I draw my celestial sword while running alongside Mastema.
At the same time, Victor appeared above us.
“When did you slip back?”
“I had no intention of doing so… It must be the effect of that magical artifact.”
“As expected, angels are useless in a pinch.”
“It was beyond my control. Retract that statement, you demon.”
Mastema turned her face away from Victor with a pout.
These two… I can never tell if they actually get along or not.
Thanks to running at full speed, we reached the battle site in no time.
The golem-like creature was about the size of two grown men.
Soldiers were fighting it with swords and spears.
I didn’t recognize the uniforms they wore.
“Victor, keep your appearance hidden for now.”
“Understood, partner.”
Victor’s appearance stood out far too much compared to Mastema, who had concealed her horns and wings. It was better to avoid drawing attention for now.
The soldiers fought valiantly, but it was obvious they were no match for this creature with just ordinary weapons.
The golem’s movements were simple, but that wouldn’t hold for long.
The leading soldier raised his sword high and swung it down at the golem.
The instant it struck, a dull metallic sound echoed.
However, the attack didn’t even make the golem stagger.
The creature grabbed the sword and easily crushed it.
“Gah!”
The leading soldier released his broken weapon and fell to his knees, seemingly losing his will to fight.
Still, the fact that he didn’t try to flee was commendable.
“Stand back.”
I stepped forward, positioning myself between the soldiers and the golem.
I didn’t know much about this creature, but protecting lives took priority.
The golem discarded the crushed sword and spread its three-fingered hand, reaching for Mastema.
It must have decided she was an easier target.
That, however, was a grave mistake.
Mastema deliberately extended her hand toward the golem’s reaching arm.
Their hands clasped tightly.
“H-Hey! That thing is ridiculously strong! It’ll rip her arm off!”
“Don’t worry. She’s tougher than she looks.”
“Let’s see about that.”
Mastema licked her lips and began exerting force.
At first, they were evenly matched, but gradually, Mastema began to push back.
A creaking sound echoed.
The sound was coming from the golem’s arm—it was beginning to buckle under pressure.
This petite woman was overpowering the massive golem with sheer strength.
The soldiers stared in stunned silence.
They didn’t know Mastema was a demon, so this sight must have seemed impossible.
“Boring.”
Mastema muttered, pulling the golem closer by its hands.
She raised her right leg and slammed it into the creature’s abdomen.
Now the golem’s arms were groaning under the strain.
It looked like she intended to tear them off.
I lowered my sword. It didn’t seem like I’d have a role to play here.
The golem’s metallic body was warping and contorting.
If it weren’t inorganic, it might have screamed in pain.
Finally, the golem’s arms couldn’t withstand Mastema’s strength and were ripped off.
The creature fell to the ground but quickly rose again.
To defeat a golem, its core needed to be destroyed, or it had to be completely dismantled.
Mastema cracked her knuckles, ready to continue the disassembly.
“Wait a moment!”
Just as Mastema grabbed the golem’s leg, Sepia arrived, quite literally flying onto the scene.
“This should do. Hold off on breaking it, okay?”
Sepia tapped the golem’s head three times with her staff.
The golem collapsed as if it had lost consciousness, its power completely drained.
This time, it didn’t get up.
“What did you do?”
“I input the deactivation code. …It’s from the Magitech Nation. I had a hunch.”
“I see.”
A golem from the Magitech Nation attacking people? Why?
At the very least, this confirmed the nation’s existence.
If Sepia’s knowledge was applicable, that was good news.
“For now, keep that quiet. Just say you subdued it with magic.”
“Got it.”
I grabbed Sepia’s shoulder and made sure she understood.
Better to play it safe.
We’d come here to win their favor; being branded as enemies of the Magitech Nation would only complicate things.
“You saved us. Uh, what’s your name?”
The soldiers approached us with a friendly demeanor but scrutinized us curiously.
Right, we were all still in swimsuits.
No wonder they found this group so odd.
As Arnella and Noel followed after Sepia, the soldiers’ gazes shifted, their interest plain as day.
It was understandable, given the two beautiful girls in revealing attire, but it annoyed me.
I hadn’t dressed them like this for others to ogle.
Finding proper clothing was now a priority.
Mastema and Sepia, for their own reasons, needed clothes as soon as possible too.
“We’ve got our circumstances. Could you lead us to the nearest town or village?”
“Understood. We owe you, so follow us.”
The lead soldier stood up, brushing dirt off his pants.
Up close, I could see he was decently trained.
They wouldn’t have struggled this much against ordinary monsters.
We began moving toward the city the soldiers belonged to, with them leading the way.
Sepia, still examining the fallen golem, eventually gave up and joined us.
“Learn anything?”
“The basic structure hasn’t changed since my time, but there are techniques I don’t recognize. The metal composition is different, too. It’s more refined.”
“So?”
“It’s unlikely we’ve traveled to the past.”
“I see…”
If we had gone back in time, knowing history would have given us an edge.
That seemed less likely now, though not entirely ruled out.
“What’s wrong? If we don’t hurry, it’ll be night soon.”
“Ah, sorry. Coming now.”
With everyone in tow, we resumed our journey.
The soldiers occasionally glanced back at Noel and Arnella, but I subtly shielded their line of sight.
