We departed from the warehouse district near the shore and proceeded towards the western side of Carnela Port, drawing closer to its walls. Despite it being midnight, the innermost walls were heavily guarded by numerous soldiers, which was not surprising considering the port's strategic importance. Clearly, they had taken great care to fortify their defenses.
Moreover, I could sense the presence of four formidable entities from within the walls. They were most likely the notorious "white-armored soldiers" or a similar entity. Their presence was not concentrated in one location but rather scattered throughout the vicinity of the triple-layered walls, suggesting the possible presence of barracks.
Out of the four white-armored soldiers, three seemed to be inactive, presumably asleep. However, one of them remained awake, diligently patrolling the area. If we were discovered and a fight broke out, they would undoubtedly rush towards us. We must remain vigilant at all times.
In proximity to the walls, I noticed several metallic structures that I had observed earlier from the south. Half of them appeared to be warehouses, housing a neatly arranged row of about a hundred fire-breathing war chariots. The remaining buildings emitted clanging sounds of metal colliding with metal. I wonder what they were up to.
"Rinne, please dispel your spiritual illusion art. Mr. Scorpion, as usual, I request that you remain on standby in an elevated position."
The three of them proceeded towards the fortress walls, fully revealing their presence after Rinne dispelled the illusionary technique that was hiding everyone. Following Marcellus' instructions, I climbed up onto the roof of a nearby building to observe everything from above. While the three of them had previously managed to navigate the warehouse district without any issues, there was no guarantee that they would encounter the same smooth passage here. It was crucial for me to remain in a state where I could intervene and provide assistance at any given moment.
(Although I understand the importance of my mission, being idle is quite boring… Well, it's better if no problems arise, but still…)
I did comprehend the significance of my role. However, just like in the warehouse district, I inevitably found myself with idle time. So, on the roof, I heightened my senses and thoroughly examined the buildings surrounding the fortress walls.
All of a sudden, I sensed an unusual presence coming from one of the noisy buildings that was emitting metallic clanging sounds. There seemed to be individuals with slightly stronger spiritual power compared to the ordinary invading soldiers, gathered there. I could sense their presence, but they appeared to be very small in stature. I had once encountered beings of the same size before.
(Are they members of the Popi race? they're supposed to be good at removing their presence, so how could they be … Don't tell me, could it be that the invading army is exploiting the power of the Popi race members!?)
I encountered a small friend of the same race during the time when I was still just a young Hades Scorpion. Though our time together was short, the presences I sensed in the building were reminiscent of that Popi race member.
The Popi race possessed the ability to freely transform the shapes of various objects. It was undeniable that such power had great utility. There was a lingering possibility that they were being restrained and exploited.
Naturally, my fist clenched with force, but I couldn't dismiss the possibility that the Popi race members were willingly cooperating. Besides, my role was to monitor and be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances that could happen to my comrades. I couldn't just leave my post without permission.
(Oh…? Those strong presences… The white armored soldiers have started moving? Their destination… is troublesome! Could it be towards Marcellus and the others!)
The white-armored soldiers were awakened from their slumber and suddenly rushed towards the direction where Marcellus and the others were. With their heightened fighting spirit and spiritual power, they were undoubtedly preparing for battle. Have the others finally been discovered?
In that case, it was my turn to act. I had to keep them away from Marcellus and the others. What could I do for that? The answer was simple: create a commotion.
(In order to save Marcellus and the others, let's destroy the building where my Popi race friend's compatriots are being held. This would be akin to killing two birds with one stone.)
I strengthened my fighting spirit and spiritual power without holding back, causing my exoskeleton to harden instantly. With one leap, I propelled myself towards the very building that housed the Popi race members. After landing on its roof, I unleashed a powerful stomp, causing the structure to yield beneath my blow and form a gaping hole.
After pulling out my impaled leg, I reached inside and expanded the hole. The metallic framework emitted unpleasant noises as it twisted, yet I persevered until it was sizable enough for me to pass through. Without hesitation, I leapt into the heart of the building.
