Chapter 029: The Empire's Sword Saint's Swift Flight with Secrets
The Empire's Sword Saint, having resolved to escape with classified intelligence, acted with lightning speed. "You think I'll let you get away?!"
Reina bolted after him immediately, but the Sword Saint had a head start. In an instant, he sliced through the outer wall of the building, vaulted over the debris, and put distance between himself and the hangar where the fierce battle had just raged moments ago.
"Sorry to my kids, but right now, even one more of us making it back is what matters..."
He'd already given up on recovering the captured spies. Crushing promising young sprouts from the kingdom was feasible if that's all it was, but the real problem was Reina. She was one of the kingdom's top five powerhouses—the one who'd charged into the heart of enemy lines faster than anyone and taken heads first. Her title of Swift Blade came from single-handedly storming an Imperial stronghold and cutting down dozens. Forcing a rescue past a knight like that, only to fail delivering any intel on the kingdom's new weapon, the Cyclops, would be the true disaster.
The best outcome would have been snatching the real thing somehow, or at least stealing something replicable. But now, with transmission of even basic information critical, there was no hesitation.
'If the roles were reversed, they'd do the same. They must know that much.'
Pouring strength into his legs, the Sword Saint raced through the inner castle grounds. Then he spotted Reina scaling the walls to pursue.
"What?!"
"Did you think I'd gone soft just because I'm a professor now?!"
She didn't stick to the walls nonstop, but whenever an obstacle appeared or the path took a sharp turn, Reina unhesitatingly ran along them. The Sword Saint's eyes widened as he shouted.
"Where the hell did you learn to run like that?!"
"Sadly, I've got a student who's a total pro at running away!"
The moment she'd realized he'd caused trouble, Reina had recalled the crow who bolted at full speed the instant she showed up. The academy was full of obstacles, and the crow didn't just rely on raw athleticism—he exploited every barrier for the optimal escape route. Chasing him had honed her parkour skills, which were proving massively useful now.
'Who'd have thought catching an Imperial spy would put this to use!'
Either way, simple sprinting wouldn't shake her anymore. Reina drew her sword and yelled.
"Resist if you dare! Rocks, walls, potato peel powder—honestly, your exam variants were so damn diverse!"
"What kind of demon den is that academy?! Potato peel powder—what the hell?!"
Was Reina losing it from teaching those brats, or was there some maniac spreading madness there? The Sword Saint was genuinely disturbed, but things were escalating. 'At this rate, she'll catch me!'
Terrain affected the pursued as much as the pursuer. But Reina had clearly mastered overcoming any adversity without losing speed. No clue what chases she'd run to get that good, but even the Empire's Sword Saint couldn't easily escape her.
'If she's pulling off pursuits like this daily, what kind of potential does she have?'
No such monster existed in his mental roster. The closest was the Cyclops maker he'd just added. A powerhouse still off the Empire's radar, hiding in the academy... that at least fit the puzzle.
"No choice then. Time to go all-in...!"
He had to survive and return, but that was growing impossible. Without hesitation, even as Reina closed in right behind, he reached into his bosom and pulled out a small object resembling a harmonica.
"You think I'll let you use a magic tool?!"
Her instincts screamed not to let him, but regrettably, the Sword Saint was faster.
-Squeeeeeek!
A shrill, deflating wail from his sloppy blowing. But the effect was immediate.
-Kiiiiieeeek!!
"What?! Monsters...?!"
Monsters were descending from the ramparts, heedless of losses. Only a handful of flying ones breached, reinforcements possible because they'd reached the walls.
'But monsters don't ignore walls and dive straight here by common sense...'
Reina panicked as the instinct-driven beasts swarmed them en masse. Then it hit her.
"The Empire controls monsters... no way!"
"Sorry, but I'm out."
Seizing the moment she slashed at the charging beasts, the Sword Saint pulled away. With a smirk, he called back.
"Oh yeah, that sandworm I gifted your class? You liked it, right? See ya."
"You bastard! That was your doing?!"
The sandworm Aizen had exterminated with the Caterpillar Golem.
"You nearly killed how many people—do you even know?! Get back here, right now, you prick!!"
