Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Let’s See, The Performance of Your Country’s Knight Wizard!
  『You’re used to it, huh?』
  
  After encountering the enemy, in the process leading up to close combat, being bombarded with various magic spells is a standard tactic regardless of the opponent. Those who have experienced a certain amount of actual combat are gradually mastering evasion techniques.
  
  Even if they can’t completely dodge, they minimize the damage to the armor, suppressing damage to each part to a minimum, and none of the attacks result in fatal injuries.
  
  Following the example of everyone in the vanguard, I swung Belphegor’s left strong arm and repelled the flame bullets that came flying at high speed.
  
  『Ugh, I’m not used to the pain from the impact…』
  『My bad, I’ll use the arm shield next time.』
  
  While I was responding to Revia, who let out a slightly resentful voice due to the feedback from sensory sharing with the Clawsolas, a sudden explosive sound echoed from the side.
  
  『D*mn it, I took it with my shield!!』
  『…Dino-kun, I think that’s normal though.』
  
  Judging from the voice that came through the telepathy device, it seems she wanted to conserve the reactive armor attached to the medium-sized shield, which was her unique armament. However, Lise’s speechless point was spot on.
  
  Originally, the “explosive reactive armor” developed by Israel for tanks on Earth before the transition is a defensive measure that offsets attacks with directional explosions.
  
  ‘But here, it feels like they’re just slapping it on…’
  
  As the corners of my mouth loosened at the sight of the reversed situation, the Svel F-type Unit 4, positioned diagonally ahead, activated its back burst mechanism and closed the distance with the remaining enemy forces in one breath.
  
  『Impossible! That’s not how a giant knight moves!』
  『Fufu, you’re just slow.』
  
  While exchanging words with the Imperial Faction knight through the external loudspeaker, Rain, who basically has a reckless personality, made her Clawsolas hold its arm shield and charged, ramming into a Gladius that seemed to belong to the Aidos territory, which formed one wing of the enemy forces.
  
  The impact created by “mass times velocity squared,” as Einstein said, sent the enemy Clawsolas, which had hastily raised its arm shield, flying. Rain didn’t miss the opportunity and swung her battle axe in pursuit.
  
  『Guh!?』
  『Ugh…』
  
  There’s no way they could withstand the sensation of the axe blade biting into their neck and severing their head. As the pilot knight and mage lost consciousness, the headless enemy Clawsolas crashed to the wasteland with a thud.
  
  I, too, activated my back burst mechanism slightly later and approached a similar Clawsolas. While twisting Belphegor’s upper body to dodge the thrusting Western-style glaive, I pierced the opponent’s neck with the tip of the saber held in my right hand.
  
  『Gah…!!』
  『Sleep quietly.』
  
  I wouldn’t hesitate if necessary, but I don’t want to kill needlessly. So, I widened the wound, destroyed the nerve nodes leading to the pseudo eyeballs along with the artificial muscles, and used the recoil to knock out those connected to the Clawsolas.
  
  『You bastard!!』
  
  One of the nearby enemy Clawsolas brandished its glaive and stepped forward, but Svel F-type Unit 3’s battle axe, swung preemptively, struck its chest from the side, crushing the area near the cockpit.
  
  『Whoa… That’s merciless, Zacks-san.』
  『No, it’s just that we’re too soft.』
  
  While replying to Revia’s small mutter, I stepped back a little and surveyed the battlefield. The Tsukigase siblings’ Begalta and the Guardia piloted by the blue-haired knight had also reached the front line.
  
  Two Gladius knights, likely equipped with glaives as standard weapons, met them and each unleashed a sharp diagonal slash…
  
  Lloyd, skilled in anticipation, took the initiative like a descendant of the Yagyu clan. He stepped diagonally to dodge, spun the Begalta like a top, and severed the exposed medulla oblongata with his gleaming blade.
  
  In contrast, Dino, still rough around the edges, clashed once, then forcefully struck with the Guardia’s medium shield, detonating the remaining reactive armor along with the torso.
  
  『Sigh… Can’t you do it more elegantly?』
  『Save the nagging for later, Lise.』
  
  I wonder when they started calling each other by nicknames. Revia’s index finger, connected through the Clawsolas and artificial muscles, twitched slightly, but I ignored it since we were in battle and focused on keeping the enemy Clawsolas with the Imperial Faction emblem in check.
  
  The Aidos knights, who had lost five of their main Clawsolas in the initial exchange, were demoralized and hesitated to attack, holding their long-handled weapons at the ready.
  
  『If they won’t come, we’ll just have to attack…』
  『Mm, you like doing that, don’t you, Claude?』
  
  『We still have the Rigsia forces waiting after this.』
  
  I divided the vanguard into two-Clawsolas teams and assigned them to the remaining enemies on the left and right. I myself joined up with Captain Xenos, who had arrived late, escorting the two newly appointed knights in their Clawsolas, and faced the heavy Gladius, seemingly a commander type, accompanied by its subordinates.
  
  『That distorted black and silver Clawsolas, I presume you are the Knight King of Lizel.』
  『Indeed, and you are?』
  
  『I am Bertrand Wolno, Knight Captain of Aidos territory.』
  
  The man who introduced himself rested a war hammer on his Clawsolas’ right shoulder and pointed the thick large shield attached to the left shoulder towards Belphegor.
  
  From the Imperial Faction’s standpoint, the Knight Kingdom’s actions are nothing but interference in the Aius Empire’s internal affairs. I’m sure he has a lot to say, but since we’re on the battlefield, it seems he’s decided to swallow his words and cross blades.
  
  『I appreciate your consideration… Kurato Madarame, I shall push forward!』
  『Let me see the performance of your country’s giant knight!』
  
  The heavy Clawsolas kicked off the ground as it roared. It seems that it’s either equipped with only high-quality artificial muscles or the pilot’s synchronization rate with the Clawsolas is exceptionally high, as it displayed unexpected acceleration that didn’t match its physique.
  
  I instantly decided that it would be less damaging to take it head-on rather than trying to dodge halfway and getting knocked away. I held up the arm shield on the Clawsolas’ right arm and lowered my hips to lower my center of gravity.