Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 134

Chapter 134: The Pact Has Already Been Made! ‘Actually, It Was Formed Quite Early…’
  In the region of flourishing river trade adjacent to the three western territories, four vanguard knights among the second-generation Clawsolas, newly built based on the Gladius, slowed down and spread to the left and right… revealing the hidden magic-specialized giant knight “Griddavol.”
  
  Even with a color scheme similar to his subordinates, the slender frame enveloped in a crimson cloak was truly that of a mage, and a dazzling sphere was generated between his palms, facing each other near his left flank.
  
  『Arm magic mechanism, normal operation confirmed. We can go anytime, Vier.』
  『I will humbly accept the criticism for being late. And from here on, together……』
  
  The heir to the Marquis family, the only one with giant knight aptitude among his direct relatives, muttered upon receiving the words from his elf half-sister, who also served as his tutor for generations, and fired the Arcsphere spell, leaving marks on the earth with both feet of the magic knight that he had brought to a sudden stop.
  
  “”Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih””
  “”Guooooooooo!?!?””
  
  Thanks to the enhancement effect of the Enhancement Spell Formula engraved on his left arm, the intensely shining Aurora Bullet reduced over 200 small Aberrations near the point of impact to ashes, forcing them to close their eyes due to the strain on their retinas.
  
  Although it can only be used a few times due to the limitations of the Magic Crystal fuel, the replica of the Balance Core embedded in the central unit suppressed magic power consumption more than expected, and Phillis, his half-sister who was involved in the body adjustments, breathed a sigh of relief.
  
  Even if it’s a fake imitating the Magic Core of the “Mechanical Magi,” it must have been crafted with utmost care by skilled Forest People artisans who had a deep understanding of the real thing.
  
  While offering gratitude to the unknown craftsperson, the next head of the family took the opportunity when the attention of both allies and enemies was gathered and shouted from the external loudspeaker of his mount, his voice loud enough to reach every corner of the battlefield.
  
  『The pact between the Almaine Marquis and the Zephyrus Margrave has already been made! Fight bravely, soldiers of the Empire, the goddess of victory is with us!!』
  
  “””Uoooooooooooooh!!”””
  “Wha-What is this!? What’s going on!?”
  
  The crimson magic knight turned its pseudo-eyeballs towards the witch Hilde at the west gate, who had cried out involuntarily after being struck by the sudden turn of events. He raised his right arm, engraved with defensive spells, crushing the Boar-Men and the descendants of the Deep Ones who were trying to rush into the city, and deployed a semi-transparent magic barrier.
  
  Meanwhile, the four vanguard Clawsolas had already engaged the enemy, mowing down the small, mostly beast-type Aberrations with their two-handed great swords, turning them into silent corpses.
  
  Furthermore, the giant knights that followed also threw in multiple Crackers, auxiliary armaments popularized within the Imperial Faction by a certain engineer. The exploding countless small iron balls killed and injured hundreds of Aberrations in the middle of the enemy forces.
  
  『Lady White Fox’s invention is pretty brutal…』
  
  『Well, it’s also very effective against human infantry.』
  『Is it good or bad that we can’t mass-produce gunpowder due to the saltpeter shortage?』
  
  The bewitching lady, currently listed as missing in action, crossed the minds of the pilots. They felt a chill down their sweaty spines at the sight of the merciless equipment efficiently slaughtering the enemy soldiers.
  
  Perhaps feeling a slight hesitation, the giant knights slowed down their culling of the small fry with their overwhelming size difference. However, it was now almost impossible to conquer the fortress city with the remaining approximately 8,000 small Aberrations and about 40 medium-sized ones. The tiger beastman, who held the rank of division commander, gave the retreat order to his kin messengers and had them launch smoke signal flares.
  
  “…It can’t be helped. I won’t drag the warriors of other tribes down with me just to die alongside the descendants of apes. Making a mistake during a retreat is an unforgivable folly.”
  
  Not missing the movements of the lone roaring tiger man, the beastmen of each tribe, who had been focusing on their respective tasks, grasped their special cursed tools and conveyed the intention to retreat to the Aberrations they were commanding.
  
  The demi-human monsters and magical beasts immediately turned tail and fled, showing their defenseless backs as if it was a race, but it was difficult to deal with them with the less agile giant knights.
  
  The Zigrand soldiers, who were continuing to fire from the castle corridors, did not pursue them either. The army of small Aberrations that had attacked withdrew freely from the old granary zone, which had been ravaged by repeated battles.
  
  “…Have we repelled them?”
  “Yeah, it was a close call, though.”
  
  “Now we can eat dinner. My squad was supposed to have oyster clam chowder.”
  “Don’t get your hopes up. I think it’s probably been cancelled.”
  
  Besides the loss of life, the fact that the storehouses had been burned down could not be overturned. However, cheers erupted from several soldiers who had overcome the crisis, and it spread like wildfire, causing the entire territorial army to erupt in joy.
  
  However, in the wilderness 2-3 km away, the 30-odd knights under Lord Ailos were being pushed back, but they were still continuing a desperate, tightrope-walk-like battle against the large magical beasts, utilizing ramparts and other defenses. The main unit commanders calmly observed the group, which could only be recognized as a collection of black dots.
  
  Unfazed by the slight difference in atmosphere between themselves and the regular soldiers, Vier and his companions approached the city gate with their slender magic knight, trying to identify the person in charge of the situation. They called out to the infantry captain and the witch who served as the staff officer.
  
  『We will continue on to support Lord Radglyph.』
  『Let’s meet again later.』
  
  “I sincerely thank you for your assistance.”
  “We pray for your success in battle.”
  
  Although their words were somewhat formal, the next head of the Marquis family politely replied, turned his giant knight Griddavol around, and the crimson-black giant knights equipped with great swords gathered and followed him to the side of the main battlefield.
  
  From there, they fired the embedded magic of each knight towards the flank of the “Hour of Ruin.” The enraged lion beastman, who had been receiving progress reports on the siege of the fortress through the bird tribe’s scouts, readily gave up and withdrew his Aberration forces to his domain.
  
  The black wolf in giant form, who had been on the verge of defeating the three Modified Begalta knights, who were unusually fixated on coordinated attacks, in close combat and finishing off a moderately damaged one, also grinned and declared, “I enjoyed that unexpectedly,” before turning back.
  
  With the extermination of the few who were unfortunate enough to be left behind, the invasion that had lasted for several days and resulted in considerable casualties on both sides came to an end, bringing a renewed stalemate to the western front.