"Gigas?"
At the sound of the unfamiliar word, both Jin and Reinhard turned back to Anne.
Sensing that the explanation might be a long one, Reiko drew close to Anne again to perform a magical synchronization. She then began to explain in the automaton's stead.
"A Gigas is a weapon developed during the Anti-Demon Race War... It appears the 'Anti-Demon Race War' is what we currently know as the Great Magic War. These weapons were created during the final stages of that conflict."
It seemed the people of that era had referred to it as the Anti-Demon Race War.
"However, the Gigas was incomplete. It was entirely unresponsive to its creators' commands."
"So, what kind of weapon is this Gigas exactly?"
Jin urged her to continue, a vague sense of dread pooling in his stomach.
"The Gigas is a massive humanoid weapon, standing ten meters tall."
Even Jin was stunned by that revelation. He had never heard of such a thing. It was a weapon developed during the Great Magic War, in the centuries following the Predecessor's passing.
"Is it a golem?" Reinhard asked.
"No. A Gigas is a Gigas."
"Tell us everything about its characteristics," Reinhard added, his face pale.
"While humanoid in shape, a Gigas has broad shoulders, short legs, and long, thick arms. It stands approximately ten meters tall and weighs about thirty tons."
"A giant golem, then," Reinhard muttered, but Reiko—speaking for Anne—denied it.
"No, that is incorrect. A Gigas is merely a collection of rock debris."
"A collection of rock debris..."
Jin tried to visualize it. If anything, that description sounded more like the golems he remembered from his previous world. He recalled a monster like that in a game he had played on the orphanage's lone console.
"Was there something like that back in the ruins?"
Jin didn't remember seeing anything that massive inside the armory where they had found Anne.
"No. The Gigas should have been sealed in the form of a magic core."
"A magic core? Not a control core?" Jin asked, wondering if he had misheard. A magic core was the kind of nucleus found within a magical beast.
"A magic core. Because the Gigas is an artificial magical beast."
"An artificial magical beast?"
Another term he had never heard before had surfaced.
"Yes. An artificial magical beast created to counter the demon race."
"An eye for an eye," Jin muttered, crossing his arms in thought.
Based on what Reiko had just decompiled, Jin judged that Anne’s memory hadn't been erased. Most likely, her control core was reaching the end of its service life, just as Reiko’s had once before, making information retrieval unstable. He decided that pushing her for information now might risk losing those precious "lost records" forever.
That said, he couldn't perform proper repairs on Anne here and now.
Jin began a hurried inspection of the automaton, with Reinhard assisting him. Elsa saw the grim determination on Jin's face and remained silent so as not to disturb them.
Anne's steel skeleton was pitted with rust, causing several joints to seize, and her muscle tissue—made from the hide of some unknown magical beast—was torn in several places. The magical skin covering her was a composite material, but it was also in tatters.
Jin estimated that nearly 350 years had passed since her construction. If the Great Magic War had ended 300 years ago, she predated the end of the conflict. Since her materials were overall of lower quality than Reiko's, she had likely hit her limit at the 350-year mark. For the time being, he performed emergency repairs on the magi-crystal diaphragm that served as her vocal apparatus.
However, since he had simply used Fusion to mend the cracks in the magi-crystal, the worn-out component would likely fail again before long.
"Anne, do you know who created you?" Jin asked.
"No. I have no specific creator, as I was manufactured in a mass-production factory."
Her speech had improved significantly, and she no longer required Reiko's help to communicate.
"A mass-production factory? Such things existed?"
"Yes. Secretary automata like myself and combat golems were manufactured in factories."
Jin surmised that their design had likely been based on the Predecessor’s foundations.
"Wow, Jin... this Anne has an incredible structure! This is quite a learning experience," Reinhard remarked, looking amazed by the machine's internal workings.
But they had a more pressing issue.
"All right, tell us what you know about the Gigas."
"Yes. A Gigas uses the magical energy stored in its magic core to draw in surrounding rock debris and construct a body. As long as the magic core and its mana remain, it can regenerate indefinitely."
It really was exactly like the golems from Jin's old video games.
