novelraw Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56: Killing Existence (3)
‘I need to reconsider.’
Abel thought, with his right hand extended.
Thump, thump, thump. Vibrations transmitted from his fingertips.
On the other side of the protective shield Abel had deployed, the combat-type golems were rushing in ferociously. Heavy fists rained down mercilessly. They were as unrestrained as the snout of a beast that had smelled blood.
‘Who is this child?’
Abel examined Emilio's face.
He didn't seem to be a student from the Department of Divinity. The crest engraved on his cloak was that of the Mystriel family. Students should have been forbidden from entering CIAR's armory, so why was he summoned along with the combat-type golems?
‘The color of the Mana Reactor is red.’
Next, Abel observed the combat-type golems.
The Mana Reactor was the golem's power source and central processing unit. In other words, it was the equivalent of a human's heart and brain. A red Mana Reactor would mean an error had occurred. Did someone tamper with the Mana Reactors of the combat-type golems?
‘No, it's different.’
Abel shook his head.
It wouldn't be accurate. To call it tampering.
Because tampering was a word for diagnosing a mechanical device.
[Don't leave us behind.]
[I can't see ahead. The underground is too dark.]
[Hot, hot, hot.]
[Who locked us in the fire?]
[──Ahahahaha!]
Those things are no longer objects.
Abel was certain as he faced the chorus of the combat-type golems. Voices without pitch, stained with noise. But they were full of life. As if a soul had intruded into the golems.
‘Good. Then…….’
A gleam flashed in Abel's blackish-blue eyes.
He extended his gaze through the gaps between the combat-type golems, toward what lay beyond.
‘What will you do?’
Thus, Ernst clicked his tongue.
“Tch.”
It was because he had grasped Abel's intention.
Did it mean a real battle is a real battle, and training is training? If Abel had moved himself, the situation would have ended long ago. There was no way a man who slaughtered warships would struggle against combat-type golems. Abel was probably just going to deploy a protective shield and observe the students' response……,
“It's your turn, Er.”
Suddenly, Demian opened his mouth.
“Professor Argento will not intervene. We have to handle it with our own hands. I'll leave the command to you. No one can do it but you. You know that well too.”
“……I want to pretend I don't, really.”
Ernst let out a sigh.
He had no intention of denying Demian's words. That blockhead didn't have the aptitude of a commander, and it would be the same for Fleur and Roberta. They were all just guys who liked to run wild as they pleased. It was because their individual talents stood out too much.
Ernst took off his glasses.
He recited a cast and stared straight ahead with his naked eyes.
Ernst's wavering green eyes.
They turned black for a moment, then soon reconfigured.
Pzzzt, he went.
A golden wave was engraved on Ernst's iris.
And so, it became clear.
His blurry vision became sharp, and he could see things he couldn't see before. For example, the direction of the wind or the flow of scent, and even divine power was visualized and spread out.
<……but an entirely forgotten landscape.>
The 3rd chapter of the Oblivion Theory, ‘A Map Woven with a Wanderer's Steps’.
It was a spell Ernst often used. A spell that helped detect energies that could not be seen with the naked eye. In other words, a preparation for observing spirits, souls, mana, and divine power.
‘Be that as it may…….’
Ernst's brow narrowed.
‘What on earth is that ridiculously huge sword?’
In front of him, a great sword like a building's pillar was soaring.
It was Monika's sword. The strands of grass wrapped around the blade are a product of aura, and did she bear the weight by resonating with the divine power in her body?
Ernst thought he didn't know for sure. It was his first time in a joint training with Monika, and he had no experience of dissecting the body of someone who wielded aura.
‘In any case, it's absurd.’
Ernst tried to grasp Monika.
He examined the thickness of her bones, the density of her muscles, and so on through the spell.
Her body was weaker than her peers. But the aura accumulated in her heart was a brilliant green, and the divine power circulating in her body was by no means small. The problem was that she couldn't control her power. The mass of aura was loose, and the flow of divine power was unstable.
“Senior Ernst.”
Meanwhile, Monika looked back.
It was because she had noticed Ernst's gaze.
“What should I do.”
“Ah, that……”
Damn it. I've never had a conversation with her.
Ernst's pupils trembled slightly. A commoner, a war orphan, a child with one arm not sound, a girl who had lived in the slums all her life. What kind of language should he use to address such a Monika?
Ernst thought he didn't know for sure. The system called etiquette was a culture of the court, and was focused on fostering relationships between nobles.
“──Ah, my lady.”
That is why he concluded.
That he had to adhere to etiquette even more thoroughly.
“O lady with eyes like the full moon, it is an honor to have a conversation with you.”
