A Copy engulfed in flames finally collapsed. This hard-won success provided a slight boost to the team's morale.
However, the three Fireballs released immediately afterward failed to hit the rapidly moving Copies, vanishing into nothingness.
Then, a situation arose that drove the team to the brink of despair.
The remaining Rock Wolf Copies began to combine—no, they were undergoing a fusion.
Once sixteen Rock Wolf Copies had fused together, a massive creature more than twice the size of its predecessors was born.
It measured 2.5 meters in length. When it reared up on its hind legs, its front paws could reach the head of the six-meter-tall Golias.
"Kyaaa!"
A female knight who had taken refuge on the shoulder of Golias 5 screamed as the giant Rock Wolf Copy lunged at them.
"Guh! Golias 4! Protect them!"
At Fritz’s command, Golias 4 moved to grapple with the giant Rock Wolf Copy.
White smoke billowed from the golem’s hands; they were being dissolved.
Nevertheless, it managed to pull the monster away from Golias 5. The giant Rock Wolf Copy now seemed to have shifted its focus to Golias 4.
It appeared intent on eliminating the obstacle first.
"Dammit!"
Meanwhile, Fritz and the others were battling the one remaining monster—the Saber Boar Copy.
With the wind-attribute magic he specialized in, Fritz couldn't even manage an effective diversion, let alone deal a fatal wound.
Furthermore, if they struck it with their swords, the blades would melt; repeated strikes would render the weapons useless.
"Whoa!"
A Fire Bullet fired as support from the hot air balloon above grazed one of the knights.
Between the knights and the Saber Boar Copy constantly shifting positions, it was difficult for the aerial team to even take aim.
"Ugh, we’re being worn down..."
Even the usually composed Fritz began to feel the onset of panic.
They were doing nothing but dodging; they hadn't landed a single effective blow.
"Stone Bullet!"
Gloria’s adjutant, Cynthia, unleashed her earth-attribute magic, but the Saber Boar Copy seemed to feel no pain. It charged straight at her.
"Kyaa!"
Though she barely avoided a direct collision, the beast grazed her side, and Cynthia tumbled to the ground.
"Shia!"
Gloria rushed to her side.
"I-I’m all right."
Grimacing in pain, Cynthia forced herself to stand. However, white smoke was rising from her right armpit, and a hole had been dissolved into her breastplate. There was likely damage to her body as well.
The Saber Boar Copy sprinted past for about twenty meters before making a U-turn. It came barreling back, once again targeting Cynthia.
"Ugh..."
Cynthia had not yet fully regained her stance. To protect her, Gloria leveled her short sword.
As the Saber Boar Copy charged, Gloria took a half-step back just before the impact and delivered a horizontal slash.
By sheer chance, that strike sliced the magic core hidden within the monster’s body clean in half.
With its core destroyed, the Saber Boar Copy lost its form even as it ran. It collapsed into a semi-liquid puddle, spreading across the ground with a wet splat.
"Vice-captain, thank you."
"Gloria-dono, magnificent!"
The composite blade Jin had crafted—a sliver of adamantite sandwiched between layers of steel—had its steel surfaces dissolved by the creature's fluid, yet the adamantite edge had remained unscathed as it cleaved through the core.
However, the victory came at a high cost.
"..."
Gloria collapsed without a word.
"Vice-captain!"
"Gloria-dono!?"
Cynthia and Fritz rushed to her. When they helped her up...
"...!"
Splashed by the caustic fluids that had erupted when the monster was cut, she had suffered severe chemical burns across her face, neck, and right arm.
"Healing, now!"
But the female knight in charge of healing magic, Tiffany Bardak, was still atop the shoulder of Golias 5.
And that Golias 5 was currently being harassed by the giant Rock Wolf Copy.
The Fire Bullets from the hot air balloon had also ceased; it seemed the crew was suffering from magic depletion.
At this point, the only thing Fritz could do was get the severely injured Gloria onto the hot air balloon.
He waved his arms frantically to catch the attention of the balloon crew.
Even from a distance, the crew recognized the gravity of Gloria’s condition and slowly lowered their altitude.
Fritz handed the limp Gloria to Golias 1, and as the hot air balloon descended to that level, they managed to get her on board.
However, the balloon was already at full capacity; it could not take on any more wounded.
The crew was also out of magic and would be unable to provide further attacks or support.
They decided to leave the area immediately to transport the critically injured Gloria to the nearest town.
The hot air balloon slowly drifted south.
Fritz watched it go before turning his gaze back to the enemy.
The giant Rock Wolf Copy was currently grappling with Golias 4, which was still trying to shield Golias 5.
Little by little, the golem's limbs were emitting white smoke and melting away. It wouldn't be long before it suffered a total mechanical failure.
"Is this the end...?"
A past failure flickered through Fritz’s mind.
Five years ago, when he was still a first lieutenant, he had been taken prisoner by the Celuroa Kingdom National Defense Force during a minor skirmish.
He had charged out alone, overconfident in his own martial skill.
Though he had been returned in a prisoner exchange, since then he had dedicated himself to studying not just swordsmanship, but tactics and strategy.
"...But I see no way out of this predicament..."
Just as his spirit was about to break...
With a booming crash, the giant Rock Wolf Copy that had been pinning Golias 4 was sent flying.
"W-What just happened!?"
Someone tapped Fritz on the shoulder.
"!?"
A slender man stood there. He had brown hair and eyes, wore a silver helmet, and was clad in pitch-black clothes.
"There is no need for further concern."
"W-Who are you?"
The man, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, introduced himself.
"I am Maquina. Deus Ex Machina."
"Maquina?"
Fritz had heard that name. He was the one rumored to have used brute force to suppress the conflicts incited between various nations by the Unifilar.
"Correct. It seems you’ve managed to summon a ghost of the Great Magic War. But you can leave the rest to us."
"!?"
Fritz doubted his own eyes as he looked toward the battle.
The giant Rock Wolf Copy was being toyed with.
The figure clad in shimmering silver armor was unmistakably a woman. She was quite small, appearing to be only about 150 centimeters tall.
"That is my partner, Rei."
The knight named Rei was overwhelming the giant Rock Wolf Copy even in terms of raw power.
Wearing armor that seemed immune to the creature's corrosive touch, she was sending the giant monster flying with simple physical strikes.
"A-Amazing..."
"Rei isn't even trying yet."
Maquina’s words made Fritz doubt his ears. And then...
"Rei, finish it."
Judging that they were a safe distance from the other knights, Maquina gave the command.
The silver-clad Rei nodded silently and drew the sword at her waist.
It was a blade of light wreathed in purple lightning, reaching nearly five meters in length.
Wielded as if it possessed no weight at all, the massive blade of light sliced the giant Rock Wolf Copy into ribbons before the speechless Fritz.
Because its internal magic core was destroyed in the process, the creature could no longer regenerate its form.
"Heat."
"What!?"
Fritz was struck by a fresh wave of astonishment.
Maquina had used a simple engineering spell—the most basic of fire-attribute magic: Heat.
Yet that simple spell caused the dangerous semi-liquid remains to evaporate in an instant.
"That should take care of the mess. Are there any other injured?"
"A-Ah, yes... nothing major. We had one person with severe injuries, but we've already sent her to the nearest town by hot air balloon."
Though completely overwhelmed by the display of power, Fritz somehow managed to get the words out.