Ch.147147. Subjugation

– Crack!

Monsters were fundamentally creatures capable of handling magical energy. This meant they could tear through a god-machine soldier’s mana barrier and strike the main body.

Most of the subjugation team members knew this fact from their academy training, but theory and practice were entirely different matters.

Several members who blindly trusted the strength of their mana barriers tried to tough out monster attacks, only to suffer severe consequences.

While the god-machine’s external armor was sturdy, it was impossible to block attacks from magically enhanced monsters without taking any damage.

The external armor was torn like paper, and several machines suffered serious damage, including completely severed arms.

Fortunately, none of the god-machines had sustained damage to their legs or knee joints, which would directly affect mobility. In this urgent situation with monsters surrounding and attacking from all sides, reduced mobility would be extremely dangerous.

Gilbert slashed at the monsters rushing in from all directions with his iron sword, moving frantically to eliminate as many as possible.

Glancing around, he saw Brynhild, who could be called a combat specialist, supporting the platoon members and steadily reducing the number of monsters.

I can leave that area to her.

The platoon under Gilbert’s command was performing brilliantly, with Hans, Illen, Lily, and Camilla showing exceptional prowess alongside Brynhild.

Additionally, with Angelina’s broad field of vision allowing her to deploy them strategically and support squad members in danger, the rate of god-machine damage was significantly lower compared to other platoons.

If Gilbert joined them, they could perfectly block the monsters, but he chose not to.

Due to the sudden monster attack, more than half of the subjugation team still seemed to be in disarray. The cadets assigned as commanders were trying to control them, but they themselves were inexperienced rookies who had never faced actual combat.

As a result, their formation was gradually distorting, and the number of god-machines damaged by monsters was slowly increasing.

With monsters still pouring in, if a gap formed in one of the platoons holding the line or if a platoon’s defensive line collapsed, the entire subjugation team would be in danger.

Therefore, Gilbert’s role was to reduce their burden.

[Gil. I’ll mark the number of monsters on the minimap.]

CT-777, which had access to Gilbert’s system, added the number of remaining monsters to the minimap. With the minimap showing not only the observed surroundings but also the number of remaining monsters, a clear objective became visible.

However, the problem was that the number was not normal.

“CT. Does it seem like the number of monsters is increasing?”

[That’s correct. The number of monsters is currently increasing from this point.]

Damn it.

Muttering the curse under his breath, Gilbert pulled the control lever. He wanted to eliminate as many as possible while there was still plenty of mana battery left.

When the number of monsters was first displayed at the top of the minimap, he thought it was manageable. Despite some confusion, the 1st platoon was admirably maintaining their formation, and that stability was gradually spreading to other platoons.

But looking closely at the minimap, he could see the counted number of monsters increasing over time. It wasn’t exploding by dozens at once, but it was increasing by up to ten or more at a time.

This isn’t good.

Gilbert thought as he sliced through a medium-sized monster.

Fortunately, no large monsters had appeared yet, so they were somehow maintaining balance, but if a large monster emerged, the hard-won equilibrium could collapse.

No, if a large monster appeared, the balance would definitely break. Large monsters were exceptionally difficult to deal with, even when piloting a god-machine.

Gilbert tried to push away his anxious thoughts as he swung his sword and unleashed magical armaments.

[Gil. A large monster seems to be approaching.]

“Looks like my luck is just great.”

He couldn’t help but comment. Gilbert bit his lip at the inevitable appearance of a large monster and opened a private communication magic channel with Seraphina.

[What is it?]

“It seems a large monster has appeared.”

[The situation is getting worse.]

Seraphina’s expression darkened. Dealing with a large monster typically required at least three elite god-machine knights to safely subjugate it.

In this subjugation team, there were only three god-machine knights with such capability, including herself.

However, considering that these three were needed to maintain the front line against medium-sized monsters, they couldn’t be spared.

In effect, there were no god-machines available to face the large monster.

Seraphina gripped the control lever and narrowed her eyes.