“……Yes?”
“Please wait. I, Ernst von Tresckow, will recall, on the honor of my grandmother's achievements. A way to utilize your strong and beautiful body.”
“Well, go ahead……”
Is he a madman?
Monika thought, staring straight ahead.
“Roberta, take out the magic scroll you've hidden in your pocket. We'll use it to lure the golems.”
“Huh? I don't have anything like that.”
“Don't be ridiculous. I know you've stashed it away. You were trying to set Professor Argento's butt on fire, weren't you? Don't think you can fool me.”
“You're wrong. I was just trying to set off some fireworks.”
“I get it, so give it to me. I'll give you money later. A couple of gold coins on top. You can buy a new scroll with that.”
“Okay! Oppa Ernst is generous.”
Monika listened carefully to Ernst's instructions.
It seemed like a plausible plan. There was a need to disperse the attention of the combat-type golems. After disrupting the battle situation that was focused on Abel, they had to aim for a chance to defeat them one by one.
“Fleur, you deploy a defensive spell the moment I give the signal. With Roberta.”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
“There's no need to cast it to cover the whole body. The consumption of divine power will be severe. You just need to block the direction the attack is coming from.”
“I'll ask Roberta for the directional instructions. She has better kinetic vision than me.”
“Exactly. You can't make a mistake. Please take good care so that I, Demian, and the goddess of amber do not get hurt.”
“I'm the one who should be asking, senior. Please don't call Monika like that.”
The spell that constituted the protective shield required a large amount of divine power.
All fortresses are built to be broken. The protective shield realized through divine power was the same. It was bound to collapse if the impact was amplified or the divine power ran out. That is why Ernst's judgment was accurate. He was considering the aspect of a war of attrition.
“Next, Demian.”
“You don't have to say it, Er. I have to aim for the Mana Reactors of the combat-type golems. With you.”
“Exactly. There's no need to destroy their bodies. Aiming for the vital points is enough.”
“All matches are decided in a single strike. Tearing limbs apart is a punishment befitting a sinner. I want to bestow mercy on those golems. As a true knight.”
“Stop your damn nonsense, really.”
The weak point of a combat-type golem was its Mana Reactor.
There was no reason to destroy its body. It would stop operating the moment the Mana Reactor was destroyed. In other words, the red, shining chest was the target.
Monika readily agreed with Ernst's decision. It was an exemplary judgment from start to finish. Although she had never learned tactics, she could tell that the plan Ernst had come up with was rational.
“Finally, my lady.”
“……Yes.”
At Ernst's call, Monika answered.
Why is he using that tone only with me? Monika thought, pursing her lips. Is it a form of bullying? Then Ernst must be a genius. Because he could inflict pain on others without using violence.
“Please understand with your wide generosity. I, Ernst von Tresckow, am ignorant of combat using aura. Above all, they say aura is realized differently depending on an individual's conviction.”
“That's right, I guess……”
Monika shrugged her shoulders.
“Senior, how about you just let me run wild?”
“Run wild? Your movements will be like the dance of a fairy.”
“Forget it. I'll stir up the center of the battle. In that gap, aim for the Mana Reactor with Senior Demian.”
“Thank you for your valuable opinion, my lady. But I am worried. What should I do if your body gets hurt……”
“You can just use recovery magic on me.”
“But a wounded heart cannot be restored……”
“Stop your damn nonsense, please.”
“……Y-yes.”
Ahem, he went.
Ernst cleared his throat.
The plan was more or less made. Now it was time to wait for the signal.
Monika thought, staring straight ahead. The great sword, aura, and the functions built into her prosthetic arm. If someone was needed to move through the combat-type golems, she had to take it upon herself. Monika judged so. Because she was equipped with armaments suitable for interpersonal combat.
“I'm going to count to three now. Everyone, get ready.”
Ernst's whisper was heard.
Monika bent her upper body to move forward.
She placed the body of the great sword on her back and took a deep breath.
“One.”
No need to be nervous, she said.
A voice was heard from beside Monika.
It was Demian. He was looking at Monika with a smile.
“Two.”
Thank you, she said.
Monika muttered toward Demian.
It wasn't that she was nervous. She was just curious.
The chorus of the combat-type golems was ringing in her ears. Because their voices were uniquely full of life, or because they were ultimately not full of life, a question had come to mind.
‘……Is it okay to destroy them?’
No, is it okay to kill them?
They should be the same as Mr. Fabien.
“──Three!”
Thud!
A footstep that stamped down on Monika's thoughts.
There was no time to mull over the question. Monika ran toward the combat-type golems. Her vision, riddled with sand and dust, moved violently.
