Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 94

Chapter 94: How Many Miles Until Melee Combat?
  A short while back, right after the Knight Kingdom’s forces engaged in battle with a faction of the Imperial Faction…
  
  Aynst Remberg, the Knight Captain of the Zephyrus Domain forces, who had taken the lead, smiled faintly as he watched one of the artillery Clawsolas he had been targeting explode.
  
  『That Rare Human, he’s reliable after all.』
  
  While thinking that the sudden explosion might have been the work of the allied Knight King, as a precaution, he made his Begalta L-type sidestep and simultaneously swung his right arm, throwing the throwing knives hidden behind the medium shield with all his might into the air.
  
  It might have looked comical from an outsider’s perspective, but the purple lightning from the magic cannons fired by the remaining enemy Clawsolas in the few seconds before the knives landed were greatly deflected. The lightning harmlessly pierced through the light, hardened, alchemically-made knives that were charged with elemental magic, creating a side lightning strike that didn’t cause any serious damage to his Clawsolas.
  
  『… As expected of Lady Eliza, the leading mage.』
  『Your immediate response was truly splendid.』
  
  『I was able to notice the lightning attribute on first sight, thanks to Aynst’s skill and Lady Nina’s help.』
  
  The auburn-haired mage humbly responded to the praise from her fellow knights. She had heard about the phenomenon of pre-discharge when the erudite Lady of the Domain had instructed the installation of something called a “lightning rod” in the main facilities within the territory.
  
  Coincidentally, since the attributes of magic she could handle were water and lightning, she had listened with interest and deepened her understanding. As a result, the combination of the floating lightning orb magic that deflected the highly-penetrative direct lightning strike and the magic barrier that mitigated side lightning strikes, both devised by Lady Nina, had spread among mages as a countermeasure against difficult-to-defend-against lightning magic.
  
  When it comes to practical use in giant knights, since only single-attribute magic can be installed, the prerequisite is that a lightning-attribute magic core is embedded. Aside from that, one can only rely on throwing a prepared dielectric material, which is an application of the basic functions.
  
  『It’s a bit risky timing-wise, so I’d rather not do it again…』
  『But if that auxiliary magic core you mentioned is completed, it’ll be a different story.』
  
  Aynst slowly brought up the new technology under development that had been brought to their domain from the Knight Kingdom through the dispatched technician Jax and others. If it were put to practical use, it should raise the performance of the Clawsolas by another level.
  
  While harboring such secret expectations, he entrusted the construction of the magic formula to Eliza. He then advanced his battle-hardened Begalta L-type to the effective range of normal magic, engaging in a battle of patience with the opponent who was aiming for surefire effects.
  
  
  The first to move were the Rigsia forces, who had little experience fighting the Aberrations of the “Hour of Ruin.” Following the command of Valph Berger, who was in command, the Clawsolas in the vanguard obeyed and simultaneously fired a barrage of fire blasts and wind blades.
  
  The first volley at a distance of about 600m was probably meant to gauge the situation… but due to the distance, it wasn’t enough to penetrate the medium shields. Once deflected, it was difficult to inflict damage.
  
  『Tch, it’s not very effective! Vanguard, prepare for the second volley! Rearguard, don’t miss their movements!!』
  『『『Understood!!』』』
  
  The rugged warrior cursed and immediately addressed the situation. However, Fiana, the mage indirectly connected through the artificial muscles, seemed to have felt his impatience and spoke quietly from the back seat of the Gladius Mr-II.
  
  『As Elnea and the others said, the deciding factor might be physical force.』
  『But the minor damage we inflict beforehand will determine victory, whether in individual or group battles.』
  
  Valph recited his usual theory and regained his composure. At that moment, several Clawsolas from the Zephyrus forces, which had closed the distance to 300-360m, thrust out one arm.
  
  To buy less than a second, the mages in the rearguard, who had been entrusted with judgment, responded and activated defensive magic from the Clawsolas the knights were preparing.
  
  Several giant stone pillars instantly rose in front of their own forces, and multiple semi-transparent floating barriers appeared to fill the gaps… They were destroyed by the incoming magic attacks.
  
  While the rubble damaged the armor of the Clawsolas nearby, a flash of lightning pierced through one Clawsolas in the vanguard, and a side lightning strike caused a steam explosion on the left side of a fellow Clawsolas next to it.
  
  『Did our defenses fail!?』
  『And it has this much power!?』
  
  『… Eliza the Witch’s “Judgment’s Thunder.”』
  
  Those in the rearguard and Fiana gasped at the extraordinary effect. If the cold-hearted Knight Captain Aynst was the right arm of the female fox who was eroding the Empire from within the Imperial Faction, they muttered the name of the unique magic devised by the talented woman rumored to be her left arm.
  
  Although he agreed with the surprise conveyed by his partner mage, Valph, the Knight Captain of the Rigsia forces, could not afford to show any agitation.
  
  He glared at the Zephyrus Clawsolas, which were now within striking distance in a matter of seconds, beyond the stone pillars that were immediately turned into sand and returned to the earth by the mages so as not to hinder the vanguard’s actions.
  
  『Fire the second volley!!』
  
  While the dozen or so Gladius units responded to the courageous commander’s voice and launched their magic attacks, the Nightshade Rasetsu also took a stance beyond the fallen vanguard Clawsolas, unleashing fire blasts from all four palms.
  
  『I’ll make you repay your debt, female fox…』
  
  As if demonstrating the conviction of his adjutant Leonardo in this invasion, the blazing fireballs struck the two Begalta units whose floating barriers had been stripped away by their fellow knights’ attacks, shattering their left arms and legs along with their phosphorescent shields… but most of the magic was blocked by a strange new shield.
  
  Their slowed pace was only momentary. To counter Nina Valer’s forces, who were charging at them without fear of being outnumbered, each Clawsolas turned the blades of their weapons forward to engage in close combat.
  
  『All forces, charge!!』
  
  As soon as they heard the order that echoed across the battlefield, the multi-armed Clawsolas that had infiltrated the vanguard dodged a thrust from an iron spear and, while the opposing Clawsolas was still attempting a tackle, pierced its neck with the iron sword in its main right arm and its black chest armor with the short spear in its auxiliary right arm, ensuring a kill.