[Commander Gilbert, I have an order.]

“I await your command.”

Gilbert looked at her eyes and anticipated her order.

Her mouth seemed reluctant to form the words, but there was no time to waste.

[Stop the large monster’s approach.]

It was essentially an order to die.

Facing a large monster alone was the most dangerous task Gilbert had ever undertaken. While facing dozens of god-machines or confronting an old-model god-machine barehanded had been dangerous, dealing with a large monster was even more perilous.

However, in the current situation, Seraphina had no alternative but Gilbert. Sending him to a potentially fatal mission was heartbreaking, but with the large monster’s appearance, retreat was inevitable.

Requesting reinforcements was crucial, and someone was needed to buy time.

“Understood.”

Gilbert assessed the current situation and readily accepted the order. While Seraphina’s command might seem unreasonable from his perspective, from an overall standpoint, it was a reasonable and bold decision.

– Thud! Thud!

In the distance, sounds that shook the earth began to be heard.

Trees cracked and snapped, and flying monsters perched on them startled and took to the sky.

[Th-that…]

[What is that…?]

The sound of breaking trees grew closer, and soon the large monster approaching the subjugation team revealed itself.

– Kwawawawa!

[Ugh!]

[Kuh!]

The ferocious roar directed at the sky contained magical energy. It was filled with malevolent energy that shook the spirits of those who heard it, causing psychological fear and confusion.

Fear.

A wide-area status effect technique used by high-ranking monsters.

[Get a grip on yourselves!]

Seraphina shouted at the subjugation team members who had fallen into confusion.

Medium-sized monsters were still attacking.

Losing one’s mental focus in this situation was equivalent to forfeiting one’s life.

Some cadets regained their senses at her shout, but most still couldn’t recover.

This was beyond their control. The monster’s Fear was specialized in maximizing the fear and causing mental confusion in beings without magical energy. Without reaching a certain level, resistance was difficult.

Gilbert judged that he couldn’t waste time here.

“CT. Setting target.”

[Beginning target setting.]

“Target is large monster subjugation.”

[Confirmed. Target: Large monster subjugation. Beginning support.]

As soon as he heard CT-777’s response, Gilbert charged toward the large monster with his iron sword raised.

It wouldn’t be an easy fight, but as always, Gilbert’s eyes showed no hesitation.

***

[Ian! Snap out of it!]

“Kuk!”

Ian barely managed to regain his senses at Fresia’s shout.

He already knew a large monster was approaching thanks to Fresia’s warning, but he couldn’t prevent himself from being affected by the large monster’s Fear.

Although Ian’s skills had been growing explosively lately, he hadn’t yet reached the level where he could shake off a large monster’s Fear.

Thanks to Fresia’s preparation, he was able to quickly escape the influence of Fear, but his condition hadn’t returned to normal.

The Fear, filled with such dense magical energy, was difficult to endure at Ian’s current level.

Still, with his mind clear enough to catch his breath, Ian quickly assessed the situation.

Besides him, cadets affected by Fear were visible here and there.

As the commander of a platoon, Ian quickly drew his iron sword and helped squad members in danger.

“Why did monsters suddenly appear?!”

[Calm down. The appearance of monsters was unexpected, but you mustn’t lose your composure.]

“I know that. But the situation… Kuk! It’s not good!”

After cleaving a hound dog monster in half as it bared its sharp teeth, he roughly pulled the control lever.

While he had been able to handle even large monsters without much difficulty before, magical beasts were too tricky to deal with, even at the intermediate level.

Thanks to Fresia’s intensive training, he had no major problems handling them, but as their numbers continued to increase, his anxiety grew.

“By the way, what happened to that large monster from earlier?”

[…That maniac went to face it.]

“What? Is that even possible alone?”

[Rather than explaining, it might be better for you to see this.]

Fresia displayed what she was observing on one side of the screen. There, Gilbert’s god-machine could be seen facing the enormous large monster.

“An… ogre?”

