(They’ve arrived early...)
I watched the golem units as they closed in.
Lumbering forward with heavy footfalls, the golems advanced in tight formation. No human soldiers accompanied them. Utilizing their shared vision, the casters were likely operating them from a safe distance.
This was a predictable tactic—in fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say their shared vision function existed for this very purpose. It was far superior to deploying flesh-and-blood soldiers to the front lines. Even if the golems were destroyed, the casters would only suffer a minor loss of stamina. It prevented precious human resources from being wasted.
The golem units raised both hands horizontally, pointing their fingertips toward us. They clearly intended to open fire the moment the Demon King's Army entered their range.
Grom glared at the golems with visible resentment.
"Curse them and their insolent tricks... My Lord, what are your orders?"
"Pay them no mind. We continue the advance," I replied in a resolute tone.
It didn't matter what the golems did. We would simply push through. If we didn't advance, we couldn't conquer the Technomagic Kingdom.
While we marched forward in silence, my subordinates began their incantations. They refrained from any unnecessary attacks, waiting patiently for the command to unleash their magic. In the air so tense that one could hear another's breathing, the Demon King's Army bore down on the inorganic weapons.
Just moments before the golems' guns could activate, Henry’s voice rang out.
"—Fire!"
In the next instant, my subordinates unleashed their magic simultaneously. A prismatic blend of spells streaked through the sky, crashing into the golem units like a surging tide.
The golems deployed their defense magic. Spells collided with high-pitched screeches, and the majority of the barrage was deflected. It appeared they had bolstered the quality of their protection by pre-charging them with massive amounts of magic power.
However, some of the spells managed to pierce the defenses and strike home. The damaged golems immediately became sluggish. Henry sniped those openings, his arrows piercing their central cores and shutting them down instantly.
I had provided Henry with the golems' blueprints beforehand, so he was intimately familiar with their internal structures. This allowed him to target their weak points with unerring precision. Before his arrows, neither defense magic nor steel armor held any meaning.
In the clash between the Demon King's Army and the golems, we held the overwhelming advantage. As if to drive the point home, Grom unleashed a relentless barrage of magic, shattering layers of defenses and pulverizing the golems where they stood.
(Ideally, I’d prefer they remain intact to maximize the value of capturing them, but...)
I kept the thought to myself. Grom was clearly in high spirits, and it would be boorish to dampen his enthusiasm now. Besides, once we searched the Capital, we were bound to find formal blueprints and undamaged specimens. It was best to let Grom work off his excitement here.
The assault continued for a short while longer. Through relentless trampling, the golem units were annihilated. The Demon King's Army marched over the wreckage and proceeded toward the ruins of the main gate.
Dorda had vanished somewhere, and there was no sign of him returning. The last I saw of him, he was sprinting along the outer wall in search of the living. The sounds of explosions and angry shouts echoed from the distance. If he was fighting with that much energy, there was no cause for concern.
Before long, we successfully entered the Capital proper.
Beyond the outer wall lay rows of characterless buildings. They were almost entirely white-painted, square, two-story structures. Occasionally, I saw four- or five-story buildings, or even taller structures, but they all shared the same architecture. The uniformity was striking.
The city was sterile, but it gave off a functional impression. Whoever ordered this construction was either incredibly fastidious or a thorough rationalist.
The citizens who saw us fled in desperation. They were all running in the same direction, likely following predetermined evacuation routes. According to my perception magic, the people were gathering in several specific locations. Each was a sector protected by defense magic and barriers—evacuation sites designed to shelter the populace.
I commanded the undead I had brought along to scatter throughout the city. I directed them to split up and assault several of the evacuation sites. This would force the Technomagic Army to focus on defense, inevitably thinning out their front-line resistance against us.
As an aside, I didn't actually intend to turn every resident into an undead. A moderate number of casualties would suffice to create the necessary chaos. As long as it bought us enough time to complete our objective, it was sufficient.
