Chapter 39

"Emergency! Vibrations detected at the excavation site!"

The soldiers who had been on standby burst out of the frontline base at the sentry's urgent voice.

The knights who had spent the last three days eating and sleeping inside their colossus cockpits, fully focused on battle preparations, also loosened their stiff bodies and began pulling their colossuses from the maintenance yard.

"Commander will charge in first! Lieutenant, please move to firing position!"

-Roger.

Yaan's Glaepnir walked out of the maintenance yard, answering briefly through the loudspeaker.

The rail cannon mounted on its back and the greatsword stowed horizontally at its waist boasted a weight so heavy that even an ordinary colossus would struggle to lift it.

[Heat source detected. Ascending from 120 meters underground. Arrival in one minute.]

-It'll show itself in one minute.

The page colossuses answered with flare signals, as if to say "understood," as Nill relayed his guidance to the knights.

Colossus Six, piloted by Cain, also sent a flare signal indicating "understood" as it dashed out at high speed, responding to Yaan's words.

"I didn't know the cockpit had a function like this."

"During rapid maneuvers, fire-control overloads the control AI. It's more efficient for me to handle the aim correction."

Sitting back-to-back with Yaan, whose nerves were connected to the back of his neck, was Ren.

Four cables extending from the device mounted at her waist were connected to various points inside the cockpit.

[The biological terminal objects. This AI can perform tasks such as firing during maneuvers at 100% efficiency.]

"That's what it says."

"Even if this Frame was originally construction equipment, its output is more than ten times higher. There's no point in pride."

[This AI is not equipped with the emotion circuit known as pride. The biological terminal's statement must be corrected...]

Thud-

The vibration, clearly felt even inside the cockpit, silenced Ren and Nill's bickering.

Having reached the designated position, Glaepnir pulled the rail cannon from its back.

The other knights who had arrived at the operation zone with it also swallowed dryly, focusing mana into their control sticks.

And a moment later.

"It's coming!"

Kwa-aaang-!

With an explosion like a bomb detonating, the entire excavation site was blown apart.

At the same time as the forest beasts and birds frantically fled from the blast, dust from the explosion filled the excavation site.

"We don't know when it'll pop out! Stay alert!"

After speaking into the loudspeaker, Cain stared at the rising dust with tense eyes.

From within the thick, billowing dust emerged a massive tail covered in armor plates.

Grrrrrr....

As the dust settled, Tauros revealed itself.

Four massive legs supporting its low, sprawling body.

Two gigantic arms made of construction equipment like excavators.

And lastly, a massive tail radiating heat from its tip.

It looked like a scorpion covered in heavy shell armor.

Its size was so enormous it seemed an entire elf village could walk-soldiers' faces turned pale at the sight.

"It's a monster... a real monster!"

"How are we supposed to kill something like that?"

Simply revealing its form caused unrest among the soldiers.

Fear of the unreachable. Awe of technology beyond their comprehension. Perhaps even a sense of yearning-such emotions coursed through the soldiers, causing their gun barrels to drop toward the ground.

"Men! Look at me!"

Prince Klaus, clad in a simple light uniform, stepped to the frontline and steadied the soldiers' hearts.

"The Creator's legacy before you is vast, and we who stand against it are immeasurably weak!"

The prince's words, dismissing their dire situation in a single sentence, made the soldiers swallow dryly.

"Yet I dare to ask you-do not be afraid! The Empire's strongest knight, Cain Lorenz, and I, Prince Klaus Van Vailsar, stand with you!"

-For His Highness!

-Everyone, hold your heads high! We will survive!

The prince's speech from the battlefield, and Cain's shout at the end, caused those who had survived the last battle to be the first to grip their rifles again.

Remembering Cain's feat of leading them to victory in a battle that had seemed impossible, the soldiers took up their weapons one by one.

"Yeah! We can't just die here!"

"Follow the Commander! Follow His Highness!"

Ku-oooo-!

A bizarre cry, like a wail, swept over the soldiers.

Tauros's war cry. Yet the soldiers also overcame their madness and fear, holding their positions.

"Heat dissipation complete for Artillery One through Twelve!"

"Artillery One beginning observed fire!"

Boom! Boom-boom!

Shells fired from the frontline base swept the spot where Tauros stood.

As the first shots, most missed, but a couple struck Tauros's upper armor and exploded.

-Aaaaah-! Yaaaah-!

Loudspeaker? Impossible to tell. A voice so massive it couldn't be compared to a colossus's filled the Great Forest of Kerdan.

Yaan alone recognized the owner of that voice.

"Rael..."

Not a shred of sanity could be found in the voice that reached them.

Tauros immediately turned and charged straight at him.

Seeing this, Yaan aimed Glaepnir's rail cannon at Tauros.

"Target acquired."

Beep-!

At the warning tone following Ren's voice, Glaepnir pulled the trigger.

Soon, the roar and explosion engulfed the entire frontline as the rail cannon spat fire.

Kaang-!

Tauros stumbled back a step, as if startled by the unexpected impact.

Yet Yaan's expression as he watched was far from pleased.

