Zero no Tsukaima:Volume14 Chapter8

The Steel Tiger

"Those guys... taking their time so slowly... what are they doing!"

Inn street of Tiger's Highway.... in this emptied place, Sheffield ordered the Golomontas ( to be on alert.

She put the light blue monocle on in front of her eye. It's a type of magic tools. Every Yolomonta's vision were all shown here. Through this, Sheffield can manipulate 10 Golomontas as swift as using her arms.

After landing, it has already been an hour. Meanwhile, Romalia put up quite a bit of a fight, and all her ammo are exhausted.

To effectively eliminate the enemies, only using the "swords" Golomontas carry is not enough. Though having "reflection spell" casted on the Golomontas already, this does not imply that enemy attacks can be completely deflected.

If attacks are continuous, "reflection" will fail eventually.

To cease the firing of enemy guns and magic, long ranged weaponaries are definitely needed.

In the case of ammo exhaustion, resupplies are supposed to be parachuted down the ships.

Incidentally... the guns which started firing not long ago firing from Romalia ships still haven't ended yet. Despite the obvious advantage of having 2 fleets, one third of the ships have rioted and refuses to engage.

In the end, the disorganized fleets accept raining cannonballs with open hands from Romalian ships, never happier to supply them with more. None of the resupplies ever came.

If the supplies don't come, that would be quite a bit of a trouble.

Through the elves's assistance, the manufactured magical supplies - power source for Golomontas, is the basic of magic.... in other words, the "wind rocks". To swiftly swing their beefy armoured arms, requires large amounts of wind rocks. If the wind rocks are used up, Golomontas can hardly move an inch.

So, if this continues, no matter how powerful these armoured golems are, they will not escape the fate of being a big lump of metal. After an intense battle with the separated enemy army, the consumption of wind rocks were sky high. Though Romalia armies suffered great losses themselves as well, this was nothing to be happy about.

Because this mission was not to make them suffer, but to eradicate them all.

If this can't be achieved, then burning Romalia into ashes seems like a big joke. Since Joseph expects so, Sheffield will not hesitate to flood Romalia into a firery sea.

With the aid of Golomontas, Romalia armies dispersed across the countries are no more than sitting ducks. That's what she thought.

Yet, Romalia converges its entire power to the two countries' border.

Even so, she still needs to accomplish her tasks. If she can't, there will be no value for her to live.

In the field of vision of a distressed Sheffield, a ship broke off from the enemy fleets and were flying towards here. Most likely to surveil the Golomontas from above.

Sheffield's crimson red lips twisted into smiles.

The waited for the ship to sail a bit closer.

When the enemy ship is around a few hundred metres above ground, Sheffield ordered two Golomontas to join hands and crouch.

Another Golomonta stepped in their hands, and the two flung him up in the air.

The Golomonta leaping into the air climbed like a spider on the enemy ship. They never would have dreamt of Golomonta capable of 'leaping'.

A ship completely maxed out with guns and cannonballs, withstanding the weight of a Golomonta is absolutely unreasonable, and subsequently falls out of the sky. As soon as it crashes on the ground, ten starving Golomontas ripped the ship into pieces, searching for wind stones.

As if eating peas, the robbed wind stones were all crammed into their mouths.

Afterwards, the took the cannons apart from the ship and stuffed cannonballs and gun powder into their pockets. Sheffield smiles at them lovingly.

"Incredible. That Golem actually flew and brought down the ship"

Reinard sighed.

The Ondine Water Spirit Knights, through Bella's underground cave, watched the whole act on Inn street. Holes were made enough to pop out their heads, capes overhead, and more soil on top.

What a planned disguise.

Through the small cracks from the cape and the ground, the boys peeked for almost 30 minutes.

Although there were supposed to "Lead the enemies to Louise waiting at the entrance", but in reality, they had no idea how to commence it.

Guiche frowned and corrected

"That is not any golem. I remember seeing the same thing back in Albion."

"Was it powerful?"

"Magic is ineffective. Looks like they had dealings with elves. Only thing which works is Louise's magic."

The teen's faces instantly turned to a sickening green.

"Then what do we do...."

Guiche was irritated. If they attacked without a plan, they would probably end up in shreds from either choice: big cannons or giant swords. Magic doesn't work on them either.

