Arc 23: Incoming New Threat
The Manta and the Orca Frazes are approaching from the front. The Manta seems to be flying at the faster speed than the Orca. A big fin blade is heading straight towards me trying to split me in two.
However, I won't let myself be sliced, so in reverse, I split the passing by enemy in two as I agily twist my body.
A sphere of light appears around the head of the orca that is flying behind. Mn.
In a few moments, that sphere is fired at me. A shooting type Fraze, huh? I also slash the core of this fellow in the same way.
The Mantas and the Orcas come flying and are attacking me one after another, but their attacks are easy to read to the point that I can deal with them easily. It's because their movements are linear after all.
The directions left, right, up and down are present unlike on the ground. It's not hard to avoid the incoming attacks since I can move in 360 degrees.
I notice that the battle on the ground has already started as I glance over there while fighting an air battle.
The north side is being handled by Elzie who's leading both Brunhild and Restia while Belfast, Misumido and Reefrees are at the center. Regulus, Rynie, and Ramisshu have taken the southern position, and I can also see End's figure at the south side.
It seems they are somehow managing to hold back the flock of Frazes. Everyone's movements are getting better than before. Even the knights of Resita, who are fighting a battle in frame gears for the first time, are also piloting them very well.
『Shatter Shatter Shatter to the very end! Try to stop me if you think you can!』
Elzie knocks down an intermediate class Fraze as her main target when her Gerhilde fires the pile bunker. Brunhild's Chevaliers, having followed behind, are killing the lower classes one after another.
The knights are holding swords, spears, hammers, etc made of the crystal materials which then makes them very sturdy and sharp. These weapons are quite advantageous against the Fraze even though they are not light due to me not bestowing them with [Gravity] magic.
The knights still require some technique to destroy the cores without failing, in addition to be able to use those weapons. Well, it's fine for those who are confident in their skills to use spears, but those who aren't confident will use hammers.
「Say, have I cut down all the flying types?」
I could no longer see any mantas or orcas before I knew it. There seems to be few flying Frazes this time. In that case, shall I also enter the land battle as a support?
Just when I was thinking of that, a Chevalier has been attacked simultaneously by two lower classes. Its whole right hand starting from the shoulder and the left leg starting from the knee have been destroyed.
The body color of the collapsing heavy knight changes from light gray to a deeper color… It can also be said that it has changed from moon gray to gray if I'm to describe it with western-styled colors… I wonder, is it hard to understand with this description?
The change in color is a sign indicating that the pilot has been transferred with the emergency escape magic. It's a new paint I created after applying [Program] after recycling it from special traits of the ether liquid which had been left behind in [Warehouse]. It works by changing the color once the transition magic activates.
I've tried making a paint that becomes darker in places it has been painted at after bestowing it with [Gravity] similarly to some anime, but I've spectacularly failed. It also doesn't really matter though.
That magic, despite being called [Gravity], is not a magic that changes gravity, but rather, it's a magic that changes weight… Oh well, things on which [Gravity] has been used won't float though. Which reminds me, there's also [Levitation]. I can make things light like feathers. What I had completed was an article which makes one's weight heavier when they stand on painted places. It looks like it will have some uses in itself.
Let's get back to the main subject.
『Hello. Headquarters, can you hear me? Is the pilot that has been transferred just now safe?』(Touya)
『He's alright. There's no problem other than his arm hurting a little』(Rosetta)
It seems the pilot is alright. That frame… A knight of Restia, huh? They are still not used to the frames yet. It can't be helped.
Three crystal swords are flying about on the northern side, aiming at lower class Frazes which are attacking all at once, and splendidly piercing their cores at the same time. Is that… Yumina's frame?
The fragarachs are freely rushing across the battlefield, breaking the Fraze cores one after another. They then return to the back of Yumina's frame by drawing large arcs after their attack.
These swords are difficult to handle. Use them incorrectly, and you are likely to damage your allies too. Yumina has been able to somehow manipulate up to three of them thanks to her training.
Linzie, who is stronger magician than her, is skillfully manipulating four flying crystal swords at once. It appears she has some difficulties taking down distant enemies since she can only manipulate them disjointedly for a short time.
The Yae/Hilda combo next to her is slicing down the intermediate classes. Luu's twin swords are also flashily swinging against the lower classes.
It seems I don't need to worry about the north side.
As for the southern side, the monotone Dragoon slaughters intermediate classes with its two short swords as if it's gliding around them while moving at high speeds. He annihilates them as if he's a figure skater. He makes roundabout moves, rotates, leans over and jumps as if he's dancing.
The attacks of the Frazes pour down like a barrage as well, but he isn't minding them and he just continues sliding all over the battlefield.
The Dragoon, from the start, is a lightweight high-speed mobile frame gear with little armor. Therefore, it can be a fatally injured if even a single shot hits it, but End continues to repeat his suicide attacks without minding such a thing.
It's a perfect solo play, but the southern part may be alright though.
Then I shall follow-up the central troops if that's the case… Say, what?
The Frazes in the center are breaking down one after another. A woman, who's swinging down a two-handed greatsword, is cutting the cores as well the lower classes and middle classes alike right in two, destroying them. What an amazing power. It's truly not inferior to End or Elzie. …. Even though she's doing it in the flesh.
It's Moroha-nee-san. While holding a greatsword made of crystal material like mine, she thoroughly chops down every single Fraze attacking her. Just like a fierce god… That's wrong. She's like a sword god, right?