“This is the first time we've had a conversation like this, isn't it?”
Meanwhile, Demian whispering in a light voice.
He was running straight beside Monika.
“Actually, Monika, I was curious about your skills.”
Monika and Demian were staring straight ahead.
Their running speed was similar, but their spirit was different. While Monika was advancing with gritted teeth, a relaxed smile was on Demian's lips.
“Dante Marchisio of the Department of Spearmanship. I often saw you training with that child.”
“……Do you know Senior Dante?”
Monika's pupils tilted toward Demian.
Demian did not answer. He just brought his index finger to his lips. And so, in an instant, a magic scroll was thrown between the two. Ernst had crumpled it into a ball and thrown it.
Thump, thump, he went.
The scrolls reaching the combat-type golems.
──Pzzzt!
A streak of light on the scroll.
Kaboom──!
A blooming explosion.
Even so, it was like fireworks. Roberta's scroll had no killing power. Just a faint flame and sand grains scattering.
In the first place, it was for attracting attention. Monika held her great sword back. On the other side of the thickly rising dust, the red, glowing Mana Reactors flashed like wide-open eyes. The combat-type golems had turned toward Monika.
[Who? Who? Who?]
[Join our flame.]
[Give us your blood, and let's burn our flesh.]
[──It's waarm!]
Thud, he went.
The sound of the wind being torn.
‘……They're coming!’
Monika held her breath.
The strands of grass wrapped around the great sword swayed.
The leaves made of aura stood up as if baring their teeth, and,
[With us──!]
[──Let's all become ash!]
The fists of the combat-type golems pouring in all at once.
No, that's wrong. I shouldn't think of those as fists. Monika thought, putting strength into the hilt. Judging by the speed and power, it would be close to a cannonball. So let's stop thinking about cutting it. If I can't cut it, then rather……,
‘I'll strike the fist away!’
Monika's amber eyes shone.
She extended the hilt with all her might. The blade of the great sword, scattering a deafening roar, swept across the front. Monika's arm swayed. The weight of the combat-type golem poured into her entire body, and,
Kaboom──!
The moment the lined-up golems were swept away by the great sword,
“Let's go, Er!”
“Ooh!”
Demian and Ernst moving forward.
<……The eternal banner!>
The casts that followed the two.
‘Is this the power of an out-of-control golem?’
Demian thought, gripping his Walloon sword.
Thud, he went. The fist of a combat-type golem being blocked by a defensive spell. The translucent protective shield was crumbling. It should be a shield that could withstand not only sword strikes but also bullets, yet it barely withstood a single attack.
‘Interesting.’
A smile spread across Demian's lips.
He extended his left hand and wiped the blade of his Walloon sword.
The second chapter of the Mother God Theory, ‘Transplanting’.
It was a spell to add divine power to a weapon. A gleam was engraved on the blade following Demian's touch. The curtain made of divine power added to its sharpness, and,
“──Here I go!”
Numeros Formal Swordsmanship 28th section, ‘Thunderbolt’.
Demian's upper body bent down. On the other side of his sharply honed ashen eyes, the Mana Reactor of the combat-type golem was located.
His right hand wrapping around the end of the hilt. His left hand extended as if to snatch the target. Demian drew a sword path in the gap. It was a stance intended for an all-out thrust.
Crack!
And so, he charged.
Tearing through the air like a thunderbolt.
‘What a monstrous bastard.’
Ernst thought, glancing at Demian.
‘How does he use such a technique?’
The tip of the Walloon sword had just pierced the Mana Reactor.
While the liquefied mana scattered in a blue hue, the combat-type golem, which had stopped operating, collapsed. Thud, he went.
Demian was standing on the combat-type golem. The blade, which had swung through the empty air once. The gelatinous mana was scattered on the sand.
‘Compared to that, I am…….’
Thump, thump, thump!
Ernst stared straight ahead.
The offensive of the combat-type golem was continuing.
The fragmented protective shield was blocking the blows, but it was difficult to aim for the Mana Reactor because of the golem's chaotic movements.
“Oppa Ernst is a slowpoke's cousin!”
Roberta's shout reached Ernst's ears.
‘I know I'm slow too!’
Ernst bit his lower lip.
The cutlass, a single-edged sword, was a weapon specialized for slashing rather than thrusting. Could he pierce a Mana Reactor with this thing? While such a question arose,
‘……These guys.’
Another question took root in Ernst's mind.
‘Are they really golems?’
The combat-type golem rampaging in front of him was unusual.
Was it really just a malfunction? Ernst couldn't be sure.
