189 - Valkyrie
The fortress walls.
The section located in the center of the First Wall was built slightly higher.
This was partly so that everyone could see me taking command, but normally, I would have preferred to command from the rear.
That would be more efficient, and if I placed comrades connected via Connection in key locations, the transmission of information would be faster.
However, there was a reason for this.
Facing the great army of monsters approaching before me, I extended my right hand and raised my voice.
"Fire!"
It wasn't just soldiers atop the wall. Knights and mages were also stationed there. The scale was three thousand in number.
Magic was unleashed toward the monsters charging toward them from the wall.
Powerful spells were fired one after another, and the view before me was blinding with light and explosions. The sound of blasts echoed, and clouds of dust rose, staining the surroundings brown with sand.
But Mei, standing beside me in the form of a kirin, raised her head slightly.
"They're coming."
Then, monsters charged forward, trampling over the monsters that had been blown away and rendered immobile. The cannons stationed in the middle of the wall fired shells at the monsters that had broken through the dust.
On top of the wall, the mages were ordered to step back, and soldiers with bows and those wielding crossbows lined up.
As the field commanders issued firing orders one after another, arrows pierced into the monsters.
The voice of the Fifth Head came from the jewel.
"It's a situation where they'll hit if they fire. Rather than aiming, let them attack in succession. Let them fire magic in moderation too. Before the next spell is cast, from the enemy's side—"
Before the Fifth Head could finish, goblins and orcs holding staves, and eerie, floating monsters wearing robes, emerged from the monster army. Reptilian monsters opened their large mouths, attempting to fire magic or breath attacks.
Sweeping my left hand from the front to the side, I gave instructions to Miranda and Eva.
"Prepare defenses. The attack points are—"
I had decided to divide the wall into several large sections and deploy magic shields to protect them. There weren't enough mages to cover the entire wall, and above all, the exhaustion would be too severe.
Magic and long-range attacks unleashed by the monster army flew toward the wall.
The magic shields blocked them with pinpoint accuracy. Even if they couldn't block everything and some pierced through, the surface of the wall had been coated with a material specially processed against magic.
It could easily withstand a hit or two.
Looking up at the sky, I called out to Mei.
"Mei, I'm counting on you. I'll provide support from below."
"Haha! It's my turn!"
Mei, in her kirin form, dashed into the sky and headed toward the swarm of monsters flying this way.
Hippogriffs, griffons, and small bird-like monsters gathered toward Mei.
Gripping the jewel in my left hand, I had it change shape into a silver bow and took aim.
As I released arrows into the sky, dozens of small arrows assaulted the troublesome flying monsters. With Mei there, I only had to deal with the fodder.
However, Mei and I alone couldn't hold them all back, and the flying monsters began crossing the wall one after another.
In the sky, Mei generated pale blue lightning from the golden horns extending from both sides of her head, blowing away the surrounding monsters.
As monsters fell to the ground one after another, I heard Eva's voice.
"Liel, preparations on this side are finished. We can go anytime."
I checked with Miranda.
"Miranda?"
Then, Miranda replied, asking me to wait a little longer.
"We were targeted intensively just now. Wait a bit."
With me in the center, Miranda was in charge of the right side, and Eva was in charge of the left. As I started to wait, the Fifth Head immediately spoke.
"Let them fire alternately. They're coming in succession. Respond flexibly."
Having received the advice, I spoke to Eva, who was transmitting information on the left.
"Fire first. I'll have Miranda fire after that."
On the left side, mages and knights stepped forward and unleashed their respective specialties in magic. It lacked the impact of before.
However, once Miranda's preparations were complete, we were able to fire a considerable scale of magic at the opponent in succession.
Still, there were enemy monsters deploying magic shields, and the damage seemed lower than before.
"I thought about having them attack alternately from left and right, but as I thought, the power isn't enough."
Thinking that we hadn't blown them all away, I confirmed that the enemy was preparing long-range attacks and immediately issued instructions for defense.
—The Second Wall.
In that location, which was overall positioned in the center in front of the fortress, Aria was on standby.
Combat had already begun at the front line, and the sound of magical attacks reached down to Aria and the others. Confirming that the sky had flashed, she saw that Mei had let a few monsters slip through.