While it resembled an ogre in appearance, it was at least three times the size of a normal one. With reddish-black skin due to magical energy influence, it was a variant that exuded intimidation just by its appearance.

It had uprooted a large tree to use as a club, and judging by its blackened appearance, it seemed to be channeling magical energy into the wood.

– Kuung!

When the attack that Gilbert narrowly avoided struck the ground, the surrounding area was devastated. It seemed impossible to counter such an attack even with a god-machine’s iron sword.

“Is he really okay alone?”

Ian pinned down the neck of an approaching monster with his god-machine’s left arm, which wasn’t holding the sword, then aimed a Fire Lance at its head and fired.

After confirming the monster was pulverized by the magical armament fired at zero distance, he threw the monster he was holding at another one charging toward him.

[I don’t know. I think that maniac might be able to buy some time somehow…]

“Damn it! That means even he can’t handle it alone!”

Ian shouted irritably.

He didn’t like the current situation.

While some couldn’t even regain their senses from Fear, others were fearlessly confronting a monster ogre. The sense of inadequacy and defeat from this disparity painfully stabbed at Ian’s heart.

[Ian, don’t think strange thoughts. You haven’t fully shaken off the effects of Fear, so your god-machine synchronization rate isn’t good. You know that, right?]

“So I’m supposed to just watch that bastard Gilbert shine alone? I absolutely can’t do that!”

[Ian! You can’t!]

Fresia shouted to stop Ian, but his god-machine had already lunged forward.

[Commander Ian, maintain your position!]

It was the moment when the flaw Gilbert had worried about in Ian erupted.

Blinded by ambition and jealousy, he disregarded both Fresia’s restraint and Seraphina’s orders, charging toward the monster ogre.

If Gilbert can do it, so can I!

With fiercely burning eyes, he poured all his might into his magical energy.

His trait skill activated more ferociously than ever before, beginning to assist his control.

He was born to be a protagonist.

In an era dominated by god-machines, he had awakened a trait skill related to god-machine control and obtained Fresia, a superhuman artificial intelligence.

This couldn’t have happened if he wasn’t the protagonist. The world had chosen him and urged him to move forward.

After reaching right in front of the monster ogre, he gathered all the mana he could. Blue magical energy began to flow through the iron sword, and the sword moved along the best sword path he had learned from Fresia.

If he could cut this monster ogre in half, he could recover and reclaim everything.

He could reclaim the honor and acclaim that should have been his.

Yes, he was a hero.

A warrior from mythology.

Repeating this to himself, he swung his sword.

All he needed to do was slay the monster ogre with a single strike and grasp his brilliant future.

– Kruk?

“What…?”

The sword swung by Ian’s god-machine was blocked by a thick magical energy barrier.

Ian froze at something he had never anticipated.

Why?

Why couldn’t I cut through it?

I put in enough magical energy?

Questions cascaded one after another.

Fresia was shouting that it was dangerous, but her words didn’t reach Ian’s ears.

– Kwawawawa!

The monster ogre, recognizing Ian who had attacked it, swung its black club.

It was a light movement, as if swatting away an annoying fly.

Only when the massive magical club came close did Ian regain his senses.

It was too late to dodge.

Due to his abnormal condition and forcibly drawing out mana, his movements were sluggish.

He couldn’t control his trembling hands and could only stare blankly at the approaching club.

In that brief moment, his life flashed before his eyes.

– Kwang!

“Kuk!”

The god-machine shook violently. He hit his head against the cockpit wall several times but managed not to lose consciousness and assessed the situation.

[You idiot! What are you doing?! Snap out of it!]

“Fresia…?”

For being hit by a magical club, the god-machine’s condition wasn’t as bad as expected.

Had he unconsciously blocked the magical club?

Ian harbored such hope, but soon despaired at the situation before him.

“Why… you…?”

He could only mutter blankly.

Beyond the main screen, he saw Gilbert’s god-machine flying through the air after being struck by the magical club.