"Dedicated to Yura... what exactly does that mean?" I asked.
The Research Institute Director beamed with pride. Her expression practically begged for the question.
"This golem is revolutionary! It’s going to shatter every shred of conventional wisdom!" she proclaimed, her gestures as grand as her claims. She was clearly confident in her work. Her eyes were wide and glittering; she hadn’t blinked once.
"The design philosophy behind the Technomagic Kingdom’s units—and even my own previous prototype—was to create weapons anyone could use. It's a logical way to quickly bolster a military force with elite assets. It makes perfect sense."
Suddenly, she bolted across the room. She came to a halt beside the golem in question and rested a hand on its shoulder before spinning back toward me with renewed energy.
"But this Dedicated Machine is different! I’ve taken its design philosophy in the absolute opposite direction!"
"The opposite?"
"It's been optimized for Yura and Yura alone. Every aspect, from the exterior plating to the core functions, has been fine-tuned for her. No one else could even dream of piloting it."
"I see."
My opinion of her rose slightly. Her approach was certainly innovative. If the user was already decided, there was no harm in pushing the specifications to their limits. One would never reach such heights of performance while shackled by standard concepts of versatility.
It was a philosophy that stood in direct contrast to John Doe. He had aimed for a future where anyone could fight, developing guns, Enhanced Armor, and high-performance golems with mass production in mind. Even his Giant Golem had been a specialized exception—a weapon of last resort designed specifically to kill the Demon King.
The Director, however, seemed to thrive on this kind of specialization. While she enjoyed the challenge of mass-production units, this was clearly where her true talent shone.
Still, the Director and Yura were supposed to be meeting for the first time. How had she gathered enough data to build a custom unit? I didn't recall giving her the clearance to investigate Yura's specifics.
(...Did Luciana leak the info just to see what would happen?)
It seemed likely. That was exactly the sort of thing Luciana would do. I didn't intend to punish her for it, though. Developing a specialized unit wasn't detrimental to the Demon King's Domain, and Luciana hadn't technically deceived me. She had likely judged it beneficial and provided the intel accordingly.
I stepped closer to the machine, examining its craftsmanship. It was incredibly intricate.
"You say it’s for Yura's exclusive use, but could even I not operate it?"
"For someone as far outside the norms as you, Demon King, it might be possible... but I suspect the handling would be abysmal."
"Understood."
I continued my inspection. The Dedicated Machine gave off no Magic Power. It hadn't been fueled. In fact, I couldn't find a fuel tank at all. The Prototype Golem had a bulky housing on its back, but this unit was sleek and slender. There simply wasn't enough internal volume for a reservoir.
As if reading my mind, the Director chimed in gleefully. "Ah, you noticed! This unit has no internal magic storage. I realized it wasn't necessary, so I scrapped the whole thing!"
"Then it has a different power source?"
"Exactly! The idea is for Yura to possess the machine and power it with her own Magic Power. As the Great Spirit's Avatar, she should be more than capable of it."
"...I see. That makes sense."
Yura’s body was composed of mana-based matter, allowing her to phase through solid objects. She was also highly intelligent and, as we'd discovered during her time at the castle, capable of interfacing with Magic Tools. Possessing a golem should be well within her capabilities.
"Since this isn't meant for Remote Operation, it’s closer to a suit of armor than a vehicle. It’s meant to be worn," the Director explained.
"Yura, can you possess it?"
Yura stared at the machine for a moment of silent analysis before responding.
"Analyzing internal structure... Analysis complete. Possibility: confirmed. Shall I proceed?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Command accepted. Commencing possession."
Yura’s form blurred and diffused, merging into the metal of the golem. Immediately, patterns across the machine’s body began to glow. The Magic Formula was active.
The unit began to move with deliberate slowness. It tilted its head, looking back and forth between the Director and me.
The Director was practically dancing with joy. "Oh! It’s a success! Yura, how does it feel? Any issues?"
"Measuring machine Integration Rate... Stability is excellent," Yura’s voice echoed from within the machine.
The Director’s excitement reached a fever pitch. She took a shaky, deep breath before giving another instruction. "Then... could you try some basic movements for us?"
"Command accepted. Commencing machine Trial Drive."
The golem took its first steps. It slowly picked up speed, eventually leaping into the air with enough force to crack the floorboards. It kicked off a wall, spun mid-air, and landed gracefully on all fours. Its movements were fluid and predatory, more like a beast than a machine.
The display grew more intense by the second. I watched from a safe distance beside the Director.
"Impressive work."
"Heh, it was worth the effort. I stayed awake for seven days straight to finish this. Honestly, I don't even remember the last time I went home," the Director murmured.
I chose not to comment on her alarming work habits for now, but I reaffirmed my decision: I would definitely be turning her into an Undead.
Pushing that thought aside, I asked, "Why go through the trouble of building a custom unit for her?"
"Well, I thought this golem might serve as a catalyst for her to understand her own power. I’ve always felt it’s better for someone with overwhelming strength to learn how to manage it themselves rather than having those around them try to suppress it. She’s innocent—and dangerous—right now. This is the perfect time for her to have this kind of opportunity."
For a brief moment, the Director looked uncharacteristically solemn. It was an unexpected depth of thought. She had built this machine with Yura’s growth in mind.
A brief silence settled between us until she suddenly grinned again.
"Well, the truth is I just really wanted to build it! I mean, dedicated machines are just cool, right? My old job never let me be creative like this. It was deathly boring."
"...I see."
I wasn't sure which of her reasons was the "true" one, or if they were both equally valid.
Meanwhile, Yura’s movements were becoming increasingly violent. She darted across the room, leaving afterimages in her wake as she pushed the machine to its limits. The golem showed no signs of fatigue; it was remarkably durable.
The Director turned back to me, her tone slightly more reserved.
"Demon King, I have a request..."
"What is it?"
"Would you mind piloting the Prototype Golem and sparring with Yura? I need combat data for my records."
She produced a stack of recording sheets from somewhere. She was prepared.
I had no reason to refuse. Testing the limits was necessary.
"Very well."
"Thank you! I'll ask Yura as well!"
The Director stopped Yura and explained the plan. The golem went perfectly still as Yura processed the request.
"Proposal accepted. I wish to engage in a Mock Battle with Master."
"Wonderful! Let's get the arena ready!"
The Director clapped her hands, and a shimmering cubic Barrier manifested in the center of the hall. It provided a generous amount of space for a skirmish.
I re-established the connection with the Prototype Golem. Yura entered the Barrier immediately after me, and we faced off.
"Master, I look forward to this."
"As do I."
The Director stood just outside the perimeter, shouting instructions. "Yura’s Dedicated Machine is equipped with Flight and Beam capabilities, but they're still a bit unstable! Be careful when you use them!"
"Understood. Thank you for the advice."
A low mechanical hum vibrated through the air as Yura took a Combat Stance. She dropped her center of gravity and raised her fists. It wasn't the awkward pose of an amateur; it was a disciplined, refined guard. I wondered where she could have possibly learned such a thing.
The Magic Power Reaction within her machine intensified. Along with it, I felt the surging Spirit Power.
"Shifting to Combat Stance. Master... prepare yourself."
With that declaration, Yura kicked off the floor and lunged.