Phew, thank goodness. Rei and his group were safe, and the other adventurers were somehow holding their ground. It looked like I’d made it in time.
I’d been in such a rush. After notifying Lord Rozeph and the gods of my departure for Cygnil, I’d peeked at the situation only to find this mess. I ended up diving through the Dream-Viewing Mirror in a panic. Halfa and the others had been right there, so they’d come along, but the Petit Golems were likely still on guard duty outside the Magic House. I’d have to bring them over later.
A quick scan of the area revealed two types of enemies. The bosses were the giant Silver Masses crowding the dungeon entrance like a game of push-and-shove, and the swarm of earth golems served as their underlings. To get rid of those Silver Buns, I’d have to clear out the golems first.
"Tort, we'll handle the golems!" Halfa shouted.
"Wait a second, Halfa. Let’s bring that out instead."
"That?"
『I’ve got it! The Haniwa Knight!』
"Exactly."
I stopped Halfa and the others just as they were about to charge. If I had the firepower, I might as well put it to good use.
"Rei! I’m going to bring out something a little big, if that’s okay!"
"Something big? I don't quite follow, but if it can fix this situation, then by all means, go ahead!"
"Thanks! It’s dangerous, so everyone step back!"
The construct I pulled out was the Giant Golem. It was the same haniwa that had smashed through the Silver Forces Executive’s Stone Armor back in Albiroda. I’d given it the name Haniwa Knight for the time being, but since I rarely had the chance to use it, it usually stayed dormant inside my Storage Ring. I needed to let it stretch its legs on occasions like this.
"Whoa!?"
"It’s huge... I mean, that’s way too big..."
"As expected of Tort..."
The Haniwa Knight stood roughly twenty meters tall. Naturally, it was just as wide as it was high. In this world, such sheer scale was unheard of. Its sudden appearance left Rei and the others standing there with their mouths agape.
Ah, wait, oops. Since the Haniwa Knight was the color of earth, its material looked remarkably similar to the surrounding Beast-type Golems. I wondered for a second if they might mistake it for an enemy reinforcement—
"W-What is that... that giant... thing?"
"This isn't the time for details! It’s a golem, plain and simple!"
"No way! There's no fighting a monster that big!"
"Ugh... at this rate, we’d have a better chance of winning if we just charged the Sticky Silver Boss..."
"No, wait. It looked like that boy summoned it..."
"Don't be stupid! Something like that isn't the kind of thing a human can control!"
Just as I thought. I seemed to have caused even more chaos than I’d imagined.
"Calm down! This Giant Golem is an ally!"
Rei was the first to regain his composure and announce it was on our side, but even so, the adventurers' agitation didn't subside. At this point, it was probably better to just show them. If I had it smash through the enemies, they’d surely realize it was an ally.
"Go, Haniwa Knight!"
At my command, the Haniwa Knight awakened. Moving with a fluidity that defied its massive bulk, it took its first step. That alone was enough to trample the Beast-type Golems beneath its feet.
"""Holy crap."""
The surrounding adventurers erupted in a stir.
That was strange. In my head, there were supposed to be cheers for the Haniwa Knight’s heroic entrance. It wasn't exactly the rousing morale boost I’d expected, but the Haniwa Knight didn't care; it just kept plowing through the enemy. "Defeating" them was a bit of an overstatement—it was mostly just stepping on them. The size difference was so absolute that it wasn't even a contest.
However, that scale was also a bit of a nuisance. Stomping and kicking were its only effective means of attack. Honestly, it probably could have taken them out more easily by just lying down and rolling around, but that would obviously be too dangerous here. It would end up crushing our own side.
As the golem continued to rack up kills, the realization that the Haniwa Knight was an ally finally seemed to sink in. The adventurers regained some of their composure and began taking down any Beast-type Golems the Knight missed. Well, they were still stealing glances up at it every now and then, likely out of sheer curiosity. They weren't exactly fully focused. Normally, that wouldn't be ideal, but it wasn't a problem for now. Our combat power was overwhelming.
The massive swarm of Beast-type Golems was being thinned out in the blink of an eye. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the enemy's vanguard was wiped out. The enemy must have realized this as well, because the Silver Buns suddenly changed their tactics.
"The ground’s rising!"
"Are they trying to match that thing's size!?"
I suppose they chose quality over quantity. Having realized they couldn't compete no matter how many smaller golems they made, the five Silver Masses appeared to be cooperating to create one massive entity. Using a staggering amount of the surrounding earth, the body of a Giant Beast began to take shape. Once finished, its size would surely rival the Haniwa Knight’s. It would undoubtedly become a threat.
However, its construction was a bit slow. I had no intention of waiting for it to finish.
"Haniwa Knight! Smash it!"
At my instruction, the Haniwa Knight broke into a run. The ground shook, and dirt sprayed everywhere. I felt a bit bad for the adventurers standing nearby, but the effort was worth it; the Knight reached the Giant Beast while it was still being assembled. Then, it ruthlessly slammed its fist down.
Whether it was because it was incomplete or for some other reason, the Giant Beast was surprisingly brittle. With a single punch from the Haniwa Knight, it could no longer hold its form. It crumbled away, vanishing into a cloud of dust.
However, even that might have been exactly what the enemy intended. Their goal was likely to lure the Haniwa Knight right next to them.
"Ah!?"
Screams erupted from the ranks. The five Silver Buns pounced on the Haniwa Knight, attempting to swallow the giant whole.