9

“About time you showed up, huh?”

Rizet turned back toward my machine, readjusting her axe. Behind her, Kansas stood poised with her magic sword, watching us closely.

“Batis, can you stand?”

“Give me a bit. I can’t do it right away.”

“Got it. If you can, fall back to the safe zone.”

If he can’t move right now, the first thing is to pull Batis and the two others away.

So what I need to do is simple—

Keep him from even getting a chance to attack!

Full power to the engine, I push the machine forward.

At the same time, I keep firing at Kansas, until the last round of the harmonica pistol runs out.

“Oops, I saw that coming!”

The bullet meant for Kansas should’ve passed right by Rizette’s machine—but she tilted her axe just a hair, and the blade deflected the round.

She’s got my firing point down cold. Must’ve studied my moves real close.

Damn, I’ll give it to her—packed that much in a single day. Still, I saw it coming.

I toss the empty harmonica pistol and draw my sword from the Artificium.

Her machine lunges forward in response.

“Not gonna go like yesterday!”

“Sorry. Not in the mood to play right now.”

I slam on the brakes, matching her charge.

The ground screeched beneath me as I suddenly slowed, and Rizett misjudged the distance, swinging wide and missing completely. I seized the opening, stomping the foot pedals again and surging forward.

I aimed straight through her side.

But—

“Already accounted for.”

Kansas’s fire lance shot in, gouging at my feet.

I slammed the pedal down instinctively, leaping over the torn earth. But I’d lost speed before I could slip past her.

Rizett swung her machine around, bringing her axe in a flat arc.

I snapped up the Artifigoj immediately, blocking the blow.

“Now!”

At the same moment, Kansas’s shout rang out—sharp, fierce—and the fire lance came again.

I twisted the machine sideways, trying to dodge, but the lance clipped my right arm armor, just a scrape.

“Was that—”

The timing was tight—barely made it—but I thought I’d dodged clean.

Still, the armor took a scrape. Thanks to the magic shield’s decay, it barely grazed me. If it hadn’t been for that, my right arm would’ve been gone.

“Hmph. The physical processor—senseboard—is rewritten. Movement in the right arm’s different than yesterday.”

“Can you correct the error?”

“Of course. Two minutes.”

“Got it.”

Seems that hit wasn’t luck. It was meant to happen. I don’t know the why, but I’m guessing Kansas’s got some data on her.

Then I’ll take her down before that rewrite finishes!

I lean forward into the machine—then Rizette’s frame cuts right in front of me.

“You said I was your opponent, didn’t you?”

“Out of the way!”

I swing the Artifigojue, trying to knock Rizette aside—but she steps back, dodges the strike, then hurls one of her axes at me.

The blade grazes my right arm, sparks flying.

“Again…”

“Huh. So this is the difference, huh? Yeah, definitely needs adjusting.”

“So you two are both holding onto some data, then.”

What kind of data? My piloting habits? But Kansas said it needed adjusting—so it must be something measurable.

And I caught on right away—there’s an adjustment in the physical simulator, the senseboard. So whatever’s tied to that…

Rizette draws another axe, and we’re locked in a push-and-pull, my mind racing hard.

Turning the machine’s movements into numbers? But if that’s the case, just aim for the cockpit—no way they’d process that much data. Fixing it on the spot? Impossible.

Then just part of it. Numbering that right arm they’re so keen on targeting… no, even that’s tough.

Turning my gut instinct into numbers? That’s like trying to quantify brain data. Which means… no such thing.

—Wait. Hold on. My machine must have a tiny moment where it moves that right arm on its own, just through the physics simulator, not involving me at all.

Think. When did the enemy strike?

First time: the moment I blocked with Artifigouge.

Second time: right after I swung the Artifigouge.

“Ah.”

“Huh?”

A startled noise from Rizette at the word that slipped out.

“Got it. Your whole trick.”

“Tch. Already figured it out, huh? But it’s pointless!”

A flicker of weakness in the axe—my machine lurched forward.

I shifted my weight to my left foot, flipping the sword mid-swing, redirecting it upward.

Target: the enemy’s cockpit. The path was perfect—cutting from rib to shoulder.

