Volume 6 - Chapter 28 – Start of the Counterattack (1/2)
06-28 Start of the Counterattack
Jin surveyed the scene around him.
Immediately after the onset of chaos, Jin’s attack magic was unusable because using [Laser] or [Water Jet] for example would carry a risk of involving the bystanders by accident because of the magics’ high power and penetration.
However, now that the disorder was settling down and only a small handful of people were left standing, as long as he made sure no one was in the line of fire he could use them without hesitation.
“Beana, don’t move away from me.”
“Huh, huh, huh? What are you planning, Jin?”
Jin didn’t have spare time to answer the confused Beana, and shot a [Laser].
He aimed at the golems that were swarming Elsa.
Since he wasn’t confident that the Ring of Protection could defend against a laser beam, instead of the golems between him and the barrier he finished off the golems on the sides.
So that this time too evidence would be left behind, he avoided the parts that contained the Magi Devices. In other words, he focused on destroying the lower halves of their bodies.
“A-, amazing…”
Beana who was next to him was more than surprised, she was astonished. That’s because every time Jin’s bracelet shone, a golem’s lower half evaporated into nothing.
After repeating that several times, finally the golems surrounding Elsa were eradicated.
“Elsa!”
With eyes wet from tears, Elsa had been looking at the golems get defeated. That was due to Jin’s magic.
“Jin, kun…”
She moved with trembling feet, rushing towards Jin,
…And their barriers bumped and bounced off each other.
“Ow.”
Inside the barrier, Elsa fell on her backside. Jin gave an awkward smile,
“Elsa, you have to cancel the barrier, see?”
Jin said and canceled his own barrier for a moment after looking around. Similarly, Elsa canceled her barrier and Jin could help her up. Elsa’s hand that clasped Jin’s was shivering a bit.
Jin wanted to comfort Elsa who was like that, but,
“Sorry. But this place is still crawling with many more golems. If possible, I’ll leave Beana to you.”
“Eh, Jin?”
Jin stroked Elsa’s head just once, then pushed Beana towards Elsa. Elsa caught Beana in her arms. Then,
“Barrier.”
Once more a barrier covered the two.
“I’ll go assist Reinhardt and the others. You two go to that wall. In that case at least you can’t get attacked from behind.”
“…Got it. Be careful.”
She had numerous complaints, but even Elsa understood the current situation. With legs that still shivered a bit, she retreated to the wall along with Beana.
＊ ＊ ＊
Turning back time a bit, in the state guest house. Reiko was house-sitting. She was visible.
“…The fluctuation just now.”
Reiko felt a powerful surge of magic flow over her.
“It’s the same kind of magic that that golem Albus used earlier. The direction… inside the castle, in the direction of the banquet hall?”
Reiko calmly began to walk.
“W-Where are you going?”
The Royal Secret Maid Laila who was left behind asked Reiko, who only gave a brief reply,
“Father… is in danger.”
She muttered and rushed out of the room.
“Hey, wait!”
Laila came rushing after Reiko, but,
“Eep!”
Her breath was taken away when he saw the disastrous scene in the hallway.
The golems with miscellanious duties were running rampant. She then witnessed Reiko destroy them with minor strikes.
“Awawawawa!”
Laila returned to the room in a hurry and locked the door.
“W- what on earth?”
There was no one to answer her.
The other party, Reiko, increased her output even more and sped through the hallway. She went to the usual 20% Jin permitted.
In front of her stood two security golems.
“You’re on the way.”
Reiko swung her fist just once. As a result, the two security golems were blown away, breaking through the guest house’s wall and flying outside, scattered to pieces.
“As I thought, it’s the magic from earlier.”
Reiko muttered while advancing.
The first one was weak, while the second one was strong. Jin didn’t probably feel the second one, but Reiko did. It was near the place where golems were on standby.
That’s to say, all of the golems kept in the reserve, whether they were for war potential or chores, were under the effects.
One word describes the scene Reiko saw after leaving the guest house’s premises: chaos. Everywhere golems and knights or soldiers battled.
Fallen soldiers and broken golems lay on top of one another, the royal palace’s courtyard was like a battlefield. It was obvious that the human side’s situation was dire, but Reiko’s first priority was Jin’s safety.
Although, the attacking golems were so numerous that it was impossible to disregard them. So inevitably Reiko had to destroy many of the golems there.
“I- I’m saved…”
“W-, what is that girl?”
“A golem…No, an Automata?”
Perhaps Reiko seemed like a lifesaver to the wounded soldiers.
Security golems, knight golems, chore golems. Golem upon golem had risen in revolt against humans.
While slaughtering a large amount of golems like them, Reiko continued on.
“?”
In the middle of it all, Reiko noticed an out-of-place white bird-type golem mixed in with the others, but as Reiko’s current priority was rushing to where Jin was, she didn’t take a detailed look.
Finally Reiko finished crossing the courtyard, and she arrived at the gate to the heart of the royal castle, the inner palace. However, that area was closed off by a massive iron gate.
As an experiment Reiko tried pushing it, but whether because it was barred on the inside or not it didn’t budge. Therefore Reiko quickly took alternative measures.
Namely, destruction.
Boom, and the iron gate bent with a remarkably loud noise.
“Surprisingly durable, aren’t you.”
The gap she created was about 30 centimeters wide. To withstand Reiko’s blow at 20% power like that, the door’s sturdiness was apparent.
It was expected, as the door was ten centimeters thick. However, this was enough to let Reiko pass.
Through the gate’s gap, there was more chaos.
In the plaza at the front of the inner palace, Imperial Guard knights and magi knights were assaulting the golems. The Imperial Guard knights used their excellent sword skills, and the magi knights used fire-system magic to aim at the golems’ weak points.
The typical golem in this castle used bronze as a material. The melting point of bronze with five percent tin in it was around 1050 degrees Celsius. When mixed with lead or such, it was lower.