them powers yet. We're short on mana-ammunition and weapons. I don't know about this...'
Ed smiled. "Don't you think it'll be more interesting that way? That's what you're all about after all."
"Haha!" Dupe quickly cheered up and laughed. "Fine. I'll go tell Ray we need to speed up the training. I'll also work on getting Husky proper control of the Commerce and Supply division."
"Good." He nodded. "Once the war starts, it won't end until there's a decisive winner. Now is the best time. Bustion is injured and this will likely be our only chance to weaken his support and kill him. I'm going to go speak with Flair. I've got a special project for her to get started on. I'll also let Rupert know to speed up production. I'll be heading out with World Walker after that. I've got some special tasks that need done before he's fully dedicated to food service."
...
Ed stepped into the main engineering warehouse located outside of the base. The smell of oil assaulted his nose as the grinding and pounding sounds of machinery rang out.
Rupert was hunched over some blueprints, seemingly working on a new version of his Hell Bull he was so proud of.
"Rupert." Ed called out.
"Mm?" He turned around and smiled. He spoke in a gruff voice with a slight German accent. "Forge! Come! Look at my Hell Bull 2.0!" He dragged Ed over towards the blueprints and began excitedly pointing things out. "I've hollowed out the insides and moved the controls there. It can now be used to transport soldiers and supplies safely. More importantly, I have replaced the bull's head with a giant drill!"
Ed's eyes widened in surprise while staring at the blueprint. The so-called Hell Bull no longer looked anything like a bull. If anything, it looked more like specialized construction equipment. "What do you plan to use the drill for?" He questioned.
"To destroy city walls!" Rupert proudly exclaimed. "How can we go to war with no city breaching machines? Steam tank shells will simply bounce off the steel city walls. Mechs won't be able to climb the walls. This is why wars are usually fought with espers instead of ordinary men these days. So, this is my solution!"
"Hmm." Ed rubbed his chin. "How do you plan to breach the thick steel of the walls with the drill? I don't think it will work?"
"That is the problem..." He sighed while shaking his head. "Such a pity. My marvelous designs only flaw. I suppose I could make it strong enough with a diamond-tipped drill, but the engine might not last long enough even with that."
"Mm. True." Ed nodded in agreement. "Why not just drill underneath the walls? To my knowledge, the walls go 20 meters or so underground. It'll make for a long dig and we'll have to calculate our exit points carefully, but it should be much easier than going through the wall?"
"Haha!" Rupert laughed aloud while waving his hand. "Going through underground. What a ridiculous idea." He turned around and started scribbling some notes down on the blueprints. A brief moment later, he turned around with red eyes and grabbed Ed by the shoulders. "Genius! Why didn't I think of it! We'll lead the attack from beneath their feet. They'll never know what hit them! GAHAHAHA!"
"Right..." He nodded. "Anyways, increase production on steam rifles, steam tanks, and mech suits. Everything needs to be ready within three months."
"Sure, sure." Rupert nodded while mostly ignoring him. He was completely absorbed in his blueprints as his pencil drifted rapidly across the pages.
Ed left and headed for Flair's workshop. It was private from the rest of the engineering operations. She had already started requesting all types of mana-powders, special metals, and more. Harmony was having a hard time keeping up with her current demands, but it was still within acceptable limits. Besides, she never got even a fraction of these resources back at the academy.
Flair's blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. Sparks flashed past her tan skin as she used a grinding tool on some metal. She glanced at Ed with her hazel eyes and stopped. "Yes?" She questioned.
"I have a special project for you." He replied. "I think you'll be quite interested in it. Let's sit down and discuss it."
She nodded and pulled over two small stools by a drafting table. Her desk was clean and orderly, with not a single pencil out of line. "What is it you have in mind? I agreed to hand over blueprints for anything I invent with Harmony resources, but I still retain the privilege to turn down any projects."
"Sure." He agreed. "If you don't accept the project then I'll have no choice but to free up my time and do it myself. Have you ever researched technology from before the apocalypse?"
"I have." She grabbed a small notebook off the table. "Previously, I wasn't that interested in older tech. However, I ended up exploring potential options with Dexter's powers in mind. So, I'm familiar with a lot of older technology. I've recorded my thoughts on it within this book. You wish to create something from the old days?"
"Right." He smiled. "I want to create a railgun."
"A railgun?!" She was startled by the unexpected reply. She shook her head. "We can't do it. You know as well as I do that gunpowder and electricity stopped working after the apocalypse. While it's true that a railgun doesn't use gunpowder, it does require electricity."
"I'm well aware." He nodded while pulling a vial out of his pocket. "Fortunately, we have some electricity right here."
"Lightning mana-powder?" She frowned. "You know that it's almost impossible to control. The power is too destructive and wild. If it could replace electricity, then we would have done so by now. We'd be surrounded by technology from before the apocalypse."
"In most cases I would agree with you." Ed smiled. "However, this is a special exception. Lights, computers, and other such technology require controlled electricity. However, our railgun might not need it. The railgun primarily relies on magnets. It uses magnetic propulsion to launch a metal projectile off a set of metal rails. Electricity only acts as large power source to send a current through the rails and projectile, and then activates the magnetic field to launch the projectile. We don't need fine control of the electricity. A large power source with strong rails should be more than enough."
"That..." Flair briefly closed her eyes to think before opening them again. "It could work, but it's hard to say for sure until we test it. The firing may not be completely reliable due to the unstable energy output. Also, there's a good chance the rails will be completely shot after that, making it a one-time use weapon. Do you really think it's worth the time and resources?"
"I do." He nodded with a serious expression. "Three months is the time-limit. A one-time use is better than nothing. Use as many resources as it takes. If you lack anything then come straight to Dupe or me. We'll ensure you get what you need."
"Alright then." She smiled brightly, "I'll get started right away. It should be a fun project if nothing else. I bet Rupert is going to go crazy when I commandeer all our magnets."
Ed left the building and headed for World Walker's quarters. Bolin had been set up in an officer's room in one of Harmony's original buildings.
A pounding sound rang aloud against the door. "Yes?" Bolin answered the door.
"It's unusual seeing you in casual clothing." Ed smiled. Bolin was currently wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. It made for an unusual contrast when compared to his usual suit. Though he still wore the odd solid bronze monocle for some reason.
Bolin grinned, "You've got a job for me, I'm guessing?"
"Three jobs actually. You're going to be busy for a while."
"Oh? It seems my vacation barely lasted a day. How disappointing." He sighed while heading inside to get changed. "Come on in and tell me about it."
"Sure." He walked inside the sparsely furnished room. The smell of dust lingered in the ear, but the room was fairly clean. It was likely that Bolin had been cleaning it since he arrived. Ed spoke, "The first job is manullium. Where can we find it? Don't pretend you know nothing about it. I refuse to believe a wily old man like you doesn't have some type of source for it."
"That..." Bolin made a difficult expression for a moment before sighing. "I do indeed know some sources of it. But it won't be easy to get. We'll likely have to risk our lives to secure a decent amount of it."
"Good." Ed grinned. "Get ready then. The sooner we secure it, the better."