But their right arm was already aiming for my left shoulder.

“Tch.”

I muttered under my breath, twisting the sword’s arc just enough to deflect the axe.

I could’ve sacrificed the Artifigouge to knock Rizette down—but thinking ahead to the fight with Kansas, losing the Artifigouge now would be a mistake.

Better to reset, and prioritize the machine’s condition.

Still deflecting the axe, I spun the craft and kicked the enemy’s leg with my right foot.

“Gah… clumsy feet.”

“Such a fine humanoid machine—gotta make use of human motion, don’t you think?”

I thrust my sword toward Rizet’s fallen frame.

But the ice lance that came flying shattered the blade halfway through.

“Tch.”

“Again. Correction complete.”

“Been waiting forever!”

Seeing my weapon broken, Rizet swung her axe while still on the ground.

I darted clear of her machine in a flash. Right on cue, ice lances shot out—two, then three.

I stepped back, dodging each lance, and in that moment Rizet got back on her feet.

“Rizet, leave the attack to me. You focus on defense.”

“Don’t you worry—I’ll block every strike aimed at you. No need to panic.”

I drew a fresh sword and braced myself.

“Huh. Letting a woman be your shield—how’s that for a man?”

“I just can’t help it—I gotta be first, that’s how I’m built!”

“Ah, so that’s how it is. Lady first, that’s the gentleman’s way, isn’t it?”

“Ah, I see!”

I lunged forward again, and suddenly dozens of ice lances shot out in unison.

I dodged left and right, closing the gap—then Rizett came barreling straight at me.

I blocked her axe, guiding her body to cut off Kansas’s line of fire.

“Now you can’t shoot, can you?”

“Sorry about that, Your Grace.”

“Not a problem. There’s always a way.”

Kansas shifted her machine, pulling Rizett out of the line of fire. Naturally, I adjusted my own machine to follow, but then—out of nowhere—a lance of ice sliced in from the left.

“What—?!”

I barely blocked it with Artifogu, but the impact twisted three of my sword slots out of alignment. They wouldn’t move at all now.

I check the source of the magic right away—nothing’s there. But this is where Kansas stood just a moment ago.

And then I realize—what just happened.

"Timed. Was it guided?"

There’s no one who can match me when it comes to magic!

The moment the blow hit hard enough to stop me in my tracks, Rizet stepped back from me.

And then, the magical flurry from Kansas began.

I’m dodging the lance spells raining down, frantically shielding myself with Artifigoj. But one slips through—sure as sunrise—cracking the shield apart.

The surface cracked open—mechanism twisted, useless now.

One of the harmonica pistrels built into the Artificogey must’ve taken a hit—there was a small explosion inside. Probably the bullet detonated.

"Can't keep going like this..."

Artificogey’s not gonna last much longer—once it goes, it’s the core’s turn next.

Something… anything… some way out of this mess? I scan the area, thinking. Then I spot it—something small, glowing on the ground.

“That’s…”

A shard from the Abnomyle shattered yesterday. It was catching the sunlight, reflecting it bright.

And that glint… it showed me a way.

“Could work.”

I fire up the system—build the spell in a flash.

Processing time—cut down to ten seconds. If I can hold on… I’ll see light on the other side.

“Hang on, you broken mess.”

I check the monitor, watching the Artificogey crumble like old paper. Ten long seconds stretch.

Then, just as it bends in half—calculation finishes. The spell ignites.

"Alumirulei, activate!"

Around my frame, dozens of lenses and mirrors sprouted into existence—some shattered by Kansas’s magic, but the ones that survived still gathered the light, funneling it into a single beam.

It struck Kansas’s machine dead-on.

"Your Grace!"

"Rizet, what in the name of—?!"

Rizet, spotting the light, lunged between me and Kansas in a flash.

The sudden interference caused Kansas’s magic to blast right through her shoulder armor.

And then Alumirulei’s beam struck her machine’s side.

A sizzle—armor turned crimson for a split second—then melted away, eating straight through to the core.

"Damn. Pushed it too far."

I hadn’t even braced for it—Alumirulei flared bright, then collapsed, spent and gone.

Fuel’s gone down to barely twenty percent. The readout says I can hold out for thirty minutes under normal combat—barely. Gotta finish this before then, or I’m dead.