Inside the building, an array of meticulously crafted metal tools greeted my eyes, unlike anything I had ever seen before. The blue-skinned individuals inside were engaged in some kind of work. They stared at me with astonished expressions as I intruded by breaking through the roof. Despite their different skin colors, their reactions seemed no different from those of other human species.
Their reactions were irrelevant to me at the moment. I needed to attract the attention of the white-armored soldiers, so I decided to create as much chaos as possible. Drawing out my two swords, I struck what appeared to be a metal tube nearby. With a swift strike, the tube erupted in a tumultuous display of billowing white smoke and the acrid stench of a potent liquid.
Ah, I knew this liquid. It was a powerful acid. During my Scorpion life, I had been thrown into it repeatedly as part of Georg's training. At first, my exoskeleton would melt, and I had to desperately reinforce it with fighting spirit while repairing it. But eventually, it became completely ineffective in damaging my exoskeleton.
Undeterred by the splattering acid, I swung my tail with a resounding thud against a long and thin, stake-like tool. It seemed to be housing some sort of heat, as the moment it shattered, the stake exploded in a violent eruption. The Popi race people… I hope they were unharmed.
"■■■■■!?"
"■■■!■■■■!?"
Perhaps awakened by my rampage, the blue skinned individuals began to scream and flee. Excellent. Let the chaos escalate. Let their attention be drawn to me!
I unleashed reckless destruction everywhere inside the building, demolishing everything in my path. Some objects merely scattered into countless pieces, while others detonated or spewed mysterious liquids, including acid, upon their destruction. Oh, and look! A fire had unexpectedly ignited. Foul-smelling smoke mingled with fierce flames started billowing outward from the building.
(Is this where the Popi race members are being held?)
In the middle of the structure stood a pitch-black metallic box, seemingly containing the entirety of the Popi race members. Air holes punctuated the upper portion of the box, but there appeared to be no entrance or exit. In all likelihood, the Popi race had been captured against their will.
Consumed by anger, I relentlessly wielded my two swords, unleashing a flurry of strikes upon the box. Yet, the sheer resilience of the metal used in its construction astounded me. Even with the exceptional craftsmanship of Hatakeyama swords, my efforts only managed to etch two faint criss-cross scratches. Although I had refrained from imbuing my slashes with spiritual power to avoid inadvertently harming the Popi race within, it was still hard.
No, it was evident that this box was designed to confine the Popi race members, who were expertly capable of altering non-living objects' forms at will. It was only natural that it was made of an extraordinary substance. It was nothing short of remarkable.
More importantly, the fact that it could be damaged meant that it was within my power to destroy it. With a swift strike of my tail against the cross-marked wall of the box, a sizeable crack appeared, stemming from the inflicted scratches.
"Gogoo?"
Immediately after the crack formed, the affected area dissolved like it was melting, giving way to a gaping hole. The manner in which the hole formed was familiar. It resembled the way my popi race old friend had created an opening in the wall before departing.
Emerging from the newly formed aperture, the Popi race members began to pour out in a steady stream. There were around twenty of them, a mix of males and females, all of them displaying a pallid complexion and a gaunt appearance. Their hair lacked luster, appearing disheveled and unkempt, and to my surprise, not a single one of them wore any clothing.
"■■■?"
"■■■■■?"
The Popi race members looked up at me, uttering words in a language that resembled the one used by the invading army. I couldn't understand the content of their speech, but their perplexed expressions were evident.
However, there was no time to explain the situation to them. The building was engulfed in flames at this very moment. Turning my back to the Popi people, I heightened my spiritual power and struck the walls of the structure with a colossal axe made of sand, causing them to crumble.
Facing the collapsed walls, I pointed the tip of my sword towards the opening, urging them to escape that way. Understanding my intentions, the Popi people exchanged glances and swiftly fled like startled rabbits. Oh, their speed in fleeing was truly remarkable.
Once everyone had escaped, I too made my way out through the hole in the wall. Numerous armored soldiers had gathered around the burning building. The white-armored soldiers… Ah, they must have taken the bait and were coming this way as well. The Popi people had concealed themselves so well that I couldn't sense their presence at all, but surely they had distanced themselves from danger. In that case, I would continue wreaking havoc, just as I had been doing.