He was in the process of observing the golem's body through the spell. The strands of mana circulating within the steel body. He could accept that, but what on earth was the dark red wave concentrated around the Mana Reactor?
It somehow looks like a soul…….
[Hot. Hot. Hot.]
[The undying ember is our heart.]
There was no time to think.
The gaze of the combat-type golem flashed.
Thud, he went.
A rushing iron fist.
Fleur's voice was heard.
A defensive spell deployed toward Ernst.
A translucent protective shield spread out above his head.
‘Damn it!’
Ernst gripped his cutlass.
He advanced, supporting the hilt with both hands.
The direction of the blade began to tremble slightly.
──Grip!
Thus, it needed to be fixed.
If the blade could not be solidified, the target had to be fixed. Strands of grass that had extended from somewhere wrapped around the limbs of the combat-type golem. They had tied up the steel limbs and sealed its movements.
‘……This is.’
Ernst's gaze narrowed.
The blade of the cutlass pierced the Mana Reactor.
‘Is it aura?’
Pshh, he went.
Liquefied mana was splattered on Ernst's face.
While the combat-type golem whose vital point had been pierced by Ernst collapsed, the figure of Monika, who had been striding beyond it, was revealed.
Monika was moving busily. She swung the great sword with her prosthetic arm, and at the same time, assisted Ernst by extending her aura with her left hand. It was annoying to have to pay attention to both the front and the rear.
‘Strange.’
Monika thought with wide-open eyes.
Her mind was in a mess. She didn't know why, but she felt that the combat-type golem rushing at her was strange.
[──Us.]
The fist of a combat-type golem extending.
Damn it, is this not the time to be using my head?
Monika frowned. There was no time to wait for a defensive spell. She stuck her great sword into the ground and threw her prosthetic arm back.
[Us, us, us.]
Clank, he went.
The sound of a mechanical device engaging.
The wrist of the prosthetic arm twisted, and a cannon barrel was revealed.
[Why did you──.]
The fist of a combat-type golem filling Monika's vision.
It was plunging down at the speed of a cannonball. Then there was no choice but to counter with a cannonade of equal power.
[……abandon us? Why did you abandon us?]
Kaboom──!
A deafening roar erupted.
Inside the dust that was fluttering in all directions, the bodies of Monika and the combat-type golem staggered. It was because the iron fist and the mana bullet fired from the prosthetic arm had collided.
I must not waste a moment. Monika thought, quickly extending her left hand. Now that the combat-type golem's posture has collapsed, all I need to do is grab the great sword and pierce the Mana Reactor……,
[Friends. My friends…….]
She couldn't move.
Monika stood rooted to the spot.
She stood there with a blank expression, gripping the hilt of the great sword, facing the gaze of the combat-type golem.
[You are my…….]
──Swish!
Suddenly, a blue mark landed on Monika's face.
It was splattered liquefied mana. The combat-type golem convulsed like a doll with a broken spring. In the center of its faintly stirring body, a worn blade was sticking out from the round Mana Reactor. It was none other than Abel's beloved sword.
“Everyone did well.”
Swoosh, he went.
The combat-type golem scattered into dust.
From beyond it, Abel's figure was revealed. Abel, with Emilio slung over his shoulder, stood with an indifferent expression.
“Danger can arise at any time. The capital is no exception, nor is CIAR. Do not forget that fact.”
Abel passed by Monika.
Only then did Monika look around. The combat-type golems were collapsed all around. Liquefied mana was staining the training ground. Had they all been subdued already? She had been so distracted that she hadn't even counted the number.
“I need to take this child to the infirmary.”
Pat, pat.
Abel said, patting Emilio's back.
“You all wait in the classroom. If I haven't returned in an hour, you may dismiss yourselves and go about your day.”
Monika just stared at Abel.
Abel must have felt the sense of unease as well. It was difficult to guess his inner thoughts because he was consistently blunt, but he was not a person who would overlook the current situation.
“Monika, your hand is hurt.”
Suddenly, Fleur approached Monika.
She took Monika's left hand and cast a recovery spell.
At the same time, she glared at the prosthetic arm. A prosthetic arm that fired cannonballs. How could they attach such a thing. As she frowned, thinking so,
“Teacher Abel!”
Monika called out to Abel.
Her head was heavy. Forgetting even the fact that Fleur, a terribly disliked child, was holding her hand, she just posed a question to Abel.
“These golems……, are they really golems?”
Are golems, really golems?
It was a ridiculous question even to herself.
But Abel stopped. Abel's expression as he looked back at Monika was quite serious.
“……I'm going to find out now.”
That was Abel's answer.
There was no other way to respond.
They are not golems. He felt he shouldn't assert that.