With a spear resting on her shoulder, Aria stood atop the wall.
"That Liel guy, he was broken through immediately."
Beside Aria, Alette Baie, who had been dispatched from Rolfis, was in armor with her helmet removed.
"Honestly. A commander shouldn't show so much emotion. You should also be careful with your words."
Exasperated, Aria reflected and closed her mouth, looking at the scene between the First and Second Walls. There was quite a distance, and preparations to wait were complete.
However, dealing with the flying monsters wasn't Aria's job.
"It's time for work, Monica."
Turning around to say that to Monica, Aria looked at Monica's appearance.
Monica was wearing some kind of eerie metallic thing on her back with white spider-like legs.
Told this, Monica, despite her appearance, had her shoulders slumped.
"Even though I'm the one who's more useful... Sigh, it's time for work, I suppose."
Saying so, Monica looked up at the sky and spread her arms, puffing out her chest. The machine on her back, whether it was eight legs or hands, began to move, and a red light flickered.
Then, the monsters in the sky fell to the ground one after another.
Alette saw this sight.
"Why isn't she stationed at the front line?"
She was very puzzled. However, Monica slumped her shoulders again.
"Yes, that's the end. Please handle the remaining monsters."
Saying so, she had lost all motivation.
Aria looked at the sky and saw that about three hippogriffs remained.
"It's good for scattering the fodder, but it's meaningless if they resist a little. Besides, if she uses it too much, Liel will be troubled."
As Aria explained the limitations to Alette, Alette looked at Monica.
"So she's in the rear. Still, that's plenty impressive."
There was distance. Above all, she exterminated the flying monsters in an instant. Monica's performance was unbelievable to Alette.
The hippogriffs charged toward Monica, who had defeated their comrades. As soldiers with guns gathered, Damian appeared on the wall.
"Oh, isn't this looking good? Exactly three is perfect for a test."
Smiling, Damian was in plain clothes, bringing three maids along. It was a sight out of place on a battlefield, but those around him had given up, thinking it was just like Damian.
Automaton Maids No. 1 through 3 carried something like coffins onto the wall.
Aria directed a suspicious gaze at Damian.
"Is that really going to be useful?"
Aria and Damian weren't on very good terms, but Damian replied with a smile.
"I guarantee they'll be more useful than you, and more beautiful than you. Now, the preparations are complete. The line with Liel should be established, so let's activate them here."
The unmotivated Monica approached the coffins the maids had placed on the floor. Touching a coffin, she snorted.
"A degraded version of me? One of me is enough for that chicken coward, but I'll work them to the bone as errand girls here. However, it's a problem that they don't have names. I know! From today, these are Poyopoyo No. 2, 3, and 4! You lot, wake u—"
—Wake up.
Monica had been about to say that, but a mechanical fist smashed through the coffin lid and hit her head directly, sending her reeling.
"Y-You pieces of junk!!"
Aria watched with exasperation as Monica pulled out a spanner from the gap between her skirt and apron and began swinging it around.
Damian's Maid No. 2 looked at Monica with a faint smile and stood in her way to prevent her from attacking, and amidst that, three golems emerged from the coffins.
They had heads and torsos just like human girls. Down to the shoulders and thighs, they were exactly like humans. Beyond that, they had metallic limbs and wore slightly flashy white and blue armor.
Aria had seen their raw forms in the mansion's warehouse and couldn't believe it.
"To think these are actually golems."
Alette also looked on in surprise.
"It's a bit hard to believe. They're just like humans."
Damian said happily.
"That's because that's what I aimed for! This time, I've obtained a meaningful result. I can't thank Liel enough! Now, you lot—get to work."
When Damian said it was work, the three golems—no, the [Valkyries]—raised their heads. The Valkyrie in the center with golden hair had twin-tails and red eyes. Unlike the other golems who had straight long black hair, her appearance was quite different.
For one thing, her chest was small, almost non-existent. While the other two had proper breasts.
However, the golems spoke.
"There is no need to obey your orders."
"Bring out the Master. The Master."
"I firmly refuse such an awakening."
Unlike Monica and her group, the Valkyries, who spoke in a slightly stiff tone, suddenly refused Damian's orders.