"Fire!"
Soldiers leaned out from the windows of nearby buildings, showering us with gunfire from all sides. While blocking the rounds, I released a veil of miasma, turning the soldiers into undead.
(So even the common soldiers are equipped with guns. They've made significant progress.)
While I watched the new ghouls rise, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Luciana. She gestured toward the city at large.
"I’d like to split off here, if that’s all right?"
"Go ahead. I’ll leave it to you."
"Yeees. I’ll do my best then!"
Nodding joyfully, Luciana disappeared into an alleyway with several of her subordinates. She was likely off to begin her sabotage operations. Interference was her specialty, and her skill was beyond reproach. With Luciana on the job, I could rest easy.
I turned to Logan and asked him to pinpoint the direction of the Secret Stone. From here, we intended to leave the main army and head toward the objective as a duo. I could leave the command of the Demon King's Army to Henry and Grom. I wanted to finish our business while they kept the Technomagic Army occupied.
Just as I explained the plan and prepared to teleport, I detected a high-output magic power reaction in the street ahead.
Was it another golem?
I watched as a box-shaped weapon appeared. It looked like a magic cannon with wheels attached, though it was about two sizes smaller than the stationary versions. Its sides were protected by several layers of iron-plate shields.
(That is...)
I recalled seeing this weapon in the records I’d recovered from the Imperial Capital. If I remembered correctly, it was called a "Tank." I had seen a small-scale model in the magic workshop beneath the Imperial Capital, so there was no mistaking it.
According to the records, it was essentially a mobile cannon. Two operators worked inside the hull. The iron shields were installed as a countermeasure against melee attacks and magic, with magic formulas for defense magic engraved on the reverse side to be activated at a moment's notice.
The tank rumbled down the street, its engine emitting a heavy, low-pitched growl. Its movement was sluggish compared to the golems, but the firepower of its mounted cannon was on an entirely different level. Judging by the magic power reaction, it was incomparable to the golems' finger guns.
(To think they’ve actually deployed these. Did they rush production to prepare for the Demon King's Army?)
While I was admiring the kingdom's technological prowess, magic power began to converge in the tank's barrel. The power, compressed to its absolute limit, was discharged as a pale blue beam of light.
Before I knew it, the beam was right in front of me. I deployed multiple layers of defense magic. In an instant, the beam struck, unleashing a shower of sparks. With a sound like grinding teeth, my defense magic was slowly eroded from the surface.
(Is it... melting the magic formula itself?)
As I observed, the intensity of the beam weakened before finally cutting out and vanishing. It seemed capable of sustained, high-intensity destruction. It was a significant threat; without sufficient defensive measures, an entire unit could have been wiped out in a single shot.
The tank's barrel glowed red-hot. It began to reverse, attempting to hide behind a building. It seemed it couldn't fire continuously, much like the magic cannons in the Imperial Capital. It was likely still a prototype in the middle of development.
(I won't let you escape.)
Releasing my defense magic, I invoked a forbidden magic. Black thorns erupted through the cobblestones, skewering the retreating tank from beneath. The thorns grew at a violent speed, hoisting the tank into the air. They coiled around the vehicle multiple times, applying relentless pressure.
The restrained tank creaked and groaned as it began to buckle. The cannon fired a desperate beam, but it merely pierced the empty night sky. Finally, the tank snapped in two and exploded. The blast scattered flames, scorching the nearby buildings.
(Hmm. A reasonably sturdy weapon.)
After evaluating the tank's performance, I used perception magic to scan the surrounding area. Numerous high-level magic reactions were surging toward our position—more golems, tanks, or perhaps soldiers armed with guns.
The Technomagic Army was moving to intercept us in force. It seemed they were desperate to halt the Demon King's Army's progress at any cost.
Now was the perfect time to steal the Secret Stone.
I entrusted the overall command to Grom and teleported away with Logan.