Ch.131Rampage (2)

Following Lord Malakai Falten’s orders, who was temporarily in command at the scene, I currently have about 7 spells cast on me by mages.

“Harmonizing Soul” which increases battlefield adaptation speed. “Soul Synchronization” which reduces the inevitable delay between body and soul (mind). “Soul Maturation” which accelerates spiritual growth in the mental realm.

In addition, “Steel Skin” which increases the durability of the skin itself, and “Metal Hardening” to improve the durability and performance of armor. Then “Metal Mithrilization” which temporarily grants metal the properties of true silver mythril, and “Metal Lightening” which reduces weight while maintaining the durability of metal.

With a total of 7 spells cast by 7 intermediate mages enveloping my body, I stepped forward without hesitation, my body now magically optimized for high-speed mobile combat.

More precisely, I attempted to leap off the ground to escape from its field of vision.

‘…So light!’

Perhaps because the spells made my armor almost weightless? Jumping higher than usual, I rose about 15 meters into the air and immediately aimed to deliver a slashing attack at its joints.

-Dudududududududu—!!!

‘…What?!!!’

I would have succeeded if not for the minigun-like multi-barreled cannon that suddenly emerged from the backpack section on its back, rotating and spraying bullets at me as I floated in mid-air.

-Tududududududung!!!

The power of a weapon firing thousands of large-caliber rounds per minute—capable of tearing through metal—would certainly have been fatal had I taken a direct hit with my bare body.

Fortunately, I had durability enhancements from various factors and sturdy plate armor, not to mention several defensive enhancement spells cast with full effort by intermediate mages of the Metal School.

‘…That was close!’

Thanks to that, I was barely able to use the recoil to escape the firing range. After being exposed to its gunfire for about 8 seconds, I managed to save my life with my reinforced armor shattered, landing on the rooftop of a nearby building.

And it seems the thing has no intention of stopping here.

A multi-launch missile pod positioned on the back of the giant golem armor, over 10 meters tall. From its approximately 4×6 barrels, magic-missiles of medium size—comparable to anti-tank missiles—are being fired like mad.

‘Damn… this is a different genre altogether…!!’

I’ve heard that the Holy Empire uses rocket candy made from mixing saltpeter and sugar as propellants for rocket weapons, but cylindrical small guided missiles with evasive maneuvering capabilities in this era? That’s a bit much.

And it doesn’t stop there—missile pods installed all over its body begin launching missiles, resulting in at least 50 missiles heading toward me at minimum count.

Each one boasting enough destructive power to cause significant damage to my body, but…

[What do you think I AAAAAM—!!!]

—KWAAAAAANG!!!!

Finding myself in a situation where I had to physically prove the difference between floating in midair without footing and standing on solid ground, I began intercepting the missiles using “Amplified Voice.”

No matter how good their evasive maneuvering capabilities are, it’s impossible to avoid sound waves spreading in all directions, and adding a function to detonate on command in addition to evasive capabilities would make missiles too expensive.

[———!!!!]

—KWAAAAANG!! KWAAAANG! KWAGAGAGANG—!! KWAGAGAGAGAGANG!!!

Seeing the missiles explode one after another as I unleashed sound waves, it seemed to realize this approach was ineffective and began to purge its missile pods, attempting to draw new weapons from subspace, but…

‘Now!!’

—KWAAAAAANG!!!

Proving that the mages weren’t just casting buffs and watching the fight, metal golems made of iron or bronze advanced forward as the mages began their attack.

Though their size was at most half of 4 to 5 meters, golems are formidable large weapons. Especially their mass, which existed in a realm that even that thing couldn’t ignore.

Additionally, they transformed metal materials torn from buildings into huge stakes or spheres to fire at it, and some mages used soul magic to assist other mages in casting spells.

But… it was by no means an easy opponent.

After emptying all its mounted missiles, it purged the now useless missile pods and instead preheated thrusters installed on additional armor plates attached like reactive armor all over its body.

In other words, compensating for the sluggish mobility that comes with its size using propulsion generation devices emitting from its entire body, it moved like a solid rocket—

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, as if intending to empty all remaining missile stock, it summoned 2×2 large missile pods on its shoulders, aimed at me, and prepared to fire.

-Woooong—KWAGAGAGAGANG!!!

-Dudududududududu—!!!

-Weeeeeeeng—PUUUUUNG!!!

While still engaged in fierce combat with seven intermediate mages and five golems using weapons all over its body, it was simultaneously about to fire those large missiles at me.

Instinct told me that those missiles—those massive missiles far larger than the small ones from earlier—were extremely dangerous.

Even if I could intercept them using sound waves as before, the explosion from the intercepted missiles would undoubtedly cause significant damage to me.

Therefore, what I chose was nothing other than… sacrifice.

-Pajijijiji—KWAAAAAANG!!!

By pushing the electric ash wood club Gretel had given me to its limit, I formed an electric field inside it to intercept those missiles from a safe distance.

-…Crack!!

The electric ash wood club, pushed beyond its limits, crumbled inevitably.

Anyway, witnessing the missiles being intercepted, it tried to draw something like a quad-barreled machine gun in place of the purged missile pods to spray at me, but…

‘It won’t work!!’

-Kuuuung!!

In the meantime, I had already moved behind it by climbing over buildings, and was now ready to deliver a slashing attack aimed at its relatively thinly armored back.

-Dudududududududu—!!!

Of course, somehow noticing me again, it drew four additional miniguns from its back and fired wildly at me, but I resorted to using every means I had been saving for this moment.

I threw a shield I had picked up from the ground to buy time, and used that time to throw large debris and fragments from all around to defend against the attacks.

Bullets may exceed the speed of sound, but the movement speed of gun barrels is subsonic. Using countermeasures against firearms that I never imagined I would use here—techniques developed for the coming age of gunpowder—I finally found a “weak point”—

And then all that remained was to cut.

-Tick, tick, tick.

The inevitable problem with gunpowder weapons using ammunition belts: jamming.

A mechanical malfunction in the internal structure preventing bullets from being fired properly created a gap in the bullet curtain—one I wouldn’t miss.

Whether it had eyes on its back or not, it frantically tried to draw something out after recognizing me behind it, but at this point, the situation had tilted too far to be reversed.

However… there was one fact I had overlooked.

Namely, the ability of the pilot operating that giant robot presumed to be a golem armor.

—Scratch!

‘…What?!’

What blocked my blade, extended with aura, was a military-style shield similar to the one held in its left arm.

Mounted on a sub-arm that protruded from the backpack, it couldn’t withstand my slashing attack and was cut in half, but in the process, it slowed down the speed of my attack…

‘…What is that.’

Meanwhile, the magical power emitted from some of its armor plates, like a knight defending against an attack with aura emission, blocked my extended aura slash with almost no difficulty.

‘Just how much magical power does that pilot have…!!’

This was clearly an abnormal situation. Normally, golem armor would use the magical power or aura of the wearer as its power source…

Yet it showed no signs of impaired mobility despite using magical power so liberally for so long.

So as I felt something strange and was about to swing my sword at the golem armor again… right at that moment.

-Pssshhhhh….!!!

“””””””””….?!!”””””””””

Like steam leaking out. Just like when it had purged its missile pods earlier, it suddenly detached much of its armor and weapons while simultaneously covering its surface with something like mercury-like liquid.

‘…This is maddening. What, Phase 2?’

[….■■■■■!]

Having transformed into a different appearance in less than 5 seconds, now with a form closer to a beast or living creature…

With two arms, four auxiliary arms, and a tail in a grotesque form… transformed into a dragon-like shape, it was now staring at me.

Roughly its transformation form.