Chapter 38

Just as Ragnar was tinkering with the Knight Shin, something happened in that instant.

[ROOOAAAAR!]

KREEEE!

Every soldier on the battlefield witnessed it—Knight Shin’s eyes glowing red, signaling a distinct change from before.

Outwardly, there didn’t seem to be much difference compared to moments ago.

But instinctively, everyone knew.

Whereas Knight Shin had previously been more of a weapon controlled by humans…

From now on, it had transformed into something closer to a beast than a person.

“What… what is this…?”

“Something feels off… I don’t know why, but it gives me chills…”

The Kingdom soldiers muttered nervously about an ominous vibe they couldn’t quite place.

“Rampage mode? Could it really have that feature implemented?”

“The Imperial Household must’ve gone all-in. Who would’ve thought they’d include such a terrifying function when creating Knight Shin…”

Soldiers from the Empire who’d read “Knight Shin Chronicle” up to the latest chapter immediately understood what was happening.

“Rampage? What’s that?”

“Is rampage referring to the phenomenon from Chapter 1 of ‘Knight Shin Chronicle,’ where the Knight Shin acted on its own?”

Curious, the Kingdom soldiers questioned their Empire counterparts, sensing they knew something.

While smirking at the ignorance, one Empire soldier adjusted his glasses upward.

“…Ah, you don’t know?”

“What?”

“This is why there’s a saying not to talk to anyone who hasn’t read past Chapter 10 of ‘Knight Shin Chronicle.’ Truly… tragic.”

“…”

At that moment, the Kingdom soldiers barely restrained themselves from beating the crap out of the Empire ones.

“Rampage means the Knight Shin fully unlocks its core power, allowing it to unleash all its latent abilities.”

Fortunately, despite their smugness, the Empire soldiers explained things clearly and kindly.

Typically, hardcore fans are generous when sharing anime-related info with others.

“But during rampage, the will of the pilot’s bloodline sealed within the core manifests, making the Knight Shin act extremely aggressively. It moves purely on instinct without any rationality.”

“Wait… what did you say?”

“It’s sealed with the pilot’s bloodline inside the core?”

Upon hearing this, the Kingdom soldiers widened their eyes.

For reference, they weren’t shocked by the inhumane method of using a relative’s essence to create the core.

“This guy… why are you revealing spoilers for ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’!”

“Well, you asked what the phenomenon was. Isn’t it your fault for asking if you’re this clueless?”

Even amid the chaos, the Empire and Kingdom soldiers bickered incessantly.

Meanwhile, some individuals watched the Knight Shin with growing concern.

“It seems Her Majesty the Empress is struggling greatly to control the Knight Shin. For it to enter rampage so early into battle…”

“Indeed… noble noblesse oblige befitting those at the pinnacle of the Empire’s citizenry. Rushing into battle to save her soldiers without regard for her own injuries…”

“Guh… Your Highness…”

Meanwhile, high above, Ragnar heard these words while piloting the Knight Shin and felt slightly embarrassed.

‘No… this was just some flashy red light effect…’

Though he had grandiosely named it “Rampage Mode,”

In reality, what Ragnar did was quite simple.

The Knight Shin prototype was originally enchanted with various spells to prevent the pilot from moving too recklessly for safety reasons.

Rampage Mode simply temporarily disabled these restrictions.

To put it plainly, think of it like Windows Safe Mode or Developer Mode—it makes understanding easier, right?

Anyway, unlike the Rampage in “Knight Shin Chronicle,” this didn’t harm the pilot and was quite safe.

「LIES! YOU SAID IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO EVER USE THIS FUNCTION IN FRONT OF ME!」

“…”

True, Ragnar had once made such a promise to Karlreya.

But life is full of well-meaning lies, isn’t it?

Like when your mom takes all your New Year money, promising to return it when you grow up.

“Well then, I’ll handle things quickly now with some aggressive maneuvers.”

「…Isn’t slow enough fine? Can we please go easy on the controls?」

Fact: no one knew this, but Ragnar’s hobby in his previous life was playing fighting games.

How many elementary school kids cried over losing to Ragnar’s merciless combos back in the arcade days?

Though decades had passed since reincarnating into this world and leaving gaming behind,

His ingrained techniques still remembered Tekken moves like Wind God Fist and Tiger Uppercut.

[ROOOAAARRRR!]

A pre-recorded bestial roar echoed as the Knight Shin charged toward the monsters.

Standing dozens of meters tall, the steel giant used its body as a weapon, launching a brutal close-range assault.

Even without magic, the sheer destructive force obliterated countless monsters.

[UUUURGH!!!]

Seeing the Knight Shin disregard its own damage and slaughter monsters with animalistic ferocity, the Empire soldiers felt a swell of pride in their chests.

“Of course… Knight Shin is the strongest. With this Knight Shin on our side, no country can mess with us.”

“Ugh… watching mages kill monsters with a flick of their fingers always seemed lame, but seeing Knight Shin do it is just so cool!”

“I’m going home tonight to rewatch ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ from start to finish with my fiancée.”

On the other hand, the Kingdom soldiers reacted similarly, though with different undertones.

“Why doesn’t our kingdom build something this awesome? I’ve never envied the Empire until now.”

“I heard the Empire guys talking earlier. Apparently, ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ even details how to make Knight Shin?”

“’Knight Shin Chronicle,’ right? I avoided it because it was Empire-made culture, but once I get home, I’ll watch every episode no matter what.”

As Knight Shin impressed both sides’ soldiers thoroughly,

It had already wiped out thousands of monsters during its rampage.

Covered in blood, standing amidst a field piled high with monster corpses, the Knight Shin let out a chilling roar.

[MUUUUUUUHHHHH!]

Witnessing this sight, all the men present felt a surge of awe.

The battlefield littered with enemy remains.

The battered mech, scarred from protecting its allies.

And the pilot, overwhelmed with guilt for taking so many lives, gazing mournfully at the setting sun.

Nothing stirs male emotions like these clichés.

That’s why, through the ages, men have always gone wild over mecha anime.

Watching the crowd’s reactions, Ragnar smiled contentedly.

‘Perfect.’

He had successfully instilled national pride in the Empire soldiers by showcasing Knight Shin’s battlefield prowess.

And by giving the Kingdom soldiers a taste of Knight Shin’s charm, he laid groundwork for them to accept “Knight Shin Chronicle.”

These soldiers would surely play a key role when the Kingdom eventually imports “Knight Shin Chronicle.”

Furthermore, from a macro perspective, no human casualties or injuries occurred while eliminating all the monsters.

Wasn’t this the ultimate realization of a world where everyone is happy and no one gets hurt?

If this world had Nobel Prizes, Ragnar would undoubtedly be a top contender for the Peace Prize.

「WAAAAAH… I hate everything now… Why did I even get in here… Mama… I miss Mama so much today…」

“…”

Except for one person.

Maybe using Tekken moves like Wind God Fist or Tiger Uppercut was a bit much.

Ragnar reflected on his actions ever so slightly.