"Fifteen enemy golems. Here they come!"
"Ash, Elm, Land 50, Land 51—intercept them."
"Understood."
At Jin’s command, the four golems lunged forward.
The first to clash were the lightweight units, Ash and Elm. These two specialized in high-speed combat that maximized the agility of their lighter frames.
Faking a head-on charge, Ash darted to his right and hammered a left backfist into an enemy golem's head.
Elm ducked beneath a punch thrown by another opponent, using the momentum of his rising body to drive a fist into the golem's jaw.
Against a human, both strikes would have been decisive, but they did little damage to a golem. While the enemy units' heads were dented and mangled, they didn't suffer from the same fatal vulnerabilities as living creatures.
Using the current Reiko as a baseline, the Army golems operated at about twenty percent of her output, while the Secret Mobile Unit (SP) units were at roughly ten percent.
Even at that level, they could easily slaughter a bronze golem with a single blow, but when facing dedicated combat golems, the standard tactic was to target the torso where the control core was housed.
"Hmm, I suppose they really are specialized for anti-personnel combat," Jin observed.
Just then, Land 50 and 51 collided with the enemy line.
Living up to their reputation as Army golems, the two units they struck first were instantly reduced to scrap and sent flying.
Next, Land 50 and 51 each tucked an enemy golem under their arms and slammed them into one another. That made a total of six scrapped.
Meanwhile, Ash and Elm had finished off their first two targets. Seven enemies remained.
"The Land units are still relying entirely on brute force. It might be better if they learned some actual martial arts."
Jin recalled how effective Lotte had been during the Golem Party.
"I’ll transcribe some martial arts knowledge into them next time," he decided.
"Ooh, what in the world are those things?!"
Intact, who had been observing from safety, let out a cry of shock.
"They are incredibly strong. As I suspected, that man must be Jin Nidou," Marcello added, his analysis calm and collected.
"That doesn't matter! We have to win! I’m going to go wake up the Strongest Golem!"
With that, Intact retreated into the fortress. Left behind, Marcello let out a weary sigh.
"Good grief. We've fallen into the trap of piecemeal deployment. I’d better start preparing my escape before things get truly ugly."
Gradually, Ash and Elm seemed to find their rhythm in anti-golem combat. Though they had started fighting one-on-one, they began utilizing their speed to gang up on enemies two-to-one. Since this wasn't a formal match, Jin had no objections to the tactic.
On the other hand, Land 50 and 51 used their overwhelming power to demolish their opponents from the front. While they couldn't pull off the double-underarm smash again, they had already scrapped two more each and were currently finishing off another. Ash and Elm also took down their final targets, and soon all fifteen enemy golems were nothing more than twisted metal.
"It’s almost pitiful. Land 50, Land 51—collect the remains."
Constructed and deployed by such a foolish master, the golems were now just wreckage. Jin ordered the units collected for research purposes, but just then—
"Father, look out!"
A black shadow lunged toward Jin. Reiko, noticing the threat, moved instinctively to shield him. However, her stance was compromised, and she was knocked back by the massive weight of the attacker.
Her intervention was successful, though; the black shadow was unable to reach Jin and came to a stumbling halt.
Jin had his barrier active, but the suddenness of the attack still gave him a start. He narrowed his eyes to observe the new enemy.
"...A black-gray golem, huh? This one is built differently from the others."
Even a brief glance told Jin that this golem was of superior quality. That black-gray sheen was the unmistakable signature of an adamantite coating.
The battle resumed instantly.
While Reiko was still recovering her position after being knocked away, Ash and Elm leaped at the adamantite golem.
The size difference was significant. The black-gray golem stood roughly 2.3 meters tall, while Ash and Elm were 175 centimeters. In terms of mass, the enemy was likely three times their weight.
Ash grabbed its right arm and Elm the left. The enemy golem held both of them back using nothing but its own arms.
"Heh, it’s got quite a bit of power."
Jin watched with genuine curiosity.
"Hmm, the flow of its mana isn't that different from other golems. But there's an unusual level of concentration... Could it be?"
Questioning the way the golem exerted its strength, Jin gave a new order.
"Land 50, you take it on."
Land 50 moved in to engage the black-gray golem. Sensing the threat, the enemy golem shook off Ash and Elm.