"If we keep waiting, eventually these monsters will head to Louise, I guess?"

Gimili pointed out.

"No.... they will probably take another path"

"It's cliffs left and right. How is there another path?"

"With their agility, can't they climb over the cliffs? Besides, those guys obviously knows that the Romalian army has the entrance surrounded. They aren't idiots, but are probably waiting for assistance from the fleet, then attack directly to get through our defense."

Reinard gave his point of view. Guiche nodded in agreement.

"True. On the other hand, if they can't wait for assistance..."

"If it was a normal commander, he would choose go around, or wait until the fleet ends their battle. What will our opponent choose?"

Malicorne used a 'distant-viewing' spell and looked at the sky. Above, the war was going on slowly. They did not look like wanting to win at all. From a distance, looks like the battle might actually continue for another decade fruitless.

"Doesn't look like any side would win"

Reinard was right on target. The armoured golem, using their fingers like nails, stabbing the chubby fingers into the strong walls, and started climbing left and right. They look like they plan to travel along the mountain range and attack from the army's side.

"The cliffs are as tall as 200 metres! These things really plan to climb up?"

"Looks like they are serious. And with such hand coordination.... just like acrobats at the circus"

Golomontas climbed slowly, enjoying themselves. The spreaded out Romalian army, pointed all their guns at the entrance. If flanked from the two sides, they will definitely be in chaos, and Louise's plan will fail horribly.

"Looks like we have no choice. Better draw their attention"

Guiche kissed Bella beside him. Because he looked so serious, the teens all covered their dried mouths. Kissing a mole isn't really a romantic scene at all.

"If I unfortunately die, Bella, take this to Montmorency, do you get it?"

Cutting part of his hair, Guiche handed it to Bella. Like saying "no, no", Bella shook her head with watery eyes.

"Leave me smiling. I am a noble"

With this scene in sight, the teens all gave their familiar part of their hair and conveyed their last messages to family and loved ones....

"Reinard, tell me your plan"

Guiche said without flinching.

"Plan? What are you talking about. All we can do is use magic to attract their attention, then fly away using levitation. If they are willing to listen to us and watch our show, that is more than enough to please me"

"Sweet. Let's go."

Guiche leaped out of the hole, waved his thorned rose, creating golems. The boys all casted their respective magics.

The armoured Golems climbing upwards kept having magic-made explosions on them, but were entirely unhurt. The Golomontas turned their heads without hurrying.

"Idiots! We're down here!"

Guiche kept trembling with fear, yet never stopped yelling at them. Two Golomontas slided down swiftly, firing their big guns.

"Wind magic"

The wind mages of the cavalry have already casted a magic barrier on them, beautifully blocking the giant shells and reflecting them away harmlessly.

Guiche and the others casted their magic separately, provocating the enemy. The copper Golems, as if teasing the enemy, stood in front of Guiche and the others, making all sorts of weird signs and moves.

"Hey! You God-abandoned Gallian bastards! We're sent here to have fun with you! Come on at us!"

The two Golomontas, wielding swords of unprecedented size, walked towards them, cranking with every step.

"They're taken the bait! They've taken the bait!"

"Everyone, retreat!"

Guiche and the rest casted levitation, starting to flee. Flying in the air is apparently much faster then Golomonta's walking, therefore escape is entirely available...

"Watch your speed! Don't go too fast such that they give up!"

The armoured golems will occasionally stop and fire the guns. The shells is a shogun like type called grape shots, these shells will release multiple smaller artillery when fired.

Though hitting aerial targets are difficult, Guiche and the rest are eventually made out of flesh and blood.

"Ahh!"

Guiche's shoulder was hit, pouring fresh blood out immediately.

"Guiche! Are you alright!"

"....Uh, fine. Everyone! Keep flying! Fly towards our bright future!"

Guiche pointed at the blurry exit at a distance.

"I finally found you"

Sheffield was like a anxious little girl in love, seeping out happy cries. That young teen controlling copper golems.... wasn't he part of the ones at Albion, with that naïve Tristing girl? If that's the case, the direction they are escaping must lead to that Tristing girl as well?

Most likely, that arrogant Gandalfr would be there as well. This is no time to attack from the shadows.

