Yura closed the distance and unleashed a sharp roundhouse kick.
Its trajectory would have sheared the skin right off my face. There was no hesitation in her assault.
(If I hold back, it'll be over in an instant.)
I forced the golem to leap backward. The toes of the Dedicated Machine swept past my eyes; had my reaction been even a fraction of a second slower, the unit's head would have been pulverized.
Having successfully evaded, I fired a volley of Finger Guns. In response, Yura moved both hands with blinding precision. She caught the projectiles between her outstretched fingers. It seemed she had read the trajectory of the magic bullets and snatched them out of the air. Her kinetic vision and motor control were nothing short of extraordinary.
"Adjusting attack speed and range—complete."
Yura discarded the spent rounds and lunged forward, driving a punch toward me. It was even sharper and faster than her previous kick.
(Evasion won't make it in time.)
I instantly activated the Defense Magic installed in the golem. A split second later, Yura’s fist shattered the barrier. The force was enough to gouge the surface; the prototype's defensive capabilities were clearly insufficient.
I used a rapid succession of Defense Magic to force some distance between us. Though the internal Magic Power reserves were depleting rapidly, I had no choice. This was not a fight where I could afford to worry about efficiency.
(This is going to be a struggle...)
The gap in basic performance between the Prototype Golem and the Dedicated Machine was massive. My unit had a lower ceiling for reaction speed and a smaller magical capacity. Depending on where her martial arts strikes landed, the tide of battle could become irreversible in a single heartbeat.
Furthermore, I was limited to the functions pre-installed in the golem. I couldn't rely on my own magic to bridge the gap.
Using my actual body standing outside the barrier, I called out to her.
"Where did you learn those martial arts? They don't seem self-taught."
"Answering question—Learned from Individual Name Henry."
"I see."
That made sense. Henry, our master archer, also possessed unparalleled skill in close-quarters combat. In that specific field, no one else could match him. I had often seen him in the training grounds, striking down monsters far larger than himself one after another. Despite being human, he constantly operated at the very peak of human potential.
If she had learned from him, Yura’s strength was perfectly logical. Henry had likely taught her out of some whimsical curiosity. It was a well-known fact among the executives that Yura’s learning capacity was extreme. Perhaps Henry, always in search of a training partner, was trying to mold her into one.
(I'm glad to see she's being accepted by the others.)
I activated the golem’s magic sword. At present, the only area where I held a definitive advantage was technique—specifically, the swordsmanship I had inherited from that person.
If I were defeated too easily, I wouldn't be able to verify the golem's performance. Since this mock battle was also meant to teach Yura how to handle her overwhelming power, I couldn't afford a pathetic showing. Disadvantaged or not, I had to put up a fight.
"Master's Threat Level is rising—unmeasurable. Correcting estimated capabilities."
Yura blurred toward me and threw a kick. It was faster than anything she had shown yet. The Prototype Golem's sensors were already struggling to track her.
As the kick roared toward me, I used the magic sword to parry the blow. The blade of pure magic was fragile; I had to be careful not to let it shatter.
"Attack failed—assigning top priority to evasive maneuvers."
Yura’s posture broke for a fleeting second. I didn't miss the opening and swung the magic sword in a silver flash. Yura kicked off the floor to leap away, but the blade grazed the Dedicated Machine's abdomen.
She lowered her gaze. A faint score had appeared on the metal plating.
"W-Wait, it can actually cut through?! Given the Dedicated Machine’s hardness and the internal Magic Formula, it shouldn't even be possible to scratch it!"
I heard the Director’s amazed voice from the sidelines, but I didn't have the luxury of looking away.
Yura ignited the thrusters on the soles of her feet, ascending until she hovered above me. She pointed a hand downward. Magic power compressed into a dense point before discharging as a high-intensity beam.
I whipped the magic sword back and forth as the light descended. The beam, sliced clean in half, struck the floor and melted the surface of the barrier. The impact caused the barrier's magic formula to fray; it wouldn't withstand many more direct hits.
"Confirmed attack failure—changing combat tactics."
Yura dove from the air, spinning her body into a ferocious heel drop. I deflected it with the sword, but the impact sent a jarring vibration through the golem's frame. The forearms let out an ominous creak, and the knees buckled slightly.
Without landing, Yura spun horizontally, raining down a barrage of kicks. She was using her flight capability to press a relentless, multi-directional assault. I retreated, handling each blow with the magic sword and focusing entirely on defense.
Technically, I was the superior combatant. I just had to maintain a solid defense and wait for the right moment to counter.
Suddenly, I hit a wall. I couldn't retreat any further. I looked back to see the barrier looming directly behind me. I had been cornered.
(Careless. She baited me.)