Amid Reina's rage-filled roar, the Empire's Sword Saint had already slipped past the ramparts.
****
Yeah, that was pushing it too far. The overload backlash hit hard—sudden exhaustion and full-body muscle agony. Plus, sparks flew from the Cyclops's overtaxed parts. It hadn't exploded only because the mana water was nearly depleted, ironically weakening the output.
Still, the steel giant didn't crumble. It braced on the ground as the cockpit controls responded and stood.
"Good job."
He murmured softly to the screaming frame, surveying the surroundings. The massive clash between two titans had crushed most invading monsters in the crossfire. Far from plan, but the Cyclops had halted the incursion.
"Impressive results, but so much to fix..."
His head chilled rapidly after the blood rush and drain from battling the one-eyed giant. Even so, that thing wouldn't normally descend so recklessly to assault the castle. Pre-repair checks on overload damage and strain points. With his and the mech's condition, overload needed production limits. And the gut feeling of being swept into something huge.
"The Abatus Count family, right..."
He'd never met them, but they'd undermined him from the shadows nonstop. Would they leave him be now? And if Cyclops rumors reached the Empire later, would they ignore a machine with this battle record? No way. While he poured everything into golems, they'd prepared somehow.
He bashed his head against the cockpit wall to halt the spiraling thoughts. Exhaustion bred endless what-ifs. Priority: extract data, jot improvements, then...
-Kieeeaak!
Monsters swarmed from afar. No warning whatsoever. Even the ramparts mobilized swiftly for the next wave. Meanwhile, he was alone.
"Getting tough now."
Their path funneled right here. Cyclops would shut down from fuel shortage soon. His body wasn't great either. Fighting was out. Rampart knights prepped a rescue seeing his sluggishness, but they'd be too late.
Still, no sitting duck.
"Gotta survive to dream big."
With creaks, the mech moved. He yanked the dagger embedded in the one-eyed giant's corpse. Melted by overload mana, but swingable. Hold on a bit longer, he thought, urging the sparking frame forward.
-Tutudududah!!
Then, hearty gunfire erupted behind—the signature roar of the Cyclops machine gun.
"Unit 2?"
Clinging to slim hopes, he glanced at the gates. A second Cyclops, armor incomplete, lumbered out. Sparks flashed inside briefly, then a voice crackled through the cockpit.
[...This is... Aizen... safe...? Noel, is this... right...?]
[Right... now... Mina... I'm piloting... Erica...]
[We'll keep you alive, so stay put.]
"Of course Mina's voice comes through crystal clear."
Did the Cyclops recognize its investor? From the voices, Erica was piloting Unit 2. She shredded monsters with gunfire, closing in. Her cockpit hissed open as Noel, sparking electricity, airlifted Mina over.
External controls popped his cockpit; Mina hopped in.
"You look like hell."
"Yeah?"
No mirror, so no clue about his face.
"We're here to save you—sleep."
"Can't... gotta pull data..."
"Sleep, idiot."
Golden holy power enveloped him.
"Good work."
Whose voice? Consciousness plunged into darkness.
****
"Damn, nice escape."
Far from Phoenix County castle, atop a mountain, the Empire's Sword Saint Tsvite let out a heavy sigh. Luring monsters to flee Reina worked, but the cost was brutal.
"Lost two seasoned spies, and through them or that stunt, all secrets are blown."
He muttered at the harmonica magic tool in his palm. A hastily grand-scale op had failed spectacularly, yielding only losses.
"Kingdom golems are monsters."
Too agile and potent for mere golems. Reina had reason to declare the sword era over. The first held a one-on-one with the one-eyed giant and won, repelling a massive monster horde. The seemingly unfinished second handled his emergency monster summons.
"Failing to report even this would be disastrous."
The Empire would erupt. All tricks unleashed. Even he faced a busy road ahead.
Thus, with regret, he gazed down the mountain.
"Next time, let's see your face. I don't swallow humiliation easy."
At his gaze's end: the first Cyclops, carried by the second.
The man inside.
"Aizen of the Golems."
Sword Saint Tsvite sneered coldly.