"I will, including you, little girl, kill of tens of thousands of armies. That kid may have stopped the pace of a 70,000 army....but if it were me, the enemy will be crushed. Like crushing ants, you are only one of them"

Golomontas ran as if they were flying. Against any kind of enemy, they would never lose to anything beside its body.

Riding on the shaky shoulders of Golomonta, Sheffield thought

Why would I having the greatest power of familiar.... always return home in defeat

In Albion, at Tristan, that Tristan girl and her familiar made her fail so many times.

Is it the difference between couples

Between herself and Joseph, there was never much of a couple like emotion, but only her blindly following orders. She knows this perfectly, and is perfectly fine about it.

However.... the relationship is falling apart. Unwilling to admit, jealousy burned in her heart. The two couple... if that can be called as love, then she probably lost to love.

"Unforgivable."

Under the same circumstances being a familiar of a void user, Joseph only considered her as a tool, forget about love.

That is a fact, something Sheffield found in that garden blooming of blue roses.

From that point onwards, Sheffield's fueled on jealousy secretly.

The inscription of "Myozunitonirun" on her forehead emitted an eye piercing blue light.

"This time, I will definitely let you die without your limbs, your ashes scattered across Halkenia"

As events played out, Sheffield no longer cared about whether or not she can torch the whole Romalia. All she wants is to rip those two... Saito and Louise apart on this world.

Then... Joseph would also.... in me....

Sheffield's lips trembled, mesmerized in her own imagination. The Mind of God Myozunitonirun kept closing the distance between she and the Ondine knights.

"It has already been an hour.... what have the kids been doing? Did they run escape from fear?"

Carlo said. Louise's "void" has been finished chanted a long time ago. What she had prepared is the same spell she used in Albion to shatter the Golomotas into pieces, "explosion".

From the other side of Canyon Street, cries can be heard.

"...ahhhhhhhh!"

Louise squinted her eyes.

Several dots were headed towards this way in midair. They were the Ondine Water Spirit Knights fleeing for their lives using levitation. Behind them were two Golomontas, determined to get them.

"Louise~~~~~! Now you do the rest~~~~!"

The boys all grazed past her at high speed.

As soon as the Golomontas found Louise waiting patiently a few hundred metres away, they started firing their guns.

But it was too late.

Louise had already aimed at the two Golomontas hunting down the Ondine Knights and unleashed the finished "explosion". A tiny beam of white light shone right in front of the Golomontas' eyes... expanded... consuming both Golomontas.

"Dead?"

Carlo laughed. Yet in the next moment, his smile turned into a twisted face of fear. After the bright light has dispersed.... the Golomontas were still standing there dumbfound, but unhurt.

"Not a scratch?...."

Louise stared back at them, also dumbfounded.

"....But...why?"

In the battle at Albion, "explosion" proved to work effectively against them.

On one Golomonta's upper body, something shaped like a mouth opened up. Sheffield's voice boomed loudly from inside.

"Long time no see! Void user of Tristing. I have been looking forward to this conversation"

"Myozunitonirun!"

"What a pity just now, elven technology is capable of imprinting inside the armour. Although the superficial defence was disintegrated by 'void', the power from the remaining fragments weren't enough to go through the armour."

She sounded cheerfully.

"Arrrrrrggggggg!"

Carlo in charge of keeping Louise safe, screamed and abandoned his position. The rest of the Crusaders followed suit. In a blink of an eye, there was no one else around Louise anymore.

From behind, Guiche called out

"Louise! Run!"

Yet... Louise's legs did not move at all.

"I.... I am a saint! How can I run from the battlefield!"

Having fun with their prey, the Golomontas paced slowly forward with all the time in the world.

"Protect her! Cover Louise!"

All sorts of spells directed to the Golomonta. Even such.... despite their defence magic has already been shattered completely, the elven upgrades on the armour is extremely sturdy.

Not only icebolts, fireballs and that sort, even alchemy attacks were futile against it.

Louise prepared to chant again. If once was not enough, then keep doing it until it is.

No matter how dangerous it was, never give up. By following that rule, she was able to solve all crisis and live til this day, she thought.

Winds began blaring, just as Golomonta swung their swords, BANG! The ground in front of where Louise was just now, has been dented so hard cracks are obvious. The immense pressure caused be the winds pushed Louise backwards.

Letting go of her wand, Louise knelt on the ground.

