Chapter 91

Damn it.

I’m not dead yet, apparently.

***

I open my eyes.

There’s a gap in my memory from the last few seconds. I reconfirm the situation.

Irreparable damage has been inflicted on my brain, my most advanced computational device. The auxiliary computational mechanisms connected to it are also malfunctioning.

The reasoning entity that is currently thinking—Daro—is the personality of an auxiliary brain chip that backed up the main brain’s memories in real time; in other words, it’s the digitized version of myself.

With the help of the Yellow Lightning Tower, I had previously succeeded in nearly perfect self-replication, but due to the auxiliary brain chip’s computational ability falling short of my original brain, it was prepared as a backup self for contingencies like this.

A powerful magical force grabs my departing soul. A necromantic ritual takes hold. As expected, the magical core linked to my brain chip will serve as the artifact container.

From the brain’s damage to the reattachment of the soul, mere seconds pass. During this time, automatic artifacts kick in for defense.

After a short-range teleportation, physical barriers are instantly erected. The backup Daro checks the state of his body.

“The value above the neck might as well be considered lost.”

The delicate auxiliary computational devices finely tuned to the brain’s frequency have lost their purpose since the brain itself has been destroyed. They’ll need to be repurposed elsewhere.

Naturally, the spatial alchemy maintained by my computational power alone returns to nothing. Daro’s judgment is sharp.

Before the spatial alchemy completely dissolves, he prepares the most suitable weapon for battle.

He spreads mana throughout the entire boundary. The ground glows silver and rises. Centered around Daro, even the air undergoes alchemy, transforming into a massive silver sphere.

From the heavens and the earth, refined silver iron converges toward Daro, forming a silver-iron typhoon with him at its eye.

Daro swirls his finger. With a crude motion, his own brain disintegrates, and three auxiliary brains fall into the silver storm.

Powerful alchemy forcibly adjusts the auxiliary brains. Despite some discrepancies, the synchronization with the brain chip is roughly successful.

The three auxiliary brains spread out in an inverted triangular formation centered on the chip. Using these as focal points, Daro draws a magic circle.

The rushing silver iron serves as carving tools, shaping the gathered metal into form.

Limbs sharpened like crystals. A body shimmering with an odd light.

It was a steel giant.

***

This is why I hate the Ten Towers.

The towering giant blocks the sun and gazes down at me. Brilliant backlight streams across its silver body. The glare is overwhelming.

The giant takes a single step.

Even this simple movement causes the earth to scream in pain. Vibrations greater than those from the clash between the Thunder Giant and the Silver Thread Insects.

“If you’d just die quietly, wouldn’t that be better?”

As soon as Daro’s head is split in half, his body vanishes into the distance. Though I detect his instantaneous teleportation, the distance is too great to track with just a few magical-engraved drives.

The impact of the fall is cushioned using the “Gale” magical-engraved drive as a buffer, but the distance has widened. Meanwhile, his magic completes.

Ultimately, Daro withdraws his spatial alchemy and transforms into a robot about several dozen meters tall. Given the noticeable reduction in computational power needed for magic, he must have judged complex spells like boundaries to be counterproductive.

And so, gathering all the silver iron to transform into a robot?

For a magician, resorting to a combining robot as a final trump card would make even passing dogs laugh.

But the truly amusing part is that it works.

The boosters unfurl from behind Meka-Daro, emitting a scorching roar upon ignition. Leveraging the explosive acceleration caused by the flames, Meka-Daro’s right fist crushes Argeyirion’s angel.

From behind, where humans would typically consider it a blind spot—the crown of the head—angels aim their magic. But at that moment,

A mechanical, distorted sound can be heard.

“Haha! Did you think the radar’s field of view would be the same as a human’s?”

Daro forcefully extends his left hand into empty space.

However,

“Rocket-Punch!”

Despite being clearly a mechanical synthesized sound, there’s undeniable joy in it. The extended left hand detaches near the wrist, propelling itself with jet streams toward the angels hovering above.

Now I understand why Argeyirion, which could nurture dozens of Silver Thread Insects, insisted on avoiding an all-out war with the Ten Towers.

Even with an elder who rushed out without proper preparation and whose neck was cut, they can still put on such a performance. What kind of weapons would they bring if the ‘Tower’ were to fully engage?

Even for the Silver Iron Tower, specialized in many-to-one combat, isn’t this going too far?