Pushing the mistake from my mind, I readjusted my stance. Yura landed and then sprang upward for a kick. I tried to duck, only to realize too late that it was impossible. The Prototype Golem's structural design didn't allow for such a rapid shift in center of gravity.
Worse, the accumulated strain was taking its toll; the drive systems across the entire unit were starting to fail. I had no choice but to try and parry the kick with the sword. Because the angle was poor, the kick bypassed the blade and pulverized the golem's shoulder.
The force of the impact slammed the machine against the barrier.
"Grasping tactical advantage—shifting ratio of offense and defense."
Yura stood before me and drove a follow-up punch toward my chest. I swung the magic sword before the blow could land. Her fist struck the Prototype Golem's torso, causing the plating to crack and black smoke to billow from the gaps.
However, I wasn't the only one who had taken damage.
"Detecting arm damage—confirming malfunction."
Sparks showered from the Dedicated Machine's elbow joint where the magic sword had bitten deep. Yura retreated and flexed her arm, assessing the damage. Her movements were visibly hampered; she wouldn't be able to throw high-speed strikes with that limb anymore.
I checked my own status. The shoulder that had taken the kick was completely wrecked, and the connected arm was dead weight. The damage to the chest was also critical; the internal circuits for the Finger Guns and Defense Magic were fried. I was down to the magic sword alone.
(If it's come to this, I'll have to go all out.)
Drawing the fight out would only lead to a slow defeat. I steeled my resolve and charged the Dedicated Machine.
What followed was a blur of high-speed combat. Yura relied on her remaining mobility, unleashing a barrage of martial arts strikes with minimal openings. Each blow was heavy and incredibly fast. It was all the Prototype Golem's systems could do to read the incoming attacks.
I fought back with the sword, parrying, deflecting, and countering. It was only because of my superior skill that I was able to keep up at all.
Damage continued to accumulate on the prototype. Even with my efforts to minimize the impact, the machine simply wasn't designed for this level of intensity. The internal magic reserves were draining at an alarming rate, and my mobility was vastly inferior to hers.
The battle finally reached its peak. Yura’s assault showed no sign of flagging as she continued to pressure me. I observed her patterns as I parried, identifying her habits. She was trying to catch me off guard, but there was a predictable rhythm to her movements.
(—Now.)
I anticipated her next move, swinging the magic sword at the exact moment her weight shifted. Two quick slashes tore through both knees of the Dedicated Machine.
Yura’s posture broke completely, and she collapsed forward, catching herself with her hands. I tried to follow up with a final blow, but the golem wouldn't move.
I checked the magic flow and realized the problem immediately. The Prototype Golem had overheated, and the Control System Formula was burnt out. The Shared Vision flickered and died, plunging my perspective into darkness. The magic sword dissipated into mist.
I had finally hit the limit.
"Detecting critical opening in Master—shifting to counterattack."
The next instant, a massive impact caved in the golem's torso. The exterior plating crumpled, and internal components were forced out through the gaps. A sharp, reaping kick struck the head, followed by the sound of a small explosion.
My vision went completely black. My sense of balance vanished as the Prototype Golem collapsed. The last thing I saw as I fell backward was the silhouette of the Dedicated Machine bringing its foot down.
(...I suppose that's that.)
I severed the connection to the golem and opened my eyes in my own body. Looking into the barrier, I saw the Prototype Golem’s head had been crushed under the Dedicated Machine’s heel. It was finished. The rest of the unit was equally battered, reduced to a heap of scrap.
Yura phased out of the Dedicated Machine and stepped outside the barrier. She came to a halt in front of me.
"Mock Battle concluded—Master, thank you for your cooperation."
"No, thank you. It was very informative."
This had been an excellent opportunity to gauge her capabilities. She was, without question, exceptional. Furthermore, she was still in a phase of rapid development with plenty of room to grow. Given enough time and experience, she would become a being truly worthy of being the Great Spirit's Avatar.
"Oh, that was simply magnificent! We’ve gathered such incredible data! I'm going to start repairing the damage and analyzing these results right away!"
The Director was practically vibrating with excitement. Clenching her fists, she spoke at a mile a minute, praising the performance. She seemed more than satisfied with the results of the mock battle.
"I’ll have an improved version ready for you in a few days, so please look forward to it! I'm going to make something that will truly surprise you, Demon King-sama!"
"I'll be waiting."
I gave a polite response to the Director, who looked as if she might keel over from pure adrenaline at any moment. Then, I glanced back at Yura. Her eyes were fixed on the Dedicated Machine standing within the barrier.
She didn't say a word, but she seemed to have taken a liking to it.
After providing some final feedback on the golem's performance and suggesting a few features, we took our leave of the Research Institute.