"You damned girl.... for a long time I couldn't do anything about you. I will not let you die so easily. I will make you pay for showing King Joseph and me contempt!"

Louise wanted to stand up, but her body wasn't following commands. Golomontas of height 25 metres, is really a legendary killing machine.

And so, the two killing machines stared down upon her from above.

The surrounding Romalian armies started attacking in unison. The shells and bullets all landed on the Golomontas accurately, since everyone fired at close range.

Around a couple dozen of rounds blasted at the surface on the Golomontas. Reflection magic gave a faint shimmer, easily warding off these attacks.

Around Louise, all sorts of shell fragments poured like a waterfall. Fortunately, someone of the Ondine Water Spirit Knights generated a shield for Louise.

"Wuaaaaaaaaa! They're monsters! Ahhhhh!"

Soldiers frantically ran for their lives, equally no matter their ranks or ammo left. This is not strange at all, despite it is called a "Crusade", facing an opponent where attacks are ineffective is no difference from finding death himself.

Without any weapons to land a scratch on them, courage naturally deflates as well.

In the crowd of fleeing allies, only Louise was encouraging herself alone.

"Never give up!"

Until now, hasn't she faced this kind of despairing situation many times?

Each time, didn't she stand up and fought back?

Granted power from God....

relying on this system called "void".

Louise leapt to the wand lying some distance from her. Holding it tightly in both hands, and charged to the Golomonta.

"Don't take me as a fool! Until now, how many times have I defeated you? This time will not be an exception either!"

Louise's words rang out unsupported.

"Oh~? Then what are you prepared to do?"

"With my magic!"

"How long are you going to keep dreaming. Haven't I proved your magic ineffective already? You useless void user really surprises me."

How did I do it, to always obtain victory?

"Where did you familiar run off to? That kid always sticks to you like a watchdog, shielding you? Did he leave you out of despair?"

Watchdog?

"I never had a familiar! I did it all on my own...."

Suddenly, Louise felt an intense pain in her head, bending down to the ground in agony.

The pitch dark crack in her heart.... the deeply opened up fracture, was blaming Louise.

"Gentle? You are really foolish, Louise"

Being once described like that by Henrietta....

Did she really, rely on solely her power to get victory?

Then... she was reminded of Guiche's countless attempts to appeal to her.

Who is Saito?

"....who?"

Everytime this name pops out, her heart darkens, tormenting the crack in her heart, as if widening even more.

While searching for a light in pitch black, suddenly she understood everyone's feelings.

Louise was confused. Seeing her face, Sheffield laughed loudly.

"Did you really forget? Or was I right about abandoning you? That makes perfect sense, you are after all a useless waste of space, the most incapable out of retards! Ah, thinking how many times I would actually lose to this weak human! Such a shame! However, today will be the end! I will show my master the face of yours when you die. That way, my master will be definitely pleased, knowing who really treats him the best."

In Louise's mind, something flashed.

Countless episodes of despair.

Crisises conqured by Louise.

But, inside... something feels like these are all just dreams, not willing to accept it. The me.... isn't me?

Then...who?

A silhouette of somebody tampered around with Louise's heart. That gentle silhouette. That projection, encouraging her in memories, shielding her from attacks.

"Save me."

Louise pleaded for help without thinking.

"Begging for your life? You actually begged for your life?"

"Saito, save me"

Like chanting an unknown spell, these words flow out of Louise's mouth. Unknown to Louise's knowledge, yet as long as this name comes out, for some reason it feels like she would definitely be saved.

"Oho, even the void gave up and started praying? Compared with my master's power, you puny void is weaker than a newborn infant. Shaming carriers of 'void', suffer your wrath!"

Golomonta raised its foot. In Louise's vision, Golomonta's humongous feet kept magnifying. What was about to destroy herself was a giant's hammer.

Frightened with terror, Louise cried out

"Saito! Save me!"

Must live, must definitely live.

If she died.... she can never recognize the gentle shadow again. Louise knows that it must be something that would make her more sad that dying.

....Expecting that instant, these thoughts zipped through her mind.

CLANG!

A sound of solid objects colliding.

Opening her eyes, the feet of Golomonta about to crush her is.... gone!?

Golomonta's giant body tilts backward losing balance. Its huge body collided on the cliffs, waving its hands and legs like a mess. Because of losing one leg, standing still becomes a terrible task.