Or rather, didn't that person remain in Brunhild? I don't remember taking her with [Gate].
… I guess it will be my loss if I mind it.
… Huh? I feel like I am not needed here…
I could hear a sound of something breaking as the head of a heavy knight in the center flew away. The color of the unit instantly changes, and it falls to the ground. It seems that he was attacked from behind because he became too engrossed in defeating the enemy.
『Everyone, look closely to the comrades around you. Fight while covering each other up. The aim of the Frazes are us. If possible, pair-up and deal with them while protecting each other's backs』
I notify everyone over the open channel. An attack will come from another side even if it doesn't come from the expected side, so it's fine to just wait and defeat the enemy.
「What's the current number of Frazes?」
『Searching... A total of 4318 units』
An electronic sound comes back from the smartphone. So it means we have roughly defeated about half of them, right? 20 minutes have already passed since the start of the battle.
Each frame, by roughly calculating the time, needs to defeat about 40 Frazes in order for us to defeat 8000 of them with 200 frame gears. We've defeated half of them, so that makes it 20 enemies in 20 minutes. Are they killing a Fraze per minute?
I suppose this pace is quite high given that it took more than three hours to take down 13,000 enemies last time even though using crystal weapons have made it easier to defeat the lower classes. It probably means the participation of Gerhilde, End's Dragoon, and Moroha-nee-san makes a great difference.
However, an advanced class will appear in another 10 minute. I wanted to clean up the lower classes by that time but it looks like it will be impossible.
『A-A-, Touya. Can you hear me?』
『End? What's wrong?』
『It looks like an advanced class will soon emerge to the northeast of here. Can you see that distortion in space?』
I instinctively look at the location due to the communication coming from End.
From the place where End is, the location being pointed at is… that way.
I, having extended my vision with [Long Sense], can see the distortion in the sky. It looks like space is being swayed by the heat of the stove or maybe, like a mirage…
Cracks will probably appear in that area and an advanced class will then emerge. Perhaps, it might be better to move back the troops from the northern side a little bit.
『A directive to the Brunhild and Restia troops deployed on the northern side. Move west from your positions. Then, a directive to all troops. There's a sign that an advanced class will appear about 10 minutes from now. Be careful』
The units that have been fighting start to slowly retreating backward to the west in response to the message. The shape of deployment thus far was an arc, but it has now changed into a straight line from northwest to the southeast.
It may look like they are being pressed, but that's no problem because it's our intention. The advanced class is more of a problem than the others.
Then, I've clearly heard the sound of something starting to crack despite that it's not that loud.
A large crack is forming in the area of the sky End has pointed out.
That guy, he is slowly breaking it, making it larger bit by bit.
『The emergence of advanced class is getting close. Everyone is to move even more carefully than before from now on. Keep in touch with each other, and follow the commander's directions』
Elzie and End head to the location of its appearance upon hearing the news.
The cracks have already spread to quite a size, and have started to chip piece by piece.
Eventually, big thick crystal arms stretch out breaking through that space. An advanced class Fraze then appears as if it's breaking a wall.
It's huge more than anything else. It's four times as high as a frame gear. Long, thick and large arms are extending from its V-shaped body towards the ground. The legs are short, making it constantly do a forward-leaning posture. It seems like the head is not on the neck and instead is integrated within the body. There's one core in its thick chest. This is…
「A Gorilla type...isn't it?」
It resembles a mountain gorilla based on the form being made by the sharp lines. However, a gorilla doesn't have four arms. On top of that, a normal gorilla also doesn't have any protruding objects on the back and a long tail either.
Or rather, such Fraze has not been listed in the book about Frazes which we've found in [Library]. Well, I guess it would be strange if every type has been written in it.
The two pairs of arms on each side of Gorilla Fraze start striking its own chest. Is that drumming? It feels more and more like a gorilla…
~!?
An impact runs throughout my whole body, blowing me away. Something like a shockwave has flown up here. It's as if I've just been hit by an invisible slap.
I see. That works like the dorsal fins that were on the crocodile from before. Does it have the role of releasing a shock wave that blows the enemy away? Then that means…
『Everyone, spread out from the front of the advanced class! Run away!!』
The two pairs of arms extend from the sides opening the chest portion like a double door. Before long, the light starts to convergence in its chest core. Not good! I have no doubt that's the same the pseudo-charged particle cannon similar that crocodile Fraze!
The frame gears in front have started to move, but the Hill State is in the direction that it will shoot at.
Damn! I have to use that magic without even testing it since I have no other choice!
「Reflection!」
I deploy a reflective magic that I've recently memorized in front of the Gorilla Fraze. A massive blueish-white barrier appeared with a 45-degree angle at the same moment when the cannon of light fired from the chest of the Gorilla Fraze.
Suddenly, the torrent of light changed its direction and disappeared towards the sky after it hit the reflection barrier. At the same time, the reflection barrier shattered to pieces.
Damn, it didn't last even though I've made it quite thick!
The barrier may be able to reflect back the attack of the Gorilla Fraze to itself if I deploy it without angling, but that move will cause damage to the central province… I also have no evidence that this attack can beat the Gorilla Fraze itself either. I feel like the gorilla may absorb its own attack with its body and just scatter it.
In any case, what a destructive power. I feel like it's weaker than crocodile's, but it isn't much of a comfort.
The Gorilla Fraze begins drumming again once it closes its chest, and starts to rush at the troops deployed to the northwest. It seems this thing will require a whole lot of effort to defeat…!