"■■■■■!"
"■■■!■■■■!"
The armored soldiers who discovered me as the intruder wasted no time in aiming their cylindrical weapons and launching a barrage of metal fragments. I intercepted them all with my hardened exoskeleton before building my spiritual power and conjuring a large quantity of sand. Shaping the sand into thick, elongated stakes, I unleashed them in all directions without a specific target in mind.
Most of the sand stakes embedded themselves in the surrounding buildings and the ground. Some even struck the armored soldiers, piercing through their bodies. However, since they were not my primary targets, it was just unfortunate for them. Well, they were enemies, so it didn't really matter.
"Gah!"
I gathered my focus and used my spiritual arts once again. Then, I triggered explosions from all the stakes that were impaled everywhere. The resulting explosions dealt a devastating blow to the building, causing it to collapse entirely, while the ground cracked open, enveloping the area in a cloud of dust.
Taking advantage of the chaos among the disoriented armored soldiers due to the crumbling structures, I lunged at them, swinging my sword. They tried to regain their composure and launched metal fragments at me, but those attacks couldn't pierce through my exoskeleton. As long as this exoskeleton existed, the regular soldiers of the invading army could never pose a threat to me.
(…Here he comes. An enemy who can kill me.)
However, the white-armored soldiers were a different story. Unlike the feeble regular armored soldiers, they wielded immense fighting spirit and spiritual power, complemented by their specialized weaponry. Such formidable adversaries had come to confront me. It seemed that I had successfully drawn them away from Marcellus and the others, which was a relief.
One white-armored soldier soared through the sky, flames emanating from his armor's backs, as he positioned his spear for a swift descent. He might have thought he was concealing his presence from me, but I could see directly above, so there could be no surprise attacks. Using my tail, I deflected the tip of the spear and retaliated by swinging my two swords with a fierce counterattack.
However, true to his elite standing, the white-armored soldier intercepted my swords with his shield. Perhaps due to reinforcing his metallic shield using spiritual arts, the shield was incredibly resilient. Even with my spiritual power infused swords, I could only leave faint scratches.
"■■? ■■■■?"
Nonetheless, the white-armored soldier appeared taken aback by the minor damage inflicted upon his shield. He fortified his defense, partially obscuring the shield, while cautiously closing the distance between us. It was clear that he was not about to lower his guard and recklessly push forward.
And there I stood, unable to move. Why? Because the white-armored soldier left no openings whatsoever. No matter which angle I envisioned my attacks from, my strikes seemed like thet would be blocked by his shield and I would be impaled by his spear. That's the kind of premonition I had. Trusting my instincts, I held my sword in position and could only wait for my opponent to grow impatient.
(Tch! Have the other white-armored soldiers started to move? Well, that's to be expected; there's no way anyone is foolish enough to continue sleeping soundly amidst this commotion! And they're all heading this way… Marcellus and the others might have it easy, but I'm in serious trouble.)
However, time was on the enemy's side. The three figures that seemed to have been asleep began moving toward me, and at this rate, I would have to face four white-armored soldiers on my own. Even for someone as skilled as myself, that would be impossible.
Should I believe that Marcellus and the others had already escaped and flee as well? Or should I forcefully kill the white-armored soldier in front of me and make my escape? As I pondered my options, a flicker of light coming from behind the white-armored soldier caught my attention. And in the next moment, his back erupted in a massive explosion!
The impact of the explosion sent the white-armored soldier toppling over, face-down. Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly lunged forward and thrust my blade into his neck. With a twitch and a single convulsion, the white-armored soldier lay motionless on the ground, his lifeblood staining the ground crimson.
As I stood there, having successfully defeated the white-armored soldier, my gaze fell upon the thing that ambushed my enemy. Amidst the clearing dust raised by the explosion, there stood a metallic fire-breathing war chariot that quite resembled a spider with multiple segmented legs, and atop it was Mika, riding that thing.
***********
TN: I'm going to stick with "White armored soldiers" instead of "white knights".