But that last hit… it shook her up too. Through the monitor, I see Rizet’s machine kneeling on one knee.

Smoke still curls from the hole in her flank—still hot, I guess. And tiny droplets of concentrated mana fluid—Hyimagia Liquid—glow faintly, leaking out. Probably cracked part of her supply line.

“Rizet, you okay!?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But the machine’s a mess. Took a beating in those few seconds—generator’s nearly overheating.”

“Overheated in just a few seconds!? What kind of heat were we talking about?”

“Don’t know. But that magic mechanism—wouldn’t a scholar like you have figured at least part of it out by now?”

“Hmm, I’ve got a rough idea.”

I grit my teeth inside, heaving the frame upright. If they’ve figured out the magic’s workings, there’s no way I’m walking away alive.

The Alumiru Ray back there cooked the physical processor—Sensboard—completely. Been spitting out error messages on the screen ever since.

Now we’re just a scrap of iron. No, worse—bent clean in half down the middle. Not even a proper pole anymore.

“Rizet, step back. I’ll handle this myself from here.”

“Sir, what are you saying!? Your machine’s magic-focused, isn’t it!? You can’t just—”

“Even if it’s magic-focused, that doesn’t mean I can’t close the distance. In fact, that’s exactly where my strength lies—”

The Kansas unit suddenly erupts in flame—but it’s not the machine itself burning.

Instead, twin blades of flame and ice grip its hands, and a shield of earth wraps around its arm.

A whirlwind coils around the blazing machine, lifting the fire skyward like a column.

“Close combat.”

The machine, wrapped head to toe in magic, stands before me.

“Didn’t think I’d be using this move… not in a while.”

“Some hidden trick, huh?”

“I’ve never let a soul walk away after seeing this form.”

“Then I’ll be the first.”

I purge Artificogus—out from within, an arm up to the elbow emerges.

Back when I first built it, the whole hand was there—fingers and all. But after stuffing so much into the Artificogus, the lower half just got in the way. So I cut it off.

Well, this’ll do just fine. Either way, all I need’s my right arm—and the sword gripped tight in it.

Feels like ages since I last had this.

Focus every nerve, let the machine and me become one.

Don’t think before you move. By the time thought catches up, your hand’s already moved.

Move like a reflex—fastest, sharpest performance.

That’s the duty of whoever’s entrusted with this machine!

“Alright, then—let’s go?”

“Bring it!”

Pound the pedal to the floor, and rocket forward.

Without the Artificogus dragging it down, the machine’s top speed was nothing short of ridiculous.

First strike—straight in.

The blade shoots forward, deflected by the enemy’s ice sword.

I don’t stop. I slam straight into the enemy unit, sliding past its flank by a hair’s breadth. Then rise, turn, and strike from behind.

But suddenly, flames gather at the rear of Kansas—swelling into a sphere in an instant, then exploding.

"Right here!? That close!?"

"That’s Magical Overload!"

Right after the blast, an enemy unit bursts from the smoke, driving its flame sword straight at me.

I roll sideways on the ground, barely dodging, then scramble back to my feet.

"My magic won’t reach me. No matter how close it detonates, this armor will block it all. Come on! Armor of wild magic—try breaking through, if you can!"

When the enemy swings both arms, the shockwave rips through the air like a storm.

Yeah… that’s definitely the dance. The magic’s dancing, all right.

"Troublesome."

Get too close and it’s that blast wind. Step back and it’s just a powerful spell. Can’t just wait for her magic to run dry—no idea how much Hyimagia Liquid’s packed in that tank on her back.

“Didn’t know Your Grace had a trick like that. Then I’ll just follow orders and back off, shall I?”

Figured she didn’t need help. Rizette slowly rose the machine, eyes on me, inching backward bit by bit.

Good—now I don’t have to watch her. But that doesn’t fix what’s right in front of me.

Huh. How to take her down, now?

I lick my lips, small and quick. The machine stands, and I send it jogging around Kansas, circling slow.

Looking for a blind spot. But that magic armor covers her from head to toe. Attacks from behind? Probably pointless.

Then—

"Charge in!"

