“Oh my…”
“Is that… a monster wave…”
The sight of the monster wave was being broadcast on screens even in the warehouse where Alterion was being repaired.
It was installed for quick responses, but honestly, I felt it was a mistake.
You could see the fear etched on everyone’s faces.
I understood.
Who could stay calm seeing a relentless tide of creatures on the screen?
Just by having them pass by, the forest was set ablaze, and the ground trembled.
If those things managed to enter the city, what would follow would be nothing less than a one-sided slaughter.
Imagining your friends and family being attacked by those creatures would send anyone into a panic.
But now, it was alright.
“Brother! The installation is complete!!”
A steel monster that could defeat the creatures was here.
The Magic Armor Knight was here.
Having changed into pilot gear, I boarded Alterion.
“Yuren, you don’t have to defeat every monster, just don’t overdo it. Got it?”
“Don’t be reckless like when we were kids!”
“Hang in there! Yuren!!”
Sylvia, Julia, and Sora cheered me on in their own ways until the end.
And then…
“Take care, my disciple.”
“I will, Master.”
I bid my final farewell to my master as the cockpit sealed shut.
The 360-degree crystal ball displayed the surroundings.
I gripped the lever and powered up the Magic Armor Knight.
“Magic Armor Knight, activate!!”
Vrooooom!!!!!
The magic engine began to flow mana.
The flow of red mana, enhanced by the Dragon Heart Stone, started to fill the machine.
I could feel the power output rising at least 2 to 3 times compared to before.
Alright! With this, I can do it!!
Feeling the pounding of my heart, I prepared to take off.
However…
Vroooo- thud-
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, the magic engine’s output dropped, and the entire power went out.
Haa… damn it…
*
“Hurry! Move faster!!”
“Doing a system check too!!!”
It had already been 30 minutes since we started urgently searching for the power failure.
We still hadn’t found the cause, and there were still over five checks left to do.
But in 30 minutes, the wave of monsters would reach the Northern Plain, which could be considered the last line of defense.
Beyond that was the forest and valleys where monsters could reach the city no matter how we fought.
What should I do…
Should I pull out the Dragon Heart Stone and just try to power it up?
No, that would lead to a dead end, and I could end up unable to use the Dragon Heart Stone or Alterion.
In this desperate situation, my voice, along with everyone else’s, disappeared, only anxiety hung in the air.
Then, my master, who had been quietly watching the monitor, spoke up as he took off.
“I will… buy you time! My disciples!!”
“What!?”
“Master! It’s too dangerous to go alone!!”
“It’s alright. Believe in me, my disciples.”
With an unshakeable calm, my master flew from the repair shop towards the Northern Plain.
Panicking, I shouted to Jiren.
“Jiren! Quickly follow Master!”
“What!?”
“Hurry!! And if Master is in danger, you must retreat with him! You have to run away!!”
“…Got it. You should run too, Brother.”
Following my master, Jiren took off.
While Jiren was following Master, the monsters reached the Northern Plain.
Master had arrived so quickly that he already started attacking before they recognized him.
“『Meteor!』”
With Master’s incantation, massive fireballs began to fall from the sky.
The burning meteors made huge holes in the tide of monsters, literally turning hundreds into dust, but others quickly filled the gaps and rushed towards Master.
“『Mud Spell!』!!! 『Wind Blade Spell!』!!!”
The creatures charged at Master.
While creating a muddy ground with the spell and slicing through the flying creatures with wind blades, Master held them at bay.
But it was evident from the screen that his stamina was dwindling.
If he used large-scale magic a few more times, his mana limit would be reached.
Unable to endure any longer, I boarded Alterion’s cockpit.
Tetric came running in shock at that moment.
“Oh! Yuren!! What are you doing!?”
“I’m going to connect my neural interface and force Alterion to operate.”
“What!? You could die from that!!!”
The current problem was that other mana engines couldn’t keep up with the output from the central engine enhanced by the Dragon Heart Stone.
If I could adjust it from within through the neural connection, it would be possible.
Of course, if mana backflow occurred, my body could explode, but damn it, Master was in danger, and I couldn’t afford to worry about that now.
I climbed into the cockpit and cranked the neural connection with Alterion to the max.
Suddenly, my vision filled with red.
Beep-! Beep-!
“AAH!!”
[Neural connection level rises by 5 levels]
[Force activation of the mana engine]
[Risk, Mana engine pressure is mismatched]
[Risk, Engines 3 and 5 are rising in pressure; if left unattended, they will explode in 30 seconds]
The cockpit turned red.
Various warning messages flashed, signaling danger, as feedback from the mana engines threatened to burst in pain.
Holding on to my consciousness, I adjusted the mana.
The immense pressure caused my veins to rupture.
Alright… if you want my blood and flesh, take as much as you want…
But if even a scratch comes to Master, I’ll toss you all into the smelter and turn you into ingots!
So… so!!!
“Wake up, you hunk of junk!!!!!”
Thud!
I slammed my head into the cockpit.
And at that moment…
The eyes of Alterion lit up.
*
In the Southern Plain, the battle between Irene, Jiren, and the monsters had intensified.
Frustrated that they were being held back by just two wizards, the monsters’ attacks became fiercer, and Irene and Jiren found themselves in real danger.
“Master! We should break away now.”
“Just a bit longer!! Hang in there, Jiren!!”
One monster on the ground was watching them closely.
An A-Rank Monster [Kazan].
This lion-like creature with massive horns, over ten meters tall, was also highly intelligent.
Knowing that Irene was no easy opponent, it waited for the lesser monsters to tire out, sensing that now was the perfect moment to hunt.
“Master!”
“I know. Jiren, it’s time to escape!”
At that moment, when Irene turned her attention to make their escape, Kazan leaped dozens of meters and lunged at Irene with its sharp teeth.
Caught off guard by a perfect ambush, neither Jiren nor Irene could respond, and they could only brace themselves for the inevitable.
‘(My disciples… Yuren, my disciple… I’m sorry…)’
Just as Irene prepared for her last moments…
A red beam zoomed down from the sky, splitting Kazan’s head in two.
Kazan, not even realizing it was dead, fell helplessly to the ground, its body severed from its head.
“Kyeek!!!”
“Kreeeek!!!!!”
Even though their superior monster had perished, the rest of the monsters couldn’t afford to pay attention to that.
Why? Because right before them stood an enemy beyond their comprehension.
Clad in blood-red armor.
It radiated a holy yet ominous power like that of a dragon.
The human-made monster, the “Magic Armor Knight Alterion No. 28,” revealed itself on the battlefield.
“Master! That’s!!”
“That’s right. It’s Yuren’s Alterion! But it looks… different somehow.”
In shock at the new red form due to the Dragon Heart Stone’s mana, Irene was taken aback.
Then, Yuren’s voice came from Alterion.
“Master, Jiren, quickly escape this area. I will fight from now on.”
“Uh… understood, my disciple!!”
“Good luck, Brother!!”
At the voice of Yuren filled with the dragon’s power, both Irene and Jiren felt goosebumps and hurriedly sought to exit the combat zone.
They instinctively felt that they would only be in Yuren’s way.
“You all burned my hometown once, and now you tried to do it again… So now, it’s your turn to burn.”
Yuren drew his sword.
Taking on the first stance of the “Hero’s Sword Technique,” which was the number one pose every pilot wanted to try.
“Alterion No. 28! From now on, I will hunt down the targets!!”
With Yuren’s cry, Alterion No. 28 charged into the sea of monsters.
