"...I see. Because the fluid metal itself acts as a shield, the Magic Canceller’s effect is weakened."
While he needed to obtain a sample to investigate its properties in detail, Jin formulated a hypothesis.
The Magic Canceller worked by forcibly reverting mana back into ether, but Jin reasoned that the fluid metal itself possessed a shielding effect that mitigated that influence. Therefore, the effect would likely manifest if the radiation were applied for a prolonged period, but their opponents wouldn’t be so naive as to wait around.
That raised the question of the best way to incapacitate them.
The most straightforward method would be to force the commanders to rescind their orders. Reiko and Steward had attempted to capture Jix and Gunno, but the brothers had anticipated such a move. Jix and Gunno were each guarded by one Dull-colored Golem.
Of the remaining eight, one was attempting to attack King Cesar’s party, and another was lunging for Jin and Elsa’s Doppels. The other six had begun heading in various directions; it was obvious that the damage would spread if they were left alone.
Jin felt it was a pity, but he decided he would have to resort to more drastic measures.
"...We know the control core is in the head, so we’ll just have to sever it."
＊ ＊ ＊
"W-Whoa! Have they lost their minds!?"
"Your Majesty! Please step back!"
As a Dull-colored Golem lunged at King Cesar and his retinue, Steward moved to intercept. Steward punched the golem with enough force to send it flying. Accompanied by the dull thud characteristic of foamed metal, the Dull-colored Golem was blown back about five meters.
"Your Majesty! This way!"
Jin’s Doppel called out to King Cesar’s party. It was easier to protect one location than two. Jin and Elsa’s Doppels deployed a barrier.
"Lord of Kunlun, will it be alright?"
Steward was now fighting against two opponents simultaneously.
"Yes, it won't be a problem. The Golem Maids will surely hear this commotion and come rushing over soon," Jin’s Doppel explained, reassuring the King and his ministers by mentioning that Reiko had already arrived.
And just as he predicted, the Five-Colored Golem Maids appeared, having teleported directly from Hourai Island. Each held a vibration sword, and they had naturally brought one for Steward as well.
"Master, we shall protect you."
"Good. Steward, leave this spot to the maids and go on the offensive!"
"Understood."
Taking a vibration sword from one of the Golem Maids, Steward sprinted off.
"J-Jin-dono, is this truly wise?" First Military Minister Lagede asked, his face pale. No matter how high-performance they were, the difference in combat capability between the Golem Maids and Steward seemed stark to him.
"It will be fine," Jin’s Doppel replied, pointing toward Ruby 1, who was currently intercepting an attacking Dull-colored Golem.
Unless a battle devolved into a grappling match, golem combat was often decided by speed. The lightweight Golem Maids were twice as fast as the Dull-colored Golems, and the fact that their enemies were unarmed was a significant advantage.
Ruby lightly dodged the Dull-colored Golem’s punch and delivered a sharp kick to its flank. The impact diverted the golem's charge, sending it careening past Jin and the others. Before it could recover, Amez 1 kicked it hard in the back.
The Dull-colored Golem managed to stay on its feet despite losing its balance, but by then, Aqua 1 had already swung her vibration sword. The head of the Dull-colored Golem went rolling. With its control core severed, the machine came to a complete standstill.
Meanwhile, Topaz 1 and Perido 1 were handling the other Dull-colored Golem that had targeted Jin’s group. They took turns striking the golem. While their individual blows weren't powerful enough to inflict major damage, they successfully forced the enemy away from Jin and the others.
Then, Topaz 1 slowly drew the vibration sword from her back and delivered a single, blinding flash. A head thumped to the ground, and the second Dull-colored Golem ceased all movement.
"It's safe now," Jin’s Doppel said.
King Cesar and his ministers breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Now we’ll leave the rest to Reiko and Steward while we capture those two," Jin’s Doppel added, pointing toward Jix and Gunno, who were hiding behind their remaining Dull-colored Golems.
"We're counting on you."
At Jin’s word, four of the maids—excluding Perido 1—sprang into action. Perido 1 remained behind to guard Jin and the others. A barrier was already active, but she stayed close for caution’s sake and to provide a sense of psychological security to the King.
Aqua 1 and Topaz 1 headed for the Dull-colored Golem protecting Gunno, while Ruby 1 and Amez 1 moved toward the one guarding Jix.
Meanwhile, Reiko went after the Dull-colored Golems that were leaving the training grounds to attack the surrounding area. Even without using her force generator, she caught up in an instant by running at 500 km/h.
The speed difference was more than fourfold. Maintaining her velocity, she swung Touka in its vibration sword mode in a wide horizontal arc.
"That's one."
Without a backward glance at the headless, stationary golem, Reiko searched for her next target. She spotted another Dull-colored Golem running in a direction perpendicular to her path. Reiko sprinted off instantly.
Catching up in less than ten seconds, Reiko swung her sword. Whether by chance or a desperate maneuver, the Dull-colored Golem lost its footing and narrowly dodged the blade.
"Regardless...!"
But its neck was easily severed by her following strike, and it came to a halt.
"The next one is... quite far."
There was a Dull-colored Golem already about one kilometer away, starting to destroy the city walls. Reiko increased her speed further. By utilizing her force generator, she easily exceeded 1000 km/h. At subsonic speeds, Reiko slammed her body into the Dull-colored Golem. The impact blew the machine to pieces.
"Two left."
By this time, Steward had also finished off two units. While not as powerful as Reiko, the performance enhancements Jin had given him were formidable. Furthermore, he was wielding a vibration sword. The only substances capable of blocking such a blade were materials like the shed skin of an Ancient Dragon reinforced to the limit with magic—in other words, Reiko’s skin.
Of course, Reiko also possessed a solid barrier, making it possible to block it without direct contact. However, the Dull-colored Golems possessed neither.
Steward sliced off a leg that tried to kick him and then took off the head. He severed the neck of the next one right through the arm it had raised to defend itself. With that, those two units also ceased to function.