"Coming straight at me, huh?"

By the time we’re back at close range, I dive in hard.

The sword’s not thrust out—just tucked lightly behind my back.

Kansas chooses a sword strike. She advances her frame to meet me, closing the distance, then swings both dual blades down with a solid arc.

I twist the machine’s hips, meeting her upward swing with my left-hand ice sword. My right-hand flame sword catches the blow on my left shoulder.

The impact—my left shoulder shears clean off.

I purge the left arm instantly, cutting off fuel supply. At the same time, I twist the frame deeper into the strike.

Gut punch—our machines collide.

"How’s that? Can you use that spell now, huh?"

"Mmph."

How’s that—get this close, and what then? Magic shields? Mostly wrap around the whole frame or surface. So if we’re this tight—right up against each other—then that’s outside the shield’s range.

If I blow up now, the part of my machine touching theirs—the enemy’s belly—gets hit by the blast. And not just that. The bits flying off my frame? They’ll shred their machine too.

“But!”

Kansas jabs the tip of his flame sword straight at me.

I keep ramming my frame into his, twist around, scrape the armor, kick his leg away—metal screeching.

His machine tips sideways, off-balance. I fall on top of it, sword jammed into my right shoulder—right arm locked.

"Guess physical attacks aren’t your strong suit, huh!"

"Damn it—get back!"

Kansas swings the ice sword down at me, trying to push me off, but if I know the move coming, I can block it any number of ways.

Grab the elbow just before the swing—clamp down with all my strength.

Can’t crush the armor, not with that, but the exposed joints? Those I can break.

Crack—crack—crack. The joint pipes and tubes collapse under my grip. I feel the left arm go slack.

My own fingers go numb in return. Oh well. Doesn’t matter.

Let go of the dead weight, lift my arm high.

"This is it!"

"No defeat for the Eight General Knight!"

Then—light bursts from Kansas’s machine. I’ve seen that glow before.

It’s the light from Hyimagia Liquid升华—concentrated magic fluid turning to vapor.

Proof the magic’s leaking. But a sudden pump failure in a situation like this? Unthinkable. That leaves only one possibility.

“Self-destruct!?!”

“Die, you one-armed freak!”

“I don’t want to—!”

I slam my raised arm down onto the cockpit. A second, Kanza’s gasp—then nothing. Probably knocked out cold from the shock.

As I get the机身 upright, I check the enemy’s status. Even if the pilot’s out, the self-destruct won’t stop.

The light pouring out grows brighter, washing over my机身.

I remember the sight—Batis smashing the Armunale generator, the ground splitting open into a massive crater at the epicenter.

“Can we make it?”

I turn on my heel and bolt full-steam ahead. Need to put as much distance as possible between me and that machine.

Even as I run, I glance around—check for allies. Lucky break: no Abnomule wreckage nearby. Batis’s machine is standing on one knee, waiting, a little ways off.

But even that’s risky. Kansas’s machine had three to four times the normal concentration of Hyimagia Liquid packed in. If it goes off now, the blast’ll be nothing like before.

“Batis! Get up—now! Get as far away as you can!”

“Ah!?”

"That thing’s gonna blow! Gonna be a hell of a blast!"

"Serious? No way—I can’t move yet. Left leg circuit’s completely severed."

Damn it. So that’s why we’re stuck here.

"Can you still use magic?"

"Yeah, that’s fine."

"Then go full force with Clay Shield. You remember, right?"

"Got it. Don’t have to worry about fuel consumption, huh?"

"Obviously!"

I brace Batis’s machine while he pours every last drop of fuel into summoning a massive Clay Shield.

Right after, Kansas’s machine explodes in a flash of light.

The shockwave spreads instantly, starting to violently tear through the Clay Shield.

I instinctively cast a Tornado spell, trying to dodge the force—but it’s too strong. Wind magic won’t cut it.

And then, the final clay shield shattered—exposed to the heat wave, the machine was thrown.

It tumbled over with the impact, rolling across the ground like so much trash.

I was jolted violently in the cockpit, my head slamming into the seat—dizzied, slipping away from consciousness.

Something about "ladies first"… meant something like "you're my flesh shield," or maybe not.