"Was the core for this Gigas in the room where you were kept?"
"I do not know. I was not provided with that level of information."
Based on what they had gathered, Reinhard summarized his theory.
"In any case, a Gigas's magic core was somewhere in those ruins. For some reason, it activated and began to move. Then, it trampled Lucol's hut."
That seemed to be the most likely sequence of events. At this point, finding the Gigas was more important than identifying the cause of its activation. He was worried about Lucol as well.
Jin felt a pang of regret for his carelessness in not sealing the ruins. He had let his guard down, assuming there was nothing left but scrap.
"Hmm. You said it was incomplete and wouldn't listen to its creators. What does it actually do?" Jin asked, hoping for a manageable answer. He was disappointed.
"Once it begins to move, it attacks everything in its path without distinguishing between friend and foe."
It was the worst-case scenario. Cold sweat ran down Reinhard's back.
"Its primary use was to have its magic core thrown into the middle of enemy forces."
It was a viable weapon as long as no allies were nearby.
"Is there any logic to its movements? Does it follow a pattern when it rampages?" Jin asked, struck by a sudden thought.
"Yes. For some reason, it instinctively seeks out high ground."
Jin vaguely remembered a saying about how fools and smoke always head for high ground. Since the Gigas was neither smoke nor a goat, that left only one option.
"Then, after crushing the hut, it must have headed up the mountain," Reinhard said, crossing his arms. "Now, the question is what to do. Do we leave it, handle it ourselves, or report it to the authorities?"
"It's our responsibility that the thing got out. If we can do something about it, I want to handle it," Jin said firmly.
Jin's stance was that they should exterminate it themselves. Reinhard agreed; with Reiko with them, it likely wouldn't be an insurmountable task.
"If we wait, the damage might only get worse."
When they began discussing who would pursue the creature, Elsa announced that she was coming along.
"You didn't take me to the ruins, so I'm going this time."
"No, Elsa. This isn't a pleasure trip. It's dangerous," Reinhard said, trying to soothe her, but she didn't look like she would back down.
"Elsa, neither Reinhard nor I want to put you in danger. Please, wait here. I'm asking you as a favor," Jin said, pressing his palms together in a pleading gesture.
Elsa didn't recognize the gesture, but Jin's sincerity reached her nonetheless.
"...Fine. Since it's Jin-kun's birthday, I'll listen."
"Thanks, Elsa."
Elsa finally relented. In truth, she was wearing a skirt, which was entirely unsuited for a mountain trek.
Jin and Reinhard made their preparations, though this mostly consisted of packing water and fashioned staves and ropes for the climb. They carved the staves from wood—a simple task for two magi-craftsmen.
"Well then, we're off."
"Be careful, both of you."
"Lord Reinhard, Jin-dono, please stay safe. Do not push yourselves too hard."
Seen off by Claude and Elsa, the group headed toward the mountain. Reiko accompanied them, this time carrying the sword Touka. Anne stayed behind with the others; in her current condition, she would likely fall to pieces if she tried to climb.
Reiko took the lead, guiding them through the easiest terrain.
"Phew... haah..."
"Heh... wheeze..."
Both Jin and Reinhard found the ascent grueling. Reiko, naturally, remained perfectly composed, hopping from rock to rock with ease. She would often double back to offer advice.
"Father, it looks easier to climb on the right side."
Or, "Please be careful there; that rock face is brittle."
After about thirty minutes of climbing, they reached a flat, terrace-like ledge and decided to take a breather. The two men drank their water and took deep breaths of the mountain air.
"Hah... I knew it would be tough, but this is something else."
"Yeah. I've climbed a few hills back home, but I've never dealt with a rock face like this."
They shared a brief rest, but knowing they couldn't stay forever, they resumed the climb. Whenever they encountered a sheer cliff they couldn't scale, Reiko would use Touka to carve footholds into the rock. Thanks to her help, the summit came into view after an hour.
"There! That's the top!"
Just then, Reiko, who had climbed ahead near the peak, signaled to them.
"Father! There are massive footprints here. Our target may be close."