"Damn it! The gas bag won't hold! We're making a forced landing!"
Under the relentless assault, the World Security Guard airship's gas bag had been riddled with holes. It could no longer stay aloft.
Gajue Tsuga, the vice-captain of the World Security Guard's Mimaka Principality Garrison, made the call.
"Understood! Commencing emergency landing!"
The only small victory was that the combat zone had drifted slightly south, placing them over the open wasteland rather than the town.
"Deploy the general-purpose golems too!"
"Sir!"
Several enemy golems were already visible on the ground below.
"All personnel, prepare for combat and brace for the impact of landing!"
Gajue Tsuga barked out orders in rapid succession. His sister ship was nowhere in sight; he could do nothing but pray for its safety.
A few minutes later, a heavy shock rattled the airship's cabin.
"Ghh...!"
The crew grit their teeth against the impact.
"We've... touched down!"
"Deploying our golems now!"
"Are there any injuries? Anyone who can move, get outside! Don't go far, though! We'll use the airship as a shield and hold our ground!"
The barrier was still barely functional. By narrowing its radius, they could bolster its strength. That was Tsuga’s plan—to turn the wreckage into a temporary fortress.
In the darkness, the eerie, rhythmic thud of approaching enemy footsteps echoed across the waste.
"Go, golems!"
He couldn't let them get too close. Tsuga ordered his two general-purpose golems into the fray.
The fighting started immediately. The scene was dimly lit by the airship's surviving lights, casting long, dancing shadows across the dirt.
There were four enemy combat golems. Tsuga only had two. However, the performance of the World Security Guard's general-purpose units was superior.
"This gives us a moment to breathe."
Tsuga looked up at the sky. The Moon, Uni, had only just begun its ascent.
"Uwaaa...!"
Inside the national Research Dormitory in the capital of Mahalig, Kachea crouched on the floor, clutching her head and trembling.
The barrier had apparently been breached, as the sounds of destruction echoed from elsewhere on the grounds. Then...
"Kachea!"
The door burst open, and Eira Shiata rushed in.
"E-Eira-san?"
"Thank goodness, you're here. We have to get out of here, fast!"
"Evacuate? To where?"
"The basement warehouse! Come on, move it!"
Eira grabbed her hand and hauled Kachea to her feet.
They sprinted down the corridor toward the rear staircase. They practically fell down the steps in their haste to reach the warehouse entrance.
"Eira! Kachea! Hurry!"
Groma Tray was waiting for them at the bottom.
The moment they scrambled inside, Groma slammed the door shut.
"That looks like everyone from the research wing."
Aside from Kachea, Eira, and Groma, twenty-one other researchers were huddled together, their faces gaunt with exhaustion and fear.
"Kachea, Eira... you two really have the worst luck. If you'd stayed scouted by the Jagus Principality, you wouldn't have been caught up in this."
Someone spoke up. The two of them had only been sent back to their old posts at the Research Dormitory a week ago.
"Now isn't the time for that," Groma Tray scolded. "We need to work together if we want to weather this crisis."
"Guro, what happened to your golems?" Eira asked, her usual abrasive tone returning.
"I dispatched the four operational units to the main gate, the back gate, and the two side entrances, but they were overwhelmed. There were just too many of them. 'Overwhelmed by numbers,' as they say."
"Listen to you, acting all poetic..."
Normally, this would have sparked a full-blown argument, but even Eira didn't have the heart for a verbal spat under these circumstances.
"B-But isn't this a dead end?" Kachea asked.
If the enemy reached this room, there would be no escape.
"It is. But there’s still hope. I caught a glimpse before we came down here—a World Security Guard airship has arrived."
There were only two, which wasn't much of a fleet, but Groma assured them that if word reached headquarters, rescue would surely follow.
"My mentor was a student at Avalon, the very organization that founded the World Security Guard," Groma added. Once he provided a basis for his hope, the researchers seemed to relax slightly.
"Now, what we need to do is buy time."
Groma pointed toward a golem lying in the back of the warehouse.
"That’s my latest model. It’s still unfinished, but fortunately, we’re in a warehouse. We have all the materials we need."
In other words, they were going to finish it here and use it as their defense.
"Help me, Eira."
"You got it."
Despite their constant bickering, the two were professionals when it came to their craft. And with their lives on the line, they worked with even greater focus.
"Let's use Hardening here."
"We should use three parallel magi-nerve lines to improve reliability."
"Reinforce it with adamantite."
"Good idea. Let's install two separate ether converter systems while we're at it."
With a wealth of supplies at their disposal, they used high-grade materials that would normally never be authorized for a single project.
Lost in their work, Groma and Eira pushed toward completion.
"All that's left is the equipment."
"Shields are mandatory."
Since the golem was meant for defense, that was a given.
"Let's make two, then. It can carry one on its back as a spare."
"Perfect."
They settled on a mace for its weapon.
"We need to keep the weight down so it can swing it with one hand," Eira noted.
"No, this model has more output than anything we’ve built before," Groma countered. "It'll be fine. Let's go with a standard heavy mace."
Finally, their beacon of hope—the special golem—was complete.
At that exact moment, a thunderous boom shook the warehouse door.
"Hieee!"
Someone let out a sharp yelp of terror.
"...So they finally made it," Groma muttered grimly. "I'm glad the golem is ready, but I was really hoping they wouldn't find us."
"You and me both."
Another heavy blow struck the door. It began to visibly buckle.
"I stacked Hardening and Toughening on that door... what kind of monster strength is that?"
A third blow followed. The metal groaned and warped, creating a jagged gap.
"Here it comes...!"
The special golem was already active.
They would launch their counter-strike the moment the door gave way.
One more hit. The door was wrenched aside, leaving a hole just large enough for a golem to pass through.
"Go!"
At Groma's command, the special golem lunged.
It led with a massive body slam. A crash even louder than the door's destruction echoed through the basement as the enemy golem was sent flying backward.
"Yes! Keep it up! Attack!"
The golem was an autonomous type, but it performed better with specific guidance. Groma cast a Light spell, sending a glowing orb through the gap to illuminate the area outside.
The darkness vanished, revealing the truth of their situation.
"No..."
Kachea's voice failed her.
Standing just outside the door were twenty enemy combat golems.