Kaboom!

The left hand Daro launched collides with several of Argeyirion’s angels and slams them into the ground. The mangled appearance of the angels is pitiful. At this point, any regenerative abilities they possess are meaningless.

‘They should try to escape if these angels are still sane.’

If Argeyirion retreats from this position, there might finally be a chance to attempt something. If they’re going to run, they should do so quickly…

“Well, dear research subject who blew away my still-under-warranty brain! Where might you be?”

I pray that Argeyirion isn’t in its right mind.

***

Daro continues focusing on recalibrating the malfunctioning auxiliary brains.

Though this massive body cannot be computed solely by himself, he managed to temporarily repurpose parts as an emergency measure. However, once back at the tower, he’ll have to either regenerate his brain through the Green Wood facility—or more likely—fabricate dedicated components.

There’s a delay of a few seconds between command and execution. While magicians have the ability to adjust in real-time and act accordingly, this isn’t Daro’s original brain after all.

Nevertheless, the current situation is rather enjoyable. This immense silver-iron colossus is now his own body.

Unparalleled strength incomparable to a mere flesh-and-blood form. He can crumble mountain peaks with his fingertips and flatten cities with his toes.

Savoring his destructive power, he attempts to retrieve the left arm he dropped earlier.

“Can’t recover it for now.”

Currently, retrieving the launched left arm is impossible. Maintaining this body already pushes the limits, leaving no room to execute the intricate maneuver of recalling and merging detached body parts.

Moreover, various weapons embedded within the body will likely become unusable or irreproducible after a single use.

In any case, this form won’t last long. After unleashing devastating power in one go and shedding unnecessary parts, he needs to return to the tower.

“The most valuable trophy to take back to the tower is…”

Daro thinks about that “knight.”

A skill level capable of breaking through a semi-anti-magic field and slicing him apart—were they masters of knightly arts, the heads of ancient knight houses only found in old documents?

Certainly no ordinary foe.

He’s much more interesting to study than Argeyirion right now. Through alchemy, he managed to understand somewhat the structure of the extradimensional magic contained in the angels’ silvery skin, which in turn corroded them.

However, the method used to break through the semi-anti-magic field remains a mystery. Although it’s clear that the field was somehow nullified under the circumstances, the few seconds of memory when his brain was destroyed were not backed up.

Scholars get excited by the unknown.

Daro activates the radars installed throughout the colossus’ body to their maximum extent. Where exactly is that knight?

***

Where else? You’re climbing my legs.

Thoughts flow through the mecha-Daro’s magical circuits and pierce my mind. The strange excitement and obsession are unpleasant.

The situation is better now than when I was airborne. Back then, I had to extend my hovering time using brute-force methods with the drives, whereas now, I have walls to grip and climb.

Four glowing spots resonate within the giant’s body. One is near the heart area, two are near the shoulders, and another is around the lower abdomen. Though I lack firepower strong enough to destroy them all at once,

“There’s another way.”

I check the remaining capacity of the few magic-engraved drives I have left.

***

Daro senses the stirring mana at the knee of the colossus. Turning his gaze there, he sees that knight again. Dressed in Argeyirion’s attire but maintaining a human form unlike the angels, that guy.

The black sword in his hand is familiar. Its blade is embedded in the colossus’ knee. The fluctuation of mana he feels must be emanating from a high-frequency blade.

Daro fires a small portion of the lethal weaponry equipped on his body—a test shot to gauge the durability of his opponent.

Grind-grind.

Something went wrong. Malfunction in the firing sequence.

The launch port fails to open. The warhead detonates. Immediately, an explosion follows.

The induced explosion happens in an instant. Explosives embedded in the thighs detonate all at once. Fire engulfs the inside of the colossus.

The left thigh of the mecha-Daro turns crimson, bubbling as it melts. The massive body wobbles, sways precariously, and begins to collapse.

At the moment of capsizing, Daro makes a judgment.

It’s the work of that knight.

If he could induce explosions before launching, conversely,

What if it was set to explode from the start?

***

Ortes curses under his breath.

On the knee where he clings, the entire right leg of the mecha-Daro opens its firing ports.

All targeting him.

Long-range explosions that disregard any damage from induced explosions.

This calls for resolve.

Just as Ortes summons his abilities, wrapping his eyes,

“Now what are you doing?”

A familiar voice whispers past his ear.