"Ash, Elm, good work. Fall back."
Jin directed the SP units to return to his sides.
Before him, the black-gray golem and Land 50 grappled. They locked hands, each trying to crush the other's fingers as they shoved with their full weight.
"I see. It possesses strength equal to a Land unit."
As Jin continued his observation, Reiko offered a quiet warning.
"Father, observing the enemy is all well and good, but if you do not finish this soon, the leaders may escape."
Jin took the advice to heart. He was well aware that his inquisitive nature wasn't always suited for live combat.
"You're right. I understand. But I'd rather not break this one too much; it's good research material. Alright—Land 51, Ash, Elm, Reiko. Pin it down."
"Understood."
"Yes, Father."
Reiko executed a lightning-fast leg sweep. The fact that she put a bit of extra force into the move might have been a small measure of revenge for being knocked aside earlier.
The enemy golem, its knee joint forced to bend the wrong way, collapsed onto the ground. Reiko then 'lightly' struck the base of each of its four limbs.
In the blink of an eye, she delivered four precise blows that shattered the golem's limb connections. It was no longer capable of exerting any meaningful power.
With five golems pinning it to the earth, the formidable enemy was rendered completely immobile. Jin walked over, touched its chest, and spoke.
"『Erase』."
He wiped the operational formulas from the control core. Immediately, the black-gray golem went still.
"That did it. I doubt they ever expected to have this particular magic turned against them."
Having neutralized every golem sent their way, Jin looked up at the fortress. Reiko stood at his side, also scanning the structure.
"The humans who were there just a moment ago are gone."
The faces that had been peeking out from the narrow observation slits had vanished. Reiko could detect the presence of living beings, and though her range was limited, Jin trusted her judgment implicitly.
"I see. They're likely planning to flee. If so, it would be from the rear—probably by the river. Alright, we're done here. Land 50, 51, Ash, and Elm—stay here and keep watch. If any members of Unifilar try to come out this way, don't let them escape. Reiko, come with me."
Jin and his units were at the front of the fortress. If the enemy intended to run, the river was their only option. Jin headed for the water, where Hydro 5 was waiting.
"Alright, let's wait for them."
Once they were out on the river in a boat, the enemy would have nowhere left to hide. He intended to catch them all at once. There was a large gate on the side of the fortress facing the water; if they were leaving, that was the exit.
They waited for about three minutes before the doors swung open exactly as predicted.
"Bullseye. Falcon, provide support from above. But hold your fire until I give the command."
Jin had been trying to keep his cards close to his chest. In particular, he had no intention of letting the enemy know he possessed aerial superiority.
The enemy vessel was large and painted entirely black, likely capable of carrying fifty people. Four oars, operated by golems, protruded from each side.
"Ugh, this night vision mode is still a bit dim," Jin grumbled.
Despite his complaints, the night vision allowed him to see clearly without any artificial light. Hydro 5 followed silently, waiting until the enemy boat reached the middle of the river.
"Alright. 『Light Ball』."
Jin manifested five spheres of light and sent them floating into the air, brilliantly illuminating the surroundings.
"Wh-What?! You mean they were waiting for us?!"
Under the glow of the Light Balls, the boat carrying Jin was clearly visible.
"What? They chased us in such a tiny little thing?"
Intact sneered upon seeing that Hydro 5 was a small craft meant for only a few passengers, but Marcello's reaction was different.
"Branch Manager, look closer. That boat has no rowers."
"What?"
In this world, most vessels were propelled by golem rowers (except for those powered by humans). Marcello found the absence of any visible golems on deck or at the oars deeply suspicious.
"Are the golems underwater?"
Marcello had heard rumors of the Golem Boat Race in the Kingdom of Elias, where a mermaid-type golem had competed. He wondered if something similar was happening now.
"Enough! Attack them! Magic unit, to the front! Fire!"
Ignoring Marcello’s caution, Intact ordered his magic unit to launch Flame Balls at the small craft.
However, just before the spells reached the boat, they detonated against an invisible wall. Not a single Flame Ball struck the vessel.
"Blast it! What are you doing?! Keep firing!"
Hysterical with frustration, Intact screamed at his subordinates.
Watching him, Marcello couldn't help but think that a man manipulated by Hypno was truly unfit for leadership.