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Chapter 288 part 3

One of the services included Souha, the lesser golems featuring the upper torso of a giant lance mounted on the lower body of a horse like those officially used in the past battle against the goblins.

Thanks to its simplicity in spellcraft, it could now be manufactured not only by Dran but also by mages aligned with the Bern army, and a cloth incorporating alchemical arrays that automatically created it when a small amount of magic was infused into the ground also had been completed.

Easily manufactured due to their straightforward design, these golems were within the capability of any Bern mages, not just Dran. Losing its lower half and trying to crawl away with only its arms, a Vengitta tigerperson was caught under the hooves of charging Souha. It was eventually torn to pieces, but it still managed to take one golem down with it.

The Souhas were easy to manufacture, using materials that were both environmentally and budget-friendly. However, its effectiveness hinged solely on a single command: to advance. Despite the issue of only being effective in group assaults and potential friendly fire damage, their appropriate use during the goblin battle ensured their value as a force.

Fearless yet averse to wasteful destruction, the Vengittas calculated the trajectory of the Souhas and the firing arcs of the Bern forces promptly and maneuvered towards unobstructed paths.

Another service hampering them was the Magic Traps – Earth Wall. Similar to Souha, it was simple to cast, making it easily deployable in large quantities. Upon contact with an object already enchanted with the spell, it would simply create a wall of earth in the designated area, utilizing the surrounding mud.

Even novice mages could cast this elementary magic. Bern mages used it to constrict Vengitta’s movements. While not all Earth Walls functioned perfectly, those that did thwarted Vengittas’s movements, leaving them vulnerable to Souha hooves, spears, or gunfire from magic guns and muskets.

Vengittas responded with a barrage of arrows, bullets, shells, and various spells, far outmatching the density of Bern’s assault.

Despite Bern’s strategic terrain advantage, the overwhelming numerical disparity caused Bern’s soldiers and golems to face imminent annihilation. Yet, this was averted by Barrier Golems beside the soldiers.

Just as the bullets were about to hit their mark, a tetragon shield of light appeared in front of the trench. Vengitta’s onslaught was deflected by this shield, causing the fragmented bullets and arrows to scatter across the ground.

「Phew, if it weren’t for these golems prepared by the aide, we would’ve been in trouble.」

A soldier nervously moistened his dry lips as bullets continuously struck the shield of light before him. However, thanks to thorough training, his hands could deftly work to reload the magic crystals in his magic rifle.

Beside him stood a fellow soldier from his hometown. He could not help but recall the sight of the Artillery Golems and the skilled artillery units operating modified cannons, continuously bombarding from positions both on and beyond the rear Earth Walls.

A glimmer of hope emerged within them as if they could somehow make it through.

「Ah, maybe we can hold out until the reinforcements from Galois arrive.」

Earth Wall traps were triggering all over the place. They turned the wilderness into a labyrinthine area with Vengittas still overflowing.

The Vengittas, although reduced to just arms, legs, or heads, were still functioning as dolls. The sight of them slowly crawling towards the soldiers on the ground was emitting an undeniable creepiness.

「Even if the golems’ defense is breached, being taken to the rear before dying means we’re more fortunate than soldiers from other territories.」

This assurance came from a given: all Bern soldiers wore a necklace-type identification tag integrated with Ariadne – the one used in the Caravis Tower – It was designed to teleport soldiers to a medical facility very far away from Fort Nerodim upon life-threatening danger. It mirrored Ariadne’s function in evacuating explorers to safety in Caravis Tower.

The facility, manned by Bern doctors as well as priests and priestesses who voluntarily offered their assistance from every temple, had a system fully prepared to provide medical treatment.

While the avatars and followers of the gods present in Bern were subtly discouraged from intervening in the war, they were allowed to assist in medical matters, leading many to offer their support as civilian volunteers in that area.

Considering everything was arranged so neatly, it was only natural for them to have claimed they were fortunate.

As they were reloading and attempting to aim their guns again, the soldiers noticed a group of heavily armored knights, clad head to toe in armor and wielding large shields, charging from several other trenches.

Unfortunately, the knights had all arrived riding giant-sized humanoid dolls. In that situation, no matter how many shots from muskets or magic rifles were fired into them, they would not be halted.

Although the Barony of Bern prioritized the development of firearms, there were soldiers armed with traditional weapons such as spears, swords, and axes for close combat. Even those engaged in gunplay would have resorted to picking up magic-infused spears or shields from the ground when the enemy approached within reach. Despite their efforts, dealing with such a notable difference in size proved to be quite daunting.

Then, A deafening roar erupted as massive flesh and metallic objects collided at incredible speeds, prompting them to glance involuntarily. In their line of sight appeared the figures of giant knights soaring through the air. Ordinary soldiers would not have been able to knock giant knights head-on, but upon witnessing the perpetrator send one flying with a punch, everyone would have surely understood the situation.

