"Hmm? There was an entrance there as well?"
From his vantage point in the sky, where he could literally see the big picture, Jin spotted an opening in the rock wall about five hundred meters west of where the Land squad was engaging the enemy.
"Land squad, watch your rear! Titan 1, provide cover!"
He issued the orders immediately.
Units 1 through 60 of the Land squad pivoted to face the new threat. The remaining units, 61 through 100, continued to slaughter the old combat golems.
"Oh? These golems are a different model. They’re likely new ones. Be careful!"
Jin then gave further instructions to the Raptor squad circling above.
"Be ready to deploy the Magi-Jammers at any time."
He turned his attention back to the combat.
Five hundred new combat golems had appeared. Although most of the old ones had been defeated, there was still a five-to-one difference in numbers.
However, Titan 1 joined the fray.
"What a massive golem. It is a threat just to look at. Even Adriana did not create such a thing."
Even Elena stared at Titan’s giant frame, clearly feeling the threat it posed.
"Throw both of the Gigas cores into those golems before they can make contact with ours!"
At Elena’s command, one of the Universal Golems obeyed.
The Gigas, super-weapons of the ancient past, were controlled by magic cores. These cores absorbed mana from their surroundings to power themselves. Anything they touched would have its mana drained, leaving it immobile. Such was the nature of these ancient weapons.
The Gigas magic cores were usually kept in Sealing Boxes. One of the Universal Golems hurled a box, along with its core, into the middle of the old combat golems.
The Sealing Box shattered upon hitting the ground. It began absorbing mana from the old combat golems, and a Gigas began to take shape. Its body was composed of rocks and the discarded remains of the old combat golems lying scattered about.
"Two Gigas, huh? So they had secured the two I failed to find," Jin said as he watched the magi-screen displaying the situation on the ground. "But to use the mana of their own allies... what a nasty bunch."
Currently, the Land squad was being pinched between the two Gigas and the enemy golems.
A few Land golems had stopped moving after taking hits from the Gigas, but they were quickly rescued by their comrades. Their mana drivers were restarted, and they returned to the front lines.
"Land squad, don't worry about the Gigas. Keep your distance. Titan 1, stop the Gigas."
Jin continued to issue orders.
"Father, won't even Titan have its mana absorbed by the Gigas?" asked Reiko, who had fought a Gigas once before.
"Yeah, but I have an idea. If my theory is correct, anyway."
Jin gave further instructions.
"Titan 1, coat your fists in a solid barrier."
This was Jin's strategy. First, he concentrated a defense barrier that normally covered the whole body onto just the fists. Second, he suspected that what the Gigas could absorb was mana and free ether, not actual magic.
According to Anne, the Gigas "absorbs from things it touches, the surrounding air, cast magic, all sorts of things." However, during their previous encounter, Reinhard’s Flame Lance had melted its body. Thus, Jin deduced that it might not be able to absorb magic itself.
"Alright, punch the Gigas while in that state!"
The Gigas moved slowly. Titan's right fist easily smashed through its body.
"W-What?!" Elena gasped.
As the Gigas’s body shattered, something glinted among the fragments. It was the magic core. As soon as the magic core hit the ground, it began gathering surrounding scrap and rubble, forming the Gigas once again.
"...Hmph. I was a little surprised, but the Gigas cannot be defeated by an attack like that," Elena muttered as she stared at the magi-screen.
Meanwhile, Jin watched from above.
"Just as I thought. The Gigas cannot absorb magic. Good, Titan, keep attacking!"
Titan 1 ignored the distant Gigas for a moment and punched the closer one again. Once more, the Gigas’s body was blown apart. At the same time, the magic core went flying.
Aiming for it, Titan 1 swung its fist again.
"Eh?!" Elena cried out in shock.
With agility unbefitting its massive frame, Titan 1 had struck the flying magic core. Unable to withstand the physical shock, the magic core shattered. It never formed a Gigas again.
"Why? Why is this happening!?" Elena screamed, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Before her eyes, Titan 1 defeated the second Gigas in the same manner.
"No way..."
Elena’s weakened voice echoed through the Unifilar headquarters. Jin immediately gave Titan 1 its next order.
"Titan 1, support the Land squad."
Receiving the command, Titan 1 turned and headed to support the Land squad, which was currently in the thick of a fierce battle.
Despite being outnumbered five to one, the Land squad was managing by using a formation. This was a tactic of the Shouro Empire ritters that Jin had copied from Reinhard.
According to the theory, a mere gathering of soldiers means one is just one; even if you gather ten, they don't become ten, but rather only display the power of five or six. However, by forming a military unit, one can become three or four. That was the philosophy.
Against the new combat golems trying to surround them with sheer numbers, the Land squad formed what would be called a fish-scale formation on Earth. In other words, they formed the shape of a.
The sharp tip of the formation swung vibration swords, disabling the enemy golems. The rear rows were responsible for deploying solid barriers and magic barriers to block attacks from behind. Maintaining this formation, the Land squad tore through the new combat golems at high speed.
"I see, they're moving so they don't get surrounded."
Jin understood the intention behind the movements well as he watched from above. At the same time, the footage from above was being sent to Laojun, who used the information to guide the Land squad to the optimal positions.
"Now, Titan 1!"
Seeing that the Land squad had punched through the enemy golem unit, Jin gave the order. Titan 1 attacked the rear of the Unifilar new combat golems, which had been preoccupied with the Land squad.
About five of them were crushed under its massive feet, disrupting the enemy's rhythm. Furthermore, Titan 1 began running amok through the enemy golems.
"Ugh, how could this...!"
Elena’s face twisted in frustration. Only the Unifilar golems were being destroyed before her eyes.
"Good, Titan 1, now to the right!"
Enemy golems kicked and stepped on by the giant feet weren’t always destroyed, but they suffered bent legs, broken arms, and crushed heads. They were far from unscathed. Naturally, their movements slowed, and their combat effectiveness plummeted. The Land squad did not miss this opportunity.
Piles of wreckage from the new combat golems accumulated instantly.
"Pull back for now! Reorganize your ranks!"
Unable to watch any longer, Elena issued the order. Following her command, the Unifilar new combat golems put some distance between themselves and the Hourai Island forces.
But in that brief clash, over a hundred new combat golems had been turned into scrap. While some in the Land squad were damaged, none had been eliminated. However, the power gap was still four to one. Even with Titan there, it seemed Unifilar had the advantage... or so it appeared.
"Now, what do they plan to do?"
In the lull following the fierce battle, Jin tried to devise his tactics while watching the opponent's next move.
"Master, in a battle on flat ground, numbers are everything. However, the enemy lacks coordination. That is their weakness," Anne offered her advice. In fact, Anne was more knowledgeable about this type of combat than Jin.
"Yeah, I see. So, I just need to disrupt them," Jin muttered.
Reiko overheard him.
"Father, I am going in."