"Eh?"

Totally confused about what just happened.

The other Golomonta swiftly hid behind the rocks.

"Louise!"

The Guiche constantly getting her out of trouble dashed towards her. He picked her up and ran in the direction away from the Golomontas.

Like a tightly stretched wire suddenly cut in half, Louise fainted away.

Saito through the scope, saw the other one, losing its balance oh so slowly, finally taken down on the cliffs of the canyon.

The giant's body brew up a stew of sand and stones.

"Looks like it's tuned up too low."

Saito said, through multiple triangular shaped scopes to look afar. He originally thought the Golomonta's width was around 6 metres... but seems like 8 metres is the correct answer.

Miscalculating the enemy's radius, the shell hit somewhat lower than what the scope aims at.

Saito adjusted the angle to the 88 milimetre cannon. Right in the middle of the large triangular periscope displays the Golomonta crawling for its life.

Subsequently, he pulled the trigger with force.

Following a bang from the turret, smoke emitted from the interior, pumped out shortly by the ventilation above and out of the tank.

Like a spear of light, the 88 milimetre shell embedded itself straight into the now no longer struggling Golomonta.

Though says to be a magic protection on the armour, the armour was originally proposed through testing with the maximal magical damage possible. The features of being capable of escaping harmless from the most powerful attacks, comes also with its limits.

The momentum of an 88 milimetre shell, changed into Halkenian units, means that at 2000 metres away, it pierces a 84 milimetre armour plate like cake. Although, an armour this thick has still yet to exist in this world.

Capable of piercing through armour of that size, the shells for Panzer, to everyone's surprise, exists.

Traveling at a speed of 700 metres per second, the 88 milimetre shell instantly killed the Golomonta fallen to ground, cutting through the armour which caused nobles so much trouble, and exploding from within.

The armour of the dead Golomonta expanded rapidly... and blew up into pieces.

From the end of the tank's cannon, out came an empty shell, falling to a cloth made bag with a plonk. Beside, a blue-haired girl carried another one half the height of herself.

"Tabitha, not that one. Load the one colored red on the end."

Giving a little nod, Tabitha took another shell from the rack, pushed it within the 88 milimetre cannon. According to how Saito taught her, and shut the cannon tight.

Saito returned to his periscope.

Seeking the Golomonta hiding under the shadows of cliff rocks, at the second it sticks its head out to survey the environment it was located by Saito already.

"Where are you trying to run, you metal pigheads?"

The trigger was pulled without a second thought.

Boom~

Without any deviation, the 88mm shell was a perfect headshot, squishing the face of that Golomonta. Falling backwards and fell facing the sky.

"Got him! Comrade Saito!"

Buzzed through the headphones, Colbert's cheers on the controller's seat were heard. On the other side, Kirche exclaimed

"Incredible... that must be a distance of 2 miles, yet the shell still hits accurately!"

What should be asked is why a Panzer would appear here...

Bursting out of the door just now, arriving at the mentioned warehouse, Saito found the repaired Tiger I Panzer, Kirche and the others. They seemed to have done all of that while in the progress of the ceremony.

Saito filled the tank with gasoline for Zero, and left promptly. Saito originally handled the controls as well, where Colbert was watching from one side, but soon Colbert was able to replace Saito, learning quickly from his experiences of repairing this tank and his knowledge of machines.

"This is called 'Tigers', right? Controlling the tank is definitely much more easier that that 'airplane'! Just pull this, and this moves forward..."

Colbert steps hard on the accelerator. The Panzer's engine roared to life. Hiding from behind the dense bushes behind the hills, they were able to observe Tiger's Highway completely.

"Turn this disk, and we can spin"

Similar to a driving wheel of a car. Again, the Panzer easily changed its course.

"....Oh, exposing ourselves now, wouldn't that be a bad idea?"

"Nah, the smoke from the cannons would reveal us anyway. Just charge into it. If we don't stop the enemy, they might..."

In another round of roars, the Panzer dashed into the entrance of "Tiger's Highway". Discovering the death of the two Golomontas, mixed emotions of cheers and tears explode from the fleeing Romalian army.

Sheffield, from the monocle, confirmed the wreck of those Golomontas.

"From a distance of 2 miles, penetrating the armour of Golomonta......?"

