It was an unforeseen turn of events.
I never imagined the modified tank would be completely destroyed. It wasn't the sort of weapon that yielded or detonated so easily. The only reason it had ended up that way was because the Steel Knight’s offensive power far exceeded my estimations.
The tank was currently an inferno, but Diera was likely unharmed. She wasn't the type to die from something of this magnitude. Even if I left her to her own devices, there would be no issue.
The Steel Knight was the more pressing concern. His sheer, bizarre physical strength was troubling. To pierce a modified tank with a halberd, lift it, and hurl it away was nothing short of preposterous. There were few within even the Demon King’s Army capable of such a feat. Even factoring in the enhancements provided by his mechanical body, such strength should have been impossible.
I observed the Steel Knight closely. While his magic power significantly eclipsed that of an average mage, it wasn't particularly noteworthy. It fell far short of my own—within the margin of error, so to speak. It certainly didn't explain his irrational physical prowess.
As I continued my analysis, I noticed an imbalance in his mana. The high-output sections likely corresponded to his prosthetic parts. Very little of his original flesh remained, with the head and chest being the rare exceptions. They housed his brain and heart; no doubt those were his vulnerabilities.
(This is...)
I felt a nagging sense of incongruity regarding the man. The nature of his magic power was peculiar, leaving me with a distinctly artificial impression. His prosthetic body wasn't the only cause. He seemed to have undergone a profound magical transformation. This was likely the source of his power, and it was the mystery I wanted to solve.
Visual observation alone wouldn't tell me everything. I wanted him captured alive so I could extract the truth from him directly. Depending on what I learned during the interrogation, I might find a clue regarding the trigger for the Hero Awakening.
(The battle is already overwhelmingly in our favor. There is no need to rush.)
I shifted my gaze to the area behind the Steel Knight. The Technomagic Army was on the verge of collapse. Their chain of command had been paralyzed by the concentrated bombardment and magic, and more than a few soldiers had already begun to desert. Even if we didn't pursue them, they would crumble of their own accord.
Despite the situation, the Steel Knight refused to halt. He charged toward the Demon King’s Army entirely alone. It wasn't that he was suicidal; he was seething with an extraordinary fighting spirit.
"Now! Let the bastard have it!"
Following Henry’s roar, the Demon King’s Army resumed its assault. The tank unit fired their shells while the gun unit unleashed a volley. In the intervals, Henry added precise snipes with his bow.
In the face of this, the Steel Knight sprinted in a straight line. Using only his halberd to parry the incoming attacks, he steadily closed the distance.
(Impossible. How is he doing that?)
I watched the scene in marvel. The Steel Knight utilized transcendent technique and strength to completely neutralize the attacks raining down on him. Compared to the start of the battle, his defensive speed and precision had visibly improved. The more he was cornered, the more his power grew at an exponential rate.
Eventually, the Steel Knight’s defense shifted into offense. Bullets parried by his halberd ricocheted back toward the Demon King’s Army. He even struck the artillery shells back at us with brute force. My forces managed to endure using immediate defense magic. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but from that point on, every subsequent attack was either evaded or reflected.
We couldn't land a single wound on him. Against a single Hero, our long-range attacks—which specialized in overwhelming volume—were being rendered useless.
(At this rate, we’ll start taking losses...)
Just as I considered stepping in myself, Henry leaped from the top of his tank. He sprinted forward, bow in hand, making a beeline for the Steel Knight.
"Hahaha! Fine then, I'll be your opponent!"
Hurling his defiance, Henry wore a savage grin. It seemed he intended to strike down the Steel Knight himself to prevent damage to our army. Or rather, he wasn't thinking that deeply; given the state of the battle, he likely just couldn't suppress his impulses any longer.
Henry pounced. The Steel Knight came to a halt.
In a flash, the halberd's tip became a lethal blur. A high-pitched metallic clang rang out as Henry’s bow caught the thrust. Henry immediately followed up with a roundhouse kick—a heavy strike delivered at point-blank range. With both their weapons locked in a struggle, dodging or blocking should have been difficult.
However, the Steel Knight’s right shoulder hummed. A small-scale defense spell deployed from the joint—one of his built-in functions. Henry’s kick slammed into the barrier. The Steel Knight was blown back by the impact, skidding across the ground as he regained his footing.
He showed no signs of injury. He had managed to weather the blow successfully. Had it not been for that defense magic, his arm likely would have been torn off.
"Not bad! Give me some more fun!"
Henry followed up with a relentless storm of consecutive strikes. He wove together blunt strikes from his bow with brutal martial arts. The Steel Knight fought back with his halberd, but he was clearly being forced onto the defensive. He had no room for counterattacks, focused entirely on survival. While his skills were improving in real-time, Henry’s fierce assault was accelerating even faster.
Henry was a man who once stood as a candidate to lead the crusade against the Demon King. He was someone who might have fought alongside me or that person. Because of his behavior, the title of Hero was never bestowed upon him, yet he possessed the strength worthy of the name.
Even after joining the Demon King’s Army, Henry demonstrated that talent without reserve. The fact that he reigned at the top of a meritocratic organization filled with monsters was the simplest proof of his worth. There was no way such a man could be weak.
"Found an opening!"
Henry skillfully spun his bow, slipping past the halberd’s guard to deliver a crushing blow to the Steel Knight’s knee. The Knight stumbled. Though he used his halberd to keep from falling, it was a fatal lapse in posture.
Henry’s fist sank deep into the gap.
A hole gaped in the Steel Knight’s torso as he was sent hurtling high into the sky.