Elven Village Defense Battle ⑦

【Potimas】

"Arrived."

"Y-yes."

"Engage. Deploy it."

"Yes. How many?"

"All of them."

"Wha—?"

"Deploy all."

"All of them?"

"Yes. Scatter them across all directions except near the unit with Philimes and the Hero."

"But isn't that excessive force?"

"The cause of the barrier's collapse remains unknown. And if my assessment is correct, it is actually insufficient force."

【Lanant】

"What in the world is this?"

I couldn't help but speak aloud.

There was something unnatural there.

『Identification Impossible』

This was the second time in my life that identification had failed.

The first time was that person.

But back then, it had displayed 'Identification Blocked,' not 'Identification Impossible.'

Therefore, this was the first time I had encountered something truly unknown in my life.

Before me lay several metallic constructs resembling broken armor.

"Roughly" — because their form clearly did not assume human wearability.

Four arms. Four legs.

Already suspicious at this point.

Ha!?

Eight legs!?

Could it be paying homage to that one?

No, that cannot be.

Such crude things could not convey even a fraction of that one’s elegance.

If this were meant to resemble that one, it would be an act of profound disrespect.

Yet what is this?

Destroyed, yes — but did it move before breaking?

The title "Dollmaster" grants the ability to manipulate puppets at will, combined with telekinetic skill. Could this be one such puppet?

The Dollmaster themselves are rare. I have never seen one in person. So I cannot say for certain.

Yet the wreckage scattered here indicates someone passed through before us.

That individual undoubtedly shattered the barrier.

Curiosity stirs at the sight of an unfamiliar puppet, but now is not the time. We must hasten forward in pursuit of that person.

I avoided it only by pure chance.

No— I did not avoid it.

I simply shifted my posture from seated observation to standing.

I was saved solely by the timing of that motion.

As I rose, bent at the waist, something passed directly in front of my abdomen.

The impact alone sent me flying backward.

The point of passage was precisely where my head had been moments before.

"Master!?"

"Step back!"

I rolled across the ground, carried by the momentum of the blow.

The shouts urging retreat were futile. My subordinates were blown apart, blood erupting like shattered glass.

It was exactly what the word "erupting" implied.

Limbs torn away. Torso split open.

With each passing of some unseen thing, my subordinates died in grotesque ruin.

I looked toward the point where that thing must be approaching.

There, unbroken, stood the same doll as before.

From the bizarre, alien-shaped tube mounted on the doll’s arm, that thing was emerging.

I cast magic toward the doll immediately.

No restraint.

Yet the doll effortlessly dodged my flaming arrow.

This is bad.

That doll is clearly stronger than me.

"Everyone, fall back!"

I managed only that much before collapsing into silence.

How many of my subordinates remain alive, I cannot say. But fighting that doll head-on will only worsen the damage beyond this point.

Foolish disciples, yet I wish for as many as possible to survive.

And that doll, which took the life of one of my disciples—I will destroy it, even if it costs me my own life.

Magic construction.

The foundation of magic I have refined without pause since meeting that person, throughout my entire life.

The foundation, and the ultimate technique.

Create fifty flames.

Control all of them, and release.

High-speed incoming flames.

Yet the doll evades more than half.

The remainder that strike do not inflict significant damage.

Appearing as armor, its defense is high.

And increased mobility, moving at speeds beyond my perception.

A mysterious attack, invisible to my eyes.

Strong.

Perhaps the strongest I have faced, second only to that person.

Teleportation.

Circumnavigate the automaton from behind.

Construct magic immediately.

Freeze the ground beneath the automaton's feet.

And the shockwave from the wind magic of pursuit.

The frozen doll's leg cracks halfway through.

Even so, half.

Yet half.

Mobility should drop significantly now.

The automaton's arm turns backward, ignoring the constraints of its joints.

A sharp intake of breath—then a kick off the ground, launching sideways.

She’s a doll—her joints can be adjusted however one wishes.

Could not comprehend it until witnessing it firsthand.

The cost was the right arm and both legs.

Could not be avoided.

Not without a fight.

Endure the pain. Construct the spell.

Complete the spell before the automaton turns the barrel toward me again.

Infernal Flame Magic Level 4, Mirage.

A small orb of fire, the size of a fist.

It strikes the body of the automaton.

The effect lasted an instant.

Yet the flame consumed everything.

The Mirage was a compressed concentration of immense flame magic.

The highest-level spell I mastered.

Even the automaton, despite its resilience, was scorched, melted, and utterly destroyed by the Mirage.

Got you.

A smug grin formed—then twisted abruptly.

In the field of vision, several identical automata were moving simultaneously.