Unbelivable.

On the other hand, Sheffield quickly realised the existance of somebody who can achieve that.

"So you finally appeared. How interesting. Let us make an end here, Gandalfr."

In the roars of Panzer, pushing soil to move forward, around the sides of the Panzer charging to the Canyon's entrance, gathered Romalian soldiers and generals.

As Saito emerged from the portal, a calvary marching in parallel greeted Saito

"Thanks for your help! Destroying that devil like armoured Golem....! Please inform me of your team name!"

"Ondine Water Spirit Knights of Tristing!"

"Understood! There is a thing I wish to ask of you! Hoisting a flag affects morale! Please hoist this flag on top!"

The calvary handed Saito one. It was in black and white, with a drawing of a holy cross.

"What is this?"

Saito was a little bit muddled, this time, Tabitha poked her head out the hole beside and told him

"Crusader's flag."

The design was suprisingly similar to the steel cross tatooed on the tank's body. Supposedly, this is a cross.... Saito searched in his memory.

Things turned out a little bit weird, Saito began to realise.

Probably because this is a tank bearing a cross from Earth, carrying a cross of a parallel world fighting...

Saito hung the flag on the seat of the antenna. Waving in the winds, the morale of the beaten Romalian army were ignited in a second.

"Long live Pope his holiness! Long live the United Kingdoms!"

The knight who handed Saito his flag, cried out to his own army

"Everyone! Attention! The great army from Tristing, has joined us in our Crusade! Do not fear! We have the protectiong of our ancestors!"

Still, the one fighting with the enemy is me.... Saito muttered to himself.

"The hell I'd believe, for whoever's God it is."

Above the Crusader's flag, Saito hung his own cape.

The cape was decorated with delicate patterns of Sulaliai (修瓦里埃) medals, dancing in the wind, and in the sounds of chains clinking, the Panzer roared to life again.

In the valley entrance, showed up another 6 Golomontas.

Sheffield who has acknowledged Saito's existance, decided to defeat them once in for all.

In every Golomonta's hands, held the cannons plundered from the "sunken" warship. Quickly, Saito returned to the turret, closed the hatched and sat in the Gunner's place, staring in the periscole.

"Professor! Stop the car!"

Skidding across the ground, the Panzer threw dust in the air, and finally stopped.

The distance is 1000 metres.

From the triangular scope, revealed Golomonta's distinct silhouette. With Halkenia's technologies, making this kind of periscopes is far from impossible.

The Golomontas turned their cannons towards the Panzer.

Light started to gather from the cannons.

The 6 Golomontas fired in unison.

Flames from the shots flew everywhere.

The shells of the cannon, flew in this direction screeching while flying. Around where they landed, dust flew everywhere.

One of the shells landed accurately in the front of the tank, blasting the ground to smithereens.

The tank shook incredibly. Like wood hitting on a copper bell, an large echoing clang was made. Surrounded inside intense numbness. Tabitha covered her ears and knelt on the ground.

Yet, that was all the damaged caused. From similar cannons made on Earth several hundreds of years ago, it is deemed impossible to penetrate a Panzer's armour.

"You dumbasses. Don't even think of winning! You have grown too much gigiantic idiots around here!"

and pulled down on the trigger.

"Don't look down on Earth! Playground of imagination!"

Completely different from the enemy's speed, the shells killed every Golomonta the instant it hits one. Thunk! A giant hole opened up on its giant body, fell backwards, killed in action.

The remaining 5 Golomontas, initiated a suprise attack towards the tank.

At a distance of 800 metres, one fell down. 600 metres, another one fell.

Once the cannon empties, it was refilled while retreating as a whole. Though Golomontas may have an advantage on speed.... but to catch up on a Panzer driving backwards, there's still quite a bit of distance.

Appearing to be heavy, in reality its speed isn't as dull as imagined. Moving to keep its distance, and stopping again to fire.

Saito repeated this kind of retreating attack.

Golomontas were no different from sitting ducks, called to their death one by one by the Panzer. To the sudden appearance of Gandalfr, a hot-headed Sheffield lost her senses, actually ordering the whole army to charge forward.

Apparantly, Sheffield has no idea what "tank" is.

In front of a grand, wide plains with no covers, charging together to the tank.... is suicide.

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