The moonlight was blocked, and the entire castle was enveloped in shadow. It was impossibly, ridiculously large, extending beyond the castle walls. It suddenly appeared before Gerard, looking down on everything.
(Did it come from a Storage Skill or a similar Magic Item? But such a scale—comparable to Kuro, perhaps.)
The colossal humanoid Golem that Zildra produced from somewhere surpassed even Boga. Its armor wasn’t made of dirt or stone, but of lustrous metallic blue, clearly some kind of metal. Its mechanical design was anachronistic to an extreme, and above all, its size far exceeded that of Tyrant Mira. At worst, it could rival Trisen’s main castle. Whether it was originally designed that way or not, Tyrant Mira transformed into its shield form and was attached to the Golem’s chest.
“Since I’ve been seen, there’s no need to hide. Small one, contribute a little to my data as sustenance?”
Zildra’s voice echoed from within the colossal Golem, emanating from its chest.
“Kukuku… GAH HA HA! I shall endeavor!”
Encountering an unexpected and powerful enemy was a stroke of luck for Kelvin’s party. Perhaps it was a side effect of becoming Battle Maniacs, no longer a match for a great nation’s army. It was a little-known fact that by honing their skills and battling each other daily, that inclination had somewhat spread throughout the party.
“Mayday, Mayday. Things might be a little, just a tiny bit, unfavorable. No, really, by a sliver, you know? I request support.”
Still, Gerard was acting as expected, doing what he could behind the scenes.
Steam billowed from various parts of the Golem with a powerful “GWOON” sound. The expulsion of steam served as the battle gong, and Zildra began to move. With each step forward, the ground trembled, and structures within the castle shook. In response, Gerard, having completed his rescue request, was already rushing forward.
“HAAAH!”
A massive Void Maw released from the Demonic Sword pierced the sky, and the Golem thrust its left arm out to meet it. Due to its immense size, the Golem’s movements could be deceptively slow.
“Ooh! It’s hard!”
Gerard’s full-power Void Maw, colliding with the repelled left arm, rang out with a shrill metallic sound and successfully caved in the armor, though it didn’t incapacitate it.
“That’s what I should be saying. To damage this armor to this extent. It should be stronger than any barrier, so I’ll need to reconsider the design.”
The colossal Golem recoiled half a step from the impact but immediately swung its right arm down towards the ground where Gerard stood. Imagine lifting Trisen’s famous Clock Tower upside down and throwing it at you – that’s the kind of power we’re talking about. A simple blow became an area attack, and Gerard was indeed receiving such a strike.
“UOOOOH…!”
Gerard’s Battleship Black Shield, enhanced to S-Rank by his Unique Skill “Self-Modification,” was unscathed, but Gerard himself was pushed to the brink, with only a sliver of his life remaining. Just as he was about to be blown away with the shield, he plunged Dainsleif into the ground, forcing a halt to his momentum through sheer will. How far did he brace himself? His feet sank into the cobblestones, and friction heat caused his legs to become intensely hot.
“Next.”
“Wh—!?”
From the gap in the Golem’s barely grappling fist, scorching heat erupted. If touched, it would result in more than just a burn, and it continued to pour out until it enveloped Gerard’s entire body.
(…It’s not working?)
However, Gerard showed no signs of pain or damage.
(Glad I’m not in my original body.)
For once, Gerard was thankful for being an empty suit of armor, though the fire resistance from the crimson exterior gifted by Efil also played a significant role. He intended to help Efil but ended up being helped himself, which was fine as Grandpa would be overjoyed.
“Haaahh…!!”
Gerard violently shoved the arm away with all his might, and as the Golem lost its balance, he countered with “Ground Serpent,” a ground-based slash. It hit the Golem’s toes, inflicting damage equivalent to the initial blow, but the lack of firepower was still evident.
(I’m just barely holding on, I suppose. Either way, this will lead to a slow defeat.)
The Golem rose, unconcerned by the damage to its leg.
(No matter how many half-hearted attacks I land, it won’t be a decisive blow. Therefore, I must aim for the weak point… the chest area where that voice has been booming, but the mirror is there. Now, what to do—)
Gerard’s thoughts raced. However, during this time, someone was rapidly approaching the area. Yes, Gerard’s reinforcements had arrived. Perhaps not bothering to hide, they were charging in, destroying obstacles and kicking up dust, so not only Gerard but even Zildra inside the Golem noticed the presence and glanced in that direction. From the swirling dust, a figure soared and landed on the tallest nearby structure.
“Took you long enough, Uncle! The pretty flower blooming under the moonlight! Gordiana Pritiana, I’m here for you!”
“Why are *you* the first one here!?”
The first arrival was Gordiana, who shouldn’t have possessed any means of communication. Of course, Gerard had not intended to request reinforcements from Gordiana.
“My ‘Sixth Sense’ led me here!”
It seemed she had sensed it on her own.
“It’s not about logic. It’s, say, the power of love—”
—GAB GAB GAB!
Light bullets were fired from the Golem’s fingertips, turning the building where Gordiana stood into a honeycomb.
“Oh? It can also fire from those fingertips? It resembles the King’s Golem’s attacks.”
“Hey, Uncle, aren’t you being too calm? Your heroine is in danger!”
“She won’t die from something like that, you. …Eh, heroine?”
Gordiana stood next to Gerard as a matter of course. Seeing that her beloved pink dress was unblemished, she had apparently dodged perfectly.
“I thought it was someone else, but it’s an S-Rank Adventurer, Gordiana Pritiana… I would have preferred someone of a different class, though.”
“Oh, such a deep voice. And such a confident statement.”
“Lady Gordiana, that Golem emits high-temperature heat. Be careful when approaching.”
“Heat? It’s fine. My entire body is covered in energy.”
“Th-that so? Then it’s fine… Ah, what about the decoy role?”
“No problem! Reinforcements have arrived through the castle’s Transfer Gate, so my role is over for now! Now it’s my turn to unleash my love!”
“…I see.”
Gordiana was fired up, while Gerard seemed to have reached a state of enlightenment. Though their motivations were at opposite ends, together they were a top-tier fighting force. What reliable reinforcements.
“Have you shared information? Any more useless chatter can be done in the afterlife.”
“Oh, how surprisingly kind. You waited for me? You could have attacked me from behind, you know.”
“My objective is not your elimination. The process is more important than the result. Besides, adding one more of a similar type won’t change the situation.”
The Golem’s fingertips were aimed at Gerard and Gordiana.
“Since you’ve said that much, I can’t back down. However, let me correct one thing. Our fighting force isn’t just two people?”
—!
As Gerard spoke, the Golem’s legs were dragged into the ground. Grasping its legs were the sturdy claws of the Rock Dragon Boga. The weight of the Golem, a truly colossal body, was swallowed by the collapsing earth, and it was now buried up to its knees. Then, multiple shadows emerged from the surrounding structures. Wielding them were a total of fifty Gatling Guns.
“FIRE!!!”
Amidst a barrage of countless light bullets, Gerard, accompanied by Gordiana, charged out once more.
