Beyond the door lay a vast hall.
The space was roughly fifty meters in diameter, with a ceiling reaching ten meters high. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all constructed of polished metal.
《Is this the place?》
[Indeed. This is where you shall find your graves.]
《What?!》
No sooner had the door they entered through slid shut than a swarm of burly golems, built for combat, emerged.
"As expected, it was a trap."
Jin’s Body Double, Jin D, and the four Land units remained calm.
＊ ＊ ＊
"As expected, it was a trap."
『It is much as we anticipated,』 Laojun replied.
On Hourai Island, Jin and Laojun nodded to one another.
"Father, is it finally time for me to go?"
Reiko was on standby, fully equipped for battle.
"I suppose so. I’m counting on you."
"Yes, please leave it to me."
『Reiko-san, Land 14 is currently engraving a teleportation magic circle. Please teleport to his location first.』
"Reiko, go in Mana Bombe mode from the start," Jin added.
"I understand."
『Please give me three minutes until the synchronization of the teleportation magic circle is complete.』
"Understood. Do it carefully."
Once synchronized, the circle could be operated just like a Warp Gate. However, the disadvantage of engraving a teleportation magic circle at an arbitrary location was the time required to synchronize the frequency of the mana waves—the ether waves.
In this case, since it was easier to synchronize the Hourai Island side to the circle Land 14 had engraved, the process would be finished within that time frame.
＊ ＊ ＊
"……"
"What's this!?"
Suddenly, Jin D’s movements seized. Land 12 immediately moved to cover him, but the unit’s own reactions were sluggish.
"A Magi-Jammer, or some similar attack!?"
The Land units were unaffected because they had been operating in Mana Bombe mode from the beginning. Jin D’s internal functions should have been fine as well, but because the ether waves were being disrupted, he could no longer be piloted from afar.
Since Jin D’s autonomy was low, combat was impossible for him in this state. Consequently, Land 12 and Land 13 shifted into defensive positions to shield him.
At that moment, the enemy golems lunged. They were far more robust and battle-ready in appearance than Helente. There were twenty of them in total, and they all swung their fists simultaneously.
《Ghu—!》
Helente possessed similar auxiliary functions, but she was not built for combat. Furthermore, her movements were sluggish due to the previous corrosion. She took a heavy kick from an enemy golem and was sent flying into the wall.
《Gh… mnh… My malfunction rate has exceeded fifty percent, has it…》
The impact of being kicked and slammed against the wall seemed to have severed her magi-nerves, leaving her unable to stand. However, if one could call it fortunate, the enemy golems paid no mind to the downed Helente and swarmed the Land units instead.
《They aren't using magic… I see. Since they are disrupting the free ether, they cannot use magic themselves either.》
The golems were attacking using only taijutsu. Meeting the assault were Land 11 and Land 15, while Land 12 and Land 13 continued to shield Jin D.
"Helente, leave this to us," Land 11 said, sparing a glance for her as she crouched by the wall.
A fierce struggle of bare-handed combat unfolded. The Land squad was specialized for land warfare, making them formidable in these types of close-quarters engagements.
"Come!"
Protecting the incapacitated Jin D, Land 11 and Land 15 faced off against the approaching golems. Each unit was fighting a ten-on-one battle.
The enemy golems were powerful, but they were sluggish and could not keep up with the Land units' speed. Furthermore, the raw power of the Land units Jin had created was superior. Additionally, the enemy golems' methods of attack consisted of simple strikes and kicks; they utilized no discernible techniques.
"No martial arts, just swinging blindly."
Though they were outnumbered, the Land units possessed refined technique.
《This is incredible……》
Helente watched the fighting style of the two units, overcome with shock. Speed, power, and size were usually contradictory traits, yet Jin had realized all of them at an incredibly high level.
《Is this the true strength of the Lord of Kunlun……?》
Helente realized once again that what he had shown the forces of Onogoro Island until now had been less than half of his true capability.
Land 11 and Land 15 utilized every technique in their repertoire—punches, elbows, kicks, and throws—to dismantle the enemy golems. However, because the number of enemies was so high, the battle remained at a stalemate. They were just one step away from gaining the upper hand.
While shielding Jin D, Land 12 and Land 13 independently determined that the deadlock would persist at this rate. They concluded that if one more unit joined the fray, the balance would break.
Immediately, they acted on that tactical assessment.
"Land 13, I’m leaving him to you for a moment."
"Acknowledged."
Land 12 lunged forward, delivering a heavy kick to an enemy golem that was attacking Land 11 from behind. Struck by an attack from a completely unexpected direction, the golem was sent flying.
Continuing his momentum, Land 12 grabbed one of the enemy golems attacking Land 15 and slammed it to the floor with an arm throw. The impact caused the metal floor to dent slightly, and the enemy golem reached a stand still, its systems shutting down.
Simply by changing a ten-on-one into a nine-on-one, the balance collapsed. The extra ten percent of breathing room allowed them to pick off another enemy golem even faster. That saved time translated into increased offensive pressure, which in turn dealt even more damage to the remaining hostiles.
Through this positive spiral, the Land units’ dominance grew by the second. Nine-on-one became eight-on-one, and eight-on-one became seven-on-one. Then six, then five…
Once the numbers reached that point, the enemy golems no longer had any chance of victory. Less than two minutes after the battle began, the Land units had rendered all twenty enemy golems combat-incapable.
《Uuuh, they are so strong. Are the golems of the Lord of Kunlun truly this powerful?》
Helente stared wide-eyed at the overwhelming strength of the Land squad. However, Land 11 had not yet let down his guard.
"……Auxiliary Golem No. 066 is nowhere to be seen. Stay alert."
His suspicion was proven correct almost immediately.
[For something made by Indigenous People, your strength is formidable. However, how about this?]
No sooner had Auxiliary Golem No. 066's voice echoed through the hall than eight new enemy golems appeared. Their numbers were fewer, but their frames were significantly larger than the previous twenty, and they were armed.
In their left hands, they carried massive tower shields. In their right hands, they gripped either swords or clubs.
[I shall stop underestimating you. I will slaughter you with everything I have.]
The bell for the second round had just been rung.