"No penetration. Five rounds remaining."

"Damn it."

A section of the armor had dented-good enough-but that was all.

As if stimulated by the impact, Tauros's speed as it charged at him increased.

-We have to pin it down! Commence firing!

Assault guns loaded with high-explosive and armor-piercing rounds spat fire.

Even armor that Yaan's rail cannon couldn't pierce showed no effect from armor-piercing rounds, but the heat and shock of the high-explosive shells and the shrapnel from the bursting rounds found gaps in the armor and drive system, creating openings.

Ku-oooo-!

Yet Tauros did not stop, charging at Glaepnir.

It looked like a bullfight scaled up dozens of times.

[Rail cannon stowed. Switching armament.]

Glaepnir stowed the rail cannon on its back and drew the greatsword from its waist.

The massive greatsword held in both hands. The iron slab, taller than the colossus itself, slung over Glaepnir's shoulder as it rushed at the charging Tauros.

Kwa-ang-!

With overwhelming momentum, the sword and Tauros's armor collided, sparks flying with a metallic shriek.

A tremendous impact that would have crushed any other colossus's entire frame.

In the cockpit, Yaan took the full brunt of the impact, clenching his teeth as he held back Tauros's massive body.

-Grrr...!?

Rael's curse rang out.

Any other colossus's sword should have snapped like a twig-why was the greatsword in Glaepnir's hands still intact?

Sensing the bewildered gaze, Yaan twisted his lips.

"Ren. Looks like this thing's more useful than I thought."

"Special steel airlifted as rail cannon rounds, forged into a sword. The strongest material producible with current Empire tech."

The greatsword in Glaepnir's hands had been made by merely shaping the surface of the raw material that couldn't be processed into rounds.

Glaepnir, lifting that enormous weight with joint strength and output alone, wielded the massive greatsword with ease.

Crack!

Having blocked Tauros's charge, Glaepnir rammed the greatsword into the ground and re-equipped the Rail Cannon stored on its back.

"Fire it point-blank and it'll punch straight through!"

Boom-boom-boom!

No need to aim.

Aiming at what passed for a head, Glaepnir fired the Rail Cannon at once; flames erupted and Tauros's body was hurled backward.

"Penetration confirmed. Four rounds remaining."

Recoil sent Glaep reeling as well, widening the distance between the two.

Kuaaaaah-!

Tauros let out an inhuman roar-either a scream or a furious war cry-and looked like a rampaging monster rather than an ancient weapon.

"What, the old beast's gone berserk?"

Sensing the thick killing intent radiating from the machine, the sneer on Yaan's lips deepened.

"Good, we've got it on the ropes!"

"Detonate the fuses! Blow it up!"

At Prince Klaus's shout, the waiting soldiers triggered their fuses as one.

Krrrr-!

A muffled boom shook the ground, rippling outward like a wave.

At the same moment the circular ground around Tauros collapsed, driving the colossus's huge frame deep underground.

- Nice!

- All that digging paid off!

Walter and Kurks-heroes of the earthworks-clenched their fists and yelled.

With the roar, an avalanche of dirt large enough to bury an entire frontline base poured onto Tauros's buried body.

The sheer weight of earth made the already-buried Tauros stagger, unable to bear the load.

- Aaaaah! Aaaaah-!

Rael's scream burst from the loudspeaker.

As before, the processing unit that had once been a cockpit now held only mindless destructive instinct, hatred for Yaan, and hatred for itself.

"All batteries, commence fire! Don't give it time to rise! The moment Tauros tries to right itself, concentrate colossus fire!"

- Aye, sir!

- Armor-piercing is useless! Switch to high-explosive!

Boom-boom-boom-boom!

Shells rained into the pit, a pre-calculated barrage dropping precisely into the hole and savaging Tauros's body.

"Excellent! Keep it pinned!"

"All batteries! Keep firing! Burn the barrels out if you have to!"

- Aaaaah! Uwaaaaah!

Every time Tauros thrashed and tried to claw its way out, assault guns from five knights blasted the protruding feet and shoved it back.

- Lieutenant Yaan!

As Cain called out, Glaepnir burst forward.

In its hands, taken from the back unit now mounted on the shoulder, the Rail Cannon glowed at critical state.

- Great! At this rate...!

"Wait-something's off!"

Amid the jubilant knights, Prince Klaus's groan cut through.

"Put the observation screen up!"

A soldier infused mana into the crystal plate he carried, and the view Cain had been watching appeared above it.

Observing Tauros through it, the prince clenched his teeth.

"The color of the emitted light has changed! Control of the Frame has shifted to the Guardian himself!"

Even as he spoke, Glaepnir-perched on Tauros's back-leveled the Rail Cannon.

"Control is moving to the AI now."

"Then we finish it before that happens."

Beep-!

The Rail Cannon fired the instant it finished charging. With a roar the round punched straight through a section of Tauros's back.

Kuaaaaang-!

"Yes! Direct hit!"

"Did we get it?!"

Soldiers clenched their fists at the flash and explosion that tore into Tauros's body.