Seeing this, Monica covered her mouth with her hand.
"What are these pieces of junk? They're nothing but useless scrap. I'll report this to the chicken coward. Chicken coward, your trump cards have refused to fight."
As Monica happily reported to Liel, the golden twin-tailed Valkyrie—who resembled Monica in appearance—approached with long strides and slammed a fist into her.
"My hand slipped. A malfunction. A malfunction."
"Y-You piece of junk!! You're scrap right here!"
As Monica readied her spanner, the Valkyries raised their heads.
"From the previous conversation, the enemy is hippogriffs—very well. Let us show our strength."
On the blue and white armor, there were mechanical wing-like things on their backs.
Alette looked on with a bit of expectation.
"T-They fly!"
Then, Damian snorted.
"Hah. There's no way they fly. Are you an idiot?"
While Alette looked at Damian with an indescribable expression, the Valkyries checked their right arms.
The twin-tailed unit seemed to be the leader of the three.
"There seem to be no malfunctions. Then—we go."
"Yes."
"It is our first battle. Let us do our best, believing that the Master is surely watching."
(A moment ago she said something about malfunctions... whatever)
As the three Valkyries extended their right arms toward the sky, their right arms shot out from the upper arm section and captured the hippogriffs in the air.
Wires were attached to the arms, and the Valkyries on the ground began reeling the wires in.
Claw-like tools on their feet pierced into the floor.
"Come down quietly."
As they said that, the hippogriffs were pulled down to the Valkyries in vain—and the Valkyries took weapons out of the wing-like storage boxes on their backs.
Taking out spears, they simply pierced the hippogriffs they had pulled down. Bathed in return blood, the three Valkyries pulled their spears out of the defeated hippogriffs.
Aria saw that.
"Ugh, no way~"
That's what she said. Monica looked at Aria—.
"You're pretty much the same as them, though."
At the Second Wall, it seemed the Valkyries had handled things well.
I had registered the Master in the cores beforehand, and thanks to that, a line was established and information was transmitted.
"Damian and the others did it. With this, it's not a problem to let a few through, but..."
Looking at the scene before me, I wanted to sigh.
"It doesn't look like the numbers have decreased at all."
Then, the voice of the Third Head came from the jewel.
"It's only just begun, after all. From here on, we'll be dealing with them in a more understated manner. The flashy stuff comes next."
There were several plans prepared. However, it seemed the timing to use them hadn't come yet.
Arrows and magic were fired in succession.
And with magic and long-range attacks flying from the enemy as well, the battlefield began with both sides firing intensely at each other.
Monsters that didn't flinch even after receiving magic charged toward the wall.
Trolls. The hairy giants swung logs, charging to destroy the wall. Undeterred by arrows and magic, I changed my silver bow into a longbow and took aim.
Aiming for the troll's head, I released an arrow, and the troll's head was blown away as it collapsed to the ground. In doing so, it crushed several small monsters, but the surrounding monsters stepped over the fallen troll and aimed for the wall.
Humans could never possess this kind of breakthrough power.
"Is this the rampage of the labyrinth?"
The Fifth Head, hearing my mutter, spoke.
"That's how it is. Well, many countries have been destroyed by this breakthrough power. Though, for me, I think humans are the scariest."
While listening to the Fifth Head's words, I checked my own magical power.
If I, the command tower, ran out of magic, we would suddenly be at a disadvantage. That had to be avoided, so I couldn't face the great army before me with full power.
Then, I heard Miranda's voice.
"Liel, we can go anytime."
I also heard Eva's voice.
"Me too."
Before I announced the start of the attack—.
"Before that, the enemy will make a move. I don't think we can—block everything. We'll block only the important parts with pinpoint accuracy."
—As I felt a blinding light from the enemy army, several powerful spells were fired toward the fortress.
Perhaps thinking it was truly bad, Mei landed in front of me to shield me.
As an explosion occurred before my eyes, the deployed magic shield was easily blown away, and there were casualties on our side as well.
Part of the wall began to break. And there were casualties among the soldiers atop the wall.
Pointing my right hand forward.
"Let's give some back. ...Fire!!"
The magic we unleashed in return assaulted the great army of monsters. With this kind of magical exchange, the first day was coming to a close.