09-41 Fierce Battle
“Hm? So there was an exit there too.”
Jin who could literally see the big picture from the sky saw an exit open in a rock wall about 500 meters behind and to the west of where the Land corps were fighting with the enemy.
“Land corps, watch your backs! Titan-1, back them up.”
Jin immediately gave orders.
After receiving that the Land units from 1 to 60 turned around. The remaining units from 61 to 100 kept massacring the old type combat golems.
“Oh? This time the golems are of a different model, probably a newer type. Be careful!”
Jin gave further orders, even to the Raptor team circling in the sky.
“Be prepared to fire down Magi Jammers at any time.”
Then he returned to watching the battle.
There were 500 of the new type golems that had appeared. Although the old types were mostly defeated, it was still a five times difference in the fighting force.
But that’s where Titan-1 came in.
“What a gigantic golem. In practice just the sight of it is menacing. Although even Adrianna didn’t built something like that.”
As you’d expect, even Elena felt threatened staring at the gigantic Titan.
“Before our golems meet with theirs, toss two Gigantes cores in the middle of them!”
Elena’s instructions.
One of the all-purpose golems followed them.
The past’s superweapon Gigantes was controlled by its Core. That Core absorbed Mana from its surroundings and made it its own.
Simply by touching it could suck out the opponent’s Mana and render them immobile. That’s the kind of superweapon it was.
Gigantes’s Cores were usually held in sealed boxes, so the all-purpose golem tossed the cores, boxes and all, into the middle of the old type combat golems.
The boxes hit the ground and broke, then the Gigantes sucked the Mana out of the old type combat golems and formed themselves. Their bodies were composed of rock and old type combat golem body parts which had been lying around.
“Two Gigantes, huh. So the two we failed to find were in their hands.”
Jin said while watching the battlefield’s state from a Magic Screen while flying in the air.
“But to use your allies’ Mana. What a nasty bunch.”
Currently, the Land corps were under pincer attack by the two Gigantes and the enemy golems.
A number of the Land golems stopped moving when they received an attack from a Gigantes, but they were rescued by their compatriots, had their Mana Drivers safely restarted, and re-entered the battle.
“Land corps, don’t be concerned about the Gigantes. Draw back. Titan-1 will stop the Gigantes.”
Jin sent out his orders.
“Father, although it’s a Titan, won’t the Gigantes still suck all its Mana out?”
Reiko who had once fought a Gigantes said.
“Mh-hm, I’ve got an idea for that. Let’s see if it’s correct, shall we?”
Jin then issued more orders.
“Titan-1, apply [Solid Barrier] on your fists.”
Jin’s plan.
First, concentrate the defensive barrier that usually covers the whole body to just the fists.
What Gigantes could absorb was only Mana, Ether, and so on, not magic.
According to Ann, Gigantes could ‘absorb Magic Energy from many sources: from touching things, the surrounding air, or fired magic.’ but during the last confrontation Reinhardt’s [Flame Lance] had melted its body. That’s why Jin had made the guess that it probably can’t absorb magic.
“Alright, just like that bash the Gigantes!”
the Gigantes’s movements were slow. Titan’s right fist easily smashed into Gigantes.
＊ ＊ ＊
“W-what is this!”
Elena was surprised.
Gigantes’s body scattered around. Among the fragments was something shining. It was the Core.
The moment the Core landed on the ground it collected the surrounding scrap and rock and once again formed into a Gigantes.
“…Hehe, I was a little surprised but Gigantes won’t be defeated by an attack like that.”
Elena muttered while watching the Magic Screen.
＊ ＊ ＊
Meanwhile, Jin watched attentively from the sky.
“Just as I thought. Gigantes can’t absorb magic. Alright Titan, keep on attacking like that!”
Titan-1 left the Gigantes that was a little further away for later and struck other Gigantes close by.
Once more Gigantes’s body was blown to pieces. Simultaneously its Core flew out.
Aiming at that Titan-1 once again swung its fist.
“Eh?”
Elena who was watching raised her voice in astonishment.
Unbefittingly nimbly for its gigantic body, Titan-1 punched once more at the Core that flew out.
And as you’d expect, the Core couldn’t bear the impact and was smashed up. Gigantes didn’t form a second time.
“But, but why!?”
Elena yelled like what she just saw was unbelievable. Before her eyes, Titan-1 defeated the second Gigantes in the same way.
“No way….”
Elena’s exhausted voice echoed in the headquarters of the Unifiers.
As soon as Jin saw that, he gave the next orders to Titan-1.
“Titan-1, provide backup for the Land corps.”
Receiving the orders, Titan-1 turned. It headed to provide backup for the Land corps who were in the middle of a fierce battle.
The Land corps formed a battle formation to fight against the opponent five times their number.
This was the tactic of Shouro Empire knights that Reinhardt had copied for them.
According to it one soldier had the power of one soldier, but when assembled to a group if ten soldiers came their power wouldn’t be that of ten soldiers, instead they’d be able to show the power of only five or six soldiers.
However, there was also the way of thought that when an army soldier formed a battle formation the power of one could become the power of three or four.
Against the new type combat golems that left it all to numbers, the Land corps formed what was on Earth known as a wedge formation.
In other words, the made a Δ shape.
The golems in its pointed tip held Vibration Swords and assaulted the enemy golems’ weak point.
The back row had the duty of deploying [Solid Barrier]s and [Magic Barrier]s to protect against attacks from the rear.
While holding the formation, the Land corps ran through the new type combat golems at a high speed.
“I see, they’re moving so that they don’t get surrounded.”
Jin who was watching from the sky could easily understand the meaning of their movements.
The image from the sky was simultaneously sent to Laojin, and using that information Laojin was able to give instructions guiding the Land corps to the appropriate places.
“Now, Titan-1!”
Once Jin had confirmed that the Land corps had pierced through the enemy golems he gave the order to Titan-1.
Titan-1 attacked from behind of the Unifiers’ new type combat golems which were focused on the Land corps.
Around five golems were crushed underneath its giant feet and the enemy golems’ movements were throw into disarray.
Titan-1 ran around in the middle of the enemy golems some more.
“Tch, how could this…!”
Elena’s face warped with displeasure. The only golems she kept seeing being destroyed were the Unifiers’.
“Good, Titan-1, now to the right!”
It kicked its giant leg, and while the trampled golems weren’t destroyed, their legs were bent, arms broken, and heads squashed, so they were by no means okay.
Their movements of course became slow, and their combat strength plummeted. The Land corps didn’t overlook that.
Quickly the wrecks of the new type combat golems piled up.
“Fall back at once! Fix your posture and reorganize!”
Elena couldn’t be indifferent and gave orders. Abiding those orders, the Unifiers’ new type combat golems temporarily put distance between them and Hourai Island’s military.
But in the battle just now, over 100 of the new type combat golems became scrap.
There were wounded among the Land corps, but no one dropped out of the fight.
But the difference in numbers was still four to one. Even with Titan, the Unifiers had the advantage. …Or so it would seem.
“Well then, I wonder what the other party is planning?”
The lull of the fierce battle resulted in a break. Jin and his opponent were both examining each other while refining their tactics.
“Master, in battles on the ground numbers mean everything. However, the opponent isn’t coordinated. We can take advantage of that.”
Ann also made a suggestion. Rather than Jin, Ann was better acquainted with these kinds of battles.
“Hm, is that so. In other words you’re suggesting we go disturb the enemy.”
Jin muttered. Reiko caught that.
“Father, I’ll go.”