Tauros stopped moving-for a moment.

But both Prince Klaus and Yaan ground their teeth.

- That won't be enough to kill me.

The voice was no longer Rael's.

It was not a scream of hatred and pain, but a calm, chillingly level voice.

Its even baritone, like the pronouncement of a stern judge, made every soldier flinch.

- Rise as the legacy of humanity. All life that has defiled human soil must be erased.

- Restore the glory of humanity.

- I shall cleanse every impurity, including you, and resurrect the resplendent glory of humanity upon this land.

- Restore the glory of humanity.

- Offer up your worthless lives. Return every stolen legacy and prostrate yourselves beneath my feet.

- Restore the glory of humanity.

"The Administrator has gained a personality... and is speaking to us?"

Klaus ordered the artillery between gritted teeth.

"Don't stop the barrage! Use every last-"

As he spoke-

Thoom!

A gigantic tail burst through the smoke and flames, aiming at the frontline base.

- Damn it! It's up to something!

- Fire! Knock that tail down!

Colossi fired their assault guns wildly at the rising tail.

Yet the tail twisted at impossible angles, dodging the shells while gathering particles at the muzzle on its tip.

[Enemy Frame heat rising. Sub-particle cannon reaching critical-3... 2...]

"Damn it, the moment it seizes control it intends to fire. Ren!"

"Commencing aim correction. Fire straight up."

Kuaaaah-!

Even though the barrel was still glowing, Glaepnir raised its arm.

The Rail Cannon, glowing red-hot in both hands, lifted its overheated body skyward.

- I do not acknowledge you!

Beep-!

The sub-particle cannon flared and the Rail Cannon's round grazed the muzzle.

The impact-far beyond what an assault gun could deliver-twisted the particle cannon's mouth, and a brilliant light poured out.

Kuaaaaaah-!

Was this the fabled breath of a dragon?

The soldiers watching stood transfixed, unable to look away.

"The, the fortress wall..."

"It melted clean through...?"

Thank the heavens most of the troops had evacuated outside.

But for the wounded inside the fortress, it was a bolt from the blue.

The beam-missing its intended artillery-melted an entire section of the fortress wall beside them and erased everything behind it.

[Damage assessment. Twenty percent of base structures annihilated. Life-forms within also confirmed completely eliminated.]

"...Overheat caused deviation. Miss. Two rounds left."

"It's fine. The batteries are safe."

Yaan's verdict was brief, but the soldiers who had watched it pass right in front of them-

Especially the artillery crews-stood in stunned silence, staring at the vanished fortress.

- Artillery Corps! Snap out of it! The barrage has stopped...!

- Control authority established. Tauros, move at combat output.

Kugugugugu...!

Tauros did not miss the moment when the bombardment that had been pinning it down suddenly ceased.

Tauros immediately rose and corrected its posture.

While Yaan focused on stance control on the swaying foothold, Nill's warning tone reached his ears.

[Warning. Enemy excavator approaching.]

"What the hell!?"

Kwuaang-!

With a metallic shriek, Glaepnir's Frame lifted into the air.

The impact was comparable to a direct hit from one of Varthael's shells; Yaan nearly lost consciousness for a moment but barely managed to pull himself together.

[Foolish life-form claiming to be humanity's successor. I never acknowledged your existence either.]

Tauros's crest appeared on the screen, just as when Nill had first appeared. The crest, flickering with noise in places, shook uneasily.

"I never said I wanted your recognition...!"

Even as he said it, the massive excavator charged in again.

Yaan squeezed every ounce of strength to dodge sideways, but a chilling sensation soon raced up his left arm.

"Guh!? What now...!"

Saying that, Yaan's eyes widened as he looked at the source of the pain.

One of Glaepnir's arms had been completely crushed.

[Warning to this Frame's AI. Surrender and transfer the pilot.]

Tauros's voice rang out toward Yaan's Frame. Nill responded by displaying its crest on the screen.

[Transmission to AI Tauros. The pilot you are attacking is officially registered with the Human Federation aboard this Frame.]

[Denial. The pilot exhibits only superficial similarity to a human body and does not meet this AI's criteria.]

[The pilot is present within the Frame and possesses all Federation-standard approval procedures. Additionally, severe defects have been detected in your logic circuits. Cease attack immediately and-]

[This AI's logic circuits are functioning normally. Final warning. Transfer the pilot's body. This is an ultimatum.]

A brief silence followed.

Perhaps Tauros did not truly wish to destroy Glaepnir after all; it seemed to wait for an answer.

"Hey, Nill. What now?"

Yaan, having barely regained his wits while listening to the sudden exchange between Nill and Tauros, asked.

[The pilot's life is not subject to negotiation. An AI driven berserk by long isolation must be erased and deleted per Human Federation management protocols.]

Tsk.

With a short laugh, as if he'd expected this, Yaan raised Glaepnir's head.

"Even if my body tears apart, push the sync rate to the max-whatever you can manage."

Ren, back-to-back with him, quietly closed her eyes. Nill offered no refusal this time.

[Order confirmed.]

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