With their white armor trimmed in blue and Bern’s crest carved into their chests, the Magic Control Armor unit boasted an impressive appearance that matched the formidable stature of the giant knights, even though they were mere dolls.

In Bern, they were structured into squads of three units each, forming a total of fifteen units in five squads, and it was this squadron of fifteen units that was deployed for the current battle. These units were also acquired as second-hand or outdated models, refurbished with Bern-style modifications, with no uniformity other than their color schemes, insignias indicating affiliation, and weaponry.

Held in the right hand was a mace of similar or superior size to that of the giant knight, while in the left hand was a shield fitting for such a massive entity.

Furthermore, their back was equipped with two improved replicas of the magical energy cannons that were originally mounted on Magic Control Armor Gildam, the one Dran had fought with in the Magic Tournament. They sent nearby Vengittas flying with the mace in its right hand while firing the magical cannons on its back at the distant Vengittas.

The giant knights, propelled by the Magic Control Armor, rotated swiftly just before they were about to crash onto the ground and landed gracefully on their feet. They then tempestuously began close-quarters combat with the magical control armored unit head-on.

「Heh, looks like we’ll just have to let the armor deal with the ones over there.」

「It’s not just the Magic Control Armors; other golems, besides Beltar, have joined the fray. We’ve been significantly pushed back by those eerie puppets.」

The fact that the preserved Magical Control Armor unit and the close-combat-specialized Golem unit were deployed, as the soldiers described, implied that the Vengittas had pressed so far as to engage them in close combat.

While the combat prowess of the Magic Control Armor and golems was tremendous, and they were serving as bulwarks by holding back the relentless assault of the Vengittas, the situation was gradually deteriorating.

Alongside the soldiers, their commanders present on the scene also sensed that, although they had not suffered definitive damage, the balance of victory was beginning to lean towards the losing side. However, since they still did not fully comprehend the nature of their superiors, it was more of an intuition.

As if to dispel their frontline anxiety, two new Magic Control Armors appeared with significant leaps forward from behind.

The soldiers’ attention was drawn not just to the Gambeln, modified from the Magic Control Armor Gambei adopted a generation ago in the Arkrest Kingdom, but to Dran, clad in light armor, riding on the Gambeln’s right shoulder.

Though not directly involved in commanding, the top-ranking individual from the Bern side showing up on the front lines of this battlefield instilled a significant sense of disturbance and shock among them.

Understanding their shock, Dran steadied himself on Gambeln’s cranium and lightly swung his drawn longsword with his right hand.

Concurrent with his movement, four ripples in the air behind him birthed glowing weapons: a war hammer, scythe, spear, and the tip of a sword.

「The Warhammer of the Thunder Emperor, the Scythe of the Wind Monarch, the Grand Spear of the Flame Sovereign, and the Light Emperor’s sword. Beckon forth your shimmering divine might! Einzforce!」

This magic called forth the weapons of heroes who had once been summoned to Aldeath and used in the battle against Merle. The weapons, now elevated to the realm of gods, heeded Dran’s call and will and traversed the battlefield, leaving behind dazzling trails as they obliterated countless Vengittas.

「Hmm, not bad for the first strike of our initial battle, eh? A passing grade, I’d say.」

Dran nonchalantly muttered those words, prompting the pilot of the Mage Armor carrying him on its shoulder to shout out pleadingly.

「My aide, please be careful not to fall. But are you sure you want to fight like this? I know you’re an exceptional magic warrior, but…」

The pilot, a young Lionfolk woman in her early twenties named Reania, had previously demonstrated her prowess as a pilot of the Magic Control Armor in another domain but now found herself in an awkward situation when fighting alongside Dran.

With her golden hair braided and coiled into three buns so as not to impede her operation and an impression of valiant vigor befitting her Lionfolk race, people could see that she was a talented individual. Nonetheless, in the unprecedented situation of accompanying the commander to the front lines, an occurrence hardly ever considered these days, she could not hide her agitation at having to serve as the commander’s proxy.

「Don’t worry, most of those living dolls are heading towards Diadora, and the princes’ alliance has been notified. Reinforcements will arrive soon. Until then, we just have to hang in here.」

「…Your composure in this situation is remarkable, aide.」

Leania said with a tone that was mostly filled with astonishment, to which Dran responded with a deepening smile as if to encourage her. Unfortunately, whether it was effective remained doubtful.

「It’s fine. We just need to fight for half a day at most. The Vengittas will eventually retreat to the rear. Just fight and take breaks as needed.」

Leania, inside the Magic Control Armor, could not believe her ears that the aide seemed to be suggesting they would be fighting continuously for half a day, but without paying any mind to her disbelief, Dran proceeded to select their next target.

「The battle. It’s quite intense above. The true dragon showdown might conclude before us.」

Dran gazed upwards. His dragon eyes beheld an exceptionally massive and violent crimson flame coloring the sky. Then, he said,

「Vaje, maybe I’ll give you a pat on the head later.」

And thus, he unknowingly fueled Lenia’s raging jealousy.