Chapter 93: A Life Where I Just Wanted to Ride a Better Clawsolas by Newly Appointed Knight Rita
[space_man][space_man]A violent impact rattled the Clawsolas, a dull sound of metal masses colliding boomed. Despite bracing, I was repelled by a shoulder tackle from the heavy Clawsolas with its shoulder shield at the forefront.
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[space_man][space_man]『Guuuuh!!』
[space_man][space_man]『Kyaaaaaah!?』
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[space_man][space_man]As Revia’s scream struck my ears, I immediately regained Belphegor’s posture and intercepted the war hammer swung down by the heavy Clawsolas that had closed in half a step.
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[space_man][space_man]While rejoicing at the skill of creating an opening with a charge utilizing the body and launching a penetration-focused blow towards the cockpit, I struck and received the dangerous weapon’s pole section with my left strong arm.
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[space_man][space_man]『Good, you. You are worthy of risking our lives against each other!』
[space_man][space_man]『Ah, Claude’s switch has been flipped…』
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[space_man][space_man]Contrary to the red-haired mage girl in charge of power control being somewhat displeased, the Magic Furnace “Lionheart King” built into the Clawsolas suddenly increased its output. The artificial muscles stretched across the knight frame surged, causing the opposing mage, who had been silent until now, to raise her voice.
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[space_man][space_man]『I… I can’t hold it back!』
[space_man][space_man]『Impossible! It’s surpassing Gravys’s physical strength!?』
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[space_man][space_man]『Because it’s a blade forged by Lady White Fox and sharpened by the twin elves!!』
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[space_man][space_man]Even if it doesn’t reach the level of the prehistoric civilization’s “Mechanical Magi,” with its exceptional performance, I forcefully pushed aside the heavy Clawsolas’s war hammer and stepped in, piercing its face with the guard of the saber held in my right hand.
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[space_man][space_man]Furthermore, without a moment’s delay, I drove a blunt left fist’s body blow into its chest. However, the heavy Clawsolas had already moved to evade by the time the first strike landed, resulting in only a slight dent and distortion of the thick armor.
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[space_man][space_man]Immediately after, the claw of the war hammer, which had been swung down in conjunction with the retreat, approached and pierced the left strong arm that had just launched the punch, causing the armor to shatter spectacularly.
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[space_man][space_man]『You’re doing well, Lord Bertrand!』
[space_man][space_man]『I won’t let you have your way!!』
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[space_man][space_man]With a shout, the heavy Clawsolas raised its left palm, likely having secretly constructed a spell formula, it lit up with magical phosphorescence.
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[space_man][space_man]Although it was a surprise close-range shot, I instinctively understood that if I went on the defensive, my next action would be delayed. So I slashed in and cut off the steel fingers along with the core of the magic.
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[space_man][space_man]『Guh!?』
[space_man][space_man]『Ugh…』
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[space_man][space_man]The pilots, who groaned briefly, lowered the heavy Clawsolas’s right leg to a half-kneeling position and used the large shield on its left shoulder to guard against a follow-up attack. But I released my right hand from the saber’s hilt and grabbed the edge of the shield.
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[space_man][space_man]Forcibly prying open the solid defense, I drove my left fist into the chest once more. At that moment, I also activated the extension burst mechanism installed in the distorted strong arm.
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[space_man][space_man]The armor, already damaged from the previous blow, couldn’t withstand the double impact and, with a discordant sound, it collapsed along with the cockpit… The heavy Clawsolas, Gravys, ceased functioning, stuck in place.
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[space_man][space_man]『How ruthless, there was no room for mercy.』
[space_man][space_man]『…Well, it’s a battle.』
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[space_man][space_man]If the situation had been even slightly different, it would have been us who were killed. It would be disrespectful to Bertrand and the others who fought with all their might to feel guilty, but I can’t deny the loneliness in my heart.
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[space_man][space_man]Regretting that they were quite good knights, I looked around again, having been paying attention to my surroundings even during the close combat.
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[space_man][space_man]The battered Clawsolas Unit 3, which had been fighting the Aidos territory’s enemy Clawsolas until the very end, finally cornered its opponent and pierced the abdominal armor with its iron sword thrust out as if collapsing.
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[space_man][space_man]『The damage to our own forces is one moderately damaged and one severely damaged Clawsolas…』
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[space_man][space_man]『Sorry, I wanted to give the newly appointed knights some experience.』
[space_man][space_man]『I missed the opportunity to provide assistance, Your Majesty.』
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[space_man][space_man]I shifted my gaze from Xenos and Fine’s command Clawsolas, which had planted its large sword armament next to the dilapidated Gladius and sounded apologetic, and glanced at the damage to the grounded Clawsolas Unit 2.
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[space_man][space_man]The tip of the naginata, which had broken off due to excessive force, was deeply embedded near its chest, and crimson magical fluid, like blood, was flowing profusely.
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[space_man][space_man]『Are you two alive?』
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[space_man][space_man]『Ugh, how regrettable. I’m going to die because of this outdated Clawsolas… It was a life where I just wanted to ride a better Clawsolas.』
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[space_man][space_man]Judging from the pain in her voice, she might be injured by fragments scattered inside the cockpit, but considering her frivolous words, she’ll probably be fine.
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[space_man][space_man]Taking a breath for now, it overlapped with the mage’s sigh of exasperation at her partner, the female knight.
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[space_man][space_man]『It was our inexperience that caused us to lose, please leave us behind.』
[space_man][space_man]『We’ll recover the Clawsolas later. Abandon it, use the Teleportation Magic Sealing Stones.』
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[space_man][space_man]『Understood, I’ll escape to the forest with Rita.』
[space_man][space_man]『I’ll be watching everyone’s success from the other side.』
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[space_man][space_man]Cheered on by a poor joke using a Yamato idiom meaning “under the grave” as a preface, I felt a slight doubt about the criteria for promoting squire knights. Then, a faint magical light leaked from the gap in the torn Clawsolas armor and disappeared.
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[space_man][space_man]After unintentionally confirming the activation of the Magic Sealing Stone, I was drawn by the hard sound of steel clashing carried on the wind and focused on the Rigsia forces fighting on the plains a few hundred meters away.
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[space_man][space_man]『It would be easier if we could launch a simultaneous magic attack from here…』
[space_man][space_man]『Onii-sama, that would involve Lady White Fox’s forces as well.』
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[space_man][space_man]『Ahaha, sorry. I couldn’t provide any decent support just now either.』
[space_man][space_man]『At best, we were only able to assist in closing the distance.』
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[space_man][space_man]Kotono’s voice, who had brought up Clawsolas S-type Unit 1 from behind, interrupted Lloyd and Eleia’s conversation, and after a few words from Unit 2 of the same type, a brief silence fell.
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[space_man][space_man]『…So, it’s going to be close combat again. Yeah, I knew it.』
[space_man][space_man]『One more job then, Revia.』
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[space_man][space_man]With no time to rest, for the sake of our outnumbered allies, I ordered Clawsolas Unit 3, which seemed unable to continue fighting, to withdraw, and then led the remaining eight Clawsolas to reinforce them.